Lucky Streak (Lucky 2)

She pushed aside the expected pang of sadness and put on her brightest smile. Pulling up a chair, she seated herself beside him. “Hi, Dad.”

She took his hand. As she’d gotten into the habit of doing, she didn’t wait for a reply.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been here in a while. My life got a little crazy.” She laughed at her bland description.

Also keeping with her promise to always keep things positive with her father, she omitted any mention of her problems with Marshall or King Bobby.

“I met a man,” she said instead. “A good man. You’d like him.” Visions of Mike entered her head.

Mike, looking sexy in his navy T-shirt as he’d rescued her from Marshall in Vegas. Mike, his face in shock when he’d found her sprawled on his bed in Boston. Mike, holding her after they’d made love. No matter how hard he fought it, he’d always come back to her.

Until now.

“Anyway, things between us didn’t work out,” she said to her father. “Guess what, though? I’m going to put out feelers to see if I can get a concierge job at one of the big hotels in Vegas. That’s what you always wanted, right? Me working close by?” she asked, a lump in her throat.

She breathed in deep. She’d only been East for a short time, but she realized she liked looking around and seeing green trees instead of desert. And she’d have even come to terms with the humidity and frizzy hair if it meant being with Mike.

In the end, the choice hadn’t been hers.

“I have to go now, Dad. But I promise I’ll be back soon. Hopefully, I’ll even have news about a new job.” She forced exuberance into her tone that she wasn’t really feeling.

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek and as she rose, she tried to tell herself she’d accepted the fact that he could no longer hug her back.

She lied.

She couldn’t accept losing her father any more than she could accept losing Mike. Not in her heart. Where she felt more alone than she’d ever felt before.

AMBER SLEPT WELL and woke up the next morning with a plan. As she glanced around her father’s old apartment, she realized she had to let the place go if she wanted to move forward. On a notepad she began a to-do list, starting with the intention to give notice on his apartment lease and find a new place of her own to live.

Amber glanced around her father’s home and realized she’d also have to begin sorting through his belongings if she really intended to move out—and on. Parting with his things wouldn’t be easy. She dreaded the task and knew she’d put it off until the very last moment.

Instead, she focused on herself. Next up, she needed a job. She called her old boss and let him know she was ready to return to work if there was a job opening in Las Vegas. He promised to look into things and get back to her as soon as possible. Amber then created a wish list of the top five hotel chains she’d like to work for, in case the Crown Chandler fell through. But her boss in Beverly Hills had really loved her and she knew he’d do everything in his power to find her a position within the chain.

Knowing the business, Amber could put a solid guesstimate on what her salary would be—which forced her to face her father’s situation. The reality was, she could not afford the high-end home she’d placed him in. She was ashamed of what she’d done with Marshall to cover those costs to begin with.

Any job she obtained now would allow her to put him in a nice home, but one where she’d have to compromise something in exchange for affordability. Like most people in the world, she had no choice. She wished she’d accepted the truth from the beginning, but she’d been in such a panic, and his illness had progressed so unexpectedly fast, she’d turned to Marshall and the life her father had taught her.

She couldn’t regret her choices, because without those, she wouldn’t have met Mike.

And how could she regret him?

Amber showered and dressed for the day. There wasn’t a thing to eat in the apartment, so grocery shopping was definitely in order. Amber didn’t mind the ordinary routine, but it made her realize just how alone she really was. More than once she caught herself talking out loud, expecting Edward Corwin’s muttered answer.

She hoped Mike had taken her advice about his father’s mental health to heart. Maybe she’d call Clara and find out how things were going. Amber reached for her cell phone, then paused.

She’d needed to make a clean break. By keeping in touch, she was only prolonging her agony. Instead of people from Mike’s life, she ought to be contacting people from her own.

She reached for her cell again, flipped it open and saw an incoming text message she hadn’t noticed before. A glance at the number caused her heart to race.

Mike.

Her hands trembled as she struggled to press the buttons to bring up the note. Finally, she was able to read Mike’s message: Circus Circus, Adventuredome, Canyon Blaster. Noon. If you’re willing to take the ride of your life with me.

He was here? In Vegas? Now?

She glanced at her watch and saw she had just one half hour to get to his assigned destination. All the while, she struggled to breathe as she contemplated what this meant. Because Amber knew the coasters in Vegas like the back of her hand. The Canyon Blaster was the world’s only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew coaster.

She told herself not to hope.