Second Chance In Stonecreek

by Michelle Major

  Too eager? No other plans?

  It was bad enough that she had to meet her date at the restaurant, embarrassed to have him pick her up at her dad’s house. Twenty-seven years old and living in her childhood bedroom. In all fairness, she’d sublet her house—Grammy’s old house—because she’d planned to move into Trevor’s place after the wedding. So eight months from now she’d be on her own again. That moment couldn’t come too soon.

  “Hey, Maggie, whatcha doin’?”

  She forced a smile as she met the curious gaze of Britney Parker, a woman Maggie had known since kindergarten. Britney fluffed her already puffy blond hair and adjusted the formfitting black shirt she wore as part of her hostess uniform. Adjusted by tugging it down an extra inch.

  “I’m...um...meeting a friend here,” Maggie said, moving forward.

  “Brenna?”

  “No, actually—”

  “Your grandma?”

  Maggie flinched. Yikes. Was she so boring that people in town considered her friends with her grandma? She loved Grammy, but the nearly half-century age gap and the fact that most of their conversations ended in a lecture weren’t conducive to much girl bonding.

  “I have a date,” Maggie offered before Britney could suggest their second-grade teacher as a potential companion. Then she glanced around to make sure no one had heard her. Of course, now that she’d outed herself to Britney, it would be no secret. Few secrets were kept in Stonecreek. As soon as she and James were seated at a table for two, the gossip train would chug right out of the station.

  She glanced at her watch. Three minutes past seven. No need to panic. He probably had trouble finding a parking space, although there had been several near her car. Or he was just running late. He’d been the one to ask for her number, after all. Plus he’d actually called to set up their date. That was a good sign.

  “Griffin,” Britney said, her smile brightening.

  “No,” Maggie corrected. “He’s—”

  “Hey, Brit.”

  Maggie stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. Then he was at her side, heat radiating from his big body. She caught the scent of cloves and mint gum and her traitorous knees went a little weak.

  “You two giving it another try?” Britney’s gaze swung between Maggie and Griffin.

  She glanced at him, shocked to see one thick brow cock in what looked like... Was that hope on his face?

  “We’re not,” she said quickly. “I’m meeting someone else.”

  “Then I don’t think he’s here yet,” Britney said. “I’ll get a table set up, though. What about you, Griffin?”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Trevor and I are grabbing dinner.”

  “Here?” Maggie squeaked.

  Britney stifled a laugh. “Awk-ward.”

  “It’s probably a sign,” Griffin said, none too helpfully as far as Maggie was concerned.

  “It’s not a sign,” she told him.

  “Are you kidding?” Britney picked up her phone and started thumbing the screen. “It’s bad enough that you started dating your ex-fiancé’s brother. Now the two of them have to watch you on a first date?” She glanced up. “It’s a first date, right?”

  “Yes.”

  Maggie whirled around to find Dr. James Starber standing behind her. She’d been so distracted by Griffin and the mortification of this situation that she hadn’t even noticed him enter the restaurant.

  “You’re on a date, Mags?”

  Maggie thunked the heel of her palm against her forehead as Trevor appeared directly behind James, who looked back and forth between the two Stone brothers like he was afraid he’d stumbled into the middle of a kinky small-town threesome or something.

  “I’m trying,” she told Trevor with a tight smile, then turned back to Britney. “Could we get a table? Now.”

  “Sure thing.” The blonde grinned, then held up her phone. Maggie blinked as the flash went off. “I just need photographic evidence of this moment. I won’t tag you if that makes it easier.”

  Maggie inwardly cringed. “Please don’t tag me.” She looked over her shoulder and gave James what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “Nice to see you.”

  “Um...” He massaged the back of his neck. “You, too.”

  “Take care of this one,” Trevor said with a hearty back slap to James. “She’s something special.” He wagged a finger between himself and Griffin, clearly relishing how uncomfortable this was making both Maggie and his brother. “We can vouch for that.”

  “Shut up, Trevor,” Maggie and Griffin said at the same time.

  “Right this way,” Britney announced cheerily, and without looking at Griffin again, Maggie followed the other woman.

  She slid into the seat, ignoring the curious gazes of the diners at the tables around them. “I’m sorry about that,” she said to James when they were alone. Or as alone as they could be with half the restaurant staring at them.

  He flashed a half-hearted grin. “I’m from Chicago and did my residency in Boston,” he told her. “This is my first stint at small-town living. I think I got a crash course on what exactly that means tonight.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed. “It’s actually great most of the time.”

  “I remember hearing talk at the hospital about a runaway bride. It seemed like a big scandal.”

  Maggie grimaced. “Unfortunately they were talking about me. Long, boring story.”

  The waiter came at that moment and took their drink orders. James debated which pinot noir was the best choice from the selections offered, and without hesitation Maggie steered him toward one from Harvest. It was the same one she and Griffin had shared their first night together. Even when she got away from Griffin Stone, she couldn’t seem to escape his hold on her.

