Lucky Break (51 page)

“You put it in the tree?”

“It was on my desk with instructions.”
 
Her brightness dimmed a bit.
 
“I did the right thing?”

“Of course.”

Happiness returned.
 
“People should start moving toward the chapel.”

“Okay.”
 
I stopped her with a touch on the elbow as she moved away.
 
“Do you know where Romeo is?
 
I need to talk to him.”

“On his way.”

“Good.
 
And about this wedding: any idea what’s going to happen?”

“Haven’t a clue.
 
Miss P has been locked in the dressing room with Delphinia for hours.
 
The only person I’ve let in is Mr. Trenton.
 
He had a handful of papers and a judge in tow.
 
Jeremy’s laying low, and I haven’t seen the doctor either.”
 
She spied Romeo stepping through the doors.
 
“Excuse me,” she said, as she rushed to greet him.

I followed her with Jean-Charles in trail.
 
“Romeo, we have to stop Teddie.
 
I know what he’s going to do.”
 
I filled him in.
 
He stepped to the corner and got on the phone.

“Come.” My young assistant motioned for us to follow her.
 
“It’s time.”

Jean-Charles and I waited to bring up the rear.
 

As we were about to enter the chapel, Agent Stokes grabbed my elbow, pulling us aside.
 
“We need to talk.”
 
He darted a glance at Jean-Charles.

“He’s one of the good guys,” I explained as we all stepped to the side.
 
“Can’t it wait?” I asked the über agent.

“Your friend, Theodore Kowalski exited the country on a flight to Macau. Caught him on the security cameras.
 
He was dressed as a woman, so we didn’t catch him in time.
 
We will try to intercept him, but our power in a Chinese province is limited.”

I interpreted for Jean-Charles, “They have to depend on the locals, and they don’t like to play nice.”

Agent Stokes dropped the formal manner.
 
“I just thought you should know.
 
He’s running into a minefield.”

“I know.
 
And now I’m sure he’s done something stupid, or, if not yet, stupidity is imminent.”

Romeo joined our little group; apparently he’d overheard the last bit.
 
“We don’t have any pull over there.”

“Well, maybe a little.
 
I happen to be an executive with one of the largest properties there.
 
We contribute heavily to the local government.”
 

I set my worries and my thoughts aside as Brandy hurried us inside and we took our places in a pew on the bride’s side.
 
I couldn’t do anything right now.
 
At the moment, Teddie’s fate was up to him and the authorities.

Now Miss P deserved my attention.
 
Of course, I had no idea who the groom would be.
 
Who would her heart choose?

The officiant stepped to her position as the music started.

No groom.
 
No groomsmen.

We all rose when the processional started.
 
The first down the aisle, Dane and Flash.

Then Miss P, flanked by Jeremy and Cody Ellis, an arm hooked through each of theirs.

I whispered in Jean-Charles’s ear.
 
“Seriously?
 
Talk about a flair for the dramatic.”

One arm around my waist, he pulled me tight and whispered, “Soon it will be us.”

That thought chased away all the worries, all the second-guessing, and all the attempts to control the path.
 

Life, what an adventure.

Miss P looked beautiful in an off-white, tea-length lace gown that hugged her in all the right places, shoes to match, and a million-candlepower smile.
 
She also looked a bit incredulous—I knew the feeling.
 
To be loved by someone incredible is a humbling, awe-inspiring thing.
 
She had two.
 
Who would she pick to walk with her through eternity?

The anticipation was killing me.

A thought zinged in out of the blue.
 
I reached around Jean-Charles and tugged Romeo’s sleeve.
 

We both leaned in, meeting in front of Jean-Charles’ chest.
 

“We still have the good brother,” I hissed.

“What?”

“Frank Wu, Kimberly’s Achilles heel.
 
She wants the good brother out of prison.
 
She got rid of the bad brother—used Irv to do that.
 
She brought her father here under false pretenses.
 
But, back home, it will look like he didn’t take care of his enemies.
 
His control will weaken.
 
She needed someone to stick in as a figurehead.”

“Gittings.”

“She may have met her match, but in Macau she will have the advantage.”

