Betting Hearts (24 page)

“Did the two of you notice we had company? People can hear you screaming all the way down the block!”

Cass looked over at Hayne. Was her father actually scolding them?

“She was the one screaming.”

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Like he can’t tell you scream in a higher pitch than me?”

“Well, at least I don’t have a hickey the size of Texas on my neck!”

“At least
I
don’t have my hands halfway up my butt looking for the hem of my underwear!”

“I wouldn’t be looking for my underwear if
you
didn’t sleep with
Burke
!”

Cass opened her mouth to say something, but nothing could quite come out. Even Hayne seemed to have sensed he’d gone too far because he turned a subtle shade of red that had nothing to do with his condition.

“Are you two done?” Eddie asked, pulling Lola around himself so he could close the wide open door. The door leading to the echoing walk-up, that led to the cul-de-sac carved into a hill that amplified every sound on the block. The block of noisy people who were most likely already on their phones chit-chatting about this newest wrinkle in the debacle known as Cass Bishop’s life.

“I swear, the two of you are as bad as third graders. You,” Eddie growled, pointing at Hayne. “If you’re so mad about that girl not breaking up with her boyfriend, quit trying to date engaged women. And stop being jealous that your sister’s having sex when you aren’t. You,” he knocked none too lightly on Cass’s head, “you getting married?”

Cass lifted her head, spitting her hair out of her mouth. “Like I know anymore.”

“Good enough. You get that straightened out with Burke, ‘bout time the two of you did something interesting. I was bored waiting for you. Now, Lola and I are going out for some peace and quiet. Don’t wait up.” He grabbed his coat while Lola shimmied over in her heels and fluffed Cass’s hair over the back of the couch.

“Never let them see you with flat hair,
chulita
.” Lola kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear. “He told me you said to call me.
¡Gracias, mija! I owe you big!
You have a dress for the wedding yet?”

Cass groaned, but Lola just nodded. “May Belle didn’t think so. You’re tall like her, she’ll have something special. I’ll tell her to send it over. Come over Saturday at eight! I’ll fix you up good!” she called, following Eddie out the front door, her wooden heels clonking on the foyer tiles.

Cass and Hayne stayed in their places for a few silent moments after the door clicked shut.

“Am I the only one who thinks the body snatchers visited our house?”

“You’re still the same, aren’t you?” she grumbled.

“Why mess with perfection?”

Snorting her opinion of that comment, Cass got off the couch and headed for the stairs.

“You really think you’re gonna marry Burke?”

If he didn’t sound genuinely worried, Cass would have ignored him. Instead, she got to the next level and turned to shrug. “He loves me. He’d be making the biggest mistake of his life if he didn’t want me.”

He looked like he was trying to soften some bad news. “Burke won’t settle down with anyone, Cass. It’s not in him.”

“Yes, it is. He just doesn’t know it.” She had to believe. Her entire future hinged on it. “I’ll find a way to make him see.”

Hayne’s expression turned thoughtful. “I can believe Burke loves you, Cass. I mean, I’ve seen him with you all our lives. Why do you think I kidded him about keeping his hands off you? But what if love isn’t enough? What if how you feel can’t change the way things are?”

“Then you
do
something. Anything. You don’t sit there and wait for happiness to fall in your lap. Look how long Dad sat there. One phone call later and he’s tangoing in the kitchen.” And yelling at his kids, but they had that coming.

Hayne hitched a shoulder. “What’s your plan with Burke?”

All her fervor disappeared, replaced by indecision. “I…I don’t know.”

He slid his hands into his jeans pockets. “I guess if anyone has a shot at changing his mind, it’s you. You two would even be good for each other. He’s the only one who can make you see reason and you’re the only one to ever make him stop seeing it. But—”

“But what?” she asked, somewhat touched by his comment.

