The Wedding March. Tara Randel

father boasted. “You both have many things in common.”

      Heat flushed through Luke. The protective wall he’d cultivated over the years to keep his old life locked away rose as Cassie’s uncertain smile returned. As much as he tried to maintain a low profile, people from the industry found him from time to time. Granted, Cassie was merely a guest at her father’s wedding, but old habits were hard to ignore. Better to stop this intrusion before it went any further.

      “I doubt it.”

      Cassie flinched at his tone. “I only wanted to ask about your ca—”

      “I’m not part of the industry any longer. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

      He turned on his heel and walked away. Yeah, he’d been rude, but he’d sensed where the conversation was headed and would rather tap-dance on hot coals than reminisce about the old days. He was not going to talk shop with this woman. Or any woman, for that matter. His time in the music industry was over and he intended on keeping it that way.

       CHAPTER TWO

      “THANKS, DAD. YOU JUST blew my chance to talk to the greatest songwriter who ever lived.”

      Her father lifted a haughty brow. “The greatest who ever lived? I believe that’s a bit of an overstatement.”

      “You know what I meant. Luke had a stellar career.”

      “Which he walked away from. Messy personal life if I remember correctly.” His eyes narrowed. “And why is it so important to talk to him?”

      Like she’d admit her writer’s block to anyone, especially her father. “I’m a fan. That’s all.”

      “Cassandra, he’s been reduced to a wedding band singer. Old news. Focus on the future.”

      Why did she even bother speaking to her father? Fisting her hands together, she turned and navigated through the mingling guests. What had her father been thinking? See, this was why she kept her distance. Her father didn’t have a clue about who she was or what she wanted.

      She’d just reached the door to leave when it hit her. Luke could help her. She needed his expertise. The question was, how could she get it?

      The band started up again. Instead of storming off like she’d intended, she went back to the table she’d been seated at earlier. She angled her chair to face the far side of the room. A bird’s eye view of the man in question.

      She needed a plan. A way to work up the nerve to ask the legendary Luke Hastings for some tips to help her out of her writing funk. But how? This certainly wasn’t the opportune place to approach him. Yet if she didn’t talk to him tonight, she might miss her one and only chance.

      “I just danced with Father,” Lauren said as she flopped into the chair beside her. “He seems distracted. What did you do?”

      “Why do you always assume I did something?”

      “Because I saw the heated conversation between you two.”

      Cassie sent her a sideways glance. “Just the usual. Honestly, I’m more interested in Luke. What do you know about him?”

      “Like, what subject he teaches? If he’s involved with anyone?”

      “No. His life here in Cypress Pointe.”

      Lauren crossed one leg over the other. “Let’s see. Moved here a couple years ago. His cousin owns the Grand Cypress Hotel. He teaches English at the high school and started an after-school program that morphed into a community outreach for at-risk teens.”

      “Wow.”

      “Kids’ Klub has been pretty successful. Redirects kids going in the wrong direction.”

      Noble and hunky. Perfect combination.

      “Why are you so interested?” Her sister’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my gosh, you have a crush on him.”

      “I do not,” Cassie insisted, even if she couldn’t meet her sister’s gaze. “I want to talk to him about something and it would help if I knew more about him.”

      “So explain why your cheeks are red.”

      “It’s hot in here.”

      “Right. Don’t forget, I’m the one who heard all about your undying love for Chris Johnson.”

      “Chris Johnson?” Cassie’s mouth gaped. “That was like eight years ago.”

      “And you were crushed when he broke up with you.”

      True, she was, but moving away from Cypress Pointe and keeping busy had gotten her through that dark period in her life.

      “Just so you know, he got fat.”

      Cassie laughed out loud. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

      Her sister’s quick grin slowly faded. “I miss our times together.”

      “Me, too.”

      Cassie’s heart squeezed at her sister’s soft expression. They hadn’t grown apart, exactly, more like distance, time and separate lives put a strain on their relationship. Their differing views on their father, Lauren’s insistence on proving herself to him while Cassie didn’t want him around, created another, ongoing source of tension between them.

      “I’m glad you let me stay with you. Since Mom and Bud are still away, I didn’t want to spend all my time in their empty house.”

      “That what sisters do. Let each other crash on the other’s extra bed.”

      “I was hoping we could—”

      Lauren jumped up “Angelica is waving me over. I’ll be right back.”

      “Hold on.” Cassie grabbed her arm. “So if Luke is so busy, why the wedding band?”

      Lauren shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him yourself.” Then she was gone.

      Cassie blew out a sigh.

      She glanced across the room. Luke picked the guitar with one hand, his fingers effortlessly positioning the chords with the other, and sang along with the guys. So in the moment, he moved with the beat, smiled at a band member from time to time. How she missed the total abandonment she experienced when she sang and played her piano, lost in the words and the tempo.

      Her heartbeat sped up again, matching the emotions swirling inside. As she studied Luke, she realized she’d first thought his hair was shaggy. The more she looked, the more she realized it had been deliberately styled. It gave him a bit of a free spirit look, yet not out of control. Hmm, some stylist in his past life had taught him well.

      His fingers expertly moved up and down the neck of the guitar, bringing an unmistakable sound from the instrument. He certainly had a flair. The band performed mostly wedding standards, she noticed, none of the songs that made Luke famous. From his attitude earlier, he probably avoided those particular songs on purpose.

      Twenty minutes later the band took a break. Cassie waited for Luke to be alone, but one of the band members was talking his ear off. She should wander over, start another conversation with him, but she couldn’t seem to leave the chair.

      Even though he’d made it clear he didn’t talk about the industry, Cassie couldn’t take no for an answer. Her chest constricted, the noose of her future pulling tighter. She could do this. She’d gathered enough information about Luke to make small talk while she bided her time to get to the root of her dilemma. She just had to wait for a chance to grab his attention. Luckily, she was a patient woman.

      She swore he’d looked directly at her during one of the numbers, but the lights were too low to know for sure. Her imagination? Hopeful wishing? She sat through two more sets before the party began to wind down and the band finally performed