скачать книгу бесплатно
“It’s not easy,” Kyle mumbled.
“Nothing is. But if you want me to keep your place in the music program at the Klub, I can’t be bailing you out when your buddies leave you to take the fall. This is the second time.”
Kyle’s head jerked up. “You’d kick me out?”
“If you get in trouble again, yeah, I will.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hastings. I don’t want to leave the program. I’m finally getting the hang of those chords you showed me.”
“Then you’d better remember that the next time you go to cause trouble.”
Kyle straightened in his seat. “I will.”
The remainder of the journey passed in silence until Luke pulled into Kyle’s driveway and put the car in park.
The house was situated in a nice, older neighborhood. The homes were fairly close together. He’d noticed a few bikes on the ground in a yard across the street. Heard a dog bark down the block. Very middle class, very reassuring.
Since settling in Cypress Pointe, Luke had bought a house on the edge of town, within walking distance from the Gulf Waters. Separated far enough on each side from prying neighbors, it became less of a sanctuary and more of a prison of his own making. The past few months had been better, but if he were honest, he’d been waiting for something to threaten his hard-earned peace. Who would have thought a woman with incredible green eyes would be the one to disrupt his quiet spell?
Shaking off the thought, he cut the ignition and turned in his seat.
“Kyle, you have talent. Don’t blow it over some guys who don’t care about you.”
“I hear you, Mr. Hastings.”
“Do you? It seems like we’ve had this conversation before.”
Kyle slumped in his seat.
“Now let’s go talk to your parents.”
Apprehensive eyes met his. “Do we have to?”
“You know the rules.”
“Stupid rules,” Kyle muttered as he opened his door to slide out. In the cover of darkness, Luke grinned at the boy’s discomfort. Wished someone had cared enough to enforce rules when he was a kid so he and his brother wouldn’t have ended up in hot water more than a few times.
As they walked up to the front porch, Luke said, “You know, Kyle, you could call me if you’re not sure what to do.”
Kyle glanced at him. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“No. So long as it’s not a habit. I wouldn’t mind helping you out. Before the cops do.”
A sheepish grin curved Kyle’s lips. “Got it.”
When they reached the house, the front door flew open. Kyle’s parents stood in the doorway, the bright light from inside silhouetting them.
“Kyle,” his mother said, hand over her heart. “Come inside.” She opened the door to let her son in while her husband stepped out.
“I’ll be just a minute,” he told his wife.
Kyle nodded at Luke then followed his mom.
“I’m sorry Kyle inconvenienced you, Mr. Hastings.”
“Luke, please. And it was no bother. I happened to be out anyway.”
The older man crossed his arms over his chest. “Kyle’s doing so much better. He really enjoys the program at the Klub.”
“But kids still get lured into what they think is an exciting life. I understand.”
“Will he still be able to continue with his guitar lessons?”
“Yes. But I told him if he gets in trouble again, his place will be in jeopardy.”
Kyle’s father nodded. “Thank you.”
“I want Kids’ Klub to help kids like Kyle, so I hope he’ll use better judgment in the future. Good night.”
Luke drove home, his thoughts slipping from Kyle to his own brother. Would a program like the one he’d started have helped Mark or had he been destined to be drawn to trouble? He supposed he’d never know, especially with Mark behind bars at the moment.
But there was one thing Luke did know for sure. Despite the constant worry about funding the Klub, enlisting help as the programs grew, or even doubting his brother’s turnaround, Luke didn’t regret starting Kids’ Klub for one second. If he helped one kid get away from an abusive home or criminal influence, it was worth the hurt of his old life to get the Klub off the ground.
Dane was wrong in the sense that while it might look like Luke wasn’t living, helping kids brought great meaning to his life. Luke may need a personal shake-up, but he didn’t want to alter this part of his life. The kids were his family.
The other part? Maybe talking to a perky woman who caught his attention while in town for her father’s wedding wouldn’t be as hard as he imagined. What was the worst that could happen?
