She nodded and then smiled sadly. “Only until she’s big enough to learn karate and self defense.”
“She?”
Lana shrugged. “I have a hunch.”
“A little girl. God help us all,” he droned and then smiled at her tenderly. “I bet she’ll be as beautiful as you.”
Lana looked away, unsure of how to respond to his kind words. Rationally, she knew that not every man could be like James; after all, her father was living proof of that. But her heart didn’t seem to get the message. It was too soon after the divorce for her to be kissing another man, let alone telling him her secrets.
She didn’t want to question it right now. It felt good to put all of her trust, if even for a moment, in a complete stranger. She figured it didn’t hurt that he was a respected official in the town, either. She wasn’t the only one who trusted him or maybe that was why she trusted him.
“Can we forget about my um…” he trailed off.
“Lapse in judgment?” she finished for him.
“No lapse. The offer still stands, but now that I know I have a little more time, we can take it slow.”
Lana crossed her arms and then uncrossed them, uncomfortable with Lucky’s piercing gaze. “Look, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression with that kiss. I can’t start a relationship right now. It’s too soon.”
“I understand. At least now I know I’m not working against the clock.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His hand lifted and he gently tucked her hair behind her ear. “It means, Lana, I’m not giving up on you yet.”
“Have you heard a word I’ve said, Lucky? I’m pregnant. That means I have more than one person to consider now.”
He gave her a fatherly look with a cocked eyebrow. “Of course I realize that.”
“And we don’t know each other. A relationship between us could be disastrous.”
“Hey, I’m just glad we’ve got time to find that out now.”
Lana chuckled. “I can’t believe you thought I was dying.”
“What was I supposed to think? You said you were sick and then that you had seven months to live. What would you have thought?”
“That I was dying.”
He laughed and the action lit up his features. She eyed that sexy dimple in his right cheek and sighed. What was it about him that pulled her in?
Hadn’t she felt this way before? Yes, James had lured her in much the same way, and she hadn’t been the same since.
Resolve strengthening, she sat up straight.
“I’m not on the market, Lucky. Your efforts will be wasted on me.”
“That kiss wasn’t a waste.”
“No, it was nice.”
“Nice?”
She angled him a look and saw the teasing light in his eyes.
“A little unexpected but nice.”
“Okay,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Fair enough. Can we at least be friends?”
She looked at him, feigning consideration. “I guess. Considering you know all of my secrets now.”
“Yeah, about that. Your plan to keep the baby hidden is still a bust.”
“So you said.”
She watched him as he toyed with her fingers. In such a small span of time, those large hands suddenly brought her comfort.
“I promise you, Lana…as your friend and as the sheriff of this town, you and your baby will be protected. No matter what.”
When his eyes met hers, she knew he meant every word. Her subconscious didn’t even try to fight it. Lucky was a genuine man who genuinely wanted her to be happy.
She thought of their dance tonight, their kiss, and now his oath of protection. After only a few hours, she believed in someone. Perhaps she wasn’t as broken as she had first thought.
Lana gave Lucky a small nudge with her shoulder as the last of the fireworks overhead glittered away.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He seemed to read her so easily and knew exactly what she needed. His big arms pulled her into him, the cold metal of his name tag pressing against her temple. A contented sigh escaped her lungs.
She suddenly felt like the lucky one.
Chapter Three
“I’m excited to see you took my advice last night,” Ally said as she joined her sister at the table for breakfast.
Lana shot Ally a warning look and then darted her eyes to her father, who quietly read the morning paper in his recliner, to make sure he hadn’t overheard.
“Zip it,” Lana murmured and pushed the orange juice to her little sister.
“I saw you two together.”
Lana shrugged. She wasn’t exactly sure what to do or make of the night before. She had convinced herself that she would regret telling Lucky about the pregnancy come morning. Only she didn’t. There was just the need to see him again. His touch still branded her, and she could still taste him. She just wasn’t sure if this memory of him was a good thing or a bad thing yet.
“Lucky’s a nice guy.”
“And he’s the sheriff,” Ally pointed out with a raised brow as if there was a double meaning in her words.
“So?”
A teasing gleam lit her eyes. “I hear his gun is always loaded.” Her brows waggled, and Lana couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh shut up. Go wash your mouth out with soap!” Lana threw a strawberry at her as she giggled. Ally caught it effortlessly and popped it in her mouth.
“So what are your plans for today? There’re lots of sales going on at the mall.”
“I do need to think about getting some bigger clothes.”
“Are you starting to show?”
“Not really. But things are shifting, and my pants aren’t fitting quite right.”
Ally finished chewing her food and leveled her gaze at Lana.
“Are you excited about having this baby?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“James is the father.”
“Do you think he’ll find out?”
“Yes.” Lana knew it was only a matter of time, just like Lucky had pointed out last night.
“What are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know. I’ve thought about adoption, but I just don’t know how I could give up my own kid even if James is the father. It’s a part of me, too. But if I don’t, I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder.”
