Summer Holiday Lifeline (Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond #5)

Prologue

A Few Weeks Earlier…

“Hold that thought.” Lucky held up one finger to Tris and Ozzy, who stood one on either side of the Oak’s B and B kitchen/dining pass-through.

Hip-deep in renovating Lucky’s youth shelter next door, Ozzy had come to pick their brains on outfitting the shelter’s topmost floor of study space and cyber nooks, and they’d just started talking when the B and B’s phone interrupted them.

The ring blared through the main floor for a third time as Lucky scooted to the counter to answer it. “The Oaks B and B. How can I help you?”

“Lucky?” The voice on the other end shook slightly and hitched over the end of his name, so he almost didn’t recognize it.

“Micky?” He glanced over at Ozzy in time to see his head snap around from where he’d been leaning over the counter to kiss Tris.

“Yeah.” A small sniff and gently cleared throat. “Yeah. Hey. I… um.” There was a crackling and shuffling and the dim sound of Micky saying “Jet, what did I tell you about that? Put it away.” Then the line cleared and Micky sighed. “Hey. Sorry about that. Listen.”

There was a long pause.

“Mick. What?”

“I know you probably have a lot on your plate.”

“When haven’t I? So what? What’s wrong?”

“I need.” He huffed, and there was another sniff. “Shit. I need help, Lucky.”