Lone Star Nights (21 page)

Cassie laughed again, turned her head and kissed him. Not the long, lingering kiss, though, of a woman who might want seconds. Seconds done the right way, with them both naked as jaybirds.

“I don't think I've been this relaxed in years,” Cassie said. “All the muscles in my body are slack. You're a great stress reliever, you know that?”

He smiled.

Then he didn't smile.

A stress reliever? Was that what this had been for her? Yeah, he'd been a player most of his life, but for the first time, that was starting to wear thin. Maybe he was looking for more than being just a bull rider/player/screwup after all.

Well, fuck.

When had that happened?

CHAPTER NINETEEN

T
HAT
WONDERFUL
SLACK
feeling hadn't lasted for Cassie. It had vanished shortly after Lucky had kissed her good-night and headed off to his room. And the vanishing act had happened only minutes after he'd given her that equally wonderful orgasm.

Cassie knew she'd blown it.

For someone who had been trained to deal with people's emotions, she'd sure missed the mark when it came to Lucky. Clearly, she'd hurt his feelings with her stress-reliever remark. Strange. She hadn't thought he would be sensitive about something like that, especially since they had known the sex was just that—sex.

Wasn't it?

Cassie had to shake her head. She wasn't sure about anything anymore, but she knew she had to talk this out with Lucky now that it was morning, and she wanted to do that before any of the wedding crew showed up. They weren't setting up for the actual wedding just yet since it was still two days away, but they needed to start clearing out the furniture so there'd be room for the chairs and flowers.

She checked on the girls first by putting her ear to their bedroom door. No stirring around in there so Cassie headed downstairs. Before she could make it to Lucky's room, though, she heard the voices in the living room. One was Lucky's, but the other Cassie didn't recognize. However, she immediately knew who the woman was when Cassie spotted her.

Alice Murdock.

She was tall, blonde and, well, stunning. She was wearing sensible traveling clothes that managed to look fashionable on her model-thin body. Alice stood the moment Cassie stepped into the living room, and with a smile on her face, she approached and shook Cassie's hand.

“I apologize for being here two days early,” Alice said, her voice a whisper. “I rescheduled some work and took an earlier flight because I was so anxious to finally get here. I hope you don't mind. I was going to wait outside in my rental car for a while, but then Lucky saw me and invited me in.”

Of course, they'd been expecting Alice but not until later that week. Cassie had wanted those extra hours to ready herself for this. Then again, readying apparently wasn't necessary. Alice certainly didn't appear to be a drug-addicted lowlife like her half sister.

“Alice and I were just talking about her job,” Lucky said.

And they were drinking coffee. Judging from the fact that both their cups were nearly empty, they'd been chatting for a while.

“Oh?” Cassie settled for saying.

She hated to sound even remotely catty. Hated to feel it even more, but there was something about this that put her off. Maybe it was just jealousy. Not just because this woman would soon whisk the girls away but because of this cozy time she was having with the man who'd given Cassie an orgasm about ten hours earlier.

“You remember me mentioning that Alice heads up a nonprofit. It arranges for medical and dental care in third-world countries,” Lucky explained.

“And Lucky told me all about his bull riding,” Alice quickly added. “He even showed me the bulls he just bought. No way would I climb on one of those things.” She chuckled. Then she looked at Cassie. “Of course, I've seen you on television, so I know what you do. It must feel good to be able to touch so many people like that.”

It did, sometimes, and it was the perfect thing for this woman to say. Cassie settled for a nod.

“So, you live in Phoenix?” Cassie asked, sitting on the sofa. Not too close to Lucky, but it was close enough that another woman might notice she was marking her territory.

Sad, very sad, that Cassie felt the need to do that, especially since Lucky wasn't doing any territory marking of his own.

“I moved there about five years ago, after my divorce.” Alice dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “The job was just too tempting to pass up. Our organization helps several thousand people each year.”

“It sounds as if you work a lot of hours.” Cassie tried to sound like she was making casual conversation rather than appearing as if she was fishing for anything negative.

“I do, but I know that'll have to change now. I'll need a new place, too. And a nanny, of course. Any idea how the girls do in school?”

“Mia hasn't started yet,” Cassie answered. “She'll be going into pre-K at the end of the month. Mackenzie will be in eighth grade. Her grades took a hit when her mother died.”

