Second Chance

by Audra North

  Second Chance

  Audra North

  Other Books by Audra North

  Stanton Family Series (Entangled Publishing)

  Falling for the CEO

  One Night in Santiago

  Healing Her Heart

  A Lesson in Temptation

  New Adult Contemporary

  Fitting In (in Summer Rain)

  Losing It

  Erotica

  Out of the Box

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by Audra North. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Author.

  Edited by Gwen Hayes www.fresheyescritique.com

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition August 2014

  For A.B.

  Contents

  Other Books by Audra North

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Thank you!

  Falling for the CEO by Audra North

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Marnie wiped her palms on her skirt and picked up the book from the display table next to her, trying not to look at the group of parents clustered toward the back of the room. She could get through this. She just had to ignore them.

  Ignore him.

  He hadn’t changed much in the past fifteen years. He had the same sharp chin and heavy brow, the same way of standing like he was about to barrel right through someone in attack. Or possibly run out the door, like he had when she was twelve.

  Ignore him.

  She scanned the eager little faces of the costumed first-graders sitting on the floor in front of her. One little girl with an elfin face and blonde curls gathered into pigtails, dressed in a blue Power Rangers suit, smiled at her and bounced excitedly.

  Marnie relaxed a bit and smiled back. There, see? Just like any other story hour. Not even an hour, in fact. Fifteen minutes. All she had to do was focus on the children and everything would be fine.

  Deep breath.

  “Thank you all for joining me this afternoon. You look so cool in your costumes!” She put a smile into her voice, and the children all nodded vigorously with unfiltered pride.

  “I’m the Farmer in the Dell!” One little boy, who was wearing overalls and what looked like a beat up old sombrero, shouted before adding in a stage whisper, “But my real name is DeShawn.”

  DeShawn was one of her favorites. He was always full of life. She put on her most serious face and looked at him as though appraising his costume, then said with a nod, “You look exactly like a farmer.”

  The little boy beamed, and a few more shouts rang out, each child trying to announce what he or she was dressed up as. Marnie listened for another minute, then held up a hand to ask for quiet. “I think you will all have the best costumes in the entire town during trick-or-treat. But first…” She held up the book so that everyone could see picture on the cover—a cartoon ghost giggling as a villain dressed in a mask and holding a bag with a dollar sign on it slipped on a banana peel. “Since today is Halloween, we’re going to read a special story about our very own ghost called The Legend of the Wilford Ghost.”

  A few “ooos” erupted from the little group, and she had to hold back her laughter at the melodramatic response. On impulse, she glanced toward the back of the room, looking to one man in particular. The one she was supposed to be ignoring.

  He was frowning.

  Of course he was. He’d frowned through her entire childhood. What had she expected, now that he’d returned to town with his new wife and their six-year-old son? Hugs and a blissful reunion? She’d seen him around town already, but he hadn’t so much as acknowledged her when they passed one another on the sidewalk.

  If she hadn’t known before that he’d moved on, she certainly knew now.

  She flicked her eyes away in disappointment, only to land on another face that she hadn’t seen in years.

  Oh, my God.

  Her breath caught.

  Collin Morgan.

  What were the odds that the only two men she’d ever felt so much for would turn up in the children’s room of the library on the same day? And not just any day. Halloween.

  A weird shiver went down her spine, and she wrapped her sweater more tightly around her body.

  You’re being silly. Of course they’d show up today. Parent are welcome at this month’s story hour and they’re—

  Oh. Of course. Collin must be the father of one of these children. In fact, he was smiling at the little girl with the blonde curly pigtails, his expression one of pride. She had to be his daughter.

  A sharp pang of longing struck Marnie in the chest, and she had to gasp for breath. She’d wanted a family of her own for years, but it simply hadn’t happened. Seeing the man she had fantasized about constantly back in high school and never forgotten made the loss feel even more profound.

  It was no surprise that he would have a daughter like that, sunny and precious and excited to hear a story before the group went traipsing around Wilford Town Center for the annual Halloween Open House. Collin, the most popular boy in high school, who had moved to Wilford from Ireland a month before high school started and had a sexy, lilting accent. Who was kind to everyone and a straight-A student and excelled at every sport. And on whom she’d had an embarrassingly desperate crush for years but never said anything to him because there was no way a god like him would have returned the affection of a bespectacled little bookworm with acne and a twig-like body.

  That might be different now—her skin had cleared and her body had filled out, at least—but it hadn’t mattered. He’d left town for college and hadn’t come back.

  Until today, it seemed.

  One of the children shouted, and Marnie shook herself, coming out of her daydream. She turned her attention back to the children, opening the book to the title page and clearing her throat. “The Legend of the Wilford Ghost, by Kate Marlowe.”

  She began reading the story, of how a ghost who lived in the Wilford Municipal Library—this very library—played tricks on badly-behaved people to teach them a lesson. At the end, the ghost helped to catch a bank robber and a group of children threw a party for him.

