Second Chance on Cypress Lane--Includes a Bonus Novella

by Reese Ryan

  “About six months, and I’m doing well.” He patted his belly. “Down thirty pounds.”

  “That’s great. Still, you should’ve told me. What if something had happened to you?”

  Her father’s expression shifted to one of recognition. “This isn’t like what happened to your mother, sweetheart.” He placed his hand over hers.

  Dakota’s heart thudded in her chest and tears burned her eyes. Her mother had concealed her illness from Dakota and her sister until her father insisted on telling them. By then she’d had only a few months left. But her mother hadn’t told them that, either.

  “I’m fine. I promise. Well, except for—”

  “What else is there?” Dakota tried to keep her voice measured, despite her growing panic.

  “I’ve been putting off knee-replacement surgery.”

  “Why?”

  “I have the rental properties to look after. Besides, it’s not the kind of thing you want to go through alone,” he admitted with a shrug.

  He’d had the other knee replaced ten years ago. When he’d still had her mother.

  Her father was a proud, independent man. His body seemed to vibrate with the discomfort of revealing his vulnerabilities to her.

  “You’re not alone, Dad.” Dakota squeezed his hand. It broke her heart that she needed to say that. Didn’t he know she would’ve dropped everything and come home had she known he needed her?

  “You shouldn’t be hobbling around in pain when there’s a simple fix. Call your doctor today. Ask for the soonest date you can get on the schedule. I can help out with managing the rental properties, and I won’t leave until after you’ve had your surgery and you can get around on your own again.”

  “You don’t need to do that, Dakota. I can manage.” He tried to tug his hand away, but she wouldn’t let him.

  “If it were me who needed you, wouldn’t you have come to New York to take care of me, despite how much you hate the city?”

  “Of course. I’m your father. It will always be my job to make sure you’re all right.”

  “Well, we’re family. And it’s my job to look after you, too. Shay has Howard. We only have each other. So will you please stop being so difficult and let me do this for you?”

  He gave her a grateful, if reluctant, smile. “All right, baby girl. I’ll call the doctor’s office and see how soon they can get me in.” He pulled his hand back and grabbed another piece of fish from the plate. “But if you get another job offer, don’t think twice about accepting it. I know how things go in television. If you sit on the sidelines too long, it’s easy to be forgotten.”

  He wasn’t wrong about that. Only, that was exactly what she needed. Enough time and distance for the scandal to blow over and be forgotten. But if she was going to move back to New York or a large market on the West Coast, she needed to find a way to earn money while she stayed here on Holly Grove Island.

  She was a Class A screwup, but she wouldn’t become a financial burden to her father.

  “I’m not leaving here as long as you need me,” she said firmly. “End of discussion.”

  “I appreciate that, Dakota.” A small smile lifted the edges of his mouth and his eyes glistened. “But that won’t stop me from taking you out in a game of cornhole. That is, if you think you’re still up to it. I imagine it’s been a long time since you tossed a bag.”

  “Oh, you’re talking smack, huh?” Dakota stood, gathering their plates. “Well, I’d be happy to wipe that smug smile off your face, Old Man. Best three out of five?”

  Her dad chuckled. “You’re on.”

  Yes, she was stuck in Tiny Town, USA, for the next few months. But on the upside, she enjoyed spending time with her father and hanging out with Sin a couple of nights a week. As long as she kept busy and avoided Dexter Roberts and the town’s gossiping hens, she’d be fine.

  Chapter Seven

  Sweat trickled down Dakota’s face and neck as she ran along the coastline. It had been more than five years since she’d gone for a run on this beach, but the familiar taste of the warm, salty air filled her mouth. Strands of hair that had escaped her messy ponytail stuck to her face. Her thighs burned and her feet ached, but she was determined to make it to the end of the beach.

  It’d been two weeks since Dakota had returned to the island. Yet despite the fresh air and idyllic setting, she was anxious and restless. Worried about the uncertainty of her future. Unable to shake the pain of her past. Her mother’s death. The breakup with Dexter. Here on the island, all of it felt far too immediate. No longer distant hurts she could easily shake off.

