Lucky Chance

by Marissa Dobson

  “Maddie…”

  “Don’t call me that.” She cut him off before he could finish his sentence. Years ago, that had been his special name for her as a way to tease her about her temper, but now it only pained her to hear it. It was my decision to leave him, so why does it hurt so much now? Hormones.

  “You’ll always be my Maddie.” He reached out to touch her, but stopped before he did. Instantly, he grew serious and nodded. “We’ll do everything you’ve set up, but it doesn’t mean I’ll be jumping like a well-trained dog every hour for you. On the plane, I want to look at this schedule, and I don’t want you to add anything else to it without consulting me.”

  “I’m the public relations director on this project. If I can get any more media attention for it, whether it be for you or one of the other branches, I damn well will. This is my job we’re talking about.”

  “And my life.” He tugged the keys from the ignition. “I never wanted to do this stupid cook-off. I cook for the guys because it’s better than eating the crap the military tries to pass off as food. I take what we have on hand and turn it into something that’s at the very least somewhat enjoyable, but I’ve never wanted to compete on some cooking show, or be a chef. I’m only here because I’m under direct orders from my Sergeant Major.”

  “It won’t be so bad.”

  “Really?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Because I think it will be, or I wouldn’t have offered to become a target for shooting practice.”

  “What?”

  “When Graves told me about this new assignment my exact words were: Isn’t there something my time could be better spent on? A volunteer deployment? Crash test dummy? Target for shooting practice?”

  She sat there staring at him for a moment, waiting for him to tell her he was just joking, but something about the look in his eyes told her that he was dead serious. He’d rather do any of those things than this cooking competition. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this, but I had nothing to do with that. Your Sergeant Major is the one who recommended you to the brass, and they had the final choice. Don’t blame me because you’re saddled with me and these orders.”

  “I’m not upset about being stuck with you. That might be the one highlight of this situation.” He opened the door and slid out. “Coming?”

  Highlight. He couldn’t actually mean that he wanted to spend the next two weeks with her. What about the tension that was in the air because of the way they’d left things? Don’t be stupid. The tension isn’t from that. It’s from the desire burning in his gaze that heats the fires within me.

  He couldn’t possibly feel anything for her after more than a dozen years. Could he?

  Lucky leaned against the kitchen counter as he filled Ace in on his new orders, while his thoughts kept traveling back to Madison. She had refused to come in until Gwen had gone to retrieve her by force, if necessary, from the truck. Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that, and now the women were chatting in the living room, while Roulette slept in her bassinet, and the men were in the kitchen. It was almost like old times except his parents weren’t hiding somewhere in the house waiting to catch them in some compromising position—well, that and Roulette was here.

  If things hadn’t turned out the way they had so many years ago, maybe he’d have been married to Madison and living a life like Ace had with a wife and baby. Funny how things change. Only last night he was happy living the single life, enjoying his condo and freedom. Now, here he was questioning everything he thought he wanted. Though, there was one thing he knew he wanted, and that was to get her on her back. He wanted to make love to her again, to hear her scream his name in ecstasy. He missed the way she wrapped her legs around him as they made love, and how the simplest touches had her wiggling against him.

  “Lucky?”

  Ace’s tone brought him back to reality. “Huh, what were you saying?”

  “I told you I’d pick up your mail and check on your condo. Gwen and I will go over and take care of the refrigerator and stuff tomorrow. Anything else you need done?”

  He tried to think, but nothing came to mind. He had a simple life. There were no plants that needed to be watered, and all of his bills were automatically deducted from his checking account, so when he was deployed he didn’t have to worry about anything. “I don’t think so. I’d put a stop on the mail, but we’ve got to catch a plane in a few hours. I barely have time to go home and pack.”

  “No sweat.” Ace took a swig from the beer bottle. “Need a ride to the airport?”

  “Naw, thanks though. I’ll leave my truck there since my return flight doesn’t have me getting in until late.” He glanced at the clock on the stove. “I guess we should be going, I’ve still got to pack.”

  “Well, little brother, I’ll be rooting for you. I know you can do it. Go there and show them what a great chef you are, all self-taught and everything.”

  “You better not let your team hear that. Rooting for the Marines when you’re a Navy SEAL could get you stoned.”

  Ace grabbed his beer, and with a smirk he led the way to the living room. “You know the guys love your cooking. We’ll all be rooting for you, but be prepared to pay up big time if you lose.”

  “I’m sure there’s already a poll going on base. If I hear my very own brother bet against me, there’s going to be hell to pay.” A soft cry from Roulette had Lucky speeding his pace. “What’s wrong, darling?” He plucked his niece from the bassinet and cradled her in his arms.

  “I think she might be coming down with something. She’s been fussy today and has barely slept.” Gwen stifled a yawn.

  “Have you been keeping your mommy up?” He kissed her forehead but it didn’t feel warm.

  “And her daddy,” Ace added as he dropped like a lead balloon onto the sofa next to his wife.

  “Get me out of this cooking battle, and I’ll take her so you can get some sleep.” He rocked her gently, easing the cries.

