“Hi, Sheriff.”
He extended his hand and took her small one. “You must be Ally. It’s nice to meet you. You’re every bit as beautiful as your sister.”
Her cheeks turned a pretty crimson, and her gaze dropped to their food. “That looks good. Can’t blame you for choosing that over Dad’s brussels sprouts.”
Lana’s brow rose. “Did you need something?”
Ally looked at Lana for a moment then sent a chagrined look over her shoulder to Lucky.
“No, sorry. Daddy said you had company, and I was just curious if it was someone I knew. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She turned to leave but spun around again just before she reached the door. “You know, she’s been hurt before. Please don’t hurt her again, Sheriff.”
“Ally!” Lana said, shock causing her jaw to go slack.
“I love you, Lana,” she said. “You’re my sister. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t protect you.”
“She’s right,” Lucky pointed out, getting back to his salad, ignoring the words the younger girl had said. When silence surrounded him, he looked up to identical pairs of eyes watching him. “Look, Ally, relax. I just want to make sure your sister has a friend. I’m not looking for anything serious,” he assured her. And he certainly wasn’t.
But that haughty hand on her hip told him she didn’t believe him.
Rubbing his jaw, he studied the two women carefully and then threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine. You caught me.”
“Caught what?” Lana’s breathless voice asked.
He shrugged. “I’ve been planning my moves all day. After you drink that milkshake, I was going to take you for a walk and then try to kiss you like I did last night. After that, I was going to ask you on a date.” Lucky swallowed past the lump of awareness in his throat and gave them his best grin.
After a few pregnant moments, both women burst into fits of giggles, and he tried to laugh with them. They didn’t have to know that was exactly what he had planned.
Ally gave him a slap on the shoulder and sighed. “See you around, Sheriff.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he nodded and then shoveled salad into his mouth. He didn’t want to have any opportunity to speak when he looked up.
Thankfully, Lana remained quiet as she ate. When the last of her milkshake slurped through the straw, she sat back and patted the little pooch on her stomach, which he was sure was more food than baby.
Her eyes smiled at him.
“Thank you, Lucky. That was the best meal I’ve had in weeks.”
“You’re very welcome.” He stood and busied himself cleaning up the mess they made.
Night fell like a warm blanket around them as the crickets chirped, singing their summer lullaby. The stars shone bright in the sky and the moon peeked at them from behind the big oak tree in the front yard. Beams of moonlight shone through the limbs of the tree and cast a silver spotlight across her soft features.
He exhaled.
Ally was right. He shouldn’t be here. He didn’t want a relationship with Lana, nor did he want to forget about the horrible pain she and her friends had caused him almost a decade ago. It was the only constant in his life, and if it went away, he might return to his past and that just wasn’t an option for him.
Soft hands fell against his. Lana pushed her chair back and her breast trailed up his arm as she stood. Goosebumps rose on his flesh. Her brown eyes searched his.
“Will you take that walk with me?” she asked with a shaky voice.
He looked away, trying to force his pulse to slow down. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Lana.”
Her palm fell away and her gaze darted past him to avoid eye contact.
“Ally has a point. You said yourself that it was too soon.” What was he thinking? She was like a puppet and he the master.
“I know.”
He took a step away from her, breaking all contact. He couldn’t risk his brain being muddled by the closeness. Lucky cleared his throat.
“You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, Lana. I’ll do right by you and walk away now.” Despite his need for revenge, he found the thought of hurting her more disturbing by the minute. God forbid, but she was actually kinda sweet. Nothing like the girl he remembered from high school.
Still, she didn’t look at him. Her small nod cracked his façade a little, but he held strong. He tilted her chin up so that she was forced to look at him. “I mean it. No good can come from this.”
“I know.”
Her eyes, full of unshed tears confused him. They weren’t in a relationship. She didn’t even realize who he was yet. Why the tears?
But then it dawned on him, like someone thwacking him on the head with a tree limb. This wasn’t about him at all. To her, it was just one more rejection after all the others she had received from her husband. He had to make her understand.
“Lana, there are things you don’t know about me, and I shouldn’t mislead you.”
“You haven’t misled me at all.”
He raised his brows. “Yes, I have. I kissed you. I shouldn’t have; it’s that simple. But it’s not because I’m not attracted to you. I always have been.”
She frowned.
“I just…” He didn’t know how to explain.
A cool stare met him.
“It was just a walk, Lucky.”
“Huh?”
“If you don’t want to take a walk with me, fine. I don’t need company. I have two legs.”
He almost grinned, but he caught it just before it slipped. Self-preservation. He knew her game. She feigned misunderstanding just to save face.
Lana turned to walk away, but he grabbed her shoulder. “So that’s it?”
“Yes. I’m taking a walk by myself.”
He gave her a knowing look. “Okay.”
She nodded once and then hesitated. “O…okay.”
Without another word she strutted down the steps, crossed her arms tightly across her breasts, and took off at a march down the darkened street.
