Chapter 1
A Letter From Lucky:
__________*+*+*+*__________
'Dear Sara,
'Take these keys and go to my lake cabin. I've included the address below.
'You deserve some major R&R. You can stay as long as you like. My Uncle Randy lives right next door, he takes care of the place. He'll take care of you, too! He's the best.
'I'm really sorry this happened to you, kid, it's totally messed up. If you need anything, here's my new number. I'll be in Morocco trying to sell some art.
'Your friend forever,
'Lucky.
'P.S. Don't let my Uncle Randy seduce you!'
Sara read the note that her longtime friend had left on the counter. Lucky had been staying with her these last couple nights as she couch surfed along through her great life adventure. Mostly she'd been there to emotionally buttress Sara during her crisis.
But Lucky never stayed anywhere long and she always left in the middle of the night. Or at least, before her friends were up to say goodbye to her.
Lucky hated goodbyes.
She was the most generous, amazing friend that anyone could ever ask for, though.
Sara contemplated the set of keys while she sipped her morning coffee. Maybe she would take Lucky up on that offer. She could definitely use a quiet place to escape; a place where no one could find her, a place where she could get some real R&R.
She knew her agent, Alister, would strongly encourage such a thing. Taking time out of the public eye was always good for sales, or so Alister said.
Sara wouldn't know, it wasn't her job to handle the PR, that was what Alister was for. Sara just sang the songs.
But some time out of the spotlight sounded good right about now, especially considering that every tabloid Sara picked up had her face and her ex on the cover, a jagged line separating them to signify that trouble had in fact come to Paradise.
It was so egregious.
Not only had her boyfriend been unfaithful, but the whole world seemed to know about it. She fielded steady calls from friends, family, business associates, and even people she barely knew, all telling her how terribly sorry they were for her and that it had been an absolute atrocity; what had happened to her.
Sara sighed.
Lucky's cabin was more appealing than ever, because it was quite far off the beaten track, located on the shores of Bear Lake up in Michigan. It wasn't an overly popular destination because there wasn't much to do there if you weren't into fishing, hiking, or bird watching. There weren't any amusement park rides or any equipment available for rent. If you wanted a bike or a boat, you had to bring them, and the cell reception was close to nonexistent, as Sara recalled.
It sounded perfect.
She had spent many summers there as a girl, with Lucky and her family when Sara's parents were off traveling, as they often were. Her siblings had grown bored of the whole experience faster than she had. The summers she'd enjoyed most were when it was just her and Lucky and Lucky's family. Of course, Mama Rue and Papa Spence were long since passed, and she hadn't been out to the lake cabin in forever. It seemed like so long ago; the memory faded like an old photo with sun exposure and time. It was still golden, though, still tugging on her heartstrings if she but reached for it.
Sara's fist closed around the handful of keys.
It was decided.
She would go to the lake cabin.
###
A few minutes later she was packing up the essentials while on the phone; calling everyone she needed to, including the housekeeper who came a few days a week, to let her know she wouldn't be home for a while and could she please water the plants?
Last, Sara put a call through to the number Lucky had left her. For some reason, Lucky was always changing her phone number.
"Hey, yeah, I got your note. How's the open road?" Sara asked when Lucky answered with her signature, "Yellow?"
"Oh, you know, the world is my oyster. So did you take the keys?"
"I did!" Sara laughed at herself, flicking some brown hair back from gray eyes. "I'm packing right now. And don't worry, I'll try to resist your old Uncle Randy."
It was Lucky who laughed at this, a husky sound from too much smoking. "Hey, don't underestimate that old pervert's ability to charm a vulnerable woman. So just be careful, 'cause you're vulnerable right now."
"Thanks for the reminder." Sara said dryly.
Lucky was known for being rather blunt.
"You know, though, I do recall having a little bit of a crush on your uncle back in the day."
"What?! Eeeewwwww, I woulda never let you over if I'd known that!" Lucky teased. "Just watch yourself, girl. Papa's gun is still over the mantle and the ammo is-"
"In the drawer by the back door, I remember." Sara assured her with a private eye-roll. Like she'd ever use that darn thing.
"And the emergency numbers are still on the fridge. Okay, well, I gotta go! Give Randy a hug and kiss for me, or don't, if you're still harboring that crush, you sicko."
"Har-har."
"Alright, the plane is boarding now, gotta go!"
"Have fun! Send me a postcard from Morocco!"
"Will do. Later, gator." And Lucky ended the call first.
Sara sighed with wistful envy as she slid her phone back into her pocket. "In a while, crocodile." She finished the childhood phrase.
