Just His Luck

by B. J Daniels

  “I want to meet your daughter,” she whispered as she squeezed his hand. “I want to meet Maisie once you’re well.”

  * * *

  SHADE OPENED HIS eyes and blinked. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was or what had happened. He lay perfectly still, listening to his own heartbeat, his own breath, as he remembered.

  Lizzy. He tried to still his pulse. She was all right. He’d seen her as the ambulance door closed. Their eyes had met. That memory warmed him. He thought about his daughter. His daughter. He still couldn’t believe it. He recalled everything he had to live for.

  He could feel the pain medication making him dull-witted and drowsy. A doctor came in, followed by a nurse. He closed his eyes and let himself drift as they worked around him. Then there was blessed quiet again.

  Lizzy. He let himself dream about their future. Once he was healed, once he did what he had to do, once he and Maisie were a family. He thought of Hannah. He’d been so angry with her for deceiving him and for keeping his daughter from him for two years.

  But almost dying seemed to soften every emotion, especially anger. He had too much to live for to be angry with her anymore. She was about to lose not just her life, but the daughter she clearly adored. His heart went out to her. In the end, she’d come to him and told him the truth. She’d given him the chance to be Maisie’s father.

  For that, he would always be grateful.

  With luck, things would work out with Lizzy. If they ever got to go on a date.

  * * *

  “I FIGURED I’D find you here,” the former sheriff said when he walked into Lizzy’s office Sunday morning.

  She smiled at Sid, then her eyes filled with tears and she rose from her desk.

  He limped to her and hugged her tightly. “I was so afraid that I’d lost you. Lizzy, you’ve always been like a daughter to me.”

  She nodded against his shoulder, a lump sealing her throat. They stayed like that for a few moments before stepping apart. “I’m not sure I can do this,” she said, finally voicing the words that had been in her head since coming off that mountainside. Now standing in her office with the former sheriff and her mentor and the man she’d loved like a father, she felt she had to get the words out before they choked her.

  “You’re scared,” Sid said, nodding as he took a seat.

  “I failed miserably,” she said. She dropped into her desk chair. She’d gotten it all wrong. She hadn’t thought the killer was Kayla.

  She told the former sheriff everything she’d found out. The car that had hit her on the road coming back from the guest ranch was found in Stephanie’s grandmother’s garage. Her husband had come forward with a note Stephanie had left him before the reunion, confessing to breaking into the guest ranch, taking some of the photos and almost getting caught. She’d apologized to her husband, saying she could understand if he wanted a divorce because there could be more coming out about her. Eric Tanner had been devastated by his wife’s murder and upset that she would think he couldn’t handle secrets from her past, including her affair with Ariel’s father.

  When Lizzy hadn’t been able to reach Kayla’s mother, she’d sent deputies over to their house. They’d discovered the mother dead. The coroner said she’d been dead from natural causes for almost a week. Her bedroom was filled with air fresheners.

  Ariel’s diaries had been found under Kayla’s bed, with some of the pages ripped out. Most of those had been retrieved from the scene.

  Both Christopher’s body and Ashley’s had pages with them. Jennifer and Brad had gotten away from Kayla before she could leave a diary page with them. Lizzy realized that Kayla must have found the diaries when she went over to Ariel’s mother’s house to pick up the prints and digital photos for the reunion.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Sid said. “You’re not clairvoyant or superhuman. You did your best.”

  “I still feel like I should have figured it out.” She didn’t tell him that it had kept her up all night. It didn’t feel finished. She kept thinking that she’d missed something. Somehow it all felt too cut-and-dried.

  “You just do the best you can, and remember, the criminals are doing everything possible to keep you from finding out the truth. They’re working against you. You already had two strikes against you when Ariel’s car was found. It was a cold case, the hardest ones to solve, and you had hardly any time after that before the killings began again. No wonder you feel overwhelmed. But you’re going to be fine.”

  “Am I? I wouldn’t say this is the best start to my career, don’t you think?”

  “If Deputy Turner had followed procedure, you would have had fewer casualties.”

  She thought about Ace. He’d probably just wanted to show the county they’d hired the wrong person for the job. Lizzy still thought he might have been right.

  Lizzy thought about what Sid said, that the killings had started up right after Ariel’s body was found. When Kayla found the diaries and read some of the things in them about her, it must have led to what happened up at the guest ranch. Kayla had been a secret cutter and Ariel had ridiculed her in the diaries, saying things like the girl should cut her own throat.

  The diaries helped tie up Lizzy’s case and solve Whitney Clark’s hit-and-run, as well. Ariel had said that Tyler was driving the car the night Whitney was killed. She had known because Ashley had told her and mentioned that Stephanie was with him. On the DL, Ariel had helped him get his car fixed by her uncle down in Missoula, but then had been blackmailing him ever since.

  But that wasn’t all that was in the diaries.

  Brad had cheated on his exams, trying to hide the fact that he wasn’t as smart as he thought he was. Christopher had a drinking problem. He’d broken into a liquor store their senior year and never been caught, and Ariel had used the knowledge against him. Josh sold weed. Jennifer was a kleptomaniac.

