by Robyn Neeley
Then her mother shows up with a new boyfriend that is — surprise, surprise — Luke’s dad. Seriously?
But the big announcement that kicked her further into Hell was the proposal. That Jack had the nerve to ask her mother — a woman he barely knew — to marry him and to do it in front of her was obnoxious. She wasn’t surprised that her mother had blurted out yes before Kate could object. Her mom simply didn’t have the ability to rationalize when it came to matters of the heart.
After dropping her wine glass and spilling red wine all over her pale pink sundress, she excused herself and had run up to her room, where she found solace in her pillow and cried all night. She didn’t know if she was more upset at the prospect of losing her mother or becoming a stepsister to Luke. This situation couldn’t be anymore “f’d” up if she had watched it play out on the Lifetime Movie Network.
Frustrated, she pushed her hands down deep into the sand, bringing up a fistful and throwing it in front of her.
“Mind if I join you?”
So much for being alone. She squinted her eyes and instantly brightened. “You’re back,” she said, catching her breath.
“Huh?”
Her heart sank. It wasn’t Luke. “Oh, hi, Drew. I thought you were your brother.” She sat up and grabbed her sunscreen bottle, lightly spraying her arms. The one unexpected outcome — she was growing fond of Drew. They’d hung out together a couple of times by the pool when his bride mysteriously disappears with Miles. The missing pair always came back hours later, hands full with shopping bags. Drew might be Lauren’s groom but Miles was her new best friend.
Drew laughed. “Still can’t tell us apart?” He laid his towel down next to her and sprawled out.
“Guess not.” She cringed, thinking about the waterfall incident. Luke had been wrong. It wasn’t a Freudian slip. In that moment, there had been only one Cannon brother she wanted and he wasn’t sitting next to her. If only she had said the right name. Things might be different. “So where’s Lauren?”
“Don’t know. She and Miles ran off somewhere. Massages or something. Honestly, I’m starting to think she’d rather spend all of her free time with him than me.”
She laughed. “You’re probably right. She might persuade him to switch teams before this week is over.”
“Hope not.” He reached for her sunscreen. “Hey, can you do me?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“SPF.” He pointed at the bottle still in her hands. “Do my back. I don’t want to look like Lauren did. Her mother would kill me if I mess up the photos.”
Kate shook the sunscreen can. She really didn’t want to touch Drew. Pointing it at his back, she noticed a large bobcat with a purple collar on his right shoulder blade. The collar had the letters NYU.
Wait a minute? When did he get a tattoo? She thought back to their encounter in Waikiki when she glanced out her peephole at him. She remembered the clear shot she had of his naked back in the hallway. He definitely didn’t have a tattoo. Did he? It was huge. How could she have missed it?
Drew looked behind her. “Is the can empty? I could run up and buy some in the hotel gift shop.”
“No, it’s full.” She hit the button and sprayed his back. “So when did you get a tattoo?”
“Huh?”
“The bobcat on your back?”
“Oh, I got that in college, long time ago.”
Kate began to rub the SPF in. If Drew had that tattoo all along, then why didn’t she notice it?” She put her free hand over her mouth. What if? No, that’s not possible. She narrowed her eyes. What if the guy she had left naked in the hallway wasn’t Drew? What if it had been Luke?
She rubbed the sunscreen deeper into Drew’s back, deliberately lingering over the tattoo. That encounter had happened the day before they had picked Luke up at the airport. Still, she would have remembered that tattoo. Wouldn’t she?
What game were they playing? What if Luke had been on the island that day? That could mean …
She threw the can in the sand and moved around on her towel to face Drew. “You didn’t kiss me on the plane to Honolulu did you?”
“What?”
“It wasn’t you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Kate, I thought we were over that?”
“It was your brother, wasn’t it?”
“He wasn’t even there. Remember? We picked him up at the airport.” He shook his head. “I did it. I said I was sorry.”
“You’re lying.”
“Prove it,” he challenged.
