Second Chances (Fairshore Series Book 1)

by Christina Butrum

  “What’s that place?” Bailey asked as she pointed to the building on the corner.

  “That’s Jerico’s. He’s our jack-of-all-trades here in town.”

  Amelia turned left at the end of Main Street and drove straight into the country on a gravel road.

  “Your parents live on a farm?”

  “On an acreage, yes. My parents aren’t poor by any means, but they sure don’t have enough money to raise farm animals.”

  Bailey nodded. “I’ve always wanted to live on a farm and have horses and dogs. I love animals.”

  “I do, too. We had a horse, but it ate my dad’s wallet.” Bailey raised her eyebrows. Amelia snickered. “Not literally. My dad said the horse ate a lot and it was expensive to feed. So we settled on raising dogs. We never had more than two, other than when they had pups. Dad sold the pups right away. He’d always tell me ‘no getting attached to them A.J.’.” Amelia smirked.

  “What breed of dogs were they?”

  “As I grew up, we had all sorts. Dad always made sure we had the same breed each time we got them. He said he couldn’t make a dime on a mutt. The pups had to be purebred.” Amelia smiled. “The first set we had were Black Labs, Gus and Betty.”

  Bailey chuckled.

  “No, I didn’t name them. They had their names before they came to us.”

  “How old were you when your parents started breeding dogs?”

  “Like nine or ten.”

  “Are they still breeding them?”

  “Gus and Betty? Oh no, they died years ago.”

  Bailey laughed hard and tried to talk. “No…I mean…are your parents still breeding dogs?” She took a deep breath. “I figured Gus and Betty were long gone by now.”

  Amelia laughed. “Oh, sorry! Ha! They just bought a male and a female. Both are Australian Shepherds.”

  “Those are nice dogs.”

  Amelia turned the car onto a shorter gravel road and drove until she could see her parents’ house. “There it is.”

  A two-story blue house sat in the distance. It was surrounded by trees.

  “Wow, it’s gorgeous.” Bailey stated. “I love old farm houses. They’re so elegant.”

  Amelia turned the car onto her parents’ driveway. “They’re going to be surprised when they see us. They’ll probably be shocked when I tell them we’re staying for almost two weeks.”

  Amelia stopped the car and shifted it into park. As she turned the car off, she heard dogs barking in the distance.

  Bailey glanced around. “Is it safe to get out of the car?”

  “Of course! These dogs wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Amelia said as she climbed out.

  Two Australian Shepherd dogs ran toward her. She bent down and patted each of them on the head. Bailey walked around the car and stood by Amelia.

  Amelia pointed to the female dog. “That’s Mattie.”

  Bailey squatted and patted Mattie.

  Amelia patted the male dog on the head. “This is Bishop.”

  Bailey patted both dogs. “Well, hey there, Bishop and Mattie.”

  Amelia walked to the trunk of her car and opened the lid. The dogs ran off to the house.

  “They’re nice dogs,” Bailey said as she grabbed her suitcases out of the trunk.

  Amelia grabbed her suitcases and bags out of the trunk. She stood still and furrowed an eyebrow. Bailey looked at her and asked, “What?”

  “I forgot about Bella. Is she going to be alright?”

  Bailey shut the trunk lid. “Of course. I have my co-worker watching her. I took her there last night when I left your house.”

  “Okay, good.” Amelia walked up to the front steps. Bailey followed.

  The sidewalk had been shoveled, but since then, new snow had covered the sidewalk. They trudged up the porch steps. The boards creaked as they stepped on each step. Once to the door, Amelia set her suitcases and bags down. She knocked on the door.

  Her mother answered the door. As soon as her mother realized it was Amelia, she let out a short cry, almost a shriek. “Amelia Jean!”

  “Hi, Mom!” She opened her arms and her mother walked into them. They hugged each other on the front porch. Tears streamed down her mother’s face. “Let’s get inside. It’s a bit chilly out here.”

