One More Last Chance

by Cathleen Armstrong

  “So, tell me about this great adventure you’ve been on, Livvy. Have you been having fun?”

  In the rearview mirror, he saw her shrug as she looked out the side window.

  “That’s not much of an answer. What’s going on?”

  The size of her exasperated sigh made him smile to himself.

  “Well, Mom said we were going to take this great trip and see the Grand Canyon and maybe Disneyland and stuff. But I didn’t know that Jase was coming, and I thought we were going to be in a car. All we do is ride on that motorcycle, and it’s really boring.”

  Chris parked in his carport, and the bikes pulled up behind him. He turned around to smile over the seat at Olivia. “What if we talked your mom and Jase into going to see the Grand Canyon and then going home? We’d have to do Disneyland on another trip, though.”

  Olivia still did not look very happy. “Would you come?”

  “Yep. And you could ride with me. No more motorcycles.”

  “Well, this has been a pretty lame trip so far.”

  “Then we’ll see what we can do.” Chris got out and opened the back door so Olivia could hop out. The last thing he needed to do right now was to take a few days off to go to the Grand Canyon, but Olivia clearly had her heart set on it. And frankly, Chris thought she had it coming to her.

  Kaitlyn laughed when she came through the front door. “Nice place. Who’s your decorator?”

  Chris looked around. The room did not bear much resemblance to the home they had grown up in. Their mother had always said that their decor should reflect the quality of the homes they represented, and even the castoffs that filled Kaitlyn’s apartment were of the best quality.

  He grinned and shrugged. “Hey, it’s home. So, do you guys want to get cleaned up while I fix us some dinner? Kaitlyn, you and Livvy can use my bathroom, and Jase can take the other one. Dinner in about half an hour?”

  Chris was just whisking the vinaigrette for the salad when Olivia came running into the kitchen, comb marks still evident in her wet hair. He was pleased to notice she was in her pajamas. Good. They were at least planning to stay the night. That gave him more time to convince Kaitlyn to give up this crazy motorcycle trip of hers.

  “Hey, Liverhead, feel better now?” Chris laughed as Olivia’s face screwed up into a fierce scowl. She shot a look down the hall to see who else might have heard. “Nope. You’re the only one out here. And I promise, as far as anyone else is concerned, you are Olivia. The Royal Princess Olivia, if you prefer.”

  Olivia gusted a huge sigh and rolled her eyes. “Just use my name, Uncle Chris. It’s really not that hard.”

  “When did you get to be such an old lady?” Chris watched her climb onto a stool at the bar in his kitchen. “Here’s a deal for you. I’ll call you Livvy, at least when anyone else is around, and you go back to being seven. Okay?”

  She gave him the look a tired schoolteacher gives an unruly class.

  “Something sure smells good!” Kaitlyn, followed by Jase, headed into the kitchen.

  Chris narrowed his gaze on his niece and held his fist out for a bump. “So do we have a deal, Liiiiiiv . . . ?”

  “Deal!” Olivia bumped his huge fist with her tiny one.

  “. . . vy.” Chris finished with a wink before turning his attention to the other two. “Just in time. The steaks are about ready.”

  “Man, is this a dry county or what?” Jase turned from the open refrigerator. “You don’t have any beer either.”

  “Nope, afraid not.” Chris finished tossing the salad and took the steaks from the broiler. “There ought to be a few bottles of water in there, though. Help yourself.”

  Jase looked at the bottle in his hand as if it were medicine but unscrewed the top and drained it in one swallow. As he walked past Kaitlyn, he muttered under his breath, “Man, you weren’t kidding about him, were you?”

  Chris ignored the comment. He knew that Kaitlyn wasn’t any more impressed with his lifestyle than he was with hers, and if that didn’t bother him, the good opinion of Jase wasn’t even a blip on his radar.

  Olivia nearly fell asleep during dinner, and Chris placed a hand on her head as he passed her chair on the way to the kitchen. “I think this girl’s ready for bed. Kaitlyn, you and Livvy can have my room. I’ll sleep in the room down the hall. Jase, you can take the sofa. It’s pretty comfortable.”

