Chance Encounter (A Chance and a Hope Book 1)

by SJ McCoy

  “You too. See ya.” Once he’d hung up, Chance took another swig of his beer, thinking about what Mason had said. He shook his head. What did it matter? The woman today, Hope, she was just a chance encounter. Nothing more. Yeah, she’d made him feel, and hearing her name had thrown him, but that was all. It was probably because she was the first woman he’d spoken to since he’d made the symbolic break in his mind with Chloe’s memory. As he stood there watching the sky turn from gold to gray, he was almost able to convince himself that it had just been his mind playing tricks on him. Hope was just a blank canvas he’d projected his feelings on to. It was no doubt nothing to do with her, the person she was, at all.

  He turned and went into the kitchen; he should probably eat something. As he peered into the fridge, wondering what he should fix for himself, he also had to wonder what Hope might be having for dinner. She was up there, by herself, in that big old house. Her fridge had seemed pretty well-stocked when he’d opened it looking for ice, but he could just picture her trying to hobble around and make something. He closed the fridge door. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone? He could go check on her, make sure she had something to eat and at the same time, he could prove to himself that she was just another woman. He wanted to prove to himself that whatever he’d felt this afternoon while he carried her up the steps hadn’t meant anything. At least, nothing more than his overactive imagination experimenting with how it might feel to feel for a woman.

  He picked up his hat and made for the door. When he reached it, he opened it and then closed it again. Was he nuts? What was he going to do, knock on the door and wait for her to limp on her bad ankle to come answer it? What other option did he have? He could hardly let himself in and scare the living daylights out of her, could he? This was probably a really bad idea. He opened the door again. He was about to find out.

  ~ ~ ~

  Hope leaned on the counter in the kitchen, resting her weight on her arms and her good leg. Her twisted ankle was throbbing and right now she was regretting not having asked Chance to leave her a drink and some painkillers close by. She’d just taken some, but now she needed to eat.

  A knock at the front door startled her. Who on earth might that be? She decided to ignore it; she hadn’t turned any lights on yet even though it was going dark outside. Hopefully whoever it was would assume there was no one home and leave. The knock came again, louder this time. Hope pulled out one of the stools at the counter and rested her butt on it, taking the weight off her feet. She smiled to herself. She should be able to get on with whatever she was about to do, but for some reason it seemed important to outwait the unknown caller at the door first.

  She sucked in a deep breath and her heart began to race as she heard the door open.

  “Hello? Hope, are you here?”

  She let the breath out slowly as a smile spread across her face. Was it weird that she recognized his voice? Was it even weirder that she felt safe now she knew it was him? “Chance? Is that you? Come on through.”

  She listened to the sound of his footsteps coming down the hallway and then he appeared. Damn, he was a fine specimen of a cowboy. There could be no doubt that was what he was, just from his bearing and the look of him, even if it weren’t for the black cowboy hat on his head, the brim sitting low so she could just see his eyes peeking out at her. Right now, those eyes were full of concern.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine. Are you? What are you doing here?”

  He held up both hands and took a step backwards. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  She smiled. “Don’t worry, you didn’t. Come on in.”

  He approached slowly, and as he did, she could see he was frowning. “Well, I should have scared you. I could have been anyone coming in like that.”

  She shrugged. “But you weren’t. You’re you and I’m safe.” She smiled. “So, everything’s good, right?”

  He shook his head, still frowning. “No. It isn’t. You should keep the door locked when you’re here by yourself.” He shook his head. “You don’t even know that you’re safe now. I’m just a guy you met on the beach this afternoon, I could be anyone.” He held her gaze for a moment, a look that sent shivers down her spine. “I could do anything.”

  She laughed. “First of all, I haven’t been in any shape to get to the door to lock it myself and my last visitor left in so much of a hurry that I didn’t get a chance to ask him to lock it on the way out.”

