My Way to You: A Second Chance Romance (Love in Everton Book 7)

by Fabiola Francisco

“No worries, it’s Everton.” I shrug and start saying goodbye when he interrupts me.

  “Maybe we can… Once Camden leaves—he leaves in two days—we can grab a bite to eat?” He stumbles over his words, and I bite down my laughter. I would’ve thought he’d gotten better at asking girls out with age.

  When we were younger, he fumbled over his question similar to now before he finally asked me if I wanted to go with him to the Labor Day Festival the year we were starting high school. We were inseparable since then…until he moved away.

  I smile. “That could work. I’m sure I’ll see you around town soon.” I walk backward and almost slip. Easton’s arm is immediately around my waist, keeping me upright. He holds me close to him, our breaths mingling as I search his eyes. The proximity makes my heart thunder like a wild storm.

  “Go out with me,” Easton whispers, his breath tickling the tip of my nose.

  I wiggle it and look up at him. “You practically saved my life, so I guess I owe you one, right?”

  His body relaxes, and an easy smile covers his mouth. Easton takes a step back and runs a hand through his hair. “You had me sweating,” he teases.

  I shrug nonchalantly and pat his shoulder. “I’ve done worse,’” I wink and turn around, making it to my car with no more mishaps.

  Easton stands by Cup-O-Joe’s door, hands in his pockets, as he shakes his head and looks at me with a slanted smile. I’ve missed him more than I admitted to myself. Thirteen years without seeing Easton felt like an eternity, but we’ve changed in those years. Is a second chance really possible when so much time has passed?

  My phone is blowing up with calls and messages from my friends by the time I pull into my apartment building. I answer Abbie’s call as I slip out of my car and walk up the stairs, thankfully indoors.

  “Okay, what is going on? You had coffee with Easton.”

  “I was at that old barn we used to go to when we were in high school. You remember?”

  “Yeah, your spot,” she sighs.

  “Anyway,” I ignore the swoon in her voice. Abbie always thought it was romantic that Easton and I would meet at that barn and spend time together. “I was there, and he showed up, we talked for a few minutes, and he asked if I wanted to have coffee and catch up, so I said yes,” I breathe out as the words spill out of me.

  “And?” I hear the question in her voice.

  I lie back on my couch and cover my face with a pillow. “And… Ugh.” I squeeze my eyes closed, causing the pillow to tremble with the force.

  “You still love him,” she states.

  “I don’t love him. I haven’t spoken to or seen him in years. I can’t love someone I don’t know anymore. I loved the boy he was, but this Easton isn’t the same. He’s a lawyer, for crying out loud. Would you have ever imagined him as a lawyer? And, get this, he drives a Porsche.”

  “No way.” I can imagine Abbie’s eyes widening. Easton was all about fixer-uppers, starting with his beloved motorcycle. He loved old cars and big trucks, not shiny Porsches.

  “Right? So weird. Anyway, we had coffee. Did you know his dad passed away a year ago? Of course, you didn’t. How would any of us have known?” I respond for her before she has a chance to speak.

  “Wow, I can’t believe that. Was he sick?”

  “Yeah, heart problems. Easton decided to move here now, after losing his dad. You know, come back home to your roots and stuff. I’m sure losing a parent must put life into perspective.”

  “I bet. I can’t imagine going through that. Did anything else happen?”

  “He asked if I wanted to grab a bite to eat sometime this week after his friend leaves. It was casual, so I don’t think he was asking me on a date.”

  “He probably was,” Abbie interrupts me. “The way he looked at you last night was as if he was staring at a miracle. He couldn’t look away from you. Easton still has it bad for you, and now you guys can have another chance!” Abbie squeals.

  “Hold on… What if we’re too different now?” The pillow that was over my face now lays on the floor next to the couch, and my teeth bite into the side of my finger.

  “Only one way to find out. When are you going out with him?”

  “I don’t know. I told him I’d see him around town. I panicked.” I tug at my roots, my long hair spread around me in a mess.

