Luring Shadows (The Happy Endings Resort Book 7) Page 2

  Josh raised his eyebrows and then grabbed himself. “You must have something she wants.”

  I leaned on the table. “Yeah, I do. She wants an image. Cheri wants to be the girlfriend of a band's lead singer.” I pointed at my chest. “Voila, here I am. It doesn't hurt any that I'm loyal as shit. I'll take a beating for a long time before walking away, even when it comes to cheating, apparently. Not to mention that I don't mind losing a fight now and again.” The cold beer went down too quickly. “Cheri, on the other hand, is a gold medalist in the relationship department. She can't lose. She won't lose.”

  Josh grabbed a bottle of whiskey from my liquor cabinet. I checked the label to see which one he chose, and I approved.

  “Well, then you have quite a fight on your hands.” Josh raised the black label booze in his hand. “Guess we'll need to stash some of this for extra fuel on Saturday.”

  I handled the forty-five hooked on the side of my belt and made sure Josh noticed. “Or, we'll need this.”

  { 3 }

  Rayna

  “WINE TIME.” THE Sauvignon Blanc splashed around as I poured it into my best friend’s fancy glass.

  “Always is.” Kat Donovan, my soul sister, took a sip. Her jet black hair was the perfect contrast to her pale skin and slender build. She was the spitting image of a mini Kate Spade, stylish and enviable. “Oh, yeah. This hits the spot. My sweet, sweet love.”

  Tori Lane, more Kat’s friend than mine, leaned her stacked body up against the counter. She looked like she spent her days, and nights, in the gym. She raised one of her eyebrows at me. Her face was slanted in disdain.

  “If you don’t like white . . .” I pushed myself up onto the counter to reach the tall cabinets. “I have Shiraz around here somewhere.” I flung open a few of the top doors in hopes of finding my Secret Santa gift from last Christmas. Even though I stopped drinking red wine after Caitlyn’s death, I always kept a bottle or two around for guests.

  “How about beer?” Tori looked annoyed as if everyone had beer on hand and knew she drank it

  She was correct on so many levels. I should have known.

  “My bad, Ray.” Kat shook her head. “I should have told you about the wine thing.”

  Tori shot a look at Kat. “What wine thing?”

  “Tori doesn’t drink it.” Kat rolled her eyes.

  “Ah, it’s all right. Whatever works for you guys, works for me. You’re my guests.” I hopped down and opened the fridge. “How’s this?” I handed Tori a bottle of the only beer I would ever drink.

  She examined the label. “What the hell is Fall Fiesta?”

  “No reason to be rude. Jeez.” Kat pulled out a pack of smokes from her bag.

  I waved Kat off. “It’s from a local brewery, and not half bad.” I smiled at Tori. Nothing had ever been good enough for Tori in college. She had a comment for everything. And it wasn’t because she thought she was too good for us. It seemed just the opposite. She was trying to be like us, hiding it behind her anger. I supposed some things never changed. “Sorry, that’s all I’ve got.” I poured some wine into my glass and then tossed her the opener.

  Tori cracked the top open. “It’ll do.”

  “I’m going outside to burn. You have an ashtray?” Kat had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

  “Since when did you pick up smoking again?” I reached into my junk drawer and pulled out a plastic ashtray I’d gotten at a flea market for would-be smoker guests. “I thought you quit when you got pregnant four years ago. And, I thought I knew all of your dirty secrets.”

  “I did, but I’m home alone a lot. With two brats under five, the stress is unreal. You have no idea. Besides, you know me. When Doug’s away, Kat will play.”

  I shook my head. “You scare me. You’re someone’s mom, you know.” Tori looked like she’d had enough of us. “I’ll meet you out there.” She pushed through the screen door and out onto the porch.

  “What bug’s up her ass, seriously?” I nodded toward Tori and grabbed my glass of wine. “When I asked you to visit, I didn’t say you could bring Bitchy Betty. Why are you two still friends anyway? You have nothing in common anymore. Scratch that—you never had anything in common.”

  “Well, we share the beautiful state of West Virginia as our home. Otherwise, though, you’re right. She’s more Single White Female and I’m all The Sound of Music.” Kat winked.

