Free It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) by Tamra Baumann

“We can watch ourselves. Mom is only going to Brewsters.”
    “Talk to me when you’re twelve. For now get your butts home.”
    Did Casey have a date?
    Before Zane could ask, Mandy asked timidly, “What’s Brewsters?”
    Casey’s grandmother smiled for the first time since he’d met her. “It’s a bar on Main Street owned by one of my sons. It’s Blitzed Bingo night. Once a month my granddaughters make it their girls’ night out, and I get stuck with these three little hooligans, and Eric’s sister, Haley. You should go too.”
    Mandy didn’t seem quite as afraid of Ruth after the boys had explained earlier that she wasn’t really as mean as she appeared. Mandy smiled and said, “Sounds fun. But I need to work tonight.”
    Casey’s girls’ night threw a wrench into his plans to ask her out, but it was Friday night so maybe he’d check out Brewsters for himself. The teenage girls he’d been trying to avoid weren’t old enough to be in a bar, so he should be safe. “You don’t have to work tonight if you don’t want to, Mandy.”
    She waited until the boys had shuffled out behind their great-grandmother and then said, “But you’re going to work, right?”
    “Nope. I’m taking the night off.”
    “Mr. Workaholic is taking a night off in the middle of songwriting?” Mandy cocked her head. “Has the world gone mad?”
    “Aren’t you always telling me I need to relax more? Take time for myself? That’s what I plan to do tonight at Brewsters. But first, let’s go next door and eat.”
    “Fine, but I bet you don’t last two hours before you’re back here doing your thing.” Mandy sighed before she stood and grabbed her phone.
    Mandy was quiet as they walked back to the hotel, which was rare for her, so he asked, “Everything okay?”
    “Hunky-dory.”
    She was definitely mad at him. But for what, he wasn’t sure. Luckily they were at the hotel already so there was no time to ask. Maybe she suspected his attraction to Casey, but that he wouldn’t apologize for.
    The boys were already seated in the kitchen’s nook when he and Mandy joined them. She smiled at them and asked, “What’s for dinner, guys?”
    Dax, watching a news channel on the TV high in the corner, pulled his attention from the screen and called out, “Pigs’ feet and brussels sprouts.”
    That sent the boys into a fit of giggles as Dax slid some sort of fancy chicken-and-rice dish in front of them. It smelled awesome. Just as Zane was about to dig in, Casey appeared in a cute sundress and sandals. “Okay, guys, I’m off. Be good for Grandma, please.”
    Mandy said, “It’s a little early to go to a bar, isn’t it?”
    Casey shrugged a bare shoulder. “Not in Anderson Butte. As soon as happy hour is over, the bingo gets started. Tough to get a table if you don’t get there early.”
    “Huh.” Mandy’s head suddenly whipped up. “Turn the TV up. There’s my grandfather.”
    Zane’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth when Kip said, “I’m here to clear up the rumors surrounding Mr. Steele’s recent misstep. I’d like to read you a brief statement, and then I’ll take just a few questions.”
    What was Kip doing? And why hadn’t he called first? It could only be damage control.
    His stomach sank. Was his cover-up about to be exposed?
    Worse, was it about to be exposed in front of Casey and her kids?

Z ane pushed his full plate away as Kip began speaking to the press. “I have just been informed that all the charges have been dropped in return for Mr. Steele completing community service. Mr. Steele wants to apologize to the bar owner and the patron with whom he had a misunderstanding the evening before last. What started out as innocent fun took an unexpected turn. Zane deeply regrets his behavior.”
    Kip left out the part about him/Nick “volunteering” to go to rehab.
    Casey’s expression turned to stone as she watched Kip’s news conference. Zane hated that the little progress he’d made with her