My Lucky Days: A Novel

by S. D. Hendrickson

  My Lucky Days © 2016 by Stacy Dawn Hendrickson

  ISBN: 9781311192066

  SD Hendrickson, LLC holds the world wide publishing rights to My Lucky Days. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, nor translated into another language and distributed, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  All electronic copies are licensed for distribution from authorized retailers only or personally gifted by the publisher. An electronic ebook is for your personal use and may not be resold or given away to other people. Please respect the author and the time invested in the creation of this publication by not distributing illegal electronic copies.

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  The author notes includes a passage from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  The author of the original Serenity Prayer was Reinhold Niebuhr. The version used in the story is a slightly modified version that is commonly used in public today.

  Editing: Curiouser Editing

  Interior Formatting: Champagne Formats

  Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs

  Cover Photos: Lindee Robinson Photography

  Cover Models: Garret Pentecost & Daria Rottenberk

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  The Mason List

  Waiting for Wyatt

  For all the people

  who love Stillwater as much as I do.

  “Loyal and True”

  Present Day

  I woke up suddenly, like the air had been sucked out of the room. My eyes darted around, seeing the flashing lights of the heart monitor next to me. I’d been in the hospital since I fell off the roof of my house while cleaning leaves out of the gutters. The damn cement driveway had to break my fall.

  And then I saw him, sitting in the chair like he owned the place. I let out a deep breath as my heart beat faster, which I’m sure flashed in bright red on the monitor. He pulled himself from the chair, coming to my bedside.

  A baseball cap covered most of his head, but that unruly hair still managed to stick out all around the edges. His jaws were lined with a layer of scruff like he hadn’t shaved in a few days.

  “Hey, Katie.” I felt suddenly naked in the flimsy hospital gown, seeing the way his eyes trailed over my body. A slow grin slipped across his lips. “You’re still just as beautiful as the memory in my head.”

  “Hmm. You should put that in a country song. It might make you famous.”

  He chuckled softly. “Yeah, it might.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on you. How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve been better. How did you even know I was here?”

  His smile got a little softer. “I still keep tabs on you.”

  “Well, I guess you’re big enough now to violate HIPPA laws. Or have your people take care of it for you.”

  His jaw clenched as the humor drained slightly from his eyes. “I told you it wouldn’t happen again. I’d be here. No matter what.”

  My throat got tight at the reference. I took a couple of breaths to steady the surge of emotions. Why did he have to bring it up? I’d struggled enough ever since I was checked in to the hospital this morning.

  “Well, I um. I’m okay. They are just keeping me overnight for observation. You’ve fulfilled your promise. You can get back on your plane and leave.”

  He was breathing hard, making his chest move up and down under the blue pearl-snap shirt. The top three buttons were left undone, leaving a large amount of exposed skin. On someone else, it would look silly. But on him, it was causal and sexy. Always had been.

  “I know it’s been a while.” His brown eyes held mine for a moment, flickering something I couldn’t read. He motioned toward the edge of the bed next to me. “Can I sit? I thought maybe we could talk.”

  As he gazed down at me, I felt that tug inside my heart. I nodded slowly, allowing him to take one more step back into my life. I hadn’t seen him in years. Well, I’d seen him, splashed across my television and on magazines. But not in person. Not close enough to physically touch.

  His weight crushed the side of the mattress as he sat down. “Is this okay? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m okay,” I whispered. His familiar scent filled the air around me. Why did he always have to smell so good? My eyes drifted to his hand that was just an inch away from my body. Trails of tattoo ink peeked out from underneath his rolled-up sleeves. He’d added more since the last time I’d seen him.

  He eyed me closely. “You shouldn’t be on top of that roof. It’s too steep.”

  “Someone has to clean out the gutters.”

  “Hire someone. Or ask Colt. You know he’d take care of it or send Zach.”

  I shot him a nasty look. Letting out a deep breath, I stared into his troubled brown eyes. “So what did you want to talk about?”

  “I don’t know. Life?” He smiled sadly as he slipped his fingers around my hand, rubbing his thumb softly across the top. I felt the callouses right where they always stayed from playing his guitar.

  The brim of his cap cast a few shadows across his face. But it wasn’t enough to hide those transparent feelings. He was looking at me that way. I closed my eyes, shutting him out. I had to stop him.

  “I saw your latest breakup all over the tabloids at the grocery store.” I said the words, wanting to jerk him back to our reality. The one that existed for us now.

