Lucky Streak (Lucky 2)

“Not in time to compete next year, I don’t think,” Jason said, his voice hollow.

“Then in four more.”

“No.” Jason shook his head definitively.

Mike caught the look in his eyes, a look Mike had seen many times growing up. When Jason made a decision, he stuck to it. He’d had to have that stubborn personality in order to be successful in his sport.

“Why the hell not? This is your dream. It’s everything you’ve worked for.” Thomas sounded as devastated as Jason had to feel.

Amber eased herself around the two men to sneak out of the room. Mike caught her hand and joined her.

“Why did you follow me? Don’t you want to be in there?” she asked, gesturing to the bedroom.

He shook his head. “They need some privacy.” And he appreciated that she’d picked up on that fact, too.

She nodded. “Are you okay?”

He leaned one shoulder against the wall and met her gaze. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, to start with, it’s crazy around here. And now, you’ve learned your cousin’s lifelong dream has gone up in smoke. I imagine you’re hurting for him,” she said softly.

“It’ll be fine. Jason will figure something out.”

She tipped her head to one side. “He seems like a strong man. I’m sure he’ll pull through this. It will just take some time.”

“I wonder what he’ll do once this blows over.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll be there to help him decide. That’s what family is for.” Amber nodded in certainty. “Speaking of family, I really need to call the nursing home and check on my father.”

At the mention of Amber’s life, Mike’s brain, which had been solely focused on himself and his family, kicked back into working mode. “And I have a voice mail that came in while I was out back, dealing with my father’s outburst. It was a P.I. in Texas. With all the commotion, I forgot to tell you I’d hired him.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his voice mail.

Amber stood beside him, waiting, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Maybe you’ll have something on King Bobby and we can settle this misunderstanding once and for all.”

Mike frowned at her. “You stole from him. I wouldn’t call it a misunderstanding,” he said, his voice suddenly harsh, thanks to the reminder of who she was and what she’d done.

For a while, he’d allowed himself to forget. He had to admit she handled his nutty father and the family chaos like a trooper. He could probably attribute it to the people skills she’d acquired in her former job, but he sensed there was more to it than that.

When Mike was in high school, he’d never brought girlfriends—or friends, for that matter—to his father’s home, for obvious reasons. And as an adult, it hadn’t been an issue. He’d never been serious enough about any female to subject them or himself to this. He hadn’t trusted that any woman, after meeting with his father, would want to stay with him afterward, Mike realized for the first time.

As he stood in the hallway and looked at the woman he’d married, a stranger at first, one he was coming to know better, he realized that she was the one woman he could entrust with his family…and his heart.

Pushing aside the unsettling thought, he dialed 1 and his voice mail began to play the lone message. “Hey, there, pardner, it’s your P.I. pal in Texas. Got that info on King Bobby, but I seem to keep missin’ you. I’ll give you a hint in one word. Mistress. Call me back for details.”

Mike glanced at Amber, his mind still on his earlier thoughts. Yeah, she was the one woman he could trust…if only she were different.

Reality was a bitch, Mike thought.

“What did he say?” Amber asked eagerly, unaware of his inner turmoil.

Mike shook his head. No good would come of re-hashing her past here and now. Or ever, since nothing could change it.

“The P.I.’s got something I can use to convince King Bobby to leave you alone.”

Her beautiful blue eyes lit up with excitement. “What is it?”

“He said something about the man having a mistress, but I don’t know anything definite right now. I’ll let you know once I do.”

She nodded her understanding. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing this. For Marshall to go so far underground that I can’t get any information from the people we both know, he has to be running scared. And that makes me scared.” Her voice cracked and she rubbed her hands up and down over her forearms.