by Tara Randel
Denny sank down onto the chair. “Besides me, who else could be involved?”
Running a hand over the back of his neck, Luke frowned. “The missing money was only recently brought to my attention.” He couldn’t go into more details, but Denny’s loyalty deserved the benefit of the doubt.
“So, now what? You watch everything I do?”
“For now I watch everyone’s moves.”
“Great.” Denny rose, a scowl on his face. “I’m going home. See you later.”
“Denny.” Luke rose. “I’m sorry. You have to understand my position.”
“I do. I know what the Klub means to you. I just never thought you’d throw me under the bus.”
Before Luke could respond, Denny opened the door and bolted, nearly colliding with the mayor.
“Luke,” she said, turning to watch Denny’s escape. “Bad time?”
“No. C’mon in.” He motioned her inside. “What can I do for you, Mayor?”
“I have a request.”
This mayor skillfully rallied the troops before you realized you’d agreed to participate in her latest scheme. “Go ahead. Lay it on me.”
Her good-natured laugh cut the tension of the last few minutes. “Since it helps the community, I’m hoping you’ll agree.”
Zoe Simmons had been mayor for less than a year, but she’d put more energy into the job than anyone before her. Publicizing Cypress Pointe as a premier vacation destination was a key goal for her, along with the myriad of community projects she’d developed. An attractive woman with short dark hair, Luke appreciated her energy and knew if she came here personally, it had to be important.
“What do you have in mind?” he queried.
“I got a call from a local television news station, asking to do a special interest story about the different programs we support here in Cypress Pointe. The concert with Cassie Branford must have put us on their radar.”
Luke hadn’t thought much beyond the publicity the concert garnered beyond Kids’ Klub. A by-product he should have considered.
“The Klub, especially the music program, has been such an integral part of the community I want to highlight both. Would you be interested in creating an original musical about Cypress Pointe? It’ll be a different way to showcase all we do, rather than a stuffy old interview. This will be unique.” She settled her purse on her lap before crossing her legs. “And I’d love you to pick out the kids to perform, if you agree, that is.”
Had he heard her correctly? “Whoa. Wait a minute. Write the songs?”
“Hear me out.” She slipped into her mayoral persona. “Luke, when you moved to town, you stepped away from the music business. Everyone respects your wishes not to revisit that time. But this is an opportunity we can’t pass up. Who else do we know who can write original songs?”
Cassie came to mind, but she wasn’t a resident any longer.
Zoe continued with her pitch like he hadn’t just balked at her suggestion. “We can use this special interest opportunity to produce what I’m thinking of as a mini-commercial to spotlight the high school food bank, the clothing exchanges for new women in business and prom dresses for girls who can’t afford one. And the Klub’s success story gets billing along with the rest.”
Success story? If only she knew. More like a memo to the individual stealing Klub money.
Luke’s mind began to spin. “Slow down. You want to include all of it?”
“Why, yes.” Zoe stared at him like she didn’t get it. “We’ll have a town picnic in the park and feature this musical for the local film crew. If all goes as planned, a larger network picks it up,” she said, snapping her fingers, “and voilà, Cypress Pointe makes national news. In a good, come-spend-your-vacation-money-to-support-our-programs kind of way. Not a hey, we’re-a-murder-capital, stay-away-from-us, negative way.”
Luke blinked. “You’re serious.”
She tilted her head. “Luke, you know I don’t fool around when it comes to our fair town.”
Yeah, he knew. When Kids’ Klub was early in the planning phase, she’d wholeheartedly been on board. Pushed it to her friends in local government to make it happen, lobbied for a seat as a trustee. As mayor, she took pride in the time she’d invested in the Klub’s success. She’d loved the idea of Cassie’s benefit concert and had helped to make it happen. How could he tell her no? That he would never write songs highlighting the programs she’d put her heart and soul into.
“What’s your time line?”
“Three weeks.”
After closing his gaping mouth, he said, “You’re kidding me.”
Zoe waved off his concern. “Look, you write a few short ditties, the kids perform and we’re golden.”
He picked up the pen on his desk and rapidly tapped it against the blotter. “Have you ever written a song?”
“No, but I’ve written grant proposals and let me tell you, those are time-consuming.”
He nearly sputtered over her comparison between writing music and grants until he noticed the humor in her expression.
“Luke, I get that you don’t snap your fingers and a song magically appears. Like I said, it doesn’t have to be really long.”
“I’m not sure what to say.”
“Say you’ll give it a whirl.” She paused and by the twinkle in her eye, he knew he wasn’t going to like what she said next. “Cassie Branford is in town. Recruit her to help.”
“I can’t bother her while she’s home visiting her family.”
“She’s already volunteered her time for the Klub. Look at it as an extension of that.”
Right. Ask an artist struggling with writer’s block to team up with a man who has sworn never to write music again. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
“Can I think about it and get back to you?”
“Actually, no. I need an answer now.”
