One Last Chance_A Small-Town Romance

by Nancy Stopper

She covered his big hand with hers. Sawyer was always willing to help, but if she let him, she wouldn’t find the independence she’d lost. If he did everything for her, it would be too easy to retreat into her old self that Shane had smothered. “That’s sweet, and I appreciate it. But I’ll be okay. Besides, I’ve been eyeing that car of yours for the past few days.”

  He groaned. “Don’t make me regret my offer. You do know how to drive, right?”

  “Yes, Saw-yer.” Sure, she sounded like a bit petulant, but he was going all parent on her.

  “Maybe I’ll need to be out on patrol about the time you go to work,” he mumbled under his breath.

  “What’d you say?” She put her hand to her ear, giggling.

  He stood. “Are you finished?”

  “It’s okay. I’ll clean up. You head on out.”

  “I hate to leave you with a mess.”

  Such a worry wart. She’d show him, show everyone, that she had this. “I think I can clean up a few pots and pans.”

  He started for the door. When he stopped, his butt muscles flexed, and he pivoted.

  Heat flooded her face. He must have forgotten something. Please, please, please, don’t let him have caught her checking out his sexy ass.

  One leg moved over the other, hips rocking, as he sauntered straight to her.

  She gripped the edge of the table. What was he doing? What was going on? “I… uh… did you forget… forgot… something?”

  He leaned in and brushed his warm lips against her cheek. Tingles invaded her belly. His musky scent clung to her skin. “Have a great day.” His voice was silk against her ear.

  He placed his hat on his head and strolled out the door, a bounce in his step and a whistle on his lips.

  Wha- What was that? She ran her finger over her tingling cheek. Just when she had calmed her nerves about going back to work, he’d kissed her and walked out of the room like nothing had happened. Like kissing her was no big deal. Well, it was a big deal to her. She leapt from the table, spun in a circle, and squealed. Chloe jumped from her bed and barked.

  “Sorry, honey. Didn’t mean to bother you. It’s just… he kissed me.” She scruffed Chloe’s ears and then twirled around the kitchen again.

  AN HOUR LATER, Rachel emptied her duffel on the bed to sort her clothes. She probably should do some laundry. She probably should do a lot of things. But since Sawyer had kissed her, she couldn’t focus on anything else. As she flicked a shirt to get the wrinkles out, a card fluttered to the floor. She bent to pick it up and ran her fingers over the embossed black letters. Dr. Margaret James, PhD.

  Last night Rachel’d had a nightmare. She’d shot up from the bed, sweat running down her face, heart racing. Only after she turned on the light did the warm color washing over the khaki and navy walls of Sawyer’s guest room calm her. Knowing that Sawyer slept down the hall didn’t hurt either.

  And then he’d gone and kissed her this morning. If ever she needed someone to talk to, it was now. She fingered the business card. She’d picked up the phone to call the doctor several times, stopping short of pressing “Send.” At times like this, she missed her friends. Missed being able to pick up the phone and have someone tell her everything was going to be alright. Shane had driven them away so she’d depended solely on him. Not anymore.

  She grabbed her phone and entered the numbers. Her hands shook as a ring echoed on the other end.

  “Commonwealth Counseling Services. May I help you?”

  “Uh…” Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and she coughed.

  “Hello?”

  “Uh, hello?”

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yes… I’d like to make an appointment with Dr. James.” Her voice cracked. Where was the strength she’d built up the past few days?

  “Are you okay, ma’am? Are you afraid you’re going to hurt yourself?”

  “No, nothing like that.”

  “All right. We just had a cancellation. Can you come in tomorrow morning?”

  “Sure.”

  She gave enough details to the receptionist to secure the appointment and disconnected the call. Her hands shook as she placed the phone on the table. When did making a simple phone call get so hard? Probably about the time Shane had drilled secrecy into her to the point she’d been afraid to talk to anyone else.

  RACHEL CHECKED HER rearview mirror during the drive to J.J.’s. Not once did Sawyer’s cruiser pop into view. He may have blustered about his Mercedes, his pride and joy, but in the end, he trusted her. She felt it deep in her gut. Shane never trusted her. Not even when they first started dating. That should have been her first clue that he was trouble.