  “The End.” She closed the book and set it back on the display table next to her, and the children began clapping enthusiastically.

  Their teacher, Mrs. Cartwright, came forward then and stood next to Marnie. “Thank you for a wonderful story, Miss Thomas. Class, what do you all say to Miss Thomas?”

  “Thank you,” they chorused, some shouting the words and others barely whispering them.

  Marnie smiled in amusement as much as in appreciation. “It was my pleasure. It is one of my favorite stories. One that the former librarian read to my class when I was a little girl here.”

  One of the kids shouted, “Wow! That book is that old?”

  The adults standing in the back of the room snickered, but Marnie managed to keep a straight face when she replied. “Yes. Some say that the ghost has been living in the library for nearly one hundred years.”

  Another round of impressed noises echoed in the room, and Mrs. Cartwright gestured to the adults. “Class, I am about to release you to your parents and babysitters who have come to take you around town for trick-or-treating. But b
efore I do, Miss Thomas is going to pass out your first treats for your Halloween bags. Please line up here and you may leave with your grown-up once you get your treat.”

  They all scrambled into line with minimal pushing and arguing, and Marnie gave a nod to Mrs. Cartwright in a silent tribute. Lillian Cartwright was twenty years older than she, but was one of those women whose snapping blue eyes made her look forever young.

  Marnie pulled out a stack of bookmarks from her pocket and gave one to each child as they moved forward through the line. It had been an expense that she’d paid for personally, since the library had such limited funding, but she wanted to give the children something fun. Collin’s little girl stepped forward and gasped in delight when Marnie handed her the bookmark.

  The girl smiled when she saw was what was printed on it. A black cat wearing a miniature witch hat, tail curled around a pumpkin, was posed to look as though it were reading a book. “Oh, I love kitties!” On impulse, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Marnie’s neck. “Thanks, Miss Thomas. I’ll use it for all my books.”

  Marnie didn’t dare look over at Collin, but she could see a set of denim-clad legs hovering nearby. Besides, she could feel him. That same, breathless anticipation she would get when he passed by her locker after third period. The tight coil of need that would gather inside her belly every time she saw him hanging out downtown with his soccer teammates.

  She still wanted him.

  While he was waiting for his daughter.

  Marnie waited until the little girl had stepped back, then she smiled and whispered, “You’re welcome,” before gesturing for the next child to come forward.

  She still didn’t look at Collin.

  This time, it was DeShawn. Instead of putting the bookmark in his treat bag, he took it from her and slipped it into the pocket of his overalls. “I don’t want it to get smushed by the candy.” His big brown eyes were so earnest that Marnie couldn’t help but beam at him in approval.

  “That’s smart thinking, DeShawn.” The boy flashed a grin at her and skipped away.

  The next child was a sullen-looking boy wearing a flashy, store-bought astronaut costume. Marnie’s stomach tightened. She knew that face. She’d seen it around town. Sharp chin. Heavy brow.

  Even if she hadn’t seen him before, she’d recognize that look anywhere. Her own features, rendered in shades of disappointment.

  She tried to hand the bookmark to him with minimal fuss, but he yanked it out of her hand and scowled. “This is a stupid treat. We were supposed to get candy.” He stomped away and dropped the bookmark into the trash bin next to the door.

  Marnie couldn’t stop herself. Her jaw dropped. Behind her, Mrs. Cartwright gasped softly. She heard a few parents tsking in disapproval, but the one person who mattered—his father…Marnie’s father—didn’t seem to realize.

  “Bookmarks suck. You promised me candy!” Her half-brother was shouting at their dad.

  “Hey, Patrick, don’t blame me. I can’t control everyone’s treats. Don’t worry about it, you’ll still get plenty of candy. This was only one place and we still have the whole town left.”

  Marnie blinked. Was that really the extent of it? Her dad was just going to console Patrick with promises of candy elsewhere, ignoring that his child had just tossed away something that she had paid for out of her own pocket?

  She wanted to say something, but she felt paralyzed, as though this whole thing were happening to someone else. Besides, she didn’t even know what to call him, this man who had walked out on her so long ago. Certainly not Dad. Mr. Thomas felt too formal, though, despite the circumstances. Brent? Maybe. That was his name, after all.

  “Excuse me.” A voice sounded from just to Marnie’s right. Low, masculine. Full of authority. “I don’t care how important you think candy is. Your kid just got a gift from Miss Thomas and not only did he not say thank you, he threw it away right in front of her. If you’re not going to say anything, then I will.”

  Marnie wanted to melt into the floor. God. Someone was standing up for her. Someone with a lovely Irish accent and a calm, steady voice.

