It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) (6 page)

Holy crap. What was he supposed to say to that?

He wished he’d left five minutes earlier. He wasn’t equipped for deep family stuff with kids. But Caleb’s dad putting him in the middle like that was just . . . wrong. “That must be . . . I mean, that has to be a hard . . .”

Caleb’s eyes widened. “She just hung up. And I think she’s headed this way. See you!” Caleb took off down the hall, leaving Zane standing there like he’d been spying on Casey. Which he sort of had been, but not in the way she’d probably think.

Casey started up the hill, but then turned around and headed to the end of the dock again. Probably a good time to slip out before she got back.

But then she sat down, took a huge hit from her wineglass, and dropped her head into her hands. It looked like she was crying, dammit.

Of course she was crying. Her ex had just told her he wanted to take her kids away.

He couldn’t leave her like that. He had to do something. But what?

Cake. That was what she’d need. No one could cry when chocolate cake was involved. He grabbed the piece she’d cut for herself and then found a fork and a napkin before he headed outside.

The loud chirp of crickets serenaded him as he worked up the courage to comfort an upset woman. Something he’d never been much good at.

His footsteps, muted by the grass, became louder when he hit the wood on the end of the dock. Casey quickly sat up and straightened her shoulders. He walked slowly, hoping to give her time to pull it together before he got there.

Tears scared the crap out of him.

When he got close, he said, “I almost caved and ate your piece of cake too, but then I realized you have a passkey to every room. I was afraid you’d spike me in the heart while I slept.” He lowered the plate beside her, ready to make a fast retreat to his room.

“Smart man.” She wiped away her tears and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

He stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, not quite sure what to do next. The way she’d finally genuinely smiled at him, like he’d seen her do to others, made him want to stay. But there was always the possibility for more tears, so maybe it’d be best to go.

“Okay, so I’ll just . . .” He threw his thumb over his shoulder.

“Wait. Can I ask you a question?”

Looked like he was staying.

Resigned, he sat next to her on the side of the dock. “Sure. Shoot.”

“Caleb said you were raised by a single mother. Were your parents divorced too?”

“No. My dad died when I was twelve.”

“I’m sorry. My mom died when I was a kid too. It’s harder to grow up with one parent. But I don’t know if I’m just being selfish wanting my boys to be with me rather than their father. Especially after they reach a certain age. Do they need a man’s daily influence? My father didn’t pay much attention to us kids. But I don’t know what we’d have done without my grandmother.”

As she went back to frowning while she ate her cake, he leaned closer and gave her a soft shoulder bump. “I was going to say I turned out just fine being raised by my mom since middle school, but then I realized you might not agree with that.”

She met his gaze for a moment before she turned her attention back to her plate. “You don’t match what the public sees on TV. I’ll give you that. But the jury’s still out on you, Zane Steele.”

“So noted. You going to be all right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for asking the boys to clean up earlier. That was . . . very considerate of you.” She sent him another brief smile.

“Least I could do in return for an awesome spaghetti dinner. I don’t get many of those these days.”

“Neither do my kids. Their father is a chef, and they grew up eating gourmet meals. Until he left, they’d never had the simple food I know how to cook. We mostly let Dax feed us now because I’m so busy taking care of the hotel, but it was important to me that the boys see what normal kids eat. I try to make the boys’ life as normal as it can be growing up in a hotel with the most famous people in the world as guests. So every Thursday I cook something simple for them here at home. With just us. You were our first guest. I’m sorry I had to run out on you guys like that.”

Their first guest? So Beau Bailey, the handyman/plumber or whatever he was hadn’t ever been invited to eat with them? Nice.

“No worries. I had fun. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

He started to walk away but stopped. “For the record, I don’t think you’re being selfish to want the boys to live with you. From what I’ve seen, you’re a great mom. Your kids are lucky to have you.”

Casey’s brows shot up. “Thank you.”

Pleased he’d surprised her once again, he said, “Welcome.” Then he forced a grin to lighten the mood. “Can I take another piece of cake for the road?”

“Just one, pal. The rest has my name on it tonight.”