  “Okay, let’s go inside,” her mother said as she grabbed suitcases and guided the girls into her house. “And you brought Bailey, too! How nice!” She hugged Bailey. “It’s so nice to see you two again. I was wondering when I’d see you two.”

  “I know, but the good news is we’re staying for about two weeks.”

  Her mother turned to Amelia. “You are? What about your job? How are you going to stay here for two weeks?”

  “Anna’s Deli is closed temporarily…”

  Her mother interrupted Amelia. “Oh, no. What happened?”

  Amelia knew her mother was a worry wart. She had inherited the trait from her mother. She had debated on telling her about Anna’s Deli. “I had planned for a week off anyway.”

  Her mother guided them into the living room. “Have a seat. Can I get you two something to drink?”

  “Water’s fine,” Bailey said.

  “Water for me, too,” Amelia said and continued on about Anna’s. “So, we had this snowstorm come through. People bought everything. Anna’s sold out of everything. The shelves are empty and the inventory is sold out.”

  Her mother looked surprised. “Wow.”

  Amelia knew this was unheard of around Linford. People were used to winter here. People prepared all year round. Unlike people in Fairshore, they had an overabundance of meat in their freezers. They had groceries stocked in every nook and cranny of their houses. Almost every person in Linford knew how unpredictable the weather was. They were prepared for blizzards in June.

  “So, Anna has to close temporarily while she waits on shipments to restock her store.”

  “What’re you going to do for money for two weeks?”

  “I have enough in savings. I’m fine.” Amelia assured her mother.

  Her mother handed them their glasses of water. “I heard Susie’s looking for help.” Her mother took a drink. “I know you girls are on vacation, but if you want extra money, I’m sure she would let you both work for the few days you’re here.”

  “I’m not sure I want to work on my vacation.” Amelia said as she looked at Bailey. Bailey shrugged.

  “It’d give you girls a little extra money. Maybe some spending money?”

  Amelia shrugged. “I guess we’ll see. I plan on visiting her and everyone else while we’re here. So we’ll see what Susie says.”

  “It’s up to you.” Her mother looked at the clock. “Your father should be on his way home. Are you girls hungry? I need to start supper.”

  “We’ll help you,” Amelia said as they walked to the kitchen.

  As they peeled potatoes, the three of them discussed the weather and then changed the subject.

  “How’s living in Fairshore?”

  “I love it!” Amelia exclaimed. “Everyone’s nice. I enjoy my job. I’ve made several new friends.” Amelia smiled at Bailey.

  “That’s good. I was hoping you’d find happiness and great opportunities there.” Her mother pulled a strainer from the cupboard and placed it in the sink. She grabbed the peeled potatoes and dropped them into the strainer. She turned the faucet on and rinsed them. “Any men catch your attention yet?”

  Amelia blushed. She did not know if she wanted to tell her mother about Zach. She and her mother were really close so she knew she could tell her mother anything. Amelia tried to ignore her mother’s question. She peeled potatoes, and avoided eye contact with her mother.

  Her mother watched Amelia. She smiled and asked, “What’s his name?”

  Bailey cracked up and said, “Busted.”

  Amelia laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Her mother shook her head. “Spill it, Amelia Jean. I want to know.”

  Bailey nudged Amelia. �
��Go on. Tell her about Zach Gallagher.”

  Her mother arched an eyebrow. “Gallagher?”

  Amelia smiled.

  Her mother asked, “Why does the name sound so familiar?”

  Bailey spoke up. “Zach Gallagher. He owns Gallagher’s Furniture.”

  Her mother nodded. “Yes, of course.” She looked at Amelia. “Are you dating him?”

  Amelia nodded.

  “Well…tell me about him.”

  Amelia told her mother about the day she met him, but she left out the current situation they were involved in with Courtney.

  “He gave you the furniture half off, right?” her mother asked.

  “Yes.” Amelia replied. She told her mother about their dates.

  “He sounds like a gentleman.”

  “He’s really sweet,” Amelia stated as she swooned over the thought of him.

  “I’m happy to hear that. Just take your time and don’t rush things.”

