“Hey, Zeke. What brings you here?” Had Grams had a real problem for once? She might have to start taking those texts more seriously.
He blinked at her. “Well . . . um . . .”
The thump of Grandma’s cane preceded her. “’Bout time you got your skinny butt over here, Casey. What if I had fallen or something?”
Relieved her feisty grandmother was okay, Casey replied, “Then I’m sure you would’ve texted, #GetYourSkinnyButtOverHereBecauseI’veFallen!!!!”
“True enough.” Grandma chuckled. “Zeke was just leaving.”
Zeke frowned at Grandma, but didn’t argue. “I guess I’ll see you gals later, then.” He pushed the screen open and called out, “And even I know you don’t have to put hashtags in front of texts, Ruth!”
Grandma harrumphed. “He doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about half the time.”
Casey was tempted to tell her Zeke was right, but thought better of it. Grams hated to be wrong. It put her in bad moods. “Was Zeke here to fix something?”
“No.” Her grandmother quickly looked away and then headed back toward the kitchen. “He was just being a pest, as usual. Yak, yak yak. Can’t shut the man up!”
She followed her grandmother into the kitchen. Looked like Zeke had stayed for breakfast.
Interesting, since Grams claimed to be annoyed by Zeke.
Grandma plopped herself down at the kitchen table while Casey swiped the dishes up and rinsed them off.
Casey asked, “So what was so dire that you needed to use three exclamation points in your text?”
“I can do my own dishes, Casey. And I probably should’ve used six exclamation points so you’d pay me some mind and come quicker!”
Casey loaded up the dishwasher with two sets of plates and coffee cups. It was difficult for her grandmother to stand very long, though she’d never admit a weakness. Best to just ignore her complaining. “I came as soon as I was able. And you know that if you really need something you just have to add ‘911’ to the text like we told you. Or you could call—that still works too, you know.”
“I like to text. It makes me feel . . . relevant.” Grandma crossed her arms over her chest. “And speaking of that, I used that number eight app thingy and looked this Zane Steele fellow up.”
“Number eight app? What are you talking about?” Casey started the dishwasher and then joined Grams at the table.
“This one.” She pulled her phone from her apron. “Right here, see?”
Casey laughed. “That’s not an eight. That’s a small letter ‘G,’ for Google.”
Her grandmother pulled the glasses from the top of her head and frowned through them at the screen. “Oh, I see that now. But anyway, this Google doesn’t have nice things to say about your guest. And when Ben stopped by to see if I was still breathing this morning, he told me you spent the night with Zane. In the same bed. And that Ty knew about it. What’s up with that?”
Ben had a big mouth. “I fell asleep after I checked on him is all. And how many times have I told you not to believe everything you read online? Zane is actually a really nice guy.”
“Uh-oh. You’ve got that look in your eyes. You’re going to sleep with him, aren’t you?”
Her grandmother was hard to fool. “It’s none of your business.”
Her sister, Meg, appeared in the doorway. “You’re going to sleep with Zane? I’ll expect all the deets.” Meg slid a chair out and joined them. “Who would’ve ever thought it’d be the good sister, Casey Anderson, who slept with a rock star instead of me?”
Casey withheld her sigh. “I haven’t made up my mind yet. Why are you here, Meg? Don’t you have a lodge to run?”
“Yes. Grandma texted me and said to come over and talk some sense into you. But she forgot to ask me what side of the fence I’m on. I say, he’s hot. And he looks at you like you invented warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven, so I’d go for it.”
Grandma’s eyes narrowed. “Well, he did save Ty, so he’s not all bad. But I don’t know if you can trust a musician, Casey. I understand having an itch only a man can scratch. I’ve had to deal with that since your grandfather died, but I didn’t have two young boys to consider like you do.”
The last thing Casey wanted to do was talk about sex with her grandmother. It made her want to slink under the table and hide.
Meg’s eyes grew wide. “Wait a minute! Are you saying you’ve slept with a man since Grandpa died?”