“But she's good in English,” Lucky added.

Cassie hadn't even known that Lucky had checked on her school records, but it didn't surprise her. They'd both gotten more involved in the girls' lives than Cassie had originally planned. That's what made this meeting all the more difficult.

“So, you want children?” Cassie didn't even attempt the casual, conversational tone that time.

Alice nodded without hesitation. “I can't have children of my own.” Had her bottom lip trembled? Heck, it had. “That's the reason my ex divorced me. I'd given up on the idea of being a mom, and when I got the call about Gracie's death, I was naturally upset, but I was glad to finally be able to do something to help her.”

Before the woman had even finished, Cassie heard a familiar sound—Mia talking to the cats. It didn't take the little girl long to make it to the living room, holding one of the cats in her arms.

Alice got to her feet again. “Hi. You must be Mia. I'm your aunt Alice.”

Mia looked at both Lucky and Cassie, maybe asking for some kind of signal that it was okay to go closer. Cassie nodded, and Mia took more steps toward Alice.

“This is Sassy,” she said, introducing the cat. “Are you a nice lady?”

Alice chuckled again, apparently thoroughly enchanted. “I like to think I am. Do I look nice?”

Mia studied her a moment. “I guess so.”

More footsteps, and Cassie knew Mackenzie was on the way. Cassie would have bet her favorite jeans that Alice's enchantment would diminish considerably when she saw Mackenzie.

But she was wrong.

Alice gave Mackenzie an equally warm smile and then pressed her hand to her heart. “You look so much like Gracie.”

Mackenzie flinched as if someone had struck her. “Then I must not have put on enough makeup.”

It was inches deep as usual, and it broke Cassie's heart a little not to have seen why Mackenzie put on this mask each day. She probably didn't want to be reminded of her mother whenever she looked in the mirror. Some therapist she was not to have picked up on that.

“Is it still okay for us to go to the wedding even though she's here early? I mean, we don't have to leave right away with her, do we?” Mackenzie said to Cassie. She tipped her head to Alice. Then she did a second head tip to Lucky. “And did you ask him about that other thing we talked about?”

“Of course, you can still go to the wedding,” Alice assured Mackenzie before Cassie could speak. “I've reserved a room at the Bluebonnet Inn, and I figured we could all fly out on Sunday night. Or maybe Monday if that works better with everyone's schedule.”

Cassie figured she couldn't ask the flight to be changed to next year.

“What are you supposed to ask me?” Lucky pressed.

Cassie had wanted to have this chat in private, but she really should include Alice in this anyway. “I didn't know her aunt would get here this soon so I told Mackenzie that if it was okay with you that she could go to the dance tonight.” She didn't mention the part about Mackenzie being grounded. If Mackenzie wanted her aunt to know, then she could tell her. But Lucky would perhaps think that the grounding extended to the dance.

Judging from his expression, that's exactly what he thought.

A flatter look would have required Lucky getting his eyelids steamrollered.

“Of course, I'll chaperone,” Cassie added.

“Please,” Mackenzie begged, not sounding at all hostile or surly. She was the normal thirteen-year-old again, standing on the brink of what she no doubt considered to be a life-and-death matter.

“A dance?” Alice questioned.

Oh, no. If both Lucky and Alice were on team no, then Cassie wouldn't stand a chance of convincing them.

“It's at the town's civic center,” Cassie explained. “All the local kids used to go to dances there when they were Mackenzie's age.” Or at least she was sure Lucky had. Cassie had always had her nose in a book from the time she'd been able to turn pages.

“Brody still has plans to be there,” Lucky practically growled, and it certainly wasn't a growl of approval. Alice followed up with a “Who's Brody?”

“Brody Tate,” Cassie said.

“A friend,” Mackenzie said.

“A boy,” Mia said.

Alice looked at Lucky, apparently wanting his take on the situation. Lucky glanced at both Mackenzie and her aunt. Scowled. “Brody is someone who thinks he's Mackenzie's boyfriend, but he's not. He can't be because Mackenzie's too young for a boyfriend.”

While his tone wasn't exactly friendly, Lucky hadn't mentioned the shovel or stun gun. That was something at least.