Ally’s hand covered hers. She might still be young, but she was a young woman with instincts and always knew how to make Lana feel better.
“I love you. We’ll get through it.”
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile. “When do we leave for the mall?”
“As soon as you’re ready.”
Half an hour later, Lana and Ally kissed their father goodbye and with a wave, got in the car. He was the light of her life and the only reason she couldn’t wholly stop believing in love. He still kept a picture of their mother on his nightstand, and every so often since her return, she’d catch him looking at it, sometimes even touching the image gently.
Lana couldn’t really remember her mother that well now. The passage of time had faded her memories. She used to be able to conjure up her mother’s gentle voice and her tender brown eyes. Now, she could only remember the pictures in her albums, not the woman herself. She wanted to make time to watch the home videos and refill her mind with her mother’s presence.
It had been hard to lose her mother at only thirteen, especially when her baby sister had only been two. She and her father had been clueless as to how to raise a baby, but they’d managed with the help of their neighbor, Mrs. Cooley, a mother of four girls, and a lot of self-help books.
Lana still had to shake her head at the irony of it all. As a young woman, her mother had fallen head over heels in love and married a man nearly twice her age. At the time, no one had dreamed that Lily would be the one to die first, leaving her husband alone to raise his two daughters on his own.
“Do you ever th
ink about Mama?” Lana suddenly asked.
“Not really. I don’t have any memories of her.”
“I know, but…you ever think about how things might be different if she were still alive? I know Daddy blames himself for letting me marry James.”
“It was out of his control. You were crazy about him.”
“Yeah.” What an idiot. Falling for a boy and marrying him straight out of high school. That had ben hormones talking, not love.
“How serious are you with Michael?”
Ally rolled her eyes. “Not very. We’re just getting to know each other. I’ve promised you and Daddy many times, I’m not getting married anytime soon. I’ve learned from your mistakes, too, ya know.”
Lana smiled. It almost made her mistakes worth it. “At least some good came from all of this.”
“Lots of good has come from it. You’ve got a baby on the way, a handsome sheriff who’s interested in you…”
“I’m not repeating my mistakes, Ally. I’m not even sure I’ll ever want to date again.”
She snorted and pulled into the mall. “Surely lightning can’t strike twice, sis.”
Lana couldn’t help but chuckle. The image entered her mind of Lucky’s strong hands, so gentle around her waist as he’d held her captive and swayed with her. But it wasn’t the kind of embrace James had often used. With Lucky, she knew she was safe, be it the uniform and badge or the cautious way in which he climbed over every wall she’d erected since her return. She certainly didn’t think Lucky was capable of hurting someone.
But then she remembered the badge and the gun and knew, in fact, that he was capable of killing. Making sheriff in this town wasn’t accomplished by working at the cotton mill. He had to be qualified.
“Ready to shop ‘til we drop?” Ally asked, cutting the engine and pulling her out of her reverie.
“Sure.” Lana forced a smile and got out of the car, feeling the warm sun on her back and the muggy breeze against her cool skin.
But most of all, she didn’t feel sure of anything anymore.
*****
Lucky had to see her again. Just the thought of her staying inside her house for the next seven months scared him. It was no way for a woman like Lana to live. Not to mention, his plan to be with her was falling perfectly into place. In fact, it seemed almost too easy.
And he refused to let the nagging guilt nipping at his heels stop him.
After he finished his shift, the sun waned behind the trees. He stopped by the local diner and bought himself and Lana some dinner. He figured she’d already eaten, but she ate for two now. And judging by how slender she was these days, the extra calories wouldn’t hurt.
Phase two began tonight. He’d worm his way into her life and make her fall in love with him. He smiled to himself, thinking of finally having closure over the memories that had haunted him his whole life.
A short time later, he pulled into her father’s gravel driveway and slowed to a stop. She sat in the porch swing, reading a book. When his brakes squeaked, she looked up. He had to get those things fixed.
Lucky waved a little and she lifted her hand gracefully. Today, instead of wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt, she wore a flowing, white sundress, and her chestnut hair fell loosely around her shoulders. It was longer than he had realized, flowing over her breasts and touching her rib cage in big waves. He could remember it looking like that back in high school, too.
“Hey!” he called as he exited his truck. “Have you had dinner yet?”
She stood and supported herself on the railing of the porch. “Not yet, why?”
He rounded the truck and opened the passenger door, pulling out their dinner.
“’Cause I brought some. I wanted to see you. I hope that’s okay.”
Kicking the door shut with the heel of his boot, he faced her. A small smile played on her lips and she nodded.
“It’s fine.”
“Don’t get too excited,” he mumbled and climbed the steps. His heart rate sped up when he was within arm’s reach. She wore makeup today, a light dusting of eye shadow accentuating her big almond eyes and pink gloss on her full mouth. Her appearance was all womanly, but she didn’t look a day over twenty. The white sundress made her look twice as small, but he had a remedy for that.