  I spit out a laugh mixed with wine. “Meets Pretty Woman.”

  We both busted out laughing. Kat was the perfect mom and wife when she was at home and under the scrutiny of others. However, I knew the real Kat. She was a down and out wild child on the inside. I would have been afraid of what trouble she might get into this weekend, except the anniversary of Caitlyn’s murder kept things on a more serious level for all of us.

  “You’re right. It’s no regular bug up her ass. It’s La Cucaracha up in there.”

  “Enough bitching.” We clinked glasses. “Here’s to us. Bottoms up.” I took a sip.

  Kat frowned. “In all honesty, I feel sorry for her. She has no friends.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Shocker. And, since when do you feel sorry for anyone? I’m the bleeding heart between the two of us. You’re the bitch on wheels. Don’t switch roles on me now.”

  “Too late. After I had kids, and Caitlyn died, I think we swapped personalities without realizing it.”

  I shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”

  “Besides, how can you not feel sorry for her? She’s in her late twenties with no man, no parents and her job sucks.”

  “Whose doesn’t?” I peeked out the window at Tori. She looked miserable and I wondered why she had bothered to join Kat in the first place. “She’s a restaurant manager, right? It’s not like she’s a cop or a brain surgeon.”

  Kat waved her cigarette and lighter in that air. “Alright, enough about Ms. Roach. Let’s get this girls weekend started.” Kat turned up the stereo so it would be loud enough to hear from the porch.

  “Nice.” I nodded. “Rock’s perfect.” I grabbed Kat’s hand and we joined Tori outside. We fell into the porch swing and got a real momentum going. “God, it feels good to have you here.”

  “It feels good to be back. I haven’t been since . . . well, Caitlyn.”

  Tori leaned on the railing, gazing out into the woods. “Caitlyn, your sister, right?”

  “Yes, my sister.” The word sister on my lips hit me hard. I hadn’t expected the ball of grief manifesting in my throat. I coughed to release it.

  “What happened to her again?” Tori asked.

  “You don’t remember? It was all over the campus news.” Kat was nudging her on with her eyes as if Tori knew full well what had happened, but got some sick pleasure in hearing the story again. I wasn’t close friends with Tori in college, which was a blur of hazy nights. It’s possible the fanfare surrounding Caitlyn’s death had brushed over Tori back then, although I doubted it.

  I gave her the benefit of drunken memories instead. “She was murdered.”

  “Oh, right.” Tori’s tone implied that being murdered was the most standard explanation in the world for what had happened to my sister.

  Kat raised her eyebrows. “So, Rayna, what’s left on the agenda? Anything else you need to do for tomorrow?”

  I hadn’t realized I’d pulled my knees up to my chest until my body relaxed and I released them. “We’re all set. Gaming vendors and food trucks are expected to be here early in the morning to set up and get situated while the bands should arrive around eleven o’clock. Same with the local bars who have brought enough booze to light the town on fire. However, the event officially starts at noon with Jammin’, followed by Wild Child, and a local favorite, The Black Angels.”

  “Wow, your face just lit up. Do I sense a little groupie crush on The Black Angels?” Kat made a kissy face with her lips.

  I pursed my lips. “The lead singer is pretty hot, but off the market.” I lifted my left hand and pointed to my wedding ring finger.

  Tori walked over to join our conversation. “Ah, that never stopped any man.”

  “Well, it stops me. Besides, who’s to say even if he was single that he would be interested? I’m just another screaming fan, and not even

  screaming . . . just a fan.”

  Kat nudged me. “Girl, you need to think positive.” She took a long puff of her smoke. “You’re hot as shit and any lead singer would be stupid as balls not to go after you.”

  “I don’t know anything about balls, but I know Max isn’t stupid. He has his graduate degree in music therapy. He plays guitar and sings to children with cancer on the weekends at the children’s hospital. It was in our local paper. The guy’s practically a saint.”

  “Sainthood is overrated.” Tori turned away.

  Kat raised her eyebrows. “Max, huh? You’re on a first-name basis, are you?”