  Chance lowered his gaze, seemingly embarrassed by his hasty exit earlier.

  She smiled. “That wasn’t a criticism, just a statement of fact. And since you’re berating me, you should know the facts first. And the fact is, I do know who you are, and I do know that I’m safe. I talked to Uncle Johnny this afternoon. He reassured me that not only are you a good guy, but he also said that if he had to hire security for me, you would be top of his list.” She shrugged and gave him another smile. “So, you see, I’m not really as stupid as you seem to think I am.”

  He took off his hat and nodded slowly. “Okay, I’m sorry. I guess I jumped to conclusions.”

  “That’s okay. It’s nice to know you care.” His chin jerked up and he met her gaze. Why on earth had she said that? She smiled, and shrugged once more; she seemed to be doing a lot of that. “So, now I’ve explained myself, perhaps you’d like to do the same?”

  He pursed his lips, but she could tell there was a smile lurking in there somewhere. “I came to check you were okay. I felt bad about the way I ran out of here earlier and when I started thinking about getting myself some dinner I got to wondering how you were getting on and whether you’d be able to get yourself anything.” He nodded at where she was sitting at the counter. “At least you made it this far.”

  “I did, but that was in search of painkillers.”

  “Shit. I should have thought about that, I should have got some out for you.”

  “I got them. I can get around, I’m fine. In fact, I was just about to make some dinner. Nothing fancy, I’m only thinking frozen pizza, but you’re welcome to stay.” She was surprised at the words coming out of her mouth, but she didn’t want to take them back. He’d been on her mind ever since he left this afternoon. She was intrigued by him and the fact that he’d come back like this gave her hope that he might feel the same way.

  He met her gaze. It seemed like those blue eyes held a million questions and at least as many secrets. Just when she was sure that he was about to say no and leave, he nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ll give you a hand.”

  She smiled; she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t realized how much she’d been hoping he’d say yes. For a moment, they looked into each other’s eyes. She could feel that pull he had on her again. She wanted to feel his arms around her as she had this afternoon. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, and this time she’d like to kiss him, not just imagine it.

  He took a step back. “So, what do you want me to do?”

  She stared at him blankly. It was almost as though he’d heard her thoughts and was asking if she wanted him to kiss her now. She pulled herself together. That wasn’t it at all. They’d just been talking about dinner—frozen pizza, not kisses. She looked into his eyes, feeling embarrassed. She’d swear she saw a hint of laughter there. “Umm, pizza.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, pizza.” He turned to the oven and started pushing buttons.

  Chapter Seven

  Chance took the pizza out of the oven and set it to cool for a moment. He’d helped Hope back to the sofa and made sure her foot was propped up on a cushion. Now that the pizza was ready, he wondered if he should have set her up at the dining table instead. Was she the kind of girl who’d sit on the sofa to eat? Probably not. He shrugged. What did it matter? He went back out to the great room, and the way she smiled at him made him feel as though nothing mattered at all. Damn. Hadn’t he come back here to prove to himself that she didn’t make him feel anything?

  “Is everything okay
?” she asked.

  “Yep, the pizza’s done. Are you going to be okay to eat there?”

  She gave him a puzzled look. “I am, is there a reason I wouldn’t be?”

  He shook his head, feeling self-conscious. “No. I just didn’t know if you’d want to sit at the table.”

  She laughed. “No, thanks. I’m just fine here. I don’t think we need to stand on ceremony, do we? I mean, we’re almost friends now, aren’t we?”

  She sounded hopeful, as if she were asking him to agree, as if she’d like them to be friends. He couldn’t help the smile that crept across his face. “Yeah, I’d say we probably are.”

  “Good. I don’t have many of those. So, let’s eat, shall we, friend?”

  He nodded and returned to the kitchen.

  Watching her eat made him realize he needn’t have worried about sitting her at the dining table. She ate with her fingers and even picked at her slice of pizza as she went. She laughed when she saw him watching her. “Sorry, that’s not very ladylike of me, is it? I can’t help it, though; I can’t stand olives.”

