Lucky Break Read Free

one more squeeze, he put her down. Her red curly hair, bright as ever, was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of tight jeans with a red tank top.
    “I haven’t been called that for years!” She smiled up at him.
    “That’s because it’s my name for you. You look good.” He took the time to study her. She’d changed in five years, though he assumed he had, too. One big difference was that she showed a lot more skin. But the same freckles she always had were painted over her shoulders and nose.
    Back when they were kids, Rowan had hated them until Sidney told her she always wished she had freckles, too. That easily, Rowan fell in love with them and she became Freckles. Sidney always did have that power, a way of making everything seem like more than it was.
    “You do, too!” Rowan reached out and grabbed his arm. “Wow. You have some guns on you there, Kade. When did you start working out?”
    He laughed and shook his head. “Are you flirting with me?” He knew she wasn’t—he and Rowan had never been that way—but he still liked to give her a hard time.
    Her nose crinkled. “Absolutely not.”
    Kade laughed, reached out, and wrapped an arm around her. He ruffled her hair like he would do with a younger sister. Damn, it felt good to be home.
    “Kade!” She pulled away. “I hate it when you do that. You’re just like my brothers!”
    Rowan was the only girl in a household of boys. She was tough because of it—she didn’t take crap from anyone and defended herself and her friends with everything she had. He and Sidney had always loved that about her.
    “I knew you’d want her,” she said as they started for Lucky’s.
    Kade startled for a second, but then he realized she meant the building. He just nodded, unlocked the door, and let them in. How could he not want Lucky’s? It was a staple in the town that meant so much to him. Everyone in Shamrock Falls went there. He’d spent a lot of his childhood here. Hell, he felt like he owed the place something because he’d spent so much time here when he didn’t feel like he could be at the cabin. This was the only way he could think to give back—by making Lucky’s shine again. “Yeah. Thanks for letting me know about her. I want to open her up soon, but there’s some work I need to get done first.”
    They pulled up a couple dusty barstools and sat down. “I can help if you want.” Rowan kept smiling at him and he couldn’t figure out why. “You’re different,” she said, answering his unspoken question. They’d kept in touch since he left Shamrock Falls, but they hadn’t seen each other in five years. His doing more than hers. In the beginning, it had hurt too much to see her because she reminded him of Sidney, and later on, responsibilities got in the way.
    “Same ole’ me, Freckles.” But he knew that was a lie.
    “Dark as ever!” She ruffled his brown hair like he’d done to her. His sunglasses started to fall, but he caught them.
    They’d always been like this. First him and Sidney, then in sixth grade when Rowan showed up at his favorite fishing spot, she’d joined the group.
    He hadn’t realized just how much he missed Shamrock Falls and his friends—friend. Just like him, Sidney hadn’t been back here in years.
    “Where are you staying?” Rowan asked.
    Kade scratched his head before leaning his elbow on the counter. “You’re not going to believe it, but at Mae’s. Not the main house; I’m renting out the guest house while mine is getting ready. The renters are moving out soon and I’m buying it from Mom.”
    Rowan’s green eyes widened. “Congrats! How’d staying at Mae’s come about? You watching the place while she’s gone?”
    He never would have expected to be staying at Mae’s, either. Not that he had a problem with the older woman—in fact, he loved Mae. He’d spent half his childhood at her house, but that’s the exact reason he wouldn’t have expected to stay there. Too many memories that he