Second Chance Lane

by Nicola Marsh

  ‘Thanks for coming,’ he said, his genuine smile making her heart race.

  ‘You made it sound important that I do a final check, so here I am.’ She stepped into the small hallway leading to the kitchen on the left and the seating area on the right. Rich aromas tantalised her: sugar, nutmeg, honey, roasted nuts. ‘You’ve been busy,’ she said, as her stomach rumbled.

  ‘Hope you’re hungry.’ He placed a hand in the small of her back, a gesture she secretly loved, as he guided her towards the dining area.

  ‘I didn’t come here to eat … oh—’ She gaped at a table set for two in the middle of the room, covered in tiny pastries of every description: eclairs, madeleines, mille-feuilles, petit fours, beignets, pains au chocolat and macarons, arranged artfully on white platters designed to bring out their vivid colours. Saliva pooled in her mouth and she swallowed. If Mason thought the way to a woman’s heart was through her stomach, he was damn right.

  He propelled her forwards and when they reached the table he pulled out a chair for her, waited until she sat, then pulled up a chair next to her, so close their knees touched. ‘I wanted you to see what you’d be missing out on.’ His gaze locked on hers, challenging.

  She sighed. ‘We’re not just talking about pastries, are we?’

  ‘Of course not.’ Mason gripped her hand and, rather than snatch it away, she savoured one last touch. ‘I understand your need to leave Brockenridge, I truly do, but I think we’ve got something special I’d like to explore. Why don’t you take a trip? However long you want, but come back to Brockenridge to live—’

  ‘I can’t.’

  When his jaw went rigid with tension, she knew she’d have to give him something to get him to back off. ‘You saw what happened at the roadhouse with those two sleazes? That’s what I’m known for in this town.’ She flung the truth at him, tilting her chin in defiance to stare him down.

  To his credit he didn’t flinch but his eyebrows rose a fraction. ‘Yet you’ve lived here for over a decade since school finished when you could’ve left at any time?’

  ‘You’re not judging me?’

  He shook his head. ‘Whatever you’ve done, it’s in the past—’

  ‘People have long memories. You know the small-town mentality of a place like this.’

  ‘Then we’ll create new memories.’ He shuffled a little closer, until their thighs aligned and she could feel the heat radiating off him. ‘You wouldn’t be afraid of a little gossip otherwise you would’ve left years ago, so tell me why you’re really leaving now?’

  ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ she murmured, trying to extract her hand from his but he wouldn’t let her. ‘My dad died when I was nineteen after a major blowout with my mum. I overheard some of it. She didn’t want a child, only had me to get my dad’s wealth, that kind of thing. The argument escalated and she ended up saying she wished he was dead. He got in the car and hit a tree …’ She blinked back the tears burning her eyes. ‘The lack of skid marks suggested it was deliberate.’

  ‘Shit, Jane, I had no idea, I’m sorry.’

  ‘I blamed Mum. I expected her to grieve like I did. Instead, when I asked her about it, she shut me out. Which was nothing new, considering she’d treated me like a hindrance my entire life, but I thought after Dad died things might be different, she’d feel guilty or something and reach out …’ She shook her head. ‘Instead, in her warped way, she resented me more, so I stayed in town and did some dumb-arse things to shame her. None of it worked, of course, and we ended up avoiding each other. She’s done some hateful stuff I can’t fathom.’ She blew out a breath. ‘I’ve confronted her, and she came clean about a lot. She wants us to forgive and forget, but I’m not ready for that yet.’

  She looked him in the eye. ‘I need to get away, gain a new perspective, discover who I am beyond this town.’

  ‘Then I’m coming with you.’ He took her other hand and pulled her to her feet. ‘Do you want to know why I didn’t renew the lease on my apartment in Paris? Because you’re here and I thought this was where you wanted to be. I did it to prove to you how invested I am in us.’

  ‘But why?’

  They’d barely dated and hadn’t even had sex. Why would a guy like him give up so much to be with a girl like her?

