Page 7 of Bad Luck Club

He looked taken aback. “No. It’s bad luck. You must have heard of that one. Everyone knows that one.”

Except apparently there were a lot of superstitions she hadn’t heard of. Bear seemed to know, and believe in, all of them.

“No, but I think he’s probably fine. I bet he just forgot to charge his phone.”

Bear hemmed under his breath as if unconvinced and brought the two plates over to the coffee table next to the fireplace. A pot of tea was already waiting, two cups beside it.

She poured it for them, and he took his cup. For a moment, she let the serenity of the scene wash over her.

“So who’s this hot dish you want to break Rule #3 for?” Bear asked. There was plenty of humor in his voice, but he gave her a look that suggested he had her pegged.

He didn’t.

“If I were so interested in him, wouldn’t Iwantto be his sponsor?” she asked, raising her brows. “It would force me to spend time with him.”

He made a dismissive gesture. “I can’t pretend to understand you young people, hot and cold, on and off. You made ‘Netflix and chill’ a verb, for God’s sake. Besides, you know as well as I do that it’s against the rules for a sponsor to date their sponsee.”

“You made that rule, Bear. You and Cal. I might add that you started Bad Luck Club six months ago, so they’re hardly set in stone.”

He just tilted his head. “Ah. Rule #4’s the one you want to break.”

She sighed, but an image of Lee from the day of the infamous Christmas Eve party flashed through her head. He’d been wearing a rumpled suit, his hair a mess, his soul decidedly out of balance—but a part of him had seemed free. Like he’d been let out of a cage he’d existed in for his whole life, never realizing the bars were there until they were gone. Maybe she’d been slightly attracted to that part of him, but only because freedom was her mission.

“No,” she said. “It really isn’t. I’m with Dan.”

He harrumphed. “And where is Dusty Dan this fine evening? I hear you young people like to start the weekend on Thursday now. Shouldn’t your man be showing you a good time?”

Bear didn’t much like Dan, despite never having met him. She’d told him a few stories, showed him some pictures, and suddenly he was calling him Dusty Dan. Cal had taken her aside once to apologize, but strangely she wasn’t offended. All the things that bothered Bear about Dan were pure pluses in her book.

He didn’t want to see her every night.

He didn’t insist on meeting all of her friends.

He hadn’t showered her with unwanted gifts.

Because a man like that, a man who gave you space, was rarer and more desirable than one who offered passion or security. She’d learned that the hard way.

She gave Bear a look to remind him of that, and he heaved a gusty sigh.

“Just because you had one…two”—he corrected himself—“bad experiences, doesn’t mean you should get out of the game.”

“I haven’t,” she said with a smile. “I just changed the rules.”

“Look at you!” He grinned back. “Two months ago, you were such a people pleaser, you’d never even jaywalked, and now you’re blowing off rules left and right. I’ve created a monster.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I think. Back to Lee. Do you really think I’m ready to help someone?”

“Kid, you were born ready. Look at how much you’ve already helped me. Without you, we never would have found Ruby, and she’s our kind of crazy.”

“Doesn’t look too crazy right now,” she commented, glancing at Ruby attacking her bone. “How’d you get her to calm down?”

“Bully sticks,” he said with a laugh. “They make ’em out of a bull’s balls. She won’t hardly move from that cushion until she’s through with it.”

“Ew!” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I kind of wish I hadn’t asked.”

“Start asking better questions and you might like the answers more.”

She smiled at that. “Not always true. Some of those answers are the hardest of all. But I’ll give it a try anyway. Should I bring Lee to Bad Luck Club on Sunday?”

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