Chapter 5
Lucky and Emily chatted for a few more minutes before she had to leave. She stood up from the table and started for the door.
“Hey, you didn’t eat anything. Why’d you come in here?” Lucky asked.
She stopped and turned to smile at him. “I thought Jason might be here, so I stuck my head in to see. I really should get going though. The family’s expecting me, and you know how they can get when I’m late!”
Lucky chuckled and waved as she left. He went back to the counter and frowned at the chili, which had grown cold. “Oh, well,” he sighed, putting some money on the counter to cover it, with a little left over for a tip, even though Elizabeth had been acting like such a brat ever since he showed up. He glanced toward the kitchen, kind of hoping that she would come out, but she didn’t, so he sighed and slid his sunglasses on, then left.
Elizabeth heard the bell jingle again. The first time, she assumed it was Emily leaving, so she had stayed in the kitchen. This time, it was either another customer coming in, or Lucky leaving. She stood up and wiped her hands on her apron, then poked her head out the door. When she saw that the diner was empty, she felt a small pang of disappointment. She walked over to his half-eaten bowl of chili and picked it up, smiling when she was the money underneath.
“Well, at least he was honest enough to pay.” She quickly counted it out, surprised that he had left a tip as well. She tucked the money into her apron and brought the bowl into the kitchen, figuring she should finish that oven before someone else showed up wanting food.
~*~
Lucky walked up to his parents’ front door and smiled. The place hadn’t changed. He debated for a moment if he should knock of just go in. Figuring he might scare someone if he just let himself in the front door, he knocked, then stood back and waited.
The door swung open and Luke’s face broke out into a huge grin. “Cowboy! My goodness, it’s good to see you!” Lucky walked into the house and the two men shared a quick hug. “We didn’t know you were coming!”
Lucky chuckled and nodded. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”
“Well, you got me then. Laura!” he shouted over his shoulder. “We’ve got company!”
Laura hurried out of the kitchen and stopped dead in he tracks when she saw her son standing there. “Lucky!” She opened her arms and hurried over to him. He walked towards her as she enveloped him in an embrace. He sighed as he hugged her back. No matter how old you are, it always feels good to be hugged by your mother!
“I missed you, Mom,” he said, pulling away and smiling at her. She smiled back as she studied his face.
“I missed you too, sweetheart. Oh, look at you! I can’t believe it’s been a year! Are you eating okay? Are you getting enough sleep?’
Lucky laughed at how quickly she had gone into “mother mode.” “Yeah, Mom, I’m fine. I just figured I was due for a vacation.”
They went into the living room and sat down. “So, did you just get into town?” Luke asked, lighting a cigar.
Lucky shook his head. “Yeah, but I stopped at Kelly’s first. Tradition, you know?” He paused for a minute, then looked up at Luke. “By the way, what possessed you to let Elizabeth run the place?”
Luke chuckled. He had expected this kind of reaction from him. “So I take it you saw the lovely Miss Webber already?”
Lucky rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately. She’s still as rude as ever. Not exactly the first quality that comes to mind when looking for a restaurant manager!”
“Well, Cowboy, I hate to break it to you, but she reserves that particular personality trait solely for you. You should feel honored!”
“Hardly. I just can’t believe she’s actually going out with Jason. I thought she was smarter than that.”
Luke shrugged, smiling at the hint of jealousy in Lucky’s voice. It seemed like his son still had a thing for Liz. “What’s wrong with Jason? He’s a successful businessman and a good father. From what I hear, those are pretty desirable qualities in a man, right darlin’?” He looked at Laura for confirmation.
Laura laughed at the expression on Luke’s face. She knew that look all too well. He was up to something, and she had a feeling it had something to do with Lucky and Elizabeth. “Yeah, women definitely like that sort of thing.”
“Whatever. If she wants to get herself killed, then who am I to interfere?” He sighed and decided to change the subject before his father had a chance to say anything else. “Nikolas came in while I was there. Dominique has gotten so big!”
“Yeah, she’s a cutie,” Luke said. He still wasn’t all that thrilled with Nikolas, but he had to admire him for raising that little girl all by himself. Plus, Dom was adorable, and even if she was only his step-granddaughter, he couldn’t help loving her. They weren’t exactly having family picnics with Stefan or anything, but having Dom in their lives had managed to calm down the Spencer-Cassidine war a little bit.
“So where’s Lulu?” Lucky asked, looking at his parents. He had really missed his sister, and was anxious to see her.
“Oh, she’s at Ned and Chloe’s. Brooke Lynn is in town for a few weeks, so she went over to see her. She should be home in a few hours, though. How long are you here for?”
“I don’t know. I’m sort of on an indefinite leave of absence. I guess I should head over to the hotel and see if they’ve got a room available.”
“You mean, you’re not staying here?” Laura asked. She had hoped he would, even though, deep down, she knew he wouldn’t want to stay there.
He shook his head. “No, I might be here for a while, and I just couldn’t stay here for that long. Nothing personal, but I’d start to feel too confined. The hotel will be fine, it’s not like I can’t afford it!”
“Nonsense,” Luke said. “That place is outrageously priced. Why don’t you take one of the rooms above Kelly’s? It’s more private, so you won’t have to worry about running into any of those crazy fans of yours every time you walk through the front door. Plus, I can get you a good deal on the rent.”
Lucky laughed. “Good idea, but you’re forgetting that living above Kelly’s would mean I’d run into Elizabeth on a regular basis. Sorry, Dad, but that’s not my idea of fun.”
“Oh, come on. She’s not there that much! She takes a lot of time off to paint. Anyway, if you’re going to be in town for a while, you’re bound to run into her, no matter where you’re living!”
“Yeah, but isn’t she living there too?” Lucky asked.
Luke shook his head. “Nope. After Audrey passed away, Liz got her house in the will, so she lives there now.”
Lucky fell silent, shocked to hear that her grandmother had died. He suddenly felt terrible for being so rude to her earlier. “She died? When?”
Luke shrugged. “I don’t know, a few months ago, maybe longer. You didn’t know?”
“Uh-uh. Well, I guess Kelly’s is probably the best place for me. Okay, I’ll take it. Thanks.”
“Anytime, Cowboy.” Luke got up and went over to the desk in the corner, pulling out a set of keys. He thumbed through them and worked one of them off the ring. He tossed it across the room. “Here you go, number 5. It’s the biggest one, and it’s already furnished.”
Lucky caught the key and stood up. “I’m going to go move my stuff in. I’ll be back in a few hours to see Lulu.” He hugged them again, then left. Once he was gone, Laura turned to her husband and sighed.
“Okay, what are you plotting this time?”
Luke chuckled. “I don’t know yet, but I’m still determined that those two were made for each other. I’ll figure something out, I always do.”
“What about Jason? Don’t you think it’s sort of unfair to him?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet. But, Liz was destined to be a Spencer, and who am I to mess with destiny?”
