Getting Lucky

by Jennifer Seasons

  She knew it, and hated herself for it.

  But she ran anyway.

  Chapter Eleven

  THE NEXT AFTERNOON Shannon slid quickly into an old booth at the Hole in The Wall donut bakery and hissed between her teeth, “What are you doing here?” Glancing around to make sure that nobody she recognized was in the vicinity, she brushed her hair back over her shoulder and eyed her sister suspiciously. Colleen was the last person she’d been expecting to show up.

  Around a mouthful of donut, her sister replied breezily, “Checking out the local scene.”

  Shannon scrunched her nose in confusion. What in the hell did that mean? “Your local scene is Saratoga, not Fortune. Why did you text me? Why are you back here?”

  Colleen tipped her head toward the back counter to where a college-age guy was working. Her pale blond hair shimmered gold under the bright lights. “Like I said, I’ve been checking out the local scene, and it’s not too shabby. Though certainly not as delectable at that Irish dreamsicle Dad sicced you on.”

  Craning her neck, Shannon took in the customers and the employee behind the counter, frowning when no one caught her eye. Surely her sister couldn’t be referring to the college kid or the guy in a trucker’s hat and coveralls sitting by the front window. On the list of fashion transgressions, his outfit had to be worse than plaid flannel. At least¸ one would think. Unless her sister had decided that she was now into the Ol’ MacDonald type.

  She turned back to Colleen. “I don’t see anyone.”

  Her sister had crammed the rest of the donut into her mouth and was too busy chewing to respond immediately, so she held up a finger to wait. Shannon stamped down the impatience that rose up before it could grow into something a lot uglier. Something a lot like another panic attack. Having her sister show up unexpectedly had to mean something bad.

  Colleen took a swig of straight black coffee, presumably to wash down the wad of donut she’d had shoved in her cheeks like a chipmunk, and burped quietly. Never let it be said that her sister was a delicate little flower. Obviously all those late-night study sessions shoving Doritos into her mouth while she memorized human anatomy had had a permanent effect on her manners. God, Mom and Dad would be proud.

  “Since when did you start eating like a redneck lumberjack?”

  Her sister gulped more coffee and laughed. “That sounds like a rock-band name.” Then her expression changed and went tense. “But seriously, Shan, I came back because there’s something I have to show yo—”

  She was cut off as someone interrupted.

  “You know there really is a band called Redneck Rockstars, right?” The voice came from a teenager behind Shannon who looked like a member of One Direction with his side-swept hair and skinny jeans. He was standing near another similarly dressed teen as they dumped their trays into the garbage, sending the ear buds around his neck swinging. “They’re local too. Like, there’re so many huge bands that have come out of Denver and the great state of Colorado in the past few years, you know? The Fray is one. And the Lumineers. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, right?”

  Obviously music was this kid’s passion. “I like them,” Shannon offered. Then she felt bad about her clipped response and added, “They’re about on par with Mumford and Sons, if you ask me.”

  The kid looked at her like she’d grown two heads and begun spouting Greek. “Um, so not the same.”

  Colleen rolled her eyes and said, “Totally different,” before shooting her a wink. “As different as the Beatles from the Rolling Stones, right?”

  “From who?” the kid asked, looking confused.

  Shannon groaned quietly and slunk down into the booth a ways. “Oh my God, how old are we?” Since when had being twenty-nine put her into the lame-out-of-touch-old-people category?

  Colleen was putting on a great act of acting casual, but Shannon could tell she was faking. Her whole body was tense. But she also must have realized the kid wasn’t leaving any time soon, because Colleen just flashed the kid a big smile and said, “Tell me about these Redneck Rockstars. They sound fascinating.”

  More like the name of a really bad reality TV show, but that was just Shannon’s take on things. And apparently her take was old and outdated. “Yes, fascinating,” she parroted absently, though she really just wanted the kid to go away so she could figure out why the heck her sister had flown back into town. Not knowing was beginning to stir her anxiety, making her body tense and her heart rate start to speed. The part of her brain that went irrational and more than a little crazy was starting to worry that she was in big trouble over something. But that couldn’t be, could it? Her father certainly hadn’t said anything.

