Carly Phillips - Lucky Charm

“Concentrate on your daily routine,” she instructed herself aloud. The only way she could function was to ignore her churning stomach and focus on the things she needed to do.

She picked up each item, one at a time-her wallet, makeup case, cell phone and keys-and placed them in her work bag. She also went through the receipts and papers that she’d been accumulating. Tissues went into her tote. Receipts, notes and the like she set aside in two piles, trash and to file later.

“What’s this?” She picked up a small envelope she didn’t recognize with her name typed on the front. The flap hadn’t been sealed.

She didn’t have a good feeling about this. With shaking hands, she pulled out a note. “Leave the money in the bathroom hallway, beneath the fake ficus tree outside the ladies’ room. Photos will be returned shortly thereafter.”

Cryptic and to the point. But she hadn’t seen this letter last night and she broke out in a sweat now. He’d expected her to leave the cash and she’d left the bar instead. No money had changed hands and she had no way to contact the person to explain. No way to contact him to explain.

She was in so much trouble.

What if Tony-she still believed it was Tony who was blackmailing her-was furious? What if he thought she was playing with him and he got angry? He could very well expose her instead of contacting her again. Those photographs could show up in the paper any day.

No. She couldn’t let that happen.

Which meant she needed a plan.

As she stuffed the note in her purse with shaking hands, she realized what her next course of action had to be. And a sudden sense of calm overtook her. She was going to take charge of her life again.

First, she needed to talk to Tony, but she couldn’t go in blind. She had to stake him out and see what kind of life he led now. Only then could she consider approaching him.

She pulled out her keys and headed for her car. First stop, Gabrielle’s. Sharon needed to come up with a story to cover her sudden upcoming disappearance so her best friend wouldn’t worry. She couldn’t tell Gabrielle what she had planned. Her friend would definitely try to talk Sharon out of it. And if Gabrielle couldn’t dissuade Sharon, she’d insist on coming along. But this was something Sharon needed to handle herself.

With any luck, she wouldn’t be arrested with her hands around Tony’s neck as she screamed, “Give me my naked photographs, you jerk!”

GABRIELLE GOT A LATER start to the day than planned because Sharon had stopped by to let her know she’d be out of town for a few days. She said she’d received a call late last night from another librarian. The woman had asked Sharon to fill in for her at a regional conference, since she’d come down with some kind of summer virus. Sharon said she’d be gone three or four days tops, but she’d call to check in.

Gabrielle was disappointed. She’d hoped to spend some more time with her friend, but she would have no problem keeping busy. Sharon’s trip would give Gabrielle a chance to interview people in town about the curse.

Not to mention, she could spend much coveted time with Derek. They’d just begun to tap into the feelings they needed to explore.

Doughnuts in hand, Gabrielle rang Derek’s doorbell. Before she could think beyond the still-delicious tingling between her legs and the aches in body parts long unused, the door swung open wide.

“Gabrielle!” Holly greeted her with a welcoming smile. Dressed in a nightshirt, her hair mussed from sleep, Holly managed to hang on to her normal enthusiasm despite the early hour.

“Whatcha got there?” the young girl asked, eyeing the bag Gabrielle held in her right hand.

“Chocolate frosted, powdered sugar and jelly doughnuts. Any of those interest you?” Gabrielle waved the treats in front of Holly.

Her eyes grew wide. “I love all kinds of doughnuts. So does my dad. Come on in.” She waved Gabrielle through the door and into the renovated barn.

This was the first time Gabrielle had seen the inside of the place where Derek currently lived. The barn, which had been behind his house since before Gabrielle had first moved to town, had been renovated, insulated and now served as a guest house. Thomas and Hank Corwin hadn’t lost their builder’s touch, Gabrielle thought, glancing around the interior, which retained a country charm.

“Dad! Company!” Holly yelled.

Heavy footsteps bounded down the loft stairs. “How many times do I have to tell you not to open the front door unless-” He stopped short when he hit the bottom step and caught sight of Gabrielle.

Unlike his daughter, he appeared freshly showered and dressed. Hours earlier, she’d seen him undressed and aroused, just for her, and she couldn’t wipe the memory from her mind. Not even focusing on his khaki chinos and short-sleeved shirt helped dull the surge of warmth suddenly rushing through her.

“Gabrielle’s here!” Holly said unnecessarily.

“I see that.” His voice sounded gruff, as if his thoughts were as vivid as hers.

“I brought breakfast,” Gabrielle said with a smile.

“Which means you don’t have to try to make pancakes again today.” Holly turned to Gabrielle. “He burns them,” she explained.

Derek groaned. “I have no secrets in this house,” he said, laughing. “For the record, I’m not much better with eggs. It’s usually cold cereal for us.”

Gabrielle glanced at the bag in her hand, realizing at that moment how little she knew about raising children. Her carb-loaded, sugar-laden choice in breakfast didn’t have the same nutritional value as eggs.

So much for making a good impression on Derek, she thought. “Well…” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t exactly bring breakfast. These are doughnuts. So maybe your father will let you have them after you eat something healthy.”

“Aww-”

Holly geared up for a teenage outburst, something Derek had no intention of dealing with at the moment. Not when Gabrielle looked so crestfallen about bringing doughnuts for breakfast.

“Or maybe I could let you enjoy them now?”

His suggestion garnered him a huge hug from his daughter. As Holly took the bag, Derek winked at Gabrielle, silently telling her to relax.

She grinned and exhaled in relief.

“Let’s eat!” Holly ran for the kitchen.

“I think she wants first dibs on her choice of doughnuts,” Gabrielle said.

