Lucky Break by Kelley Vitollo Page A

don’t have time to play with you, Sidney.” His words brought thoughts to his mind that he had no business thinking. Sexual ones where he did get to play with her. It didn’t help that she looked gorgeous as always. “Get that idea of painting out of your head right now.”
    “Make me.”
    Fire blazed in his veins. He loved it when she got feisty like this. “Don’t tempt me.”
    She tried to get around him again. So she wanted to play hardball? He’d give her hardball. Kade picked her up. Sidney squealed, but he ignored it. She flopped over his shoulder.
    There was a slight chuckle around her words. “Kade Mitchell! You put me down right now!”
    Not likely. “You’re staying as far away from a roller as I can get you. Do you think I don’t remember what the cabin looked like when we painted it?” How she couldn’t paint a wall, he didn’t know. It had probably been more of her not wanting to, but he wasn’t risking it.
    “I was like, five. And you’re sweaty! Put me down.”
    He’d walked to the other side of Lucky’s by now. He laughed as he put her down, surprised at how he’d fallen right back into their friendship the way it used to be.
    She was slightly out of breath when she spoke. “I’d forgotten about painting that cabin until now.”
    “You were a lot older than five, Peaches.” She froze, and he realized he’d used his old nickname for her.
    Sidney recovered quickly by saying, “I always loved it there.”
    The air around them thickened. A knot formed in Kade’s gut. “Yeah…yeah, I did, too.”
    “Are you sure it’s okay to come out here? Your parents won’t care?”
    Kade shook his head. “Nah, it’s cool. Even if they did care, they won’t know. Dad’s away on business and Mom’s up at the house.”
    She followed him through the woods to the little lake cabin that sat on the same property as his house. When she tripped over a branch, she reached out for him and he caught her. He didn’t let go of her hand and she didn’t, either. It made him feel strong, like he could do anything because she trusted him to take care of her—not that it was such a big deal. He couldn’t protect his mom, but he could protect Sidney.
    “It’s pretty out here,” she said from next to him.
    “It is.” Only he was thinking about her and not the woods.
    Kade pushed the door open to the little wood house. He froze the second he stepped inside. His mom was sitting there, her face red and eyes swollen from tears. A purple bruise tinted her left eye.
    “Kade! Oh, I didn’t know you were coming out here today.” She quickly wiped her eyes, and when she glanced over to see Sidney, she turned around. “This is so embarrassing. I’ll let you kids hang out.”
    Only he couldn’t move. His body was frozen yet overheated in anger at the same time. “Where is he?” What did Dad do to her now?
    “It’s nothing, Kade—”
    “It’s not nothing!”
    “I can go,” Sidney whispered.
    “No!” His mom partially hid her face as she walked toward them. “I’m fine. Just being a silly old woman. You kids have fun. Be safe out here.” She slipped through the middle of them, pulling their hands apart. He wanted to grab on to Sidney again, but didn’t.
    “I hate him.” Kade walked over to the window and looked out. Trees blocked his view, but he kept on starting at them. “He’s such an asshole. ‘This is a man’s world, Kade. It’s our place to own it and a woman’s to stand by our side. Sometimes you have to remind them of their place.’ I hate him. I don’t want to be like him.”
    Sidney stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head rested against his back. That small gesture eased some of the tenseness in his limbs.
    “You could never be like him, Kade Mitchell. You have too big a heart.”
    “I should protect her. I try, but she won’t let me. He’s already told her he’ll kill her if she says anything.”
    “Oh, Kade,” she whispered and he