Lone Star Nights (23 page)

“Your agent?”

“He'll want to tell me that my career is over.”

Hell. This wasn't making things better. “Is it?”

She shrugged. “Probably. At least my old career is finished. I doubt anyone will be calling me for TV appearances, but I guess I'll just do something else. Like you will when you get tired of having your vertebrae snapped and popped by a two-thousand-pound bull.” Cassie paused. “Is that bull looking at us?”

“Yep. I think he's mad because I've kept him up past his bedtime.”

She smiled. It was short-lived, though, because her phone buzzed again.

“Maybe you should at least see who it is,” he suggested.

“Nope. The only person I want to talk to tonight is you.”

It was going to be a short conversation, then, because Lucky didn't have a clue what to say. Or do. “I don't know if I'll ever get past this,” he admitted.

Cassie made a sound of understanding. “I don't think you do. Sorry. I believe the scab just stays over the wound until something or somebody picks at it. Like tonight. That kid picked at it, and you bled all over again.”

“Bled all over
you
,” Lucky corrected. “I shouldn't have dumped that on you.”

“I dumped my panic attacks on you. I poured my heart out to you about Hannah. Think of this as a tit for tat.”

Ever since he'd been a horny teenager, the expression had always made him smile. Lowbrow humor usually did. But even that wasn't working tonight.

“So, how are you getting past Hannah?” he asked. And it wasn't just Dixie Mae's letter that had prompted him to ask. Lucky was hoping Cassie had a magic pill for this, or had at least figured out a way to stop her panic attacks.

“By trying to remember the good parts. Not that there were a lot of good parts with Hannah, but I had them with other clients. I think I helped some people. I just didn't help her. I don't believe I can ever completely forgive myself for what happened, but I'm finding some peace with it. I'm accepting that it wasn't totally my fault.”

Peace. That was a good thing to have. Lucky was still searching for it in a couple areas of his life. Especially when it came to his parents. But like Cassie, he was getting there. Some of that soul-crushing guilt was easing up. Finally.

“And the panic attacks?” he asked.

“I haven't had one in weeks. If they return, I'll deal with them. Deal with my father, too. I would like for things to be different between us, but there's no fixing it.”

No. Assholes weren't fixable, and Mason-Dixon was the king of assholes.

“So in the grand scheme of things,” Cassie continued, “I failed with Hannah. I can never undo it, but I have some little dots of success surrounding it.”

“I've failed at a lot more than saving my parents,” he confessed.

“You mean your long string of lovers? Or maybe trying to push Logan out of your life?” she asked, causing him to frown.

He'd at least expected her to sugarcoat some bullshit. Apparently not. He was just going to get the shit tonight. And he deserved it.

Cassie patted his arm. “Lucky, you're not a screwup. You helped Dixie Mae build a successful business. You've won more rodeo buckles than you can wear in a lifetime.”

Lucky dismissed both of those. “I didn't stay around here after my folks were killed. I left and allowed Logan to put everything on his shoulders.”

“Logan wanted it on his shoulders. And besides, you're entitled to the life you want to lead. You didn't call Riley a screwup when he left to go into the Air Force. You don't call your sister a screwup, and she's off in Florida going to law school.”

“They don't get drunk and sleep around,” he pointed out.

Another sound of agreement from her. “It's because you're hotter than they are. Though Riley is pretty hot. I'd probably think Anna was hot, too, if I were a guy.”

That got him to smile. A little. “Logan and I are identical twins,” he pointed out.

“Yes, he's hot, too,” she admitted. “It's just a burden you McCord brothers have to bear. But you got the looks
and
the charisma. It makes it easier to sleep around when women are throwing themselves at you.”

Lucky wished he could be flattered by her description of him. “I could have dodged them. I didn't.” Not many of them anyway. He looked at her. “You dodged me, though.”

Cassie nodded. “Because I thought you'd break my heart.”

She leaned in, kissed him. Not the hungry “I want you now” kind of kiss that led to sex. This was, well, sweet. And it sent up red flares in his head. Because it was exactly the kind of kiss that Lucky had spent his adult years avoiding.