“And Teddie?” Romeo asked, worry already clouding his smile.

“He’ll never see it coming.”
 
I motioned Romeo back, then I leaned back and looked at my love.
 
“I need to go.”

He smiled, seeing all the way through to my heart.
 
“I know.
 
But you must take Mr. Dane and his friend.”

“Shooter?”

“Yes.
 
And could you wait until tomorrow?
 
Christophe so wants you there for Christmas.”

“Of course.
 
But could we also go celebrate with Mona and the Big Boss?”
 
I had no idea if they’d let us all in the ICU, but we’d give it a shot.
 
“Maybe we can pick up the babies on the way over?”

Jean-Charles smiled and squeezed my hand.
 
“You will be careful when you go.”
 
That wasn’t a question.
 
“And you will be back for New Year’s?
 
That’s your birthday, you know.”
 

“I’ll be back.
 
I promise.”

Miss P paused at our row, tapping my shoulder for attention.
 
“Stand up with me?”

With a thousand-candlepower smile, I followed the trio, then took my place to the right of the officiant.
 
I still had no idea what was going to happen and I didn’t care.
 
I just wanted the look on Miss P’s face to stay there forever.

“Who gives this bride in matrimony?”
 
The archaic words grated but seemed appropriate in this instance.

“I do,” said Dr. Cody Ellis.
 
He bent and kissed her cheek, then stepped aside.

THE END … sort of ...

Thank you for coming along on Lucky’s wild ride through Vegas.
 
For more fun reads, please visit
www.deborahcoonts.com
or drop me a line at
[email protected]
and let me know what you think.
 
And, please leave a review at the outlet of your choice.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

L
IKE the shifting sands of the Mojave, the publishing business is changing by the hour.
 
So too the experience of bringing a story to market.
 
Yet, amid all of this confusion, the act of infusing life into a story remains one of the heart, unchanged, constant.
 

And the people who populate my world, who love me in spite of myself, who support, encourage, commiserate, inspire, who critique, brainstorm and applaud and who buy wine … they remain the bedrock upon which I find the courage and the fortitude to keep writing these stories.
 
The mention they receive here can’t possibly compensate for all they do, all they give, but perhaps it’s a start.

A heartfelt thank you to:

My kids:
 
TYLER and LISA COONTS.
 
They remind me everyday that no matter how the stories do, or don’t do, life is perfect.
 
Being a mom—there is nothing better.
 
Being their mom is heaven on earth.

My writer friends: BARB NICKLESS, MARIA FAULCONER, NANCY MARTIN, ALLISON BRENNAN, DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON, and PIERRE O’ROURKE.
 
You make me laugh, you hold my hand, you kick my ass, and because of each of you, I am a better writer and a better person.

JOSIE BROWN:
 
For being the best bud EVER; for showing me the ropes of self-publishing, for encouraging ever step of the way; and for brightening my life every moment.

AUSTIN BROWN
 
and
CheapEbookFormatting.com
for the wonderful work you do formatting and adding those touches that make the presentation of each manuscript professional and perfect.

ANDY BROWN: and
Click Twice Design
for the perfect covers for all the Lucky books.
 
The covers are first-impressions with readers—they must convey and entice. And you hit it out of the park with each one.

And, finally, and very importantly, to BOB GARDERE, you are the missing piece that fills the hole in my heart.

NOVELS IN

THE LUCKY O’TOOLE SERIES

Wanna Get Lucky?

"Paints
a dead-on portrait of Las Vegas that is somehow dark, outrageous, and hilarious at the same time.  Lucky O’Toole is wise, witty, and brimming with cheery cynicism.
Wanna Get Lucky?
goes down faster than an ice-cold Bombay martini—very dry, of course, and with a twist." --Douglas Preston,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Blasphemy

Lucky Stiff

Amid the chaos of fight weekend, the hiring of an eccentric new French chef, and her madam mother's intentions to auction off a young woman’s virginity, Lucky is drawn into a deadly game where no one is what they seem, a game that will end only when she discovers who made fish-food out of Numbers Neidermeyer.

Lucky O’Toole and Fabulous Las Vegas—life doesn’t get any better.