  Focus on the endgame.

  Dakota repeated her mother’s admonition in her head. The goal was to become a lead evening news anchor in one of the major markets. Preferably one that would put her in a position to get noticed by one of the national news networks.

  She’d been ready to take the next step in her career. She’d stumbled and fallen from grace instead. But she hadn’t lost sight of her dream. The one that she and her parents had worked hard and sacrificed for.

  When Dakota was ten years old, she’d declared that she wanted to be a “news lady.” Her older sister had scoffed. Her father had smiled, patted her head, and said, “You can do anything you put your mind to, baby girl.” Her mother had made it her life’s mission.

  Madeline Jones had died before Dakota could achieve that goal. But the determination to reward her mother’s belief in her had driven Dakota whenever she’d encountered a bumpy road along the way. She’d battled sexism, racism, and nepotism. But the past few months had been the bumpiest yet. And the wound she’d sustained had been completely self-inflicted, leaving her no choice but to return to the island.

  There was something surprisingly comforting about being back at home. Still, a twinge of guilt burned in her stomach whenever the topic of her old job came up. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Sin or her dad the truth. But not telling them made her feel like the kind of awful, scheming person the Italian tabloids made her out to be.

  Dakota stopped, her chest heaving and her lungs burning. Sweat trickled into her eyes, blurring her vision. She wiped her face with the back of her arm and blinked, her eyes stinging.

  “I wondered when you’d start running again.”

  She jumped at the voice behind her, but she had no doubt as to whom it belonged.

  Dexter seemed to have a knack for catching her at moments when she looked her very worst. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

  Slowly, she turned around and raised her gaze to his as she shielded her eyes from the sun. He was running…shirtless. His skin was slick with sweat, yet he still managed to look good enough to adorn the cover of a men’s health magazine. And those biceps and pecs. The boy she’d known and loved hadn’t been packing this muscled bod. One thing was for sure, the man was no stranger to the gym.

  “Been stalking the beach looking for me?” she asked.

  A wide grin parted his handsome face, his eyes shielded by mirrored sunglasses. “Stalk the daughter of the town’s former police chief? That’d be an ill-advised move.”

  Dakota propped her fists on her hips as she stared at her reflection in his lenses. She looked even worse than she’d imagined. She brushed loose strands of hair from her face. “Then what brings you here?”

  “A lot of things have changed since you’ve been gone, Dakota, but this is still a public beach.” His smirk made her want to either kiss him or smack him. She wasn’t sure which.

  “Still a smart-ass, I see.” She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.

  He removed his sunglasses and tucked the arm inside the waistband of his shorts. Good Lord! Was he trying to make her stare at him…there? “Guess there’s something about you that still manages to rile me up.”

  Now, there’s something I’d like to rile up.

  She raised her eyes to meet his. The flare of his nostrils, his heated gaze, and his lopsided smirk indicated that he’d seen her c
hecking out his…package. A blaze of heat crept up her neck and bloomed across her cheeks. She needed to get away from Dexter before she embarrassed herself any further.

  “I should go.”

  “Dakota, wait.” Dexter stepped closer, his expression shifting from amusement to deep concern. He glanced around, as if to ensure that no one would overhear him. “How’d everything work out with your father?”

  “Oh. Good, thanks.” A tiny part of her was disappointed by the question. The way he’d stepped in closer, she expected his question to be about them. “We had an honest conversation about his health and a few other things. So thank you again for that.”

  “I’m glad.” Dexter cleared his throat after an awkward beat of silence between them. “Look, we’re running in the same direction. Why don’t we run together?”

  Because I’d rather walk barefoot on hot coals.

  Running together was how they’d first gotten to know each other. He was trying to increase his footspeed for football. She’d run track and wanted to shave some time off her mile. Sinclair had suggested they run together. Mostly so Dakota would stop asking Sin to run at what her friend considered an ungodly hour.

