Finding Solace: A Small Town Second Chance Romance

by S. L. Scott

  Moving to lie next to me, his hand covers my cheeks. Despite the sheet being tangled again, he kisses me gently. With my lips against his, I kiss him back with such care for this man I love so deeply. I fall back on my pillow and weave my fingers through his hair. He knew what we were deciding when we didn’t use a condom. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  I would welcome a baby into this world if it were his, if he was there with me to prove that when lives are meant to be entwined, they twist themselves completely into eternity. “For loving me without conditions.”

  “Let’s get married as soon as we can.”

  All those years he’d believed I hated him, that my soul wasn’t somehow tied to his. But here he is, forgiving me when I can’t forgive myself. Could I be so kind if the roles had been reversed? My heart would be too damaged to repair if I had seen him with another woman. This man before me is the most generous of beings. And like he once said, maybe my true heart now can heal the broken parts of his soul once and forever. “I’m sorry.”

  “What are you sorry for, honeysuckle?”

  “For assuming instead of trusting. I did more than break my heart. I broke yours, and that’s harder to live with.”

  Taking my hand, he places it over his heart. “You healed this broken heart and settled my restless soul.” He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses each finger. He takes my left ring finger, closes his mouth around it, and then slides it out slowly. “If you could have any ring, what kind do you dream of?”

  “I don’t need rings or jewelry. I have everything I need right here.”

  Smiling, he chuckles. “Oh no, you don’t. You don’t get off that easy. I want everyone in Freeland County and wherever we travel to know you’re mine.”

  “And you’ll wear one because you’re mine.”

  “I will flash that ring every chance I get, proud to say I’m the lucky bastard who gets to go home with you every night.”

  Dawn peeks through the window, and we slide farther under the covers. “I’m not ready to get up.”

  “Paul will manage the farm. Let’s stay a few extra days.”

  “Here at the hotel?” How fun would that be?

  “Here in this bed. We’ll eat like kings. We’ll binge bad TV—”

  “And make love. All night and all day.”

  Snuggling closer, I rest my head next to his on the pillow and try to steal a kiss, but he catches me before I sneak back to my side. “Better get used to this, honeysuckle.” Slipping his arm under me, he molds me to him. “I plan to hold you like this every night for the rest of our lives.”

  My eyelids dip closed, my body finally heavy with sleep, or maybe it’s that peace he found earlier. I turn, and he spoons me, wrapping his arm over me. “I can handle it.” His breath is warm on my neck, but it’s even and comforting. Cocooned against him, I feel safe, and say, “You saved me.”

  “I didn’t save you. You saved yourself.”

  “I’m not talking about last night.”

  No more words are needed. We both sigh in contentment and close our eyes.

  Just as I’m finding sleep, he whispers, “I’m going to make up for every minute we were apart. I promise to give you the fairy-tale ending.”

  My lips turn up, happiness filling me, and I tighten my hand around his as I drift asleep.

  The hotel was a nice reprieve, a little escape in the middle of chaos. Returning to the farm is difficult at first. Not because I’m scared. I’m not. This place holds way more good memories than bad, but dealing with the aftermath of physical damage is stressful. “I don’t know where to start,” I say, rubbing my temples.

  “We just start. Pick something to fix and see it through.”

  Billy inspects the bullet hole in the floor of the living room. “You turned and the bullet landed here?”

  Jason is standing on the other side of it with his arms crossed and nodding. “Yup. Pretty much.”

  “Damn, dude. Did you shit yourself?”

  I laugh when Jason scrunches his nose, and replies, “No.”

  Billy’s hat is off, and he’s scratching his head. “What’d you do then?”

  I peek back at Jason before I enter the kitchen. “I shot him.”

  “Whoa.”

  We had a cleaning crew from Kerbeyville clean up the blood on a referral from the police. It makes it easier to deal with a mess of broken lamps and a few holes.

  Following up his astonishment, Billy asks, “What did you do while you were gone again?”

  “Fishing boats in Alaska. A little time in New England. A few other cash-in-hand jobs.”

