Another Chance to Love

by Cheris Hodges

  He nodded, but she could tell he was a little disappointed that she didn’t say ‘I love you.’ But what if he hurt her? Brian grabbed his uniform from the floor in the bedroom.

  “I’m going across the street. I’ll be back in about ten minutes,” he said.

  “All right,” she answered.

  When Brian left, Paige fell backwards on the bed, moaned and closed her eyes. Love. She was in love and she was loved. Yet she was more afraid than she had been at any other time in her life. How many great loves do people get in life? she wondered. Brian had already had one. What if he didn’t love her as deeply as he once loved Olivia?

  Paige sat up. I’m just being stupid. I should just tell the man how I feel. What do I have to lose?

  Brian felt like a fool as he dressed in his bedroom. Why had he opened his mouth? Paige wasn’t ready to hear a declaration of love. He’d jumped the gun, given her too much too fast. If she pushed him away, he wouldn’t blame her. But losing Paige would kill him. She was his calm in the middle of the storm that his life had become. Why would anyone want to play a role in this drama? Brian wondered as he pulled a white tank top over his head. He grabbed a pair of khaki shorts and put them on.

  After he was dressed, Brian walked back to Paige’s house. When he tapped on the door lightly, Paige opened it as quickly as if she had been standing on the other side waiting for him.

  “Before we leave, we should talk,” she said, holding the door wide open. Brian walked in and sat on the edge of the sofa.

  “All right.” His stomach felt as if it were coated with ice as he watched Paige wring her hands.

  “I’ve never been one to mince words. I always speak my mind, but sometimes, I can’t say things that I need to say,” she said. Then she stopped speaking and looked at him. Brian took her hand into his.

  “I love you, but I’m scared, Brian. I’ve never truly been in love before and I don’t know if I’m going to do everything right, but—”

  Brian cut her off with a searing kiss that made her swoon in his arms. Paige didn’t know it, but she had started his heart beating again. Brian had just known his feelings weren’t going to be reciprocated. He pulled back from her and looked at her with a smile in his eyes.

  “Okay,” she said, still reeling from the kiss. “Maybe I needed to tell you I loved you sooner.”

  “I thought I had scared you away this morning. My life is complicated as fuck right now and I wouldn’t blame you if you ran away.”

  “Didn’t I tell you that I finish what I start? I’m in love with you and I’m not going let your ex-wife and her antics scare me away.”

  Brian smiled. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

  “I like a challenge,” she answered, running her tongue across her lips. Brian stood up and pulled Paige into his arms. “We’d better get out of here.”

  They hopped into Brian’s truck and headed for Gabrielle’s to pick up Mickey. “I don’t know what I would do without my sister,” Brian said as they pulled into the driveway.

  “I used to want a sister,” Paige said. “But we probably would have been too much alike and wouldn’t have gotten along at all.”

  “Wow, you hard to get along with?” he sarcastically joked.

  “Whatever,” she said.

  Brian and Paige hopped out of the truck and walked to the porch hand-in-hand. Gabrielle was standing at the door smiling.

  “What is this?” she said.

  “Good morning,” Brian kissed her on the cheek. “I came for my son. We’re going to breakfast.”

  Gabrielle shook her head. “Why don’t I cook breakfast for us? Mickey’s in the bathtub.”

  Brian glanced at Paige. “Is that cool with you?”

  She nodded and then turned to Gabrielle. “But you have to let me help.”

  Gabrielle looked taken aback. “You cook?”

  “Yes. I love to cook.” She and Gabrielle headed for the kitchen. Brian headed down the hall to the bathroom to check on his son.

  “Champ,” he said from the door. Mickey was sitting in the tub, shoulder deep in bubbles.

  “Hey, Daddy!”

  “Are you almost done? Miss Paige and Aunt Gabby are cooking breakfast for us,” Brian said.

  “Okay, I’m almost done,” the little boy replied.

  “Wash behind your ears,” Brian said as headed out of the bathroom. He walked into the room that Mickey stayed in when he was at Gabrielle’s house, which was their childhood home. He ran his hand across the blue plaid wallpaper. Gabrielle had redone every room in the house, except for this one. His old Barry Sanders poster was still on the wall. Brian smiled as he thought about his stress-free childhood. He hadn’t had any problems while he was growing up and he wanted to make sure Mickey grew up in the same manner. But things weren’t likely to be that way because Olivia was determined to make sure their son was caught in the middle of a custody battle. Brian shook his head sadly. The only thing he could do was make happy memories for his son and hope that they outweighed the bad times.

  After Mickey was dressed and Brian had packed his bag, they headed for the kitchen to dine on a breakfast of crispy turkey bacon, fluffy eggs, fresh fruit, chocolate chip pancakes, and buttermilk biscuits.

  “Miss Paige,” Mickey exclaimed when he saw her. He hugged her around her legs.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” she said as she hugged him back. “I hope you’re hungry. I think Gabrielle and I went a little overboard.”

  Brian looked at all of the food on the table. “I think you’re right,” he said as he took a seat.

