“You want me to stick around and feed the horses later?”
Mike picked up the pedigree he’d been copying. “I’ll do it.”
“When are you heading over to Mom and Dad’s?”
“Dinner’s at five, right?”
“Rebecca wanted to go a little early so she could help out. Since you’re taking care of the horses, I guess I’ll go with her.”
“Go ahead.”
He was anticipating several hours of solitude in which he could clear off his desk, but the phone rang as soon as Josh left. Mike grabbed the extension on Polly’s desk. “Mike Hill.”
“I’m glad I caught you.” It was Garth Holbrook; Mike recognized his voice right away. They’d recently had several meetings in conjunction with the senator’s campaign and fund-raising efforts.
“How are you, Senator?”
“Good, and you?”
“Busy as always. What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering how well you know your neighbor.”
“My neighbor?” Mike had assumed Holbrook wanted to talk about the campaign.
“Isn’t Lucky Caldwell living in your grandfather’s house?”
“She owns the place.”
“I remember. She got a portion of your inheritance.”
Mike might have stated the situation that strongly before Lucky’s return, but something—he supposed a touch of misguided loyalty—made him hesitate to do so now. “I guess you could say that.”
“From what I’ve heard, you’ve been after that place for years.”
Where was he going with this? “That’s true….”
“Any chance she might sell out and move away?”
“I don’t think she’s ready to sell yet. I’ve submitted plenty of offers and the answer’s always been no.”
“What if I were to sweeten the pot by a couple hundred thousand, make your offer too good to refuse?”
Mike jerked his head up in surprise. “Why would you do that?”
“I was hoping we could convince Gabe to forget about that remote cabin of his and stay in the old place next to you, for a few years. He’d never let me talk him into moving to town, of course. Ever since the accident, he likes his privacy and the wide open spaces. But you’ve got plenty of space out there, and I’d feel a whole lot better if he was at least a little closer, and I knew there was someone around to keep an eye on him.”
So this call was about Gabe. That made more sense. Gabe was socializing, but only to the extent that his fund-raising efforts required; in Mike’s opinion, he was still too distant and remote to be functioning at a healthy level. Evidently Garth agreed. “I’d love to have Gabe next door, but I’m not sure he’d go for it. Have you talked to him?”
“Not yet. I thought I’d see if we can get the house before making any waves. You know how stubborn he can be.”
Mike rubbed his chin. “I do.”
“So, will you call Lucky? See how much it’ll take?”
“I can’t call her right now. I think she’s out of town.” Actually, he knew she was. Once Lucky’s car had disappeared from in front of the Victorian, Mike had felt a profound sense of relief. He didn’t have to worry about her being alone for Christmas or about his mother or another member of the family bumping into her and saying something unkind. Better yet, he wouldn’t be tempted to start the next big scandal, as he’d been tempted almost every night since her return. Lucky’s admission of her feelings, and the fact that he knew she’d meant what she said despite her claims to the contrary, only made it harder for him to stay away.
“Where’d she go?” Holbrook asked.
“She mentioned spending Christmas with her brothers in Washington.”
“Well, see what you can do once she gets back.”
Mike stretched the muscles in his neck as he imagined confronting Lucky with yet another offer. “Is there any hurry, Senator? She might be more amenable to selling when she’s finished her renovations.”
“I’d rather not wait.”
“You’re that worried about Gabe?”
There was a long pause. “I’m that worried. And the new arrangement would be better for everyone. From what I hear, Lucky’s a real troublemaker.”
“To be honest, I don’t think she’s as much of a troublemaker as others claim,” Mike said.
“I spoke to your aunt Cori the other day. She said Lucky really manipulated Morris.”
“Most of that time, Lucky was just a child. I’m not sure she was as manipulative as she was needy.”
“Everyone else pretty much agrees with your aunt.”
“Maybe they do.” Mike thought of how difficult Lucky was to get close to, how she refused to dispute anyone’s assumptions about her, how she dared everyone in town to think the worst. “They don’t really know her.”
“And you do?”
Mike realized he might have sounded a little too sympathetic, but he was tired of all the gossip, and the fact that no one ever looked at the situation through Lucky’s eyes. “I know she’s proud and fiercely independent.” She was also vulnerable despite her desire to appear unaffected. Her hidden pain bothered him, made him want to defend her at every turn. “She’s also pretty sensitive, although she doesn’t come across that way.”
“You like her.”
It was a statement, not a question, one Mike wished he could deny. But he refused to join the attack when Lucky already stood against so many. “I live next door, so I’ve had more contact with her.”
Holbrook sighed audibly.
“Is something wrong, Senator?”
“No.” Another pause, then, “Just see what you can do when she gets back.”
“Okay.” After he hung up, Mike sat on the corner of Polly’s desk, staring off into space and wondering why he wasn’t more eager to act on the senator’s call. He’d always wanted the house. He thought Gabe would be better off closer to town. And he wanted Lucky to leave, right? He should jump at Senator Holbrook’s offer. Then why did he feel so reluctant to press her?
With a curse, he got up and headed to his office. He’d never been able to care enough about the right women. Now he cared too much about the wrong one—and the irony didn’t escape him.
A LIGHT SNOW FELL on Christmas Eve. Lucky stood by the windows at the back of her house as the sun began to set and watched the flakes drift lazily to the ground, as though they existed solely for the sake of their beauty. She’d thought she might be depressed spending this night alone, but she felt unusually peaceful. Maybe she didn’t mix well with the people of Dundee, but she had no quarrel with the land. The surrounding mountains rose majestically around her, the ice-covered pond at the bottom of the hill shimmered like a field of crushed diamonds and the leafless trees in the yard resembled nothing more than delicate white lace. Breathtaking…