CHAPTER THREE (#uc6bcb443-80dc-509e-88dd-502c602d74df)
THE NEXT MORNING, Cassie sat at her sister’s kitchen table, feet hooked over the lower rung of the chair, her elbows bent while she balanced a pencil on her fingers. A half-empty cup of coffee, her third so far, sat within reaching distance, while she stared at a blank yellow legal pad.
She’d been up since dawn, still dressed in a tank top, sleeping shorts and a threadbare long sleeve denim shirt. Her guitar, which she’d named Ginger for its deep red wood, still inside the case, sat beside her feet. Normally she’d take Ginger out and strum until a melody caught her fancy. Normally. But with her head in a bad place, she didn’t dare touch the instrument.
So far, nothing had come to her. Oh, some random notes. A few words here and there drifted through her brain, words she tried to link together, but she couldn’t make them stick. The words lingered, then escaped as if wisps in the wind.
She gathered her long hair and twisted, then tossed it over her shoulder, hating this surge of frustration. Her sister walked into the kitchen, dressed in a flirty dress, ready to go out to Sunday brunch.
“Sure you don’t want to come?” Lauren asked. “My friends loved meeting meet you last time you were in town.”
“Thanks, but I need to work.”
“How long have you been sitting there?”
“What time is it?” she asked. If she didn’t get it together soon, she was in big trouble.
“You look terrible.” Her sister stated the obvious.
“That’s the look I was going for.” Okay, stop. No point in taking her situation out on Lauren when her sister had absolutely no idea what was going on with Cassie in the first place.
Lauren poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned a hip against the counter, her narrowed eyes trained on Cassie. Uh-oh. Trouble. Her sister hadn’t become a successful financial advisor without being perceptive.
Cassie wiggled in her seat.
“So when are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“If I have my way, never.”
Lauren sipped her coffee. Cassie could almost picture the wheels turning in her sister’s mind.
“So there is something going on. The wedding?”
“No, it’s not about the wedding.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll listen. I’m told it’s one of my best qualities.”
“As much as I’d love to, you can’t help with this problem.”
“Music?”
“Of course. What else drives me?”
“If you’re having trouble, talk to Dad.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” She held up her hand as Lauren opened her mouth to argue. Her father had shown her the wonderful world of music, and yes, she’d wanted to please him, but after too many years spent trying to earn her father’s love and never measuring up, she’d stopped trying. Excluding him from her life had helped her to focus as she tried to succeed in the business, finding passion in her talent, without his criticism. “Not because we don’t talk to each other. He can’t help me figure this out.”
A knowing gleam shone in her sister’s eyes. “But Luke Hastings can?”
Her breath caught. “Why would you ask me about him?”
“Because I heard you humming that song of his again.” She snapped her fingers. “You know, something about love.”
“‘Won’t You Love Me Always.’”
“Right. I can never keep all the titles straight. It’s like that one of yours, ‘Pretty Inside.’ I love the message of that song.”
Cassie smiled, remembering the story behind the lyrics. She’d gone to a fancy sorority party in college and while her friends were all dressed up in the latest fashion, she’d worn a casual outfit. Big no-no. She’d brushed off the sideway glances and snickers by pretending to be amused, hiding her hurt feelings. Later on, she’d used the experience to compose a song about beauty coming from inside, not the trendy clothes or shoes that a person wore. It had been one of her most popular singles.
“That was a great time for me. I was away from home for the first time. Mom and Bud were strong so we didn’t have to worry about her like we did when the three of us were making ends meet. It was like the clamoring inside my head finally calmed down and I could take the lyrics I’d been jotting down forever and put them to music.”
“Mom wasn’t happy when you dropped out your senior year.”
“What can I say? When the opportunity to perform full-time arose, I jumped at the chance. Actually made some money.”