He was sure she heard his laughter all the way to the end of the street.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Lana flipped through page after page of her old yearbooks. Not one face belonged to Lucky. Of course, it would help if she knew his last name, but she was sure “Lucky” would stand out in her year book. She had kissed the man and shared dinner with him, yet she had forgotten to ask his last name. Sighing, she tossed the book to the side.
Ally walked in and opened Lana’s closet. “Can I borrow those red heels of yours?”
“Sure…Hey, what’s the sheriff’s last name?”
Ally shot her an annoyed look over her shoulder.
“How can you not know the sheriff’s last name?”
“Just tell me.”
“O’Donnell. Lucky O’Donnell.” She went back to digging on her hands and knees in the closet.
Lana picked up the yearbook again and turned to her senior class to the “O” section. Nothing. Next was the juniors. There was an O’Donnell but it certainly wasn’t Lucky. She shook her head as the memories of Fat Jack shamed her. She’d treated him so badly, and her friends had been even worse. He had always seemed like a nice guy, too, just not much to gawk at in the looks department. He put a whole new meaning to childhood obesity.
“It’s unreal, isn’t it?” Ally said, leaning over her shoulder to look at the picture.
“What?”
“How much he’s changed.”
“Who?”
“Lucky.”
“Where is he?” For the life of her she couldn’t figure out which one he was.
“Right there,” she said and pointed to Fat Jack.
“Nice try, Ally. No way do I believe that.”
“Have you been living in a bubble? Everyone loves Lucky and his weight loss was part of why he was elected sheriff. He proved to everyone he was a hard worker and dedicated to what he put his mind to. That was part of his campaign slogan. ‘Do
n’t let him lose this!’”
“No way.”
“Yes!” Ally insisted. “Look at his eyes. That’s about the only thing that’s the same. That and his hair color.”
Lana studied him. The two traits were the same, but that was simple enough to explain away. Lots of men had blue eyes and dark hair.
“Did he not tell you?”
“Of course he didn’t tell me.” But Lana still wasn’t convinced.
“Well, I say he’s definitely not Fat Jack anymore! Wow, I’ve heard stories, but I’ve never seen pictures. He was huge!”
“Ally!”
“Don’t shoot the messenger!” She made a frustrated noise rose and sauntered out of the room.
Lana thought about all the horrible pranks they’d pulled on Fat Jack. Lana remembered protesting the time they’d snuck into his room in the middle of the night and cut his hair. Yet she had stood there, watching, as Jack had barely stirred in his sleep and the hair had fallen around his bed. They were never caught, but Lana had lived with the guilt for months.
That was back in junior high. High school was even worse.
Jack had gathered the courage to ask her to her senior prom. Jack, being a year behind her and overweight, wasn’t exactly her ideal prom date, but at seventeen, her life wasn’t about morals. At the time, she and James were going through a rough patch, and he had refused to go to the prom with her. In fact, that had probably been one of her first indicators they weren’t going to have a happily ever after.
Jack had apparently gotten word of their breakup and feeling sorry for her, he asked her to the prom. She had told her closest friend, Elle, how sweet it had been for him to offer – even though she had politely declined – and the next thing she knew, the whole school was laughing about it.
Lana hadn’t seen Jack in school for a week. Again, she felt terrible for the way things had unfolded, but she had been helpless to change it, at least then. Now, she wished she could go back and accept his offer, if for nothing but to prove to all the others that looks didn’t matter.
She swiped a palm down her face and looked closer at the picture. Was it really him? Lana fought the urge to laugh out loud. Those eyes that had been so familiar to her in the beginning…that’s where she had seen them. The boy behind those blue eyes had looked into hers and asked her to the senior prom.
And she’d said no.
Now the question was why he chose to keep it from her. She supposed the answer was obvious. He didn’t want to bring up the past. Lana knew it had been a difficult time for him.
But surely he was over it, wasn’t he? Or was he? Maybe that was why he had showed up next to her at the Zeigler’s house the other night. Maybe that was why he had kissed her. Was that why he had brought her dinner last night and then refused to take a walk with her?
Lucky wanted revenge.
The dog!
Anger filled her lungs and she expelled a deep breath. If Fat Jack wanted a piece of her, he was about to get one.
*****
The front door of the small police headquarters screeched open and Lana walked through. Casually, she lifted her sunglasses and perched them on her head. Her long hair was down again. It looked like she had put some effort into making herself look nice. Lucky noticed the touch of makeup gracing her cheeks and the shiny lip-gloss spread across her plush lips.
It obviously took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they finally did, they centered on him and she gave him a devastating smile. Shifting her purse to her hand, she put one foot in front of the other and sauntered toward him.
Want some fries with that shake?
He couldn’t help but exhale long and hard. She was beautiful.
“Hey, babe. What are you doing here?”
Lana shrugged. She propped her hip against the corner of his desk, crossing her feet at the ankles.
Lucky took his time admiring her. He couldn’t help but notice several of his colleagues angling him questioning glances.
“I was wondering if you were free for lunch?”
For a moment, he reveled in his good fortune. Then, a thought struck him. What if he had created a monster? He’d heard that abused women were often unpredictable, but he hadn’t stopped to think that Lana might be.
