скачать книгу бесплатно
The Wedding March
Tara Randel
The help only he can offer…Cypress Pointe, Florida, is a long way from LA, where pop singer Cassie Branford needs a hit to prove she’s not a two-album wonder. But her case of writer’s block could be over when the struggling songwriter meets Luke Hastings at a family wedding.The legendary musician walked away from success at the height of his career. Yet Luke is already inspiring Cassie with his dedication to building a permanent community outreach centre for troubled teens. Volunteering to help bring music into these kids’ lives is also bringing her and Luke closer. Maybe they’re not as different as he thinks…
The help only he can offer...
Cypress Pointe, Florida, is a long way from LA, where pop singer Cassie Branford needs a hit to prove she’s not a two-album wonder. But her case of writer’s block could be over when the struggling songwriter meets Luke Hastings at a family wedding.
The legendary musician walked away from success at the height of his career. Yet Luke is already inspiring Cassie with his dedication to building a permanent community outreach center for troubled teens. Volunteering to help bring music into these kids’ lives is also bringing her and Luke closer. Maybe they’re not as different as he thinks...
Her steady gaze held his.
Luke’s heart pounded. This close, he could see the different shades of green mocking his words. Cassie knew, maybe even better than he did.
“Talent like yours doesn’t just go away.”
“Maybe it should.”
The words hung between them. Time stilled as his blood raced. How had she focused on the fact that while he said he wouldn’t write again, the ability had never switched off? His brain still formed tempos and lyrics, even though he pushed them away every time they surfaced. For two years he’d lived without admitting the truth to himself. And now, by encouraging Cassie to deal with her fears, he was forced to confront his own.
With so little space between them, he looked down at her lips. What would she do if he crossed the line? Kissed her as a way of changing the subject?
Find out, his inner voice taunted.
Dear Reader (#uc6bcb443-80dc-509e-88dd-502c602d74df),
Welcome back to Cypress Pointe, the sleepy Florida town where love and family go hand in hand with bright sunny days and warm tropical nights. The wedding professionals are busy once again, this time performing music in The Wedding March, the fifth installment in The Business of Weddings series.
Let’s face it, you can’t have a wedding reception without music and dancing. Who wants to miss rocking out to “Y.M.C.A.”? Or jumping into that line dance you can’t keep time to? I can already see you smiling. It takes talented musicians to keep guests on the dance floor. Cassie Branford and Luke Hastings fit the bill.
Suffering from writer’s block, pop star Cassie doesn’t know where to turn for inspiration, until she meets legendary songwriter Luke Hastings performing at her father’s wedding reception. Could he be the answer to her prayers?
Luke left the music industry and threw his life into teaching and starting a program for at-risk teens. He thought he had his life under control, until Cassie captured his heart. Can she convince him to jump-start her muse when he’s vowed never to write music again?
Thanks for visiting Cypress Pointe. You’ll meet new family members and friends, as well as catch up with previous characters from The Business of Weddings series.
Tara
The Wedding March
Tara Randel
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
TARA RANDEL is an award-winning, USA TODAY bestselling author of eleven novels. Family values, a bit of mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets and beautiful weather inspire the creation of heartwarming stories. This is her fifth book for Harlequin Heartwarming. Visit Tara at www.tararandel.com (http://www.tararandel.com). Like her on Facebook at Tara Randel Books (https://www.facebook.com/pg/Tara-Randel-Books-219272758140488).
To Taylor and Joe Karl. Thanks for sharing your musical expertise and great ideas. You are very talented, wonderful friends!
