Her Second Chance Forever Groom

by Lorana Hoopes

  A moment later, she pulled into the driveway of her parent’s home. “Come on, buddy, let’s go. I’m running late already.” She chanced a glance at her watch, and her heart sank further. Fifteen minutes? She had never been this late before.

  “Hey Mom,” she said as her mother opened the door. “Sorry, I have to drop and run, but I’m late. Again.” Mia turned to Carter and squatted down to his level. “Be good and have fun. I’ll be back to get you after my shift.”

  He nodded, but Mia did not miss the sadness in his eyes. She sent a prayer heavenward as she climbed back into the car. “Please Lord, please help us.”

  Chapter 3

  Emmitt pulled into the parking lot of the only family restaurant in town. There were a few other eateries in the small town, but he remembered Manny’s as being the best and, according to the gas station clerk, it was possible Mia worked here. He had no idea if he would even still recognize her or if she would recognize him, but there couldn’t be too many women the right age who worked here. He pulled on a ball cap and tugged it low to his eyes. It didn’t always keep people from recognizing him, but it helped.

  “Just one?”

  Emmitt glanced up at the pretty blonde hostess decked out in white and red and nodded. Just one. He was starting to tire of hearing those words, but practice and games kept him busy. Plus, the few women he had met since joining the team were more like groupies than women he could see spending a lifetime with. The cleat chasers would appear at team parties and throw themselves at the players. A lot of the other players engaged in one or two night stands, but that had never been appealing to Emmitt. No, he’d made the mistake of being intimate before marriage once, and he wasn’t going to do it again.

  “Is the counter okay?”

  “Sure.” Counters didn’t generally have the most comfortable seats, but he could understand why they would want to sit a single customer there instead of a booth or a table that could hold more people. Plus, the place was already busy and most of the tables in the restaurant were occupied.

  She led him to the chair at the end and placed a menu in front of him. A string of Christmas lights hung down from the ceiling, though they were off currently, and silver tinsel lined the back wall in a decorative pattern. “Someone should be with you shortly.” Her eyes glanced around and her face took on a worried expression. “I think Mia is running late again.”

  Emmitt had no idea if the Mia who worked here was the Mia he had dated, but he supposed he would find out soon enough. He picked up the menu and perused the items. Though nothing sounded appealing, he decided on a burger and fries as it was typically hard to mess them up and he was not a fan of breakfast for lunch.

  “Can I get some service around here?” a man down the bar asked. Agitation covered his face and permeated the air around him.

  “Yes, sorry I’m late.” He recognized her voice before he even saw her enter. Her reddish hair was pulled back in a ponytail and mostly covered with a Santa hat that sat askew on her head. She was still adjusting her apron as she exited the kitchen as if she had just arrived, and she wore a harried expression on her face. Though he wasn’t used to seeing her flustered, she hadn’t changed a bit. Still slender and lithe, her uniform flattered her figure, and though he couldn’t see her eyes at the moment, he knew they would be the deepest blue he had ever seen.

  “Where’s your manager?” the man growled. “I’ve been waiting for someone to take my order for ten minutes.”

  A blush bloomed across Mia’s face. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll take your order right now. There’s no need to contact the manager.”

  “Oh, I think there is,” the man said snidely as he looked around the room, as if hoping to garner support from the other patrons.

  “Hey, man, she said she’s sorry. How about you let her take your order and I’ll buy your lunch?” Emmitt spoke up. It was not the way he had wanted to tell Mia he was here, and from the angry glare she shot him, she was not pleased to see him, but he couldn’t let this brute walk all over her.

  The man turned fierce eyes on him, and his face pinched together as if he wanted to start a fight, but then a greedy gleam glistened in his gaze. “You’ll buy whatever I want?”

  “Whatever you want,” Emmitt said.

  “Fine,” the man returned his attention to Mia. “I’ll have the chicken alfredo bowl, a side salad, and a slice of cheesecake for dessert.” He glanced back at Emmitt. “And a large coke to drink.”

  The man sounded pleased with himself, and Emmitt kept himself from rolling his eyes. The man’s meal would probably add up to less than thirty dollars, and that was well worth the price to Emmitt to have the man quiet down.

  “What are you doing here?” Mia hissed as she stopped in front of him. She kept her voice low so as not to draw attention but he could hear the strain of emotion in it.

  “I came to see you.” Where were his eloquent words? Not that he’d practiced on the drive here or anything, but he usually wasn’t lacking in articulation. However, with her blue eyes shooting icy daggers into him, he felt at a loss for words. What was he doing here? Did he really think she would just forgive him and want to be friends?

  But that wasn’t what this was about. This was about having no regrets. Whether she forgave him or not was her choice, but he would apologize and return to the team with no regrets. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. If he had truly lost his chance with Mia, he would return with the regret that he had ruined it, but he wouldn’t regret trying to reconnect with her.

  Her eyes flicked to the sides as if checking to see if anyone was watching them. “You saw me. Now you can leave.”

