It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) (13 page)

Was he just playing hardball to get half custody like her father thought?

But the boys couldn’t go to two different schools each year. Especially split between the US and France. But what if Tomas’s expensive lawyer—paid for by Tomas’s girlfriend who’d be able to afford a nanny to watch their kids while Tomas worked—won? That’d be terrible for her kids to be raised by some random nanny, even half the time.

Maybe she’d have to dip into her dire emergency savings account and get a second opinion from a higher-powered lawyer in Denver, rather than the one she’d been using in the next town south. She couldn’t let Tomas win just because he had more money than she did now. He wasn’t taking the kids’ best interest to heart. What could he be up to with his latest ploy?

Whatever it was, she’d go broke before allowing her kids to be raised by strangers who didn’t love them.

After he’d gotten dressed, Zane slipped out back to talk to Kip. “What happened? Why did Sarah go to the press so soon?”

Kip said, “They didn’t get the DNA test by noon. It’s since been dropped off, but the damage has already been done.”

“No kidding! What do they want, assuming the test comes back positive?”

“Sarah’s asking for twenty-five thousand a month plus insurance and a college fund. Basically they’re trying to ream you for all they can.”

Zane walked to the end of the dock and sat down. “Check this Sarah person out. I’m not giving her a dime if she’s just going to toot it up her nose or something. And I want visitation rights. If this kid is my relative, then I want to be sure he’s being properly cared for. If she checks out, make a public statement about this being a misunderstanding. That I had no idea the child existed until yesterday and that I’m going to do what’s right by Sarah and the kid. And do it quick. You should have seen the looks on people’s faces here when they saw the news report.”

“Who cares what a bunch of hicks from a small town think? Just keep your head down and get some new material ready. I want to book a new tour for you as soon as your brother is done with rehab.”

Strangely, he did care what Gloria, Fred from the store, and most importantly what Casey and her family thought of him. Anderson Butte was the closest thing he’d felt to being home in a very long time. “I thought we agreed I’d take the full year off. You know how I hate long tours.”

“We need to ride this wave of publicity. Good or bad, people are talking about you. It’s what sells songs, Zane. You can’t hide out behind your synthesizers forever or your fans will find some new, hot, eager talent to follow and forget you ever existed.”

Kip could be so damn dramatic. “Just take care of the Sarah situation, please. And keep tabs on Nick.”

“Speaking of Nick. I wasn’t going to say anything, but the press keeps asking where you are. Nick said to tell you he’d be glad to make a statement from rehab posing as you to give the paparazzi something they can print. It might play well with the Sarah story. You know, you had a drinking problem, during which you showed poor judgment and accidently got Sarah pregnant, and then after the bar fight you realized you needed help and are getting it. And now that you’re clean and sober you’ll step up and take care of Sarah and your child and everyone lives happily ever after. It could all work in our favor.”

“Absolutely not! No more lies, Kip.” Besides, that would be the last thing he’d do. Give his brother a live mic right now to tell his made-up story of their father’s death. His brother’s message through Kip had come through loud and clear. Nick still planned to get his story out. “Just fix the Sarah thing!”

He punched the “End” button and tossed his phone on the dock beside him. That Kip could even suggest that stupid scheme made him sick to his stomach. How, after all their years together, could Kip not understand how important his reputation was to him? It was all that a person truly had control over since the creation of the Internet. Celebrities no longer had any privacy. That, and he wanted Casey to give him a chance to have a somewhat normal relationship for a change. How could she if her kids thought he was a screwup like his brother? He couldn’t afford any more media problems.

What he really needed was to find a way to stop Nick from doing further damage, but how?

The pain relievers he’d taken a few hours ago had worn off and his head pounded, but he’d promised Ty he’d play with him. So he’d tough out a couple of games then all he wanted was his head on a pillow. Maybe once the pain went away, he’d be able to think straight again and figure out a way to get his life back.

C
asey cringed at the sound of her father’s voice, barking orders to
her
staff, as he made his way down the hall to her office. She drew a deep breath, grateful she’d just e-mailed him the budget report, and waited for the storm to hit. Whatever had her father upset was probably about to become her problem, as usual.

The door swung open and her father strode inside. Without so much as a “hello” or “how’re you doing,” he laid his hands on her desk and growled, “Your weekly budget is late.”

“I just e-mailed it to you. And since you haven’t seen it yet, I know that’s not what has you so upset. Why don’t you have a seat and tell me what I’ve done wrong now.” She shouldn’t be so flip. It’d just piss her dad off even more, but she’d had enough of the way he treated her. Especially because the hotel brought in more money than all his other businesses combined.

He continued to stand and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sue Ann just told me you want me to wear a monkey suit and walk Megan down the aisle.”

Why had her stepmother waited so long to tell him? What game was she playing now? “What are you opposed to? The tux or walking your daughter down the aisle?”