“Not a man, multiple. I’m not a nun, Meggie.”
Now it was Casey’s turn to gape. She and Meg said at the same time, “Who?”
Grandma’s lips tilted into a smug grin. “A lady never tells. But listen to an old woman who’s been there, done that for once, will you?” She reached out and laid her soft hand over Casey’s. “You’ve always been the most responsible person I know. You’re great at your job, you’re a fantastic mother, you stepped it up when your mother died and took good care of your brothers and sister. Heck, if anyone deserves a hot fling with a good-looking guy, it’s you. But what you’re not good at is having casual relationships. Your heart is too tender. Zane will hurt you. Mark my words.”
“And I disagree.” Meg leaned closer. “You can be annoyingly perfect, Casey, but I say no pain, no gain. Do something wild and unpredictable for the first time in your life. Trust me, it’s fun!”
Casey looked back and forth between the two women, just as undecided as before. Meg had been notorious in her childhood for pulling pranks and certainly knew how to have fun. But her grandmother knew her like no one else. She still didn’t know what she’d do.
She said, “I can’t even think about Zane until I figure out how you kept your wanton ways secret in Anderson Butte, Grandma!”
Grandma smiled. “If I told you that, then how would I ever find out about your secrets?” She slowly rose from her chair, grabbed her cane, and thumped her way down the hall. “I’ve said my piece now, so get out of here, you two. It’s time for my morning nap!”
Meg stood and opened the cookie jar. While leaning against the counter and munching on a sugar cookie, she said, “I think she was making the sleeping-with-men thing up.”
Casey stood and helped herself to a cookie too. “Maybe.” Then a thought hit her. “Zeke was here for breakfast today. Do you think they . . . ?”
“Stop! I don’t want that visual in my head, please.”
Casey shrugged and had another cookie. “Well, I hope it’s true. Why should they both be alone? I like Zeke.”
“I do too. And I guess you’re right about the being alone part. But the rest I can’t think about.” Meg threw an arm around Casey’s shoulder as they walked toward the front door. “But please don’t listen to her when it comes to Zane. Be a wanton woman yourself and go for it!”
She’d done that with Beau and look how that’d turned out. And while it seemed her boys were going to keep their mouths shut about Zane to their father, there was still a chance they’d slip. “Since when do you give me advice?”
“Since I finally figured out I had to risk being hurt to be with the man I love. See you later.” Meg walked beside her to the end of the dock where a Jet Ski waited to take her back to the other side of the lake.
“Bye.”
Meg started the engine and then roared away. Her sister had finally gotten her life back on track. There were times no one believed she ever would. Maybe it was time Casey figured her own life out.
Since the divorce, she’d been running on autopilot. She’d been so hurt she’d tried to shut off her feelings.
Tomas, with his French accent and charming ways, had fooled her so completely. She’d thought he was the one who might take her away from Anderson Butte one day and off to exotic places he liked to tell her about. But then she’d gotten pregnant right away, and as the responsibilities had grown, Tomas had become more and more distant. Mean, really. And then he’d run off and left her with all the responsibilities to deal with on her own.
She slowly walked along the sandy shore beside the quiet lake hoping the answer would miraculously come to her. When she tugged on the hotel’s back door and headed toward her quarters to check on Zane, she caught herself smiling at the prospect of seeing him.
She had it bad for him. Whether she liked it or not.
Zane opened his mouth to have the inside of his cheek swabbed for the DNA test.
Casey’s brother said, “Bet you’ve done this a time or two, huh?”
Zane withheld the sarcastic remark that burned to escape. Casey was close with her brothers so he’d restrain himself. “Nope. My first time.”
“Really? I’d think this would happen pretty regularly to a guy like you.”
“A guy like me?” He knew what Ben meant; most made the same assumption about him.
“You know. Must be nice to have any woman you want.”
“It was nice when I was a geeky nineteen-year-old. Now it’s rare I meet a woman who can see past the fame.”