  “Not without eating first.” Emmitt had no place to be. He’d planned to be here for a few days, apologizing and hopefully making up with Mia.

  She shot him another hate-filled glare. “Fine. Let me put this man’s order in and I’ll be right back to take yours.”

  As she whirled away, the sweet scent of strawberries and vanilla wafted on the air. She was still using the same shampoo. He had always loved that scent, had loved sniffing her hair as she curled into his arms or laid her head against his chest. And he’d been haunted by that smell, which had lingered on his pillow for weeks after their one night together. Their beautiful, terrible, guilt-inducing night together.

  Mia returned a moment later but though she held a notepad to take his order, her eyes did not meet his. “What can I get for you?”

  “I’ll take the hamburger and fries and an iced tea.”

  Mia issued a curt nod before turning back to the kitchen window to place his order as well. Then, without another word or glance his direction, she bustled off to take care of her other customers.

  Emmitt sighed. This was going to be harder than he’d thought.

  Mia tried to keep her composure as the lunch crowd ran her ragged, but it was so hard with him sitting there watching her. What was he doing here? Not only had she had to deal with the angry customer, but then he’d swooped in like some knight in shining armor to diffuse the situation. He probably thought the gesture alone would sweep her off her feet and she would fall head over heels for him again and forgive him. Well, he was wrong; she was not that girl anymore. She was no longer the naïve twenty-year-old who had fallen for the hometown hero and hung on his every word. No, that girl had died the day Emmitt left town for good. Without a word, without an explanation, without an apology. She’d heard nothing from him for over five years, so what was he doing back in town? And why did he want to see her?

  She placed his bill down in front of him, but he made no move to pay it. He didn’t seem to be in any hurry.

  “How about a slice of pie?” he asked instead.

  “Sorry, we’re all out,” she spat back at him.

  “No, you’re not. I can see half a pie sitting in the display case over there.”

  Gritting her teeth, she snatched up his bill and shoved it in her pocket to fix. Then she grabbed a slice of apple pie from the display case and set the
plate and a fork in front of him.

  He picked up the fork, but made no move to eat the pie. “What time are you off today?”

  She crossed her arms and leaned away from him. “For you? Never.”

  His lips cracked a small smile as he chuckled. “I deserve that, but I flew all the way from San Antonio to see you, and I’m not leaving until you let me talk to you.”

  “You said enough when you said nothing at all,” she said as she moved on to another customer, but his words snagged in her mind. He’d flown all the way here to talk to her. Why? What could he possibly have to say after five and a half years? It didn’t matter. She’d worked hard to build up her walls after he’d left. Even Marcus hadn’t been able to completely tear them down, but he’d understood, and he’d married her anyway. And though she’d been happy, she’d never completely forgotten Emmitt. No, you never forgot your first love.

  As Mia ducked into the kitchen area to adjust Emmitt’s bill, Heather, her best friend and the hostess, appeared at her side. “Who is that man out there?”

  “The behemoth with the wide shoulders?” Mia asked as she added the pie to the bill.

  “Yes, he certainly seems to be content to stay awhile.”

  “Yes, he does.” Mia blew out a frustrated breath.

  “You know him?” Heather asked. Her eyes grew to saucers, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Is he…?”

  “Yes, he is, and we’re not going to discuss it.” Heather was the one person who knew the truth, but Mia had sworn her to secrecy years ago.

  “What does he want?”

  “He wants to talk. Says he came all the way here to talk to me.”

  “Are you going to talk to him?”

  Mia snatched the adjusted bill and whirled on her friend. “I don’t know. I can’t imagine it would be a good idea, but I have the feeling he won’t leave town unless I say yes.”

  “I think you should at least hear him out,” Heather said as she followed Mia back to the dining area.

  “We’ll see,” Mia whispered before slapping the adjusted bill down on the counter in front of Emmitt again. “I can’t talk tonight. I have plans when I get off.” She didn’t. Unless she counted picking up her son and making him dinner as plans. But Emmitt didn’t need to know that.

  “I only need a few minutes,” he said as he picked up the bill and perused the total.

  “I don’t have a few minutes. Not anymore.” Mia moved on to the next customer before Emmitt could say anything more. Though she was curious what he had to say, she felt it would be better if she simply sent him packing. At least then, she would not be swayed by him again.

  She heard Emmitt sigh behind her, but it was not until she heard the squeaking of his barstool against the floor, signifying his departure, that she turned back his direction. Her eyes widened at the sight of Ben Franklin on the bill. “You’ve overpaid me,” she called out to Emmitt’s back.

  He turned and offered a small smile. “No, I haven’t.” Then he walked out of the restaurant.

  Chapter 4

  “Mom, can we go to the park now?” Carter stood in front of her, dressed and ready. It never ceased to amaze her how he could get ready so quickly when it meant going to the park but dragged his feet when it meant going to her parents’ house.

  She checked her watch. It was only nine am, and she didn’t have to be at work until two. If they left now, he would have plenty of time to play and wear himself out. “Okay, let’s go.”