“I don’t want you to get hurt again. Last time…” His face got the angry-lost look usually reserved for women he wanted to save. He’d never directed any of his protective urges to her before. Or maybe she never gave him enough credit. “I don’t think any of us could watch you get hurt like that again, Cassie.”

She smiled at him. When he wasn’t an idiot jerk, Hayne was a pretty good brother. “I’m not going to. Honest. I finally have what I want in my sights and I plan to get it.”

“Burke?”

“Nope. Myself.” She didn’t bother to explain it to him, instead waving him off. “Night, Hayne.”

“Cassandra!”

The bellowing made Cass lift her face off her pillow a good six inches before she even considered opening her eyes. Swiping at a magazine adhered to her face, she rubbed her cheek to wake it up.

“Cass, get your tail down here!” A few dates with Lola and suddenly the lump of humanity on the recliner had a personality?

Bleary, she rolled out of her bed in her sleep boxers and shapeless T-shirt, dragging her feet to her bedroom door. “Dad?”

Moving down the steps, she saw him frowning down at the kitchen table. He pointed to a sheet of paper on the surface. “Do you know what this is supposed to mean?”

Uh-oh.
It was one of those moments when you knew everything was about to blow up in your face. As usual, it had Hayne’s handwriting all over it. Cass made herself go to the table and pick up the paper.

Dad and Cass,

Have to make some arrangements. I’ll be gone for a few weeks. I have to try one more time. Wish me luck and don’t let Cass burn my pots.

—Hayne

“What damn fool thing is he up to now?”

Cass stared up at her father. “I don’t know. This is news to me.” She frowned. “Since when do you pay attention to his other damn fool things?”

Eddie made a rude noise. “You think just because I ignore your arguments I can’t hear you? The TV only gets so loud, Cass.”

Good point. “You never cared before.”

“The two of you never quit working before. Which reminds me, you’ll have to cover for him.”

Cass’s jaw dropped. “I’m on vacation until Monday!”

“Not anymore. Get changed, I’ll be in the truck in five minutes.”

“But Dad—”

“Changed, CB. Now.”

She considered putting up an argument, but the look on his face showed her she’d get nowhere. Quick. Stomping up the steps, she vowed then and there to kill her brother the next time she got her hands on him.

Chapter Eleven

Cass griped to herself in the back of the nursery, clearing her floral section and wondering how Hayne could make such a mess in less than two weeks. Her orders were everywhere, dates hastily scribbled, names nearly illegible. She added the crimes to his ever-growing list as she swept spilled dirt from behind her counter.

“Excuse me, is Hayne Bishop on today?”

She spun around at the barely whispered question, nearly dropping her broom.
“Sally?”

The diminutive blonde took a step back, nearly tripping on her stilts. “You! Oh, please don’t hit me!”

Cass would have been offended but, well, it
was
the only thing Sally had ever seen her do. “I’m not going to hit you.”

Sally, blue doe-eyes wide, gripped her little clutch purse in front of her like it contained government secrets. Her cloud of blonde hair trembled with her as she pressed her perfectly glossed pink lips together. “You sure?”

Cass put her hands flat on the counter as a show of faith. “Positive. What can I do for you?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s okay—”

“I thought you were looking for Hayne.” Okay, for that, Cass could hit her. Hayne actually did seem abnormally heartbroken. On the other hand, Sally didn’t look too good either. Her color was off. Maybe her make-up wasn’t quite right? Funny, Cass wouldn’t have even noticed two weeks ago, but now… Now she could see the worry puckering Sally’s brow as she looked around to see if anyone heard Cass mention her brother’s name. Hurrying up to the counter, Sally gazed up desperately.
Geez, you’d think she was on the run or something.

“You have to tell him I’m sorry. I didn’t…I never meant…” Tears filled her eyes and Cass realized her brother never had a prayer—blonde, desperate for a hero and marrying the wrong guy. Oh, yeah, not a chance in Hell. “He wasn’t supposed to get hurt.”

