Getting Lucky

By Vanessa Devereaux

This story was originally published by Evernight Publishing in 2013.

Do you feel lucky today?

Megan Scott changed her name and escaped to Seattle, hoping to put her past and her abusive ex behind her. Her sister told her bad luck couldn’t last forever, and with that in mind she purchased a ticket hoping to be one of the ten people to win a key that would open the door to a dream home.

Andy Hill is starting life anew. He lost his family and home but feels deep down that bad luck has to end sometime.

When a mix up with the winning keys puts Megan and Andy in a situation they never thought they’d find themselves in, Megan has to put her trust in a man again, and Andy has to accept that there’s no going back and fixing bad mistakes.

Learning to move on in life is sometimes a hard lesson but it’s also a chance to get lucky.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Palmquist
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370743216

Vanessa Devereaux

Vanessa Devereaux is the bestselling author of erotic romances and erotica including Cater to Me, The Rake, Who's the Boss, and The Pleasure Room. She's also pens three ongoing series, Perfect Pairing, Big Sky County and Kalispell Shifters.

Book preview

Getting Lucky

Vanessa Devereaux

Published by Coldstream Publishing at Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Vanessa Devereaux

Smashwords Edition, License Notes.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author.

Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Thank You

Social Networks

Back to Top

Chapter 1

Do you feel lucky today?

Andy drank the last of his coffee while he stared out of the café window at the billboard across the street.

Did I feel lucky?

It was sort of a loaded question with no easy answer.

His luck hadn’t been good for some time. His divorce had become final almost a year ago. He’d been living with his brother, sister-in-law, and their three kids, for almost as long.

To have a place he could call his own would be heaven. He’d come home and eat supper sitting on the couch while watching TV. Watch something of his choosing. Long how had it been since he’d done that? However, the frosting on the cake would be his ability to use the toilet without his niece or nephew bursting into the bathroom without knocking. His brother really should fix that broken lock.

He looked at the newspaper sitting in front of him. He’d circled two apartment listings that sounded promising. Both were within his price range, and one was located just two blocks from work. But this wasn’t what he really wanted. Bottom line was he hated the idea of living in an apartment again, but right now, it was all he could afford.

While running his finger around the rim of the cup, he glanced at the billboard again. Annie burst into song and smiled. Since he’d moved in with his brother, her coffee shop had become a refuge where not only could he find peace and quiet, but it was also the ideal spot for doing some reflecting, too. Unlike the big coffee shop chains that were loud and constantly busy, Annie’s was a hole- in-the-wall type place frequented by a handful of regulars who all knew one another by name. It felt like the cozy living room that he and Sandra had once shared, a place where he could get his thoughts together— and if that wasn’t enough, Annie made the best raspberry and white chocolate muffins this side of the Cascades. Some mornings when he couldn’t stand the hustle and bustle in his brother’s house, he’d come here and enjoy one for breakfast.

Another thing he loved about Annie’s café was that she served coffee in proper mugs, not those shitty paper things that claimed to be eco-friendly. He liked hanging out here but he craved somewhere of his own, too.

Andy reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his loose change. If he could muster up five dollars in coins he’d buy himself one of the tickets. If he couldn’t, it meant there was something out there in the universe telling him not to waste his time because he just wasn’t lucky.

He slid six quarters to the front of the table and then sorted through the dimes, nickels, and pennies. He was twelve cents short. He flicked the money into his palm and deposited the coins back in his pocket.

Looks like we’re about to get a storm any minute, said Annie, wiping down the table next to his.

Yeah, looks that way. Andy stood and Annie took his coffee mug from him.

So how you doing these days? she asked.

Oh, I think I’m gradually getting back on my feet. Have you brought a ticket for the prize giveaway yet? He nodded to the billboard.

Don’t talk to me about that. My husband’s already bought five of them and he’s convinced one of them will get us a key.

I was considering it but I’m twelve cents short and took it as a sign I shouldn’t even be thinking about it.

You need twelve cents? He knew Annie and her good hearted nature and what she was about to do. Not that it was a thousand dollars, but he couldn’t let Annie give him even twelve cents for something this unimportant.

Forget it, Annie.

Nope, that’s what this dish is for.

She walked to the counter and took out twelve pennies from the leave a penny take a penny dish. Annie blew across them before handing the coins to him. There now. If that doesn’t bring you some luck, nothing will.

Just what I need. Some positive thinking. Thanks Annie, and if I win you’re the first guest who’s coming to dinner.

I’ll hold you to that.

He waved to her and headed outside. The wind had picked up since he’d been inside the café, and dark, almost sinister-looking clouds were ganging up over Puget Sound. He got into his car and turned on the ignition, seeing that the clock said almost fifteen to six. He had less than ten minutes to buy a ticket for the drawing that would decide who would get one of the ten keys that were up for grabs.

Andy glanced up at the billboard again. All of a sudden he did feel sort of lucky.

*****

Megan had sat in her car long enough. The storm was obviously settled in the area for the night so she might as well make a run for it. She’d worked late and had dropped by the supermarket on her way home. While she’d been in there, the sky had opened up and the deluge had begun.

She grabbed her bag of groceries from the passenger seat, got out of the car, locked the door, and then made a mad dash along the wooden slats that made up the sidewalk. She caught a glimpse of Mr. Olsen waving out the window to her. She couldn’t wave back because her hands were full so she nodded to him instead. A cold stream of rain ran down the back of her neck. She raced up the gangplank and fumbled for her key, opened the door, and stepped inside.

Thunder rocked the houseboat as she shook the water from her coat. Tonight, Rushmore wasn’t there to greet her so she guessed the storm had driven him under the bed or table. Somewhere in his past, someone or something must have spooked him with a loud obnoxious sound because he scared easily over things like thunder, cars backfiring, and even whenever Megan dropped something heavy on the floor. She walked to the kitchen and set what was left of the grocery bag down on the counter. A can of green beans rolled out onto the floor where the rain had soaked through the paper sack.

Megan bent over, picked it up, and spotted the cat sitting under the table looking at her.

There you are. It’s okay. The storm won’t hurt you.

Something cold and wet hit the middle of her back. She glanced up. Damn, the roof was leaking again. Seattle was probably the worst place on earth to live when you had a houseboat with a hole in it. She’d mentioned it to the landlord more than once but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to stop by and take a look, let alone fix it.

Megan took out the rest of the groceries before they too fell out onto the floor and scared Rushmore some more. She carried the cheese and milk to the fridge where she took a quick peek at the ticket she’d purchased the day before. She’d secured it on the door with her lucky shamrock magnet. She had this strange feeling that it was going to be a winner. Okay, she might not win the house but she sensed the numbers would at least earn her one of the keys. She’d been unlucky for so long now that intuition, and yes, plain old common sense, assured her that her fortune had to turn around one of these days.

Hence her sudden impulse to purchase one of the tickets while she’d been at the gas station.

Another clap of thunder shook the boat but Rushmore got up courage to leave his hiding spot. He ran over to Megan and bumped against her leg. It was on the mend now, but she didn’t want to risk the tabby pushing against her calf too much so she picked him up.

She pointed to the ticket. This could mean a new home for us. One on dry land. No more water dripping over our heads.

The cat purred in her ear and then nuzzled the top of its head into her neck.

Even if she didn’t win, she was safe now, on the other side of the country and far away from Ted. Sure, she missed her parents and sister, but at least she had Rushmore. However, a place of her own would really seal the deal.

She fingered the ticket. Suddenly she felt lucky again.

Back to Top

Chapter 2

"Hey kids, do you think