“Both! Since Megan came back and found the papers, the whole town knows I’m not her biological father. Sue Ann says it’ll be embarrassing to pretend otherwise in front of everyone.”

“Meg was afraid you’d refuse. It was one of the reasons she wanted to elope!” With her frustration with her father at a boiling point, Casey stood and laid her hands on her desk, mimicking his stance. “But I told her being a father isn’t always about being a blood relation. It’s about who’s there for you, so of course you’d
want
to do it.”

“I put a roof over her head and fed her. That’s more than most would do with the product of their wife’s affair.”

And here she’d thought Meg and her dad had made some real progress lately. Leave it to Sue Ann to ruin things. Why did her father always choose her stepmother’s side over his children’s? “All Meg has ever wanted was for you to care about her. She isn’t asking that you declare your love for her, for heaven’s sake, so please, do this one little thing for her.”

“I’m doing enough by paying for this whole damn wedding instead of taking Sue Ann to Europe next month like she wanted.”

There was the real reason. Sue Ann got inconvenienced because the wedding interfered with her vacation plans. Now she’d make Meg pay in the way that would hurt the most. Well, two could play that game.

“The townspeople will have more respect for you if you do the right thing, Dad.”

“Sue Ann thinks Ben would be a more appropriate choice.”

Casey’s jaw tightened. “I swear to God I’ll quit right now and leave you in a lurch if you hurt Megan by refusing to walk her down the aisle.”

Her father’s face turned three shades of red. “Don’t you threaten me. You need this job more than I need you.”

She did need the job. But she loved her sister enough to risk it. “You want to test me?” She leaned nose to nose with him. Her father was the most intimidating person in town, but for once she wasn’t going to cave.

He blinked as if confused by her unusually bold behavior and then leaned back. “You really think it’d look better to folks if I walked her?”

She’d hit his hot button. Her father craved respect from the townspeople, even if he couldn’t care less what his children thought of him. “Yes.”

Her dad’s eyes narrowed as he considered. “Then I’ll do it. But I’m not wearing a damn tux!”

“Thank you. I’ll settle for a dark suit. And tell Sue Ann not a word of this discussion is to get back to Meg, or Sue Ann will have
me
to deal with.”

“Fine.” Dad waved the importance of her statement away with a sweep of his hand. “We have another problem. It’s your guest, Zane Steele.”

“My guest? If you’ll recall, you’re the one who told Kip we’d make it work.”

“And you’ll thank me for it when you have the money you need for your legal fees. I suggest you take that attitude down a notch, Casey!”

The two-year-old in her wanted to ask, “Or what?” but she’d better not push him any further than she already had. Why was it always she who was expected to compromise?

She sat down and folded her arms across her chest. “What’s the problem?”

He continued to tower above her. His preferred way to hand out orders. “After the news about Zane hit today, those on the picnic committee voted to uninvite him to sing. So take care of that.” He turned and headed for the open door.

Where Megan stood.

Dammit. Had her sister heard the whole conversation?

The expression on Megan’s face broke Casey’s heart.

Meg lifted her chin and stared their father right in the eye. “You can tell your
wife
that her precious trip is back on because I’m eloping. Hope you both have fun!”

Her father at least had the decency to look embarrassed. He lifted his hands and said, “Megan, wait. I have to live with Sue Ann—”

“Don’t bother.” With unshed tears in her eyes, Meg turned on her heel and walked out the door.

Dad whirled around. “Your grandmother is looking forward to this wedding, so . . . fix this too!” He turned and stormed out.

Fix this too?

It seemed to be her fate in life, to be the one who fixed every damn thing.

She stood and went after Meg. Maybe she could catch her sister before she went back to the other side of the lake. If not, she’d have to grab a Jet Ski and chase her down.

She jogged down the corridor, then through the lobby, waving to Jeannie at the front desk. “I’m going to be off-site for a few minutes so ring my cell if you need me.”

Jeannie nodded and went back to tapping on her keyboard. She was probably e-mailing her friends as usual, but that was a problem for another day.

Once outside, Casey hurried toward the dock. Meg’s Jet Ski was still there. So where had she run off to?

Grandma’s house. That’s where Meg would’ve most likely gone.

Casey jumped off the dock onto the sand and walked along the shore, mentally rehearsing the right words to convince Meg to reconsider.

Her sister acted like a hard-ass at times, but she was a sensitive soul underneath. Especially when it came to family. That’d be the right tact to take.

As she headed up the grassy hill, she spotted Grandma and Meg sitting on the front porch in Adirondack chairs. Meg’s arms were crossed over her chest and Grandma sipped lemonade, neither speaking to each other. Casey pulled out her phone and texted Meg’s fiancé before she walked the rest of the way up the steps. Then she sat in an empty chair next to Meg’s.

Grandma winked before she said, “If you’re here to change Meg’s mind, Casey, don’t bother.”