“Understood.” He sent her a snappy salute and then headed up the hill. The mountain air made him hungry all right, but for a whole lot more than just cake. How could Casey be even more attractive to him barefoot, in sweats, and with black smudges under her eyes than when dressed in her sleek, tidy work clothes?

He loved that Casey didn’t seem to care what he thought of her. And that she’d made it clear she wouldn’t take any crap from him. She wasn’t out to impress him, unlike his past girlfriends who were all agreeable to the point of nauseating. He could do no wrong with them, and it bored him to death.

But when they figured out he had very little free time because he took his music so seriously, and that he didn’t live a particularly extravagant lifestyle, they tended to quietly drift away to their next victim. No tears or tantrums, because they’d never really cared about him in the first place. It was his money and the fame they’d been after.

He stepped inside Casey’s house, cut himself another piece of cake, then, changing his mind about saving it for later, he leaned against the counter to eat it. Meeting Casey had made him realize what a cynic he’d become about women. And about
most
of the people in his life now. Seemed everyone had an agenda, and they didn’t give a damn about him.

Had that been why his mother said love and family are all that mattered? Had she been talking about more than just taking care of Nick?

He finished his cake, cleaned up the dishes, then gathered up his laptop and headed out the door. One thing was for sure. There was nothing boring about Casey. She was an intriguing woman with a complicated life and he wanted to explore being another complication in it.

O
n Friday morning, Casey glanced up from her paperwork just as Zane plunked himself in the guest chair across from her desk. He wore a baseball cap and dark glasses, complete with his usual happy grin. “Morning, Casey. They said I’d find you here.”

“Good morning. What can I help you with?” She hoped her cheeks weren’t turning red from embarrassment. She hated that he’d seen her crying. But it had been nice he pretended not to notice when he brought her cake. And that he’d said she was a good mom.

“I wanted to talk to you about breakfast.”

“Was there something special you want Dax to make for you?”

“No, it’s not that. You say the people in Anderson Butte are good about ignoring celebrities, but I’m not sure I can trust the teenaged guests.”

“Our guests come to Anderson Butte for the privacy and would never mention others at the hotel—it’s an unspoken code amongst the wealthy and famous—but I can see your point.” While certainly their parents would warn against it, she couldn’t guarantee one of their visiting kids wouldn’t sneak a picture on their phone and send it out on social media.

He said, “Would you mind if I ate in the kitchen instead of the dining room with the other guests?”

“No, of course not. You can eat wherever it best suits you.” Crap. That meant Zane would be eating his meals with her and the boys. So much for trying to keep her boys away from Zane. Maybe she’d get lucky and he’d be so worried about someone seeing him that he’d eat a majority of his meals in his room.

“Thanks, Casey.” He stood and cleared his throat. But didn’t leave.

“Was there something else you needed?”

His cheerful grin slowly faded. “Are you doing all right? I mean after the phone call last night and all?”

“I’m still trying to figure out what the best thing is to do for the boys.”

“Yeah. That makes sense.” His lips slowly tilted into a cute smile again. “Did you eat the rest of the cake?”

“I did. And I enjoyed every bite.” She lifted her chin, daring him to make fun of her for it.

He laughed. “Good for you. Have a nice day.”

“You too.”

After he left, she smiled and got back to work. What was it about Zane? He was so different from any other man she’d ever met. Not that she’d really known that many men, living in their tiny town her whole life. Sure, she’d met some powerful and famous ones, but they were just guests. By far, Zane was the most handsome and charming. But then, Tomas had been charming at first too.

Later that afternoon, the beeping of a backing-up semitruck made Casey glance up from the registration desk. They weren’t due for any deliveries until Monday. She crossed the lobby and pushed at the swinging door to the kitchen. Zane sat at the island, deep into answering texts on his phone.

Casey passed through the warehouse to the delivery dock. She waited as the truck driver got out and then opened the back door of the semi. The interior was packed with electronic gear. A curvy blonde appeared from the passenger side of the truck, talking on a cell phone. When she noticed Casey, she quickly ended the call. “Hi. I’m Mandy. Zane’s assistant. Kip said to ask for Casey.”