Cass crossed her arms, determined not to be moved. Unlike the men in this town, tearful blue eyes and boobs about to spill out of matching blue dresses had no effect on her. “Well, he did.”

Sally made a little sound of pain. Not a sigh, not a sob, something in between. “I told him my plans were already made. I’d made a commitment. He wanted to spend time with me anyway. Can you imagine that? He said he’d take whatever memories we could make before he lost me forever.”

Cass was kind of glad that Sally was marrying Luke. Hayne would have snapped her up in two seconds flat, and God only knew what kind of kids they’d have. Some frightening, over-emotional cross between William Shatner and Engelbert Humperdink, no doubt.

“It wasn’t right, I know, but…I’ve never known anyone like your brother. He’s honest.”

“Uh-huh.” Cass felt her conscience twitch a little when Sally’s heart shaped face flushed and her eyes went dreamy.

“He listens to what I think. No one else ever has. He’s so easy to talk to. He didn’t laugh at all my dreams like everyone else. He treats me like I’m real instead of some doll, you know?

“All my life, I’ve been something to show off for my father, even for Luke. But Hayne didn’t care if my make-up was perfect or if I wanted to wear house slippers instead of these things.” She wiggled her dark blue shoes. “You know what I mean, the way Luke makes us dress up all the time,” she added as if commiserating.

Cass laughed, she couldn’t help herself. “Luke didn’t make me do anything. I doubt he even noticed I was there at the end.”

The dreamy look erased, becoming consternation. “But you’re all Luke has ever talked about. From the first time we met, he’s talked about you. You’re the love of his life.”

Cass leaned forward. “Are you drunk?”

Sally straightened with a pout. “Why do people keep asking me that?”

Cass left that one alone. “Go back to Luke talking about me. Why did he say?”

“He said he always felt bad about breaking your heart the way he did. Said you deserved better than him. When we first met he was heartbroken. He said he made a mistake and wanted to come home and make it up to you but it was too late, so he started over in Hollywood. He was so upset when he found out you were seeing that guy, Burke. That’s when he said we should do the wedding now. If he was able to get married in front of you, he could finally close this chapter of his life.”

Cass felt a ripple of…what was that? Apprehension? No, suspicion. “He told you he was heartbroken over me when he first met you?”

Sally nodded. Cass swore.
That lousy, pesky, sniveling…
She worked to come up with a good enough insult. Nothing was quite low enough.

Cass rubbed her eyes with the back of her arm. Luke’s infamous pity date. He used it with good success back in high school, going from girlfriend to girlfriend, “heartbreak” to “heartbreak”. Always she was the cause. No one ever understood how someone like her could break Luke’s heart, but there wasn’t a girl in Rancho Del Cielo who didn’t take the opportunity to comfort him when she had it.

Sally looked a little too nice to be stuck with the likes of Luke Hanson—galling as it was to admit—but Cass considered the wisdom of being the reason Sally dumped Luke like a piece of soggy bread. Her brother was already the reason Sally was cheating.

“Never mind,” Cass said, expelling a breath.
Do not get involved
. “You want me to try to get word to Hayne? I don’t know where he went, but—”

“He left?”

Cass caught herself at the utter desolation in Sally’s voice. She nodded.
Don’t get involved—much.
“Last night.”

“Oh.”

Why did that sound make Cass feel like she’d stolen the ruby slippers off Dorothy’s feet and tried to stomp her dog?
Don’t get…ah hell.
“Do you want me to give him a message?”

“Yeah, tell him I…” Sally’s mouth hung open until she closed it, carefully, a few moments later. “No, no message. I…I have to go. I’ll see you at the wedding tomorrow.” She turned to leave.

“Sally,” Cass called out, unable to help herself. After all, no one deserved to marry Luke. “Are you sure you still want to go through with this?”

Sally’s smile was sad, something you wouldn’t expect from someone so perky. “It sure seemed like a good idea when he asked me.” She waved hastily and left, her shoes clicking on the concrete walkway.