  But then why else was Colleen back in Fortune?

  The kid slid into the booth next to Shannon, completely ignoring her, and said to Colleen excitedly, his voice cracking in his enthusiasm, “They’re from Fortune, and they’re so good. Rumor is that they formed back in high school but one of them dropped out and stayed behind when they signed with their record label. Which makes completely no sense, right? Because, like, they’re so frigging huge. Who would turn down that level of opportunity?”

  The other teen piped in, a brunette girl with a super-cute pixie haircut. “I heard it was the drummer.”

  The Harry Styles wannabe nodded eagerly. “Right? I know, I heard that too. Like, who would do that? Who would say no to fame and fortune?”

  “I totally don’t know,” said the brunette, her gaze locked on him. The way they were looking at each other had Shannon smiling. Ah, young insta-love. The boy left their booth suddenly without so much as a backward glance, Shannon and her sister already forgotten.

  “I don’t get it either,” the boy continued, “but I heard the guy who stayed behind was Jake Stone, the owner of Two Moons Brewery down the street.”

  The girl’s mouth dropped open. “Nu-uh. Shut up.”

  That got Shannon’s attention. Sean’s buddy used to be in a rock band? How funny.

  Utterly absorbed in each other and their mutual passion for music, the two teens left the bakery, chattering, which left Shannon and Colleen alone again, finally.

  She cut to the chase. “What are you really doing here, Colleen? No crap this time.”

  Colleen must have sensed Shannon was beginning to feel strung out because she sighed and said quietly, “Something’s going down at home, and I needed to talk to you.” Her gaze faltered and she looked away, looking a little pissy. “Okay, so maybe I missed you some too.”

  For Colleen that was on par with a Shakespearian sonnet, as far as confessions of the heart went. “I’ve missed you too, Leenie.”

  “For real though, I found something I’m concerned about when I pretended to clean Dad’s office a few days ago. He’s been locked up in there pretty much since you left. And when I have seen him, he’s been abnormally preoccupied and moody, even for him. So I decided to do some snooping to find out why.” She reached into the purse sitting next to her on the booth and pulled out a small black book and placed it on the table. “Take a look at this. Oh, and if things weren’t already bad enough, Mom’s been a mess, popping every one of her prescription pills. I even overheard her talking to her friend in San Diego about making a special trip down to Tijuana for more meds because she was so stressed out.”

  And that right there was why Shannon didn’t medicate her anxiety. Having a walking pharmacy for a mother had soured her on the idea. It broke her heart to see how badly her mom abused her prescription drugs, and she wasn’t going to run any risk that she could end up like that too. So as much as it sucked her butt big time, she dealt with her anxiety as it came.

  “What do you think could be going on?” she asked as she picked up the notebook and started to flip it open to the first page.

  Colleen adjusted in her seat, crossing her cargo-pant-clad legs and tugging down her snug yellow T-shirt. “You tell me. What does that look like to you?” She inclined her head toward the book, one eyebrow raised in question. Her
expression was troubled.

  Shannon scanned the front page, noting the four columns written in her father’s handwriting. Frowning, and with a bad feeling beginning to creep up her spine, she flipped the page and read some more. Her stomach dropped.

  Each page listed the same four columns: Date, Amount Borrowed, Amount Paid, and Amount Still Owed. And each page, four rows of numbers and in the right-hand margin a single word: O’Banion.

  “Shit.” She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  Colleen nodded. “That’s pretty much what I said.”

  “These are really big numbers,” Shannon said, feeling a little lightheaded all of a sudden. Wow, had it gotten hot in there? She shifted uncomfortably and tried to swallow around the lump in her throat that had magically appeared out of nowhere. It was becoming hard to breathe. Deep, slow breaths, she reminded herself and forced her hands to unclench.