  She didn’t notice Griffin and Trevor being seated, so either they’d chosen a table behind her or, hopefully, picked another restaurant. She couldn’t help but be curious as to why they were having dinner together. Normally the brothers barely got through a casual conversation without arguing.

  James was nice and interesting, obviously dedicated to his patients, but Maggie felt not an iota of a spark between them. Not even the potential for one, although when she tilted her head and squinted slightly, James bore an uncanny resemblance to a young Robert Redford. She was truly off her game if she couldn’t manage a spark for a Redford look-alike. Then he explained his plan to move back to Chicago once his fellowship at Willamette Central was finished. She listened as he extolled the highlights of the Windy City, but had to admit she had no interest in discovering for herself what Chicago had to offer.

  Overall the meal was pleasant and the pizza fantastic as always. James walked her to her car, the streets empty as Stonecreek tended to roll up the sidewalks early, even on weekend nights.

  “Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said, pasting a bright smile on her face as she pulled her keys from her purse. She hoped he wouldn’t try to kiss her because that would make the next two weeks working on the hospital fund-raiser far too awkward.

  His mouth quirked. “As first dates go, that was a total dud, right? You’re not into me at all.”

  “Um...” She felt color rise to her cheeks. “You seem like such a nice guy.”

  “Kiss of death,” he murmured.

  “No,” she argued. “But I’m not... Things are... It’s complicated.” Ugh, that word again.

  “I get it,” he told her.

  She laughed softly. “Then maybe you can explain it to me.”

  “There was this girl I dated when I was an undergraduate,” he said almost wistfully. “We met senior year. I was applying for med school and she was an elementary education major. She was beautiful and funny. When we were together I forgot all about the stress and pressure of everything else.”

  “I love when that happens.”
Maggie thought of the one blissful night she’d spent with Griffin and how everything but the two of them had faded into the background.

  “She wanted to make things more serious, but I was consumed with my future. It didn’t seem like a relationship had any place in it.” His brow creased. “Things were too complicated.”

  “I’m sorry,” Maggie whispered.

  He shook his head. “Me, too. I should have never let her go. Now I can see that none of the excuses I gave were worth a damn.”

  “Maybe it’s not too late,” she suggested. “Things are steadier for you now. I’m sure you could track her down on social media.” Even though she didn’t know James well, she liked him. What she didn’t like was the pain she saw in his kind eyes.

  “We’re Facebook friends,” he confessed, then sighed. “She’s married with one little boy and another baby on the way. She looks happy.”

  “James.”

  He shrugged. “I’m happy for her. I am. But I can’t help but think it should be me in those pictures. I was so focused on my future and my goals. Now that I’ve achieved them, it doesn’t seem to matter. Not one bit.”

  She leaned in and hugged him. “I’m sorry. There’s someone else out there for you. I know it.”

  “Thanks,” he said when she pulled away. “I’m not trying to be Donnie Downer, but when you said complicated it struck a nerve. Things can seem complicated but only when we let that take over. What really matters is usually pretty simple.”

  Maggie’s breath caught. “You’re right.”

  “Of course.” He winked. “I’m a doctor. We’re always right.”

  She laughed, which she knew had been his intention. Lightening the moment.

  “I did have a really good time tonight.”

  He nodded. “I’ll see you at the next gala meeting,” he told her and walked toward his car.

  Maggie got into hers, turning it on and cranking the heat against the chill of the October night air. The cold seemed to settle in her bones. She gripped the steering wheel, the conversation with James tumbling through her mind. Seeing Trevor and Griffin. The way Griffin had looked at her in the restaurant.

  Finally she backed out, but as she turned the corner a block down, her gaze snagged on a familiar blue Land Cruiser parked at the curb in front of O’Malley’s Tavern.

  Without thinking, she pulled in behind Griffin’s SUV.

  The bar was crowded with locals and a few tourists. If someone wanted a late-night drink, O’Malley’s was the place to be in Stonecreek.

  “Hey, Ms. Mayor,” Chuck O’Malley, the tavern’s gregarious owner, called from behind the bar. “Is this an official campaign stop?”

  Maggie waved at the people who turned to say hello, once again finding all eyes on her. Everyone turned except Griffin, seated at the end of the bar, his broad shoulders stiff as he gazed down into the glass of brown liquor in front of him.

  “I’m off the clock tonight,” she told Chuck, even though she was never truly off.

  “Then what can I get you?” he asked.

  “My usual,” she told him, moving forward.

  He rolled his eyes but grinned. “You got it.”

  She made small talk with a few of the patrons before climbing onto the bar stool next to Griffin. “This seat taken?”

  He picked up his glass and took a long drink. “Looks that way.”

  “You and Trevor must have had a short dinner,” she said, hanging her purse on the hook next to her stool. “I didn’t see you in the restaurant again.”

  “We ended up at The Kitchen. Over Cheesy felt a little crowded.”

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Although, Friday is fish taco night at The Kitchen, so that’s a plus.”

  Griffin gave a small laugh. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Here you go, Maggie.” Chuck placed a glass in front of her. “I feel like I should warn you that Jason has been canvassing the downtown business owners, offering all kinds of campaign promises about how he’s going to lower taxes and add incentives to the mix if we throw our support behind him.”

