Her Second Chance Family (Contemporary Romance)

by Holly Jacobs

  She shrugged. “It’s okay. I get what you meant when you said there were ramifications for my mistake. I can choose to let them pull me under, or I can let them push me in a better direction. I’m choosing a better direction, like you did. Thanks for helping, Mrs. Wilson.”

  Mrs. Wilson handed her an envelope.

  Willow handed it back. “Listen, can you take Sawyer his ten percent and give it to him. It’s what I promised for renting his lawn mower. Keep the rest of it. It’s my way of paying for the ride and the babysitting.”

  “Willow...” Mrs. Wilson started to argue.

  Willow held up her hand and looked more adult than any sixteen-year-old should. “Please? I want to. I’m hoping I can get you to babysit me again next week. Summer’s almost over and I want to finish what I started.”

  Mrs. Wilson nodded. “You know I will. Watching you is a good excuse to sit and read. I have a TBR pile that I swear is breeding.”

  “TBR?” Audrey asked.

  “To-be-read,” Mrs. Wilson and Willow answered in unison.

  “Mrs. Wilson has a bunch of books she was going to donate, and she said I can go through them first and see if there’s anything I want.”

  “Uh, I’m pretty sure that I can guarantee there’s nothing you won’t want,” Audrey teased.

  “That’s what I said,” Willow told her with a laugh. “Between Mrs. Wilson and Maggie, I’ll never run out of books. We left the shed unlocked, so if you’ll walk over with me while I put the lawn mower away we can get out of here before Sawyer comes home.”

  Audrey wanted to say something that would ease Willow’s pain, but she couldn’t think of anything she hadn’t already said. “Sure. Let’s go. And thank you again, Mrs. Wilson.”

  “Willow’s a good girl. It was my pleasure. I’ll have the box of books ready for you next time,” she promised Willow.

  They put the lawn mower away in Sawyer’s shed and were walking back up his drive when he pulled in.

  “Great,” Willow muttered. “Listen, I might not blame him for not believing me, but I don’t really want to talk to him. I’m going to go wait for you in the car.”

  “Willow...” Audrey called after her. Willow kept on walking. Audrey wished she could, as well, but a sense of fairness held her in place. It had been a week since she’d seen him, and as he walked toward her, she realized how much she’d missed him.

  “I told her not to bother,” Sawyer said, by way of greeting.

  Audrey reminded herself that they weren’t fighting, but it was tough. “Willow made a promise and she’s keeping it. Mrs. Wilson watched her the whole time. She didn’t want you or anyone else in the neighborhood accusing her of anything.”

  “Audrey, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

  Her annoyance evaporated. “I know. I am, too.”

  “You haven’t returned any of my calls,” he said softly.

  “Because, to be honest, there’s nothing left to say. We’ve both been clear about where we stand.”

  “Hold on, please.” He hurried into the house and came out a few minutes later with a gift bag. “Happy birthday.”

  “Given the circumstances, I can’t accept anything.”

  “It’s not something I can take back. No one else in the world would have any use for it. Please, just open it.”

  Audrey carefully took the gift bag and pulled out something covered in tissue paper. With the first tear it was clear that it was a frame. When she unwrapped the rest of the tissue, she saw...her mom.

  “How...?” She let the question trail off as she studied her mother. She was young in this picture. Smiling. Happy. She was wearing a formal-looking black dress. Graduation?

  “I went to a site that listed schools and their graduates. I found her name. I called the school, explained the situation and the secretary found her senior picture and scanned it for me.”

  Audrey slowly traced her mother’s outline with her finger. “She wasn’t a good mom. The state took me away from her when I was thirteen and she left after that. But I like to think that she cared about me a little.”

  “That girl in the picture, she cared. If other things happened, if your mom lost her way, it doesn’t mean she stopped caring.”

  This picture was how she’d like to remember her mom. Before the drugs and drinking won out. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Listen, I’d like to see you...”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know how we would make that work out. Willow has to be my priority. She needs me more than you do.”

  “I’m not sure that’s accurate,” he said softly.

  “Sawyer, it is what it is.”

  She turned around and left. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, how much she wanted to stay.

  * * *

  SAWYER WATCHED THE car drive off. He wanted to go after Audrey...go after all of them. He waved at Mrs. Wilson and went back into the house.

  The big, quiet house.

  He looked out the kitchen window and studied his well-manicured lawn. He knew that the grass clippings were safely stored in the compost bin.

  Audrey had breezed into his life, changed him and now she was leaving again. And all he wanted to do was follow her...follow her wherever she went.

  He realized that if Audrey said she was heading to Norway, he’d start looking into airline tickets.

  He’d sell all his things, because now they didn’t mean much of anything. He’d sell his house. He’d sell the car he had stored in the garage. He’d quit his job. And he’d simply follow her.

  It was a powerful realization. He spent the rest of the night thinking about the situation and wondering how he could reach Audrey. The next day at lunch he found himself walking over to the vacant lot.