  “Did you seriously tell him that?”

  “Yes,” I whisper like a small child who was just caught stealing a cookie after brushing her teeth.

  “I can’t even judge you because I was getting dating advice from my now fiancé, but I do know that you still care about Easton. I know you, Faith, and you would regret never giving this a shot.”

  I let her words sink in as I take a few deep breaths, relaxing my body as it melts against the warm couch. I would regret ignoring Easton and pretending I have zero feelings for him. I’ve spent all my adult life trying to find a replacement for him, with no success, because there is only one Easton Locke, and he stole my heart when I was fourteen and never gave it back.

  “I hate when you’re right,” I sigh.

  “Yeah, yeah, but you also love it,” Abbie laughs. “Get to know Easton again, learn about the man he’s become without holding on to the boy he was. We all grow and change, but in his core, he may still be the same person despite his career or car he drives.”

  I smile as I listen to Abbie speak. She’s completely right. I’m not the same person I was back then, yet my core is the same, my beliefs and morals are the same. If that’s the case with Easton, then maybe, just maybe, we could have an opportunity at a second chance.

  “I’m sure adult Easton would be a lot more fun, too,” Abbie’s voice rings with her innuendo.

  “I already did that with him,” I remind her.

  “Yeah, but imagine him as a man, knowing more than he did at seventeen.”

  “Ugh, Abbie, I don’t want to think about where his experience came from.” I cringe. Although it would be perfectly normal for him to have had sex with more people over the years, I don’t want to think about that.

  “Okay, sorry!” she giggles. “I didn’t mean it like that, but it could be fun to get reacquainted.”

  “Finn is rubbing off on you,” I state.

  “That’s what I say, but he says I was dirty-minded before him, and he just brings it out of me.”

  I laugh and nod, even though she can’t see me. “I bet he’s right. You closet freak,” I tease.

  “Hey now! This closet freak is helping you out.”

  “Who’s a closet freak?” I hear Finn’s voice in the background. Abbie mumbles something I can’t make out. She probably covered the mouthpiece on the phone.

  “Go get freaky with your man,” I tell her, ready to hang up.

  “Okay, but think about what I told you.”

  “Thanks, Abbie.” I hang up, replaying my coffee date with Easton. Date? Could I call it that? It was casual, two old friends—exes?—catching up. What I am certain of is that the same butterflies he used to awaken in me have been going off in my stomach since I saw him.

  Today, Easton confessed he still thinks about me. Am I willing to make the same confession to him? Because he’s the face I’ve always seen when I imagined my future, no matter how impossible it seemed.

  Easton

  Fuck yes. I am singing along to one of Knox’s songs on the radio, high-fiving myself for asking Faith out. She may not have said yes explicitly, but she will. Sitting across from her today was heaven. I always wondered what her life had become. If she had forgotten about me, the boy who sped too fast down dirt roads, fixed up old bikes, and stole her heart.

  This past year has been hard. Everything was a mess after my dad died. I always wished he had come back to Everton before he passed. I tried to convince him to visit when we learned about his illness, but he refused, saying he wanted to stay close to home just in case.

  A few days before he passed, I went by their house to see how he was doing. My dad was lying in
bed with his eyes closed, so I sat in the chair next to him, thinking he was asleep.

  He surprised me when he started speaking about regrets in life. That day he made me promise to live my life without any regrets, go after the life I want, the girl, the job, anything. He said he wished he would’ve listened to me and gone to Everton one last time.

  Something snapped inside of me when he closed his eyes one final time and took his last breath. I guess it’s true what they say about seeing your life in a different way when you’re lying on your death bed.

  Taking my dad’s advice, I looked for jobs in Everton, surprised there was an opening at Town Hall. The only thing that stopped me was leaving my mom alone. Despite the times I told her to come with me, she refused to leave her job.

  “It keeps me going, Easton,” she said. “It’s only fair for you to chase your dreams like I did and like your sister is doing.”

  So with her blessing, I called Mr. Powell and applied for the position, obviously more than qualified since I was one of the candidates for Junior Partner at my firm.

