Page 7 of Ms. Fortune
“How can I be alone when I live in a place that’s full of different people coming and going all the time? This is the life I’ve always wanted. This is what I dreamed of. This is enough.”
Banner picked up her sleeping daughter as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I wish I were happy with what I have and not greedy for more.”
I wiped the counters down and peeked into the dining room to see if the guests had left so I could clean up the breakfast bar. I had a whole list of things I needed to take care of and couldn’t spend the entire day comforting Banner, even if I wanted to.
“It’s not greedy to want your husband to put you first and remain loyal.” That was the bare minimum. “Do you want me to take you to your parents’ house for a little while? Or the offer to stay with Rosie in one of the cabins until you’re ready to face everything stands. I can make a run to your place and get what you both need for a few days if you aren’t ready to deal with anyone.”
Banner was silent until Rosie started fussing. She sighed and visibly pulled herself together. “I can’t avoid Grant or my problems forever. I have to face him eventually. I’m going to head to my parents for a bit. Thank you so much for taking meand Rosie in and taking such great care of us. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but I’m so happy you came home, Lucky. I missed you.”
I asked her if she was sure she was okay to make the drive down the pass. After she insisted they would be fine, I helped her pack Rosie up and sent them on their way. I was worried about my friend but knew there wasn’t much I could do since she was dealing with a broken heart. It was times like this I was thankful mine felt like it was encased in ice and steel. I didn’t have the time or energy to deal with fragile feelings.
Just as I was wrapping up getting the dining area and kitchen back to sparkling condition, Risky walked through the door. He rarely came to the main guest areas of the lodge unless I asked him to. I got the sense that he was happy to avoid unnecessary contact with people—and me.
I lifted a questioning eyebrow, and he pointed to his phone.
I smacked my forehead dramatically. I’d forgotten to send him his daily tasks.
“Sorry. I lost track of things after my friend showed up.”
He grinned like it was no big deal in response as I scrolled through my phone, looking for the never-ending to-do list I kept there.
“Do you know how to drive a skid loader? We need to get the driveway ready for when the weather changes. It needs to be graded, as well as all the parking in front of the lodge.”
It was a pretty big job, but mindless and easy to do if he could handle the equipment. Bigif.
In his usual blasé manner, Risky shrugged and said, “I’ll figure it out.”
He always acted like there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. He tried everything without asking for help. It would be admirable if it wasn’t so frustrating. Which was hilarious, considering I’d watched him mess up plunging a toilet and fail at changing theoil in my truck. He also had no clue how to change a tire or switch out a furnace filter. He’d never seen a fuse box before and nearly burned the place down when he tried to light the pilot on the water heater after it went out during a previous storm.
Maybe my mood was off because of Banner and her questions about how content or not I was with my current situation. For the first time since he had mysteriously entered my life, I found myself curious about the man who didn’t have any basic life skills, but could intimidate anyone with a mere look.
“What line of work gave you the confidence to do anything asked of you? I’ve never met anyone so blindly sure of themselves before.”
He gave me a flat look and lifted a hand to scratch at his rough stubble. Again, I thought the slight beard was something he wasn’t used to. Like he’d just recently let himself grow it, making him appear slightly unkempt and scruffy.
“Are you finally asking me for my qualifications after all this time? Seems a little late to worry about interviewing me for the job, Ms. Fortune.”
I scowled at the sarcastic way he’d used my name. Misfortune followed me everywhere, regardless of the circumstances. I was stuck with it until the end of time.
“I’m still surprised that someone who doesn’t know which end of the hammer to use wants to be a maintenance man. My guess is, whatever you did before coming here didn’t involve getting your hands dirty.”
Something dark flashed across his expression, and his eyes narrowed. “You would be mistaken.” He stretched his hand out and wiggled his fingers. “Give me the keys.”
Unsettled by the sudden change in his demeanor and the unspoken threat that seemed to swirl around him, I nervously stepped back and gestured to the desk where the check-in areawas set up. “It’s a big, heavy machine. Don’t get in over your head. It can cause a lot of damage. If you want, I can show you how to operate it before you start.”
“No need. I think I’ll be fine.”
I snorted in amusement and looked at the enormous glass windows that needed to be cleaned after the rain. Vaguely, I wondered if the trail that led down to the riverbed was dry enough to use. When it was safe, I wanted to climb down and look at the spot where I swore I had seen something last night.
Risky spun the keys around his finger and headed to the door. He paused before pulling it open and gave me a long look full of thoughts and feelings I struggled to decipher.
“Believe it or not, my old job was alsofixingthings. But not in the sense you’re familiar with. Be glad you think everything only needs a little elbow grease and a toolbox to make it seem brand-new. That mindset is a luxury.”
I was left baffled and unnerved as I watched him saunter out the door, whistling off-key. I’d always known there was more to him than met the eye, but I pushed those niggling concerns to the back of my mind because they didn’t feel as pressing as my need for help to get the lodge up and running.
Now, my instincts were screaming at me to pay attention because danger was too close for comfort.
“Fuck me!”