Kate glared at him. He wasn’t telling the truth. She was sure of it. She didn’t know why they had tricked her but she was going to get to the bottom of it right now. “Fine, I will.”
Grabbing his head, she pulled it toward hers and planted a big, open kiss on his lips. She intentionally thrashed her tongue with his. He responded, going deeper inside her mouth. That was all the evidence she needed.
She pulled back. “A-ha! I knew your kiss would be different.”
“Kate, I’m — ” He looked past her and his jaw dropped.
“An Asshole!”
Kate looked up to see Lauren hovering over them. Next to her were Luke and some strange blonde in a dark blue, short-sleeved suit. Kate quickly moved away from Drew.
“Baby, I can explain.” Drew stood on his towel. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“You making out with our wedding planner isn’t what it looks like? I must get my eyes checked.” Lauren crossed her arms and stared down at Kate. “I thought we were friends. How could you do this to me? How long has this been going on?”
“Not long … I mean … nothing’s going on,” Kate stammered.
“Oh, really? Could have fooled me!”
“Lauren, it was nothing. I was only trying to prove a point,” Kate said.
“What point is that, Kate?” Luke said coolly and grabbed the hand of the strange blonde.
Who was this woman and why was he holding her hand? “I’m so sorry,” Kate said, not taking her eyes off of Luke.
Lauren threw her hands in the air. “You’re sorry? Oh, you will be sorry when Daddy finds out about this. You and your little wedding planning company are going down in flames. I’ll make sure of it.”
She tore off down the beach. Drew fast on her heels.
Kate stood and threw her bathing suit cover on. The only thing that her brain registered from the last few minutes was that Luke was back and standing in front of her. She needed to talk to him. Confirm from him that he had been the one who kissed her on that flight and find out why he had lied to her. “Um … I need to talk to you. Can we go someplace private?”
She searched his face. He had the same frustrated look that he’d given her in the waterfall. He was still holding the blonde’s hand. “Kate, this is Olivia, my girlfriend. Olivia, this is Kate, my soon-to-be stepsister.”
Kate frowned. Apparently her time in hell was going to be extended.
• • •
Luke paced in his hotel room. “What in God’s name were you thinking?”
“Dude, don’t yell at me.” Drew shot back from the sofa. “This is your fault.”
Luke laughed sarcastically. “My fault? And how exactly is this my fault?”
“You told me I couldn’t tell Kate the truth. Yesterday on Skype. Remember?”
“So you decided to make out with her on the beach?” He threw his hands up in the air. “It all makes perfect sense to me now.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? She initiated it.” Drew shrugged. “She’s a pretty good kisser. I get why you’re so infatuated.”
Luke stopped pacing and stepped toward his brother, fist raised. “Say another word on how she kisses and so help me, I’ll clock you.”
“Geez, for someone seeing another woman, you sure are territorial when it comes to my wedding planner.” Drew got up and headed to the mini bar.
“I’m not seeing anyone.”
“That’s not what Dad
said. Check your e-mail.” He opened the refrigerator door and grabbed two beer bottles. Using a bottle opener on the dresser, he popped the tops and handed one to Luke. “Here, you could probably use this.”
Luke took a long sip and scrolled through his phone. There was indeed an e-mail from his father asking if the rumors from the beach were true. Leave it to Olivia to run to his dad and blab about what had happened and what he called her. He’d deal with those two later. “I want to know why Kate kissed you.”
Drew sat back down. “Dude, she knows. We were hanging out and I asked her to spray sunscreen on my back. She figured it all out when she saw my tattoo.”
“Your tattoo?”
“Yep. The bobcat gave it away. Apparently, she saw your backside?”
Luke smacked his head. “Of course.” How could he have forgotten to keep covered the one thing that could tell Drew and him apart?
Drew laughed. “So when did she see your back?”