  Dexter had been quiet and closed off in the beginning. They’d done a lot of running but very little talking. But Dakota had worn him down with her chatter and myriad questions over the weeks they’d run together. Ever curious, she’d considered it her personal challenge to get Dex to share at least one thing with her each time they’d run together.

  Little by little, he had. And she’d fallen for Dexter Roberts right here on this beach. She had no intention of doing it again.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve run. I’d only hold you back.” She released her hair from the messy ponytail, shook her head, then secured her hair in a topknot.

  Maybe that would stay put.

  “I don’t mind the slower pace. In fact, I could use the break. Besides, my mother is making breakfast this morning and my sister is coming over, too. They’d both love to see you.”

  Dakota stood there for what felt like an eternity. The little voice in her head and a little voice emanating from…somewhere decidedly lower…debated. Their relationship was ancient history. She should be over him. But the hurt she felt over their breakup still ached deep. And the overwhelming desire she had for him teemed beneath her flesh, making its way down her spine and fluttering low in her belly.

  After all this time, there was still something about his deep voice and reassuring smile that drew her in. But the warm, nostalgic feeling was like the lure on the end of a fishing line. It only appeared real. In the end, it was dangerous.

  “Thank you for the offer, but I’d better get back. My dad’s expecting me at home for breakfast. Please tell Em and Ms. Marilyn I said hello. I’m sure I’ll catch up with them at some point while I’m here. Enjoy the rest of your run.”

  Dakota turned and ran back up the beach toward her father’s house, as fast as her legs could carry her.

  * * *

  Dex pulled his shades out of his waistband and put them back on as he watched Dakota running up the beach away from him.

  Couldn’t resist being a smart-ass, could you?

  He sighed and resumed his jog back to his mother’s house. Okay, so maybe he’d lied about not stalking the beach looking for her. The beach near his condo wasn’t as long or as level as the beach here, but he’d always been content to run there. Yet since Dakota had returned to the island, he’d been running on this beach each weekend morning, hoping to run into her.

  Dexter was still drawn to her, and he wanted to repair the damage he’d done. Knowing she was there on the island, hating his guts, tore him up inside.

  Only he’d finally run into her, and he couldn’t resist shooting off his stupid mouth and scaring her off. Even after he’d razzed her, she’d nearly agreed to go back to his mother’s house. He was sure of it.

  He picked up the pace and tried not to think of how beautiful Dakota looked. Her skin glistened with sweat. Her body was toned yet curvy in all the right places. And when she’d let down her natural mahogany curls and shook them, he’d practically had to rely on Jedi mind tricks to keep his body from reacting in his flimsy shorts.

  Did she have any idea how such a small gesture still affected him? Maybe she did and it was her way of torturing him. If so, it was working.

  Now he needed to get back to his place and take a cold shower.

  Chapter Eight

  Dakota and her father usually ate breakfast together at home. But this morning they would be doing a cleanout of one of his rental properties there on the island. So her father suggested that they forgo cooking in the sweltering kitchen and grab breakfast over at Lila’s Café before they got to work.

  Dakota couldn’t help noticing that her father’s smile widened and his eyes shimmered as Lila Gayle approached their table at her little café on Main Street.

  “Good morning, Oliver.” Lila’s eyes seemed lit from within.

  “Lila.” He nodded, not taking his eyes off her.

  Lila Gayle turned to Dakota, still beaming but her tone decidedly less flirtatious. “Dakota, I can’t thank you enough for helping me at the festival. It’s so good to have you back home.” She filled Dakota’s coffee cup. “I haven’t seen your father this happy in years.”

  Dakota studied her father’s face. Ms. Lila was definitely flirting with her dad. Something she often did playfully with the customers. But from the look on her father’s face and the tone of his voice, it was more than just teasing to him.

  Did her father have a thing for Ms. Lila?

