The Second Time Around

by Angie Daniels

  Jabarie found his father in his study. As usual, Roger Beaumont was deep in thought. Standing in the doorway he took a moment to observe the man who had ruined his life. He was a tall man who over the last several years had gained a great deal around the middle. He had just celebrated his sixty-third birthday. As soon as Jabarie cleared his throat, Roger opened his eyes and stared over at him.

  “Oh, good. You’re back.”

  Acknowledging him with a quick nod of the head, Jabarie strolled straight for the bar in the corner and poured himself a glass of cognac. Taking a sip, he allowed a second for the liquor to warm his stomach before moving over to the chair across from his father, who sat with a puzzled face, and lowered onto the seat.

  “Tell me…” he began “…what the hell happened five years ago that caused Brenna to walk out of my life?”

  The pen dropped from his father’s hand and slowly he raised his head and looked across the desk at him. “I made a big mistake.”

  “Father, what did you do?” he asked, struggling for control.

  His father looked up at him, his eyes practically begging him to forgive him. “Jabarie, I was just trying to look out for you.”

  Anger blazed from his eyes while fear of what his father was about to say tightened his chest. “I’m going to ask you again. What did you do?”

  His father slumped back in the chair, which he found so out of character for the overly confident man. “I paid her to disappear.”

  “Why would you do that?” Jabarie already knew the answer, but he had to ask anyway.

  He father looked up at him, eyes clear, unblinking. “Because I didn’t think she was right for you.”

  Fury almost choked him. “Who are you to say who is, or isn’t right for me. It’s my life. Not yours.”

  “You’re right. I was wrong for interfering.” His gaze lowered as did his voice. “I had Victor draw up a prenuptial agreement and he went to her house and told her to sign it, or the wedding was off. Instead, she ran and went looking for you.”

  Jabarie shook his head. It was starting to become clearer now. “And she found me with Anika.”

  His father cleared his throat. “I sent Anika to your apartment.”

  Jabarie shot to his feet. “You did what?”

  His father nodded his head, wearily. “I knew Brenna would run over to your condo to discuss the prenuptial, so I encouraged Anika to show up at your place.”

  Jabarie slammed his glass down onto the desk and almost regretted his actions when he saw his father flinch. “How could you interfere in my life that way? How…how could you do that to me?”

  “I was wrong. I’ve been regretting what I’ve done for the last several years, but I thought it was too late to do anything about it.”

  “Well, you thought wrong,” he replied sharply as he paced a small path in front of him. “I never stopped loving Brenna.”

  “I know that. You haven’t been the same since she left, and I’m so sorry.”

  “Brenna is the best thing to ever happen to me. She completes me.”

  “I understand that now. I—I was afraid she was just like her mother.”

  “She is nothing like her mother,” he spat then sat down heavily on a leather couch close enough so that he could still see his father’s face but far enough away that he wouldn’t be tempted to wring his neck. “You don’t have a clue as to the type of person Brenna is, because you never bothered to find out. You were too busy judging her.”

  Roger nodded. “You’re right.” Folding his hands on top of the desk, he leaned forward and after a long silence asked, “What can I do to make this right?”

  Jabarie settled his head in his hands. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Son, please understand, I just wanted to make sure she was the right woman for you. I thought when she took the money that she was exactly who I thought her to be.”

  He looked up. “Well, you’re wrong. Brenna has gone through so much in her life and you were responsible. After her mother ran off you made sure that everyone knew what she had done. Brenna was the laughing stock of this town. She lived through years of people pointing and judging her based on her mother’s past. The reason why she took that money was because she had been humiliated a second time and wanted to get as far away from Sheraton Beach as she possibly could.”

  “I was wrong son, and I’m sorry,” he said with a heavy sigh of despair.

  He watched as his father rose and moved over to the bar and reached for a canister of his favorite brandy, then retrieved a glass from underneath. “Son, you have to understand the Beaumonts represent wealth and with wealth come people looking for a big payout.”

  “Brenna isn’t like that.”

  “Please hear me out,” he said as he moved over to the couch and took a seat.

  Immediately, Jabarie brought the warm liquor to his lips, hoping that once it hit his stomach it would calm the anger brewing inside.

  Roger took a sip as well before continuing, “I remember while I was in college, I met this beautifully amazing woman named Amber. She and I dated for almost two years and the day after graduation she found out she was pregnant.” His father looked lost in the past and Jabarie’s face softened as he realize that somehow what he was saying was quite painful.

  “I wanted to marry her and your grandfather was livid.” He gave a laugh that lacked humor then brought the glass to his lips again.

  Jabarie nodded, knowingly. He remembered Roger Beaumont II as being a pistol.

  “I refused to listen to anything he had to say because I was determined to marry Amber. We prepared for our wedding and our baby. I was happy and in love and nothing else mattered.

  “Your grandfather pulled us both into his office and made it perfectly clear that if I married her, he would disown me and I’d lose all my rights to the Beaumont fortune.

