Luck Be a Lady
Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Teaser chapter
Praise for the novels of Cathie Linz
Mad, Bad and Blonde
“Lively pacing, a pair of magnetic, thoroughly appealing protagonists and well-defined secondary characters, several of whom are waiting in the wings for stories of their own, make this sexy story sparkle with humor and pizzazz, while great geographic and cultural Chicago detail, an intriguing mystery and a dash of Romeo-and-Juliet add complexity.”
—Library Journal
“Filled with believable characters and witty dialogue, her books never fail to entertain. And for librarians, a spunky heroine representing that profession is a treat.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Simply irresistible.”
—Chicago Tribune
Smart Girls Think Twice
“Spirited, sexy, sensational.”
—Jayne Ann Krentz
“The brainy girl and hunky guy have never been so much fun. No need to think twice about grabbing this book when you’re looking for pure entertainment.”
—Susan Wiggs
“This simple yet timely novel is sure to keep you hooked until the end.”
—Romantic Times(4 stars)
“Readers will be captivated as they watch the introverted academic get in touch with her inner warrior and realize her true potential. Funny and poignant by turns, Linz’s latest is sure to charm.”
—Booklist(starred review)
“Cathie Linz keeps her delightful contemporary romance amusing . . . Smart subgenre fans will not have to think twice about reading this humorous opposites-attract romance.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A prim heroine with a fiery core and a haunted, searching hero who thrives on the rush of adrenaline join with an abundance of quirky characters to drive the classic plot of this funny, spicy romance to a satisfying conclusion. With her typical sense of humor, Linz has given readers another joyful, laughter-filled story to savor—and another view into the charming Pennsylvania town she has created.”
—Library Journal
“A worthy addition.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A fresh romance that has both snap and sass . . . May Cathie Linz continue writing such wonderfully smart romance!”
—We Write Romance
Big Girls Don’t Cry
“The characters spring to life, and readers will be thrilled to find that individuals from Linz’s earlier novels pop in and out like old friends. And kudos to Linz for creating a heroine who looks and acts like a real woman.”
—Booklist(starred review)
“[A] sweetly charming, splendidly funny and supremely satisfying contemporary romance.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Another winner.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Another keeper.”
—Contemporary Romance Writers
“A must read. Top pick!”
—Romance Reader at Heart
“Definitely one for the keeper shelf.”
—Genrefluent
Bad Girls Don’t
“Cathie Linz gives her beautifully matched protagonists lots of sexy chemistry and some delightfully snappy dialogue, and the quirky cast of secondary characters gives Bad Girls Don’t its irresistible charm.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Linz, known for her fast-paced, snappy romantic comedies, once again sparkles in this heartwarming, funny tale. And her secondary characters . . . make an already excellent story exceptional.”
—Booklist(starred review)
“Linz’s characterizations are absolutely wonderful. I fell in love with the protagonists from the first page . . . It has always been a pleasure to read her books, but I must say that this one is a fantastic novel!”
—Rendezvous
“Totally delightful.”
—Fresh Fiction
Good Girls Do
“Humor and warmth . . . Readers are going to love this!”
—Susan Elizabeth Phillips
“Cathie Linz is the author that readers of romantic comedy have been waiting for. She knows how to do it—characters with depth, sharp dialogue and a compelling story. The result is a charming, offbeat world, one you’ll hate to leave.”
—Jayne Ann Krentz
“Sometimes even good girls need to take a walk on the wild side. Linz deftly seasons her writing with her usual delectable wit, and the book’s quirky cast of endearing secondary characters adds another measure of humor to this sweetly sexy, fabulously fun contemporary romance.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Sexy, sassy and graced with exceptional dialogue, this fast-paced story is both hilarious and heartwarming, featuring wonderfully wacky secondary characters and well-developed protagonists you will come to love.”
—Library Journal
“Lively and fun, and you won’t be able to put it down.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A fun contemporary romance . . . Fans of You Can’t Take It with Youwho like romantic romps will enjoy this funny family tale.”
—The Best Reviews
Berkley Sensation Titles by Cathie Linz
GOOD GIRLS DO
BAD GIRLS DON’T
BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
SMART GIRLS THINK TWICE
MAD, BAD AND BLONDE
LUCK BE A LADY
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
LUCK BE A LADY
A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / October 2010
Copyright © 2010 by Cathie L. Baumgardner.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-101-44384-2
BERKLEY® SENSATION
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY® SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
http://us.penguingroup.com
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Donna Jean Simon, a dear friend who has become family. I couldn’t have completed this project without you stepping in and keeping me sane. You went way above and beyond and I appreciate it more than I can say.
Special thanks go to Cathy Yarmoski, Head of the Literature Unit at the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library. You patiently answered my many dorky questions with concise answers and information. Thanks also to my local librarians Susan Gibberman, Head of Reader Services, Schaumburg Township District Library; Karen Toonen and Kathleen Longacre from the Naperville Public Library; Dianne Harmon, Associate Director for Public Services, Joliet Library; Fran Gilles, Reference Librarian, Helen Plum Library, Lombard; the gang at Lisle Public Library and the librarians and library students on my Facebook page.
As always and with much love, thanks to the Chilibabes—Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lindsay Longford, Suzette Vann and Margaret Watson for your brainstorming wisdom and friendship. Ditto for Jennifer Greene and Julie Wachowski, who will never acknowledge how good they really are no matter how many times I tell them. A special hug goes to Jayne Ann Krentz, who has been there for me year after year. Thank you, dear friends.
Thanks to the Berkley team starting with my editor extraordinaire, Cindy Hwang; as well as Leis Pederson; my publicist, Kathryn Tumen; and Dominique Jenkins (we’ll always have ALA, Dominique!). My agent, Annelise Robey, already knows how much I treasure her.