  I could feel my cheeks warm. “Contracts and all, Kat, it’s my job. They don’t call me the premier trailer park event planner for nothing.” We burst into laughter and Tori took notice.

  “Kat’s right.” Tori leaned on the deck railing facing us now. “Whoever he’s with has nothing on you.” She half-smiled. “Introduce me, I’ll get him interested in you. His wife won’t know what hit her.”

  I almost spit out my wine. “No, really, it’s fine. He’s nice to look at from a distance. Besides, the last thing I want to do is to break up a marriage.”

  Tori threw me a side glance. “You can’t break up a marriage unless it’s already broken.”

  “Touche, my friend.” Kat raised her glass. “Vendors, check. Food, check. Max, I’ll check you out any day!”

  The three of us started laughing, but I saw the look in Tori’s eyes. Until that moment, I hadn’t ever thought the girl liked me. Maybe this was exactly what she needed to feel a part of the best friend twosome that hadn’t become a threesome once she had arrived. “You know what, Tori, you go ahead and work your magic. Let’s see where this crazy idea goes. I’ll bet you guys free drinks for the entire weekend that he doesn’t give me a second look.”

  Kat’s face lit up. “Deal.”

  Tori joined in. “I’m in.”

  The three of us clinked glasses, bottles, and hips to the music. The lake seemed to be watching us, waiting for it to all go to pieces like it always did in my life. I ignored the shadows gliding through the woods and danced on.

  { 4 }

  Max

  I THREADED MY way through the lingering crowd, which was a solid turnout for a campground event. Josh and Brad trailed behind me with our equipment in tow. It was one of the perks of being the lead singer of a decent band, and by decent, I mean that we could pay the monthly rent from gigs alone. I wrote the songs, sang them, of course, and dabbled in a little guitar, then left the rest for the guys to handle. We had helpers, mainly whoever they were sleeping with that week, and, for the most part, it worked.

  “They call this a resort? This place is a dump.” Josh kicked rocks as he walked.

  “Hey, watch it.” Brad punched Josh in the arm. “It’s not your hometown yacht club, but it’s better than playing at those dive bars in Jersey City. At least here we’ve got woods and fresh honest-to-god air.”

  “Fresh, my ass. It smells like horseshit.” Josh covered his face with the front of his shirt.

  “Losers, relax. It’s a paying gig so shut your holes.” It smelled like mulch, which was technically made of shit, but I wasn’t going to let my ungrateful trust fund bastard of a friend get away with bad-mouthing it. “Jersey wasn’t bad either. We made a name for ourselves, and that’s more than most bands that started in a garage can say.”

  “Says the guy with the Master’s degree,” Josh said.

  “Being educated doesn’t guarantee success. Unlike you, I didn’t have a rich daddy to pay my bills so I had to figure my future out, and I’m still paying for it.”

  “You did have a sugar momma.” Brad smiled.

  “She was a sugar momma wannabe with an inheritance. She never worked a day in her life,” I said. “That’s enough bitching, bitches. Let’s get our shit together so we can rock out.”

  “Word,” Josh said.

  “Up,” Brad said.

  “Toolbags.” I turned the corner at the edge of the lake. “The stage is up ahead.” I pointed.

  Josh huffed. “Why did we park seventy-five miles away?”

  “Crazy Cheri,” Brad said. “We didn’t want Max’s truck anywhere near the cabins. We have no idea where she’s staying. Psycho bitch would probably key the shit out of it, or set it on fire like she’s done in the past.”

  I interjected. “She tried to set my closet on fire, not my car. Get your story straight, dude.”

  Brad nodded. “Right, right. Who knows if she’s actually staying here anyway? The liar that she is, she probably used it as an excuse to follow you. I’m sorry, I meant stalk you, down here.”

  “Have no fear,” Josh said. “Based on the looks of the legs with the clipboard running this shindig, you shouldn’t have any problem forgetting all about Crazy Cheri.”

  I tried not to react, but I couldn’t help it. “Jesus Christ.”

  Her legs had to be four feet long, or at least they looked so in her fitted dress and heels no less. She didn’t have the pin-up body that would have first caught my eye with a new woman, but her fierce stance would set any man off, including me.