  I guess that’s the story we’re sticking with. His past doesn’t matter anymore. Like he said, he doesn’t have regrets. I don’t either. Guess it took being in his shoes to finally understand why. I do. Us versus them. I hate that there’s even the necessity to think this way, but when push comes to shove, I’ll fight for us. Just as he did.

  Looking out the window doesn’t bother me. It should, considering that’s how the beginning of that night began, but Cole’s been released from the hospital straight into a rehabilitation facility. He’s facing time for his alleged ties to an illegal gambling ring.

  He doesn’t rule my mind or control my life anymore. The people of Solace Pointe are no longer blind to who Cole Cutler really is. I doubt he’d be able to get within a mile of my farm now that they know the truth. I finally feel . . . free. Vindicated.

  I let myself rest, leaning on the counter. Warm lips caress the back of my neck as his hands slide around my hips, coming to rest across my belly. After kissing the shell of my ear, he whispers, “You think we have a baby in there?”

  I cover his hands. “I hope so.”

  30

  Delilah

  Shelby Noelle always did stand out in a crowd. As much attention as I got for my good grades and looks growing up, I’d simply followed in her footsteps. She’s two years older than me and won everything from homecoming queen to Miss Freeland County, prepping me for the roles. But she was also something I wasn’t—outspoken.

  After picking her up from the airport more than an hour away, Jason and I have been peppered with questions from the back seat of the car we borrowed from his mom. Everything on updating her on the farm to more personal questions like, “Where are you sleeping if you’re not staying in the house?”

  “We put a bed and a few essentials in the loft,” I reply, already knowing how she’s going to react.

  “The loft of the barn?” she exclaims but then laughs. “Good Lord, Delilah. You two are literally rolling in the hay.”

  “Sort of.”

  Jason’s adds, “Definitely.”

  She laughs, and then adds, “I lost my virginity out there.”

  Jason’s shaking his head. “Peter Monroe was an asshole.”

  “He was, but man, did he know how to—”

  “Eww,” I say, hoping she doesn’t finish that thought. “Don’t even go there.”

  Under lots of laughter, she rubs my shoulder. “I think you’re old enough to handle the truth, Delilah.”

  “I’m pretty sure you don’t want to hear too much of my truth.” I glance at Jason, giving him a little wink.

  “Actually, I want to hear everything.” Her tone turns sentimental. “You don’t know how terrified I was when Jason called me and told me what happened.”

  I sigh, exhaling heavily. I’m still not sure I’m happy he called her. On the one hand, I get it. I do. He did it because my family should know. On the other hand, I knew it would worry her unnecessarily. “I’m fine.”

  “Now,” she adds, “but that might not have been the case.”

  “We can play out fifty different scenarios, but the only one that exists is the one where we survived. Let’s not rehash it.” We can bicker all we want, but I don’t want to spend my time with my sister like that. “We’re here. All is good.”

  “Okay,” she relents. “You haven’t changed much, Jason. Charming
my sister just like you always did.”

  He’s changed so much, but those changes are hard to see when you’re looking at our hometown hero. He’s more than that. He’s my savior in so many ways, the king of my heart. I won’t correct her, though. He’s fine lying low and letting everyone else fill in the blanks. Now that I understand the deep-seated reasons behind his calm demeanor, he deserves even more respect. Jason doesn’t need the glory. He never did. Not when he played football and not now.

  He quietly goes about putting himself on the line for others, protecting what he cares about, and loving me like there’s no tomorrow. I don’t mean for my swoony mewl to slip out, but it does.

  After grieving the loss of my parents, missing my sister, the fear of losing my home to debts, and the abuse—emotionally and physically—I survived at the hand of Cole, it feels good to feel this happy, to find happiness with this man I’ve loved for what feels like my whole life.

  He’s changed.

  I’ve changed.

  Our once naïve young love has changed.

  And I like us better. I’m better just from him being back. We’re moving forward together with our eyes wide open and on even footing.