  “Well, it’s better than that anything you would’ve gotten in a restaurant,” Gabrielle said as she set a carafe of orange juice on the table. “Now, let’s eat. Brian, will you bless the table?”

  Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes.

  “Dear God, thank you for the blessings you have granted this family. Bless this food and the hands that prepared it. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”

  “And bless mommy too,” Mickey blurted out.

  Brian forced a smile. “Yes, bless Mommy too,” he said. “All right, let’s eat.”

  After breakfast, Brian and Gabrielle cleaned up the kitchen while Paige helped Mickey make up his bed.

  “The more I see you with her, the more I like her,” Gabrielle said as she slipped her hands into the soapy water.

  “I’m so glad you approve of my life,” Brian said sarcastically.

  Gabrielle flung suds on him. “You know what I’m saying,” she said. “Anyway, she’s genuine and after that last—”

  “I told her that I love her,” Brian whispered.

  Gabrielle dropped her dish in the water. “You love her? Oh, my God!”

  Brian couldn’t help smiling. “I want her in my life for the long haul.”

  Gabrielle looked at him. “Are you sure you’re not moving too fast? You just got out of a marriage. And Olivia’s taking you through hell with this custody case. You don’t want to bring a new relationship into this.”

  “Let me worry about that,” Brian said. “I know what I’m doing.”

  Gabrielle nodded. “I hope Olivia doesn’t throw a wrench into your love affair tomorrow at this custody hearing. But if you love Paige and she loves you, I’m happy.” She leaned over and hugged her brother tightly.

  Paige pulled the blanket off the floor and folded it in half. “Do you have all of your toys packed away?” she asked.

  Mickey nodded. “Thank you for helping me,” he said.

  “You’re welcome,” she said as she pinched his nose. He looked up at her. “Will you be my second mommy?”

  Paige’s heart melted like butter. “Well, you have a mommy, but I’ll be your friend. Anytime you want to talk or need someone to eat ice cream with, I’ll be there.”

  Mickey smiled brightly. “Does that mean you’re going to come live with us? Then you can cook dinner for us every night and not just sometimes,” he said excitedly.

  Paige smiled and s
troked his head. “We’ll have to see about that. Come on, let’s watch TV with your aunt and your dad.”

  Mickey nodded and bounded down the hall. Brian and Gabrielle were sitting on the sofa and when Mickey jumped in the center between them; Brian turned around and looked at Paige with a smile on his face. She wondered what it would be like if they were her family. She knew she and Gabrielle would probably butt heads every once in a while, but their love for Brian would overrule any bad feelings and Mickey was so precious. She could see herself and Brian at his bedside reading him a bedtime story before he fell asleep. And Brian. Every night with him would be as good as the first night they’d made love.

  Stop thinking crazy, Brian isn’t getting married while all of this drama is going on in his life, she thought as she sat down in a plush chair next to the sofa. Just let nature take its course.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Brian tossed and turned the night before the custody hearing, maybe grabbing three tortured hours of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the same nightmare woke him up—Judge White awarding full custody to Olivia. Each time he bolted awake in the bed, Paige was right there beside him, stroking his shoulder, kissing him and telling him everything would be all right. Brian felt so bad about keeping her up all night.

  As the sun crept across the horizon, the gravity of the day settled on Brian’s heart. Some stranger was going to decide if he was good enough to be a real father to his son. Someone who had never seen him with his son. Someone who didn’t know that Mickey was the most important thing in his life. Brian would do anything he had to do to make sure Judge White knew that he was a good father and that having Mickey in his home was the best thing for both of them. Olivia couldn’t win. Brian wasn’t going to let that happen. No judge in his right mind would give my son to a woman who practically threw him away.

  That thought comforted him like a warm blanket on a snowy night. He had been the one to provide a stable home for Mickey. He made sure his son was fed, clothed, educated, and happy. He tucked him in at night and cooked him breakfast every morning. He went to parent-teacher conferences. The only thing that Brian couldn’t give Mickey was his mother.

  “Are you all right,” Paige asked.

  Brian looked at her, the woman who starred in his dreams most nights. Her golden eyes were filled with concern. Paige had been more of a mother to Mickey of late than Olivia. He smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead.

  “I’m fine,” he said with a sigh.

  Paige sat up in the bed. “I don’t think you are. Don’t worry, you’re not going to lose him.”

  He grabbed her hand. “You know what, I haven’t told you how much I appreciate your presence in our lives,” he said thoughtfully.

  Paige blushed and squeezed his hand. “You don’t know how much I appreciate you allowing me to be a part of your life. I have never been so happy. You and Mickey are family to me.”

  Her words resonated with him. Was Paige the key to keeping his son? He could provide a family for Mickey, something Olivia couldn’t do. But would he just be using Paige if he asked her to marry him because he wanted to have full custody of his son? Brian felt guilty for having such thoughts. Paige deserved more than a marriage of convenience, even if they did love each other. Mickey burst through the bedroom door. “I’m hungry!” he announced.

  Covering herself with Brian’s robe, Paige volunteered to cook breakfast, eliciting a smile from Mickey.

  “I want pancakes,” he said.

  Walking over to him and squeezing his cheek, Paige said, “You got it, little man.”

