Chapter 42
Liz sighed and stood up from the table. “As much as I enjoy watching you cheat, I have to go. My shift starts soon, and I want to run home and change first.”
“Cheat?” Lucky asked incredulously. “It’s Candy Land! You can’t cheat at this game!”
“Oh, come on, I thought you were a Spencer. Can’t they cheat at anything?” she challenged.
“Give me a break, Elizabeth, why would I want to cheat at a kids’ game? What do you think I did, hide trick dice up my sleeve?”
She shrugged and started for the door, grabbing her purse on the way. “I don’t know, but there’s no way you just won 3 games in a row by pure luck.”
He grinned and followed her. “Hey, they don’t call me ‘Lucky’ for nothing!”
Liz groaned and threw open the door. “You’re so full of yourself, it makes me ill. I better leave before your ego takes up the entire room.” She turned to look at Dominique, her annoyed expression softening into a sweet smile. “Bye, Dom, thanks for letting me play with you, even if your Uncle Lucky is a big, fat cheater!” At the end of her statement, she looked back at him and frowned, then left the house.
Lucky closed the door behind her, shaking his head in annoyance, and Dom started giggling. “What’s so funny?”
“Are you and Lizzie getting married?” Dom asked innocently. Lucky’s mouth dropped open, and he nearly lost his balance as he walked into the living room.
“Dom! Whatever gave you that idea?”
She shrugged, smiling her cute little smile. “You were fighting all day, and that’s what married people do!” she said matter-of-factly.
Lucky chuckled and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. “No, honey, we weren’t fighting. We were just....teasing each other, that’s all.”
Dom grinned again and he knew he hadn’t gotten out of it that easily. “Daddy says that when boys tease me it’s because they like me. Does that mean you like Lizzie?”
“I can’t win with you, can I?” he asked, amused by her questions. She grinned and shook her head. Lucky figured the best way to get out of it was to distract her, so he began to tickle her, sending her into a fit of shrieking laughter.
~*~
After quickly changing clothes, Liz hurried over to Kelly’s hoping she wouldn’t be late. As she headed for the door, someone stood up from one of the outdoor tables and started to approach her.
“Hey, Liz, you got a minute?” Luke asked, trying to put on his most innocent face.
She turned around and studied him for a moment, wondering if he was up to something. “Well, actually, I’m running late....”
Luke waved his hand dismissively. “Forget about it, I know the owner,” he said, smirking.
She chuckled and took a seat at one of the tables. “Okay, what is it?”
“Well,” Luke said, sitting across from her. “I need a favor.”
“From me?”
“Yeah, well, as you probably figured out, my son isn’t exactly on speaking terms with me these days.” Liz nodded, knowing very well why he wasn’t Lucky’s favorite person at the moment. “Anyway, Lulu is going away to camp for a couple of weeks, and I screwed up and forgot she had to go this weekend, and scheduled a business trip at the same time, so I can’t take her. Laura’s got too much going on with the Outreach Program to do it, so I was hoping you would be able to drive her down for us.”
“A business trip?” she asked suspiciously. Since when did Luke go on business trips?
“Well, let’s just say it’s for Sonny and leave it at that,” he answered vaguely, hoping the implications of the statement would stop her from questioning it further.
Liz nodded, knowing very well that when something involved Sonny and business, not to ask any more questions. “Okay, where and when?”
“This Friday. The camp is in Jersey, so it’s kind of a long drive.”
“Jersey? Why are you sending her to camp there?” Liz asked.
“What can I say? It was cheaper!” Luke answered, grinning. “Anyway, I wouldn’t feel right if you were by yourself, since it’s so far, so maybe you should ask Carly and Michael along, that way he and Lulu can play in the backseat, and you and Carly can share the driving?”
Liz thought it over, then nodded. “Sure, Luke, if you can get the diner covered while I’m gone, I’ll do it.”
“Great!” he said, clapping his hands together. “Thanks so much for this, Liz. I really appreciate it. Oh, and just remember, this is my princess we’re talking about, so I’m counting on you to get her there in one piece!”
Liz chuckled and stood up to go inside. “Don’t worry, Luke, she’ll be fine. You have my word.”
Luke smiled, happy that she said that. “Okay, then I’m going to hold you to that. Pick her up at my house Friday morning. They’re taking the kids all night, so you don’t have to rush to get there.”
“I’ll be there,” she said, opening the door. Luke stood up and watched as she went inside, then made his way to his car, whistling happily. So far, so good.
~*~
Lucky backed out of Dominique’s room after tucking her in for a nap, smiling to himself. “I should tickle her more often, she’s exhausted now!”
He made his way downstairs, figuring he’d just watch TV until Nikolas came home, but was interrupted by the phone. He jumped for it, hoping that the shrill ring hadn’t woken the little girl upstairs.
“Hello!”
“Oh, Lucky, good. I was hoping you’d be there,” Laura said.
“Hey Mom, what’s up? Nothing’s wrong, is it?”
“No, I just need a favor from you. See, your dad signed Lulu up for some camp next week, and then forgot about it and told Sonny he’d go out of town with him on something, and now we need someone to take her. I have too much with the Outreach Program to leave, so I was hoping you’d do it.”
“Sure, when does she need to be there?”
“Hang on, let me see what he wrote here.....this Friday. It’s in New Jersey, though, so it’s going to be a long drive. Maybe you should bring someone along?”
“New Jersey, huh?” he asked, chuckling to himself “Let me guess, it was cheaper?”
Laura laughed. “Probably. So, you’ll do it?”
“Of course I will, I can’t let my baby sister miss camp because Dad’s too wrapped up in his stupid schemes to remember. I’ll pick her up that morning.”
“Thanks Lucky, and I’m sorry about that whole jail thing. If it makes you feel any better, I made him sleep on the couch that night.”
“Well, it’s nice to know someone’s on my side,” he said, laughing. “I just hope that was enough to teach him not to meddle any more.”
“Oh, knowing your father, probably not. But, if he keeps doing it, I’ll just keeping making him take the couch. It was kind of nice, actually, having the whole bed to myself. You know, he rolls around a lot in his sleep and...”
“..okay, Mom, that’s enough!” Lucky interrupted. “I think that’s starting to fall under the ‘things I don’t want to know about my parents’ category. I’ll find someone to go with me, and pick up Lulu Friday morning.” They said their good-byes and hung up, then Lucky sat down on the couch and flipped on the TV, trying to ignore the nagging feeling he was having about this trip he just agreed to.