  Jason reaches over, his hand covering the one resting across my stomach. In this sweet moment, it’s easy to remember the most valuable lesson my sister taught me: looks don’t matter. It’s what’s in your heart that counts.

  We came from a long line of beauty queens, but they all had something else in common—they loved with their whole heart, and they lived for their families. With one hand on my stomach and Jason’s nestled on top, I’ve never felt closer to my roots, and for the first time, I truly understand what Shelby meant.

  Jason Koster has good looks down to a science, but it wasn’t his looks that drew me to him. Not then and not now. It was his heart. It still is. He’s given me his heart to protect, and I will with all that I am. I peek back at my sister, and say, “We’re getting married.”

  The back of my seat is grabbed, and she pulls herself forward. “What? You’re engaged?” Her eyes dart to my hand.

  “We are.”

  “When? How? Oh, my God. My baby sister is getting married.” Her accent has lessened since she’s lived in the city the past couple of years, but every now and again, I hear it. Like now. “Delilah Rae, how could you keep this secret from me? Tell me everything, and you owe me a pie big time. You so lost that bet.”

  Jason’s too busy laughing to get in the middle, so I reply, “Not even a week ago. I wanted to tell you in person. As for the pie, I already have one cooling in the kitchen.”

  “Yum.” She hits Jason on the arm. “Well, look at you coming back to town and sweeping my lil’ sis right off her feet all over again. Took you long enough.”

  Turning onto our property, he says, “It’s good to have you back, Shelby.”

  “It’s good to be back. So. When’s the wedding?” Sidetracked, she leans so far forward she’s practically in the front seat with us. “Oh wow.”

  “What?” I ask, looking through the windshield to see what I’m missing.

  “This place. Doesn’t matter where I go, or how long I’ve been gone, there’s no place like home. Pictures do not do the farm justice. I miss being here so much.” As soon as the car stops, she jumps out and heads to the side of the property to see the lake.

  Jason looks at me, his hand gently rubbing my shoulder. “You okay?”

  “I’m so much more than okay.” His smile sends my heart soaring. “I’ve never felt happier.”

  “Glad to be a small part of that.”

  The engine is off, and he’s about to get out, but I stop him. “You’re more than a small part of it. I know I shouldn’t rest my happiness in other people, but it’s good to have a place to rest it for once.”

  Leaning over, he kisses me and then rests his forehead against mine. “I will always be a place of rest and peace for you, babe.” He pulls back, but stops to add, “I didn’t know I could be this happy either. But that’s what you’ve gifted me along with a place to rest my soul in peace.” Caressing my cheek, he stares into my eyes.

  Sometimes, I wonder what he sees when he looks so deeply into my eyes, and sometimes, I just like the feeling of his need for me. Well, I always like that, so . . . “How hungry are you?” We have company, so I guess we need to remember we have an audience.

  He cracks a smile. “Starved.” Hopping out, he hurries around to help me out.

  It drives him nuts when I take away an opportunity for him to be chivalrous. He ribs me over it, but he also knows that sometimes I’m okay standing on my own independence. I take his hand, though, because I appreciate having his support, too. He allows me to feel safe and secure being me. The me I like.

  When we reach the corner of the house, he says, “I’ll take her bags inside. You should spend time with your sister.”

  A small look is exchanged, love filling in any space between us, and we both smile.

  When the tips of our fingers part, I walk around the house to find Shelby standing with her hands clasped in front of her chest. She reminds me so much of my mom who used to do the same thing. I stand next to her, looking out at the water. The wind blows and sunlight sparkles like stars across the tops of each ripple. “It never gets old.”

  She glances over with a gentle smile, and then wraps her arm around mine. “You’re pregnant.”

  My body shifts, but I don’t move away. “Why do say that?”

  “I can see it. Your eyes. Your skin. Your happiness. The way you hold your stomach without even realizing you’re doing it.” The lake holds nothing to the glistening in her eyes.

  “Nothing’s confirmed.”

  “But you know, don’t you?”

