Take a Chance

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  “You know I didn’t want things to be like this.”

  “Like what?” she pushed, just because she was irritated with him enough to push it.

  “Awkward,” he explained, just like that was something meaningful. He shifted, pulling the black ball cap lower on his forehead.

  She wondered if he did that so she wouldn’t be able to see his eyes, or so he couldn’t see hers.

  But did it even matter? “I think things are going to be awkward between us no matter what.”

  “It doesn’t have to be, though. I bet if we tried, the two of us could be friends.”

  Oh, hell no. He was not going to start throwing that friendship line her way. “Um, I don’t think so.”

  He flinched. After glancing around them, as if to make sure their conversation was completely private, he pulled up the brim of his hat. “You know I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, sincerity shining in his deep blue eyes.

  “But you did. And you knew what was going to happen, too.”

  Looking affronted, he stood up straighter. “Emily, you know I didn’t intend for this to happen.”

  “I know that. But I’m not sure if that even matters. You knew I trusted you, and you knew I didn’t trust easily. So that’s where you’re wrong, Kurt Holland. You definitely did want things to be like this. I wanted to work things out. I wanted to try to help you.”

  “You couldn’t have.”

  “You wouldn’t let me,” she countered, hating that her voice was quivering with emotion. “Instead of trusting me back, you broke things off. And that’s why I’m so upset.”

  He gazed at her a moment longer, then nodded. “You’re right. that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t know it was going to be so hard though.” Looking almost like he was talking to himself, he added, “I think I made a mistake.”

  She was torn between shock that he’d admit it and irritation that he was being so honest. What had ever happened to good old evasion tactics? “I don’t know how you expect me to respond to that.”

  “I know. But maybe you would have an easier time to respond to this: I already miss you.”

  He already missed her.

  If they were standing in the parking lot out in the open she would have started crying. Or maybe started yelling at him, really loud. He was playing games with her. Oh, maybe not intentionally, but it was close enough for her to feel a little used. She turned away. “If you see Campbell, tell her I’m in the car.”

  “Emily—”

  Still afraid to look at him, she kept her back to him. “I’m really sorry, Kurt, but I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other.”

  “I’m thinking you’re wrong,” he said quietly. “I’m going to fix all this.”

  She didn’t say a word about that. After all, hadn’t they already said everything they could?

  She turned on the car, blasted the air conditioner, and closed her eyes. She prayed for strength and patience, and maybe, if He was so inclined, to stop meeting hot guys right after hot yoga.

  Her door opened and Campbell slid in, holding a large white shopping bag filled with delicious-smelling food. “Guess what?”

  “I can’t even imagine.”

  “Troy asked me for my number! Isn’t that something?”

  It was familiar, that’s what it was. Smiling tightly, she put her car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. “It sure is,” she said with what she hoped was a good dose of enthusiasm. “Well, don’t hold back. Tell me what he said.”

  “First of all, Troy said he knew it wasn’t what girls wanted to hear anymore, but he thought I was pretty. Can you believe that?”

  “Ah, yes, I can. You are pretty.”

  Campbell shrugged. “I’m all right. And, look. I’ve been around enough to know when guys feed me a line. So I know that was what he was probably doing. But then he said something that got my attention.”

  In spite of her bad mood and heartache, Emily was sucked in. “And what was that?”

  “He said he was hoping he could have my number and we could text each other for the next week because he was busy all weekend with something that he couldn’t get out of.”

  Emily inwardly winced. After debating for a moment, she said, “Campbell, not to be mean, but he probably already has a date lined up.”

  “Oh, that’s what I said! But he told me no and that he’d volunteered to help at the youth fair at Nesbit Park next Saturday.” Her voice softened. “Troy’s going to be helping with the football camp for little guys. That’s when I said I was going to be working at the fair, too.”

  “You are? I didn’t know that. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m helping out in the reading tent. We plan to give every child and teen who stops by a free book. All kinds of publishers and authors have donated books.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Uh-huh. Would you like to sign up to volunteer?”

  “It’s not too late?”

  “Not at all. As a matter of fact, we’re going to need at least one more volunteer because Troy asked me out for ice cream at the end of the day. Isn’t that something? So fun!”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you,” she said, and really hoped that she sounded happy, too.

  Because her insides were as jealous as could be. Here her best friend had just fallen in insta-love with the buddy of a guy who Emily had assumed would one day be her boyfriend.

  Now it looked like their spots had been exchanged. It seemed she was destined to always be the third wheel.

  As she pulled into the parking lot, she was fairly sure her heart felt like it was breaking all over again.

  “Aren’t you so glad we worked out and stopped to get dinner? This is turning out to be one of our best nights ever.”

  She wasn’t hungry. She wasn’t happy.

  But she’d learned to fake it with the best of them. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “You sure? You don’t sound happy.”

  “I’m just in real need of a shower. Do you mind if I go first?”

  Campbell’s expression cleared. “Nope. I’ll dig in while it’s hot.” She held up her phone. “And check my phone. I think Troy already texted me.”

