Second Chance Summer

by Jennifer Perkins

  TWO

  “I can’t believe someone whacked it right out of the air,” Scott Chase said, in between licks of his melting chunky cherry waffle cone. “It was a brand new drone. Why would they do that?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Naples realtor Linda Hurst finished her chocolate brownie fudge cup and set it aside. “Why did you fly it over the house anyway?”

  Scott shrugged. “Doug Bates asked me to do some work on the place. I haven’t met him, but his references seemed valid, so I thought I’d check it out. Drones are the easiest, quickest way to take a look at things.”

  “Did you consider that the cottage could be a rental, and that they might not have known you were going to check on the house?”

  “Actually, no. Last week Doug said everything should be fine and he’d send me the keys to get inside. I picked them up at the post office on the way here, after my drone was destroyed.”

  “Well, if you want, I can try to find out if it was rented. Although, I’m not the only realtor around, so someone else could have had the listing. Either that, or it was a private rental agreement.” She pulled out a folder from her briefcase and placed them on the table. “It’s tough to pick up clients on the island when my office is really in Naples.”

  “Well, I appreciate you meeting me here. It’s not every day that someone can get their realtor to meet with them at an ice cream parlor.”

  “It’s a first for me,” Linda laughed. “Most of my clients want to meet with me at the house they’re considering purchasing, not here, at Ms. Icey’s.”

  “It’s my tradition to come here at the beginning of every summer and try a different waffle cone before I start a new renovation project.” He noted her raised eyebrow, and added, “Okay. Maybe not a tradition. More of like a superstition. I can’t start my summer projects until I have a waffle cone.”

  “Not a problem. I think this is everyone’s favorite ice cream place.”

  Scott didn’t want to tell her that his best summer was with the woman he’d met several years earlier, at this same spot. He didn’t think it was Linda’s business to know about that.

  Hell, it wasn’t anyone’s business.

  But here he was, like he’d been each summer, hoping to see her again. Mia. They’d argued at the end of the summer when Mia accused him of cheating. The red head had thrown herself onto his lips moments before Mia turned the corner and saw him holding onto the other woman. He’d actually been trying to hold her back, but the red head was persistent in her attempt to make her ex-boyfriend jealous.

  “Earth to Scott?”

  “What? Oh. Sorry. I guess I was lost in my own world.”

  “I can tell.” Linda pushed several papers in front of Scott. “Here’s the information on some of the lower-priced homes on the island, that you asked about. They’re still a bit pricey, but in this market, and because they’ve sat for so long, I think you should be able to bid lower. Let me know which ones you’d like to go through.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do that.”

  Linda stood and picked up her file to leave. “Let me know if you’d like me to find out about the house you tried to look at with the drone. If it’s rented, I might be able to smooth things over with everyone.”

  “That’d be great. Thanks.” Scott watched her leave and then reviewed the real estate listings to consider his options. He’d been lucky to find enough homes on the island to flip, over the past few years. Linda was right, the homes have gotten pricey, but since he’d been in construction for much of his life, and his family owned a development corporation, he was sure he’d be able to find something wrong with one of the homes to talk the price down.

  Suddenly, before he could react, he was showered with a wet, sticky, pinkish liquid. “What the—”

  “Oh, sorry. I’m so sorry.” A thick milkshake ran down the front of Scott’s shirt, and the scent of strawberries filled his nostrils and reminded him that this was Mia’s favorite flavor. A brunette stumbled, her flip-flops clacked loudly as she tripped on the edge of the sidewalk before catching her balance, “I am so, so, sorry.”

  “Great. Just great.” He picked up a paper towel to try to wipe up the mess, but the towel had also become part of the mess.

  “I feel terrible. Can I replace the papers for you? Get you something to drink? On me, of course.”

  “Actually, it’s on me.”

