Page 55 of Just My Luck

“That’s because I had it all wrong.” He flipped her over, so he was now braced over her. Wow, he was strong, even stronger than he looked. Those supplements must be doing something.

Breathless, she smiled up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Living longer doesn’t mean much if you’re not who and where you want to be.”

Her heart just about flipped over. “Which is where, for you?”

He didn’t answer, just moved against her, drilling her with his hot gaze. Did he mean…did he really mean…?

She couldn’t even finish the thought before someone interrupted.

“Oh good, you’re here, honeybee.”

With a yelp, she tumbled off the bed and onto the floor, from where she stared up at her father with a surreal sense of shock.

“You, whoever you are,“ he said to Lincoln, “press pause, please. I need to talk to my kid.”

26

Never in the history of ever had an erection disappeared so fast. Lincoln was just glad his pants were still on and he wasn’t bare-ass naked in front of this man.

He scrambled off the bed and turned to face a man with warm honey eyes and a face creased with smile lines. Charm and charisma ran in this family, no doubt.

“Dad?” From her position sprawled on the floor, Zara jumped to her feet. “What the hell are you doing here? Oh God. Don’t tell me you pulled off some crazy escape and a SWAT team is about to burst in after you.”

“I like the sound of that, but no. I don’t know how or why, but I got pardoned by the governor. I didn’t even know he could do that. Happened fast, too. One minute I was playing cards with my buddy Antonio, winning too, of course. The next they were shoving me out the door. I don’t even have a parole officer. Sweet deal, huh? Lucky Lou got extra lucky.”

When he smiled at Zara, Lincoln caught another flash of their resemblance.

One big difference, at the moment, was that Zara’s face had flushed red with embarrassment, while her father showed no hint of anything like that.

Zara turned to Lincoln. “Meet my dad, Lou Morrissey, also known as Lucky Lou.”

Lou Morrissey shook Lincoln’s hand in a warm, hearty manner. “Nice to meet ya. Now do you mind if I talk to my daughter alone?”

“Don’t go anywhere, Lincoln. Please,” said Zara. Her eyes clung to his, pleading. He wasn’t sure why his presence was needed for this reunion, but he couldn’t say no to those puppy-dog eyes. He stayed where he was.

“If you’re going to pull some kind of twisted guilt trip on me, I want a witness,” Zara told her father.

“No guilt trips.” He flung up his hands to show his innocence. “I’m just looking for something I left here before I began my sojourn in the state’s finest correctional facility.”

“Wait…you did all this?” Zara gestured at the mess that filled every inch of floor space.

“It’s my house, and I was looking for something. The place was already pretty messy, honeybee.”

Zara gaped at him. “I hope you’re planning to clean it up.”

He glanced vaguely around him. “Won’t take but a jiff. Project for the kids. They’ll love it. We always make a game out of cleaning.”

“Made. You made a game, because there’s no way you’re just going to waltz back in here and go back to being ‘fun dad.’”

He pulled a wounded face. “I’m not trying to disrupt your lives, I swear. I know this is a shock. I thought you might be a little glad I’m out, though.”

And there it was. The guilt trip. Boy, did it work on Zara.

She stepped toward her father and gave him a little hug. “Of course I am, Daddy. I’m very glad you’re out of prison. I’m sure Mia and Eddie will be too, it was just a shock and⁠—”

“No, no. You’re right. It’s too sudden. How about this. I’ll just find the thing I was looking for and I’ll be out of your hair, at least for now. I’ll come see the kids after you get a chance to prepare them. Don’t you worry, honeybee. I swear I’m not here to make trouble.”