His “assistant” looked like a Victoria’s Secret model—naturally. “I’m Casey. What is all this?”

The blonde slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. Her pants were so tight it amazed Casey there was room for the cell too. “Zane’s equipment. Where should we set up?”

Set up? “Hang on. Let’s go talk to Zane, please.”

Mandy lifted a finger at the driver, signaling him to wait, then walked beside Casey back to the kitchen. Zane was still busy with his phone. When Mandy saw Zane her face lit up. “Hey, fugitive. I’m here with your stuff.”

Fugitive? Wasn’t he out on bail?

Zane cleared his throat, not seeming to find her joke funny. “Hey, Mandy.”

Casey said, “It looks like an electronics store exploded in the back of that truck. I’m not sure we’ll have space for all that, especially because we’ll be moving you from room to room periodically. Are you sure you need all of it?”

Before Zane could answer, Mandy said, “Hello? Zane went to Juilliard. He’s like one of the most acclaimed musicians in the world! Of course he needs all that.”

Casey was tempted to tell Mandy to relax and to not get her panties in a twist, but Mandy probably wasn’t wearing any.

Zane said, “Mandy, no need for the ’tude, please.” He slowly rose from the barstool. “Casey, it takes more than a guitar and a piece of paper these days. Is there a space nearby I could use if not here in the hotel?”

Mandy crossed her arms under her impressive cleavage. “That’d be too inconvenient. You know how late we work sometimes.”

We work?
“Does that mean you’re staying too, Mandy?” Another headache began brewing at the base of Casey’s skull.

“Only for a day or two to get the equipment fine-tuned. Longer, if Zane needs me. If you don’t have a room, I guess I can always bunk with Zane.” Mandy beamed a big smile at Zane.

Casey raised a brow, waiting for Zane to tell her what he wanted. It’d be hard to make moves on
her
with Mandy sleeping beside him. Maybe Mandy showing up was just the thing Casey needed to ensure Zane had someone other than her to pass the time with.

Zane’s eyes locked with hers. “Mandy was kidding. She’s my employee. We don’t share hotel rooms, Casey. If there’s no room for her, I’ll get along without her.”

Mandy hadn’t been joking, but it was none of Casey’s business.

With Mandy’s hopes of sleeping in Zane’s bed thwarted, she quietly asked, “So is there a room or not?”

“If it’s just for a few nights, then yes, Mandy. We’re happy to have you.” Casey ran through the options in her head and an idea struck her. “Let’s go next door. My grandmother has a guesthouse. If you think it’s big enough for all your gear, we can ask her if she’ll let you use it.”

Zane slipped beside Casey as they walked out the back door and down to the sandy shoreline. “So, this is the same grandmother who shoots people, right? The one I met yesterday?”

Mandy’s eyes grew wide. “Shoots people?”

“Yes.” Casey couldn’t hold back her smile at the fear in Mandy’s expression. “But luckily, we need Zane to sing at my sister’s wedding, so I think he’ll be safe until then at least,” she teased.

Zane threw an arm around her shoulder, giving her a friendly, companionable hug. “It was a good thing I agreed then. Thanks for being flexible about this, Casey. I know it’s a pain for you.”

Mandy frowned at Zane’s arm on Casey’s shoulder. “Maybe you should consider staying at my parents’ ranch house in Montana, Zane. It’s quiet, secluded, and the views are to die for.”

“Nope. I’m liking the view here just fine.” Zane’s fingers softly squeezed Casey’s shoulder before he returned his arm to his side.

Ignoring the blatant innuendo, and Mandy’s distressed looks, Casey said, “Here we are.” She pulled her key ring from her pocket and found the right one. Then she unlocked the door to the mini version of her grandmother’s house, complete with a matching front porch filled with Adirondack chairs, and stepped aside as Zane and Mandy passed by her.

Zane stood in the middle of the large living room nodding. “Yeah. This will work great.”

Casey pointed to the closed door. “There’s a bedroom and bath through there, and we can have Dax stock the kitchen for you.” Maybe that way Zane would eat in the guesthouse more often than at the hotel. Could be just the solution they both needed.

