Carly Phillips - Lucky Charm

“Who is this, anyway?” the other woman finally asked.

Gabrielle swallowed hard. “Um…”

The front door opened and Derek stepped inside.

“Here’s Derek now,” Gabrielle said gratefully. “Hold on, please.”

She covered the mouthpiece and waved the phone toward Derek. “It’s Holly’s mother,” Gabrielle mouthed to him.

He winced and settled onto the couch beside her, taking the phone from her hand. “Hi, Marlene.” He glanced at his watch. “Is everything okay?”

He listened, then said, “Why? Because it’s late for you to be calling.”

Gabrielle rose and started to leave the room to give him privacy, but he cleared his throat loudly. She turned and he waved her back.

With a shrug, she took a seat at the other end of the couch from him, curling one leg beneath her.

A series of “mmm-hmms” followed as Derek listened to whatever his ex-wife had to say.

“I understand, but I have her party planned here.”

Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. Obviously the conversation involved Holly.

“That’s generous of you, but wasn’t the idea for me to spend more quality time with her?” he asked.

“Mmm-hmm. Yes, I’d miss her, too, but-”

His gaze met Gabrielle’s, and in his eyes she saw a wealth of pain. “I’ll talk to her and get back to you tomorrow.” He hung up without saying goodbye.

She was dying to ask, but she didn’t want to pry. Luckily, she didn’t have to.

“Marlene had planned a four-week trip to Europe. She’d been gone about two and decided to come back early. She misses Holly and wants to take her home to New York when she gets back this weekend,” he explained, his tone hard edged, his disappointment obvious.

Gabrielle shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not sure I should agree to this. I rarely get time with Holly as it is.”

Gabrielle understood, but she also thought he should consider all sides before he reacted in a way that could hurt him even more. “But didn’t you say Marlene’s just starting to be reasonable about visitation? Do you want a fight that will get her angry and make her be even more difficult again?”

“You’re right. She did promise to bring her back up for her birthday party as planned. She also said Holly could come up as often as we could arrange for the rest of the summer,” Derek said, the admission obviously difficult for him. “But it still bugs me that just because she misses her, I have to give her up.”

Gabrielle eased closer to him and placed her hand over his. “I’m on your side,” she assured him. “I just wanted to play devil’s advocate.”

He smiled grimly. “I appreciate it.”

“Um…Derek? Does Marlene know that Holly’s living with your father?” And did Marlene know about Gabrielle, period-past and present-she wondered.

He shook his head. “Not from me. I didn’t think she’d appreciate the fact that no sooner had Holly moved in than I moved her out.”

Gabrielle groaned, her guilt returning. “I am so sorry. I really shouldn’t be here. It’s wrong. I can get a hotel in Boston and have all the security I need.”

“You could, but you won’t,” he insisted. “I want you here where I can see for myself that you’re safe. Besides, after the way Holly reacted when I left you home for dinner, can you imagine how she’d carry on if you moved out?”

Gabrielle shook her head and laughed. “I really do love that kid.” The words slipped easily from her lips.

She didn’t want to take them back any more than she wanted to spook Derek. She glanced at him. If he’d heard her, he didn’t react. No doubt he was more wrapped up in the fact that he was losing Holly sooner than planned. She ought to be relieved he wasn’t paying attention to her.

Instead she felt a bone-deep emptiness. One she feared would grow larger over time.

LONG AFTER DEREK AND Gabrielle had climbed into his bed, long after they’d made love and fallen asleep in each other’s arms, Derek lay awake, replaying the night in his head.

I love that kid. Derek had heard and processed every word that came out of Gabrielle’s beautiful lips. He’d merely pretended he’d been preoccupied.

He didn’t know what he was going to do with her, nor did he know what to do with feelings that were growing by the day. Right now, though, he had to keep her safe. And for that reason, letting Holly go home with her mother seemed like the most logical-if painful-solution. But he had no intention of allowing Marlene to think she could continue calling the shots where his daughter was concerned. There would be no more allowing Marlene to schedule silly things on his visitation weekends. No longer letting her find convenient excuses not to put Holly on the phone when he called.

In fact, first thing tomorrow, he was getting Holly her own cell phone with a limited calling plan so he could get in touch with her whenever he wanted.

He’d just found his daughter again.

He wasn’t about to lose her.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS PASSED in a haze of normalcy. Derek woke up beside Gabrielle, they’d shower, eat breakfast with Holly, then she’d head off to the library to work while he took Holly to the beach. In between, he’d have business appointments while his father took over hanging out with Holly and Fred. Holly had agreed to go home with her mother as long as she could come back as often as she wanted.

Derek knew how much she missed her mother. Because he didn’t want her to feel torn between her parents, he’d made the decision an easy one for her. “Fred and I need some alone time to plan your birthday party,” he’d said.

She’d laughed.

In reality, Derek was glad Marlene was home in time for Holly’s birthday. All Derek could offer her was cake, presents, Grandpa Hank and Fred, the dirty old basset hound. Her mother could give her the one thing she needed more. A party with friends her own age.

This morning, the sky was overcast, which nixed a trip to the beach, so he decided to go to the office for a few hours before meeting Hank and Holly for lunch at the Diner. He finished up early and decided to stop by the library to see if Gabrielle wanted to join them.

Along the way, he noticed all the new election signs posted along the town line and sporadically in well-traveled places in Perkins.