  The only one Ariel had spared was Shade. Because she’d really cared about him? Or maybe she just hadn’t been able to find something to use against him—until she realized that he liked Lizzy.

  The last page of the diary was Ariel’s own big secret. She was pregnant with Coach’s baby.

  “Often something precipitates this kind of mayhem,” Sid said. “Most of the time we never know what the trigger was. But this time the signs are all there. Kayla was a loner who spent her life taking care of her mother. The woman’s death had to leave Kayla at loose ends. She’d lost her life’s purpose, but finding the diaries with everyone’s secrets, she must have seen a new purpose.”

  Still, even knowing what might have triggered Kayla, Lizzy had trouble believing it.

  “The worst part is that Kayla was right,” Lizzy told him. “I didn’t do enough to protect her from Ariel.” Her laugh came out in a huff. “What am I saying? I couldn’t even protect myself from her. But I was so busy worrying about myself back then that I never gave a thought to what someone like Kayla must be going through because of Ariel.”

  “You know it’s much more complicated than that,” Sid said. “It wasn’t just that Kayla was bullied in high school. Ariel bullied all of you, and the rest of you didn’t become killers. You couldn’t have stopped it any more than you could have if Kayla had walked into your classroom at Progressive and opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon,” the former sheriff said. “We don’t know what possesses people to do the things they do. But whatever drove Kayla, it wasn’t just high school. The people she killed were just easy targets.”

  “I should have never let them have the reunion. At one point, I was sure that all of it was happening because of Whitney’s hit-and-run death. But I can’t see that as Kayla’s motivation. She wasn’t close to anyone in high school, certainly not Whitney, who was good friends with Jennifer and Stephanie before Ariel got jealous.”

  Sid shook his head. “Trust me, it was a combination of things.”

  She stil
l felt she needed to make sense of it. That she should have seen it coming. “Ariel’s car turning up seems to have set it all in motion.”

  “Probably,” he agreed. “It didn’t help that when Deputy Turner got the call, he decided to go John Wayne and didn’t call for backup until it was too late. I spoke with Highway Patrolman Josh Adams. He told me that Ace drove right past him.” Sid swore under his breath. “He might have played a part in this, but he was no hero.”

  Lizzy said nothing, because there was nothing to say. Ace was dead. In her mind, he died saving her and Shade, although indirectly. He would be remembered as a hero.

  “I figured from the beginning that Ariel’s death was because of the way she treated all of us. But there were so many suspects,” she said. She felt close to tears with exhaustion and the knowledge that she’d failed badly.

  Sid sighed. “I know you’re thinking about quitting.”

  She looked up at him and swallowed.

  “Because I’ve been there. When things go to hell, you think you should have known, you should have somehow been able to stop it. But if that were possible, criminals would never be able to get away with anything. We’re human, Lizzy. But that is also what makes us the best defense against this kind of evil, our humanity. You might not realize it right now, but you will. Just give it some time. Don’t give up. I promise it will get better,” Sid said as he left.

  She doubted that as she closed up the office and drove home to find Aunt Gertie cooking up a storm. “Are we hosting an army?” she asked, peeking over her aunt’s shoulder at all the food on the stove.

  “I was in a cooking mood and decided to go with it,” Gertie said with a laugh. Wiping her hands on her apron, she turned to face her niece. “I’m going to freeze some of it. Have you heard from Shade?”

  She nodded and began to set the table. “Shade says he doesn’t know how long Hannah has before she’s gone and he will be a full-time single father for Maisie.” She could feel her aunt studying her as she finished setting the table and then dropped into a chair. Lizzy and Shade had talked briefly about this after she’d returned from the guest ranch.

  Gertie pulled out a chair and sat down facing her. “How do you feel about an instant family?”

  “We haven’t even gone on a date yet. We’ve only shared a couple of kisses.”

  “And yet you’re in love with him,” her aunt said.

  Lizzy smiled, tears in her eyes, and nodded. “It scares me. What do I know about raising kids?”

  Gertie laughed. “No one goes into it knowing how to raise a child, believe you me. When you were dropped on my doorstep...” Her aunt seemed to catch herself. “Just a figure of speech,” she said hurriedly.

  “No. That is what happened, isn’t it? My mother rang your doorbell and ran, didn’t she? You don’t have to deny it anymore. I know.” She thought about Ariel’s diary page and Lizzy’s big secret. Not hers exactly, but definitely about her.

  “How long have you known the truth?”

  “I found out in high school that my parents hadn’t been killed in a car wreck.”

  Her aunt nodded, looking sad. “I could tell you weren’t happy. I thought it was public school. That’s why I decided to send you to Progressive. I thought a smaller school would be better for you. I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to know. You have to understand. Your mother was so young and alone and scared.”

  “How can you keep making excuses for her? She didn’t want me.”

  Gertie pursed her lips for a moment. “It wasn’t like that. Your mother was too young, too immature, too afraid to raise you. And because of that, she missed so much of your entire amazing life. What a terrible loss. It ruined her life, leaving you behind. I know that’s why she got on drugs.”