Grandma called out, “Whoever is sneaking into my guesthouse better have a darn good reason!” Casey’s grandmother stepped inside, pulling off her gardening gloves.

Mandy let out an “Eeep,” and jumped behind Zane.

Grandma frowned. “What’s with her?”

Casey said, “She’s worried you’ll shoot her. Zane needs a temporary music studio. Would you mind if he used this?”

Grandma placed her hands on her hips. “Not if I have to hear screaming guitars and drums at all hours of the night. I need my beauty rest.”

“Nope.” Zane held up his hands. “I’ll use headphones. Not that you need it, but you won’t miss a wink of beauty sleep.”

Grandma puffed up a little at that. “Well, then I guess it’d be all right. But if I catch wind of any drugs or wild sex parties going on in here, I just
might
shoot someone. Is that clear, Zane Steele and whoever you are hiding back there?”

Zane nodded as Mandy poked her head out from behind his back. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Fine. Then I’ll get back to my gardening.”

Once Grandma was gone, Mandy couldn’t hit the door fast enough. “I’ll go tell the driver we’re going to unload here. I still think you should reconsider Montana, Zane.”

After Mandy left, Casey headed for the door too. “My grandmother’s hearing isn’t all that great, so feel free to have all the wild sex you’d like.” Casey tamped down the tiny tinge of jealousy she had no right to feel about Mandy and Zane sleeping together. What was wrong with her? Ever since Zane had shown up she’d been slightly off-kilter.

Zane beat her to the door and slipped in front of her. “Mandy is Kip’s granddaughter. He asked if I’d help her learn the production side of the music business. She’s actually got a good ear. There’s nothing going on between us.”

“Maybe
you
don’t think anything is going on, but Mandy’s halfway in love with you.”

“She’s Kip’s granddaughter, I’d never . . .” Zane’s forehead creased as he processed the thought. “Is she?”

“You poor man.” She patted Zane’s shoulder as she slipped past him. “Having someone that pretty who’s head over heels for you must be some burden to bear.”

Zane stopped her retreat when he said, “I think you’re even prettier, Casey.”

No matter how much his words eased the wounded ego Tomas and now Beau had left her with, she feared he’d be a cheater too. “Nothing personal, but you’re not my type.”

“Really?” Zane moved closer and whispered, “Because Gloria said I was
just
your type.”

Darn her matchmaking aunt. “Physically, you
definitely
qualify, but I’m talking about our lifestyle and value differences. You travel the world and run around with the rich and famous. I’m a single mother who lives in a one-stoplight town and who caters to the rich and famous. You’d be better off with Mandy.” She turned to leave but he lightly clasped her arm and stopped her.

“I put great weight on physical attraction.” He leaned closer until his lips were just a breath away from hers as he stared deeply into her eyes. “And good kissing. You’re probably a terrible kisser, right?”

Zane’s gaze was hypnotic. He had a way of instantly churning her up like no one else. She hated to admit she’d lain in bed the night before wondering what his sexy lips would feel like on hers. “Have other women actually kissed you after that terrible line?”

“Never tried it before. Normally when a woman’s lips are parted invitingly like yours are now, and her heart races so fast I can see it pulsing in her neck, like yours is doing, I don’t waste time with a pickup line. I just go in for the kiss.”

When his gaze slid to her mouth, her whole body threatened to combust.

She swallowed hard and reminded herself to stay strong. And to breathe. “Zane, I can’t . . .” As her mind searched for coherent words to discourage him, he laid a soft kiss just in front of her ear that sent a quiver up her spine.

He whispered, “No rush. I can be very patient when I want something badly enough.”

Loud beeping from the truck backing down Grandma’s drive broke whatever spell he’d held her under. When she leaned away he released her this time. “I need to get to work. Call if you need something.”

“I can’t.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I don’t have your number.”

“Oh. Right.” Rattled by their almost-kiss, she had to think for a second to come up with her own number. How pathetic was that? After she gave it to him she made a hasty retreat back to the hotel. Why did Zane have to be so good looking? Resisting him for two long months wasn’t going to be easy.