  Emily couldn’t get to the shower fast enough.

  CHAPTER 25

  FROM LES LARKE’S

  TIPS FOR BEGINNING POKER PLAYERS:

  Try to be patient and disciplined. Bad things happen when you let emotion take over.

  “Emily’ll come around. All she needs is time,” Troy said after they ate too much Mexican food and then said goodbye to Sam, who was heading over to see his girl.

  “Maybe she will, but I don’t know. She’s not happy with me.” He didn’t blame her, either.

  “Women change their minds. Haven’t you heard that’s their prerogative?”

  Kurt barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Comments like that were vintage Troy. Words like prerogative were part of his regular vocabulary. Every time Troy said stuff like that, it reminded Kurt of Sam, and how he was really hoping and praying he was doing everything all right by him.

  Sitting down at the table, Troy grabbed a handful of poker chips and started sorting the colors. “Her gal Campbell is sure a sweetheart. When I texted her, she texted me right back.”

  “Don’t suppose you want me to mention how you sound like you’re sixteen with a hard-on.”

  But instead of being offended, Troy threw back his head and laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do. I’m owning it, though. It’s been a while since I’ve been so taken by a woman.”

  “You only talked to her for ten minutes. What happened?”

  Maybe he needed some dating moves or something?

  “I don’t know. There was something about her that I wanted to know. Something genuine.” He paused, then added, “Sh
e didn’t look like she cared that I played ball in college or that I’ve got my own business now. What mattered was that I was volunteering at Saturday’s Kid Fest over at Nesbit Park.”

  “I haven’t heard about that. What is it?”

  “A bunch of organizations around Bridgeport set up booths and activities. I’m helping out at the football clinic. She’s working the literacy fair.”

  “Sounds like a fun event for a good cause.”

  Troy nodded as he leaned back in his chair, one arm over the back of it. “It is. I go every year. Most of the folks you meet here in Bridgeport like helping to make the community better. Not everyone is all about golf clubs and gated communities, you know.”

  Since he knew for a fact that Troy belonged to a golf club and lived in a gated community, he kept his mouth shut. But it did give him something to think about. Had he been stereotyping the town and acting like he didn’t have much in common with the other men in the area because he didn’t wear polo shirts or hadn’t gone to college?

  “You ought to join me,” Troy said, pulling him out of his musings.

  “Where? At Kid Fest?”

  “Yeah. In the football clinic. I could use the help and you were a great receiver.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Plus, there’s a good chance I’ll be taking off early with Campbell. Get this. I’m taking her out on an ice cream date.”

  Kurt knew he was grinning from ear to ear. “You going out for ice cream, Troy?”

  Troy laughed. “Maybe. And yes, I know it’s going to be a new experience for me. I don’t recall doing something so innocent with a girl since I was about eleven or twelve.”

  “I’m thinking that age was probably closer to eight. Even before you discovered girls you weren’t that good.”

  “You got that right.” Troy shrugged as he stared at him intently. “Anyway, how about it? Why don’t you put on some cleats and help me out, for old times’ sake?”

  “You sure anyone’s gonna want to listen to me? I didn’t play college ball.”

  “First, no one expects us to be pros, just competent. Secondly, you could’ve played in college if the time had been right.”

  Kurt wasn’t sure that was true. He hadn’t had the grades or the money. But then he reminded himself that volunteering wasn’t about him anyway. And to be honest, doing something with Troy and a bunch of kids sounded better than working on his computer or moping around the house and thinking of all the ways he had let Emily down or had possibly sabotaged Sam’s chances. “I’ll be happy to help you out. Just let me know what time.”

  “Will do.” His eyes were shining. Kurt was tempted to ask what was on his mind but decided to let it go. Honestly, he couldn’t handle any more of his buddy’s good humor. “So are we going to play cards or what?”

  “I told them six.” Looking at his phone, he added, “Everyone should start showing up in about fifteen or twenty minutes.”

  “Great. I’ll text Jim and a couple of other guys to tell them to get on over here.”

  “Wait a minute. Have you had guys waiting for you to let them know about the game?”

  “Heck yeah.” Looking as confident as ever, Troy grinned. “One of the guys even gave these poker nights a name: the Bridgeport Poker Club.”

  Kurt laughed. “It’s got a nice ring to it, but it doesn’t sound classy enough for this place. And, you know, I don’t just like to play poker.”

  Troy nodded, like their conversation was about something important. “You know what? You’re right. I like doing other stuff around town, too. Kayaking. Fishing. Golf. Tennis.”

  “I’m sensing a pattern here and it involves a lot of sports.”

  Troy shrugged. “For me, yeah. But not everyone.” He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. It’s the Bridgeport Social Club. What do you think?”

  “I think … I think it sounds real good.” Kurt grinned. “Perfect.” He paused. “’Course, having a name for a group of guys getting together ain’t necessary. I mean, most times, it’s just poker.”

