Page 97 of Bad Luck Club

“Look,” she said, lowering her voice. “I know it’s not what you envisioned for your life, and you and I both know that any salary you draw from Buchanan Brewery will never compete with what you could make in the city, but we have something the city doesn’t.” She lifted her brow. “Me, Addy, and Jack. We’re all just starting to get close again, and you and I both know if you move back, we’ll hardly ever see you.”

There was that strange feeling in his chest again. “We can talk,” he said. “Victoria’s not around, so we can FaceTime any time we want.”

“I’m not even going to touch on how sadthatstatement is,” she teased. “But that brings up another issue. Are you willing to walk away from someone who’s as perfect for you as Blue? I know I’ve only just started getting to know her, but Addy and Maisie love her, and I’ve never seen you the way you are when you’re with her.”

“What do you see?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“You seem at peace, Lee. Like she’s the medicine you need to recover from Dad.”

Peace. He could see the truth in her statement, but taking this job didn’t have to mean he would lose Blue.

The intercom crackled overhead. “Flight 365 to New York will now depart at 11:35. Boarding will commence in ten minutes.”

A bright smile lit up Georgie’s face. “Well, there you go. Problem solved. Sure, you’ll have to scramble to make your appointment, but it’s doable. How about you change into your suit in the bathroom now so you can run for it as soon as we land? And don’t worry about your garment bag and your checked bag. We’ll grab them so you don’t have to cart them to your interview.”

“Yeah, great idea. Thanks.” He started to head over to Blue and the others to get his carry-on garment bag, then turned back to his sister. “You know this isn’t personal, Georgie, right?”

“Of course not,” she said even as tears filled her eyes. “I won’t pretend to be happy that you want to go, but I wantyouto be happy, Lee. Wherever that takes you.”

He kissed her cheek, then grabbed the bag and raced to the bathroom, getting back just as the last group was boarding. To his surprise, Blue was standing next to a pillar, waiting.

His heart nearly burst at the sight of her. Their seats were far apart—he was at the front of the plane, and she was in the back with her original travel partners, Jack and Maisie—so he’d worried he wouldn’t see her.

Her gaze took him in as he approached. “You look so…”

“Employable?” he teased.

She laughed. “You’re already employed…I was going for handsome. Sexy.”

His blood warmed.

“But yeah,” she continued. “They’d be crazy not to hire you.” Sadness filled her eyes for a moment, but she smiled through it. “I don’t know if I’ll have a moment with you after we land, so I wanted to catch you now.” She paused. “You’re going to do great, Lee. And if they can’t appreciate how amazing you are, then they don’t deserve you.”

“Thank you, Blue.” He took a breath. “Maybe I’ll change my flight tomorrow anyway and stay until Saturday. We can celebrate my new job.”

“Confidence,” she said, running a hand down his lapel. “That’s good going into an interview.”

“We could look at apartments,” he suggested. “They hinted that they’d want me there pretty quickly.”

Her hand froze. “Oh.”

Her reaction worried him, but he wasn’t sure why she was surprised. Finding an apartment was the logical next step after getting a job in a new location. “Blue?”

“Sorry,” she said with a smile that looked forced. “It’s hitting me that you could really be leaving.”

“Whatever happens, I’m not leavingyou,” he said. “I know you’re not sure if you’re ready to leave Asheville, but we can do long distance for a while.” He took her hand. “If you come with me…I need you to know that I’m not just going to become the person I used to be. I’m not going to backtrack. We’ll be together, and it’ll all be exciting and new.”

“Yeah.” Only she didn’t seem so convinced.

The intercom blasted over their heads. “Last call for Flight 365 to New York.”

“We better go if you’re going to get to your interview.” She tugged him toward the gate. “Georgie said to remind you that we’ll get your bags. I’ll take them to our room.”

He pulled her back, suddenly feeling unsettled. “Hey, are we good?”

“Of course,” she said, giving him a quick kiss. “Now let’s go.”

It didn’t feel like they were good, but they boarded the flight, still holding hands since he didn’t want to let her go, even if it was an awkward angle.

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