Lucky Forever - Cee Bowerman Page 0,8

staggered for a second and then leaned back toward me, his arm going over my shoulders for a quick hug and then staying there naturally. It was comfortable and I liked it, so I didn’t shrug and get away like I normally would.

I wanted his arm around me, even if it was just a friendly gesture. I felt a kernel of hope start in my chest. Hope that maybe someday he’d put his arm around me as more than a friend. And maybe he’d put those lips of his on me, too.

I hadn’t wished for that in years and it made me wonder what kind of mojo that woman put on the lottery ticket before she gave it to me.

◆◆◆

ROWDY

“This is it! The final throw, ladies and gentlemen. Here he is, Rowdy Lincoln, trying to win best out of … um … how many games is this?” Leia asked the other girls.

“Nine!” A woman who I had never met before was watching along with her husband and standing next to them was another couple. A few minutes ago, I watched money change hands between the men and had to laugh when I realized they were betting on our little competition.

“Nine! This is it, folks. They’re tied four and four right now and this is the clincher. Will he take home the title or will the lady in red snatch his dreams away?”

“Okay, go!” Holly waved her arms like she was starting a drag race rather than a skee ball competition and I watched as Lexi and Leia jumped up and down cheering for Sierra.

Sierra took her time, drawing out the suspense. She held the wooden ball in the fingertips of both hands right in front of her face and then leaned her head back and took a deep breath. Finally, she dropped the ball down to her side and shot it up the felt toward the glass. I saw the ball spin at the last second and then it seemed to hang in the air right before it dropped into the 500 point slot.

Sierra grabbed another ball and threw it the exact same way, finally having found the perfect groove to hit 500 each time. After the third one went in, she missed and got two 300 point balls and then another 500.

Without even finishing the rest of the balls, she turned around and smiled at me and then dropped a curtsy as if she were a member of the royal family.

“I do believe that makes you the Skee Ball Queen, milady,” I bowed toward her and offered up the tickets I had acquired during our game. Sierra took the bundle and shook it above her head as both of our daughters and their friend applauded dramatically. The small crowd we had drawn cheered. I glanced toward the two men I had noticed earlier and saw one of them shaking his head as he reached for his wallet.

“Shall I escort the queen to get her treasures?” I asked Sierra, putting my arm out like a gallant gentleman.

“Yes, you may, milord.” Sierra’s English accent was horrible and she and I both chuckled as we walked together toward the prize counter. I glanced back and saw that the girls were finishing Sierra’s game so they could get tickets for more prizes of their own.

“You won fair and square,” I told Sierra. “Good game.”

“It really doesn’t bother you that I won?”

“No,” I chuckled. “Why would it? You did much better than I did. You deserved the win.”

“Some men wouldn’t handle it quite that well.”

“Well, those men are douchebags.” I smiled down at her. “So, pick your prizes, my queen. What will it be?”

“I’m going to have to have a spider ring, of course. And I’ll get an eraser for each of my court. I’ll have about three tickets left after that, right?” Sierra laughed as she leaned over the counter to look at the little trinkets they had on display. The teenager behind the glass case pulled out the erasers and I watched Sierra pick through them to find the ones she wanted. “Go ahead and give me four more spider rings.”

The teenager pushed the box toward Sierra and she nudged it toward me.

“For you, Mr. Second Place,” Sierra said as she held a black plastic ring toward me.

I plucked it out of her hand and slipped it onto my pinkie before I held it out in front of me and moved my hand around as if to catch the light.

“For me? Awww.