  Chance smiled. “So, why buy pizza with them on?”

  “Because the only way to get all the toppings I like is to buy a supreme. If you buy anything without olives, there’s always something else missing, too.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I suppose it’s easier to go for everything and get rid of what you don’t want, than to limit your options just to avoid the one thing you don’t like.”

  Chance nodded slowly. “Are we still talking about pizza?”

  She shrugged. “I was, but I think it’s true in life, too, isn’t it? If your main objective is avoiding something you don’t want, then you limit your options. I prefer to go all in and jettison the stuff I don’t like when I encounter it.”

  Chance munched on his pizza and thought about that. He’d spent his whole adult life avoiding the one thing he didn’t want; he didn’t want to move on without Chloe. Good things had come his way—but had he really made the most of any of them? He looked up when he realized she was watching him.

  “What?”

  He smiled. “I don’t know, it just seems like serendipity.”

  “What does?”

  “Meeting you today. Hearing what you have to say.” He shrugged. He couldn’t really explain anything without explaining everything—and he sure as hell didn’t want to do that.

  “I told you this afternoon. If you want to talk about it, I’m happy to listen. Sometimes a stranger’s ear is the best.”

  He shook his head. “But we’re not strangers anymore, you said so yourself. We’re almost friends.”

  She nodded.

  He felt bad. He didn’t want her to feel shut out, but he didn’t want to let her in. He had a lot to work through, but he needed to do it by himself. He didn’t let anyone in. It wasn’t his way. He smiled, realizing he didn’t need to shut her down—he could just turn it around on her. “You also said that you wish you had someone to talk to. How about it? Do you want to talk, tell me what you’re going through?” He knew there must be something going on in her life. This afternoon she’d been worried he might be a reporter. She ran a big company, but she was out here in Oregon doing nothing. Okay, so she’d brought her friend’s mom to the clinic, but if they were close friends, wouldn’t she be there with them—or at least, wouldn’t the friend be here with her? She’d stopped with her pizza halfway to her mouth and was staring at him. He held up a hand. “Sorry, you don’t have to go there any more than I do. I just thought I’d offer.”

  She nodded slowly. “No, I’m not offended or anything. It just, it never occurred to me that I might get a chance to spill my guts to someone. It’s weird, but part of me wants to.”

  “Then go ahead. I’ll happily be the stranger who listens. And I’d never repeat a word you say.”

  She nodded. “I think that’s the weirdest part of all. I know you wouldn’t. I mean, I can’t know, but I do know. Even if I hadn’t talked to Uncle Johnny, even if he hadn’t vouched for you, I’d still know. You’re a good guy. You’re an honorable man.”

  Chance sucked in a deep breath. He’d like to think he was an honorable man. He tried to be. But he hadn’t always been.

  She smiled. “Sorry, that probably sounds over the top, but you know what I mean.”

  “I think I do.” He reached for the bottle of wine on the coffee table and refilled both their glasses. “I can’t promise you’d think I was honorable if you really knew me.” He shrugged, for some reason it seemed important that she should at least have some idea of who he was, of how he worked. “I’ve been in trouble in my time, but I’ve always done what I believe to be right. I have a sense of honor, I’m bound by honesty and justice.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “I guess I have a slightly different take on justice than some.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment. “My guess is that your justice is harsher than most?”

  He nodded. “I guess it is.”

  “I see that as a good thing.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t really told her anything, but he felt as though he’d told her everything—and that she understood. “So, what is it you need to talk about?”

  She smiled, looking a little embarrassed. “I don’t know where to start, and you know you’d have to promise me that you’d never repeat anything I tell you.”

  Chance sucked in a deep breath. “I can see why you’d need me to do that, but I don’t do promises.”

  She smiled and raised an eyebrow. “What, never?”