“Is that what you see in my sister?”
“Yeah. That, and she’s drop-dead gorgeous.” And he also admired her. She was a good mom, and a genuinely sincere person. When he’d offered to buy bikes, she’d made it clear she didn’t want his help or especially his money. That was a first for him.
“I guess.” Ben frowned as he sealed the sample in a bag. “I’ll take this to the lab in Denver myself. I have to check on a patient in the hospital there anyway.”
“It needs to be there by noon, please. And will they send the results to my lawyer or to you?”
“To me. I’m leaving for Denver now and I’ll ask them to put a rush on it.”
The e-mail Zane had gotten from Kip earlier said Nick had been with the Sarah woman, but claimed she was lying about the baby being his. Most likely it was his brother doing the lying. “I need to ask a favor, Ben. I don’t want Casey to know about any of this.”
Ben stopped packing his things and met Zane’s gaze. “Unfortunately, I took an oath and can’t tell her about this test, or believe me I would. It might prove to her that you’re not the guy she thinks you are.”
He wasn’t the guy any of them thought he was.
Ben picked up his bag and started for the bedroom door.
Zane would have to keep the secret for just a few more weeks. Then he should probably hold a press conference with Nick. That’d hopefully put a stop to his brother’s impersonations. That is, if Nick didn’t go to the press first with his lies.
At the door, Ben stopped and said, “If you hurt my sister, I’ll be sure you regret it.” He slammed the bedroom door closed behind him.
Zane lay back against the pillows and closed his eyes. How he wished he’d never covered up the truth in the first place. His brother would be in jail where he would have hopefully learned his lesson, and he’d be free to live his life.
But then, he wouldn’t have met Casey. Maybe fate had done him a favor after all.
A knock on the door startled him awake. He hadn’t realized he’d dozed off. “Come in.”
The door slowly swung open and Casey appeared. “Hi. I’m going to run to the store, and it’s Dax’s day off, so do you want me to bring you some lunch from the diner on my way back?”
“No, I want to come with you.” He threw the covers back and slowly rolled out of bed. “I can’t lie here all day.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Zane. Ben said you needed rest.”
“A little clean mountain air will do me good.” He slid into his sweats and pulled a fresh T-shirt over his head, ignoring the pounding in his brain. “All set.”
“Fine. But if you get dizzy, promise you’ll say something. I don’t want you passing out on me.”
“Promise. But maybe you should hold my hand. Just in case.” He held his palm out and grinned.
She laughed. “Maybe I’d better.”
He liked the feel of Casey’s delicate hand in his. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d simply held hands with a woman. It was . . . nice.
As they made their way out the front sliding doors and slowly up the hill, he asked, “So what are we getting at the store?”
Casey looked up at him and said, “Tampons.”
“Ummm . . .”
“I’m kidding, Zane. Ty needs more pain medicine. I just wanted to see you flummoxed. It’s kinda cute.”
Kinda cute? He’d take that. “Cute enough to talk you into sharing a milkshake with me at the diner?”
She glanced at her watch. “I guess I could take an actual lunch break for a change.”
“Great!” He held the door to the general store open for her, then followed behind as she headed down the aisles. While she perused medicine choices, he glanced over the short shelves across the store. A man who looked like Santa Claus but dressed in civilian clothes waved at him. “There’s our hero. Good to see you up and about!”
Zane looked over his shoulder to see if the man was talking to someone behind him, but no one was there.
Casey said, “That’s Fred. He owns the store.”
Zane lifted a hand in response, and noticed a display of mountain bikes. “Be right back.”
He made his way to the store owner and stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Fred.”
“Great to meet you, Zane.” The older man returned the shake. “What can I do you for?”
He pointed to the display. “Do you happen to know which of these bikes Casey’s boys have had their eyes on?”
Fred chuckled. “You betcha. They come in every few days to be sure I haven’t sold out of them. It’s this model right here.” Fred pointed to a fire engine–red mountain bike. “I’ve got a few more in the back.”