  Maggie’s chest tightened. This was why she was never really off the clock. “I figured as much,” she said. “A few people around town have been fairly conspicuous about avoiding eye contact with me in the past couple of weeks. I appreciate you confirming it.”

  Chuck nodded. “Can he really make that happen?”

  Maggie couldn’t help but hear the hope in the man’s voice. “Not exactly. Any new tax breaks would have to go through council. The mayor can’t arbitrarily make that kind of decision. I’m sure that’s why Jason hasn’t spoken publicly about it. But it sure sounds promising.”

  “It does,” Chuck said, running a hand through his thinning brown hair.

  “There’s a downtown business owners’ meeting next week, right?” Maggie asked.

  Chuck nodded.

  “Let me push some of the council members to see where they stand on things. I’ve also got some ideas for a new marketing campaign that I’d like to run by all of you. It would keep people coming into town even through the winter season.”

  “You’re a gem, Maggie.” Chuck reached out and patted her hand. “I’ll tell Frank to put you on the agenda. I know you have our best interests at heart.”

  One of the waitresses called to Chuck and he headed for the other end of the bar.

  “Your drink is pink,” Griffin said after several moments of awkward silence.

  “Cranberry juice and club soda,” Maggie confirmed.

  “Living on the wild side.”

  “I had wine with dinner.”

  He glanced at her, cocking an eyebrow.

  “A Harvest pinot noir. The 2015 vintage. Aroma of black cherries overlaid with fennel and a smoky finish.”

  “One of my favorites,” he said, nodding.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “Your date seemed nice.”

  “He is.” She paused, then added, “Also pining over an ex-girlfriend.”

  “Imagine that,” Griffin murmured.

  “She’s married now. Things were too complicated when they were together, so he let her go. He regrets it.”

  He swiveled on his bar stool, ice clinking in the glass as he balanced it between two fingers. “You spent the date talking about how much he misses his ex-girlfriend?”

  It sounded ridiculous and Maggie laughed softly. “Not all of it.”

  “What’s on the agenda for the second date?” Griffin asked, draining his glass. “Dissecting dysfunctional family Christmases from when he was a kid?”

  Maggie sipped at her drink. “We won’t have a second date.”

  She saw his shoulders relax slightly.

  “Does that make you happy?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “Delirious with it,” he confirmed with a wink.

  “Why?”

  The question seemed to surprise him. A muscle ticked on the side of his jaw and he looked past her, raising his glass. She assumed he was looking at Chuck and, as expected, the bar owner appeared a moment later.

  “Another Jack?” he asked.

  “Please.”

  Chuck turned to Maggie. “More of the mayor’s special?”

  She shook her head. “I’m heading out. Thanks again for the intel, Chuck.”

  “I’ve owned this place for twenty-five years,” he told her. “I’ve never seen anyone work as hard for this town as you, Mayor Spencer. That counts for a lot in my book.”

  A tumble of emotions clogged her throat as she nodded and pushed away from the bar. It was all too much...too... No, she wouldn’t use that dreaded word again. But between her family, the campaign and her heart, Maggie felt wrung out and hung up to dry with all her vulnerable bits exposed for everyone to see. She couldn’t deal with any more tonight.


  As Chuck walked away to refill Griffin’s glass, Maggie grabbed her purse and turned.

  A warm hand on her arm stopped her. She faced him again, searching his green gaze for a clue as to how he felt about her. His eyes gave nothing away.

  “Why did you come in here tonight?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

  “I saw your car.”

  He arched a brow. “And...?”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve already told you how I felt...how I feel. It’s your turn, Griffin. I’m getting whiplash from your mixed signals. You don’t want me to date another man, but you don’t want me for yourself.”

  “I...” He closed his eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “That’s your issue.” She tugged her arm away from his grasp. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from him tonight. The way he’d looked at her earlier in the restaurant had given her some ridiculous hope. But if he couldn’t even admit he wanted her, it left them with nothing.

  Once again she was left with nothing.

  She deserved more.

  He stared at her and the heat in his gaze made her tingle all the way to her toes. It wasn’t enough.

  “Hope your friend Jack makes you happy,” she told him. “At least he won’t expect too much.” Then she walked away, her head held high. She wouldn’t break down again. Not for Griffin Stone.

  Chapter Five

  “How was the meeting with Trevor?” Marcus Sanchez asked Griffin on Monday morning.

  “Pointless,” Griffin snarled, then blew out a breath when the other man raised a brow. He didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of Griffin’s bad mood. Marcus had first come to work for Harvest Vineyards as a young man. He’d quickly showed a deep understanding of the grapes as well as a knack for dealing with the business side of things, and his expertise had made him an indispensable part of the operation as the winery grew. After Griffin’s father’s sudden death, Jana had named Marcus CEO in a move that surprised many, including Trevor, who Griffin knew had assumed himself the heir apparent.

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “My brother and I can barely agree on an appetizer to order. I’m not sure what made me think he’d want my opinion on our wholesale distribution channels.”