Lucky’s Naughty Angel: A Second Chance Romance Read online

  “And not a virgin any more, I’ll bet,” he laughs, and my heart sinks.

  Chapter Nine

  Julia

  "What do we do?" I can't quite keep the panic out of my voice. I've just made it that much easier for Daniel to uproot Aaron from here. All Daniel has to do is tell my father, and even if Dad doesn't drive Aaron out of town, he’ll probably make Aaron so uncomfortable that he'll flee on his own.

  I’m finding out the hard way that nothing kills a good afterglow like being caught by the wrong person. But I’ll be damned if I let some drunk, corrupt bastard mess up my future with Aaron.

  "Well, either I find my brother and kick his ass before he can talk to your dad, and maybe I’ll go to jail for it. Or I let him spill the beans to your dad, and I probably get run out of town." He sounds so frustrated that I feel like a complete idiot. I got him into this.

  We’re cuddled together for a few stolen moments on his couch before I have to hurry home and grab a nap before Dad gets up. "Let me help. I can reason with my father."

  He shakes his head. "How the hell are you planning to do that?"

  "I’ll find a way, okay? Besides, it's better that he hears about our relationship from me than from some horrible asshole who is just saying stuff to drive us apart." My voice shakes as I plead with him.

  He frowns and folds his arms. "I certainly think we had better warn your father and some others about Daniel being in town. Not the deputy, though. Earl will just think I invited Daniel here, and that things went south."

  "Darnit. Earl." I sigh. I'm getting sick of prejudiced people, even if they generally mean well. “One day, I’ll get every last one of them to stop judging people they barely know.”

  “Honey, you’re not gonna be able to work miracles,” he says sadly, but I shake my head.

  “I believe people around here can be better, or I wouldn’t want to take over my dad’s job.” I look him firmly in the eye. “Meanwhile, I’ll go home and warn Dad about Daniel. If we’re lucky, maybe people will be madder at him for stirring things up during the holidays than they will be at you for having a shitty brother.”

  I kiss him goodbye, aware of his taste in my mouth, his scent all over me. The little sore spots where he’s marked me and the melting warmth deep in my belly are souvenirs from our lovemaking. I feel like I’m carrying him with me, and it gives me strength on the dark, cold walk home.

  Strange things are happening in this town, and I have no idea how to take some of it. I don’t mind pranks, windfalls of food, even the odd blizzard. But a drunken older brother who is scheming to take away my man? I can’t wait to see the back of that bastard Daniel.

  I’m worried I won’t notice him if he’s following me on the walk back, and I take a circuitous route just to make sure there’s no one behind me. I’m walking back down the hill toward our church when I hear a scuffle up ahead.

  I carefully move up to the corner and peek around it—and see Daniel getting his butt kicked. Not by Aaron, though. The woman in question is a tall, statuesque redhead, way underdressed for the cold, and currently beating Daniel over the head with her Fendi bag while screaming at him at the top of her lungs. Lights are already going on in the houses nearby.

  “What the fuck, bitch! Just give me your purse and stop making problems!”

  “Take it, then!” She thwacks him with it so hard that it sounds like she’s got a brick stowed in her little purse. Then she yanks out an honest-to-God canister of bear mace and blasts him with it.

  I just stand there staring. Oh my God. Who is this crazy city woman and where did You find her just in time for this guy to get a much-needed stiletto heel up his butt?

  Daniel goes down yelling and holding his face. The redhead starts stalking off. I’m still hesitating about stepping in when Earl, out cruising the town for lost drunks, bleeps his cruiser siren and pulls up to the biker.

  I draw back behind the corner, blinking slowly. Then I call up Aaron. “Hey, sweetie? Before you go back to sleep, uh...I think we won’t have to worry about your brother for a few days...”

  I leave him laughing as I walk the rest of the way home.

  The reprieve is more than welcome. It means Christmas without interruption. It means that if we’re very lucky, Earl and the guys at the state police will check warrants in New York and New Orleans, and that will be the last we see of Daniel.

  It really looks like Aaron’s luck has changed. And I know that mine sure has.

  Dad is still passed out in his room when I get home. I’m slack from exhaustion and sexual satisfaction, and I have to wrestle with a faint sense of guilt as I walk past his door. But as I change into my flannels, most of what I feel is contentment.

  We’ll find a way to work this out. God willing, we’ll even find a way to get Dad on board.

  I don’t shower. I go to bed with the scent of Aaron on my body, and fall asleep smiling.

  The next two days are a busy, happy blur. Holiday festivities mix with storm preparation, and by the time our small Christmas dinner comes around, both my father and I are ready for a reprieve.

  Unfortunately, the break we get is thanks to a big Christmas snowstorm.

  “Are all the storm windows in place?” my father frets a little. “Is the snow removal gear inside? It won’t do us any good if it’s out in the shed.”

