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

Casey said, “I’m surprised you dared show your face in here, Megan. You still owe me three wedding decisions.” Casey stole the cookie from Meg’s hand. “No more cookies for you until you decide on flowers, music, and cake flavors.” Casey bit into the treat and moaned. “Man, this is good.”

Meg rolled her eyes and grabbed another cookie from the jar. “Having a bad day, Bossy Pants?”

“Your wedding is in a few weeks! That’s not being bossy, that’s desperation you hear. How do you expect me to pull all of this together if you won’t make up your mind?” It had been a monumental feat to get her tomboy sister to pick a dress. She and Meg shared the same dark hair and olive skin, but that was where their resemblance ended. Meg was so short they’d had to shop in the petite section, but they’d finally found something they could both agree on.

Planning a wedding was what most women did with their mothers. But Meg never knew their mother. She’d died when Casey was seven and Meg just a baby. Their father wasn’t a hands-on parent, so Grandma, Casey, and her older brother Ben had to become surrogate parents to Meg and Ryan. But lately, Casey just wished she and Meg—twenty-eight now, and how had that happened?—could just be sisters.

Having their grandmother there would surely get some long-awaited answers out of her sister.

Grandma finished off her milk then slapped the glass down. “Megan, you’re being a pain in the butt about this. I’m old. I could go at any second, and I’d like to be able to eat a piece of cake at
one
of my granddaughters’ weddings.” Grandma shot Casey the evil eye. Grandma had never gotten over Casey’s elopement.

Casey added, “Seriously, Meg. If you don’t want this one nagging you the rest of your life, make up your mind.”

Meg pulled out a stool at the island too. “I told you guys Josh and I would be just as happy flying to Vegas for the weekend and getting it over with. Josh doesn’t have any family to worry about. And Grandma, you’d like Vegas, it’s filled with hot, old, rich guys, just your type.”

“If I wanted a hot rich guy, I’d have a young one, thank you very much. But why would you want some Elvis impersonator to marry you when we have the most beautiful venue in the world right outside?”

Dax came in with two bags of groceries. “Hi, ladies. Get out of my kitchen if you’re going to start arguing about wedding plans again.”

Meg laughed. “Seems bossy is the theme around here today.”

“If you want cookies, they come with my rules, Shorty.” Dax picked up Zane’s preference sheet and grinned. “Seriously? He’ll eat when I feel like cooking for him? We’ve never had a guest say that before. Was he joking?”

Before Casey could answer, the man in question stuck his head inside the swinging door to the kitchen. When Meg saw Zane she dropped her cookie.

Zane said, “No joke. I get so lost when I’m writing songs I forget to eat half the time, so I’m good with whatever works around here.” Zane saw the cookies and his eyes grew wide. “But I could use a few of those before I head out.”

“Of course.” Casey stood and held out the cookie jar. “Zane Steele, this is my sister, Meg, and her daughter, Haley, and my grandmother, Ruth Anderson. Dax here will be your chef.”

“Nice to meet you guys.” Zane shook Dax’s hand while he smiled at the women. Then he locked those piercing green eyes onto Casey’s. “Can I borrow a mountain bike?”

Before Casey could answer, Meg hopped up and said, “I’ll get you all set up, Mr. Steele. Right this way. Haley, stay put, please.”

It was rare to see Meg starstruck. They’d all grown up around celebrities. And Meg didn’t work at the hotel anymore. She ran her own lodge across the lake, so it was odd she was so eager to help.

Casey shook her head and had another cookie. She was going to gain ten pounds if she didn’t stop all the stress eating. She still had big plans for that chocolate cake later.

Grandma narrowed her eyes. “Meggie is up to something. She hopped up like her rear was on fire.”

Casey nodded and mumbled around the cookie in her mouth, “Probably.”

Meg returned and said, “Okay. Here are my wedding decisions so you can both chill out. Chocolate cake, daisies, and him.” She pointed through the window where Zane was talking on the phone before his bike ride.

Casey said, “What do you mean, him?”

“I love his music so I asked if he did weddings. He said not normally, but since I’m your sister he’d play my favorite song. He said he’d still be around by then.” Meg batted her eyes. “He’s so cute. And you’re so single now. Could be a great match. But what exactly happened with you and Beau Bailey?”

