It was a valid point. Wolves were testy about certain things, and Damon was not only a powerful wolf, he had his hot buttons. It wasn’t worth getting the local Alpha riled up for a short visit. Jim nodded at the logic, even though… “This summer you can come for longer. We’ll know who to talk to by then—you might be able to do your meet-and-greet over the phone or something.”
“Maybe.” Damon finished munching down his first cookie, his bright eyes matching his blue button-down shirt. He rubbed the crumbs from his fingers and smacked his lips. “Tasty. Anyway, the reason I’m here.”
He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small object, extending his hand forward. In his palm a small round disk flashed in the firelight.
“Lady Luck.” Jim stared at the artifact. He’d honestly not thought about it once over the past two weeks since chasing after his supposed-wife-slash-turned-out-to-be-Lillie incident.
“Yep.” Damon pulled his hand back and stared down at the shiny. “Thought you’d like to know she’s safe, and all. Finally convinced the judge to hand her over.”
“Good for you.”
And he meant it, even when Damon began flipping her into the air, her shimmering copper surface sending streaks of light over the walls as she spun.
“Actually, here’s the thing. I knew you were okay with me winning her. You picked Lillie and doing the right thing over this bauble, and I was impressed. So…”
Damon stopped flipping her vertically and instead tossed the coin at Jim.
Only instinct made him move fast enough to catch it, his heart skipping a beat. “What the hell are you doing?”
His friend leaned back in his chair, easing toward the fire’s heat. “It’s mine to do with what I want for the year, and I want to give it to you. Take it, it’s yours.”
The skipped beat was back, with friends, as Jim’s heart thumped into double-time. He glanced at the copper disk nestled in the palm of his hand, the designs like familiar dreams rushing into his brain. This was what he’d longed for. What had been missing in his life…
He glanced beside him and caught sight of Lillie, a small half-smile teasing her lips. The firelight licked over her hair. She’d taken to wearing it down over her shoulders because he’d asked her to.
Her eagerness to learn more about him delighted him. They’d talked damn near nonstop for the past two weeks. They were only beginning to see how much they belonged together.
She was his love and his luck. He tossed the coin back to Damon without another glance. “Keep the trinket. I’ve got the only lady I need right here.”
“Ick. Mushy stuff.” In the background Damon mock-sighed in disgust, but it was the brilliant light in Lillie’s eyes that held Jim trapped.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Positive.” He leaned forward, intending to kiss her no matter what noises Damon made. He didn’t think she could look any more beautiful, but somehow, it happened.
The entire room lit up as she shot out of his arms and twirled in the middle of the room, her arms stretched to the side as a loud squeal of excitement escaped. Her hair shimmered in the light like fireworks set off in their house. Jim watched in amusement and adoration.
And confusion when she stopped in mid-twirl and thrust out a hand toward Damon. “Mine,” she shouted.
“You cheated,” his friend grumbled, but he flicked the coin into the air. “I don’t know how, but you cheated.”
“Did not.” She stuck out her tongue briefly, dancing away from his hand that was swinging toward her butt.
Jim narrowed his eyes, both to warn his friend off and because something was seriously fucked up. Before he could demand answers, Lillie sank to the floor in front of him, her elbows resting on his thighs as she held up Lady Luck and flashed a dazzling smile.
“Here.” She tilted her head toward Damon. “I won the bet. I told him you’d turn down his gift. So now? Lady Luck is mine forever, which means she’s yours too.”
There should have been a playbook offered with this conversation. “I… You won Lady Luck? But Damon brought her here…”
Damon laughed. “She’s way better at bartering than you, dude. Called me up the other day and suggested we do an all-or-nothing for ownership of Lady Luck. Pointed out you and I didn’t need a reason to get together to do crazy things—we can do that without involving the coin. So here was the deal—I offer you the coin. If you turned me down, she won. If you accepted, you got to keep Lady for the year and then she’d legally become mine forever.”
She’d gambled on him valuing her more than the trinket. Jim stroked her cheek softly. “I love you.”
“I know. And you don’t need any lucky coin to be happy.” She rubbed her cheek against his hand, and this time when he pulled her closer she didn’t refuse, rising to meet him and accept his kiss.
“And…that’s my cue to take my bags to my room. You got Netflix in this place? I feel the need for a marathon of zombie movies. Or an apocalyptic Day After Tomorrow ice age washes over the earth and leaves the place looking like—well, surprise, surprise. Look outside,” he exclaimed. “Just like that.”