Luke sat down next to him. “That’s none of your business.” They had been busted by that damn bobcat tattoo. Kate must have seen his back when she left him naked in the hallway. And never mind the waterfall. “God, what a big mess.”
“Tell me about it. So when did you get back together with Olivia?”
“We’re not back together.”
“But she thinks you are?”
“Long story. I need to find her.” He set his bottle down on the coffee table. “But first I need to apologize to Lauren. Where is she?”
“In our room.”
“Why aren’t you with her?”
“She wouldn’t let me in.” He paused.
Luke studied his brother. “You know, for someone whose fiancée caught him kissing another woman, you seem calm. Why aren’t you banging down her door?”
Drew didn’t seem to have an answer.
“Well?”
Drew raked his hair with his hand. “Can we talk?”
Luke hesitated. He needed to find Olivia and explain why he had introduced her as his girlfriend to Kate. He hoped she would see the humor in the situation and forgive him. Why Olivia had shared the news with his father, he didn’t know. She must have been shocked and confused. It didn’t help that Luke didn’t explain everything to her, but instead tore off to find Drew. The rumor was evidently out and he needed to squash it and fast.
“Bro, I really need some advice,” his brother begged.
Luke settled into the sofa. If Drew needed to talk, he’d listen. That would never change. “If you’re worried about Lauren, I’ll go explain everything right now.”
“It’s not that. Well, it’s kind of that. I don’t know.” Luke could tell his brother was having a hard time articulating his feelings. Neither of them had a knack for it. They took after their father in that regard.
“What is it?” Luke asked.
“Well, if I’m being completely honest, when Lauren called off the wedding, a huge part of me was relieved.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” Drew shook his head.
“Wow.”
“Tell me about it. I was trying to tell you last week before we landed in Honolulu.”
Luke thought back to their conversation on the plane. Drew had been acting funny but he chalked it up to his brother having cold feet. “So what do you want to do? Call off your wedding?”
Drew shrugged. “I think that’s already been done. Lauren doesn’t deserve this. She should be with someone who is ready to get married.” He paused and aimed his bottle cap toward the trash can, flinging it in. “I guess I’m not. I think I’ve known for a while. Kate kissing me may have been the best thing to happen.”
Luke sat stunned. Did Kate save Drew and Lauren from making a huge mistake?
Chapter Sixteen
“So please tell me I’m hearing things.” Miles took off his aviator sunglasses and placed them on his head. It had been two hours since the kissing incident and Kate was hiding out at the hotel’s beachfront bar. “Lauren caught you kissing Drew?”
She nodded. “You’re not hearing things.”
“On the beach?”
“Yep.”
“The wedding is off?”
“I think so.”
“You mean the wedding that was going to give us bonuses that equaled our annual salaries while catapulting both our careers?”
“That would be the one.”
He let out a slow breath. “Just making sure.” He turned around on his stool and leaned back on the bar. “Lauren must be devastated.”
“I feel awful.” Kate played with her straw. She had ordered a piña colada but now even drinking Lauren’s favorite drink seemed like a betrayal.
“Why did you kiss Drew?” Miles asked. “I thought you liked Luke.”
“I do like Luke.”
Miles raised an eyebrow. “Right. Did you think Drew was Luke?”
Kate laughed at the thought and gazed out at the water. The sun had begun to go down on a beautiful pink horizon. If only there was a tiny boat she could jump into and paddle in its direction.
She had had enough of deception. The question now was why? Why did Luke pretend to be Drew? Why didn’t he tell her who he was from the beginning? It didn’t make any sense.
She sighed. Unless he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Maybe he pretended to be Drew so he wouldn’t get caught cheating on his girlfriend? Did he get carried away on the plane and then decide that it would be easier to pretend he was Drew?
Not only did it not make sense, it didn’t seem like something Luke would do. It also didn’t explain the romantic bonfire on the beach or the kiss in the waterfall. He certainly wasn’t pretending to be his brother then.