  “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Holland? Poker is bigger than all of us. Hell, some guys even say it’s all they’ve got.”

  Since he didn’t have Emily at the moment, Kurt reckoned they might be right.

  ***

  Sam had been there almost an hour, but as Kayla kept sneaking glances at him, she was getting the feeling that he still hadn’t relaxed.

  He was sitting on the sectional with her but not real close. Actually, she was almost certain that he’d made sure one whole couch cushion was in between them. So far, he hadn’t been too interested in any of the shows they’d flipped on either. He kept texting or staring at his phone.

  With every minute that passed by, Kayla was becoming more and more certain that asking him over had been a really bad idea. So was wearing the new shorts and top she’d bought at the mall. And the brownies she’d made that morning but he hadn’t touched. And the Cokes she’d asked her mom to run out and get at the end of her shift at the hospital but he’d refused.

  No doubt, Sam Holland would have rather been at some field party with a lot of other kids, a cooler of beer, and a lot more freedom.

  “Do you like Arctic Freeze?” she asked, naming the reality show about a bunch of fishermen that they’d had on almost the whole time. “If not, we can watch something else.”

  His head popped up. “No. It’s fine.” Then he went back to his phone.

  Now she was beginning to wish he hadn’t come over at all. Feeling even more frustrated, she sighed.

  He heard. “What’s up?”

  “It’s pretty obvious that you don’t want to be here. You don’t have to stay, Sam.”

  The phone dropped to his side. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re sitting over there and staring at your phone. I may not have your big brain but even I can tell that means you’re bored.” Sam looked shocked. Really shocked.

  His expression might’ve been kind of funny if she felt like laughing.

  “Kayla, your mother is home. She could come down here any minute and see us together.”

  “I know that. But she knows we’re seeing each other, Sam. I’m not saying I want to make out or anything, but you could move a little closer.”

  He scooted her way. Not close enough to touch her or anything but at least now she didn’t have to raise her voice to talk to him. She leaned back and tried to watch the show again.

  She made real certain that she didn’t sigh again when he pulled his phone back out, but she definitely did start thinking of ways to end the night early.

  As if he finally was reading her mind, he grabbed hold of the remote and put it on mute. “Kayla, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been acting like a jerk.”

  “Why? Did I do something you’re mad about?”

  “No. Of course not. I’ve just got something on my mind. Actually, I’ve got a lot of things and I don’t know what to do.”

  “Can you talk about it?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not anything good. You might not want to hear about it.”

  “Sam, don’t you get it yet? I don’t need you to act like everything’s always great.”

  He stared at her a little longer, his blue eyes studying her face like he wasn’t sure if he believed her. Seeing him act like that made her kind of sad. Obviously he’d been burned before. Maybe a lot of times. “All right. Here goes,” he said at last. “I might make a B in English.”

  With anyone else she would have rolled her eyes. Maybe thrown a pillow at them. But she knew him well enough by now that this wasn’t good. “Are you upset because you’re not used to making Bs or upset about college?”

  “College. And maybe a little bit of both.” He closed his eyes. “I hate talking about this because it makes me sound like a jerk. But school here, well, it’s caught me off guard. It’s been a lot harder
than I expected.”

  She knew that admitting those things had been hard for him. “What are you going to do?”

  “Miss Springer is tutoring me on vocabulary. That’s what I was doing on Friday afternoon.”

  “What does your brother say about everything?”

  “Kurt acted like it was no big deal, but I think he’s pretty bummed. I let him down, you know?”

  “No,” she told him with complete honesty. “You’re just as human as the rest of us, Sam. You can’t expect to be perfect all the time.”

  “We moved here because I was so smart. But maybe I’m not that smart after all,” he said slowly, worry and doubt shining in his eyes. “Maybe I was just smart for my crappy little town, but now that I’m here, I’m just average.”

  “I don’t think you’re that, Sam. You’re a whole lot smarter than me.”

  He hung his head. “This is why I didn’t want to talk about it. I sound needy.”

  Unable to handle the space between them anymore, she crawled onto his lap. Sam froze for a second before wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. “If I ask you something, will you promise not to get mad?”

  For the first time since he arrived, his lips curved up. “Will you promise to stay on my lap and let me hold you?”

  She kissed his cheek. “Um-hmm.”

  “Then shoot.”

  “Okay.” Bracing herself for his response, she said, “Have you ever thought about what would happen if you don’t get your fancy scholarship to a real good school?”

  His entire body tightened. She knew he was trying hard not to lash out his frustration.

  So she started talking quickly. “I’m not trying to be mean, Sam. I really want to know if you’ve thought about what would happen.”

  “I’m going to disappoint everyone, Kay.”

  “Not everyone. Not me.” Reaching out, she pressed a hand on his chest, right over his heart. “What about Coleman and the rest of your buddies at home? Are they going to be upset?”

  “Cole?” He looked surprised that she asked. “Well, no. He doesn’t care about Ivy League schools.”

  Taking a chance, she murmured, “What about your dad?”