  “You should have told me.”

  Gertie nodded. “But I thought a little white lie—”

  “What about my father?”

  Her aunt looked away for a moment. Clearly, she’d hoped never to have to tell her any of this. “I never knew who he was.”

  “And my mother, is she really dead or was that also just another little white lie?” She saw how her words hurt her aunt and quickly reached for her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you. You saved my life in so many ways. Thank you for raising me. I know it must have been hard and I’m sorry about that. I know I was difficult at times.”

  Her aunt smiled and wiped her eyes with the hem of her apron. “You brought incredible joy to my life and purpose. For me, it was the best gift that anyone could have given me. But it’s true. Janet’s gone. An overdose. It wasn’t just you she couldn’t handle. It was life.” She met Lizzy’s gaze. “You’re nothing like her. You’re strong and determined and there is nothing you can’t do. You and Shade will have a happy life together and you’ll both love that little girl as if she were your own.”

  Lizzy couldn’t help but smile. “The glass is always half full with you, isn’t it, Auntie?”

  “Honey, it’s the only way to go through life.”

  * * *

  SHADE OPENED HIS EYES. It took a moment for him to focus on the woman standing by his bed. He tried to hide his disappointment. He’d been hoping to see Lizzy.

  “How are you feeling?” Hannah asked as she moved closer. “When I heard...” Her voice broke.

  He could see the fear in her face. If something had happened to him, with her dying, what would have become of Maisie? Hannah had told him years ago that she had no close relatives. Her parents had died before she went to college in separate car accidents over a three-year period. She’d been alone in the world and soon her daughter would be, too—if Shade were gone.

  “I’m going to be fine,” he assured her. “How are you doing?”

  “That’s something we’ll need to talk about once you’re well enough to get out of here.” She looked around the hospital room. He saw her swallow. “The doctor gave me a few months.” Her gaze came back to him. “But during a lot of that, I won’t be able to take care of Maisie. Shade, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to take this on. It is so much to ask, especially after what I’ve done to you.”

  “Stop.” He reached for her hand. It was ice-cold. “I will do whatever has to be done. You can count on me, Hannah. I promise.”

  She nodded but didn’t look convinced. “I have a home in Arizona. That’s where my doctors are—”

  “Then that’s where I will be.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’ll come to Arizona and live with us until...?”

  He nodded. “I will. I’ll be there for you and Maisie.”

  Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I can’t tell you how...”

  “I know. Maisie is my daughter. I’m just glad you came to me and told me what was going on. I’ll raise her, Hannah. When it’s time, I’ll bring her back to Montana and I’ll raise her on the ranch with my family. She will be loved. I can promise you that.”

  * * *

  LATER THAT DAY, Lizzy approached the hospital bed. Shade’s eyes were closed, but he didn’t look as pale as the other times she’d come by. There were no longer a lot of tubes and wires hooked up to him either. The doctor had said he was doing so well that he would be released soon. She felt a wave of relief to see him looking so much better.

  His eyes opened and settled on her, then he broke into a smile. His blue gaze seemed to light up as if delighted to see her. She couldn’t help but smile in return. The handsome cowboy she’d fallen for was back.

  “How are you?” she asked as she stepped up to his bedside.

  “I’m going to live, just like I told you. You can stop looking so worried. It was just a flesh wound.”

  It was a lot more than a flesh wound and they both knew it. The gunshot had missed any vital organs. He would have a scar but then they all would, some of those scars less noticeable than others.

  “It
was quite the reunion, don’t you think?” Shade joked, clearly more of his old self as he tried to lighten the mood.

  “The doctor said as long as your wound doesn’t get infected, you should be out of here in a few days,” she said, in no joking mood.

  He nodded, solemn again. “About the date I really want to take you on—”

  “We don’t have to talk about that now.”

  “We have to,” he said, suddenly so serious she felt her stomach drop. “Hannah came by... Her cancer... It won’t be long now. She needs me to come down to Arizona until...” He locked gazes with her. “The last thing I want to do is put off our date, but—”

  “It’s all right,” she said quickly, even as her heart squeezed. “You have to take care of your daughter and her mother right now. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Just promise me that when I get back...” His words seemed to falter. “Promise me that you’ll be here.”

  “Where else would I be?”

  He eyed her suspiciously. His hand brushed hers, sending that charge of electricity skittering through her veins. “Lizzy?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I promise.”

  Shade lay back on his pillow, letting go of her hand. She could see that he was still in pain, still weak, still dealing with everything that had happened just as she was.

  “It’s a date, then.” His gaze came back to hers, but she could tell he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. “Sorry, Doc just gave me something to help me sleep.”

  She put a hand on his warm, strong arm. “It’s a date,” she repeated as his eyes closed. She stayed like that while he dozed, tears in her eyes, as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  LIZZY HADN’T SEEN Shade since the coroner’s inquest, but he’d called to give her updates on what was happening down in Arizona with Hannah and Maisie. Early winter had come on the heels of autumn, covering the landscape with a thick blanket of snow and stretching out all the way to March.