“What did you bring?” Her voice was soft, almost dreamy in its cadence, and he found himself staring as she stood on her tip toes to look inside the bag. Her tongue curled up to touch her top lip as she studied the contents.
“Food,” he said inanely. Lucky shook his head. He couldn’t afford to let her to work that one-of-a-kind charm over him again.
A chastising look angled his way as she pursed her lips. “What kind of food?”
Clearing his throat, he moved past her to a little bistro table next to the swing. “Cheeseburgers, fries, sodas, and milkshakes. Sound good?”
“Mmm, it does. Thank you.” She sat down opposite him and primly folded her hands in her lap, waiting. The bouncing of her leg gave her away.
“You’re nervous,” he pointed out in disbelief.
“A little,” she conceded.
“Why? It’s just me.”
Her eyes were so beautiful when her smile crinkled them that way. “You’re a little intimidating, Sheriff.”
“Me?” He looked around but he was the only sheriff in the vicinity.
“I kissed you last night, yet we’ve never shared a meal together. Things just feel a little awkward for me.”
“I thought we agreed to just be friends.”
“We did, but that doesn’t change the facts.”
He frowned, trying to figure out what to say next to help her relax. He placed the cheeseburger, soda, and milkshake in front of her and took out a salad for himself. Catching the shock in her eyes, he grinned.
“You’re eating for two. I, however, am not. Besides, I read fat is good for a baby’s brain development. So eat up.”
“You’ve been reading up on babies?”
He shrugged. “A little. I was caught up on work today.” At least as of this morning. After spending the whole day reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting, he wasn’t caught up now.
“Did it say anything about the mother and how unhealthy it is for her to gain a lot of weight?”
He winked and gave her a grin. “Everything goes to the baby first, so you should be safe.”
She didn’t look like she believed him, but she eyed the cheeseburger like a starved puppy.
“Go on,” he urged, shoving some lettuce in his mouth. “I won’t tell anyone you ate it all, I promise.”
Catching his teasing tone, she grinned, and then bit into the burger. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she moaned. Lucky stopped chewing and watched her romance her food. He shifted uncomfortably.
He definitely didn’t want those kinds of thoughts popping up right now.
“Why are you here, Lucky?” she asked after delicately wiping her mouth.
“I told you already, I wanted to see you. I wasn’t sure how things would be between us after last night. I figured I would extend the first offering and make sure you knew I was serious about being friends.”
“Lucky, I’m not stupid. I know you want to be more than friends.”
He held up his hands in defense. “Hey, I’m with you. Things between us could be horrible. Friendship is a good start for both of us.”
“Why?”
He tried not to grin as she inhaled the burger. “I tend to screw things up.” Inwardly he cringed, despite the truth he told. Part of his plan was to help her see he was flawed. In return, she’d realize how that very fact made him seem even more perfect.
“How?”
“I scare people away. I’m blunt and I like to chew on rubber a lot.”
She frowned and waited.
“Stick my foot in my mouth,” he clarified.
Lana tried to hide a giggle behind a cough, but he caught her.
“Don’t laugh at my misfortune!�
�
Finally, she laughed out loud.
“I’m not. It’s just I’ve never heard someone so accurately describe themselves.”
He pretended to stab a knife in his heart. “You wound me, woman.”
Her giggles turned into full-blown belly laughs. She threw her head back, and he marveled at the site of her enjoying herself. For a moment, all the breath in his body whooshed from his chest. He didn’t want to feel that sharp tug of tenderness toward her.
“Hey, Lana, dinner’s…ready…” Lana’s father’s words died on his lips as his gaze settled on Lucky.
Lucky nodded once. “Mr. Roche.”
Mr. Roche ducked his chin. “Sheriff. Everything okay, Lana?” His gaze raked over the food and Lucky’s attire, no doubt taking note that he wasn’t dressed in his uniform.
“Everything’s fine, Daddy. Lucky brought some dinner. We met last night at the party.”
“I see.” Mr. Roche’s aged hand ran down his face. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
It was clear that Lana loved her father, and he was glad to see that at least one man in her life had came through for her. He certainly wouldn’t be one of them, and again, the nagging doubt whispered in his ear.
“How did the test results fare?” Lucky asked the man.
Mr. Roche couldn’t hide the flush in his cheeks even though he looked away. “Clean as a whistle. Thank you for asking.” With another nod, he quickly went back inside. Lucky was surprised he didn’t see smoke underneath the man’s feet as he hurried away.
“What was that all about?”
Lucky couldn’t help but smile. “I ran into him a few weeks ago.”
“Oh. That was sweet of you to check on him.”
He looked up as someone else came out onto the porch.
“Hey, guys!”
Lucky sat, unmoving, at the site before him. The little sister looked exactly like Lana had almost ten years ago. It was a little disconcerting, actually. She even had a cleft in her chin just like Lana’s. The only difference was where Lana’s hair was long and wavy, Ally’s bounced in tight curls at her chin. Innocent, sparkling, brown eyes leveled with his.
Lucky for Her Page 3