  As the park was just down the street, she didn’t bother with driving, but she did grab her sunglasses and house keys. Though December and early in the day, the air was warm from the sun’s bright rays. It had been unusually warm the last few days. Mia considered ducking back in the house for sunscreen, but Carter was already running ahead of her. With a sigh, she pushed the thought from her mind. Surely, he would be okay for a few hours, and they would leave before the worst time of day. Her mother had always told her that burning time was between eleven and two, and they would leave the park by eleven to give her time to get ready and drop him off before work.

  Her feet slowed as she approached the park. A man was sitting on her favorite park bench—the one that allowed her to see all parts of the playground. Normally, she wouldn’t care. She’d either join the man or sit on another bench, but a quick scan of the park showed Carter was the only kid here so far. Her protective mother instincts kicked in. He was probably just someone out for a walk who had decided to take a break, but there’d been too many stories of predators on the news lately. She wasn’t about to take that chance and ignore him.

  She approached the stranger, but stopped before giving him a piece of her mind. It was Emmitt, but it was too late to turn back. Carter was already on the playground. “What are you doing here?”

  He looked up and smiled at her. “I was thinking about how to get you to talk to me.”

  “How did you know I lived around here? Did you follow me home?” Her shield was up, and even though she knew he had left the restaurant before she did the previous day, she couldn’t imagine how he could have found her unless he was following her.

  “No, this was one of my favorite parks growing up. I thought coming here would help me think of a way to reach you.”

  She sighed and plunked down next to him on the bench. She still didn’t really want to hear what he had to say, but perhaps listening to him would ease his conscience and allow him to leave. “Fine, Emmitt, what did you want to say to me?”

  He looked at her with those deep soulful eyes that had always sent her heart careening in her chest. Even now, she felt it start to beat faster, and as the moment drew out, she pursed her lips together to keep from urging him to get on with it.

  “I wanted to say I was sorry,” he finally said.

  “Sorry? You’re sorry? For what? For wasting three years of my life? For telling me you loved me when you obviously didn’t? For leaving without a word?”

  His face appeared to fold in on itself, and for a just a moment, she felt badly, but it was only a moment. He’d left her, not the other way around. She’d been the one left wondering what had happened, what she had done to make him run without an explanation.

  “For all of that and more,” he said.

  That was his idea of an apology? She should have known. He’d never been one to open up about his feelings, but she’d hoped that was only age and that maturing would change that side of him. Evidently, it hadn’t. “Fine, you said your apology. Now you can go.” She forced a smile and waved to Carter, who had climbed up the large slide and was now hollering and waving his arms at her proudly.

  Emmitt turned to look at Carter. His eyes widened as he seemed to realize who the boy was for the first time. “He’s your son?”

  “Yeah, he is. Carter.” Mia bit her lip to keep from spilling more. She’d decided on her story over five years ago, and there was no reason to change it now. “After you left, I was a mess, but thankfully Marcus came along and helped me rebuild my life.”

  “And where is Marcus now?” Emmitt asked looking around the playground.

  “Dead,” Mia said in a matter-of-fact tone. “He was killed by a drunk driver a year ago.”

  Emmitt turned to her and reached out a hand. “Mia, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t,” she said, shying away from his touch. “You don’t get to feel badly for me, and you definitely don’t get to console me. You lost that privilege when you left without a word after the draft.” Unbidden, the image of their last night together flashed into her mind.

  “This is so exciting, Emmitt,” she said as they watched the teams on the TV announce who they were choosing.

  “It’s nerve-wracking,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “What if it’s New York or California that takes me? I’ll be so far away.”

  “That won’t happen.” His mother set down a bowl of popcorn on the table in front of them. “I’ve prayed that God will keep you close.”

  “Our next team is the San Antoni
o Rebels. They’ve been watching quite a few players including weak linebacker Emmitt Brown and safety Jordan Granger,” one of the announcers said.

  “They could definitely use either of those positions, so let’s see who they choose,” the other announcer said.

  The view on the screen shifted to the owners of the San Antonio Rebels and the coach stood. “Our pick is Emmitt Brown from Texas Tech University.”

  “That’s you,” Mia squealed and pulled Emmitt in for a hug. “San Antonio isn’t that far.”

  “Yeah,” he said, but his voice didn’t hold the emotion she expected.

  “I didn’t know how it would be,” he said, “and when I got there, it wasn’t the life I wanted for you. I wanted you to be able to finish school and go into design, not be my shadow.”

  “You shouldn’t have chosen for me. You never even gave me the option.”

  “I know. I should have.” His gaze dropped to his lap and he ran his thumbs over his forefingers.

  “I’ve thought about that day a lot since I left—”

  “But not enough to come back,” she said, interrupting him. “You never came home after that. Not even for your family. And I heard they moved a few years ago. Did you do that too? Move them away, so you’d have even less reason to return home and possibly see me?”

  He shook his head, but she could see that he knew she was right. It was written all over the expression on his face. “I was selfish then, but I’ve changed. I became a Christ follower—”

  She held up a hand, interrupting him again. “You were already a Christian.”