  Her sister pressed her lips together in a grim line. “Yeah, they’re big numbers, all right.”

  As if the pages had suddenly caught fire, Shannon tossed the notebook back down on the table, unable to stand holding it any longer. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked, knowing in her gut full well that it was, but still really wanting to reject the truth.

  Colleen leaned forward and nodded, her hazel eyes wide and dark with emotion. “That’s Dad’s secret ledger, Shan. I found it on his bookshelf shoved between Hemingway and Stegner.” She took a deep breath and blurted, “I think that’s his personal tab. Shannon, I think he’s a gambling addict.”

  Shannon closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the padded booth. “Great.” The truth of her sister’s words rang loud and clear.

  “It would make a lot of sense,” Colleen insisted.

  Shannon opened her eyes. “Yes, it would make sense. It would explain a lot of things. I think you’re right. He’s got a gambling addiction.” The ledger was proof beyond a doubt. “What’s O’Banion?”

  “I’m not sure,” her sister replied, looking conflicted. “We can’t confront him, can we? I mean, what good would it do? It won’t change anything. But honestly, Shannon, I wonder if this might be how we’ve lost all our money. You said it yourself, those numbers are huge.”

  Because that lump was still firmly lodged in her throat, Shannon just nodded. What she didn’t get was why her father had sent her to Sean if he was in debt from gambling. What did Sean have to do with anything? She didn’t know, but she sure didn’t like this new turn of events. Not one little bit.

  Swallowing hard, she finally managed to say, “I need time to think this through.”

  Her sister nodded. “That’s why I needed to show you. You’re more perceptive than me.” Then she added, “But I’m damn good at research. And I can smell something funny about this whole Muldoon thing. I don’t like that Dad has you tangled up in it—especially if it’s somehow connected to this,” she finished, tapping the black ledger with a finger.

  Loving that protective side of Colleen and feeling thankful for the connection, Shannon grabbed her sister’s hand and squeezed it tight. “I love you, Leenie.”

  “I love you too,” Colleen said, returning the affection. She took a deep breath, adding, “And that’s why I’m not going back home yet. I told Mom and Dad that I started my internship in Boston early, so they’re not expecting me back for a few weeks. I’m going to stick around here and do my own snooping.”

  Wanting to protest but really liking the idea of having her sister close by, Shannon gave her hand one last squeeze and let it go. “That’s not necessary,” she said half-heartedly.

  Colleen gave her a level look. “It is. My instincts are up, Shannon, and I’m not okay leaving you out here all alone until I know exactly what the hell is going on. But don’t worry, I’ll do my thing and keep my distance so I don’t stir up any suspicion. If I find anything out, I’ll let you know.”

  Not a hundred percent sure if that was the best plan or not, but really, really glad for the support, Shannon smiled gratefully. “Sounds good. It’s comforting knowing you’ll be close by.”

  With eyes dark and intense with emotion, Colleen said, “I love you more than anyone in this messed-up family. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Then she pasted on a bright smile and gestured around the donut shop. “Besides, I get a nice little vacation out of it here in the great West. I’m not complaining.”

  Shannon could tell she was trying to lighten the mood and was thankful. She could use a few minutes of levity.

  The doorbell over the donut shop door jangled as a customer entered. Or she thought it was a customer. The guy was big and bad and looked hella sexy. Actually, more precisely, he looked like a rock star. She couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open, her problems momentarily overshadowed by the jarring sight of him. The guy had tattoos all over his arms, pierced ears, and leather bracelets on his wrists. And he wore a snug black T-shirt over his tough, muscled body with frayed jeans. As he passed them, heading straight to the back of the bakery, he removed some badass-looking sunglasses and Shannon caught a glimpse of gorgeous baby blues.

  Colleen sputtered, “Holy shit, did you see that guy?”

  How could she not? “Maybe he’s one of those band members back for a visit?” Shannon was only half-joking. He certainly looked the part.