  Check off another step toward self-reliance.

  But when she parked at the bar, her confidence faltered. This was a bad idea. People inside would stare and whisper behind her back. Her hands would probably shake and she’d dump a tray on a customer. And Shane’s face kept popping up, spitting insults about how worthless she was. Why wouldn’t he get out of her head?

  Screw this. Maybe in a few days she could try again. She’d made it this far… that was good enough for today.

  When someone knocked on the window, she jerked. Her head snapped to the passenger side where Joey peered at her.

  Joey knew she was jumpy right now. Why in the hell was he scaring the crap out of her by knocking like that?

  Her hands shaking, she rolled down the window. Joey leaned down and poked his head in like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Hey, sweetie. How’s it going?”

  She screwed on a smile. If she didn’t at least feign happiness, he’d go “big brother” on her. She’d had enough of that right now. “Good.”

  His gaze roamed the car’s interior, and he let out a low whistle. “Man, you got yourself a nice ride. Sawyer let me borrow it once—when I took Brittany to Philadelphia.”

  She ran her hand over the dashboard. “He seemed a little nervous to hand over the keys this morning. He doesn’t let many people drive his car, does he?”

  Joey puffed out his chest. “Just special people like me… and you.”

  She wasn’t special. She had just forced herself into Sawyer’s life, and he was helping her out. Like he helped everyone out. But he had kissed her this morning. Did he kiss everyone he helped? Probably not.

  She pressed the button to roll up the window and Joey yanked his fingers away, his laugh carrying through the closing glass. Just like when they were kids, laughing and joking around with each other.

  She drew in a deep breath, held it, and let it out. She could do this. First hurdle over. She’d made it to the parking lot. Next step, walk in the door. Wait, next step, get out of the car. She fumbled with the door handle and joined Joey on the sidewalk.

  “You’ll tell me if you need a break, okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. I promise I won’t shatter.”

  He gave her a side hug. She may not want him to smother her, but she missed the close ties they’d had growing up. How had she let their relationship go so far off the rails?

  “I know you won’t. You’re one of the strongest women I know.”

  Strong? If she’d been strong, she would have cut Shane loose a long time ago. Regardless, Joey’s words dug deep into her heart. One of these days she’d live up to them.

  He let her go and clapped his hands together. “Let’s do this.”

  When they stepped inside, Carla waved from her perch behind the bar. “Hey, chickie. How ya doing?”

  Rachel waved back. Typical Carla, always upbeat. Just what Rachel needed to help calm her racing nerves. “Doing good.”

  Joey grabbed something from behind the bar and tossed it at Rachel. “Here, put this on.”

  A J.J.’s T-shirt. The standard uniform she’d worn with pride… before. She’d been a helluva waitress and made tons of tips. Hopefully that skill would return, because she could use the money.

  She scooted in the back and slid the soft fabric over her head. It hugged her body.
She took a breath, grabbed a tray, and got to work. Before long, customers filled the room and for the next several hours, she was too busy to think of Shane, Sawyer, or anything but waiting on tables. The constant racing here and running there had her feet aching and her shoes pinching. Her lower back throbbed from carting heavy trays. The skin of her fingers itched from wiping down the tables repeatedly with a wet rag.

  And she loved every minute of it. What a difference between hard-work exhaustion and an emotionally draining tired. Mission accomplished.

  Finally, the lunch crowd thinned, and she snuck into the corner booth with a soda. She propped her feet on the cushion across from her and tipped her head back. How long had the lunch rush lingered? The big clock above the bar said it was almost time for the dinner shift. It promised to be just as busy… but she’d be fine after a few minutes rest.

  Joey knocked her feet aside and plopped in the opposite side of the booth. “Tired?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “I remember the first few days. When you haven’t been on your feet for a lot of hours, they get sore really quick.”

  Sore didn’t even begin to describe the aches in her feet, calves, and arms. Her muscles and bones deserved a hot bath.