  His niece wandered off to bed, scorning his suggestion that he come tuck her in, and Jase settled himself in the living room and scrolled through the TV channels. Kaitlyn started clearing the table, much to Chris’s surprise. As far as he could remember, she had never willingly taken on a chore that someone else might do. Maybe she was starting to grow up after all.

  He smiled at her as he turned on the tap. “I’m glad we have a minute to talk. It’s been a while.”

  She gave him a hug. “Too long.”

  Chris glanced into the living room where Jase seemed to be engrossed in the images that flipped past as he pointed the remote toward the television. Chris put his hands on Kaitlyn’s shoulders and looked into her face. Even now, he could see the little girl he had tried so hard, and so ineptly, to shield from anything that could hurt her. He took a deep breath while he marshaled his thoughts.

  “Kaitlyn, what are you doing?” Sadness and concern, rather than anger, tinged his voice. “You have to know what a bad idea this is. You’re a mom now. You need to think about what’s best for Olivia.”

  She looked up at him and smiled the tiniest of smiles. “You’re right. Taking Olivia on a cross-country motorcycle trip was a dumb move.”

  The happy smile that split Chris’s face froze as Kaitlyn completed her thought. “So we’re going to leave her here with you when we leave tomorrow. Hope that’s okay.”

  9

  What?” Chris knew what Kaitlyn had said; it just didn’t make sense.

  “You said it yourself, Chris. The back of a motorcycle is no place for Olivia. She hates it. We knew it was a mistake before we got to Tucson.”

  “So take her home. Better yet, I’ll drive her. You can follow.”

  “There’d be nobody there if you did, because I’m not going back.” Kaitlyn stepped away from him and crossed her arms. In the living room, Jase hit the Mute button and watched them over the back of the sofa.

  “This is nuts, Kaitlyn. You can’t just abandon your child. And I can’t keep her, anyway. The hours I have to put in at the diner are unreal. There’s no one to take care of her.”

  “I’m not abandoning her. It’ll only be for a little while.” Kaitlyn grabbed both his hands, and the look in her eyes tore at his heart. “Please. I’ve never done the kinds of things people my age do. There’s always been Olivia. I just need to do this.”

  This was not the first time Kaitlyn had used premature motherhood as a reason to do whatever she wanted to do, and Chris was about to point that out when Kaitlyn cut him off.

  “Please.” Her voice was an anguished whisper. “Please do this for me. Jase is done with Olivia. He’s going to go on without me if I try to bring her along.”

  “That sounds like the best outcome possible.”

  Kaitlyn gripped his hands tighter, and as her eyes filled with tears, Chris felt his resolve weaken. She could get into his heart like no one else ever could.

  “When does Olivia’s school start?” He couldn’t believe he was even discussing this.

  “Two weeks from Tuesday.”

  “And you’ll be back in plenty of time to get her home for school?”

  “Promise.” Kaitlyn’s tears had beaded on her lashes, and an eager smile made her face shine.

  “Okay, then. But you have to explain everything to Olivia before you leave in the morning. And you have to call her. Often.”

  Kaitlyn threw her arms around her brother. “I will. Every night. I know she’ll have a great time with you, and we’ll be back before you know it.”

  Chris was almost positive he had just made a huge mistake, and his long day, his
long week, landed on him like a fifty-pound sack of flour. “I’m counting on it. Now I’ve got to get to bed. I’ll fix you breakfast tomorrow before you leave.” He started down the hall but stuck his head back around the corner. “I’ll leave my door open. If you need anything, don’t worry about waking me. I’m a really light sleeper.”

  He held Jase’s gaze long enough to see understanding dawn there before he went on back to the narrow bed in the room that had been decorated for a teenage boy. It had been a long time since he had slept in something like that.

  It was just dawn when the sound of his front door shutting woke him up. Pulling back the curtain, he saw Kaitlyn and Jase, back in their leathers, strapping on their helmets. Kaitlyn saw him and lifted her hand in a faint wave. As he raced down the hall, he heard the engines roar to life, and just as he threw open the door, first Jase and then Kaitlyn circled his yard and took off down the dirt road to the highway.