  “Well, that’s what I get for dating an actress. Unlimited drama.” His voice was clipped and deep.

  “I guess so.” It still hurt, imagining him with someone else. The images had haunted me for years. I knew he would date. That was expected. But it was so damn hard, seeing it plastered across the headlines. Harder than I had imagined. But that wasn’t what I had been thinking when I ended our
relationship. Too many other things were going on at the time. Too much other pain.

  He moved my hand, placing it lightly against his chest. The warmth of his skin seeped through his shirt. “I told you a long time ago. No one would ever be in here but you. No matter what happened out there after I left. I still mean that.”

  My eyes shot open, seeing my hand pressed over his heart. The sincerity of his words filtered deep into his eyes. That look used to melt me right on the spot.

  I could still remember the first time I saw him. He was so self-assured. So arrogant. So sweet, standing there with that messy blond hair all over his head and that lazy grin.

  But that was a very long time ago.

  I pulled my hand free of his contact. “You should go before someone sees you here.”

  He stared at me a moment before slowly getting off the bed. “I bought some land north of Stillwater close to my mama’s house. Colt’s been building me a house on it. I’ve got a couple of commitments I’ll have to fly back for, but other than that, I’ll be staying here for a while. I just thought you should know.”

  My stomach tightened, hearing his words. He was back. He was living here again. Or he was going to try to live here again. I didn’t want him this close. I wanted him far away so I didn’t have to feel this again. It actually hurt inside, just seeing him. More than the cracked ribs and concussion from the fall off my roof.

  “For how long?” I whispered.

  “Well . . . I’m reworking some stuff.” His eyebrows bunched up as he slipped away, deep in thought. I waited for him to pull his cap off, tugging at his hair. “I’m not sure what that will mean yet. I have more options now. And I need to do some things different with my life.”

  His words sent tremors under my skin. I couldn’t take another fallout with him. My heart almost didn’t recover last time. And maybe it never did. Big scars don’t go away.

  The memories were still so very strong. We had shared so much together before it all fell apart. Our relationship had been fun and beautiful before it had turned sad and painful. But part of me could never let go of him. No matter how much it hurt. And that was okay when he was in another damn state.

  The hospital room door opened as my coworker and friend Hannah fumbled with a couple of takeout boxes.

  “I thought since you were messed up from the accident, you could take a break from your diet. I got your favorite hamburger from Shortcakes. And don’t worry. I made sure they put ranch in there with the tater tots . . .” Her voice faded out as she looked from me to the man standing next to my bed.

  He chuckled. “Still eating tots and ranch?”

  Our eyes locked as he said the words, my breath freezing in my lungs. It didn’t take much for both of us to remember the night he taught me to eat tots correctly. Shortcakes Diner had been his place until he had shared it with me.

  “Hi.” She stepped closer, holding the boxes of food. “I’m Hannah.”

  And then it happened. I knew the moment the look flashed across her face. “Oh my gosh! You’re um, you’re um. Landon Evans. But that can’t be. Why would you be here? I guess you could be here. I mean everyone knows that your family lives here, Landon. Or do I call you Mr. Evans?”

  She continued to babble as I looked over at the guy who made women scream. He had never been Landon Evans to me. No, I had known the man way before he was ever some country superstar. To me, he would always be—

  “Lucky.” He took the boxes from Hannah as his troubled smile was replaced with that famous grin. “My friends call me Lucky.”

  Nine Years Earlier

  The cold air hit me with a brutal fist as I walked down the sidewalk. My spandex black dress provided little warmth and the fishnet tights were not the fleece-lined leggings I had wanted to wear tonight. Instead, I was dressed in an actual cat costume.

  “Come on, Katie. It’s not much farther.” My roommate Peyton wrapped an arm around my back, pulling me along as she kept her other hand on the front of her French maid outfit to keep it from flying up. This town was always so dang windy.

  “I feel like a cat hooker—if that is even a thing.”

  “Well, you are totally making it a thing tonight.” She laughed.

  Another gust of wind hit us from the back. I swear it felt like January instead of October. “This is going to suck walking back later.”

  “Who says we are walking back?”

  “I am not going home with someone I met in a bar.”

  “You don’t have to go home with anyone. Just have a little fun. Dance and have a few drinks. Flirt a little. Make out in a dark corner. That’s all.” She winked at me with her fake eyelashes.

  I shook my head and laughed. The dusting of freckles across her face always made Peyton seem more innocent than the truth.

