Page 26 of Bad Luck Club

It was the kind of thing she’d do regardless, so it wasn’t necessarily a sign of anything, only she’d stopped halfway through, and it looked eerie, not bright and cheerful like the rest of the apartment.

Another throb of worry compelled her to take a look around. Nothing else seemed amiss except for the brown tape over the camera on her mom’s laptop. Crackers the cat was MIA, but he often took walkabouts, so that wasn’t a cause for worry. What was concerning was that there was no note, nor anything to indicate her mom had expected visitors. Only Blue had texted before leaving Asheville, and her mom had responded with five different emojis indicating escalating degrees of excitement.

She called her mother’s cell, but it rang on the desk next to the laptop. Her best friend, Jemma, had said she’d be out of town until Monday, so there was no point in calling her. Trying not to panic, she sat in the purple armchair she’d helped her mom pick out, and she waited.

Hours later, the door finally creaked open. Blue was on her feet, already feeling pressure behind her eyes. Because clearly something was wrong. What innocuous explanation could there be at this point?

But her mom didn’t stumble in with a guy she’d picked up at a bar or shopping bags from an upscale shop she couldn’t afford or do anything else that suggested mania—she rushed in with a worried look on her face.

“You’re still here, Blue?” she asked, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so, so sorry. My friend bought me some lilies, and I didn’t realize they were poisonous to cats. Crackers brushed up against them, and he got so sick. I had to take him to the emergency vet, and he’s still there. I wanted to call you, but I left my phone, and I couldn’t remember your new number.”

All of the words were said in a rush, but they made sense. Her reasoning made sense, and the rush of relief was almost intoxicating. It felt good to be in her mother’s arms, to think that maybe, just maybe, she’d gotten it wrong this time. That everything was going to be okay.

Except she shouldn’t feel good, should she? Crackers was sick.

Could the owl in her tea have been for Crackers?

The thought was so ludicrous she almost laughed, but it wasn’t actually funny, so instead she pulled back slightly, looking into her mom’s big blue eyes, the same shade as hers. “He’s still at the vet?”

“They’re going to keep him overnight. I’m so sorry, honey. I know you must have been worried. Jemma called me from Savannah this morning. Gave me a big song and dance about my medicine, but I haven’t stopped taking it this time. I really haven’t.”

Blue just inclined her head. “The camera thing was a bit…strange.”

Her mother shrugged. “I saw a documentary about it, and I happen to believe it. I’m hardly the only person who recognizes the dangers of technology. There’s practically a whole genre of TV shows about it.” She stepped away, heading into the kitchen. “You don’t need to take everything I do as evidence that I’m cracking up, you know. I lived like that for ten years with your father.”

Blue had lived with her dad’s intense scrutiny for much longer. It was on the edge of her tongue to say so, but she caught a glimpse of the clock in the kitchen. 6:30. If she left now, she might get home in time for Lee. She had the sudden image of him standing in front of her locked house like a lost little boy, and it broke her heart so much, she felt her feet itching to run out of the apartment.

“Mom, I have to go.”

“Oh, don’t get mad,” her mom said, waving a hand as she opened a cupboard. “Stay for dinner at least.”

“I can’t, Mom,” she snapped. For hours, she’d paced the apartment, worrying, wonderingwhat if, and it was hard not to feel the bite of resentment, even if part of her knew it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t her mother’s fault that she was the type of person who inspired worry—not really, anyway—but she certainly didn’t make it easier for everyone around her. “I came here for lunch…which I helped myself to. I’ve been waiting for hours. I’m sorry Crackers is sick, and I get why you didn’t call or leave a note, but I have a life too. I’m supposed to meet someone tonight.”

“A male someone?” Her mother’s brows winged up. She didn’t know about Dan. Something had kept Blue from telling her.

Because you know what she’ll say if you tell her you’ve met someone, but that you only meet up once or twice a week, and you never talk much about your families or your lives or your anything. She’ll come up with some sort of nickname like Dusty Dan.

“It’s not like that,” Blue said. “This guy’s just a friend, but I don’t want to let him down.”

“No,” her mom said, her face softening. “No, you wouldn’t.” She came forward and hugged her again. “I’m sorry, honey. But I’m fine, and they think Crackers is going to be okay too.”

“I’m sorry too,” Blue said into her hair, the same brown it had been when she was a child, with only a few silver threads woven through. “I love you.”

“Love you to the moon, Blue. Now go home and see your friend. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

But who would she talk to tomorrow: her mom, mellow and loving, or the woman who’d informed her at 4:30 in the morning that her computer was watching her?

* * *

The traffic had Blue gritting her teeth, staring at the clock display and willing time to go by more slowly, but it was only 8:07 when she pulled onto her street. Lee probably hadn’t even arrived yet. Most people around Asheville liked to roll in fashionably late, or just plain old late.

Except Lee wasn’t exactly the Asheville type or, as Dottie liked to say, he didn’tknowhe was, and his car was already parked next to her house. In fact, as she went to turn into her drive, he started pulling out of it.

Before she could beep her horn, he’d backed into her, the shock of it jolting her as much as the impact. Neither of them had been going very fast.

Lee pulled forward, giving her space, and immediately parked the car and came flying out, his face white and drawn, his hair tousled the way she liked it.

Maybe she was crazy after all, or maybe Adalia and Maisie had just rubbed off on her, because she started laughing as she got out of the car.

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