Page 107 of Bad Luck Club

“Honest answer? No.” He sucked in a breath and glanced outside at the accumulating snow. Where was Blue? Had she gone back to the room? Was she outside in the cold? Where would she stay tonight? “I’m not sure what Dottie told you—”

“She didn’t tell us anything. Just that you were taking a walk and she didn’t think Blue was coming.”

He nodded, a knot forming in his throat again. “I didn’t get the job. Turns out the guy was Blue’s ex-husband.” The tips of his ears heated with embarrassment. “Blue showed up to confront him.” He shook his head. “Dottie dragged me away.”

There was more, so much more, and the look in Georgie’s eyes let him know she knew it, but they silently agreed on something else: this wasn’t the time or place.

“I’m sorry, Lee.”

“Yeah,” he forced out. “Me too.”

She pulled him into a hug, and he held on to her for a little longer than he usually would. He needed Georgie. He needed Addy. He even needed Jack. There was no shame in admitting that.

“I love you,” he said, close to tears again.

She held on tight. “I love you too.” Then she leaned back and studied his face. “I’m here for you, Lee. Whatever you need.”

“I know,” he said, realizing it was true. “I’m counting on it.”

Adalia, who had finally gotten a break from her adoring fans, rushed over and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him almost tightly enough to hurt. “You came!”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.” But shame filled him when he realized he might have if he’d let Jeremy string him along any longer than he had. He cupped her face, seeing so much of their mother in her that it stole his breath.

“Mom would be so proud of you,” he forced out, choking on his tears.

She gasped and hugged him again, giving him another squeeze. Then Georgie hugged them both, and they started laughing through their tears.

Jack eyed them from a few feet away, and Adalia snagged his arm and pulled him closer, sandwiching him in the middle while the three Buchanans wrapped their arms around him, showing him how much they loved him and were grateful he was in their lives.

“Oh, these are going to be special,” Dottie gushed as she held up her digital camera, snapping photos of them.

Then they stood in a line, placing Adalia in the middle as Dottie took more photos of the siblings, smiling from ear to ear, though Lee wondered how he could be smiling when it felt like his heart was being ripped in two.

“Where’s Blue?” Adalia finally asked.

Lee shot a panicked look at Dottie, who told her that Blue had run into her ex-husband and was dealing with him.

“Shouldn’t you be with her?” Adalia asked Lee, getting agitated.

“She wanted to handle him on her own,” Dottie said. “She needed to finally exorcise him from her life. Too much bad energy, that one.” She shook her head. “But she was armed.”

“You gave her pepper spray?” Adalia asked.

“No, an obsidian necklace.”

“That could work in more ways than one,” Georgie said. “Never underestimate the power of a large chunk of crystal.”

River, who’d stood off to the side with Finn, giving the siblings some space to bond, couldn’t help but grin at that. “I’ll say. I nearly got clocked with one.”

“And I did,” Finn added, rubbing his head.

Adalia normally would have laughed—especially since she was the one who’d done the clocking, the first time they met. Instead, she nodded with a serious expression, not looking entirely convinced that a necklace could protect Blue. Then her face turned white as she glanced at the entrance. At first Lee wondered if Jeremy had dared to show up at his sister’s exhibit and ruin that too. But he quickly dismissed it, realizing Adalia likely wouldn’t know him by sight.

So he slowly turned to face whoever had upset his sister, knowing it was likely one of two men—Alan Stansworth, her ex-lover turned thief, or their father. Given his father’s ego and audacity, Lee was going with the latter.

Sure enough, Prescott Buchanan stood in the doorway, wearing a black wool coat over a tailored gray suit and silk tie. He wore a pair of Italian loafers, and he’d even pulled out the gold and diamond cuff links engraved with his initials. But their father had not dressed to impress. He’d dressed to intimidate.

He wasn’t here to see Adalia’s work. He was here to let them know that he would always be the important one of the family. Everything his children did would pale in comparison.

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