Lana’s hand squeezed his, and he decided he didn’t care. Monster or not, she was gorgeous. He resigned himself to the fact that he probably wasn’t being wise to accept, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse, either.
“Um, sure. Where did you have in mind?” Gathering his wallet and his badge, he stood.
“I thought we could grab some pizza. Sometimes I don’t get to choose what I’m craving these days.” She patted her mostly flat stomach and smiled.
“Understandable.”
“Then let’s go,” Lana smiled. She pushed herself away from his desk and looped her arm through his. Everyone’s eyes followed them to the door. Once outside, he carefully removed her hand.
Her innocent, rounded eyes searched his and he felt like a jerk.
“Lana…”
“What?”
There was something in her body language that alerted him. She held herself stiffly, and her smile was a little too bright. What was going on?
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thanks again for dinner, Lucky. I thought I could repay the favor and treat you to lunch.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you okay today?”
“I’m fine.” Her words were issued a little too enthusiastically.
Lucky was certain he was missing something.
They entered the chain pizza restaurant. The place was crowded, as it was one of only three restaurants on this side of town and offered a lunch buffet.
Lana’s eyes rolled back in her head. “Oh my goodness, do you smell that? Pure heaven!”
Lucky grinned. He liked a woman with an appetite.
They ordered and sat next to a tall window, looking out at the small-town bustle, and Lucky sighed. Then, he looked across the table at Lana.
For the first time, he allowed himself to really look at her. Since high school, she hadn’t aged much. Her long brown hair shone in the afternoon sunbeams streaming through the blinds. A little pooch underneath her sundress couldn’t hide the beautiful curves that she had been blessed with since adolescence. Perhaps the most startling change to Lucky was her eyes.
Back in high school, those chocolate eyes had held a mischief that spoke of how much she enjoyed life and a sparkle reflecting pure happiness. Her smile alone was enough to light up a room. But there was always a hint of wildness inside of them, which he contributed to her less than positive influences she had once considered friends.
Now, as he looked into her eyes, he simply saw nothing. Nothing except for the dark smoothness of her eye color. He stared, trying to find something, anything that spoke of her former self. Instead of allowing him to continue his perusal, she looked out the window.
“Why you did you become sheriff?” she asked quietly.
What a loaded question. As Lucky reclined in the booth, the leather groaned and protested under his weight. He took a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Well,” he began. “I decided I’d like to give back to the community-”
“Cut the crap,” she ordered, her eyes flashing with anger. “Tell me the truth.”
Lucky shifted under her glare. “I wanted to catch the bad guys.”
“Catch them or get back at them?”
He frowned. Lana’s hands were fisted on the table and were clenched so tight the knuckles were white.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
He was floored by the animosity oozing from her. Had he done something to offend her?
“Uh, no. Actually, I don’t.”
Lana’s eyes closed, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. When her gaze settled back on his, he got a glimpse of the old, fiery Lana from high school.
“Well, why don’t we
start with your name? Is Lucky a nickname or your given name?”
“Isn’t a nickname given to you?”
“Why do people call you Lucky?”
“I’ve had a lot of good luck. Better than I deserve.”
“I’ll say,” she muttered. “What’s your real name, Lucky?”
Lucky frowned and searched her face for any telltale signs that she knew who he really was, but he couldn’t read her.
“My real name is Lucky.”
“Let me rephrase, Sheriff. What’s the name on your birth certificate?”
Now that question changed things. It was then he knew she had figured it out. His plan was shot.
“Who told you?” he asked quietly.
“You knew who I was from the beginning, didn’t you? You purposely didn’t tell me.”
He tossed her a careless shrug. “Did it really matter?”
“You wanted a one night stand with me!” She practically shouted and several of the other customers in the restaurant turned to see who was causing the ruckus.
“Lower your voice,” he growled. “This isn’t a game, Lana.”
“Oh no, Lucky? Then why did you kiss me the way you did? Bring me dinner and then make me trust you?”
What? She trusted him? He held his hands up in defense. “Just calm down.”
“Calm down?” The words were issues so softly that he knew this was the quiet before the storm. He looked around the restaurant. Could he get her out of here before she lost her temper and aired his dirty laundry in front of the town folk? They already knew, but he didn’t want things to get riled up again.
“You obviously didn’t come here to spend time with me, Lana. Let’s just go.” He moved to stand but her trembling chin stopped him cold.
“I’ve put up with a lot of crap over the years from James, but I pretty much always knew he was a jerk, even if I didn’t want to admit it. But you…”
Lucky took a slow draw from his straw, focusing on the cold water gliding down his throat. He tried to steel himself against her tears, but his heart tugged anyway.
“It sucks to have the tables turned, huh?”
“We were kids.”
Their waitress approached with their pizza and placed it in front of them. Lana frowned, and her nose wrinkled. It dawned on him that he was allowing himself to rule with his emotions instead of logic. Despite the misery he’d gone through during high school, she’d paid her dues. James had abused her and then knocked her up. Now she was left to pick up the pieces.
Lucky for Her Page 4