  “I told him I didn’t care and sent Amber back to the apartment while I spoke to my father in private. But no matter what I said that stubborn bastard refused to change his mind. I stormed out of there and headed home to find Amber packing. She told me what good would it do her to be married to me without the money. When I told her we didn’t need his money all we needed was the baby and each other, she laughed at me and told me the baby wasn’t even mine.”

  Jabarie was stunned by his father’s expression and the somber look on his face said he had taken the blow very hard. “Did you check to make sure she was telling the truth?”

  Nodding, he raised the glass again. “I tracked her down living in a trailer park and demanded a blood test. She charged me five thousand dollars before she would agree. And sure enough, for once she had been telling the truth. Her little girl wasn’t mine. I remember walking away feeling lost because a part of me had been holding on for almost a year, hoping it was all just one big misunderstanding and that she really did love me.” The room grew quiet and he took another sip from his glass.

  “What does any of this have to do with Brenna?”

  “It just means that you might not always agree with me and your mother’s actions, but no matter what I do or say I always have your best interest at heart.”

  “You thought I was going to end up getting hurt just like you did?”

  “Her mother doesn’t have the best reputation in town.”

  His father had tried to protect him, but Brenna wasn’t like Amber. Brenna was never after his money. She had loved him for him, and he had been too stupid to realize that until now.

  “Brenna isn’t anything like that,” he said defensively.

  “I know that now. I just didn’t know that then.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “So what are you going to do?”

  “Why, Dad? It didn’t mean anything to you then, why should it now?”

  “Because it does matter. After all these years, you still love her. You’ve become bitter and hardened your heart. By now you should be married, and I should have a couple of grandchildren running around.” Leaning back, his father sighed.
“What I’m trying to say is that if you love her, then don’t let her get away a second time.”

  “I don’t know what else to do.”

  He put an arm across his son’s shoulders. “Since when have we Beaumonts been quitters? If you want Brenna then go get her.”

  “Can you forgive an old lady for trying to match-make?”

  Brenna glanced over at her aunt as she stepped into the living room. She was sitting on the couch, knitting.

  “Of course I can,” she replied then moved over to the chair across from her and took a seat.

  Aunt Nellie lowered her knitting needles to her lap. “I just wanted you to have a second chance.”

  Brenna frowned. She had spent the last hour lying across the bed, crying her eyes out about a life that could have been. No matter how she looked at it there was no turning back. “It’s too late for that.”

  Her aunt was stunned by her response. “It’s never too late. At least give Jabarie a chance to explain.”

  Closing her eyes, she settled back on the cushions of the chair. “He already has.”

  “And he told you he had nothing to do with the prenuptial agreement?”

  Brenna’s eyelids snapped open. “How do you know that?”

  Before answering, her aunt moved her knitting aside and released a heavy sigh of despair. “A while back his father came to me and confessed what he’d done,” she admitted, a frown turning her mouth downward. “Jabarie had never been the same after you left him, and he admitted that it was all his fault. Humph! You better believe I gave it to him for ruining your life like that.”

  Despite the pain she was feeling, Brenna chuckled. “I just bet you did.” She had seen her feisty aunt in action on several occasions, and from experience she was not one to mess with.

  “Anyway, Roger started asking all kinds of questions about you. Where you were living, if you had married, and when I told him you were still single, he wanted to know if you were happy.”

  Brenna was surprised to hear that he was even interested in knowing how she was doing. She had always gotten the impression he didn’t like her.

  “I think he truly regrets what he did because he pleaded with me to help him come up with a way to fix things.”

  Well, he should. Because of him the last five years had been the most miserable time of her life. They could be married with a child by now. Pressing a palm to her stomach, she realized it was all gone because of one selfish man.

  “And I guess your spained ankle was part of that plan.”

  Aunt Nellie’s eyes danced with amusement. “I really did fall and hurt myself. I just figured I’d milk it for all it was worth.”

  Brenna shook her head with disbelief and started laughing.

  “Hey, you can’t blame an old lady for trying.”

  There was a knock at the door, and her heart began to race because she knew before even opening the door that it was Jabarie.

  “You want me to get that?” her aunt asked.

  Brenna shrugged then rose from the chair. “Sure, why not? After all, you seemed to have recovered nicely,” she teased then moved out onto the deck while her aunt went to the door. Just as she thought, it was Jabarie. While a gentle breeze ruffled her ponytail, she listened to the two of them talking on the other side of the door. She almost laughed when Jabarie told Aunt Nellie how glad he was to see her back on her feet. She snorted rudely as Aunt Nellie told him it was a miracle. It wasn’t long before he stepped out onto the deck and slid the door close behind him.

  Brenna glanced up and noticed him staring down at her. When she met his eyes her pulse jumped. She took in his snug white T-shirt defining his muscular chest and shoulders and noticed how his jeans hugged his strong legs and thighs. Tall, sexy, he made her pulse race as much as the first time they’d met. He didn’t send the lawyer. She was still stunned by the discovery. One after another, including the fact that after all these years he still held a special place in her heart. Brenna groaned inwardly. That was her biggest problem of all. In fact, that realization made things worse instead of better. She brushed a frustrated hand to her forehead.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “Hi.”