  I’ve only been here a few days, but the guilt of leaving my mom sometimes gets to me. I call her often, to the point she’d told me to stop calling and interrupting her classes.

  My dad was her whole world. With him gone, me back in Everton, and my sister, Allyson, helping her company start up their new office in Spain, I don’t want my mom to feel alone.

  What a way to turn my good mood into a downer. Shaking away thoughts of grief and guilt, I drive up the road that leads to the ranch and park my car.

  “Where were you?” Camden asks as soon as I walk into the house.

  “I went to church and to visit this old barn I used to love. Faith was there, and we went for coffee and talked.”

  “Ah, I should’ve guessed.” He smiles and shakes his head. “Did you bring me coffee?” Camden raises an eyebrow.

  “No, you were too busy sleeping to come with me.”

  “You know I’m not much of a church guy. I thought I would’ve woken up earlier with the time difference, but I was out.” He scratches the side of his head. “How about I jump in the shower, and we have lunch?”

  “Sounds good.” I sit on the couch and lift a leg onto the cardboard box in front of it. I really need to finish furnishing this place. Fortunately, I bought the basics when I got here, starting with beds and a sofa. The rest has been slow-going.

  I grab my phone and search through social media. I left some friends in Virginia, but Camden is the only one I’m really close to. As I scroll, I see a picture of my sister in some huge park in Madrid. She’s been having a great time in Spain, and sometimes I wonder if she’ll move back or make her temporary overseas job permanent.

  I drop a quick comment on her picture and keep scrolling. I need to buy a TV as soon as possible. Stores are closed today, but tomorrow I’ll make it a point to start shopping for furniture and a new truck—time to trade in the Porsche for a heavy-duty Ford.

  “Where should we eat?” Camden walks into the living room, running a hand through his wet hair.

  “Uh… Wanna dry your hair first? It’s like sixteen degrees outside with a windchill of like negative a thousand.”

  “Nah, I’m good, man. Not afraid of a little cold.” He puts on his coat and lifts his eyebrows, waiting for me to stand.

  “Okay…” I shrug and smirk. There’s only one way to learn about northern Wyoming’s weather—experience it for yourself.

  As soon as we step outside, Camden curses and zips up his coat.

  “I thought you weren’t afraid of a little cold,” I mock, unlocking my car with the key fob so he can jump in and complain some more.

  “Shut up.” Camden places his hands over the vent as soon as I start the car and the heater turns on.

  I chuckle and pull out of the long driveway, back toward the center of town where I just came from.

  “How did it go with Faith? She’s hot, man.”

  “Watch it,” I warn, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

  “Hey,” he lifts his hands. “I’m just stating a fact. No worries, I’m not going after your woman.”

  “She’s gorgeous, perfect. I wasn’t sure what it would be like to see her again, but it felt like we were right back in the same place before I moved.”

  “She’s single then, I take it.”

  I nod, focusing on the road. “Yup. I asked her out, so I’m hoping to have dinner with her after you leave.”

  “Good for you. I don’t need you getting drunk again and crying about this woman.” Camden laughs.

  “If I weren’t driving right now, I’d punch you. That happened one time in college.”

  “And it will live on forever in my memories.”

  “You’re an ass,” I deadpan.

  It was my twenty-first birthday, and I got piss drunk. Suddenly, I started talking about Faith, how I missed her and babbling some other stuff. God knows what I said, but Camden was there to witness it. He reminds me about it every so often, but now that he’s met Faith, I have a feeling it will become a recurring thing.

  I park the car a block away from Cowboy’s Place, a diner I used to love coming to when I was a kid. Camden mumbles something about the cold and lifts the collar on his coat to block the wind from his neck. I chuckle, knowing he’d freeze his ass off, and lead the way to the diner.

  “I think my hair froze,” he says randomly.

  “No,” I shake my head and roll my eyes.

  “I swear.” He runs a hand through it. “Look…” I stare at it and laugh. Well damn, there are small crystals mixed with the moisture.