“Our relationship wasn’t serious, but I thought it was monogamous until I found out he was also dating some waitress up north, so I broke up with him.”

Grandma grunted. “That Beau was always a player. You should’ve known better, Casey.”

Yeah, she should have
.

She’d fallen for Tomas because at first he was the most charming man she’d ever met. And the sexiest. But that had worn off quickly after the vows. Why did she always pick the wrong men?

Dax slipped an arm around Meg’s shoulder. “Men suck. Except for Josh—he’s the best.”

Meg laughed and gave Dax a hug. “Yeah. Josh is the best. But you have serious potential, Dax.”

It was sweet how in love her sister was with her fiancé. Meg had found a winner there.

Casey frowned and took another bite of her cookie. Maybe she was just attracted to the type who cheats? She probably needed to reevaluate her dating habits. But now that the boys were back, she didn’t have the time anyway. “Josh
is
awesome. But believe me. Nothing’s ever going to happen with me and Zane Steele.”

“Okay.” Meg tilted her head. “But is something else wrong? You seem upset.”

“Yes. It’s Tomas again. I’ll tell you guys later. Right now I need to have a little chat with Zane. I never agreed to that long a visit.” She hopped up and hurried out the rear door to catch Zane before he left.

She needed him out as soon as his two-week contract was up.

C
asey hurried out the back door to catch Zane. As she approached, he looked up and smiled at her while he talked on the phone.

How could someone that good-natured have acted out like that at the bar the evening before? And come to think of it, when she’d seen him on the news, he’d looked like he had a bit of a shiner under his right eye, but there wasn’t any trace of it. Must’ve kept ice on it all night at the police station.

Zane said, “Kip, hang on. Casey wants to talk to me.” He lowered the phone and hitched a brow, waiting for her to explain her interruption.

She’d normally never interrupt a guest’s call, but protecting her boys had to be the priority. And since Zane was talking to the man who’d signed the agreement earlier, she waggled her fingers for the phone. “I’d like to talk to Kip, if you don’t mind?”

“Sure.” He handed over his phone.

The cell phone smelled like Zane’s aftershave. Kind of woodsy and sexy. But whatever. “Hi, Kip. I think there’s been a little misunderstanding here. Our contract was only for two weeks. I have other reservations for the presidential suite next month.”

“Our plans changed. When I tried your cell a few minutes ago and it went to your voice mail, I called your dad. He said you’d work it out. Zane needs to stay under wraps for eight weeks.”

Eight weeks? Damn her father for not checking with her first. All the man saw was dollar signs. “Kip, while I appreciate that you and my father are old friends, I’m in charge of bookings and—”

“Casey, I’ve been sending business your way for years. I’d hate to have to find somewhere new for my clients to spend all that money.”

She couldn’t lose Kip’s business. He was one of their biggest clients. But her father should’ve checked with her first.

If she told Kip no, it would serve her father right for making deals without asking the person who actually did all the work for him, but she needed her job to support her boys more than she needed to teach her dad a lesson. “Of course I’ll work this out, Kip. But as you know, we often let our clients book the entire hotel. So on those occasions . . .”

“Zane’s easy to please. Thanks, Casey.”

Dismissed. Just like that. Kip would never do that to her father. She was so tired of cleaning up her father’s messes. “You’re welcome, Kip. I hope we’ll see you again sometime soon. Goodbye.”

Casey hit the “End” button and was tempted to hurl the phone into the lake before she remembered it wasn’t her phone. She tamped back her temper and then handed the cell to Zane. “Well. Looks like you’re going to be our guest for eight weeks.” Eight of the longest weeks of her life. She’d need to have a serious talk with her kids. Be sure they didn’t slip and tell their father about Zane. The boys knew they weren’t supposed to discuss
any
of their guests, but the guests were rarely the boys’ biggest idol.

Zane tucked his phone into his back pocket and then threw a leg over the bike. “Is it that you just don’t like me, or is there another reason you’d rather I didn’t stay?”