“Should we go try to talk to the bride?” Miles interrupted her thoughts. “We could say you thought he was Luke and jumped him. I’ll tell her you haven’t had sex in months.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think that’s going to work.” She sighed. “We should go up though and try talking to her. Perhaps by now Drew’s gotten her to believe that I was only trying to prove a point.”
“What point?”
“Never mind.” She wasn’t ready to share with Miles what she had learned. She first needed to get some answers. There was only one person that could clear things up and she hadn’t seen him since he had fled the beach with his NYC girlfriend in tow. “Do you know what room Lauren’s in?”
Miles nodded. “I was up there this morn — ” He stopped and looked past Kate to the courtyard. “Oh, no.”
“What?” Kate spun around. Leaving the courtyard were Lauren and her parents. A bellman followed with suitcases on a rolling cart. “Oh, God. They can’t be checking out tonight. I need to fix this.” Jumping off the barstool, she darted after the family.
She sprinted through the courtyard. She’d tell Lauren everything and beg her to forgive Drew. Not only did she not want to lose this wedding; she couldn’t handle the thought that she was the reason her bride and groom broke up. Her reputation in the industry would be ruined.
She reached the fountain and turned when her foot caught on the jagged pebble concrete. She fell hard to the ground. “Damn it.” She tried to move but her ankle hurt.
“Let me help you.”
Drew stood over her, extending his hand.
“I’m fine. Go after her,” she screamed.
“Who?”
“Lauren. She’s leaving.”
He pulled her up. “It’s Luke.”
Kate yanked her hand out of his. “Why can’t I tell you two apart?” she shouted in frustration and limped past him.
“Kate.”
“Don’t follow me.”
“Kate, you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
“We need to talk,” Luke pleaded.
She stopped at the entrance. The taxicab carrying the Kincaids had driven away. She was too late. “Is Drew with them?”
“No, he’s upstairs.”
“Is the wedding off?”<
br />
Luke nodded.
Kate closed her eyes. “I do. I do,” she muttered, trying to calm down. This wasn’t happening. Thousands of dollars in preparation down the drain, not to mention this would be a huge embarrassment for Tie Your Knot. “I’ll be canned.”
“Over this? It wasn’t your fault.”
“I think Lauren feels differently.” She opened her eyes and bit down on her lip. She was not going to cry. Not in front of Luke, anyway.
Luke touched her shoulder. “Let’s go talk. Maybe take a walk on the beach?”
She jerked away. “I’m not strolling the beach with you anytime soon.” She turned and took a few steps but stopped and whirled around. “Just one question. Why did you pretend you were your brother and kiss me?”
Luke’s warm smile caught her off guard. “I can explain everything.”
“Go ahead.” Her heart raced by his merely being next to her. Stupid heart. “I’m listening.”
“Luke!” Kate turned to see Olivia rushing toward them. She had changed out of her power suit into a sexy black top and skinny jeans. Her blonde hair flowed past her shoulders. “Hi, Kate,” she smiled brightly.
“Oh, right, the NYC girlfriend,” Kate said coolly. “I forgot about you.”
“Excuse me?” Olivia linked her arm into Luke’s. “Luke, your father needs you now. We’ve got the New York office calling in an hour. Jack’s ready to officially go on record about his retirement.”
“Now?” Luke freed his arm. “It’s the middle of the night in New York.”
“You know your father. He’s got the communications team ready to announce the news tomorrow.” She pulled Luke to follow her. “We need to go.”
“Wait.” He looked at Kate. “It will only take an hour and then we can talk. Meet me by the fountain?”
“Sure. Fine.” Kate watched as Luke and Olivia walked through the courtyard. That was a promise she didn’t intend to keep.
• • •
Kate slammed her door, flinging her clutch purse across the room. She opened her closet and yanked her clothes off their hangers. She was getting off this island tonight if she had to jump into the ocean and swim to Waikiki. The situation with Luke, Drew, her mother, their father, Lauren, Olivia. Pick a name. It was all too much.