  “I told you to dry it.”

  “Whatever, asshole. I’m sure you parked this far on purpose.”

  “No way, I don’t want to freeze either, but Sundays seem to be busy around here.” I open the door to Cowboy’s Place, and Camden sneaks inside, blowing on his hands.

  I look around the place, noticing that nothing has changed. The wooden structure stands the same as it did all those years ago. The same old sign that reads the Cowboy Ten Commandments hangs by the entrance, and the red vinyl seats still squeak as people shift on them.

  “Does everyone wear cowboy hats here?” Camden whispers.

  “Yup.” I nod, feeling out of sorts. Do I even belong here anymore? Yes. I might be rusty, but like riding a bike, I’ll get right back into this lifestyle. It’s in my blood.

  We take a seat in a booth and look at the menu. Thankfully the lunch rush is over, leaving space for us to sit right away. The two coffees I drank aren’t doing anything for my hunger at the moment.

  “I feel like we’re in a Western movie,” Camden says, his wide eyes looking around the place.

  I chuckle. “Yeah, it feels like it at times.”

  “What do you recommend?” He scans the menu. “Is the buffalo burger any good?”

  “Everything here is good.” I lean back on my seat and smile at a few people looking my way.

  We place our order and eat. I tell Camden more about my life here, the friends I had, and the perks of growing up in a small town. With each word I speak, the more certain I am that I made the right decision to move back here.

  “Hey, Locke,” a deep voice sounds loud and clear, causing heads to turn and curious eyes to light up, ready for the next episode of Easton’s Move to Everton. I feel like I’m on a reality show in this town.

  I look up and see Faith’s older brothers. “Heard you were out with our little sister earlier.” Will is Faith’s oldest brother, and Brett is the middle child.

  “Hey, guys.” I stand and shake their hands. “How you been?”

  “So, were you?” Will’s eyebrows lift, ignoring my hand and greeting.

  I nod. “I saw her earlier, and we had a cup of coffee to catch up.” I’m not afraid of these two, despite them being a few inches taller than my six-foot frame and a few years older than me.

  “You two gonna pick up and date again?” Brett asks as he smiles mischie
vously. “‘Cause she was out with another guy on Friday.”

  My face falls, and Brett laughs, slapping my shoulder.

  “Oh damn, guess you may not have a girl to get,” Camden speaks up. I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head, releasing a deep breath and scratching my jaw.

  “Who was she out with?”

  “Don’t know,” Brett shrugs.

  “Bullshit.” Everyone in town probably knows who Faith was out with, including her two overprotective older brothers.

  “Some loser from Wellington,” Will responds, putting me at ease. Although, Will and Brett were always tough to impress, so for all I know, a loser to them is a winner to Faith.

  After I introduce them to Camden, Will and Brett pull some more big brother intimidation before leaving the diner.

  “Damn, those two are scary. I bet they’d kick your ass if you hurt their sister,” Camden sighs.

  “You have no idea. They were rowdy as kids, and it seems like not much has changed.”

  “Who do you think Faith went out with?” Camden leans on his elbows.

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  “How?” His eyebrows shoot up.

  “Everything in Everton has ears.” We pay for our meal and leave the diner. I’m on a mission to figure this out. If Faith is happy with someone, then… Who am I kidding? I’m not gonna let her go without a fight. One date with a guy doesn’t beat her first love.

  Faith

  I make a quick stop at the grocery store on the way home from work. It’s only Tuesday, and it already feels like a never-ending week. It’s no fun when half a class has lice. Cringe. I’ve been scratching my head non-stop since I found out.

  Not only was it a mission to organize each child in the school to be checked for lice, I had to call every parent whose child came back positive and ask that they get picked up from school.

  It doesn’t make it any easier that Paxton, the guy I went out with on Friday, kept sending me messages asking when I wanted to get together again. I had to let him down gently…via text message like an asshole. We had only gone on one date, and I wasn’t expecting him to be so eager for a second one.