  Craning her neck, Colleen almost fell out of the booth and scrambled back into her seat. “But why would he go in the back like he works here?”

  Although a big part of her wanted to forget reality and sink into a gossip-fest with her sister about the guy, it was getting late, there was a ton to do, and Shannon was really feeling the pressure. “I have no idea. You could follow him and find out.”

  Because her sister made a move like she was going to do exactly that, scooting toward the edge of the booth, Shannon rushed to say, “But don’t! You can’t go back there.”

  Colleen leveled her with a stare. “I’m a grown woman, honey. I can do what I want.”

  True. But it might result in her getting kicked out of a donut shop. “Please don’t. Look, how about this. When everything is back to normal, we’ll come back to Colorado for a vacation. Not here, obviously. But, we’ll go somewhere full of rugged mountain men—just for you.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Colleen agreed, resettling in her seat. “I’m liking what I see of these Colorado guys. We could come back and do a tasting tour.” The way she said it left no room for doubt about what she meant.

  Too bad there was only one man Shannon was currently interested in tasting, and he was off limits. There wasn’t going to be a repeat of last night. There couldn’t be.

  Just then, the very man she was thinking about strolled by the front window of the bakery, looking sinful and so very Irish with his wool cap. Her heart leapt into her throat at the very sight of him and her stomach got all jittery. And when he smiled at an older couple he passed, tipping his cap, she felt the heat of it clear down to her toes. Wow, that man was potent.

  Too bad he wasn’t hers and never would be.

  THAT SAME AFTERNOON back at Pine Creek, Sean had just spotted Shannon near the pastures watching the foals with a foot propped on the bottom fence rail. The expression on her face was soft and content, and it made his chest squeeze. Watching her as he made his way between the barns toward the big meadow, Sean took in the way her hair glimmered copper in the sunlight, and her body leaned forward over the fence to give some grass to a curious foal. Seeing her there with his horses made something shift inside him and go warm and gooey. Shite.

  “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me,” he said when he reached her side. Last night’s kiss came rushing back to him, searing his brain with the hot memory.

  Shannon looked over at him and her smile fell. “I’m sorry, Sean.”

  “It was just a mad case of blue balls ye left me with, not to worry.” Though he was joking, it’d been the truth. And taking care of it had barely satiated his need. Shannon was one seriously desirab
le woman.

  Her face went red as a cherry tomato. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry.”

  Seeing that she looked upset and was beginning to get all fidgety, Sean leaned his elbows on the top fence rail and braced a foot too. “No big thing.” Although it was—it was a very big thing—but he wanted her to relax and feel safe, so he kept it casual. Why he cared so much, he didn’t understand. He only knew that he felt a rising need to protect her.

  Whatever the reason, he was beginning to suspect that it wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. And that was a real problem, because after what had happened at Belmont, he was more convinced than ever that it was best to leave her alone. Despite their kiss last night. Call it a moment of weakness, but he hadn’t been able to resist. Coming home and seeing her standing there like she’d been waiting for him had stirred his desire uncontrollably.

  But he had to control it—for her sake. “So, about last night,” he began as one of Zeke’s new offspring, a bay filly with a giant blaze on her face and a stocking that reached her fetlock, went ripping past, bucking and frolicking. Sean couldn’t help smiling when Shannon grinned at the filly. It lit up her whole face. Then she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and he damn near missed his landing when he switched feet.

  “It won’t happen again. It’s too complicated.” The words were soft and, if he wasn’t mistaken, intermixed with the slightest hint of disappointment.

  That made two of them.

  But it was the way it had to be. “Agreed.” It was the right thing to do. Still, he wasn’t going to pretend it didn’t suck big bollocks.

  Shannon cleared her throat, and he got distracted admiring the way her auburn hair contrasted against the paleness of her skin. Christ, she was pretty.

  “Now that we’ve settled that, tell me about you, Sean. What was it like growing up in Dublin?” She brushed back a strand of loose hair and smiled. “Besides the whole boxing thing.”