Bold signs with a bolder message, urging voters to listen to their conscience, to ignore curses and vote for change. In both towns there were fliers announcing a town meeting where people could meet Richard Stern and discover what he stood for. As promised, Richard had stepped up his campaign, putting pressure on his opponent.

The Perkins family’s power in town was now, unofficially, in jeopardy. Derek couldn’t imagine that Mayor Perkins appreciated the fact.

Derek parked and entered the air-conditioned library. Because it was a nice summer day, the place was empty. He found Sharon alone in her back office.

He knocked on the door to announce his presence and she jumped up, obviously on edge.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Derek placed a hand on the doorknob.

Sharon nodded. “It’s not you, it’s everything else going on,” she said.

He inclined his head in understanding.

“So what brings you by?” she asked.

He narrowed his gaze. “Gabrielle, what else? I didn’t see her. I even checked the microfilm area. Is she around or did she step out to get lunch?”

Bracing her hands on the desk, Sharon rose to her feet. “Gabrielle isn’t here.”

“Isn’t she working on her book here?” he asked.

“I haven’t seen her.” She bit her lower lip.

“Not today, but yesterday? Or the day before?” he asked, a bad feeling gnawing at his gut.

She shook her head. “But I’m sure she has a good reason for telling you she was here…” Sharon trailed off.

“I’m sure she just didn’t want me to worry.” Or get angry with her, he thought. “She probably wanted you out of the loop, too. You have enough on your mind without worrying about whatever she’s up to.”

Sharon exhaled a deep breath. Wasn’t that just like Gabrielle? “Well, the least she could do was let me know she’d need a cover,” Sharon muttered.

She glanced at Derek, but he’d already turned and headed out the door. Sharon grabbed the phone to warn Gabrielle-wherever she was-but the ring went straight to voice mail.

Sharon had no doubt Derek would find her. She called one more time and this time she left a message. But it looked as if Gabrielle was on her own.

GABRIELLE SAT AT HER adopted table at the Wave where she’d been working for the past three days. When she’d stopped by to talk to Curious George, Gabrielle had learned that the Wave was more than a nightclub. It was a place where people congregated at lunch hour, too. So Gabrielle had made it her mission to set up shop at a table in the corner, where she worked on her book, while at the same time, interviewed George, his staff and many of his customers.

At first people were wary about talking to her. But it was obvious George trusted her, so by the third day, the barriers had come down and people were sharing stories. She learned more about the Corwin Curse and its effect on the people of both towns; she heard tales of older women who’d been afraid to date the males of Hank Corwin’s generation; and she began to renew friendships with people she used to know.

More important than incoming information was the fact that people in town left talking about Gabrielle and her book. People hoped they’d get their names mentioned in print. And because of their piqued interest, they were discussing Gabrielle publicly. She hoped word would make its way to Mary Perkins that Gabrielle Donovan’s newest book would reveal-and dispel-all the towns’ secrets.

Gabrielle wanted Mary to be nervous. On edge.

She wanted the mayor to feel cornered and act on impulse. She wanted to catch the mayor in wrongdoing and put an end to her reign of terror once and for all.

Her plan was going well, too. Until Derek stormed in, all his frustration aimed her way.

He walked in and braced both hands on her table, looming over her and her laptop. “Please tell me there’s a reason you’re here, making a public spectacle of yourself, that won’t have me wanting to throttle you,” he said.

“I like the food?” She gestured to the plate of sliders George had made especially for her.

He shook his head. “Try again.”

“I enjoy the company?” She pointed to George, who waved at Derek from behind the bar.

“Gabrielle,” he said, drawing out her name through clenched teeth.

“You know exactly what I’m doing here. If I’d told you what I was planning, you’d have tried to talk me out of it.”

“You’re damn right I would have-”

She stood up to face him. “And I’d have come here, anyway. Then you’d be upset, and we wouldn’t have had such fantastic, amazing sex the past few nights,” she said, her voice dropping to a husky purr.

Her body reacted to her own words; the memory of his lips on her-all of her-flooded her mind.

She cleared her throat.

His gaze darkened with sexual desire. But his scowl remained. “You lied to me to protect our sex life?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“I did not lie. I told you I was going to work. I just didn’t say where.”

He curled his hands tighter around the table. His knuckles turned white. “You said you were going to the library.”

She shook her head. “As I recall, you said, ‘You’ll be at the library with Sharon?’ And I didn’t answer.”

“You led me to believe it, dammit.”

Gabrielle nodded slowly. “Well, yes. But…wait. You went to the library to find me? Is Sharon still in one piece?”

He rolled his eyes. “She’s in better shape than you’re going to be in when I’m finished with you,” he muttered. “Let’s go. We’re meeting my father and Holly for lunch.”

Gabrielle knew when to retreat. With a curt nod, she closed her laptop and gathered her things.

His cell phone rang and he grabbed it. “Hello?” he barked into the phone.

He listened.

His frown deepened, the lines in his forehead growing more pronounced. Clearly this wasn’t his day.

“What’s wrong?” she asked when he’d hung up.

“What isn’t?” he asked. “That was Hank. Seems Marlene decided to come today instead of tomorrow. She’s waiting for me at the house.” He turned and started for the exit.

With a shiver caused more by the idea of meeting Derek’s ex than by his current mood, Gabrielle followed him out the door.

DEREK PAUSED OUTSIDE his front door, not quite ready to face his ex or to give up his daughter.

Gabrielle placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, her touch conveying more than mere words.