Page 122 of Lucky Shot
“Practical,” I say.
“Boring,” Hannah adds. “But he is a very practical guy, so it tracks.”
“What did Jack say?” I ask Everly.
She grins as she picks up her phone and it widens as she reads, “That would never happen because I know where you are at all times.”
Everly rolls her eyes and replies to him, “Pretend someone snatched me up while you were traveling with the team.”
When he responds this time, she sets the phone down and covers her mouth with a laugh. Hannah and I lean in to see the screen. He sent a gif of Liam Neeson saying, “I will find you.”
“That’s perfect,” I say.
“Your turn,” Ev says, still grinning. She texts back to Jack without reading what she writes.
I’m nervous to see what Nick said. In a few days I will go missing, at least from his life.
My stomach flutters nervously as I click on the message. “I’m looking at you right now, Red, so if you’re missing then I’m hallucinating the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“Aww,” Everly and Hannah croon together.
“Who knew Nick had it in him,” Everly says to me, then shouts louder across the bar, “Well done, Galaxy!”
I finally peek over at him. His stare is playful and intense all at once and my body lights up in response.
Well done, indeed.
28
NICK
I should have known letting Ruby hang out with Everly was going to end in trouble. The two of them are at the bar and Everly is ordering another round of shots. Everly holds up one of the glasses, says something I can’t make out that has Ruby laughing, and then they clink their glasses together.
Jack slaps me on the chest. “I’d apologize for my wife, but we both know she does whatever the hell she wants no matter what I say or do.”
The night is winding down. There isn’t much of a crowd on a Monday night. Everly’s client, Hannah, took off not too long ago and I don’t think Ruby is going to last much longer.
“What are you going to do about that?” Jack asks me.
“What?”
“What?” he mocks back to me. “Your girl. Ruby. You said she’s leaving in a week.”
There’s no question but I know what he’s asking.
“I don’t know. I guess that’ll be it.”
“Come on, really?That’syour plan?”
I know it’s weak. It isn’t like I haven’t thought about it, but what am I supposed to do? “I don’t have a plan. She lives in Arizona, and I live here.”
“Have you talked to her about it?”
I shake my head in response.
“Maybe she’d be open to moving here.”
“I can’t ask her to do that. She has family and friends, a life there. And we’ve been…” I struggle for the right word to describe whatever it is we’re doing. “It’s only been a few weeks.”