  “I see your aunt is back on her feet.”

  “Yes. It seems she’s back to normal.” So formal and stiff, nothing like a couple who was once engaged and just hours ago had been lovers. Jabarie looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

  Nodding, he walked over to the rail. He stood with his legs braced apart and his hands curved around the rail while he glanced off into the ocean. “Now that Ms. Nellie’s better, I guess that means you’ll be leaving soon?”

  “Yeah, after the big sidewalk sale on Sunday.”

  His head swung around and he turned to face her. “Why so soon?”

  Brenna averted her gaze toward the beach. “There’s no reason for me to stay.”

  “I think there is.”

  Brenna gazed over at his hopeful face. “I’ve got to get back to the bookstore.”

  “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

  She saw the disappointment in his eyes, but as much as she wanted to stay, she couldn’t. The longer she put it off, the harder it would be to finally say goodbye. “I can’t.”

  Jabarie moved and lowered onto the bench beside her and his warm fingers curled around her. A sense of calmness settled over her, and for the longest time they both sat there holding hands and staring off into the ocean.

  “I spoke to my father,” he finally said, breaking the silence that surrounded them.

  Her breathing stalled while she waited for him to continue.

  “He had schemed to keep us apart. The prenup and the check were all his idea.”

  Brenna swallowed. Hearing it from him made her feel sick all over again. “Aunt Nellie told me your father came to her a while back full of remorse for what he had done. She faked the severity of her sprained ankle to get me home so we could get back together.” If it had been someone else, it might just have been funny. But laughing was the last thing she felt like doing.

  Jabarie glanced over at her then back at the water. “Now what?”

  She had to bite down on her lower lip to keep a sob from moving to her throat. “We can’t go back. What happened between us we have to leave in the past.”

  “How can you say that?” Swinging on the seat, he ripped out the words impatiently. “We just spent a fabulous weekend together. Those feelings are still there. I know it, and so do you.”

  How could she get him to understand she couldn’t go through that type of pain a second time? What he wanted was now five years too late. Leaning her head back, she looked into his eyes. “Why didn’t you fight for us then?”

  He appeared surprised by her question because it took him a few moments before he finally answered. “Because I thought that was what you wanted.”

  She fixed him with an icy glare. “So, if you loved me as much as you say you do, even after all this time, then why did you let me go? No phone calls. Letters. Nothing.” She was getting angry again just thinking about it. “Do you know how that made me feel? Your lawyer throwing a prenup in my lap. Even then I didn’t want to believe it because I knew the man that I loved wouldn’t do something underhanded like that. So I went looking for you, so that my fiancé could tell me it was all a mistake. I arrive at your apartment and find you in the arms of another woman. My heart broke in two as I slowly crept out the door and back to my car. When I returned home feeling hurt and rejected Aunt Nellie handed me an envelope your mother had been more than willing to drop off and inside I found the check. I was so hurt I took that money and left that night. At first I wanted to rip it up, but then I decided that in some way I had earned it for all the humiliation and for having no choice but to leave and pick up the pieces somewhere else. There was no way I could stay in Sheraton Beach after that.” She was actually trembling now.

  “But it was a mistake. I never offered you that money. My father had even sent Anika over to dis
tract me.” Anger pulsed at his jaw.

  She nodded and said calmly, “I never knew your father and Anika were that close.” As soon as he prepared to speak, she held up her hand and continued. “Even knowing that doesn’t make it hurt any less. It’s just too late for us.” A hot tear rolled down her cheek.

  “It’ll never be over between us.” Jabarie pulled her over to his lap and held her in his arms and as soon as she lowered her cheek against his chest, the tears flowed freely. He rocked her in his arms and whispered encouraging words as deep sobs raked her insides. The last thing she’d ever wanted was for him to see her break down this way. Only she couldn’t hold back any longer. She cried for every year they had lost together because of two people who never thought she was good enough.

  “I’ll always love you,” he whispered as he pressed his lips to her forehead. When her head tipped back and her lips parted, he knew she wanted the kiss as much as he did.

  Need raced through him and settled below his belt. He loved this woman and there was no way he was letting her go a second time. He slid his arms tightly around her then swooped down and pressed his lips to hers. When she moaned, he deepened the kiss, taking possession of her mouth. Brenna tasted delicious, and familiar and even with a lifetime he would never get enough.

  She leaned forward, her soft curves burning where they touched, arousing him. He thought about her naked, lying beneath him. He slipped his tongue inside, taking total possession of her sweet intoxicating mouth, and felt the rapid beat of her heart keeping pace with his own.

  Brenna returned each stroke with one of her own. Her tongue slipping into his mouth raised his level of desire. He slid his hand across her breast and grazed his thumb across her nipple, feeling the hardened bud. He slid his hand beneath her shirt and cupped her bare breast.

  She trembled and caught his wrist with one hand and pushed him away with the other, abruptly ending the kiss. He stared down at her; heat blazed in her eyes and he tried to reach for her again. Shaking her head, she rose from his lap and moved over to the railing.