  “It’s fine, Dad, I handled it all.” Compared to my dad, I’m so calm that I could be floating on a cloud right now. I snuck out to Aaron’s trailer early this morning again, and we made love until we both couldn’t move.

  I would be doing that again tonight, but the damn storm’s coming in—two to three feet of snow expected in twenty-four hours. At least it gives me an excuse to sleep in tomorrow.

  I come to stand with my dad and look out the window at the big flakes starting to swirl past outside. The sky is leaden, the wind keeps rising to a whine in the eaves, and my father tenses up each time the windows rattle.

  “So, this brother of Aaron’s made bail?” He’s trying to make conversation, but I can tell from the topic that he’s looking for reassurance.

  “Yes, he did, down in Kingston. I know it wasn’t Aaron who paid it.” I wish he was here. I would just feel safer with my man around now that his brother is loose, even if he’s an hour’s drive away in a growing blizzard.

  “Are you sure?” he eyes me worriedly.

  “Pretty sure. No one’s madder about that creep being out than Aaron. He doesn’t want Daniel anywhere near here.”

  “Well, he’ll probably get his wish, at least for the night. Only a crazy person would be out driving in this.” My father rubs his face. “What did they say the chances are of a blackout?”

  “We have three generators now, and Aaron’s bringing by two more in a little while. I just got off the phone with him. If people end up blacked out at length, we can have heat, light, phone-charging stations, and food for them for three days.” I touch my father’s arm.

  He’s starting to answer when someone knocks hard on the front door. “That must be him now!” I cry out excitedly and run down the stairs.

  It’s a stupid mistake. The kind that makes you wish you could rewind the world by thirty seconds and make a different choice. I’m inexperienced, in love, and have underestimated the determination of a crazy person with a vendetta. None of those things are really an excuse.

  I throw the door open before checking through the peephole, and before I can do anything, Daniel is shoving his way inside.

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Ten

  Aaron

  I’m doing the most exhilarating mental calculations in the world as I stick both generators in my sidecar. If all she wants is an inexpensive ring, I can go down to the city and buy a nice one as soon as we’re through with this storm. I can do that on this next paycheck without dipping into savings much.

  Moose looks at me and whines. “Sorry, big guy, no room for you and the cargo.”

  Once he’s seen to and shut up in my t
railer with the heat running, I take the bike down to the church. I’m determined to make sure that whatever happens with this storm, Julia and her dad will have power, heat, and light to spare no matter how many people shelter there.

  As I drive, I’m going over my speech. “Reverend, I have to come clean with you. Your daughter and I are crazy about each other, and I want to marry her.”

  Simple, straightforward. It’s probably best. Especially since, if I ask for his blessing now, it won’t matter anymore what Daniel says.

  I’m starting to feel almost optimistic about my talk with the Reverend when I see a car parked almost sideways in the church driveway. It’s a brown sedan, battered, one tire flat, and the side window cracked. I stare at it, knowing a stolen and drunkenly parked car when I see one.

  Daniel, you son of a bitch!

  I park my bike and break into a run through the snow, thinking fast. I know the grounds; I know the building; I know that the storm doors on the house’s basement coal chute need to be replaced and will be unlocked.

  I run around the side of the church toward the house, headed straight for that rust-colored, slanted door. I pull it open as quietly as I can, and scramble down the steps beyond. The basement is black, but I always have a light on my belt.

  I don’t have any weapons, I think as I sneak up the basement steps and listen at the door. I can hear faint voices. Probably coming from the living room, by the sound of them. I quickly push the door open and sneak into the kitchen.

  For a moment, I am tempted. The knife block on the counter is within arm’s reach. I could grab the biggest knife or the cleaver. I could end this in a very final way…

  I could kill my brother in front of the love of my life and her pastor father, who is already nervous around me. Absolutely not. I’ll find another way.

  As I make my way down the hall, I hear the conversation going on and my heart sinks.

  “This isn’t a family meeting,” Julia insists. “This is a hostage situation. You’re not wanted here. The only reason we have to sit here is because if we don’t, you’re gonna beat the hell out of both of us. You said it yourself.”

  “That’s right,” Daniel laughs. “I did. See, Reverend, my poor, stupid brother is gonna leave with me tonight, and we’re going down to New Orleans where the fucking Snow Queen isn’t on a cocaine binge and working overtime. If he doesn’t, I’ll make his life a living Hell. Starting with rearranging his little slut girlfriend’s face.”

  “How dare you talk about my daughter this way!” The Reverend sounds ready to fall over in fear, but he’s still standing up for Julia. I admit I’m a little proud of him.

  Outside, the wind is starting to really howl. It worries me, but nowhere near as much as the idea of my brother and Julia in the same room together.

  I do a quick check around the door frame and see Daniel sitting with his back to me, idly holding Julia by the hair. His coat is off, in a pile on the floor. He doesn’t have a gun.

  He does have his hands on my sweetheart, though.

  “You tell your daddy what you’ve been doing, you little whore. Don’t make a liar out of me, or I’m gonna start knocking your teeth out.”