Last but never least, a huge thanks to my readers who have supported me over the years—none of this would be possible without you.
Chapter One
It was the perfect day for a wedding. Thank God the groom showed up this time. Megan West couldn’t deal with a repeat of her cousin Faith’s last attempt to get married, when the groom took off.
But that was then, and this was now. A new groom made all the difference in the world. Now former Marine Caine Hunter would be at Faith’s side. Megan was so pleased Faith had found Caine—the man of her dreams.
“You were smart to come here to Las Vegas and have a small ceremony with only a few close friends and family,” Megan told Faith as the two of them completed their final preparations for the big event. “And having it here at the Venetian was brilliant.”
Faith grinned. “I thought so.”
Megan was determined that everything go right this time around. And the magical location sure helped. The instant you entered the Venetian’s lobby, with all the mosaic Italian marble floors and the colorful fresco ceilings, you knew you were somewhere special. And that was a good thing, because Megan fiercely believed that Faith deserved the best.
Faith was like a sister to her. They’d been born two days apart and grew up two blocks apart. Even now, back in Chicago as adults, they lived within walking distance of each other in their Streeterville neighborhood. But now Faith was going to become a married woman. And Megan wasn’t.
Megan told herself it was natural to be emotional leading up to today. Not that she gave any sign of what she considered to be her inner wimp. That wasn’t her way.
Instead, she focused her energies on making this day the best of Faith’s life. And after that . . . well, there were plenty of things for a non-gambling librarian like Megan to do while here in Vegas. Plenty of things for her to do right here at the Venetian—the unique stores, the singing gondoliers, the gelato, the Hermitage art museum adjacent to the lobby. Megan would be able to check them all out later this weekend. First she had to make sure Faith was safely married to Caine.
“We’re actually a little ahead of schedule, if you can believe that,” Megan said as she checked her appearance in the wall mirror. She and Faith were waiting in a small room designed for brides just off the wedding chapel area. Like the rest of the hotel, it was elaborately decorated in creams and gold.
“The Venetian was one of my favorite places when I lived here in Vegas and worked at the library,” Faith said. “And since Caine and I met in Italy, it seemed like a nice vibe to add to the ceremony without having to return to the Amalfi Coast. Not that I wouldn’t love to go back there. But this time we’re honeymooning in New Zealand. And I’m not honeymooning alone. Not that I was really alone last time because I met Caine there. I’m babbling, right? Yes, I’m incoherently babbling. I babble when I’m nervous. But I’m not really nervous. Should I be nervous? Are you nervous?”
“I’m not nervous,” Megan said.
“Because you’re not the bride and you’re the optimist in the family.”
“No, because I know Caine would never let you down.” Megan was getting tired of being the optimist in the family but it was hard to change her image after all this time. Sure, Faith had become a blonde with an edgy look but that wasn’t Megan’s style.
One former beau had described Megan as the girl-next-door type with her dark brown hair, blue eyes and freckles. Megan wasn’t sure she liked being a “type.” She knew one thing for sure—her fashion style was vintage. The classic 1950s dress she was wearing as the maid of honor was a perfect example. The pin-tucked black-taffeta-and-velvet dress had a scooped neck and full skirt, which made it both classic and elegant.
Faith looked beautiful in her wedding gown, a simple strapless design. She’d chosen a black-and-white theme with red rose accents for her evening ceremony.
Staring at their side-by-side reflection in the mirror, Faith said, “When we were growing up on the South Side of Chicago, did you ever think we’d end up here with me getting married at the Venetian in Las Vegas?”
Megan grinned. “Sure. Didn’t you?”
“I knew we’d both be librarians when we grew up.” Faith grabbed Megan’s hand before turning to face her. “You know you’re more like my sister than my cousin, right?”
Megan blinked away the tears. “Yeah, I know. Now don’t make me cry.” She waved her free hand in front of her face. “My mascara will run.”
“Oh, no. What would Jane Austen say?” Faith teased her.
“Funny how you ended up going back to Jane Austen after trying to come up with some other incarnation,” Megan said.
“Funny how you didn’t have a similar identity crisis.”
Megan had had her identity crisis at a much younger age and then moved past it. Faith had grown up with both parents. Megan hadn’t. Sure, her dad had done his best to be there for her, but he couldn’t replace a mother. Faith’s mom had done her best too and Megan loved her to bits for trying. But it wasn’t the same.
As if on cue, Faith’s mom entered the room. “How are things going in here? Everything under control?”
“Absolutely.” Today, Megan was all about control: the music, the flowers, the seating arrangement for the ceremony, the meal afterward. She’d checked and double-checked it all.
“You two.” Faith’s mom blinked back tears. Unable to continue, she instead simply cupped their cheeks.
Megan was well aware that the number two was a recurring theme in her life. She and Faith were born two days apart and lived two blocks apart. Megan’s dad was two years younger than Faith’s dad and two inches shorter. Her mom had died when she was two. Megan had only had sex with two m
en in her life.
Okay, she was sonot going there today. This was all about Faith, not her. The only setback in the wedding plans had occurred when Caine’s best man had to have emergency surgery two days earlier and hadn’t been able to make the trip. Again with the number two. Megan and Faith’s paternal grandmother was dating crusty private investigator-retired cop Buddy Doyle, who’d stepped in as a last-minute replacement. Otherwise everything was going smoothly.
Which was the way Megan liked it. Maybe it was the librarian in her, wanting to keep things orderly. She didn’t subscribe to the Chaos Theory in life. To her way of thinking, things were always better when they were organized and categorized. Like this wedding . . .
“Are you ready?” Megan asked.
Faith nodded.
“Okay then.” Megan handed her the colorful Romanza bouquet of fresh red-tipped roses and greenery. “Let’s go.”