  ‘Because I’ve fallen for you,’ he murmured, before brushing a soft kiss across her lips. ‘Every obstinate, stunning inch of you, and I want to explore what this spark between us could turn into.’

  In that moment, Jane understood the meaning of having a lightbulb moment. She’d been blessed in the looks and body department, and had wielded her sexuality since she’d hit her teens. Yet here was this amazing, thoughtful, gorgeous guy wanting a relationship with her even though she hadn’t used her body to get what she wanted. How much more proof did she need he could be a keeper? Joy filled her chest and she laughed for the sheer hell of it.

  ‘That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.’

  ‘I’m happy,’ she said, beaming at him. ‘So does this mean once the patisserie is functional you’d be willing to come hang out with me in Melbourne?’

  He nodded, his eyes glinting with happiness. ‘Wherever you are, I’ll be there.’

  Jane flung herself at him, plastering her mouth to his, desperate to show him how much his sacrifice meant. He deepened the kiss, groaning into her mouth.

  As delicious as those pastries looked, they’d have to wait until later.

  CHAPTER

  44

  As soon as the driver passed the ‘Welcome to Brockenridge’ sign, Kody texted Isla. As much as he couldn’t wait to see his daughter after a week away, he didn’t want her around for what he had to discuss with Tash. Relieved when she responded, saying she’d be at netball practice for the next hour before going to Alisha’s wedding, he directed the driver to Tash’s place.

  Another gem of information Isla had provided: Tash was at home doing some research while Isla was getting ready at Ellen’s before her friend’s father would drop her off at the town square for the wedding. The research bit piqued his curiosity. What was Tash up to? He hoped it had to do with her nursing degree, because she deserved to follow her dream. With him by her side, if she’d have him.

  His attempt to convince her the two of them should be together hadn’t gone so well last time. They’d both declared feelings for each other but she’d understandably closed him down. She thought he’d leave her because of his career. He had to show her how a relationship could work between them, with a little compromise.

  The driver had been respectful of his need for silence on the drive back from Melbourne—feigning sleep had helped—but once they hit Brockenridge and Kody opened his eyes to text Isla, the guy wouldn’t stop badgering him for information regarding the band’s next tour and how many women he’d slept with.

  Reluctant to tell the driver to shut the hell up, he kept his responses to a minimum, grateful when the car pulled up outside Tash’s place. After handing over the fare and a tip, he headed up the path towards the house and around the side to the back door.

  He liked the informality of the country, how everyone knew everyone else. It soothed the long-buried loneliness that had plagued him for as long as he could remember. Living on the road had been one long adventure but there was a lot to be said for having someone special to share it with.

  Knocking on the door, he mentally rehearsed what he’d say. He’d had enough time to do it on the drive but whenever he got to the part about revealing his true feelings he’d stall, even in his head. Dating him would be tough and even though he’d laid out a plan with Tony, the band’s manager, to limit the fallout once news of Isla broke, he knew Tash would hate any unwarranted attention. Back in his days playing at the Princeton when he’d been a nobody, he’d seen the way she’d eye the groupies, regulars who attended gigs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. He’d teased her about being jealous once and she’d laughed it off, but he’d noticed her wariness whenever one of the groupies appro
ached him.

  How much worse would it be for her now, when women thought nothing of slipping their phone numbers—and worse—into his pocket? When they pulled down tops to have their bras or breasts autographed? When they’d send naked pics? Thankfully the band had PR people to filter the pics out these days but it had been bad at the start, the lengths women would go to in order to get near a rock star. Then again, he counted on the townsfolk of Brockenridge rallying around Tash once the news broke. Country folk wouldn’t put up with much crap and he counted on the paparazzi soon tiring of the story and moving on.

  When she didn’t answer, he knocked again, only to glimpse movement from behind the sheer curtain. Stifling a grin, he called out, ‘I can see you’re in there. Avoidance is futile.’

  He heard a muffled, ‘Damn it,’ and grinned as she opened the door.

  ‘Miss me?’ He rested a hand against the doorjamb, deliberately casual, knowing it would rile her. He shouldn’t, not when he wanted her to hear him out, but he couldn’t resist, she looked that pissed off to see him.

  ‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ She opened the door wider. ‘I guess you’d better come in considering you sent the driver packing.’

  ‘Where’s that country hospitality Brockenridge is supposed to be famous for?’

  ‘That’s only reserved for friends.’

  ‘Ouch.’ He pretended to stagger and stepped into the kitchen, waiting until she closed the door before taking the folded document out of his pocket.

  She eyed it warily. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘A plan.’

  ‘For?’

  ‘You and me.’

  Her eyes widened and she backed up a few steps. ‘Kody, we’ve been through this. Anything between us isn’t feasible—’

  ‘I’m stepping away from the band.’

  Her jaw dropped. ‘You can’t. That band is your life.’

  ‘No, my life is here. With you and Isla.’

  Colour suffused her cheeks and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

  ‘What are you saying?’

  ‘That I want to prove to you I’m in this for the long haul.’ He unfolded the paper, smoothed it out and held it up. ‘If we’re going to do this right, the way the news gets out is important, so a press release will control it.’

  She stared at him like he’d sprouted another head. ‘You want to announce to the world that you have a daughter? Are you nuts? Media will be all over this place like ants at a picnic.’ She shook her head, not even glancing at the paper. ‘No way.’

  Knowing she’d react like this, he laid the paper on the nearby dining table. ‘Give me some credit. I’ve spent the time in Melbourne reorganising my life so I can be with you and Isla as much as possible, so the least you can do is hear me out.’

  She visibly deflated. ‘Sorry. You know me, always ready to make rash judgements.’

  He bit back a smile, her moroseness incredibly endearing. ‘Yeah, I do know you, yet I still want us to be together. Go figure.’

  ‘Stop it,’ she muttered, but he glimpsed a smile. ‘Okay, I’ll listen.’

  ‘I’m not leaving the band, but we’re cutting back, big time. No more long tours. We’re old enough and successful enough to pick and choose what we do these days, so that means focussing on recording and less live gigs.’

  Her lips compressed, her silence telling. She wasn’t impressed.

  ‘I want to put down roots for a while, explore a relationship with you, be a dad to Isla, without having her travelling between us. So I’ll get a place in Brockenridge, see how it works out.’ He held up his hands like he had nothing to hide. ‘No pressure, Tash. I just want you to know I’m not jerking you around, that I’m serious about us.’

  The tension underlining her mouth softened. ‘Those are some major changes for you. Are you sure about it?’

  He nodded. ‘Absolutely. The boys are onboard too. We’ve been on the road too long. About time we came home to Australia and concentrated on our local fans.’

  She didn’t speak for a while and when she did, it was to murmur, ‘I’m a fan.’

  Hope flickered to life. ‘Then that pretty much guarantees I’ll be focussing on you.’

  She smiled and he wanted to punch the air and let out a happy whoop.

  ‘I need some time so I can think about this, because I always weigh every decision involving Isla carefully.’

  She was making him sweat and he bit back a grin. ‘How much time?’

  Her smile widened. ‘As it turns out, no time at all, because I’ll be returning to study fairly soon, completing my nursing degree part-time while working, so it’d be handy having you around.’

  He laughed at her joke, as an invisible weight lifted off his shoulders. ‘So that’s the only reason you want to give us a go? For my general dogsbody skills.’

  She tapped her bottom lip, pretending to think, before snapping her fingers. ‘That, and some other skills you have.’

  He crossed the kitchen in three quick steps, his ankle not twanging at all, to sweep her into his arms. ‘So you want to use me for my body too?’

  ‘Over and over again,’ she murmured against the corner of his mouth a moment before she kissed him.

  ‘Lucky I married Harry today otherwise I reckon I’d give you a run for your money with Hot Pants.’ Alisha nudged Tash, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the stage since Kody had stepped up to perform a great rendition of Billy Idol’s ‘White Wedding’.

  ‘Huh, did you say something?’ Tash cupped her ear and leaned over. ‘I think you did, but I didn’t hear because I’m too busy perving on my boyfriend.’