  My mouth, instantly dry, almost didn’t allow me to speak at all. “Are you Rayna Jennings? The girl, I mean, the woman I talked to on the phone the other day?”

  The two ladies standing next to her, both shorter and stockier than Rayna’s model-like figure, spun their heads around. I paid them no mind. How could I? The second Rayna’s eyes looked up at me from her clipboard, all hell broke loose inside of my heart. Her pale bluish-gray eyes were shocking. The black rims were a stark contrast to her irises, causing my pulse to race like a thoroughbred at the track.

  “Hey, Max,” Rayna said. “Girl is good. I like being the girl.”

  I loved how she said my name. No formalities, just Max. When she smiled, I got lightheaded. I was turning into a teenage boy all over again. I pulled my head together. “Works for me. Where do you want us?”

  Her friends chuckled. Their reaction was nothing new. It happened all the time to us, one of the casualties of being in a semi-famous band. Girls, women and men—they all swooned, but I paid them no mind. However, this was different. Rayna’s lips parted and slanted in a way that told me for a brief second, the answer in her mind was entirely inappropriate. I liked it.

  When she tucked her hair behind her ear, she glanced at Brad and Josh, diverting her gaze from mine. Holy shit. This is what they call chemistry. I never had this with Cheri. That’s what was missing. Chemistry. Cheri who?

  “There’s a rehearsal tent right over there.” Rayna pointed to it behind the stage on the edge of the lake. “Once the first two bands go on, we’ll take a break and then Todd, over here, will call you guys to get set up.”

  A bald, lanky guy who needed a shave piped up. “Nice to meet you, man.” He reached out his hand and I shook it. “I’m pretty familiar with the place, been living here a few years and, uh, help out with the events. You have any questions when Rayna’s not around, you just ask me, dude.”

  “Yeah,” Rayna said. “Todd’s a huge help.” She smiled at him. “He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, or his reputation. If something needs to get done, he’ll make it happen.”

  “Sounds good,” I said. Looks were deceiving because I would have taken him for a homeless bum, not a hardworking resident.

  Todd flashed a yellow grin and then got back to working on the stage.

  Rayna looked down at her clipboard. “The Black Angels have a two-hour spot, the longest on the schedule since you’re the main event, so I want to give you plenty of time to rehearse, or whatever you need to do. Sound good?”

  I wanted to say, “Your legs around my waist sound good,” but it was a disgusting guy comment she didn’t deserve. So instead, I said, “Perfect.” And, I meant her.

  “Awesome. Until then, hang tight. Feel free to grab yourself a drink or snack—we have a tent set up for the vendors and musicians. It’s fully catered. Help yourselves.”

  “We’re in.” Josh guided Brad along and looked back to me. “You coming?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be right there,” I said to my bandmates. Then, I turned to Rayna. “Hey, I just wanted to thank you for setting this up. I appreciate you inviting us to headline at your sister’s concert. You’ll stick around for our show, right?”

  The shorter, stockier of her two friends, built like a brick shithouse if anyone asked me, chimed in. “We’ll all be there. We’re huge fans. Huge.”

  Rayna’s laugh was like a melody and the sound of it caught me off guard. “Thanks, Tori. Yes, we’ll all be there to hear The Black Angels.”

  “Who knows? Rayna may even join you on stage,” the girl she called Tori said.

  The other, more conservative looking friend stomped her cigarette out on the ground. “You might have some competition, Max. Rayna, here, can carry a tune.”

  Rayna’s previous bout of laughter made total sense to me now. I raised my eyebrows at her. “You can sing?”

  “I don’t know. I used to sing years ago.” Rayna looked away. “But not anymore.”

  “I don’t believe that for a minute. Once a singer, always a singer. Let’s hear something. I’ll start, you finish.”

  Rayna shook her head. “No, I’m good, thanks.” Her expression fell, but she recovered with a slight smile. “Maybe some other time.” She went back to her clipboard.

  I took a step back, hands up. “No pressure, really.” Then, I turned to walk away. I’d taken up enough of her time. I looked back for a moment. “But, when you’re ready, you better make sure it’s on my stage. Got it?”