The kind of kiss that meant something.

Lucky didn't move into the kiss. Definitely didn't deepen it because it already felt way too deep as it was.

“And now?” he asked when she pulled back and met his gaze. “Do you still think I'll break your heart?”

“No.” Cassie smiled. The deep kind of smile that meant something, too. “I
know
you will. And I'm going to let you do it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

T
HERE
WAS
EXCITED
chatter downstairs. People were working hard to pull everything together for Riley and Claire's wedding, which would happen in less than twenty-four hours. Everyone was thrilled.

Including Cassie.

Thrilled for Claire and Riley anyway, but that's where her joy ended.

The heart-to-heart she'd had with Lucky the night before had left her raw—and wanting more. She'd nearly stayed there by the corral. A few more kisses and it would have led them straight to bed.

Or rather to the hayloft since it was closer.

But Cassie hadn't stayed. She'd shielded her heart for one more night. It wouldn't help, of course, because the broken heart was inevitable. Even if she stayed in Spring Hill and ditched her entire life in LA, that didn't mean she would get Lucky. He wasn't exactly the type of man to settle down with one woman. And she wasn't exactly the marrying sort, either. Not after living through the disastrous relationship that her parents had called a marriage. And not after seeing the failed marriages of 90 percent of her clients. No, marriage was messy and painful and not for her.

She'd just have to deal with a broken heart, that's all.

Of course, the broken heart wouldn't just be because of Lucky. Losing Mia and Mackenzie would add to it. Thankfully, the girls hadn't seemed that sad about leaving. Of course, with the excitement of the wedding, maybe they hadn't had time to consider it. And wouldn't for a while. When Cassie had seen them last, they'd been in the sunroom with Livvy, helping her decorate.

There was a knock at her bedroom door, and like all the phone calls she'd been getting, Cassie nearly didn't answer it. Not until she realized it could be one of the girls. But it wasn't. It was Claire. Or least she thought it was. It was a woman holding a plastic garment bag.

“Can I put my wedding dress in your room?” she asked. Definitely Claire.

“Of course.” Cassie stepped back so that Claire could squeeze the dress inside.

“Thanks. Livvy's taken over Anna's room with the rest of the decorations, and I don't have anyplace else to stash this dress where Riley won't see it. He'll peek if he gets the chance.”

“Can I peek?” Lucky asked.

Cassie hadn't even seen him behind Claire, but then it was hard to see much of anything because of the dress.

“No peeking for you, either,” Claire insisted, and she dropped a kiss on Lucky's cheek. Dropped one on Cassie's, too, surprising her. “Livvy got carried away with the whole idea of a fairy-tale wedding.”

Yes, but Cassie was pretty sure Claire was loving every second of it. Claire draped the dress over a reading chair in the corner of the room and turned back around to face them. Cassie wasn't sure exactly what Claire saw in their expressions, but it had her frowning.

“Is, uh, everything okay between you two?” she asked.

Cassie glanced at Lucky to see how he was going to answer that. He didn't.

“I mean, what with the girls leaving soon,” Claire added.

Cassie thought the quick breath that Lucky took was one of relief. “It's tough,” Cassie settled for saying.

“Yeah.” And that's all Lucky said for several moments. “I hadn't expected to feel this ache in my heart.”

Claire nodded, took a quick breath of her own. “It'll be a bittersweet day. Hopefully more sweet than bitter, but I think we'll all be remembering the people who aren't here. My grandmother, for instance.”

Cassie knew that it'd been less than a year since Claire had lost the grandmother who'd raised her, and from all accounts they'd been very close. Bittersweet indeed.

“I was hoping you'd give me away,” Claire said, and when she looked at Lucky, there were tears watering her eyes. “I know I'm late asking. And that the wedding's so informal what with there not even being an aisle—”

“Of course I'll do it.”

Claire's eyes watered more, and heck, now Cassie was feeling all teary and sentimental.

“I figured you'd want Logan,” Lucky added.