  The back door opened and Amelia’s father walked in. “Whose car is parked out there? It can’t be Amelia’s, can it?” he asked as he walked through the house and into the kitchen. He walked through the doorway and looked at Amelia and Bailey. “Well, I’ll be damned. A.J., it is your car.”

  Amelia hopped into his arms and hugged him. “Hey, Dad!” she exclaimed.

  “What’re you girls doing here?” he asked.

  “Bailey and I planned this trip together as a surprise. We’re both on vacation.”

  Her father grinned. “Well, I’m surprised!” He glanced at Amelia’s mother and back at Amelia. “I’m shocked. Your mom just told me the other day we were coming to see you.”

  “I know. She called me the other day and told me. That’s when I told Bai that we needed to hurry up and get here.”

  “How long are you staying?” her father asked the girls.

  “About two weeks.”

  “Two weeks?! Wow!” Her father’s eyebrows raised and his mouth dropped open. “What about your job?”

  “This snowstorm threw everyone for a loop. They all came to Anna’s and cleared the shelves. So now Anna’s is temporarily closed until she gets restocked.”

  “Wow.” Her father had the same reaction as her mother had. “It’s shocking what a snowstorm can do to a small town.”

  “People in Fairshore aren’t like people here. They prepare for winter in the late fall months, not all year round.” Amelia stated.

  He shrugged. “But the weather’s unpredictable. It’s best to be prepared.” He tried to give Amelia a lesson.

  “I know.” Amelia smiled.

  “I know you do, A.J.”

  Her mother washed her hands and set the timer. “Food will be done in an hour.” She walked over to Amelia’s father and kissed him. “I’m making meatloaf, potatoes, and beans.”

  He kissed her on the cheek. “It sounds good, dear.”

  The four of them made their way to the living room. The living room was large. A fireplace was in the corner of the room. A large oak entertainment center sat against the farthest wall from the brown sectional couch.

  Her mother sat in the brown recliner, while the other three sat on the couch.

  “So what’re you girls planning to do here?” her father asked.

  “We plan to visit you guys and my friends.” Amelia smiled. “Mom said Susie has been looking for help. We might stop in there and see how she is and if she mentions needing help.”

  Her father nodded. “Not a bad idea. You may need extra money since Anna’s is closed. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to work a bit while you’re here. I know this is vacation for you girls, but a little extra money never hurt anyone.”

  Amelia looked at Bailey and smiled. She knew Bailey would be okay with doing anything. This was their vacation. They were going to make the best of it.

  “How’s your work, Dad?”

  “Busy. It’s harvest time. That keeps us busy. Not sure what to think of the snow just yet.” Her father picked up the newspaper that set on the coffee table.

  “That’s good. It’s better to be busy than not busy enough.”

  Her father smiled. “You’re right.”

  Amelia chuckled. “You’re the one who has said it since I was little.”

  Her father nodded. “Right again.”

  Amelia sat back into the couch. “I’m exhausted.”

  Bailey laughed. “We haven’t done anything today.”

  Her mother chuckled. “Sometimes doing nothing is more tiring than being a busy body.”

  “That’s true,” Amelia agreed. “Plus the drive here.”

  Her mother agreed. “Driving is very relaxing.”

  Her father looked at Amelia. “I have to go out and feed the dogs. Do you girls want to come out with me?”

  “Sure!” Amelia and Bailey hopped up from the couch.

  They walked outside after they bundled up in their winter gear. Bishop greeted her father when they walked to the shed. Her father had built this shed when Amelia was little. She used to play house inside with her friends. When Amelia outgrew it, her father turned it into an oversized doghouse. The shed was painted blue to match the house. As they approached the shed, they heard yipping.

  “Puppies?” Amelia asked. She was excited now.

  “Mattie had ‘em a few weeks ago. In a week or so, they’ll be weaned and ready to sell.” her father said as he opened the door of the shed.