Contents
Cover (#u1f9e41ed-566b-57be-948f-0f6727b7730d)
Back Cover Text (#u280f09ff-0bf1-5ac8-ac87-c10dd3f23182)
Introduction (#u13fb5623-5123-54af-aa62-ce0961967230)
Dear Reader (#uc80ca3f5-430f-5629-9736-7fe1ef007415)
Title Page (#u57be91bc-6aa5-5fdf-bb25-ba93263fddd7)
About the Author (#u755c75f7-15c1-538f-bcf6-503d8ce24fc5)
Dedication (#u3f5305cc-a2db-5217-a91c-bc7f79e01689)
CHAPTER ONE (#uaeb68208-b01e-515a-8d6e-8e70bae501ca)
CHAPTER TWO (#u47284ceb-c673-5936-9ef5-34acbe13179e)
CHAPTER THREE (#ub6929559-842f-5273-9ab1-265dc8123210)
CHAPTER FOUR (#ufe2c759a-6309-52ba-9d89-f3ff7b464a80)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#uc6bcb443-80dc-509e-88dd-502c602d74df)
THE WEDDING GUESTS standing outside the whitewashed church under a clear, blue Florida sky tossed birdseed on the happy couple as the bride and groom made their way down the sidewalk to the waiting limousine.
“I can’t believe I agreed to come to this shindig,” Cassie Branford muttered as she brushed the unflattering brown kernels from her new dress.
“It’s not a shindig. It’s a wedding.”
Cassie cast her younger sister, Lauren, a dubious glance. “A wedding I’d rather not attend.”
“Dad really wanted you here.”
“And therein lies the problem.”
Minutes later a dozen white doves were released in honor of the celebration. Cassie barely controlled an eye roll. For her father, the more pretentious the better. This event filled the bill.
“Well, at least the birds get to eat.” Cassie chuckled at her own humor as she viewed the ground covered with seed.
Lauren merely shook her head, obviously not amused, and walked ahead of her to the car.
The ceremony had been celebrated at the Methodist church off Main Street. Very elegant, very subdued. You’d think the couple were getting hitched for the first time instead of second marriages for both. Still, Angelica wanted a production and Cassie’s father indulged her. It was easy to do when his new wife’s family money covered the bill.
“The doves were a nice touch,” Lauren said minutes later, as she navigated the charming streets of Cypress Pointe en route to the reception.
“Nice? How about unnecessary?”
“When did you become such a downer?”
“I don’t know. When I was commanded, not asked, to come to the wedding?”
“Cassie, we haven’t seen you in a while.”
“True, but at least I talk to you and Mom regularly. Dad? Never. So his summons kind of turned me off.”
Lauren pulled into a space in the country club parking lot. “It’s his day. Be nice.”
It was always Robert Branford’s day, but Cassie got the gist. As they entered the event room, Cassie stopped short. “Really?”
The mood had changed from tasteful to over-the-top. Flanked on either side of the banquet room doors, medieval garbed trumpeters announced each guest in a blast of great fanfare. Crossing the threshold, a trumpet aimed dangerously close to her head, Cassie covered her ear and took in the atmospheric mist courtesy of the dry ice machine. A sultry haze hovered over the dance floor. Hello, could anyone say danger? As she headed to her assigned table, a sudden spate of coughing seized her thanks to the fog irritating her throat. She grabbed a goblet of water from the table for a soothing sip.
Huge white calla lily centerpieces, dripping with crystal beads, took up half the space on the round dinner tables. Spotless linens with the initials A & R embroidered in silver and black thread covered the tables. Champagne glasses with silver rims waited to be filled with sparkling wine. A massive champagne waterfall took up one corner of the room, a chocolate fountain positioned in another.
Soon, a six-course dinner would be followed by dancing until dawn.
Held at the Cypress Pointe Country Club, the town elite made an appearance at the flashy reception. Dressed to the nines, everyone tried outdoing each other. Cassie had let her soon-to-be stepmother talk her into a short emerald-colored dress with a sheer lace covering and high silver pumps. She’d have been happier in a casual dress and sandals instead of shoes that pinched, but Angelica would have fainted on the spot. Even Cassie’s hair bothered her. She reached up to touch the elaborate style.