  He stood on his porch in his sweatpants and watched the dust settle on the empty road before he walked back down the hall to check on Olivia.

  She looked so tiny in her princess pajamas, even sprawled spread eagle across his bed. A pink backpack, presumably filled with her clothes, leaned against the dresser. Clearly, despite her promise, Kaitlyn had left without even saying good-bye to her daughter. Chris shook his head and backed out of the room. He’d let her sleep. There’d be time later to tell her she wasn’t going on that great adventure after all.

  By the time Sarah picked up her grandmother for church, she was ready to face Chris Reed with the nonchalant indifference he deserved. She would just smile when he apologized and assure him it was not a big deal. If he suggested rescheduling their dinner, she would confess that she had already eaten the chicken, tell him it was delicious, and sweep away, leaving him with no hope whatsoever that he would ever darken her door again. All done very graciously, of course.

  Chris had not yet arrived when Sarah and Elizabeth came in, but that was okay. She could ignore him after church as easily as before. She found herself listening for his strong baritone as they sang the hymns and wondering at its absence. When the final hymn was sung and she turned around to find that Chris Reed had indeed missed church, a wave of annoyance swept over her. Leave it to Chris to mess things up again. Time was of the essence when it came to studied indifference. It had to be served up promptly. If you waited too long, it really was no big deal. So why even mention it?

  Gran was busy chatting with someone, of course, but Sarah wasn’t in the mood for small talk. She was almost across the parking lot when she heard someone call her name, and a young woman with a fat baby on her hip grabbed her in a one-armed hug.

  “Sarah! So glad you’re back.” The tall brunette stood back and beamed. “I was so mad I had to miss your pounding, but this one has had the mother of all colds and I have been totally housebound.” She jostled the baby on her hip for emphasis. His solemn brown eyes observed Sarah over the roundest cheeks she had ever seen. “I thought he was doing well enough to go to the nursery last Sunday, but they stopped me before I even got to the door. Green snot. It’s clear now, though, isn’t it, sweet boy? Oh, this is Michael. Can you say hi to Miss Sarah, Mikey?”

  Mikey could not, or chose not to, and Sarah, who could not help looking at Mikey’s nose, took a second before she realized her friend had stopped talking. She grinned. Megan had talked her way into detention more than once during high school, and it appeared time, marriage, and children hadn’t changed her much. Sarah opened her mouth to say something, but Megan beat her to it.

  “Oh, gee, there goes Danny to the car. His dad had this rule that whoever didn’t beat him to the car after church could find their own way home, and Danny keeps threatening to have the same rule. Well, all I can say is, he’d better get over that idea because it’s not going to fly. Not with me.”

  Sarah, still smiling, nodded. Megan went on.

  “Tell me you’re free for lunch Wednesday. Mikey spends Wednesday afternoons with his grandma so I can get some things done, and this Wednesday what I want to do is get caught up with what’s been going on with you. I heard you were engaged.”

  “Um, no.” Sarah finally got a word in. “Not engaged.”

  “Really? I was almost sure. Hmmph. Anyway, Wednesday, noon, Dip ’n’ Dine?”

  Sarah had been nodding until Megan mentioned the Dip ’n’ Dine. “How about going into San Ramon? We could try something different.”

  “No, I need to stay close in case I have to go get Mikey.” Across the parking lot an extended cab pickup began backing slowly out of its spot. Megan settled Mikey firmly on her hip and took off. “Danny! Stop that truck this minute. I mean it.”

  Sarah watched her friend, still fussing at her husband, throw open the back door of the pickup to strap Mikey into his car seat.

  “So, how is Megan?” Gran had appeared beside her. “She sure does seem to have her hands full.”

  “I think she’s got things under control.” Sarah watched Danny’s pickup pull out of the parking lot. He was staring straight ahead, and Megan’s mouth was still working. “We’re having lunch Wednesday.”

  “Are you now?” They had reached Sarah’s car, and Elizabeth smiled at her over the top. “I’m glad you’re spending time with other young people. I know there aren’t that many in Last Chance, although, as I know I’ve mentioned . . .”

