Just My Luck (The Kings)

Getting under my boss’s skin is the second-greatest highlight of my day.

Waking up safely with my twins is the first, of course, but there was just something about knowing I was going to annoy the hell out of Abel King that added a little hitch in my giddyup every morning.

Case in point: I planned to use me running late as the perfect excuse to poke the bear.

“Ben! Tillie! Three minutes!” I called down the hallway of the small, run-down cabin on my granddad’s property, rushing to shove lunches into backpacks.

“Don’t you raise your voice at those kids, Sloaney.” Granddad sat in a recliner that leaned too far to the right and looked dangerously close to collapse. I softened and walked to him, pressing a brief kiss onto the top of his wispy, white-haired head.

“If I recall correctly, you were always quick with an order, and if I didn’t hop to it fast enough, a swat wasn’t far behind.” I crossed my arms and lifted an eyebrow at my granddad.

His bushy brows furrowed as he swatted the air between us. “Ah, what do you know?”

My laugh was bright and quick. Time had softened my grandfather, and we both knew it. My eyes raked over his pajama pants and the rickety TV tray next to him.

It had been over a year since the historic farmhouse Granddad had lived in his entire life burned down while we were sleeping inside. Even so, we’d been struggling to get back on our feet as a family. Both Ben and Tillie had been having issues, and instead of life moving on, I was watching the strongest man I ever knew spend his days rotting in a broken recliner. After the fire we moved into the one-bedroom cabin, and instead of taking the bed, Granddad insisted that he sleep on the recliner.

He had offered us a place to stay after my divorce from Jared, and I brought danger right to his doorstep. My ex and I were kids when we met—some would call us high school sweethearts, but our relationship was tumultuous from the start. If we weren’t running around the San Fernando Valley on our parents’ dime, we were breaking up for the sole purpose of getting back together. His family had made their money in the entertainment business, while my father made his millions as a financial adviser to the world’s wealthiest. When Dad died, it was clear there was no love lost between me and his fourth wife. Other than what Dad had set aside for me, I was cut off. When I got pregnant at twenty-two, Jared’s family insisted on a marriage, and for a while we tried to make it work.

I fought the familiar well of tears and shoved down my unspoken regrets to focus on the one man who’d always been there for me.

“Maybe you should head downtown and see what some of the other old geezers are up to.” I opted for a hopeful smile.

“What do I want to hang around with a bunch of old men for?” Granddad’s grumble would have been endearing if it wasn’t quite so sad.

Resigned, I turned back to the hallway to try to get the kids moving again. “Chickens! Let’s move!”

Tillie was the first to appear in the hallway, coming from the bathroom. Because of the tiny nature of the cabin, the kids and I shared a room, and if we wanted any privacy, we had to change clothes in the tiny bathroom.

Just be thankful you have running water.

I closed my eyes and tried to feel gratitude. Things could have been so much worse, but mornings like these were draining. It was hard to feel like we’d ever get our lives back on track.

After the fire was ruled arson, any progress on rebuilding the farmhouse had come to a screeching halt while both legal and criminal investigations were conducted. In the meantime, we were forced to sit and wait.

“Mama, can you put a bow in my hair?” Tillie was holding up an oversize sequined purple bow. My daughter was still discovering her own personal style—some days she wore baggy overalls and high-tops, others were frilly dresses and hair bows. Her lightly freckled cheeks and thick brown hair reminded me of a tiny version of myself. The only difference was that when I was seven, it was my au pair who’d taken the time to put pretty bows in my hair.

“Of course, baby. Turn around.” Tillie smiled and gave me her back while I secured the bow in her half-up hairstyle. I smoothed the straight strands down her back. “Have you seen your brother?”

“He was dancing naked. Again. So I got dressed in the bathroom.” Tillie was unimpressed with her twin brother’s fascination with thoroughly grossing her out.

I laughed and squeezed her shoulders. “Okay. I’ll get him. Please finish getting your bag together.”

Down the hallway, I stopped in front of the room I shared with the kids. I knocked twice but turned the handle to open the door. There was a mattress tucked into the corner and a makeshift bed on the floor. The queen-size bed wasn’t quite big enough for the three of us, so I’d made a pallet of blankets and pillows to sleep on to keep the kids from having to sleep on the floor.

My heart hurt just looking into the room.

I tried to push past the shame and infuse my voice with sunshine. “Ready to go, bud?”

Ben turned and his eyes went wide as he took me in. “Mom.” His groan had me stifling a laugh. “You cannot drop us off at school wearing that.”

I looked down in mock surprise, feeling a zip of accomplishment at my chosen attire. Seeing Abel nearly pop a blood vessel when I showed up for work in sponge curlers and a bathrobe would be enough enjoyment to carry me through the weekend. Not only did fucking with him make me giggle, but I was convinced it was something he needed too. It seemed like everyone in town was afraid of him, and the man needed to lighten up.

It became my mission to do that, and I took it very seriously. If my outfit was enough to get the attention of a seven-year-old, it was certainly enough to ruffle my grumpy boss’s feathers.

I opened my arms. “What? It’s cozy.”

Ben rolled his eyes and yanked his zip-up hoodie onto his shoulders. He shook his head. “You are so weird.”

I ruffled his nearly white-blond hair as he grumbled past me. “I promise I won’t even get out of the car. I was just running a little behind today, that’s all.”

Herding him out of the bedroom and down the narrow hallway, I turned to my granddad. “You can get them after school, right? I took a double shift and have to work until eight.”