Playing along with a trick the two had used on stubborn Megan since she’d been little, Casey said, “I’m not here to convince Meg of anything. Did she tell you what an ass Dad was earlier?”

Grandma nodded. “He can be that and often is. What can you do?”

Casey leaned over and poured her and Meg some lemonade. After she handed Meg the cool glass, she said, “I didn’t miss Dad walking me down the aisle when I got married. Tomas and I just stood in front of the judge and that was it. Easy peasy.” Casey paused and took a long drink. “But it
was
a little anticlimactic. That morning I was thinking about what it’d be like to commit to someone for the rest of my life, and the excitement of having kids. Of being with the guy I loved more than anything else in the world, and then—bam. We said two words, signed something, and it was over and done.”

Casey paused and then looked Meg in the eyes. “Tomas didn’t even have the ring yet, so we went to the mall in Denver and picked one out he could afford and then flew back home to Anderson Butte and got back to work at the hotel. He never let me buy him a ring because he said he wouldn’t wear it while he cooked anyway, so why bother. Guess that should’ve been my first sign.”

Meg’s forehead wrinkled. “Josh and I have rings.”

Grandma suppressed a grin. “I remember overhearing you and your girlfriends talking about your dream weddings when you were in high school, Casey. Yours was going to be a lot like the one Meggie was going to have. I’m sorry you never got to have that. Maybe next time?”

“Maybe.”

Megan huffed out a breath. “I know what you two are doing, and it’s not going to work.”

She might have known what they were doing, but it would still work. Now all they needed was for the grand finale to arrive—Josh.

Grandma said, “We’re just passing the time here, Megan. If we’re boring you, you’re free to leave.”

Meg rolled her eyes. “I know how hard you both have worked on this wedding, and that it was going to be the wedding Casey never had, but I didn’t want a fancy wedding in the first place.”

“You did say that.” Grandma settled back in her chair. “But do you remember how far your nose got bent out of shape at Casey for running off to get married without you? You said you’d
never
get married without your sister by your side.”

“You guys can all come to Vegas with us.” Meg reached out and grabbed Casey’s hand. “I
don’t
want to get married without you—”

Josh walked up the porch stairs and Meg couldn’t hold on any longer—her tears finally fell. “Who called you?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Handsome, tall, built like a quarterback, Josh scooped Megan up in his arms and hugged her. “I’m sorry your dad upset you.”

Casey’s tough little sister buried her face in Josh’s neck and sobbed.

It melted Casey’s heart how much her sister loved Josh. And how much Josh loved her. She missed that and wanted it for herself again. Could Zane be that guy?

After Meg relayed the whole story to Josh, he gently put her down, then angled her chin up toward his. “Tell me what you want, and we’ll do it. But
you’ll
have to break the news to Haley if we elope.” Josh threw a thumb over his shoulder.

Eric was showing Haley how to skip stones down by the lake.

Meg said, “I just want to elope and get this over with without all the drama!”

“Then done.” Josh held out his hand toward the kids. “It’s as good a time as any for Haley to learn that not everything goes as planned.”

Meg closed her eyes and fisted her hands. “Our wedding is all she’s been talking about. I just can’t do that to her, dammit!”

Casey stood to go. “Okay, so the wedding is back on. Dax said you’d better hurry and pick the menu, Meg, or he’s going to make the choices for you. And you know how Dax likes to cook tongue and brains at any opportunity.”

“Oh, all right.” Meg dried her eyes. “I’ll talk to Dax tomorrow.”

“Great. See you guys. I have hungry mouths to feed.” Casey patted Josh’s arm as she passed by him. She’d told him to use the Haley excuse, and he’d played his part well. Josh would fit into their family just fine.

She headed toward the diner for some to-go pizza for supper. Next she’d have to break the news to Zane that the town didn’t want him to sing. Or, maybe she’d wait until he felt a bit better. She’d do it in the morning.

Zane flipped through channels, looking for something to watch on the bedroom TV. He’d fallen asleep after playing video games and had slept like the dead until nine p.m. Restlessness, hunger, and boredom had him considering a trip to the kitchen and then to the guesthouse to write some music.

Casey pushed the door open with her foot. “’Bout time you woke up. Brought you some dinner.” She held a tray and a big bowl of popcorn. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Lots. And thanks, I’m starving.” He tossed the remote aside and sat up against the headboard.

“You’re lucky there’s anything left. My boys love pizza more than candy.” Casey laid the plate of loaded slices on the nightstand and then refilled his water glass. After shaking out two pills for him, she circled the bed and held her hand out. “May I join you?”

“Absolutely.”

She crawled beside him while balancing her bowl of popcorn. “Ty’s finally asleep and Caleb is in bed reading, so it’s movie time. Anything you’d like to watch?”

“No. I’m not picky.” He found the remote and handed it to her.