Claire managed a smile. “I've always been a lot closer to you than Logan. And when you look at me, I've never seen any blame in your eyes. Not ever.”

Lucky shook his head. Cassie also didn't understand.

“Because of your parents,” Claire said.

Lucky just gave her a blank look.

“See?” Claire said as if that proved her point. “You didn't even think to be mad. But sometimes when Logan looks at me, I believe he blames me for what happened.”

“What?” Cassie blurted out, though this was too personal a conversation for her to be a part of. She should just step out of the room and let them finish. But she didn't. Her feet seemed glued in place.

“Claire.” Lucky put his arm around her, pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. “That wasn't your fault.”

She shook her head. “Your folks offered me the ride home from the game because it was raining, but I forgot my clarinet in the band hall and had to go back for it. If I'd left with them right away, or if they'd never waited to give me a ride, then they wouldn't have been on that part of the road at the exact second of the crash.”

Lucky kissed her hair again. “That wasn't your fault,” he repeated.

Claire nodded, pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “See? You never blamed me. Riley, neither. But he blamed himself. He thinks if he hadn't been making out with Misty—” she paused, rolled her eyes at the mention of Riley's old flame “—then he might have stopped it somehow.”

Cassie hoped all of this was sinking in. In a town the size of Spring Hill, every single person had probably thought they could have done something to stop them from dying in the accident. Not just his parents but the other driver, too.

“Sorry about that.” Claire wiped away more tears. “Talk about bringing up the worst subject possible. Anyway, thanks for agreeing to give me away.” She brushed another kiss on his cheek and walked out.

Lucky didn't say anything, and Cassie wanted to give him some time to absorb all that. And hopefully connect the dots. But her darn phone buzzed again, and when she saw her father's name on the screen, she figured she should take it.

“I'll take this in the hall,” she said, moving to do just that. Not that she wanted to talk to him, but it would give Lucky some privacy to think about what Claire had said.

“What do you want?” Cassie greeted when she answered.

“Well, good morning to you, daughter of mine.” Mason-Dixon's tone was just as “friendly” as hers. “I thought you'd like to know that I accepted the offer you made to Davy. I'll take fifty grand for the cats. Transfer the money to me today, and Bernie will give you the ownership papers. They've already been drawn up.”

Fifty grand probably seemed like a lot to most people for three cats, but at least this would put an end to something that had been very important to Dixie Mae. “You'll have your money as soon as I can arrange it. I'll have the funds sent to Bernie's office.”

She hung up so she could call her investment manager and have him do a wire transfer ASAP.

“I can pay for the cats,” Lucky offered when she finished the call.

He'd obviously heard her conversation, which meant he hadn't been using the time to think. Or maybe he had. He looked a lot more relaxed than he had in days.

Lucky reached for her, easing her to him, and Cassie readied herself for a kiss. One of those scalding-hot ones that he was so good at giving. But the raised voices downstairs stopped him.

“Alice?” Lucky questioned.

Cassie turned her ear toward the voices and realized it was indeed Alice. And that the woman's voice was indeed raised.

“Cassie! Lucky!” Alice shouted. “I need to talk to both of you right now.”

Even without that demand tacked on, Cassie knew something was terribly wrong. They hurried down the stairs and found the woman in the foyer. Della was there, too, along with the florist and two other people who were moving furniture out of the living room.

“What happened?” Lucky asked the woman.

“I just saw this.” Alice lifted the newspaper for them to see. The two kissing photos on the front page.

Cassie hadn't thought the pictures could look any more tawdry than when Andrew had brought them over, but she'd been wrong. Whoever had arranged them in the paper had adjusted the lighting so that it appeared Cassie's breasts were actually heaving. And the adjustment made Lucky appear to be past the well-endowed stage when it came to male genitalia.

Mackenzie and Brody hadn't fared much better in the other picture. Their kiss looked more like a zombie attack with Mackenzie playing the role of the zombie.

“Are these pictures real?” Alice demanded. She wasn't the cool, composed woman that'd visited the day before. In fact, she hadn't brushed her hair and had clearly thrown on her clothes in a hurry. Her breasts were heaving, too, but Cassie was betting it wasn't from lust. It was because she was breathing so hard she might hyperventilate.