Granddad nodded. “I can take care of the rascals.” He gestured toward them. “Come here.”

Enthusiastically, the twins hugged their great-grandfather. He may be grouchy and set in his ways, but he’d always shown up for us. His home was our safe haven after my divorce, and I owed him everything.

I checked my watch. “Okay, we’re officially late! Let’s go!”

Like herding cats, I rounded up backpacks, grabbed water bottles, and shuffled the twins out the door. True to my word, I didn’t get out of the car and embarrass the kids with my outfit. Instead, I smiled the biggest grin I could and waved as they walked into the elementary school building. Tillie was enveloped by a gaggle of girls, while Ben did what he had done every morning at drop-off—turned back for one last smile and wave.

I watched him walk into the elementary school building with a lump in my throat. The house fire had taken everything from us—almost. I would be grateful every single day for Lee Sullivan and for how he’d found Ben huddled in a closet and had saved his life by jumping out of the second-story window.

As it did every single day, driving away felt nearly impossible, but I reminded myself that he was safe and I had a grump to irritate.

I checked my reflection one last time. Biting back a smile, I channeled our lord and savior Miss Taylor Alison Swift by painting on a bold red lip. I flipped up the visor in my car and strode into Abel’s Brewery with a little extra swing to my hips.

Fridays meant the craft kitchen opened a few hours early, and patrons would be filling the booths and tables until close. On the outskirts of Outtatowner, Michigan, the brewery was nestled into a large sand dune overlooking North Beach and the vast open waters of Lake Michigan. Abel’s Brewery appealed to the upscale tourist vibe in every way. It was a masculine contrast to the soft whimsy of the beach grass and had large wooden beams and iron accents inside and out. The back wall faced the lake and was lined with glass garage-style doors that opened during the spring, summer, and fall months. It was my favorite feature of the brewery. Fire pits with cushy seating dotted the exterior. Inside, a large double-sided fireplace could add warmth during the chillier winter months.

The luxurious, upscale vibe of the brewery was a stark contrast to its somber owner. Abel King was nothing but dark glowers and heavy sighs. Sometimes I worried my antics were taking it a bit too far, but then I remembered Abel’s little sister Sylvie had become my best friend, and that protected me . . . at least that was what I told myself.

Instead of using the side entrance designated for employees, I sauntered through the main entrance, hoping to make a splash with my appearance.

And make a splash I did.

Like clockwork, Abel was grumbling behind the bar, wiping off surfaces, washing glasses, and arranging everything the bartenders would need for a busy afternoon and evening of serving patrons.

I sneaked a glance from the corner of my eye. Abel King wasn’t just tall; he was massive. With wide shoulders and a tapered waist, most women in town would say he was devastatingly handsome—if they could manage to get past the perpetual storm cloud over his head.

His hair was dark and cut close on the sides, but lately I’d noticed he had let the top grow a little longer than his usual no-nonsense style. Dark eyebrows shadowed his irises, and I hadn’t yet dared get close enough to see if they were brown with hints of something like green or caramel or pitch black, as I’d suspected.

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I tamped down the thought, and with my chin in the air I wove around high-top tables and past intimate high-backed booths that lined the outer perimeter.

My hips sashayed as I walked past the bar. “Morning, boss,” I singsonged as I slipped past him and reached for a glass.

While I filled the glass with water, Abel’s gaze was like a brand on my back. I’d certainly caught his attention. Stifling a giggle, I tightened my grip on the small duffel slung over my shoulder, carrying the work clothes I’d need to eventually change into. Under my robe was nothing but a bra and panties, because when you decide to mess with someone, you commit to the bit.

I took my time sipping the water and acting as if nothing at all was strange about me showing up to work on a Friday looking the way I did.

As I finished my drink, I swallowed with an audible aah and clinked the glass into a wash sink. Satisfied that I had left my ever-serious boss reeling, I had moved to exit behind the bar when his hard, stern voice rolled over my shoulder.

“Sloane.” The deep rumble in such close proximity made me jump.

I scurried out from behind the bar, but in my haste, the loopy bow of my robe snagged. My forward momentum tugged on the belt, sending it tumbling to the floor. I turned, eyes wide with shock as the cold air tickled my skin.

I looked down to see my robe wide open, revealing my very visible nipples through the lacy mesh bra and thong set. My head whipped up to find that Abel also had a clear view of my barely there underwear.

With a yelp, I gripped the sides of the robe and pulled it closed. Heat burned my cheeks as I nearly ran around the bar and toward the back.

This was not at all how I’d seen this going.

Once safely inside the employee bathroom, I flipped on the light and, for the first time since leaving the house, took in my appearance. I looked ridiculous in the furry robe and curlers.

And Abel almost saw you naked.

A fresh wave of embarrassment rolled over me. The prank was supposed to be cheeky and funny, but instead I had flashed my boss wearing nothing but a minuscule thong and mesh bra that broadcasted the temperature of the room at any given moment.

I coughed out a laugh and held my hand over my mouth to keep Abel from hearing me. I needed this job, and I had been busting my ass for months to save up in order to get our lives back on track. The last thing I needed was to get fired for being a clumsy idiot.

Abel’s face had been shocked and embarrassed. Those dark eyes—with flecks of gold, by the way—had pinned to my chest and run all the way down my exposed front for a full beat before flicking back to my face.

Oh, yeah. He’d definitely seen everything.

How the hell was I supposed to face him now? I wanted to crawl into a hole and die a slow, mortifying death.

A hard knock on the door jolted me. “Sloane. We need to talk.”

Oh, shit.