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And then she began to laugh, the unhinged kind of laugh that was more to do with releasing adrenaline than actual humor. All eight of us dipped our oars in and booked it back to the launching ramp.
After that adventure, the picnic in the luxury cabana was a relief. We were done with sun and most definitely done with the wildlife of Florida. The resort provided drinks and charcuterie items that we all devoured. Apparently fear works up quite an appetite.
Liz, holding her second mango margarita and swaying to the country music playing from the speaker in the corner of the cabana, turned to Kenna, who was snuggled as close to me as she could get without actually being in my lap and causing eyebrows to rise. It had taken an hour before Kenna’s tremors had faded away from the gator incident.
“Remember when we went to that concert, Kens? The country artist that vanished off the face of the earth? What was his name?”
I stiffened.
“Debogglan! I loved him!” Kenna shifted on her lounge chair to face Liz. “I had several of his albums.”
Harley swiveled his head to stare at me, but I ignored him. There was a buzz in my ears and an uncomfortable feeling sliding under my skin.
Liz laughed. “I remember you listening to him over and over again. I was so bummed you didn’t get to meet him backstage.”
Kenna slapped her thigh. “I know! We waited in that long line and I had to pee so badly.” She turned to her mom and Pops. “I literally ran to the bathroom while Liz held my spot, but by the time I got back, they’d called off the meet and greet. Said he refused to see anyone else. I was crushed.”
I could barely breathe. Memories of that day pounded in my brain. I could feel Harley and Pops staring at the side of my head, but I couldn’t get myself to say anything.
“And the security was so mean!” Liz went on, oblivious to my internal meltdown. “They practically pushed us out and you dropped your gift.”
Kenna groaned. “I literally cried the whole way home. On my charm bracelet was this medallion with a four-leaf clover. It’s supposed to be an Irish good luck charm. I read that Debogglan was Irish, so I had the charm strung up on a men’s cord and wanted to give it to him as a gift. But somewhere in the shuffle, I dropped it and didn’t realize it until it was too late.”
Liz sat on Kenna’s lounger, handing her another bottle of water. “I honestly think that was the day your bad luck started.”
Kenna made a noise in the back of her throat. “Agreed.”
“What do you mean?” Mona asked.
Liz shrugged. “Well, her life was kind of charmed. She graduated college, a newlywed to the fraternity president, and she just landed her gig at Morgan & Dudly. It’s not a stretch to see that she went to give away a good luck charm, lost it, and then her life went downhill from there.”
Char waved her hand in the air. “I don’t know if I believe in that kind of thing. We make our own luck.”
“I don’t know. There are things beyond sight and sound that can affect our life,” Laurie added.
Harley coughed loudly. I snapped out of it long enough to glare at him. My hand was on the black cord around my neck before I knew what I was doing. It had a story behind it, just like the one Kenna had told. I didn’t believe in coincidences. I had a feeling that Kenna’s charm was the same one I’d worn around my neck for so many years it finally broke off. My security had found it in the scuffle of that night and given it to me. I’d kept it, desperately clutching onto any good luck I could find after what happened that night. The charm, a round pendant with an etched four-leaf clover on it, was currently nestled in the back of my drawer at home.
I didn’t hear much of what was said after that. I was lost in my own memories, rehashing everything that had happened to change the trajectory of my life.
Pops clapped me on the shoulder, leaning in close to whisper, “Let it go, son. Get us home and then we can talk.”
I blinked, realizing that everyone was packing up, ready to end our beach day. The sun was still in the sky, but it was lowering quickly. I stood, feeling like I was living outside of my body right now. Once we were on the boat, Kenna came up to my side, a line of worry between her eyebrows.
“You’re quiet.”
I tried for a smile, but it felt wooden. “Just trying to be the responsible party for these animals.”
Kenna grinned, eyeing the way Liz, Laurie, Harley, and Char were still dancing at the front of the boat. Pops and Mona were snuggled in the back, talking and laughing.
“It’s been a good day,” Kenna said quietly, eyeing the horizon as the wind whipped at her hair.
I swallowed hard and nodded, steering us toward home.
There were so many reasons why I didn’t get involved with women, the biggest of which had come to a head today. I liked Kenna, enough to think for a second that there could be more between us. But now I couldn’t tell her who I was, what I’d been, and how our lives had somehow become intertwined years ago.
I couldn’t tell her I’d been the one to steal her good luck.
Chapter Twenty-One