  She looked over at Collin in gratitude, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was frowning at her father—Brent—who rolled his eyes and waved a hand in the air as though dismissing how unacceptable his kid’s behavior was. “Whatever. It’s a lame bookmark. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

  She felt, rather than heard, the entire room suck in an angry breath. Before anyone else could jump in, Collin spoke again. “Children,” he announced, but he didn’t take his eyes off of her dad. “Saying things like what Patrick’s dad just said is wrong. Please don’t repeat that. Taking things from someone without saying thank you is wrong. Even if you don’t love the gift, someone spent time, thought, and probably money to give it to you. That deserves a thank you.”

  “Who do you think you are?” Brent was scowling, jaw jutting out in belligerence.

  “I’m Collin Morgan. And I know who I am. More importantly, I know who you are, too.”

  At that, Brent stiffened and grabbed Patrick’s arm, and not very gently. For the first time in her life, Marnie wondered if maybe she’d been lucky that he had walked out on her and Mom when she was young.

  “Come on, Patrick. Let’s leave these losers to celebrate their ridiculous bookmarks.”

  But just as they left the children’s room, Brent stumbled, tripping over something on the carpeted floor and pitching forward. He was holding onto Patrick so tightly that they both went toppling to the ground in a mess of shouts and protests.

  She immediately ran to help them, but the other first-graders were too fast. They came pouring out of the children’s room, blocking her way. “The Ghost got you! It was the Ghost! He got you!” They were all shouting and laughing and pointing at the two, still tangled up on the floor.

  Brent scrambled to his feet, tugging Patrick with him toward the exit. His face was so red with anger, she nearly apologized on the spot, but a hand on her arm stayed her, and she looked up in surprise to find Collin looking at her with a little smile.

  He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

  “I’ll sue this stupid town for everything it’s worth! This library is a safety hazard!” Brent yelled that last bit just before the doors shut behind them.

  After that, the children and parents quickly gathered up their things and left. Marnie thanked them all as they hurried out the door, talking excitedly—almost giddily—over the ruckus that had just occurred. Within minutes, she was standing completely alone in the hallway, feeling like a whirlwind had somehow blown in and rearranged her life without her realizing it until it was too late.

  And she hadn’t even had a chance to thank Collin for standing up to Brent.

  Her shoulders slumped.

  “Here, Miss Thomas.” A voice at her elbow startled Marnie, and she had to stifle a yelp. When she looked down, the little blonde girl from earlier—Collin’s daughter—was standing next to her, holding out a bookmark. “You can take mine back. It’s a great bookmark, but I don’t want Patrick to make you feel so bad. If he did that to me I’d probably cry.”

  Oh God. What a darling. “Thank you so much, um—what’s your name?”

  “I’m Claire.”

  “Claire, thank you so much. But someone as generous as you deserves not only to keep that bookmark, but to have another one. That way, you can read as much as you want.” She pulled another bookmark from the stack and gave it to Claire, who squealed with job.

  “That was really good of you, Marnie.” Collin came out of the reading room, holding a bright pink windbreaker, which only served to accent how masculine and muscular and imposing and…sexy he was.

  And he’d remembered her name.

  There was that breathless feeling again.

  Her heart thudded in her throat, pushing the words out. “I can’t thank you enough—”

  “It’s been a long time—”

  They spoke at the sa
me time, and it took her a moment to realize that he was holding out his hand, as though they were being introduced for the first time. After so long, it almost felt like it.

  She took his hand tentatively, sliding her smaller palm into his, feeling the rough calluses and strong grip. Her own hands were soft, but strong, as well. She could pinch a large dictionary between her thumb and forefinger and carry it across the library without so much as a waver.

  But they were nothing like his.

  She was so turned on by the feel of that hand.

  Which was already slipping out of her grasp, too soon. She wanted to tighten her grip, to hang on to the first person in so long who had made her feel something more than just a sad resignation, but she restrained herself. Barely.

  Next thing you know you’ll have a dozen cats and be wandering the streets in your nightgown.

  She put her hands behind her back and laced her fingers tightly together.

  Collin held out the pink jacket to Claire, who slipped into it and gave a small wave to Marnie. “Thanks for the story, Miss Thomas. Happy Halloween!”

  “Happy Halloween,” Marnie replied, managing a smile and a nod to Claire. Collin took her hand and led her out the door.

  “See you around,” he called over his shoulder, and then they were gone, leaving Marnie standing alone in the foyer once again.

  “Story of my life,” she said aloud, but for a fraction of a second, she had the oddest sensation…like the air was listening. Like she wasn’t actually alone.

  But then she realized how insane that thought sounded. May as well take the rest of the day off and go find a few cats to adopt. That weird feeling was probably only the effect of too much excitement this morning, that’s all. Running in to her dad. Seeing Collin…

  “Collin Morgan is not for you.” Speaking the words out loud seemed to help her resolve a bit, because as soon as she said them, she squared her shoulders and turned toward her office.