  Brian drew his son into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “You know I love you,” he said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Paige smiled at her men as she headed for the kitchen. When she was out of the room, Mickey looked up at his father.

  “I asked her to be my second mommy,” he said proudly.

  “You did what?” He laughed nervously. “Mick, you can’t just ask someone to be your mom. You have a mother.”

  Mickey nodded solemnly. “But Mommy doesn’t want me. She’s never around.”

  “Your mother loves you,” Brian said. “Don’t ever doubt that. She loves you so much; she wants to take you to Atlanta to visit her. That’s why we’re going to court, so that we can work that out.”

  Mickey pouted and folded his arms across his chest. “Why doesn’t she just come back home and live with Grandma? Then I can visit her over there. I don’t want to go to Atlanta.”

  Brian sighed and wished there was something he could say or do to make Mickey understand the situation. “Remember that a while ago you wanted to go to Atlanta to see Mommy? Why don’t you want to go now?”

  The little boy shrugged his shoulders. “Because I would miss you and Miss Paige a whole lot.”

  “But we’ll be here when you come back,” Brian said. “I’m never going anywhere.” And neither are you if I can help it. Damn you, Olivia!

  “Go wash up, son. Miss Paige will be done with breakfast soon.”

  Mickey scurried to the bathroom and Brian headed for the kitchen. Before he got there, there was a knock at the front door.

  “Olivia, what are you doing here?”

  She walked in as if she had been invited and sat down on the sofa. “I want to talk to you about the hearing. You know, I really don’t want to do this. I was hoping that we could work something out between ourselves.” She was wearing a tight, short skirt and she crossed her legs, showing off her thighs.

  Brian turned away from her. He wasn’t tempted anymore. “We both have attorneys. If you wanted to work something out, you should have had yours call mine,” he said, struggling to keep his voice down. “I’m not talking about this here. Mickey is in his room and Paige is in the kitchen. You need to leave.”

  Olivia ran her hand down the length of her leg. “Brian, if we go to court, you’ll lose. Right now, we can work this out like civilized adults.”

  She stood up and walked over to Brian, who was standing near the door. She tried to slip her arms around him, but Brian pushed her away. “Whatever attraction I had for you when you first came back is gone. I don’t want you touching me or pretending we have some buried feelings for each other. You killed that when you came in here and tried to take my son away. So why don’t you get the hell out?” Brian opened the door to usher Olivia out, just as Paige entered the living room. Olivia scoffed when she saw her.

  “I see that you’re just determined to move into my shoes,” Olivia snapped. “Brian, I guess we’ll see each other in court.”

  He wanted to shake Olivia. “Do you really want what’s best for our son or do you want me to suffer because I’ve moved on with my life?”

  Olivia raised her sculpted eyebrow. “I can see this was a mistake,” she snapped.

  “So, Paige, how does it feel?”

  “What are you babbling about?” Paige said angrily. Brian put his arm around her shoulder to stop her from leaping at Olivia.

  “Just know that you cost Brian his son.”

  Before either of them could respond, Mickey burst into the room.

  “Mommy! Are you going to stay and have breakfast with us?”

  Olivia hugged Mickey. “I don’t think so. But don’t worry, you and I will have plenty of time for breakfast after today.” She shot Brian and Paige a foreboding glance as she walked out the door.

  “Well, I’d better get the table set for breakfast,” Paige said through the awkward silence that hung around them. “Good idea,” Brian said.

  After breakfast, Gabrielle picked up Mickey so that Brian and Paige could get ready for the hearing.

  “What time do you have to be in court?” she asked. “

  Eleven.”

  “I’d better get dressed,” she said. “

  You don’t have to come.”

  “I know that. But someone has to watch your back. That woman is on the warpath.”

  “Tell me about it,” Brian
said. “I can’t believe that she’s the same person I married. I honestly believe that this isn’t just about Mickey.”

  “Brian, maybe I should...never mind,” Paige said.

  “What?” he asked as he looked deep into her golden eyes. “Maybe you should give Olivia what she wants. I mean, if she’s willing to take Mickey from you because we’re together, then maybe we shouldn’t be.”

  Brian sat up and grabbed Paige’s hands. “I’m not losing my son or you because of Olivia. She had all of this; our son, our family and me. She threw it away to go to Atlanta. Why should I suffer because she wanted to act like a teenager finding herself?”

  Paige chewed on her bottom lip. “She’s trying to make you and Mickey suffer and it’s all my fault.”

  Brian stood up. “Olivia caused this and, damn it, I’m not going to let her cost me two of the best things in my life. I already gave up my career because of her. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’ve got to get ready for court.”

  Paige fell silent, but Brian knew she was still mulling over the idea that she was the cause of his problems. He wished the day was over and the judge had already ruled in his favor. He daydreamed about Paige cooking dinner for them, about kissing her passionately.

  “I’m so happy that things worked out for you,” she said when they broke off the kiss.

  “You know what, I wouldn’t have been able to get through all of this craziness without you. Marry me, Paige.”

  Her eyes sparkled with surprise as Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out a two and a half karat diamond ring.