  “If you want to call it a day, I can have Danielle come in early for the dinner shift.”

  “No, I want to stay.”

  He shoved her feet onto the floor. “Okay then, break’s over.” His chuckle trailed behind him as he returned to the kitchen.

  What a smart-ass. She giggled. This was where she belonged. People weren’t staring, and they weren’t whispering. The other waitresses and the kitchen staff were flinging orders at her like she belonged. And after all this time, she knew she had become one of them again. She hadn’t felt like she belonged anywhere, except with Shane, in a really long time.

  SAWYER RIPPED THE form off the tablet, balled up the useless piece of paper, and aimed for the trash. Twice now he’d started a routine burglary report and hadn’t been able to finish it. He couldn’t focus on the words in front of him while his mind was a few miles down the road. Had Rachel gone in to work? It had taken everything in him to not head home during lunch, but she needed to make this move by herself. It was not a good idea to push her by showing up to offer encouragement.

  “Knock, knock.”

  He lifted his head. Robert stood in the doorway, the crease between his eyes deep.

  Sawyer rose. “Is there something I can do for you, Sir?”

  Robert waved his hands in a shooing manner. “Sit, sit.”

  Sawyer’s stomach sank and he perched on the edge of his chair. This couldn’t be good.

  Robert’s fingers formed a steeple.

  “Sir?”

  “Call me Robert.”

  “Okay… Robert.” Formality with superiors had been drilled into Sawyer in the army, so crossing the line to a friendly relationship at the office, was hard. Even though he’d known his friend and mentor most of his life. Sawyer never wanted to show Robert anything less than the utmost respect, especially around some of the yahoos in the department.

  “Have you given any thought to our discussion the other day?”

  Running for sheriff had been on Sawyer’s mind, but each time he mulled over the opportunity in front of him, his mind shifted to Rachel. The soft skin on her hand that he’d stroked when they walked Chloe. The sparkles in her eyes and her sweet smile that came more easily for her now. When she beamed at him, he would do anything to keep her happy.

  Dammit, Sawyer, screw your head on straight. Focus. “Yes, sir, I have.”

  “What are your thoughts?”

  Sawyer would be crazy to miss this chance to run the department, and in his hometown, no less. Still, he’d also be stupid to leap into it without considering how it would change his life. He already worked long hours. How bad would his schedule become if he were the one in charge? If he was sheriff, who would support him if he had a problem? Robert had served that role for so long, Sawyer was loathe to fill it with anyone else.

  The election itself would involve lots of glad-handing, baby kissing, and whatever else could win him votes. That part did not appeal to him.

  If only he could apply for the job instead of running. Then he could live a quiet life while serving and protecting his hometown community—without the hassle of a campaign in order to earn the position. Being sheriff was definitely in Sawyer’s long term plans, but he just wasn’t sure now was the time. But there wasn’t a chance he would be happy remaining a deputy for the rest of his career. And if he didn’t run now, it could be years before he got this opportunity again.

  “I’m interested, sir… -er, Robert. I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  “I wouldn’t have mentioned it if I didn’t think you were.”

  “I’m not a politician.”

  “I get that. But you’re the best man for the job, politician or not. So please don’t subject the good residents of Oak Grove to Leon.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Deputy Watkins has shown interest.”

  Leon had been with the department longer than Sawyer’s eighteen months. But Watkins was young and reckless, and Oak Grove was just a stepping stone for him. He didn’t care about Oak Grove nearly as much as he cared about his own reputation and how he could help himself. Sawyer wouldn’t be happy working under Watkins, either. If it was either him or Watkins, he’d have to step up for the good of the town, right?

  “Okay, I’m in.”

  Robert grinned. “I’m damned pleased, Sawyer. Uh…” He paused and scrubbed his hand over his jaw. The little wrinkle between his brows appeared again.

  “What is it?”

  “Shane Buckley.”

  Sawyer’s heart seized. “What about him?”

  “He made bail this morning.”

  Sawyer leapt to his feet. “How is that possible?”