  When his eyes met Dakota’s again, he cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably under her scrutiny. He buried his face in his menu.

  “Thanks, Ms. Lila,” Dakota said. “I’ll only be here a few months, but it feels good to be home. I didn’t realize how much I missed the beach. And the people,” she added quickly.

  “Well, however long you’re here, I know Oliver is thrilled to have some company while he’s rattling around that big old house. Still, I’m sorry about what happened with your job.”

  A loud clang echoed through the small café when Dakota dropped her fork and it crashed against her coffee mug. Her cheeks stung and her heart beat double time. “Sorry?”

  “I hope you don’t mind that your dad told us about you getting laid off. I was terribly sorry to hear it. I know how much you loved your work.”

  The front door opened suddenly. A tourist couple and their two small children entered. Lila welcomed the couple before excusing herself and rushing over to seat them.

  It took a full two minutes for Dakota’s heart rate to level off again.

  “Everything okay?” Her father stared across the table, his expression laced with concern.

  “Yes.” Dakota gripped her coffee mug with both hands, as if it were an emotional shield, but she didn’t drink from it. “Why?”

  “You seem upset. Are you angry that I told Lila Gayle about you losing your job?”

  “No, of course not.” She sipped some of the steaming hot coffee. “My career has always been a huge part of who I am. Now here I am, thirty-four years old, no job prospects, living back at home with my dad. Let’s just say that none of this was on my bingo card for how my life would turn out.” Dakota put the coffee cup down, her gaze not meeting her father’s. “Can you imagine what Mom would have said?”

  “Work harder,” they echoed simultaneously.

  Her father sighed and sipped more of his coffee. “I loved your mother, sweetheart. She was a wonderful woman, but she wasn’t always right. So stop talking as if you’re a failure.”

  “Aren’t I?” Dakota frowned.

  “No, you are not.” Her father’s tone was adamant. “And I don’t want you thinking that. Your mother and I were so proud of you. I am proud of you.” Her father’s voice wavered. “Losing your job because of corporate reorganization doesn’t change that. In fact, nothing could change how proud I am o
f you, Dakota. Don’t ever forget that.” He squeezed her hand.

  Dakota bit her lower lip and nodded. Her father was a blur through the tears filling her eyes. If only he knew how badly she’d screwed up her life and her career. “Thanks, Dad. That means a lot.”

  “Morning, Ms. Lila.”

  Dakota’s gaze snapped toward the familiar voice.

  Dex.

  “Hey there, sugarplum!” Lila hugged both Dexter and the man accompanying him.

  “Is that Nick Washington?” Dakota asked incredulously.

  Her father turned around in his booth and looked over his shoulder. “That’s him. The boy is tall as a tree and as mischievous as ever.” He chuckled. “Not much has changed.”

  “Well, I haven’t seen him in eight or nine years, Dad. So a lot has changed since then. Before he was this awkward, gangly kid. Now he looks like a freaking model. He’s not the little Nicky I used to babysit anymore.”

  “Guess not,” her father said. “He moved back a few years ago.”

  “Is he still best friends with—”

  “Dexter’s little sister, Emerie? Yep. The two of ’em are thick as thieves.”

  “Is Em still a tomboy?”

  Oliver laughed. “Yes, but she’s also grown into a lovely young lady. Not that our boy Nick seems to notice.”

  “Chief Jones, Dakota. How are you?” Dex stood over them in a navy-blue suit that hung so well on his athletic frame, it had to have been tailored just for him.

  “Doing well, Dex,” her father said. “And you?”

  “Great. Nick and I stopped in for a quick bite to eat before we hit the road.”

  “Why don’t the two of you join us?” Her father slid over in the booth. “We were just about to order.”

  Dakota considered kicking her father’s shin beneath the table. But nothing in the world would make him recant his offer once extended. She narrowed her eyes at him to let him know she didn’t appreciate his spontaneous invitation to Dexter.

  Her father had the unmitigated gall to grin. They would have a long talk about this once they were alone.