  “You wish.” Ace shook his head. “But the Marines are counting on you.”

  “You’re going to make them proud and show them what you’ve got. I know you can win this if you put your mind to it,” Madison announced, and as everyone turned to look at her, the heat of embarrassment colored her cheeks. “Umm, I think I’ll wait outside.”

  “There’s no need, we’re going.” He stepped toward the sofa, and with one final kiss, he passed Roulette off to Gwen. “Now, you behave for your mommy, but make sure you keep Daddy on his toes. Also, don’t grow too much while your favorite uncle is away.”

  “Favorite?” Ace gave a deep chuckle. “See, she was telling me just this morning that Uncle Boom is her favorite.”

  “Stop it, you two; you know she has no favorites.” Gwen cut them off before they could continue to provoke each other.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He gave his sister-in-law a mocking salute, before tipping his head toward Ace. “Keep him in line.”

  “These two never stop.” Gwen met Madison’s gaze. “Wynn will be sorry she missed you, so I hope you keep your word and come back soon. It will be nice for all of us to be back together again.”

  “Soon.” Madison nodded and headed for the door.

  “Everything okay with her?” Gwen whispered as Madison opened the front door.

  “She hadn’t expected that I was the Marine she’d have to work with. I believe I’ve thrown her for a loop. If she could board a plane in the opposite direction without putting her career on the line, I believe she would.” Lucky glanced toward the door and considered his options on how to get her over this initial unease.

  “Go easy on her,” she warned. “It’s been a long time since I saw her, and I’d like to see her again soon. Don’t go messing things up so she doesn’t want to risk coming back into town.”

  He nodded, instead of stating his doubts that she would come back here even if things went smoothly. No need to shatter his sister-in-law’s hopes, not without proof. Maybe their time together would make Madison long for a reunion with her two
best childhood friends. At least he could hope for their sake, and maybe a little for his own.

  Madison stood near the sliding glass door to the balcony and admired the view. Lucky’s condo was on the eighth floor, providing a beautiful view of the ocean, and even though it was clear that a single man lived there, she wasn’t surprised with how clean the place was. Mrs. Diamond had wanted each of her children to be able to take care of themselves, including cleaning up after themselves and cooking. Maybe that was where Lucky got his talent and love for cooking.

  She forced her gaze to stay focused on the ocean and the boats in the distances, instead of thinking about the life Lucky led. It was so completely different than hers. Not just because he was military and she was a government employee. But the fact that he was so carefree while she was always by the book.

  If his condo had anything to say about it, he was still the same guy he had been years ago. He must still like to entertain. Otherwise, the large sectional and air hockey table would have been too much for just one person. The weights near the television reminded her once again of the dedication he had to the military. The area was relatively spotless, not that she expected anything less from Lucky. He had always been the most organized of the Diamond family, and lived on a strict timetable, making him a good fit for military life. As much as he spoke of being spontaneous, he lived as much by a timetable as she did, he just didn’t admit to it as much. The times he was spontaneous were mentally scheduled in, even if he didn’t realize it.

  “We’re cutting this closer than I’d like, since the airlines suggest we arrive two hours early for security. Why don’t we grab dinner at one of the restaurants at the airport?” he asked as he tossed his garment bag over the back of the sofa.

  “That’s fine. Don’t forget your dress uniform.”

  “Already packed, along with my cammies. What hotel are we staying at? Is there a pool? Because if so, I should grab my trunks.”

  The weight of the living arrangements hit her full force, and she turned away from the view to face him. “Actually…umm…we’ve got a house.”

  “Nice. The least the government can do is spring for a house instead of shoving us in a crummy hotel room for two weeks. Even if I’m stuck sharing a room with one of the other guys.”

  “It’s not exactly like that.” She tried again, only to have him interrupt her a second time.

  “Oh, I get my own room. Even better.”

  She shook her head, but he didn’t notice. He was too busy shoving things into his bag. Now that he’d accepted his fate, he was getting into it. “Umm, Lucky…”

  “What is it?” He glanced up, his toiletry bag in hand. “You okay? You look pale. Maybe you should have a seat.”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped. “I mean. Oh hell, what I’m trying to say is we’re supposed to share the house. Each branch has a handler and their own house.”

  “So, Maddie, you’re my handler, and though you’d rather be anywhere else in the world, you’re stuck sharing a house with me. Aren’t you the luckiest woman?”

  “Stop calling me that.”

  “But you used to love it.”

  “That was years ago.” It didn’t tear out my heart then. I was young and naïve. I found the little nickname sweet, even though it was brought on by my raging temper. “Stuck together all day in a house. We need to at least try to get along.”

  “I didn’t realize we weren’t getting along.” He tossed the toiletry bag into his larger bag. “I know you’re not thrilled to be stuck with me, and I’m not happy with this competition, but we’ve both got a job to do, so let’s do it. If you want to give me the schedule and just go your own way until we have to make public appearances, then so be it.”