She needed to put on a professional front. Pronto. She never showed emotion in front of her guests. “No. I’m sorry. It’s just when my sister mentioned you’d still be here for her wedding—and thank you for volunteering to help—I realized I might have some logistical complications. But I’ll figure something out. If you’ll excuse me I need to have a little chat with the mayor now.”

She started walking up the hill and Zane appeared beside her, pedaling the bike. “The mayor, who is also your father.”

“Yes. Did Kip give you the scoop on my whole family tree or just me?”

“Pretty much the whole family. How your older brother, Ben, is the doctor, your younger brother is the sheriff who picked me up, and your sister, Meg, runs a smaller lodge on the other side of the lake. Your grandmother has been known to shoot people, but hasn’t killed anyone . . . yet. Kip said it’s like visiting a real live Monopoly game where the Andersons own all the properties in town and rule their own little world, and their rivals, the Grants, control all the mining land that surrounds the town.”

If Zane only knew how true that was. Her father could be a total dictator at times. And a big bully. “Yes, it is sort of like that. But I’m not sure this game has big enough stakes to keep you entertained for two months, Mr. Steele.”

“I don’t need to be entertained. I’m just here to write some new songs. I promise I won’t be any trouble. Scout’s honor.”

Casey laughed. “I have a very hard time picturing you as a Boy Scout.” She picked up the pace when they hit Main Street.

He stayed right beside her, slowly pedaling. “I was an Eagle Scout, actually.”

“Really? So did being an Eagle Scout teach you the trick to get rid of that shiner under your eye I saw on TV last night? With two boys, that’d be a good thing to know.”

He stopped the bike and planted his feet on the pavement. Zane leaned close enough that his sinfully delicious aftershave wafted her way again. He whispered, “Can I trust you with a really big secret, Casey?” He stared deeply into her eyes.

His were so intensely green and enticing that a woman could get lost in them. But not this woman. She leaned back a few inches. “That’s what we do in Anderson Butte—keep secrets, Mr. Steele. All the skeletons in your closet are safe here.”

“Good. Then it won’t shock you to learn that the reason I heal faster than most is that . . . I’m a vampire?” He cocked his brows and grinned.

“Well, that explains a lot.” She chuckled and started walking again.

“Wait. What do you mean?” He gently slipped his warm and very much alive hand around her elbow to stop her, sending a quick zap of awareness straight to her gut.

She said, “Everyone knows vampires never sleep. It explains your notorious and extremely late-night arrests we’ve seen so often on the news lately.” He hadn’t let go of her elbow, so she slowly removed it from his light grasp.

“Maybe. But there’s always two sides to every story.” He frowned and started pedaling as he fell silent beside her.

The sudden change in his demeanor from playful to seemingly sad made her wonder what the other side of a drunk and disorderly story could possibly be. But, not her problem.

He finally said, “I ate lunch on the plane, but I’ve been starving since I got here.”

“It’s the fresh mountain air. You can order food at the hotel whenever you’d like, but the diner across the park specializes in vampire fare—rare steaks, blood oranges.”

“Cute.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “It’s hard to enjoy an uninterrupted meal these days. Kinda takes the fun out of it.”

“Some of the most famous people in the world have enjoyed an uninterrupted meal at my aunt Gloria’s diner. Everyone knows you’re here and not to bother you. I enjoy watching the lack of attention mess with the heads of some of the more spoiled celebrities.” She turned and walked up the stone steps to Town Hall’s front doors. “See you, Count Chocula.”

Zane called out, “I forgot about that cereal. Can I add that to my preference list?”

Casey stopped and glanced over her shoulder to see if the guy was serious. He wouldn’t be the first famous guest with the eating habits of a kid. When she recalled how that used to drive Tomas nuts, it made her smile. He would have a field day with Zane and his lack of preferences.

The way Zane stood there with his brows raised and head slightly angled wasn’t only annoyingly endearing but also showed that he
was
serious. “It’s already in the pantry. But I only allow my kids to eat that on Saturday mornings as a treat. Behave while you’re here and maybe I’ll talk the boys into sharing with you.”

After Casey disappeared into the Town Hall, Zane let his smile fully bloom. She actually had a sense of humor when she wasn’t busy trying so hard not to like him.