  Sarah saw where the conversation was headed and held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t go there, Gran. Really.”

  The morning was almost gone when Olivia wandered out of the bedroom rubbing one eye. “Where’s Mom?”

  Chris put down the Sports Illustrated he was reading and lifted Olivia onto his lap. “Hey, kiddo. Sleep well?”

  “Uh-huh. Where’s Mom?” She nestled her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

  Chris laid his cheek on the top of her head. “Well, that’s something we need to talk about.”

  Olivia twisted away and looked up into his face. All traces of sleepiness had fled. She looked as if she were bracing herself for a blow, and Chris hated, hated, that he had to be the one to deliver it.

  “Well, your mom thought you might have more fun here with me than you’d have sitting on the back of a motorcycle all day.”

  “She ditched me.” Olivia’s voice was way too flat for a seven-year-old.

  “No, she didn’t ditch you.” Not much, she didn’t. “She’ll be back in a couple weeks, and meanwhile, we can do some cool stuff together.”

  Olivia slid off his lap and curled into a corner of the couch. “She said we were going to the Grand Canyon, maybe even Disneyland. She said we were going to spend lots of time together, like she didn’t get to spend with Grandma because Grandma was always too busy.”

  Chris tried to take her arm to pull her back, but Olivia jerked it away. He gave up and angled himself so he could face her. “Look, Olivia. I know this really stinks. I think your mom meant everything she said. She just didn’t realize how hard it would be on you to ride across the country on a motorcycle. And I’ve got to say, it was way too dangerous anyway.”

  “Yeah. I heard you yesterday.” Olivia’s face hardened and her eyes shot sparks when she looked at him. “It’s your fault she ditched me. Everything was fine till we got here. Why did you have to say anything?”

  She jumped off the sofa and ran back down the hall. The flimsy bedroom door didn’t give much of a slam, but it wasn’t because Olivia didn’t try.

  Chris stretched his legs out in front of him and let his head fall back against the back of the sofa. Truth had never gotten in the way of Kaitlyn going after what she wanted, and he was beginning to believe that dropping off Olivia with him was part of the original plan. He felt like a first-class chump when he thought about how easily Kaitlyn was able, and always had been able, to manipulate him. He could almost hear her assure Jase that he could leave everything to her; her brother was a pushover.

  But when he thought about the little girl who was very likely
crying in the bedroom right now, a big share of the anger he was directing at himself landed right where it belonged—on his sister. Lying to him was one thing. If he was still buying what she was shoveling after all these years, that was his fault. But Olivia was seven. And Kaitlyn was her mom. A kid ought to be able to believe her mom. When you left Scottsdale, you went north to get to the Grand Canyon and west to go to Disneyland, and Olivia had trusted that that was where they were going, even as the motorcycles headed southeast to drop her off at her uncle’s.

  Chris jumped up and started pacing. What he really wanted to do was punch something, or tackle something, or drop-kick something, but in light of the fact that he was in a small living room and Olivia was already pretty upset, he gave up on those ideas. He flexed his arms and shoulders to try to loosen his tense muscles and thought about what to say to Kaitlyn when she called later to talk to Olivia.

  He stopped and with a bitter laugh shook his head to clear it. Do you even hear yourself, Reed? Get your head out of the sand. Kaitlyn’s not going to call. If she even gets back here in time to get Olivia to school, it’ll be the first time she’s ever done what she’s promised you she’d do.

  There was no sound from within his bedroom when he tapped on the door. He tapped again and, after a few seconds, opened the door and stuck his head in.

  “Livvy?”

  She was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and sat on the floor with her back to him. Her arms were through the straps of her backpack, and though it hadn’t looked all that big when it was leaning against his dresser, he didn’t see how she’d even be able to stand up with it on her back, much less carry it.

  He sat on the bed across from her and leaned his forearms on his knees.

  “Going somewhere?”

  She turned her face away. “Maybe.”

  “You’re kind of a long way from anyplace. You might want to think about staying awhile. Your mom’ll be back.”