  Her smile faded as he shook his head grimly. “Never.” He had no idea how that might come across, but it was true. He hadn’t made a promise in eighteen years. He shrugged. “I will tell you, you can trust me, but I understand if you don’t want to.”

  She smiled. “I do trust you, but I still don’t know where to start.”

  “How about you start by telling me why you’re here?” He had a feeling that her being here was the result of whatever was going on—going wrong—in her life. Her reaction told him he was right.

  She nodded and took a big gulp of her wine. “Okay. That’s probably the perfect starting point, though I must warn you, this probably won’t be linear. I’ll start telling you why I’m here and then I’ll jump around all over the place.”

  Chance smiled. “Not a problem, you talk away, I’m used to getting a whole herd of cattle from point A to point B, there’s nothing linear about that.”

  She laughed. “I don’t suppose there is. Okay.” She took another gulp of her wine. He might have to slow her down on that, considering she said she’d just taken painkillers. “Why am I here? Well, I told you about Toby. We brought his mom, but to be honest, we should have brought her months ago. We would have, if I wasn’t such a bad friend. She had a stroke last year. He’s been trying to help her recover.” She sighed. “And I didn’t pay enough attention. It never occurred to me that Uncle Johnny might be able to help.” She shook her head sadly and stared at the window. It was dark outside now.

  “And why did it occur to you now?”

  She looked at him and pursed her lips. “Apparently because I am horribly selfish. When we saw the news on Friday morning, Toby offered to stay the weekend with me. I thought he should be with his mom. He told me she was fine, I only asked him to talk about her and how she was doing to take my mind off my own troubles. Isn’t that awful?”

  Chance shook his head. He knew how easy it was to get so caught up in your own troubles that you weren’t aware that those around you were going through struggles of their own.

  “Anyway, when he told me about the rehab clinic she was going to, it made me realize that we should bring her here, to see Uncle Johnny. It made me remember that people have real problems—that being publicly cheated on isn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.” She stopped, realizing what she’d said and shrugged. “And there you have it. That’s why I’m hiding out here. The man I’ve been living with has been sleeping
with his movie co-star. And on Friday morning, that story broke all over the news—and the internet, where the pictures they wouldn’t show on TV are now plastered forever, for anyone who cares to search for them.” She shook her head. “Toby told me not to google them. I couldn’t help it, though. I had to see.” She looked up into his eyes. “I have no idea how a photographer could get shots like that unless he was there in the bed with them! They’re explicit, to say the least.”

  Chance screwed his eyes shut and bit the inside of his cheek. He was angry on her behalf. Guys could be such assholes. When he trusted himself not to curse out loud, he nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Honestly, I’m not! I’ve had my doubts about us for a while. Mostly doubts about him. He’s not really my kind of person. I’m relieved that we’re over. I mean, it’s no fun being humiliated like that, but I think the thing I feel the worst about is that I’m not really hurt—other than my ego. I’m not devastated, not heartbroken.” She made a face that would have been comical under other circumstances. “I guess I’m more disgusted with myself that I was in a relationship with someone I obviously didn’t care too much for. Who does that? Apparently, I was too lazy or too cowardly or too something, not to end it.” She looked up into his eyes. “He told me I’m a cold, unfeeling bitch, and the only thing that hurts about that is that I think he’s right.”

  “He’s just lashing out at you. Calling you names, trying to make you feel bad. He knows he’s the one in the wrong, but apparently, he’s too much of a dick to stand up and take responsibility for it.”

  She shook her head sadly. “Yeah, I know all of that, and you’re right, but I am prepared to take responsibility for my part and I know he’s right. I don’t care. Or I don’t care enough. Or I don’t know how to care or something. It’s been a theme my whole life, and I’m starting to believe that maybe I am just a cold-hearted, unfeeling bitch.”

  “No.” Chance wouldn’t watch her do that to herself. “Don’t let him get inside your head.”