  Alisha laughed. ‘I’m so glad you two are back together. And I’m also glad he got that walking boot off in time to slip into those leather pants.’ She fanned her face. ‘It’s indecent, I tell you, and I’m a married woman now.’

  While Tash loved the way those tight pants highlighted Kody’s assets, she had every intention of getting more indecent with him later.

  ‘You’re blushing,’ Alisha said, with a smirk.

  ‘It’s the heat.’

  ‘Sure thing.’ Alisha gestured at the five hundred-strong crowd milling about the marquee in the town centre. ‘I can’t believe my small, intimate, closest friends and family only wedding turned into this.’

  ‘Quit your moaning, you love it,’ Tash said, rapt to see her boyfriend—she’d never get tired of calling him that—on stage in front of most of the town.

  ‘I guess I’ll have bragging rights for life, with Kody Landsdowne performing at my wedding.’

  Ruby sidled up to them and bumped Alisha with her hip. ‘So you didn’t mind me swapping the roadhouse as your wedding venue and organising all this?’

  ‘This town has been my life for so long, it was a great idea,’ Alisha said, shooing away a fly in danger of becoming stuck in her veil. ‘I even saw my introverted husband busting a few moves with some of those old chooks. You inviting half the town has been worth seeing that.’

  ‘How often are you going to call him your husband after today?’

  ‘All the time.’ Alisha held her left arm out, admiring the shiny gold band on her ring finger. ‘Can’t believe I’m married. Poor Brenda and Cyril had given up hope, I think.’

  ‘So had we, you old spinster,’ Ruby said with a chuckle, earning an elbow from Alisha.

  ‘When’s Connor going to make an honest woman out of you?’

  ‘We’re eloping,’ Ruby said. ‘Less angst.’

  ‘True,’ Alisha said. ‘But who’s going to forget today? Brockenridge folk are going to be talking about this legendary wedding for decades.’

  ‘You deserve the spotlight, sweetie, after some of the shit you copped growing up.’ Tash slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed, raising her champagne glass with the other hand. ‘We’ve all come a long way.’

  ‘I’ll drink to that,’ Ruby said, beckoning to a waiter and snagging another two champagnes, one for her, the other for Alisha, before
raising her glass in a toast. ‘To us. And those lucky bastards we love with all our hearts.’

  ‘To us,’ Tash and Alisha echoed, clinking glasses, as Jane strolled over, holding hands with Mason, the dishy new baker in town.

  ‘Congrats, Alisha,’ Jane said. ‘Great wedding.’

  ‘That’s what happens when you have my famous boyfriend perform at your nuptials,’ Tash deadpanned, and they laughed.

  ‘Ladies, will you excuse me while I go check on the cake?’ Mason asked, looking more like a model than a patissier in his tux.

  ‘It’s perfect, Mason, thanks,’ Alisha said. ‘But I did see Harry hovering near it earlier so you better go see he hasn’t added an extra macaron or two.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Jane said, staring at her man with obvious adoration. ‘We’re leaving for Melbourne tomorrow and I’m not letting this guy out of my sight before then.’

  ‘She’s a ball and chain already.’ Mason rolled his eyes before planting a kiss on Jane’s lips.

  Tash chuckled, but before Jane could leave she stepped closer and said softly, ‘All the best with your fresh start. He’s divine.’

  Jane flashed her a grateful glance before falling into step with Mason and heading for the buffet marquee, as Tash spied Kody signing autographs and waving her over.

  ‘On that note, ladies, my sexy man is calling me.’ She downed the rest of her champagne and leaned over to give Alisha a quick hug. ‘I’m so happy for you. And this is the best day ever.’

  Alisha’s eyes shimmered and she blinked rapidly. ‘Your best day ever will come when you and Hottie McHottie tie the knot with Isla as your bridesmaid.’

  The thought made Tash want to bawl too. ‘Considering we’ve only been back together for a few hours that’s not going to happen any time soon, but I appreciate the sentiment.’

  ‘Go be with your man,’ Ruby said, giving her a gentle shove. ‘I think Connor and Harry have finished being total groupies and are heading this way.’