“Quit fussing,” Lauren hissed, smoothing the skirt of her navy dress.
“I feel like a mannequin in the department store. No one wears their hair like this. And don’t get me started on the time spent at the salon. Three hours? On hair?”
“It’s better than your usual braid.”
“Hey. I like my braid. It keeps the hair out of my face.”
“At least the hairdresser hid that dreadful pink streak you insist on. It’s not appropriate for a beautiful event like this wedding.”
She liked the pink streak. Or any color streak that gave her pizzazz. As a popular music artist, she’d developed her own standout look, regardless of family opinion.
“Suck-up,” Cassie muttered under her breath.
“What did you say?”
“You look lovely,” she answered.
And Lauren did. Both sisters shared a light skin tone, but their hair color differed. Cassie’s, a light sandy brown, hung long and straight, while Lauren’s, a warm ash, was cut at her shoulders, much more fashionable than Cassie’s. Lauren had acquired the conservative gene, which seemed to have skipped Cassie. And while the sisters resembled each other, that was where the similarities ended. Especially with regard to this wedding.
“Thanks. I want Dad to be proud.”
That was never going to happen, but Cassie didn’t express her opinion. How many times had she tried to earn his approval, only to be shot down? She and Lauren argued time and again over the subject of their father and never made any headway. Today wasn’t going to change the impasse.
Angelica came up behind them, her arms circling their waists, catching the tail end of the conversation. “Robert is over the moon. Both of his daughters here for the happiest day of his life.”
Cassie bit the inside of her cheek. She liked Angelica, she really did, but sometimes the older woman didn’t have a clue. Maybe it was better like that.
“Now, girls, your father would like you all in a picture together. He’s waiting by the windows.”
Normally, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the lush golf course. For the wedding festivities, however, a huge cutout fairy-tale castle obscured the idyllic view. Light emanating from the early spring evening snuck in beside the garish photo spot. Cassie sneaked a peek. Honestly, the palette of orange, purple and deep blue streaking the sky, hues only an artist could have conjured, would have been a much more appropriate backdrop for a wedding, but Angelica wanted a “fun” background for guests to take commemorative pictures. Hats, feather boas and masks were scattered on the nearby table for the guests to don in their photos, which were digitally printed out seconds later.
As Angelica stepped back, Lauren grabbed Cassie’s hand and pulled. “C’mon. We can’t keep him waiting.”
Cassie allowed herself to be tugged along. If she had her choice, she’d make an excuse not to be photographed, but Robert loved being the center of attention. Tall, his brown hair immaculately cut, his shoulders straight and steady in a custom fitted tuxedo, he was used to commanding the room. A symphony conductor, he moved audiences with his dramatic flair for interpreting musical scores, touching the hearts of listeners. Tonight, his command included the wedding guests and his daughters.
“Here we are,” Lauren said as they arrived. She hurried to loop her arm through his. Cassie hovered a few feet away.
Robert held out his other arm for Cassie. “Well?”
She shuffled to his side, begrudgingly taking his arm.
“You could look a little more excited, Cassandra,” Robert spoke from the corner of his mouth. “Even when you were a child I never could get you to smile.”
Pasting on a fake grin, Cassie returned with, “Better?”
Flashes of light blinded her as the photographer snapped pictures, but she continued to hold her smile. Before long, Angelica joined in. One big happy family.
As soon as the photographer signaled he was finished, Cassie beelined to the ladies’ room to compose herself.
Compose. Hah. Like she needed to be reminded that she should be in California writing music for her next album, not a couple thousand miles away in Florida, at a wedding she would have missed if her sister hadn’t cajoled her into coming.
“It wouldn’t matter where I am,” she said under her breath as she stood before the wide restroom mirror hanging on the wall over a bank of gleaming sinks. She was having trouble coming up with new music. To be honest, her lack of inspiration scared her. This next project would make or break her career and so far...nothing.
