Read Getting Lucky (The Marilyns) for Free Online Page A

with green energy. I remember him mentioning it.” She sat up, tucked one leg under her, and turned her body toward Will. “When you say everything… How much is left?”
    He could see the hope in her eyes, and it cut deeply that he would be the one to squash it. “You are in debt up to your eyeballs. And bankruptcy isn’t an option because you don’t own enough assets to cover the debt. The bank will take the house and all of the contents to pay off the money Ricky borrowed to invest in the solar company, the court will garnish any royalties made off his music to pay the studio back, and Ricky wiped out your savings the week before he died. He was counting on his upcoming tour to replenish the coffers.”
    “Oh.” She nodded and let it all sink in.
    He had to give her credit. She didn’t fall apart. The near loss of Dawnie had been more emotional than finding out she was flat broke. That was as it should be, but unfortunately for the girls, not a view their mother would have taken.
    “The only way out is the reality show.” She rolled her shoulders like she was trying to smooth out the tension. Maybe someday, he’d reach over and massage it away.
    He gave Lucky a minute while she processed the situation.
    She nodded slowly. “Okay, here’s the deal. I want one hundred million dollars for one season, half up front, and they drop the lawsuit. I will designate where and when the cameras can film. If they fire me, I get to keep the money. Filming starts as soon as possible and lasts for no more than six months. All of this is nonnegotiable and final. One season and one season only.” She nodded. “I can stand six months. Half of a year in this house, and then I am out of here.”
    She would leave, and he would never see her again. His heart ached. At least he had six months. That was something. “I’ll call them today.”
    “Always in charge.” She nailed him with her hazel-green eyes dead on and made to get up.
    Will grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. It was a necessary touch, and he made himself let go of her hand. “We need to talk about Rosie.”
    “Dawnie told me that she died. How wrong was it to be the tiniest bit happy?”
    “She had cancer…cervical cancer that metastasized.”
    She slumped back against the pillows. The fact that both Lucky and she had cervical cancer was no coincidence. Cervical cancer was caused by the HPV virus, which was transmitted through sex. Ricky must have been fairly crawling with HPV.
    “Now I feel somewhat bad about being happy.” With her forefinger and thumb, she pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d been lucky that her cancer had been caught early. “So you’re the girls’ legal guardian?”
    “They have no one else.” Will sounded tired, and he couldn’t help it.
    “Wow.” She sat forward and covered his hand with hers. “That’s a lot to take on. How are you handling it?”
    Lucky might have been mad at him, but when it counted, she was always there. When someone mattered to her, she would move heaven and earth for that person. What he wouldn’t give to see love shining in her eyes instead of sympathy.
    Without thinking, Will laced his fingers through hers and tried not to sound too hopeful. “They need a woman’s guidance. I don’t have the right to ask this, but please keep an open mind when it comes to the girls. They are victims as much as you are. They haven’t had it easy.”
    With her thumb, she stroked the back of his hand. It was soothing and sexy at the same time. This was too much physical contact. He couldn’t handle it. She hadn’t meant it to be sexy because it was a kind gesture to console a friend. Always the friend, never the lover. But he couldn’t pull his hand away. She was here, and they were touching.
    “I can’t…” She bit her lip, swallowed several times, and nodded. “I’ll try.”
    This was the Lucky he knew and loved. She would do what had to be done and then leave.
    “Why didn’t you tell me about