  Audrey and the kids must have been back again, because there were decidedly less weeds. The zucchini plants had taken over the other side of the bed entirely.

  There was a small sign that read Community Garden. Help Yourself to Ripe Produce.

  He was sure that Bea had made it.

  He could picture Audrey’s building.

  She’d make her kids a part of her vision, as well as the city’s schoolkids.

  But if things stayed the way they were now, he wouldn’t be part of it.

  And he wanted to be.

  Not just part of the project...part of Audrey’s life. Part of the kids’ lives.

  What did he have to offer? He could come back and help finish clearing the lot, but right now he wasn’t sure Audrey would welcome his company.

  He’d let Willow down.

  But...

  He was a banker. He knew about money and finances.

  And he knew that this project was put together on grants and donations. There might be enough to get it on its feet, but it would require more money on a regular basis to keep it going.

  He picked a tomato and went back to the office and pulled up a Community Relations form on the computer. The bank liked to be a part of the community. This was a perfect opportunity to pair up with something important.

  If the bank donated to the Greenhouse, they could also get employees to pitch in. And he was an employee.

  Yes, the project could use the money and the help.

  And maybe, even if they didn’t know it, Audrey and the kids could use him in their lives.

  He’d start with the Greenhouse.

  He’d need two other signatures before sending it to marketing.

  He picked up the phone. Time to call in a few favors.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  WILLOW RETREATED TO the backyard after her meeting with her probation officer on Tuesday.

  Audrey had let her go, understanding her need for solitude. But it had been a couple hours and Will
ow was still sitting in Bea’s tree house.

  Audrey kept glancing out the window, hoping to see her walking back toward the house, but she hadn’t climbed down from the tree house. There was a fine line between solitude and loneliness, in Audrey’s opinion.

  Just as there was a fine line between a house and a home.

  Audrey had taken some clean clothes into Willow’s room that morning, and caught a glimpse of the stupid green suitcase still peeking out from under the bed. She was worried that Willow still thought she’d be leaving. She wanted her to know this wasn’t just a roof over her head. It wasn’t just a house. It was a home.

  It was Willow’s home.

  Audrey wanted Willow to feel that in the marrow of her bones.

  Finally, Audrey went to the bottom of the tree house ladder and called up, “Are you coming down soon?”

  “Not yet,” Willow called back.

  Audrey climbed up the ladder, praying it would hold her. The tree house had not been her idea. She was of the opinion that houses should be firmly anchored to the ground. But it had been here when they moved in. It had been the reason Clinton and Bea had been so sure this was their home.

  Audrey poked her head through the opening in the floor, while she maintained her death grip on the ladder’s top rung. “What’s up? Did something your probation officer say upset you?”

  Willow shook her head. “No. I came up here to read, but mainly I’ve been thinking.”

  Audrey made her way onto the tree house floor and sat cross-legged next to Willow. “Thinking about what?”

  “About everything that’s happened.”

  “And?” Maybe this was it. Maybe Willow was going to name the kid who’d been with her when she’d broken into Sawyer’s.

  “I’ve come to a painful conclusion,” Willow said slowly. “You’re a fake.”

  Of all the things Audrey might have thought Willow might say, this wasn’t even on the list. “How so?”

  “I didn’t break into that other house, but when I asked you what if I had, you said...?” Willow left the sentence hanging, obviously waiting for Audrey to fill in the blank.

  “I said that I’d forgive you and give you another chance.” She paused. “And I need you to understand that I would.”

  “I know. And if Bea or Clinton did something wrong, you’d forgive them, too. Right?”

  “Right,” Audrey said slowly, not sure where this was going.

  “So, you believe in this whole forgiveness thing and second chances, but not for everyone.”

  “I do believe in it for everyone,” Audrey argued. She tried to think of anything she’d done that would make Willow think otherwise.

  “I can name four people you’ve never forgiven without even thinking about it,” Willow said.

  Audrey racked her brain. “Who?”

  “Ava and the other one.”

  “Merrill?” She shook her head. “No. They’re my best friends. They’ve never done anything to me that I’d need to forgive.”

  That much was true. After all the years, all the distance, they were still that, her best friends. Family.

  “No, you’ve never forgiven them for being in that car. You blame them for the accident. If you all hadn’t been goofing around, maybe that guy who was driving wouldn’t have hit Clinton’s mom. So that’s five people you’ve never forgiven, ’cause you blame that guy, the driver, too. You haven’t ever forgiven any of them for being there. But mostly, you’ve never forgiven yourself for being there. And now there’s Sawyer.”

  Audrey didn’t know where Willow was going with this. She didn’t know what to say.

  “You had a nightmare again last night,” Willow continued. “Clinton thinks it’s because of the class reunion. You’re not going because you don’t want to see Ava.”

  “That’s not true. She came here...”

  “Just that once. Clinton said you see her every few years. And you never call that other one. No matter what you say, you blame yourself and you blame them for what happened that night to Clinton’s mom.”

  “I...” Audrey started. But she couldn’t argue. What Willow was saying was true. She’d never forgiven any of them.