“She can have it. I want first dibs on you,” he said in a low voice.

He’d gotten home late last night, long after Holly had fallen asleep. This morning she’d been tired and hadn’t asked any questions. A good thing, since he couldn’t have answered them without a goofy grin on his face. Despite how wrong it was for him to keep seeing Gabrielle, knowing he was sinking deeper and falling fast, he couldn’t deny they were magic together. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

She stepped closer. “I’m glad to hear you don’t have any regrets.”

“How could I? You just need to remember where I stand.”

She tilted her head to one side. “How could I?” she mimicked his comment wryly, but kept a smile on her face. “Did I ever tell you what my favorite television show is?”

He narrowed his gaze. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s Survivor,” she said, ignoring his question. “Want to know why? The motto. Outwit, outplay, outlast. Something I happen to think I’m pretty good at.” She met his gaze with flashing determination.

He’d been warned. She wasn’t going to let the curse stand between them this time.

“Are you two coming? I already finished one doughnut!” Holly called from the other room.

“Did you even chew it?” he called back.

Gabrielle laughed. “Come on. If there’s not a chocolate doughnut left, there’ll be hell to pay.”

He led the way into the kitchen, thoughts of Gabrielle and chocolate dancing in his brain. He still smelled the scent when he breathed in, even before she’d shown up this morning.

“I wish I could stay and eat but I have an early appointment in town. I’d planned on grabbing coffee while I was there.”

“Where is your office, anyway?” Gabrielle asked.

“I rent a room at Englebert and Rowe, the law firm in town. They have all the office supplies I need, and since they had empty space, it was a win-win situation.”

Gabrielle nodded. “I understand. I should have called before showing up, anyway.”

“Can you stay and have doughnuts with me?” Holly asked Gabrielle, powdered sugar on her nose.

“I sure can. If your dad doesn’t mind?” She paused and glanced at Derek for permission.

He should mind. His daughter shouldn’t be bonding with Gabrielle any more than he should sleep with her again. “Of course I don’t mind if you stay.”

“Yes!” Holly pumped her fist in the air. “I want you to meet Fred.”

Gabrielle crinkled her nose in confusion. “Who’s Fred?”

“My father’s basset hound,” Derek said.

“He’s old and he smells like shi-”

Derek shot his daughter a warning glare.

“Shiitake mushrooms. He smells like shiitake mushrooms,” Holly said, giggling as if she had gotten away with the curse.

Derek groaned. Marlene was going to give him hell when she returned and discovered his daughter’s new vocabulary, courtesy of Hank.

“I’d love to meet Fred,” Gabrielle said.

Derek knew she meant it. He remembered that Gabrielle had always wanted her own dog, but her parents had never wanted the responsibility.

He’d intended to get her one for Christmas, their senior year. But then he’d talked to her parents. They’d been adamant about him waiting. He’d promised her a puppy one day…but then he’d come to his senses. His mother’s letter had reminded him about the ramifications of the curse and why he and Gabrielle couldn’t be together.

“Did you ever get a pet?” he asked her, knowing he was treading on sensitive ground.

She shook her head.

“Why not?” Holly asked. “Don’t you like dogs? You’ll like Fred. He’s a lazy bas-”

“Hey!” Derek admonished.

“Basset hound! He’s a lazy basset hound. Jeez, Dad, relax!”

Gabrielle laughed.

Derek’s face flushed hot. Time for him to go to work, he thought, before he made a bigger ass of himself.

“I never got a dog because it wouldn’t have felt right.” As Gabrielle spoke, she never broke eye contact with him, giving him a view into her soul.

After he’d left her, Derek had been selfishly focused on his own torment. He’d convinced himself that she’d move on and be better off without him. As her career had soared, he further patted himself on the back, reassuring himself he’d been right. But suddenly, in her eyes, he saw the pain he’d inflicted and accepted that the dreams he’d crushed hadn’t just been his own.

He swallowed hard, facing his actions for the first time. Then and now he wanted everything she had to offer. But he could give her nothing in return.

He needed air. Work was the perfect excuse. “You’ll like Fred. Just watch out for your shoes.”

“He likes to chew them, sometimes he even pees,” Holly said. “Grandpa says it’s a wonder he doesn’t poop there, too.”

“I’ll keep my shoes on.” Gabrielle curled her toes into her sandals.

“I’ve got to get going. Uncle Thomas is next door,” he told his daughter. “I was going to drop you off there, but Gabrielle can do it when she’s ready to leave. I’ll let him know you’ll be over a little later than planned, okay?”

She nodded.

“Your father isn’t around?” Gabrielle asked.

Derek caught the hopeful note in her voice.

“No, he’s out. It’s his week to do the grocery shopping,” Holly said.

In other words, she had no need to worry about the old man and his shotgun, Derek thought, but he didn’t say the words aloud.

He left his two best girls alone and headed out to work.

BY THE TIME GABRIELLE finished breakfast with Holly, she’d discovered just how precocious Derek’s daughter could be. As they walked across the land that separated the barn and the main house, Holly continued the inquisition she’d begun over the doughnuts.

“So have you ever been married?” Holly asked.

Gabrielle liked this question better than Were you in love with my father back in high school? It was young love, Gabrielle had said. And she much preferred this question to Are you in love with him now? He’s a really good guy even if he does snore. That one had stumped her and she’d deflected the question by focusing on the snoring instead of the love.

Did she love Derek?

Without a doubt.

Was that the same as them having a future? Not just yet. But she wasn’t going to let him walk away without fighting this time.