“Will you save me two? I still have to talk Casey into letting me give them to the boys as gifts.”
Casey appeared at his side. “Don’t you dare, Fred. I refuse to reward their bad behavior.” She held up the bottle of pills. “Will you add these to my tab, please?”
The shopkeeper nodded. “Will do, Casey. But maybe if Zane gave the boys the bikes . . .”
“Nope.” Casey grabbed Zane’s arm and tugged. “Let’s go get you some lunch.”
Zane swiveled his head over his shoulder and mouthed, “I’ll talk her into it.”
Fred sent him a smile and a wave as Casey dragged him out the door.
When they hit the raised wooden sidewalk again, she said, “You will not talk me into anything, Zane Steele. Just because everyone else does whatever you ask doesn’t mean I will. We need to get that straight before I sleep with you.”
“So sleeping together is still on the table?” That put an extra spring in his step despite how much his body ached.
She shrugged. “It’s not off the table. But it will be if I catch you trying to buy the boys’ love again. I have a cheater ex-husband for that, thank you very much.”
“Wait a minute.” He stopped walking and faced her. “First, I’m not a cheater like your ex. And second, is it so hard for you to believe I could genuinely like your kids? Because I do!”
Casey just stood there blinking at him.
Was she blinking back tears? He quickly regretted his stern tone. “Casey, I didn’t mean to raise my—”
“No. It’s not you. It’s me.” She held up her hand. “You’ve been very kind to me and the boys. And I didn’t mean to compare you to my ex, it just happens sometimes. Gloria tells me I have trust issues with men.”
“I have serious trust issues with most everyone, so we’re even.” He needed to break the tension that hung thick in the air between them, so he leaned closer and whispered, “Did we just have our first fight?”
She smiled. “Apparently so. I’m sorry.”
“Me too. But how did you even see me say that to Fred? Do you have eyes in the back of your head?”
&
nbsp; “All mothers do. That, and Fred has big mirrors in all four corners of the store.”
“Good to know.” He laughed as a curvy blonde walked up and joined them on the sidewalk.
“Just the man I wanted to see. Looks like you’re recovering well.” The woman stuck her hand out along with her ample chest. “Pam Mitchell. Nice to meet you, Zane.” She batted her eyes at him.
“Hi, Pam. What can I do for you?”
“I was hoping you’d be able to sing a song at our Labor Day picnic.”
Casey said, “He’s still recovering, Pam. We’re just getting some lunch, and then he’s going straight back to bed.”
Pam’s lips tilted into a sly smile. “Well, if you need someone to read to you or something else while you recover, I’m always available.”
Pam left little doubt what that “something else” might be.
He slipped his arm around Casey’s waist. “I’m being well tended to, thanks. And I’m sure I’ll be up for a song on Labor Day. It was nice to meet you, Pam.” He tugged Casey away toward the diner.
Casey said, “I was trying to give you an out.”
“I know. But Pam asked me so nicely.” He held the diner’s door open.
Casey crossed her arms and frowned. “Before you let that go to your head, Pam is seeing Dax, Mr. Rock Star. She flirts by default. You could be as old and as gay as Elton John, and she’d still flirt with you.”
“And here I was worried that might have made you a little jealous. But by your quiet tone and pleasant expression, I can see you’re totally unaffected by it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Casey let out a little harrumph, and then quickly slipped by him to go inside.
“I’ve actually been wanting to try out my newest song anyway.” Still chuckling as the door closed behind him, Zane stopped dead in his tracks. Everyone in the diner had stood and started clapping. Gloria, who’d been watching one of those celebrity gossip shows, tore herself away from the TV and came out from behind the counter. “Here’s our hero now! Order whatever you like. It’s on the house!”
“Thanks, Gloria.” He waved to everyone, then guided Casey to a nearby booth. Lowering his voice he said, “It only happened yesterday. How does everyone know about it already?”
It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) Page 11
