Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron Read Free Book Online Page A

look, with a headband made of glittery rhinestones, and a blue-sequined dress, and shiny matching blue eye shadow. She saw herself in the fancy hotel’s marble bathroom with her guest, Paloma, who would have a mascara wand in her purse that shewould show Lucky how to use. And Lucky would confess to her about staring at Pete-the-geologist’s scratchy cheeks and wanting to touch them.
    Lucky knew the problem with her ideal birthday dream: It would be too expensive, way too expensive.
    Brigitte said, “Yes, Miles, and you will love this party, another very Californian barbecue like tonight, and for dessert there will be some more some-mores.” No one corrected her. They all knew she’d need plenty of coaching to learn to say s’mores the right way.
    After a while Miles nodded. He seemed to accept the situation of a small birthday party instead of a big celebration with the whole town. He stood at the Weber, mechanically turning his skewer, his head bowed, his back to the group. Lucky noticed that the marshmallow was finished cooking, but Miles just stood there, turning and turning.

    “No, man,” Short Sammy said suddenly. “Let’s have the party up at my place. I only got three chairs, but there’s room for everyone in the town and then some.”
    Brigitte looked doubtful, and Mrs. Prender shook her head. Mrs. Prender seemed to be speaking for both of them when shesaid, “Nice a you to offer, but I still can’t afford no food and what-not for forty-three people, even with Brigitte and me sharing the costs.”
    Short Sammy adjusted his cowboy hat and stretched his legs in their pointy-toed boots. “Naw. I mean I’ll host the party. I’ll cook up a big stew.”
    Miles’s marshmallow caught fire, but he didn’t notice. He turned it, unseeing, and waited.
    “That house of yours would need festivating,” said Dot. “It looks like a water tank.”
    “Well, it is a water tank,” Short Sammy said.
    “It’s a water tank with a great big box by the front door,” Dot said darkly. Lucky held her breath, wondering what would happen now that the whole situation had been brought out in the open. Dot plowed on. “That box gonna stay there, or what?” she demanded.
    “Nope,” Sammy said. “Gonna take what’s in the box out of the box, man. Then I’ll sink that thing in the ground about halfway. It’ll be a surprise. And that’s all I’m saying about it right now.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and pulled his cowboy hat down over his eyes. Everyone knew you couldn’t get Sammy to say another word when he did that. It was like a CLOSED sign in a store window.
    “But Sammy,” Lucky said, “can’t you tell us at least if it’s a good surprise or a bad surprise?”
    Sammy tilted his head back, looking at Lucky from underthe brim. “I imagine for some folks it’ll be a shocker and cause a lot of fuss; for others, maybe, pretty funny; and someone else’ll probably like the idea so much they’ll steal it from me. But I don’t want the whole town talking about it, deciding if it’s good or bad, until I’m ready. And that, man, will be the day of the party.”
    There was a long silence. Lucky thought and thought about what Sammy had said, trying to figure out what he meant. If it was a casket, why bury it only halfway? That would just be too weird. Lucky looked around, but everyone was staring down at the ground, as if they were trying to understand too, or as if they were praying.
    Finally Lincoln cleared his throat. “I’ll help you decorate, Dot,” he said. “I’m good at climbing ladders. You can tell me what to do. We’ll get the Captain to haul folding chairs up from the museum so people can sit out front in the yard.”
    “Seems like a lot of fuss—,” Mrs. Prender began.
    Brigitte said, “Next weekend we are busy at the Café with quite a few lunch reservations. Can we have this birthday for Miles and Lucky in the evening on Sunday? I will help you with the food, Sammy, and I