“I'll be late for chaperoning duties,” Lucky said. “I thought the plans for the dance were out...because of the other thing.”

He meant the grounding over the photograph. So obviously Lucky had mentally nixed the dance. Which was reasonable, but Cassie had just had such a hard time saying no after her talk with Mackenzie.

“Because I thought I'd be free, I've got that dinner thing tonight with Sugar and Wilhelmina,” Lucky added.

Yes, payment for keeping quiet. The “date” had been postponed so many times that Cassie had forgotten about it. Apparently, Lucky had decided to kill two birds with one stone and wine and dine the women together. She was betting that wouldn't be a pleasant evening.

“I don't think both of us would need to be at the dance anyway,” Cassie explained.

“I could do it,” Alice volunteered.

“Uh—” Mackenzie said at the same time Cassie said “Huh?”

It wasn't that Cassie didn't want Alice there— All right, she didn't. Cassie also wasn't sure how Alice would take it when she learned Brody was older than Mackenzie. And that he had somewhat of a reputation. No way would Alice be able to get out of that civic center without hearing a boatload of gossip.

Including gossip about those photos that would be in the paper. Since Spring Hill wasn't that big, the local newspaper only came out three times a week, but the latest edition came out this morning, which meant people were probably looking at them right now.

Of course, Alice would hear about that soon enough anyway, but Cassie hoped she could put off explaining it until after the dance. If she told her now, Cassie doubted even the perfect Alice would agree.

“So I can go?” Mackenzie asked.

“If it's okay with Lucky,” Alice assured her.

Now all eyes turned to Lucky. Even the cat in Mia's little arms was staring at him.

And he finally nodded.

Mackenzie squealed again, and she rushed to hug all of them. Including Alice and the cat. “I want to go try on my dress,” she said, and she bolted for the stairs.

“I remember those years,” Alice said, smiling. She touched her finger to Mia's nose. “Your years not so much. So will this kitty be coming with us to Phoenix?”

That got eyes back on Cassie. And like Lucky, Cassie nodded. Mia squealed.

Squealing aside, everything was falling into place.

Alice picked up her purse. “Let me see if I can get checked in to the inn. I'll be staying in the garden room. And then if it's okay, I'll come back and spend some time with the girls.”

“Of course,” Cassie mumbled. Lucky mumbled it, as well. Mia was still squealing and running around the room with the cat.

Lucky and Cassie followed the woman to the door. “I'm so sorry about losing my sister,” Alice whispered to them. “But you can't imagine how much joy the girls have already given me.”

There were tears in her eyes, and Cassie guessed they were of the happy variety. Alice gave a little wave goodbye before she headed out.

Lucky and Cassie stood there in the doorway, waving back. Smiling. Until Alice had gotten in her rental car and driven away.

“Shit,” Lucky mumbled. “She's perfect.”

* * *

C
ASSIE
HAD
BEEN
right about the gossip and those pictures. No one at the civic center was actually saying anything to her face—not to Mackenzie's or Brody's faces, either—but a lot of hands were being used in the dance hall to cover whispers. Cassie suspected that the whispering would increase significantly when Lucky finally arrived.

He'd gone on the payback date after all but had promised to get to the dance as soon as possible. He had also somehow talked Alice into not coming. Cassie wasn't sure exactly how he'd accomplished that, but she was glad he had. The wedding chaos would start again first thing in the morning since the furniture had been cleared and the decorating would begin. So these were likely her last few hours to spend with Mackenzie.

And fifty other teenagers.

The civic center was jammed, and even though Cassie had never attended a dance here, it was how she'd imagined it would be. Crepe-paper decorations. Toilet-paper roses. Dim lights. Really loud music. But Mackenzie didn't seem to notice any of that. She had her eyes locked on Brody as they danced.

Cassie's phone buzzed, and she took it from her pocket long enough to check the screen. It was her agent, who'd no doubt gotten word of the photos. He was probably calling to tell her that her reputation had been as sullied as Andrew had claimed it would be. Or heck, maybe this had put her even more in demand, sort of like those pseudocelebrities who did sex tapes.

Either way, Cassie didn't intend to find out what was going on until after the wedding. It wasn't very healthy to take the head-in-the-sand approach with something as big as this, but it beat having a panic attack.