  The brunette caught his witticism and laughed. “I can’t believe how clumsy I am. I was checking my phone and didn’t see the lift in the sidewalk.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been meaning to get new clothes anyway. And the paperwork can be recopied.” Standing in sticky clothing, Scott noticed her for the first time. Her dark hair and slim lips. He took in her green and white, form-hugging top and her jean capris. Was she someone he’d recently met? “I’m Scott. You look familiar. Have we met before?”

  “No. I don’t think so,” she smiled. “I usually remember the people I spill my shakes on.”

  “So, this happens all the time?”

  “Oh. No. I was kidding.” She shook her head. “I mean, this never happens, but we haven’t met. I’m sure I’d remember. My name is Krista. Krista Weber. Maybe we’ve seen each other on the beach? I’m here on vacation visiting a friend. She wants me to help her decorate her cottage.”

  “That’s it!” Scott snapped his fingers. “You’re the one who killed my drone. At the blue cottage by the shore, right?” The same cottage that Mia had visited several summers ago, almost down the street from his.

  “What? You? Oh.” She placed her hand over her mouth as realization seemed to set in. “Drone? Killed? Listen, that wasn’t me. I didn’t kill your drone. I mean why were you flying it by the deck? You can repair it right? How much did that thing cost anyway? A couple of dollars?”

  “Eighteen hundred dollars. With tax, a little over $1900.”

  “Nine…nineteen…nineteen?” She started to back away and bumped into a patron that had just sat down to enjoy a banana split.

  “Hundred. Nineteen hundred dollars,” Scott said, finishing her sentence. He reached out and took her arm, guiding her to one of the tables, and he then went to the counter and bought two bottled waters. He handed one to Krista and sat next to her before opening his. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

  “Nineteen. Hundred. Dollars? I don’t have that kind of money.” She took a gulp of water and then continued, “Why on earth would you have a $1900 drone? Wait a minute. Do you get your jollies peeking into windows? What kind of creep are you?”

  Coughing, he choked on his water. Scott laughed before he caught her glare and realized she was serious. “No! Absolutely not. I use the drone for my business.”

  “What kind of business? Porn movies?”

  “What? No!” It was Scott’s turn to be shocked. He couldn’t believe anyone would jump to that conclusion right away. “I’m in construction, so let me explain why I’d use a drone. I was hired to check out the house and write up an estimate for a few renovations. The drone is the easiest way to take a look at the outside of a project before taking the time to look inside. This way, I can determine if it might be a project I even want to consider.”

  “But why a drone?” she shrugged. “Wouldn’t it be easier to check it out in person?”

  He raised an eyebrow and never considered that there were people who didn’t understand the use of drones, especially in the construction industry. “If the outside’s a disaster and the owner is trying to low ball the price, I can be comfortable not taking on the project. Besides, I can also check up on any subcontractors that I use.”

  “Ah. Sneaky,” Krista laughed.

  Scott was drawn to her easy, laid back personality and, even though he’d hoped he’d see Mia again, he decided this ice cream parlor must be an omen. He wondered how many times the omen Gods gave people a second chance, and then decided they didn’t. Fate was fate. Right? “Have dinner with me.” The words escaped before he’d realized what he
said. Her actions reminded him of Mia, from her strawberry shake to the flip-flops she wore. He’d regretted being back on the island without hearing from Mia, but he knew flipping homes here had been a financial boom. Maybe dating Krista was what he needed to help him figure out how to get over Mia.

  She blinked, and her hand holding the water bottle stopped halfway to her mouth. She placed it back on the table, rubbed her arms, and looked around before turning to him again. “Dinner? With me? We don’t know each other, aside from the possibility that you might be the only eye witness to the murder of your drone.”

  He laughed. “Then it’s about time we get to know each other. Dinner. Lunch if that’s too scary.” Scott leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. He’d noticed that she wasn’t wearing an engagement or wedding ring. Although that sometimes didn’t matter.

  “What if I already have a boyfriend?”

  “Then that’d be my loss, but I’m guessing you don’t. We can meet in a public place,” Scott pulled out his cell phone. “That way, if you think I’m creepy, you’ll have an out before the end of the meal. But just to put your mind at ease, I’m not a creepy guy.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Heck. Why not? Lunch should be fine.”

