Tara Randel - The Wedding March

Here we go. “You’ve heard of Sandy Palms, have you?”

Her smile faded and she blinked. He’d thrown her off, just as he’d hoped. “Sandy Palms?”

“Our band.”

“Um, honestly, no. I’m not from around here. I mean, not any longer.”

She didn’t move and he guessed more small talk would be coming.

“Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to get ready for the next set.”

“Oh, of course.”

And of course he’d hurt her feelings. He really wanted to see the sparkle return to those amazing eyes.

“Wait.” He stepped from the platform. “Do you play?”

“Yes. I’m—”

“Let me guess. A songwriter?”

“At times.”

He chuckled. “Either you are or aren’t.”

“At this moment in time, no.”

“As opposed to other moments?”

She shrugged, the light in her eyes dimming. He tilted his head, intrigued. Then straightened. Stop, his inner voice scolded. He didn’t need a female distraction.

Still, it had been a long time since he’d been floored by a woman’s eyes.

“I didn’t mean to bother you,” she was saying. “I’m a fan and wanted to say hi.”

“You have me at a disadvantage.”

“I’m Cassie Branford.” After a slight hesitation, she held out her hand.

“Well, Cassie, nice meeting you.” He took her hand in his, surprised by the zing accompanying the gesture.

“No, the pleasure is all mine. I remember—”

She stopped when her father approached, losing the airiness from just a second ago. She broke the connection, leaving him bummed that he hadn’t heard more.

“Mr. Branford,” he greeted the groom. “Congratulations.”

The man barely acknowledged him, focused instead on his daughter.

“Cassandra, you aren’t thinking of joining the band for a number, are you?”

Number? What was he talking about?

“No. I was just talking to Luke.”

Mr. Branford looked Luke over, sizing him up in a less than complimentary manner.

“You do know who my daughter is?” he asked, condescension oozing from the man.

Glancing at the woman again, it struck him. With a name to go with the face, he recognized Cassie. He might not be part of the music scene anymore, but he wasn’t dead. Still, with her hair up and wearing a dress that hugged her curves, she didn’t portray the confident woman from pop magazine pictures. Her signature braid, a different color always running through it, was missing at the moment, which had thrown him off.

“Dad. Not now.”

“Well, if you’re going to play he should know. Let you take the lead.”

“Know what?” He should have been paying better attention to the vibe around him, because a sinking feeling warned him all was not right.

Cassie shifted and said, “I’m not playing with the band.”

“You should.”

Luke met her gaze. Read the discomfort there.

“So you’re a professional musician?” he asked, even though he knew the answer.

“Cassandra is a successful popular music artist,” her father boasted. “You both have many things in common.”

Heat flushed through Luke. The protective wall he’d cultivated over the years to keep his old life locked away rose as Cassie’s uncertain smile returned. As much as he tried to maintain a low profile, people from the industry found him from time to time. Granted, Cassie was merely a guest at her father’s wedding, but old habits were hard to ignore. Better to stop this intrusion before it went any further.

“I doubt it.”

Cassie flinched at his tone. “I only wanted to ask about your ca—”

“I’m not part of the industry any longer. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

He turned on his heel and walked away. Yeah, he’d been rude, but he’d sensed where the conversation was headed and would rather tap-dance on hot coals than reminisce about the old days. He was not going to talk shop with this woman. Or any woman, for that matter. His time in the music industry was over and he intended on keeping it that way.

CHAPTER TWO

“THANKS, DAD. YOU JUST blew my chance to talk to the greatest songwriter who ever lived.”

Her father lifted a haughty brow. “The greatest who ever lived? I believe that’s a bit of an overstatement.”

“You know what I meant. Luke had a stellar career.”

“Which he walked away from. Messy personal life if I remember correctly.” His eyes narrowed. “And why is it so important to talk to him?”

Like she’d admit her writer’s block to anyone, especially her father. “I’m a fan. That’s all.”

“Cassandra, he’s been reduced to a wedding band singer. Old news. Focus on the future.”

Why did she even bother speaking to her father? Fisting her hands together, she turned and navigated through the mingling guests. What had her father been thinking? See, this was why she kept her distance. Her father didn’t have a clue about who she was or what she wanted.

She’d just reached the door to leave when it hit her. Luke could help her. She needed his expertise. The question was, how could she get it?

The band started up again. Instead of storming off like she’d intended, she went back to the table she’d been seated at earlier. She angled her chair to face the far side of the room. A bird’s eye view of the man in question.

She needed a plan. A way to work up the nerve to ask the legendary Luke Hastings for some tips to help her out of her writing funk. But how? This certainly wasn’t the opportune place to approach him. Yet if she didn’t talk to him tonight, she might miss her one and only chance.

“I just danced with Father,” Lauren said as she flopped into the chair beside her. “He seems distracted. What did you do?”

“Why do you always assume I did something?”

“Because I saw the heated conversation between you two.”

Cassie sent her a sideways glance. “Just the usual. Honestly, I’m more interested in Luke. What do you know about him?”

“Like, what subject he teaches? If he’s involved with anyone?”

“No. His life here in Cypress Pointe.”

Lauren crossed one leg over the other. “Let’s see. Moved here a couple years ago. His cousin owns the Grand Cypress Hotel. He teaches English at the high school and started an after-school program that morphed into a community outreach for at-risk teens.”

“Wow.”

“Kids’ Klub has been pretty successful. Redirects kids going in the wrong direction.”

Noble and hunky. Perfect combination.

“Why are you so interested?” Her sister’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my gosh, you have a crush on him.”

“I do not,” Cassie insisted, even if she couldn’t meet her sister’s gaze. “I want to talk to him about something and it would help if I knew more about him.”

“So explain why your cheeks are red.”

“It’s hot in here.”

“Right. Don’t forget, I’m the one who heard all about your undying love for Chris Johnson.”

“Chris Johnson?” Cassie’s mouth gaped. “That was like eight years ago.”

“And you were crushed when he broke up with you.”

True, she was, but moving away from Cypress Pointe and keeping busy had gotten her through that dark period in her life.

“Just so you know, he got fat.”

Cassie laughed out loud. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Her sister’s quick grin slowly faded. “I miss our times together.”

“Me, too.”

Cassie’s heart squeezed at her sister’s soft expression. They hadn’t grown apart, exactly, more like distance, time and separate lives put a strain on their relationship. Their differing views on their father, Lauren’s insistence on proving herself to him while Cassie didn’t want him around, created another, ongoing source of tension between them.