“How you doing, kiddo?
“Okay. Where are we?”
Just then the porch lights came on. I turned to stare at the place in shock. Tall evergreen trees were everywhere. They surrounded the house. It seemed like there was no else around for miles.
The cabin was perfect. It was like Lucky had plucked the place out of my fantasies. Pinterest inspired fantasies I’d had for so long about how to keep my baby safe.
It was a quaint cottage style, with rustic beams holding up the porch. It was exactly the kind of place I’d pictured when I dreamed of getting Jacey someplace clean with good, fresh air.
Lucky came out on the porch and smiled at me. Then he jogged down and grabbed a few bags from the back. He paused outside the passenger side window and peered in at us.
“You ladies doing alright?”
Jacey giggled at being called a lady. Giggled! After the day we had been through!
“I can carry you if you want.” He flexed for us, holding the bags. “I can carry you both at the same time.”
I had to laugh too.
“We’re fine. Come on, kid. Let’s grab some of these bags.”
Jacey and I grabbed a few things each and followed Lucky up the steps to the porch. He looked back at us as he opened the door.
“Welcome. This place belongs to my brother, Dev and his wife Kaylie.”
“Brother?”
He nodded.
“He’s the club Prez. They are all my brothers.”
“Oh.” I nodded. That must be nice. His club was a replacement family, I realized. I envied that. I missed having a family of my own.
Lucky made me feel that way somehow… I felt warm and safe with him, which was surprising. But for how long?
Not long after you tell him about the deal you made with God.
“Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
He set a few bags down and looked around. He ran back out to the car. He was so fast Jacey and I barely had time to look at each other. She was more excited about this change than scared about the mysterious cause of it, I was relieved to see.
Lucky bounded back in the front door like a large, sexy, Labrador retriever. He had bags full of the groceries he’d bought just a few days before. I guess we were all fortunate that he’d overdone it.
“Need to get this stuff in the fridge. You ladies pick rooms and get settled. There’s one down here and three upstairs.”
I took Jacey’s hand and one of her bags and walked up the stairs. We glanced into each of the rooms. Jacey sighed in pleasure at the smallest of them. It had a sloped ceiling and a small window seat with a wooden bench. She looked at me and I nodded.
The place was clean, thank Goodness. All I had to do was make the bed. I’d also have to air it out for a bit.
She ran to the window and opened it.
Clean, fresh air flowed into the room. She gasped and pointed.
“Mom, look! There’s a lake.”
I scooted in beside her to stare outside. I inhaled deeply. It really was perfect.
“Oh my God.” We looked at each other and then started laughing in joy. “It’s heaven!”
Being near a large body of water was on my list for our dream house. Just like the ocean, lakes released negative ions which made the air cleaner. It was exactly what my girl needed to thrive.
I didn’t know how Lucky did it, but he had.
“Scoot, I need to get the room set up.”
“Okay if I look around the house?”
“Yes, but don’t stir up any dust.”
“The place seems really clean.”
“Lucky said they use the place a lot. But still, maybe better to check out the deck out back. Don’t go any farther!”
I took Jacey downstairs and found a door in the kitchen leading to the deck. I tried not to drool at Lucky’s cute butt as he bent over and unloaded stuff from the bags.
“Is it okay if she goes outside? I think the air out there will be better until I run the air purifier for a bit.”
He grinned.
“Yes, ma’am. Just stay off the dock. It’s a little late for a swim.”
Jacey giggled and nodded happily. I watched her step outside nervously.
“It’s safe out there? Not falling apart?”
He shook his head.
“We have way too many carpenters in the club for anything to fall apart around here.” He smiled at me proudly. “I’m not too bad myself with a hammer and nail, though Jack is the master.”
“He’s amazing.”
“Thank you for trusting him. I know he’s intimidating at first.”
I shrugged.
“It was so weird. I took one look in his eyes and I knew he meant me no harm.”
“That’s Jack. He’s the champion of women and children everywhere.”
I nodded, realizing there was a story there. Maybe if Lucky wanted me around long enough, I would hear it.