“Until LA.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I was living my dream.” She laughed. “I was all about ramen noodle meals, sleeping on friends’ couches and pinching pennies to get by while I knocked on one record label door after another.”
“And now,” her sister asked, “you’re interested in Luke?”
She’d been humming Luke’s love song, a number infused with such deep longing that the singer didn’t know how he’d make it through another day without a commitment from the woman he loved. It was so much a part of her subconscious, taking her back to the painful breakup with Chris around the time of the single’s release. As long as she could remember, humming, singing and playing were natural responses for her, but that song? After hearing it, she’d taken out her journal and begun writing snippets about her feelings, which eventually became lyrics to her own songs.
“The guy is a legend. Look at his reputation. Multiple hits recorded by famous artists. Four Grammy awards. If I could just convince him I don’t want anything tangible from him, just a bit of his time...”
“From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t talk about his old career.”
“I remember reading something about a messy divorce, but I was busy with my career then so I didn’t pay attention.”
“Some people don’t like to dwell in the past. Luke is one of them.”
“It’s a shame. He really made his mark on the music world.”
“And now his mark is Kids’ Klub. When Luke came to town and started teaching, he saw a need for at-risk teens to put their energy into something constructive. He started with music, but soon the concept grew into sports teams and other creative stuff. It still focuses on troubled youth, but the teams and clubs and lessons caught on and developed into an awesome outlet for kids from any background. Not only do the teens in Cypress Pointe take advantage of the Klub, but surrounding towns, as well. And now, local businesses have joined in and will help train kids in their areas of interest. It’s quite a success.”
“I’m impressed.”
“They operated out of the basement of a small community center, but recently Luke moved to an empty warehouse just north of town. He’s hoping to buy the property but funds are tight. He runs the program from donations, including whatever he makes with his wedding band.”
Cassie pictured his face, his dark blond hair and those deep brown eyes. How he’d smiled during a raucous number his band performed at her dad’s reception, or the faraway look that came over him when he sang a love song.
“You certainly have your finger on the pulse of the town, especially this Kids’ Klub,” she said, shaking off the vision.
“I helped Luke draw up a business plan when he first came up with the concept. Guided him through the nonprofit maze, set up the organization books and so on. He recently called me for advice on buying the property and warehouse.”
Cassie tilted her head. “Last night you acted as thought you barely know him.”
Lauren shrugged. “I don’t know him, other than as a client. He doesn’t talk about himself or his life, only the Klub. So essentially he is kind of a stranger, at least about his personal life.”
“Hmm.”
“I recognize that look,” Lauren said. “You’re still determined to get him on board to help you with...whatever.”
Did she dare confess her darkest fear? Speak aloud the words that kept her awake at night, drenched in a cold sweat, worrying about her future?
Cassie paused, staring out the window. A cardinal landed on the birdfeeder in the backyard. Sitting atop the structure, tall and proud, the beautiful scarlet creature surveyed its surroundings, its stature speaking of control in the world. So unlike Cassie’s state of mind at this very moment.
She finally glanced at her sister, took a bracing breath before saying, “I’m having trouble coming up with new material. That’s why I’m so interested in Luke.”
“Since when?”
“Since Living in Paradise tanked. The label wants a repeat of my first album and I can’t put together words or melodies.”
“I remember when we were growing up you were always scribbling in your journal. No wonder you’re worried.”
“I’m hoping this is temporary, so please keep this between us. At least until I can sort this out.”
“I will.” Lauren finished her coffee and placed her mug on the counter. “I may not be able to help you with this, but from the look on your face, I hope you come up with a solution, and soon.” That said, she walked out of the room, leaving behind troubled silence.
Cassie stared at the blank paper again. Was this it? The end? What happened to the ease of jotting down words over the years? All the times growing up when her dad disappointed her or her mother struggled to make ends meet? Yeah, her life made for good lyrics, even though it wasn’t always easy. But still, she had experiences to draw on. Why wouldn’t the words come now?