  “Let go of me, you creep! Dad already knows I’m in love with Aaron—”

  Daniel lets out a laugh as her sharp cry of shock—or maybe pain—cuts off her words. “But does he know you’re sneaking around behind his back fucking Aaron?”

  Oh fuck, I think, wincing.

  Everyone’s voice erupts at once; exclamations, arguing, total chaos. I see my chance, and bolt into the room.

  Julia turns and sees me coming. Her face lights up, and she immediately elbows Daniel in the side and pulls away from him when his grip loosens. I crash into him from behind a second later.

  Daniel yells in shock as I lift him entirely off his feet, “What the fuck!?”

  “Sorry I’m late,” I tell the Reverend and Julia as my brother kicks and wiggles in my grip. “I was having trouble fitting both the generators in my sidecar.”

  “How the Hell did you get inside the house?” Daniel is still struggling like a kid, but he’s getting nowhere.

  “I’ve worked on the place for years,” I reply coolly. I look over at the Reverend. “I’m also sorry for any trouble this jackass has caused. He’s on his way out the door.”

  The Reverend gets over his shock quickly and heaves a sigh of relief. “Yes, please get him out of my house.”

  “Wait, wait, wait! Come on, now! Do you really want to take this guy’s side? He’s a felon! We’re in the same club!” Daniel probably weighs a ton as he twists around, struggling, but I’m so angry I can’t feel it. Instead, I’m fighting the urge to break his damn back.

  “We were in the same club,” I growl. “I gave up my freedom to save yours, and now I’m done with you and that life.”

  “Oh shut the fuck up, you stupid bastard. You chose to be a damn martyr. You chose to take the fall in my place. Yeah, I told you to do it, and I promised to take care of you while you were inside and to leave you alone once you were free. But you were the one who was dumb enough to believe me!”

  His taunts hit home, hard. My muscles start to tighten around his ribs. I can literally break him over my knee if I want.

  Julia and her father are watching me. I stop tightening my grip.

  “So it’s true,” the Reverend muses. “He accepted incarceration so that you would remain free, when he did nothing to that man.”

  “I told you—” Julia sighs and goes quiet, shaking her head.

  “Look,” Daniel waves his hands, still looking ridiculous dangling from my grip. “We’re both criminals. We belong together, well away from decent people like you and your...lovely daughter. If you’re gonna throw me out, throw him out as well!”

  My heart sinks. I sigh, and look at the Reverend. “I’ll leave if you want.”

  He scowls at me, surprising me. “Don’t you dare. We have a lot to talk about. As for him...I’m calling Earl to come pick him up.” He walks over to the coffee table and picks up his phone. His hands are shaky, but he seems all right.

  I nod and cart Daniel over to the door. “You can wait outside,” I tell him, doing my job even though it’s my night off.

  “But wait, my jacket,” he protests as Julia gets up to unlock the door and open it for me. “Come on, man, I’ll freeze.”

  “Earl will be up in five to ten minutes. This town is tiny,” I reply patiently as I step out onto the porch.

  “It’s ten degrees out—” he yells in a final protest.

  “Exactly.” I pitch him off the porch and into a snowbank. He lands safely but sinks deep enough that he’s stuck flailing like a turtle on its back.

  I go back inside and shut the door on him. Good riddance to that relic of my past—now, to face my future.

  I square my shoulders and walk back in to face the Reverend. Everything I rehearsed has fled my mind, but I still manage to look him in the eyes. “I’ll explain everything,” I start, but he shakes his head.

  “I don’t want to hear it,” he replies in a low, tired voice. “I know I misjudged you in many ways. But whether Daniel’s accusation about you and my daughter is true or not, we’re not talking about that. I already have a headache.”

  Julia sits quietly in a chair nearby, looking both nervous and determined.

  “What should we talk about then, Reverend?”

  “We’re going to talk about the fact that you are not laying another hand on my daughter unless you lead with a ring. That is one thing I will never compromise on, and if Julia weren’t so wildly in love, she’d likely agree.”

  Julia speaks up. “Actually, I do agree.”

  The Reverend blinks at her. “Oh.” Then he looks between the two of us. “And you? Are you ready to commit to her, and wear a symbol of that commitment?”

  Damn. This is all happening fast. Except it isn’t. We’ve been in love for years. We’ve only just started finally admitting it and doing somethin
g about it.

  “I guess I’m just surprised that you changed your mind so fast,” I admit.

  “I haven’t changed my mind. Not entirely. But when I discovered that Julia was in love with you, I prayed for a sign. Tonight, I got it.” He takes a deep breath.

  “You had every reason to run in here and do some violence to your brother that would silence him and vindicate you. He just taunted you more. And while he confirmed that you truly are a better man than he will ever be, he also admitted just how little he valued the biggest sacrifice of your life.” The Reverend goes over to the china cabinet and fishes out three snifters and a bottle of brandy.