  We walked past a couple of other bars on The Strip. A few students lingered outside the doors, staring as we hurried past them in the cold. And then I heard music spilling out into the street as we reached the next building. An old Edison bulb sign hung over the front door reading: DUSTY’S SALOON.

  The bouncer asked for our IDs. Reaching down inside my knee-high boot, I pulled my license from the secret pocket. He looked skeptical at mine before waving us inside. I guess the cardigan-wearing girl in the picture didn’t look the same with cat ears and whiskers.

  The smell hit me before the warmth. They had outlawed smoking in the place a few years ago, but the decades of cigarette use had soaked into the wood and walls, leaving the lingering scent of an old ash tray.

  The bar was full, but not packed. I guess it was still considered early even though it was after nine. I did a quick survey of the room. I felt better, seeing most of the crowd dressed up tonight. I preferred to blend in and not stand out. Less attention just made everything easier.

  Peyton grabbed my hand, luring me deeper inside the building toward the wooden dance floor. I tried to pull away from her. “I’ll just go find a seat somewhere.”

  “No. You’re dancing. If we get over here by the floor, someone will ask. But you need to act like you want to dance. So smile, sexy kitten.”

  “Okay. Fine.” I gave her a cheesy grin.

  “That’s much better. Come on.” She pulled me out to where people were already dancing.

  I felt awkward lingering on the floor like a giant arrow was pointed at my head. I might be dressed like the people in the room, but it didn’t mean I felt like I actually fit in. And then I was alone in plain sight as Peyton got whisked away by some guy in a pirate costume.

  The uncomfortable tension turned up several notches. I felt people watching me, looking at me, focusing on me. Dracula stared with an interested gleam in his eyes, flashing his spiked teeth as he headed over in my direction.

  I searched the floor for Peyton. She was laughing at something the pirate whispered in her ear. And then she tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, allowing him to get a good view of the freckles that disappeared down into her cleavage.

  I made eye contact with Dracula again as he got closer. Then I turned around and went in the opposite direction. It wasn’t that I was against dancing. I actually liked to dance—with people I knew. This whole Halloween party was more Peyton’s thing than mine.

  She was the reckless one. I worried about her sometimes, especially on the nights she didn’t come home. But Peyton always returned the next morning with the exception of that weekend in Texas.

  She had left in the middle of the night with two guys who wanted to take her to the beach. They drove to Galveston, did who knows what in the sand, and then got back in the car and came home. Even though she had texted the entire trip, I was a nervous wreck until she walked back in the door with her sand-covered panties in her hand.

  I watched Peyton with the pirate. This didn’t seem to be ending any time soon. I decided to make my way across the room to the bar. I kept an eye out for our other roommate Skylar. She was supposed to be here with her boyfriend Dylan, but there was a good chance I would
n’t even recognize them in the middle of all the costumes.

  Reaching the bar, I searched for an open seat. I found one at the end, close to the corner and out of the way. It took a couple tries before I managed to get situated on the leather saddle that served as the stool.

  I caught a glimpse of myself in the old-timey saloon glass behind the bar, seeing the layers of black makeup circling my wide green eyes. They had always seemed too big for my face. I squinted, trying to make them smaller as I straightened the cat ears perched on top of my brown hair.

  Giving up, I leaned against the wooden bar, setting my arm in a puddle of beer. My nerves pricked up over the amount of germs currently seeping into my skin.

  No matter what I did, I always felt so out of place at Dusty’s, which is why I usually opted out of coming with Peyton. I had just wanted to stay home and eat pizza in my pajamas tonight while watching A Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. But Peyton said I was too much of a homebody. She meant it to be funny, but it was the truth. I liked being in our house.

  My life had always been a string of different places. On the road to someplace new with my family. Always unpacking. Always starting over. And now I liked the structure that surrounded me in this town. It provided a certain amount of comfort, which I felt best while sitting in my living room.

  “What do you want to drink?”

  I looked up, seeing the bartender in front of me. “Oh, um . . . a cosmo?”

  I cringed, seeing the look on his face. Why did it come out like a question? He had asked me, not the other way around.

  The bartender disappeared, and I looked out across the room again, waiting for Peyton to come back. I realized it might be a while. I could just leave. She wouldn’t like it, but the girl could hold her own without me here. But I would have to walk back alone. And it was really cold outside.

  A clear cup was placed next to me with a faint hint of red floating on top. I reached down inside my boot to get money from the inside pocket.

  “Put the cat’s drink on my tab.”