He ran a hand through his hair. He hated creative deadlines. On the other hand, he could recruit help. Should he convince Cassie to join him? Add her talents to the mayor’s request? Despite her star power, Cassie’s gentle spirit drew him under her spell every time. So yeah, getting her on board would be a win-win all around.
“Some of the businesses in town already agreed to do whatever we need to make the best of this opportunity,” the mayor continued, pulling him from his thoughts. “We really need you, Luke.”
For a guy who’d originally come to town wanting to be left alone, he sure was in high demand.
“I’ll see what I can come up with.”
Zoe’s wide smile took over her face. “I knew I could count on you.”
He grudgingly shook his head. “You’re good, you know that?”
Her grin turned cagy. “They don’t pay me the big bucks for nothing.”
“I didn’t know you could do well financially in local politics.”
“You can’t, but I love this town so it evens out.” She picked up her purse and stood. “I’ll check in periodically. When I have a formal date and time for the filming, I’ll let you know.”
In high gear, Zoe left his office. Three weeks? Could he come up with something by then and teach the kids new music? Looked like he didn’t have a choice. He grabbed his cell phone and hit his contacts, scrolling for Cassie’s number. As the phone rang, he wondered how he’d go about asking her to help. When her voice mail picked up, he blurted, “Cassie. It’s Luke. Call me back. We have an emergency.”
* * *
“HOW CAN YOU be so calm about this?” her mother asked, pointing a dirt-covered trowel at Cassie.
She’d arrived at her mom’s house thirty minutes earlier, hoping for a little mothering and maybe an invitation to dinner. She’d found Dottie out back, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat over her short blond hair. A long-sleeved shirt and capris protected her fair
skin from the damaging rays of the sun as she tended to the colorful garden that encompassed the backyard.
“I didn’t say I was calm. But I’m not as wigged out as I was.”
“How do you lose the ability to write a song?” her mother asked.
“Nerves,” Cassie answered from her seat on the suspended tree swing positioned nearby. She rocked back and forth, enjoying the lazy afternoon. Under the warm sun, her skin baked through the sleeveless, layered tank top and skinny jeans. Even her toes, exposed by her bejeweled platform sandals, tingled. She’d pulled her braid into a bun on top of her head, exposing her tender neck to the heat.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I was trying to deal with the block on my own. Then I got a crazy idea and didn’t want to jinx it.”
“Do I want to know?” her mother asked as she resumed her digging.
“When I saw Luke Hastings at Dad’s wedding, I decided to ask him for advice.”
Dottie’s hand stilled, tool stuck in the soil. “Luke? I thought he was out of the music business?”
“He was. Is.” Ever since he’d kissed her she’d been confused about the man. “But he agreed to give me pointers and last night we actually came up with something I could work with.”
“So your talent is coming back?”
“Slowly. When I got back to Lauren’s place I came up with another tune. Stayed up until early this morning working on it.”
Her mother sat up straight, twisted to face Cassie. “Does Travis know?”
“I was hoping to get it under control so I didn’t have to tell him.”
“He won’t be happy you kept him in the dark. He cares about you.”
Cassie knew. But she also understood the demands of the industry. Travis might care about her, but he had a steady career on the upswing. “I still have time until I need to be in the studio.”
“Time to create enough songs for a record?”
She tightly linked her hands together in her lap. “I guess I’ll find out.”
Her mother fell silent as she resumed her digging. Cassie closed her eyes, basking in the sunshine, savoring the sweet scent of her mother’s blooming flowers. A bee buzzed by, busy seeking out nectar. Kind of like how she’d been searching for anything that would coax her muse back. Never in a million years had she expected her nectar to be Luke. As she swayed, her limbs grew heavy and after a long night expelling creative energy, her head lolled to the side as she started to doze off.
“So tell me, dear. Why are you really here?”
Cassie’s eyes snapped open. Good grief. Was she really that transparent? Sure, she’d had another reason besides confiding in her mother about her writing problems. She just hadn’t expected the woman to get to the next point so quickly.
“Can’t I come by and visit my mom?”
“You’re a busy, accomplished woman who usually calls if she wants to shoot the breeze. You only stop by when it’s serious.”
Pulling herself upright, she tried to decide where to start and ended up blurting her real intentions. “Mom, have you forgiven Dad?”
Her mother had just picked up a small plastic pot containing a flower. At Cassie’s question, the pot tumbled from her hands, soil scattering as it bounced on the ground. “You could have picked an easier question,” she muttered as she scooped up the fragile blossom and started over.
“Sorry. You know how I get when I’ve been around him.”
Dottie finished her task of planting the tender shoot before moving over toward Cassie. She removed her gloves and tossed them on the grass.
“You two have always been like oil and water.”
“Seems to be worse as I’ve gotten older.”
“I don’t know about worse. Maybe you understand life a bit more now that you’ve matured.”
“How do you mean?”
Dottie tipped her hat back. The beautiful face, with an ever-ready smile for her daughters, showed few wrinkles. She’d aged well, despite the tough years raising the girls alone. “As a child, you only remembered your father walking away. What I kept you from seeing were the times we argued. The ugly encounters between us.” She shook her head. “We fought like cats and dogs.