  “Why do I feel like I’m a consolation prize?”

  “Ha. If anything, you’ll probably try to talk me into buying you a new drone.” The teasing came through in her voice, but her green eyes told him she’d hoped he wouldn’t go down that path.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” Scott smiled and looked up from his phone. “I can get my own drone.” He held up his phone so she could the screen. “How about we meet at the Twisted Pelican Restaurant? I hear they have great Paninis.”

  “Sure.” She got up to leave. “Say tomorrow around one?”

  “It’s a date then.”

  “Fine. But I’m inviting my girlfriend to come with me.”

  “Ah. So you do think I’m that creepy guy,” Scott leaned back in his seat and smiled. “That’s okay. I can understand trust issues.” Considering what happened with the red head kissing him and Mia misunderstanding the situation, trust was definitely one subject he understood.

  THREE

  The Twisted Pelican was a buzz of activity with patrons coming and going. Scott waited at one of the few available seats at the bar. Glancing at his watch, he nursed a beer and noted he was around fifteen minutes early. A lesson from when he was younger, he’d learned that it was better to be early than to risk being late and eating alone. He could count many dates that he’d missed out on simply because he wanted to stay late to finish a project instead of leaving it for another day, to get to his date on time. “Mr. Perfection” is what everyone called him—perfection in his work, but not so much in his social life, and he’d decided after Mia walked out on him, that part of his life needed a change.

  And then it hit him.

  That clean, crisp, fresh scent. It was a sweet blend of chamomile and rosemary, and Scott would recognize it anywhere. He placed his beer on the counter and stood, and then slowly turned. “Mia.”

  “Hey,” she said, obviously stunned at seeing him.

  She looked every bit as sexy as the last time he’d seen her, with the ginger-brown hair, dark eyes, lips that could make cupid blush, and a body with curves he’d love to explore again.

  “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said in a voice that was breathy and soft.

  Scott had given up hope of ever seeing Mia again, and he certainly did not expect to see her here. Was this the omen he’d hoped for? Was this his second chance to make things right? He stepped toward her, and in his mind, the room cleared, the moment more intimate, and only the two of them existed. He put his hands on her shoulders. She gasped as his hands trailed down the length of her arms, and he saw her swallow hard. “Mia, listen.” He shortened what little distance there was between them, and breathed in her scent. He remembered how good she used to make him feel and how she drove him crazy.

  “Is everything okay?” A dark-haired, dark-eyed guy, who looked like he bench pressed trucks for fun, edged himself between Mia and Scott. He placed a large muscular arm around Mia’s shoulders.

  “Jack. This is Scott,” Mia introduced him. “He’s a, um, friend.”

  So that’s how it’s going to be. Friends. Just as suddenly as he’d felt the room clear earlier, the noise and hustle of the restaurant came roaring back and it suddenly felt cramped and loud. Scott had been so focused on Jack that he hadn’t seen Krista walk up to them.

  “Hey!” Scott jerked back and placed his hand on his arm where Krista had pinched.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t get your attention. You seemed mesmerized, or, I don’t know. Off?”

  “No. Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.” Which wasn’t a lie. Scott had wondered where Jack came from and how he’d met Mia.

  “Okay, let’s eat!” Jack said. With a move resembling a high school football player, he raised his hands in the air and pointed toward a booth that opened up. “I could eat a horse!” He clapped his hands once and led the way, settling himself in the booth before pointing to Mia and then to the seat next to him.

  “Is he for real?” Krista asked Mia.

  Scott was sure Krista’s voice had registered excitement instead of displeasure with what seemed to be less than adult behavior. Almost the entire lunch was filled by Jack’s talking about some wild surf board story that had him featured in the local papers. The conversation reminded Scott of being in high school, almost ten years ago. What the hell? I know I’ve grown up more than that. Apparently not everyone had.