  “I don’t think it’s about forgiving,” Audrey finally said. “It’s that I can’t forget.”

  “It was a tragedy, Audrey. But you took that awful thing and you’ve built something wonderful out of it. You found Clinton and made him yours. Then Bea. I’m not saying Clinton’s mom’s death was a good thing, but I am saying you three are good together.”

  “Us four,” Audrey corrected. “Our family. You’re right. That is good. And sometimes I feel guilty that I’ve gained so much because of that night.” Guilt, Audrey suddenly realized, was something she did very well.

  “So, what you’re saying is, I should feel guilty because I broke into Sawyer’s and because of that I found my family? I should sew a scarlet letter to my chest?”

  Of course Willow referenced the classic in a way that very few teens could...or would. “No, of course not.”

  Willow didn’t say anything. She just stared at Audrey.

  “You know, you’ve got a very old soul,” Audrey muttered. “I thought Clinton did, but yours is older. A lot older.”

  Willow snorted. “I’ve lived hundreds of lives in books. It ages a person...or at least it ages their soul.”

  “You’re a smart-ass,” Audrey said with no heat, “but you’re a well-read smart-ass, and you’re right.”

  “I know.” But Willow obviously wasn’t done. “Can I say one more old soul thing?”

  Audrey nodded.

  “Maybe it’s not so much about forgiveness or even forgetting like you said. Maybe a bit of it is about keeping people at arm’s length. It’s easier to push people away than to take a chance on them leaving you. And before you say anything, let me just say, I think all of us—any kid who was left in the system—finds it hard to trust other people to be there for them. It’s scary. But Clinton and Bea found their home and they’ve stopped being scared mostly. I’m almost there myself,” she added with a wry smile.

  Audrey could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Maybe you need to realize you’ve got a home and family. Me, Clinton and Bea. You’re ours. We love you. If you screw up again someday, we’d forgive you. We’d forgive you as many times as it took, because we love you. You’re ours,” Willow repeated. “So stop being scared, go find Sawyer and forgive him.”

  “Forgive him for what?” she asked softly.

  “Forgive him for not believing in me immediately. I have. You have to earn someone’s trust, and I’m getting there, but he has every reason to doubt me. He said himself he wants to believe me. That’s good enough.”

  Before Audrey could respond, Willow said, “I’ve seen you two together. I don’t think I could define what it is between you, but it’s the stuff in Maggie’s and Mrs. Wilson’s books. It’s special. And I think, despite all the books, finding someone who is your other half is rare. Don’t throw that away because of me. If you did I might not ever forgive myself. I think this family has enough guilt, don’t you?”

  Audrey shook her head. “What happened between me and Sawyer has nothing to do...”

  “Don’t say that it has nothing to do with me. You’re only proving you’re a liar.”

  How had she never noticed that Willow wasn’t nearly the child she thought she was?

  “Audrey, you both are crazy about each other. You’re staying away because somehow you’ve decided that being with him is somehow betraying me. It’s not. And if you still date him, it doesn’t make me think you don’t believe in me. You do. You have no reason to, but you totally do. And if you found out you were wrong, you would forgive me and give me another chance—I know that. A few weeks ago I’d have asked
myself why that is? I’d have probably chalked it up to you being crazy. But I’ve been sitting here thinking a lot this afternoon and I’ve come up with another reason. The real reason.”

  “Which is?” Audrey asked, feeling totally out of her depths in this conversation.

  “Because I am your family, as much as Clinton and Bea are. And you love me. I’ve been here less than a year, but I’m yours and you’re mine. So you believe in me.”

  Audrey realized she was crying. “You are. And I do.”

  Willow nodded. “I know. And you love Sawyer, too. You’re going to say it’s too fast, and you can’t be sure of your feelings, but that would be a lie. You love him. And he loves you. So don’t make me carry the guilt of breaking you two up around with me. I can get over being guilty about the break-in...”

  “No scarlet letter?” Audrey asked.

  “Nah. I don’t think red suits me. But I won’t get over making you two lose each other. Go find him and tell him you love him. And even if he’s never sure whether or not I broke into that house, he still cares for me and the kids. He’s family, too, even if neither of you is ready to admit it yet.”

  “I...” Audrey wasn’t sure what she was about to say, because Willow hugged her.

  “I love you,” Willow said.

  They were three words, just three syllables, but they meant the world to Audrey.

  “I love you, too,” she said back.

  “Yeah, I know,” Willow said, and started laughing.

  So did Audrey.

  “We stayed inside as long as we’re going to. What are you two doing up there?” Clinton hollered from the ground. Audrey looked down and he stood at the bottom of the ladder with Bea.

  “Audrey just came up here to tell me she was going to find Sawyer and tell him she loves him.”

  “Sure she does,” Bea said. She clutched at her heart. “He’s ours. Even if Audrey’s mad at him, he’s still ours.”

  Clinton didn’t say a word.

  Audrey made the perilous journey down the ladder, white-knuckling each rung. “Are you okay with me and Sawyer, Clinton?”