“They're real-ish,” Cassie admitted. “Obviously the reporter took a few liberties with the shots.”

But that
obviously
wasn't obvious to Alice at all. Her mouth dropped open and she grabbed the entry table so she wouldn't pitch right over.

“My niece is thirteen,” Alice said, stating the obvious. “And I'm assuming this is the same boy you let her take to the dance last night. Since the newspaper came out yesterday that means you knew about the photo before you let her go.”

There was no way around that; both Cassie and Lucky nodded. “But Cassie chaperoned the dance,” Lucky added.

“She shouldn't have been allowed to go at all!” Alice was shouting again now. Well, as much as she could shout considering her breath was vanishing fast. “And I won't even address the other picture.” But she did address it. “You're both adults. What kind of an example does this set for impressionable young girls? Girls who have had their lives turned upside down?”

Cassie wanted to give Alice a really good explanation for all of this, but she didn't have one. Lucky and she hadn't made out in front of the girls, but it didn't matter. They could see the photograph. Heck, anyone could.

And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Lucky and she had done all of that when they should have had their focus on Mia and Mackenzie.

Alice shook her head. “I can't believe neither of you told me about this before now.”

Neither could Cassie. “I'm sorry. I meant to tell you, but it slipped my mind.” It shouldn't have, and Cassie wanted to kick herself. “There are a lot of gossips in this town, and I figured even if you didn't actually see the newspaper, then someone would let you know.”

“The maid at the inn did. She gave me a copy and said the photographer, Theo Kervin, even sold the pictures of Lucky and you to one of the big LA tabloids.”

Great. Cassie groaned. Now all of her friends, business associates and clients had seen it, as well.

“The maid told me about you, too,” Alice went on, her attention on Lucky now. “Apparently, you do this sort of thing all the time.” She stabbed her finger at the picture but probably wasn't aware it was on Lucky's photographed crotch. “You are not the kind of man who should be around my nieces.”

Since Lucky wasn't defending himself, Cassie decided to step up. “Lucky's a business owner. And a McCord. They're a prominent family around here.”

“He's also been arrested several times. And he went on a date last night with two women. One of them was a stripper. Did you know about that?” Alice didn't give Cassie a chance to answer. “Of course you did, because the stripper works for your father.”

Obviously, the gossip had made its way to the garden room of the Bluebonnet Inn.

Cassie wanted to tell Alice that she had no connection to her father and the Slippery Pole, but that wasn't exactly true. She had been there to steal the cats, and she'd just had a phone conversation with him that some could have construed as bribery. Hardly good bargaining examples to use to profess her innocence.

“And then there's your job,” Alice went on. “I thought you were a real therapist. But you just appear on those terrible TV shows where people air their dirty laundry. How can that be good for the girls?”

“Cassie's an excellent therapist,” Lucky spoke up.

Cassie appreciated him coming to her defense, but she doubted anything could change Alice's opinion of either of them.

“I want you to get the girls ready,” Alice insisted. “Because I'm taking them away from this house—and away from the two of you—
right now
.”

* * *

L
UCKY
OPENED
HIS
mouth to say whatever it would take to keep Alice from taking the girls. But then he realized he was on the losing side of this. Everything Alice had said was true. Except for the part about Cassie. Though if he was being honest, even that had some truth to it.

Cassie must have come to the same realization because he heard the sigh leave her mouth. It was the sound of surrender.

“Now!” Alice repeated. “I don't want them here a minute longer.”

Cassie nodded, and Lucky and she started toward the sunroom. Of course, Mackenzie and Mia were going to be upset about missing the wedding. Ditto for Mackenzie not being able to see Brody, but Lucky had known right from the start that this was temporary.

Well, temporary had come to an end.

Alice didn't follow them to the sunroom. Maybe because she didn't want to step another inch inside the house, but Lucky was glad for the small reprieve. This way, they would get a chance to break the news and have time for a short goodbye.

Or not.