Lucky Chance Read Online Free Page A

motivation you need.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “A little over a year…”
    “Enough.” He tried to keep the regret and sadness from showing in his voice but failed miserably. “It’s cold. Let’s get inside.”
    She nodded, but didn’t move. “You might want to shove that memory aside, but it’s a part of you. A part of this. It’s part of why Graves chose you.” She slipped the door key from her pocket, and headed toward the front of the house.
    “What does that have to do with this?”
    She didn’t answer him at first, waiting until the door opened. She flicked on the entryway light, then turned to him. “Graves didn’t tell you?”
    “Tell me what?” He kicked the door shut and tossed his bag on the floor. He was tired of playing twenty questions, and he was tired of the whole situation. The next two weeks would be worse than any orders he’d ever had before.
    “Private First Class Kyle Phillips.”
    “Leave him out of this,” he snapped, trying to push the memories back into the depths of his mind.
    “He’s the one who recommended you to Graves for this.”
    “What?” Anger at not knowing threatened to spill out, but it wasn’t Madison he should be angry at. It was Graves, or even Phillips. Graves never mentioned it, not that it would have made much difference. After all, an order from a commanding officer was still an order, but it mattered to Lucky.
    “I’m sorry, Lucky, I thought you knew.”
    “Just forget it,” he snapped before reining himself back. “It wouldn’t have changed anything, but I’ll be damn sure to have a few words with them when this is all over.”
    “It wasn’t so much his fault. His mother and my boss are good friends. She knew of Kyle’s service, and asked if he had any recommendations. That’s why he went to Graves.”
    “I thought you didn’t know who the Marine was that you were meeting? If you knew Kyle recommended the person, you had to have had a name.”
    She placed the garment bag over her suitcase, dug into her planner before finally finding a printout and held it out to him. “I didn’t know until we were on the plane, when I read the form I received before I flew to Virginia. That’s how I found out. I’d have told you, but you were trying to sleep. I didn’t want to bother you.” When he didn’t take the paper, she placed it back on top of the planner, and set it on the entryway table. “I only know what was in the paper, but there’s no wonder why he’d recommend you.”
    “I don’t want to discuss it.” He snatched his bag off the tiled floor. “I need to get some sleep.”
    “Take the bedroom at the end of the hall.” She nodded toward the stairs. “I’ll be in the one closest to the stairs if you need anything.”
    “I take it you’ve been here.” He grabbed the garment bag before taking her suitcase as well. He didn’t want to have to come back downstairs for anything. He needed to put some distance between them, avoid that look of sympathy in her eyes.
    “I was here two weeks ago to check out rental properties. Each contestant has their own rental with a chef’s dream kitchen where they’ll be staying with their handlers for the next two weeks. Being that I picked them out, I assigned the nicest to myself. There’s even a hot tub on the deck if you’re interested. A small work space for me and a kitchen that I hope will suit your needs.”
    “I’m sure it’s more than I’m used to. The cooking supplies were extremely limited when we were deployed.” With one more glance at her, he took the first step to the second floor.
    “I can take my bag,” she offered, but he was already a quarter of the way up.
    “Don’t worry, Maddie, I won’t open it and look at all your sexy lingerie. I’ll be a gentleman and place it in your room.”
    “I’d never expect anything less from you.”
    After depositing her suitcase in her room, he headed farther down the hall to his room. The door was open,