  It hadn’t escaped Scott’s attention that Krista was halfway across the table hanging on to this idiot’s every word. He’d also noticed that Mia didn’t seem enamored with that part of the discussion and she’d only taken a few bites of her eggplant panini. Her favorite.

  “Hey, what’s up with this?” Jack announced pointing to Mia’s unfinished meal. “If I’d known you weren’t going to eat it, I would’ve had you order something I liked.”

  “I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought,” Mia said. “I’ll have it wrapped for later.”

  “Hey, Jack, how about walking with me to the bar and buying me a drink?” Krista asked, and then looked at Scott. “Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure.” He moved so she could amber out of the booth, then Mia stood to let Jack wander to the bar with Krista. “Why do I have a feeling we’re not going to see either one of them the rest of the night?”

  “Was it that obvious?” Mia asked. Her gaze went toward the bar and then back to Scott. She smiled, but looked like she wanted to leave.

  “I believe they have the same mentality,” Scott laughed. “Forever stuck in high school.” She laughed softly and her nerves seemed to settle a little.

  “Whoop! Yah!”

  They both looked toward the bar to see Jack with the back of his head against the bar and Krista and another woman taking turns pouring shots into his mouth. Scott shook his head.

  “I never really realized how Krista likes to let her hair down.” Mia smiled, a little more relaxed.

  “So. You look good. It’s been a while since we’ve last seen each other. Maybe we can get together and you know, catch up. So, are you vacationing or did you move here?” He didn’t want to appear too hopeful, but then noticed how she bit her bottom lip at his catching up suggestion.

  “Listen. Scott—”

  He held up his hands, cutting off any further comments. If only she’d let him explain. “Okay, okay. I get it. You don’t want anything to do with me. You’d rather be involved with that oversized…”

  “Child?” She’d finished the sentence seeing he’d had a hard time finding the right word. Mia shook her head and grabbed her lunch that had been packed in a to-go container. “I’ve gotta go. Maybe I’ll see ya around.”

  “Mia, wait.” Scott placed his hand on her arm, and she turned and raised an eyebrow. “Let’s talk
about this.”

  “Is there really anything to discuss?”

  “Hey, Mia. We have to go.” Jack came back to the table with Krista, and interrupted before Scott could answer. Jack and Krista looked toward the bar and back to the table. They both looked like they were in trouble.

  “We were asked to leave and not come back,” Krista said. “I guess we were being too silly.” She turned to Scott. “I think I’ll head home.”

  Silly probably wasn’t the word he would use. “Sure.” He smiled and somehow knew he wouldn’t be seeing her again. He turned back to talk with Mia, only to see her leave with Jack’s arm around her shoulders. What a way to hit a guy in the balls. He downed his drink and then turned to leave when a large hand grabbed his arm.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “What the hell, buddy,” Scott pulled his arm out of the grip of the waiter, someone new, not a familiar face from previous years. “My friends were told to leave so I’m going, too.”

  “Not so fast. You forgot this.”

  Scott looked at the slip of paper the waiter handed him. “Aw, shit.” The check.

  “The other guy said it was your turn to pay for lunch.”

  And it included the tab from the bar when Jack was downing shots. He glanced over to the bar and saw the smirk on the bartenders face. Scott shook his head and then took out the exact amount from his wallet and tossed it on the table. “I’m sure you guys included your tips in the amount, so there’s no need for me to add any more.”

  “Have a nice evening, sir,” the waiter chuckled before Scott stalked out.

  FOUR

  A week had gone by and Mia’s thoughts still crept back to the lunch with Scott. “Of all the people to see on this island, I can’t believe it was Scott.” She checked the sales figures for her software company and sent off an email to her developer about the app she created. It was a dating app she felt was destined to bring in more revenue, and her developer was in the middle of testing it to see where it fell short. “It’s a good thing Krista decided she’d rather be with Jack than Scott. This way she won’t be heartbroken.” Mia continued talking to herself. She tapped her fingers on her desk trying to stay focused, but she determined it was useless and turned off her computer.