  I nod. I do know. I feel the shift inside me, excited to watch it bloom. “Mom and Dad would be so happy for you, Delilah.”

  “What about you?”

  A tear slips down her face. “I’m happy you found a love to last a lifetime.”

  I embrace her as tears slip down my cheeks. Leaning my head on her shoulder, I sniffle. “Thank you. That means more to me than you know.”

  After our mother died, Shelby not only looked after me like a sister but also a mother. It’s a role she shouldn’t have had to take on, but she did, putting her needs behind mine. When we look back up, we laugh—feeling a little silly and a lot sappy. “You’ve done so well managing this farm on your own. Maybe you should take this time for you and Jason.” Pressing her hand lightly on my belly, she adds, “And for your family. The farm will always be here. Go see the world you’ve always wanted to explore.”

  “Jason has seen so much, but he says he wants to see it again with me.”

  Turning back toward the lake, she wraps her arm around mine, her head on my shoulder this time. “It’s your turn, Delilah.”

  “You sacrificed a life here to help keep this place afloat. We still have so much debt to deal with.”

  “Let’s walk to the dock.”

  I follow her as she meanders, taking her time, as if she has all the time in the world. Slipping off our shoes, we sit on the edge with our legs hanging off and our toes dipped in the cool water. She leans back, closes her eyes, and raises her face toward the sun. “The farm has been paid off.”

  I’m about to mimic her position, but instead, I bolt upright from her words. “What do you mean? How?”

  With one squinting eye and the other open eye on me, she says, “I think that’s a discussion you should have with Jason.”

  “Why do I need to talk to Jason?”

  Patting my leg, she says, “Just talk to him, and then we can talk again.”

  The sound of tires traveling down the drive toward the house draws our attention to a truck. It parks and when the door opens, Shelby’s eyes go wide. “Good Lord. Who. Is. That?”

  I burst out laughing while turning my gaze back to Billy as he unloads some bags of feed. “That is Billy Langston.”

  Now she’s upright. S
he might even be sticking her chest out if I’m not mistaken. “No way. That cannot be Billy.”

  Shrugging, I laugh again. “I told you he wasn’t that lanky kid anymore.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t tell me he looked like that. Good gracious, he could be mistaken for a Hemsworth.”

  “Yeah.” I nod and look back at him just as he lifts the front of his shirt, exposing those defined abs and wiping his face free from sweat.

  Shelby’s jaw drops open. “Nope, not lanky at all.”

  I say, “Mistaken identity has happened a time or two for Chris from what I hear.” Cupping my hand to the side of my mouth, I yell, “Hey, Billy.”

  A large bag goes flying onto a pile, and he looks up. Tipping the brim of his cowboy hat up, he smiles. “Hey, Delilah.” I can tell the moment he realizes who’s sitting next to me. He walks over as Shelby stands and starts straightening the bottom of her shirt as if he’ll care if it has a few wrinkles.

  Billy runs his hands down the front of his jeans as he comes closer. “Is that you, Shelby Noelle?”

  A lip bite and a fluff of her hair. She’s already a goner for this cowboy. “Sure is, Billy Langston.”

  My, oh my. Look whose accent has suddenly made a comeback. If you were wondering, the answer is Shelby’s. Billy has a way of doing that to the ladies—you know, making them all gooey inside and flipping their worlds upside down.

  Except me. My heart knows where it belongs. I’ve found my home with the most thoughtful man I’ve ever known inside the house. This second chance is one I’ll never take for granted.

  While they start chatting, I slip my shoes back on, and when I pass him, I pat his arm. “Don’t forget about tonight.”

  Shelby asks, “Are you joining us for dinner? We’re making a big homemade meal with all the fixins’.”

  “I’d be a fool to miss it, Ms. Shelby.”

  I think I hear her swoon. “Well, don’t go getting all dressed up for me. What you’re wearing now—this T-shirt—is such a good fit. Feel free to come as you are.” Oh goodness. Is this what flirting looks like? I walk away, grinning. I think I’ll give them some time to get reacquainted.