He’d gotten her to smile again, so maybe he’d made a little more progress.

Lying about the black eye hadn’t felt great, but her brother was the sheriff, and as Jack had pointed out, what he and Nick had done wasn’t entirely legal, despite his good intentions. He’d never want to put Casey in a bad position by knowing the truth.

He turned the bike toward the diner, curious to see for himself if he could actually eat a meal before it turned cold while he signed autographs.

Zane pedaled across the square, trying to remember the last time he’d had diner food. He’d love a good BLT. Or maybe a chocolate shake. Man, that sounded good. He was so tired of all the healthy crap his personal chef made for him, albeit at his own request, because it was hard to stay in shape on the road, but why not live a little while on vacation?

Pretending to be on vacation was the only way he could think about his time in Anderson Butte without getting pissed at his brother again.

Not sure what to do with the bike, he leaned it against the side of Good Eats and Better Treats so he could keep an eye on it through the big windows. Time to test out the “no one will tell the media he was here” theory.

A bell tinkled above his head as he entered the diner. The red vinyl booths all had mini-jukeboxes that controlled the bigger one in the corner, which was crooning a popular country tune. The black-and-white tile floor shone as brightly as the stainless steel behind the counter. It was like walking onto a movie set from the 1950s. Kind of cool.

People eating glanced up at him, but then quickly went back to their business. Casey had been right. They acted like he was no big deal. He’d almost forgotten how great that felt.

He took a seat on a stool at the counter as he waited for an older waitress to finish up with another customer. She wore a pink bowling shirt and had some crazy teased-up hair. While he waited, Zane twirled around on his stool to see if the bike was still there and noticed Casey’s son Ty sitting in a booth with two older boys. They were drinking half-empty milkshakes and huddled around a piece of paper in the middle of the table.

The waitress said, “Hiya, Mr. Steele.”

When he spun back around, she smiled and held out a plastic-coated menu. Her shirt had “Gloria” stitched across her chest. Must be Casey’s aunt who owned the place. Yep. Monopoly.

“Hi. Nice to meet you, Gloria.” He stuck out his hand and was rewarded with a bone-crunching shake. No doubt Gloria ran a tight ship. “So what’s good?”

“Everything’s good. Take your pick.”

He checked on the bike one more time and then scanned the menu. As he tried to make up his mind Gloria said, “Someone chasing you?”

He looked up from the menu. “Excuse me?”

“You keep looking out the window. Just wondered what’s so interesting out there.”

“Oh, it’s the bike. I was just keeping an eye on it. Don’t want anyone to swipe it and make Casey any more upset with me.”

Gloria’s right brow spiked, then disappeared under her bangs. “First off, no one is going to touch what’s not theirs in Anderson Butte. Second, it’s not like Casey to be angry at a guest. Especially one with such a charming smile and who looks like you. You’re just her type. I’m sort of the unofficial matchmaker around here and I pay attention to these things.” She grinned widely. “So what did you do?”

Casey’s type? Things just got a lot more interesting. “A misunderstanding is all. Any advice to get back in her good graces? And maybe even get a date?”

“She’ll need to move at her own pace. Hard to trust when you’ve had as bad luck as she has had with cheating men. So if you’re one of those, move along. Otherwise, patience is key. And my freshly made chocolate mousse pie is the special of the day, by the way.”

“Sold!” He laid the menu down. “Thanks for the advice. And how about I get three more pieces to share with Ty and his friends? That is if you think it’d be okay with their parents?”

Gloria nodded and poked the pen she held into her hair. He hadn’t noticed before, but there had to be five others in there too. “I’m sure Casey and Meg wouldn’t mind a bit of indulgence on the last week of summer break. Coming right up.”

Zane glanced at the kids again, his curiosity ignited at what they were so intensely studying. He liked hanging out with the kids and counselors at his foundation once a month or so because they were just happy to see him. They were starved for a music education and loved to learn whatever they could from the classes he taught. Kids didn’t have an agenda like the adults in his life. They didn’t ask him for cars or to pay their mortgages for them; they just wanted someone to pay attention to them for an hour, which many of their parents didn’t do.