“Your father and I were star-crossed from day one. I thought I loved him and, as I learned the hard way, he was merely in love with the idea of love. He never made a secret of the fact that his musical ambitions came first. I thought I could deal with it, and sadly, I couldn’t. You picked up on my emotions. In the end, you and your sister suffered the most.”
“Lauren is convinced he’s changed.”
“And you’re not?”
“No.”
Resting her hands on her knees, Dottie composed her features. “Does not believing he’s changed keep you from forgiving him?”
“Yes. How could I ever trust him after what he did to us?”
“Trust and forgiveness are two different things. You can forgive, even if you don’t ever trust him.”
“What’s the point? He has this unrealistic view of us as a family. I don’t know if I can ever please him, or if I even want to.”
“The point is, you forgive him so you can move on. Holding on to the bitterness of a situation that you have no control over is not healthy. Moving forward as the independent woman you’ve become will only make you stronger and show your father you’re not easily swayed by what is important to him.”
“He makes me...crazy.”
“Family usually does.” Dottie joined Cassie on the swing. “To answer your question, yes, I’ve forgiven your father. I’ll admit, it took a long time, but when I finally realized we were both to blame, it took out some of the sting.”
“But I’m not part of the problem. I was born into it. So why do I always feel like I’m lacking in his eyes?”
Her mother brushed a flyaway strand of Cassie’s hair. Placed her soft hand against Cassie’s cheek. “My dear, adults sometimes make the mistake of putting their issues above the needs of the children. You never did a thing to influence how your father and I felt about each other. I realize the disappointment from your youth colors the way you deal with your father, but you’re an adult now. You can decide to keep him at arm’s length or give him a chance.”
“It’s so hard,” she whispered, blinking against hot, unbidden tears.
“The human heart has a great capacity to forgive and love. Can’t you afford your father some grace?”
Cassie blinked away the moisture. She’d been harboring her hurt and confusion for so long it had become a part of her.
“What if I forgive him and I still don’t measure up?”
“Oh, Cassie. You’re a wonderful woman. You decided to pursue your music all on your own. Look at the road you’re on. I don’t know how Robert could see otherwise.”
Still, every time she was with her father she couldn’t miss the cold air of disapproval. Could it be because of her attitude toward him? Could he be part of the reason she was blocked? The thought unsettled her but as she looked back, the timing fit. The album bombed. Dad wanted to insert himself into her life. The stress caused her to question herself, just like when she was a kid. It made sense.
“Thanks, Mom, for talking about this. I know the breakup was hard on you.”
Her mother patted her hand. “In the beginning it was. But the three of us became stronger as a result. Lauren is good at her job. You’ve become a major success. And once I knew you girls were going to be just fine, I met the love of my life. So it all worked out.”
Cassie’s heart warmed at the mention of her stepfather. “Bud was after you for years, you know.”
Dottie giggled. “He said the first time he delivered our mail he fell in love with me.”
“How could he not? You are beautiful and kind
.”
“I’m happy to call him my husband.” Oh, boy. Cassie recognized her mother’s look. “I wish you girls would find good men to settle down with.”
“Mom, women don’t need men in their lives to be complete.”
“Yes, but being with the man you love is fun. It’s an adventure. A journey you never want to end.”
An image of Luke flashed in her mind, one with him leaning against the doorframe, relaxed, a smile on his lips, his eyes hooded and mysterious as he looked at her. Is that what her mother was talking about? The chills and excitement she couldn’t deny whenever she was with him?
“You should have written greeting cards for a living, Mom.”
“I would have been good at it, too.”
They both laughed.
As Dottie gathered her gloves and trowel and placed them in her basket, she said in an offhand way, “Lauren thinks you have a thing for Luke.”
“Right to the point, Mom,” Cassie sputtered.
“Both of my daughters are unmarried and in no hurry to walk down the aisle. I’m not getting any younger and I want to see you settled.”
The swing shot out from under Cassie’s legs as she got up. “What is it you used to say? You can’t hurry love if your heart is unconscious?”
“Maybe not hurry, but I can push you two in the right direction, anyway.”
Cassie laughed and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Let’s go inside for some tea. All this talking has made me thirsty.”
“More like you want to change the subject.”
Once indoors, Cassie picked up her phone from where she’d left it on the counter. Scrolling through her messages, she discovered a voice mail from Luke. Tapping his number, she listened. When she heard the word emergency, trepidation flooded her. Had something happened at the Klub? Was Luke okay?
“Mom, I’m going to take a rain check.”
“Is everything all right?” Dottie asked as she washed her hands in the sink.
“I got a message from Luke. I need to go to the Klub.”
The I-told-you-so expression Cassie hoped to avoid reflected in her mother’s eyes. It didn’t take a genius to figure out her mother’s excitement over Cassie’s concern for a man she didn’t want to admit she was attracted to. And then Luke’s words clicked. “We have an emergency.” We? When had he begun to consider them a we? After the two kisses she’d lost sleep over? Him confiding in her about his past? Or was he strictly talking about the Klub?