  She’d love to take him up on that offer, or better yet skip the plane to Colorado and board one taking her back to Washington D.C. Then she could retreat to the sanctuary of her small studio apartment and try to forget about the emotions and desires he had stirred within her. But she couldn’t do that. This job was her hope of making a new life and getting the bigger place she needed. It wasn’t just her that she had to worry about any longer.

  “Lucky, I know things are uneasy between us, but I’m not going anywhere. Since I just took this position, to see you win would do wonders for my job. So, you’re stuck with me.”

  “I’ll try not to let you down.” He walked toward the kitchen and grabbed two bottles from a cabinet before returning. “Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

  Was she that easy to read? She wondered if he could tell that as much as she wanted to run in the opposite direction, she wanted to be near him at the same time. It was like two sides of her playing tug of war, and neither side was winning. She wasn’t even sure she knew which side she wanted to win.

  Ignoring his question, she nodded to the spice bottles in his hand. “What’s that?”

  “My secret ingredients that are going to make sure I win this competition.”

  “Since we go way back, do I get to know what your secret ingredients are?”

  He grabbed one of the shirts from the top of the bag and carefully rolled the bottles in it before placing them inside. “One is real vanilla bean.”

  “What about the other?”

  “Madd…” He caught himself before he called her by the nickname. “You’ll have to wait to find out. Not even my family knows that one.”

  “As long as it wins this, you can keep your secret. Otherwise, you’ll have to reveal it.”

  “I’d like to reveal more than just a secret.”

  Wouldn’t we all. Thankfully, she caught herself before the words slipped out of her mouth. After all, she was keeping the biggest secret of all. Not just from him, but from everyone. Secrets had a tendency to fester in the gut until a person thought they’d explode from it.

  “Are you all packed? We should be going.”

  “Just a minute.” He went to the hall closet and pulled out a black leather jacket. “It’s still cold in Denver at this time.”

  “Very well, let’s go.” She glanced at the view one final time before she grabbed her planner from the table and his garment bag with his dress uniform.

  “I can get that.”

  “I’ve got nothing else to carry.” She draped it over her arm. “Do you want to catch a cab?”

  “We’ll take my truck, and I’ll leave it at the airport for when I return.” He grabbed his bag and glanced at her. “I just realized something. What about your luggage?”

  “This is only a long layover for me, so mine is at the airport. I didn’t even pack a carry on as I normally would so I didn’t have to lug it around town.” She nodded to her planner. “This was all I have to worry about and it rarely leaves my sight.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you had scheduled bathroom breaks in that thing.” He joked and headed toward the door.

  Seven hours of traveling, and the very idea the first media appearance was only a few hours away, had Lucky on edge. The same nervous energy that coursed through him before a mission was bubbling within him now. He needed something to take his mind off it.

  “You okay?” Madison questioned as he grabbed their luggage from the trunk.

  “Fine.” He pulled her rolling suitcase from the trunk, and placed it on the ground before slinging his bag over his shoulder. “It’s nearly three in the morning, so we should get settled and get some sleep.”

  “You don’t look like you could sleep.” She grabbed the garment bag and shut the trunk. “You’re nervous. Just like in high school when you had to give that speech. The big bad Marine is terrified of a little press…I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “I don’t care to be singled out for special attention. I’ve done nothing that would warrant this…this punishment.”

  She had begun to lead the way up the sidewalk to the two-story home in a small, family-friendly development, when she stopped and turned back to him. “You see this as punishment. That Sergeant Major Graves singled you
out because of something you did. Whereas the rest of us see this as honoring a talent you have. There’s no reason you should hide the magic you do in the kitchen.”

  “I only started this to bring a touch of home to us while we were away. I didn’t do it to be on some competition, or for anyone else to know about it.”

  “Your reasoning doesn’t matter. You take ordinary foods and turn them into something divine.” As if realizing she wasn’t changing his mind, she added, “If you can’t do this for yourself, then do it for the wounded Marines this will benefit if you win. That alone should be the motivation you need.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “A little over a year…”

  “Enough.” He tried to keep the regret and sadness from showing in his voice but failed miserably. “It’s cold. Let’s get inside.”

  She nodded, but didn’t move. “You might want to shove that memory aside, but it’s a part of you. A part of this. It’s part of why Graves chose you.” She slipped the door key from her pocket, and headed toward the front of the house.

  “What does that have to do with this?”

  She didn’t answer him at first, waiting until the door opened. She flicked on the entryway light, then turned to him. “Graves didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?” He kicked the door shut and tossed his bag on the floor. He was tired of playing twenty questions, and he was tired of the whole situation. The next two weeks would be worse than any orders he’d ever had before.

  “Private First Class Kyle Phillips.”

  “Leave him out of this,” he snapped, trying to push the memories back into the depths of his mind.

  “He’s the one who recommended you to Graves for this.”

  “What?” Anger at not knowing threatened to spill out, but it wasn’t Madison he should be angry at. It was Graves, or even Phillips. Graves never mentioned it, not that it would have made much difference. After all, an order from a commanding officer was still an order, but it mattered to Lucky.

  “I’m sorry, Lucky, I thought you knew.”