  Five puppies crowded around the door and their feet. They yipped and whined louder than they had a few minutes ago. The five puppies were of all different colors. There were two blue merle, two red merle, and a tri-colored. The blue merle pups had black patches on gray fur. The red merle had rusty red patches on beige fur. There was one puppy that was tri-color, a mix of white, black, and brown.

  “Aww. How cute!” Amelia dropped to her knees. The tri-color puppy came up to her and licked her hands and arms. It stretched upward and tried to lick her face.

  Her father smiled. “There are two blue merles and two red merles. And of course, one tri-color.” He said as he pointed out each color. “Don’t be getting attached, A.J.”

  “This one’s too cute. It’s going to be hard not to get attached.”

  “That’s always a problem, A.J.” Her father grabbed a bag of dog food and dumped its contents into the feeder bowl. He looked at Bailey and asked, “Do you know how hard it is to sell a dog with a little girl attached?”

  Bailey looked at Amelia and replied, “I can imagine.”

  Amelia sighed. She placed the puppy down with its siblings. “I know I’m not supposed to get attached, but that’s very hard for me.”

  Amelia knew she should not get attached. She also knew it was a bit too late for that. Living alone was boring. She needed a faithful companion. “Dogs are a man’s best friend, right?” Amelia asked. “I could use a roommate.”

  Her father worked on chores. He pretended he had not heard Amelia. Amelia looked at Bailey. “Bella could use a friend to play with.”

  Her father put a bucket of water on the floor of the shed. He cornered the bucket between two boards. He had learned, throughout the years of breeding and selling puppies that cornering the water and food buckets decreased the chance of the puppies tipping them over.

  He looked at the girls. “Who’s Bella?”

  “My dog,” Bailey stated.

  “A.J., a dog is a lot of work. They need lots of attention.”

  Amelia picked up the tri-color puppy again. She held her close to her. The puppy laid back against her as she scratched and patted her. “I think I can handle her.”

  “Her?” Her father looked at Amelia and the puppy.

  Amelia nodded and held the puppy out so her father could see the puppy was a female. “Yep, this one’s a female.”

  “A.J., I have to think about it. I don’t know if I should let you have one.” Her father looked at Bailey and winked. His decision had been made when the female tri-colored puppy chose Amelia. There was no way he could
tell Amelia no.

  Amelia placed the puppy down again. “I understand.” She patted the puppy on the head. Its tongue licked her hand frantically as she rubbed its belly. “I’ll see you later, little one.” She said to the puppy. She looked at Bailey. “Do you want to go inside with me?”

  “Sure.” Bailey said.

  Amelia walked over to her father and gave him a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Have a good night at work.”

  “Have a good night, girls.”

  Amelia and Bailey walked to the house from the shed.

  “That puppy was cute. It seemed like you both chose each other. That’s how it happened with Bella and me. She was in a litter of four. I walked into the barn and she tried desperately to get my attention. Once she had my attention, she refused to lose it. Every time I put her down, she begged to be held. It was like she was clinging to me.”

  “Aww. That’s adorable.”

  “Kind of how the pup is with you.”

  Amelia stuck her bottom lip out to pout. “My parents need the money. So I won’t be able to keep her.”

  “Never know. Your dad seemed to sense the connection. I think you and the pup melted his heart.”

  Amelia chuckled. “We could’ve. You never know.”

  They walked into the house. Her mother sat on the couch and watched the news. “Hi, girls. Did you see the pups?”

  Amelia replied, “Yep.”

  “They’re cute, aren’t they?”

  Amelia nodded. “Yes, they are.”

  She looked around the living room. “Can we watch a movie?”

  “Sounds good to me. Nothing but negativity on the news these days.” Her mother handed the remotes to Amelia. “Pick the movie.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Amelia opened her eyes. She smelled bacon. She sat up in her bed and pushed the covers away. Bailey was asleep on an air mattress by Amelia’s bed. Amelia stood up and tiptoed to the door. She opened the door and tiptoed out into the hallway. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

  Her mother turned the bacon in the pan. “Good morning, Amelia. Is Bailey still sleeping?”