Lucky Baby (Crescent Cove 11)

He scratched the dog’s ears. “I’ll make sure the whole thing is tip top, don’t worry.”

“I know you will.”

In no time, I’d already begun to believe that maybe this project wasn’t as insane as I thought. I wasn’t sure what to do with that slice of hope. It was such an abstract thing in my life.

My phone vibrated in my hoodie pocket. I contemplated ignoring it. Relaxing wasn’t something I did easily, but here I was. The ringtone was on the lowest setting, but the familiar tones of Ezra’s ringtone made me struggle out of the deep incline of the chair.

“Need something?”

I shook my head and hauled myself out of the chair. I pulled out my phone as I strode up the lawn. “Everything okay?”

“You answer the phone like there’s a five-alarm fire every time, Ging.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t call me.”

He expelled a breath. “Yeah. I hate when I call that I have shit news each time.”

My heart sank. “What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing doesn’t require a call.”

“Nothing happened with Cohen. Not that he’ll talk to anyone anyway.”

I winced. I hadn’t even tried to reach out. I was the shittiest sister on the planet. “Then what’s up?”

“They’re holding a memorial for Jimmy. I think we should be there.”

“I...” What was I supposed to say?

How was I supposed to grieve a man who had betrayed me so completely?

Nine

I didn’t watch her walk away but only because I was getting tired of being predictable. Not that I didn’t enjoy the view.

Better to brood into a beer and ponder my moves.

I didn’t make a habit of thinking too much. Action was my preferred MO, and honestly, I’d never had to second-guess how to behave with women. I didn’t like not feeling sure of myself in this arena.

Then again, it had never mattered this much before.

Sure, I struck out sometimes. Who didn’t? But this didn’t feel like a normal time up at bat. This felt crucial. Urgent.

Life or death to my dick, if not to the rest of me.

At least that was a good story to tell myself.

When Caleb wandered away from the circle of women to drop down in the chair beside me that Tish had vacated, I considered it a sign. I wasn’t of the woo woo variety, but my boy now consorted with witches and that had put some different ideas in my head.

I wasn’t against believing the universe was working for our highest good. A lot of kismet-ish stuff had happened in my life that had brought me to this place. There had to be some sort of grand plan, right?

I grabbed the guitar again because it was easier to speak while I strummed. “So, fate. You think it’s a thing?”

Caleb had been in the process of pulling the tab off his soda and managed to break it off in his surprise. He swore ripely under his breath, holding up a hand when his wife-to-be shot him a look full of reproach.

“You’re not allowed to swear anymore? Did you take an oath?”