  “Bail was set. He paid. We couldn’t hold him.”

  "Where in the hell did he get the money?"

  “You know who his daddy is, right?”

  How could Sawyer have forgotten? That drunken bastard Buckley was part of Pennsylvania legal royalty. His dad was an assistant district attorney in Philly, on the fast track to the DA seat. Michael had probably faced off against Mr. Hot Shot Lawyer a half-dozen times. Of course Daddy would bail his baby boy out. His father had covered his ass several times. Each of those times, Shane got off scot-free when the women he’d abused failed to press charges. No doubt Daddy’s influence reached further than bailing out his deadbeat son. He couldn’t have his son’s behavior marring Mr. Bigshot Lawyer’s reputation, could he?

  “Does Rachel know?”

  “Not yet. I figured you’d tell her.”

  Sawyer ripped open his top drawer. Where had he put his keys? He had to get out of here and warn Rachel. What if Shane went after her? Sawyer patted his pockets. He dug through the pile of papers on his desk. “I need to go. I need to tell Rachel.”

  “Calm down, son. I served him with the PFA personally. He can’t go near her, at your home, at her parent’s home, or at J.J.’s, or he’ll forfeit his bail.”

  “Like a piece of paper would stop him.” Sawyer yanked open the desk drawer. Bingo! He seized his keys, slammed his laptop shut, and tossed it into the bag. “I have to go. I’ll be on my cell if you need me.”

  Robert might have said something else, Sawyer didn’t know. He was halfway down the hall in no time. Blood rushed in his ears as he zipped out of the station and to his cruiser. His heart slammed against his chest. Now was not the time to panic. He’d survived two tours in Afghanistan and plenty of domestic situations as deputy. When it came to Rachel, it was different, even though it shouldn’t be. He’d let her in when he knew better. He just had to protect her without his feelings getting in the way.

  SAWYER WHIPPED INTO J.J.’s parking lot and slammed the car into park. He flung the door open and dashed into the building. A couple waiting to be seated stumbled when he smacked in
to their backs, and he had to dance around a child with another group. Once he cleared the entrance way, he scanned for Rachel in the crowd, but he didn’t see her. Had Shane already found her?

  Sawyer skidded to a stop in front of Joey at the bar. Certainly Joey wouldn’t be calm if Rachel was in trouble, but Sawyer wouldn’t relax until he saw for himself.

  Joey flung a towel over his shoulder and grinned. “What’s up? Are you off duty? Can I get you a beer?”

  “Where is she?”

  The door to the kitchen swung open and Rachel stepped through, wiping her hands on a towel. Her eyes brightened and she smiled. “Hey, Sawyer.”

  “Thank God you’re safe.” He pressed on the pinch in his chest. She was okay. Rushing around the bar, he cupped her cheeks and brushed his lips over her forehead. He didn’t care about who was watching. All that mattered was that she was safe.

  She patted his arm. “I told you I would be. You didn’t need to worry. It’s been fine today. Busy, but a good busy.”

  His heart still hadn’t stopped racing, even as her words soothed the ache in his chest. At least she’d enjoyed her first day at work. Now for the nasty business that had brought him here in the first place. He schooled his features. In basic training he’d learned to lock his feelings into a box and focus only on the mission. Only after they were off duty could they react. He had to be here for Rachel. All her progress could be threatened when she heard the latest news. “Can you take a break?”

  “It’s kinda busy right now. I’m off in an hour.”

  “It’s important.”

  Joey slid up to Sawyer and threw a concerned look his way. Sawyer nodded. He’d fill his friend in later. “It’s fine, Rachel. Danielle just clocked in. I’ll ask her to hop onto the floor.”

  With a nod to Joey, Sawyer hooked his arm in Rachel’s and led her to the office.

  While Rachel sat on the sofa, picking at her fingernails, Sawyer rubbed his stubble and paced. Great, she was nervous. He was supposed to be the one to protect her, not shatter her fragile peace.

  “Sawyer, you’re scaring me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He sat beside her and took her hands. “I have something to tell you.”