Second Chance at Love

by Rhonda Laurel

  Her hand was shaking as she set her brush to the canvas and tried to lose herself in her art.

  * * *

  What a complete fool he was.

  After he’d high-tailed it out of the house, hopped in the sports car and started toward home, he was immediately flooded with regret. With each turn he made, he wanted to go back. They’d shared the most amazing kiss…followed by the worst retreat in the history of awkward and sudden exits.

  Things had been getting pretty intense, and he had panicked. There was no other way to describe it. He had lost it. And probably ruined everything for good. She must be so confused and disgusted with him right now. How would he ever face her again?

  He finally pulled into the driveway and slowly got out. He retrieved his case of wine from the car and trudged into the house. Several house lights were still on, and when he opened the door, he heard laughter coming from the living room, one of them a man’s voice.

  He frowned. Aubrey hadn’t asked if she could have someone over. He didn’t think he had to tell her that he preferred she not have friends over when babysitting the kids. Whatever. He’d deal with it tomorrow. Right now he wanted to pour himself a drink and go to bed. He walked into the living room to find that the male who was entertaining Aubrey was none other than his little brother Theo.

  Typical of Theo not to call before he showed up. He was family, so Alex would hardly turn him away, but it was a matter of being considerate. Alex took one look at the room and knew immediately what was going on. The kids usually bounced off the walls when Theo visited and finally went to bed due to exhaustion. His rambunctious brood was nowhere to be seen, and the house was quiet. That could only mean Theo had bribed them somehow to go to bed on time. It was quite the cozy setting. There was a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and a couple of bottles of juice. It was also a disaster waiting to happen. Aubrey was a little too wholesome for his man-whore brother.

  Aubrey stood as soon as she saw him. “Alex, you’re home. How was your date?”

  “I had a good time.” He rubbed the back of his neck and turned to his brother. “Theo.”

  “Hey, big bro.” Theo stood too. “Surprise.”

  “It sure is. Why didn’t you call me when you arrived?”

  “When Aubrey said you were out on a date, the last thing I wanted to do was interrupt.”

  “That was thoughtful of you.”

  Alex glanced him over. He wore a pair of jeans and a dress shirt, which was suspicious. He’d bet good money Theo had changed when he arrived after the beautiful Aubrey answered the door. He had that disheveled chic thing going on, as Theo called it. The older Theo got, the more he looked like Alex and Derek. But Theo never liked hearing that. He always wanted his own look, but he couldn’t fight his genes. The Popovich men had certain traits, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  “Glad to hear you had a date today,” Theo ventured, breaking the increasingly awkward silence. “Ecstatic actually. I mean—”

  Alex gave him a look that immediately stilled him.

  Aubrey glanced between the two of them and hesitantly said, “The kids went to bed hours ago. They did, however, stay up an hour past their bedtime.”

  “It’s not Aubrey’s fault,” Theo said quickly, grinning. “I totally take the heat for that. I convinced her to let the kids stay up for a bit. It’s been a while since they’ve seen their favorite uncle.”

  Alex smirked. “Derek? They saw him last month.”

  “You are so funny.” Theo squinted at him, then casually motioned his head to Aubrey. “You know I can’t stay away from my niece and nephew. They mean the world to me.”

  “Oh really?” Alex gave his brother a quizzical look before turning his attention back to Aubrey. “Has this guy been any trouble?”

  “No. He was very helpful. We ordered a pizza and had a good time. But the kids did rummage through your room. Theo and I were cleaning up after dinner, and they went upstairs. I hope your bedroom isn’t too much of a mess.”

  “No worries.” Alex waved his hand. “They hang out in my room all the time.”

  She let out a sigh of relief and looked at her watch. “Well, I better get going.”

  “Thanks a million for everything today.” Alex shook his head. “I’m sure you had better things to do on a Saturday.”

  “It’s not a problem. My social calendar is pretty empty these days.” She gathered her things from the coffee table.

  “What a shame.” Theo smiled. “Why don’t you come by tomorrow? I’ll make breakfast in the morning. My pancakes are world famous.”

  “Sure. If Alex doesn’t mind.” Aubrey looked at Alex.

  “You’re always welcome here,” Alex said.

  “OK.” Aubrey smiled. “I’ll be here.”

  “I’ll have everything ready by nine a.m. Perhaps after, I can finish that story about that monster wave that hit me when I surfed off the coast of Australia. When that sucker hit me, I knew for sure I was a goner.”

  Alex walked her to the door and watched as she got into her car. “Text me and let me know you got home OK.” When she was out of view, he turned back to Theo. “I remember those pancakes. We all had to get our stomachs pumped in the emergency room.”

  “I told you before, I’d used a bad egg.” Theo went over to the coffee table and began collecting the cups and popcorn bowl.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Wow.” Theo shook his head. “What a way to greet your brother.”

  “I know.”

  “I had a race in Seattle and thought I’d drop by.” He grinned. “Forget about me. You had a date tonight. That’s a big deal.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Bro, it’s me. I can read you like a book. You even have one button undone on your shirt.”

  Alex’s hand went to the button. Why did people think that was such a big event? Was he really that tightly wound?

  “It’s called not looking like a slob.” He went over and picked up the case of wine and led his brother into the kitchen.

  “Whatever.” Theo rolled his eyes. “You’re the only doctor I know who operates in a suit underneath his scrubs.”

  “As funny as ever, aren’t you?” Alex began placing the bottles in his wine cabinet.

  “Back to your date. Who is she? Where did you go? Please don’t tell me it was a date from one of those Internet dating sites.”

  “You know I’m not part of the computer love generation.”

  “You kind of hate technology.”

  “I like interacting with people face-to-face.”

  “Could have fooled me,” Theo mumbled.

  “What?”

  He shrugged and grinned. “Nothing.”

  Alex folded his arms over his chest. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you.”

  “Oh brother.” Theo sighed. “I thought after hearing you were out on a date you would have chilled out a bit. Aren’t you going to at least ask how I did in the race?”

  He thought about it for a moment. Motocross may have sounded crazy to him, but for some reason it was important, at this point in time, to his brother. “How was the race?”

  “I came in second.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. I’m doing a documentary on the motocross circuit, using my own experience as an amateur trying to work himself up through the ranks. I know it’s not a traditional sport like football or hockey, but it has a hell of a fan base. I secured financial backing and everything. Who knows? Maybe it will lead to a travel series. You know, chasing adventure around the globe.”

  “Oh. That’s interesting.” It sounded as if Theo had actually put some thought into it. He was actually a little impressed. “Do you have any footage?”

  “Sure. I always carry a DVD with me.”

  “Maybe we can look at it together tomorrow. How long are you going to be here?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Let me rephr
ase it.” Alex scratched at his beard. “Noah and Chloe are young. They don’t understand why Uncle Theo disappears while they’re at school and doesn’t stick around to say good-bye. I just need a ball park, for their sake.”

  “How about a couple of weeks?”

  “OK. Let’s talk rules. If you’ll be here that long, I need you to help out around the house and respect the rules I have in place. No wrangling for the kids to stay up late or eat junk food before dinner. I may need you to babysit every once in a while.”

  “Sounds fair.”

  “Also. Aubrey’s off limits.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Theo played with the salt and pepper shakers on the counter.

  “I know the Book of Theo. Stay away from her. Not only is she a great babysitter, but she’s a friend of the family by way of the Blakes. Riley Sloane, the quarterback, is her brother. If you mess around with his sister, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

  “I’m not up to anything. She’s pretty and smart, so what?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “I mean, how bad could he hurt me? We talking broken arm or leg?”

  “Let’s go to bed.” Alex guided him toward the stairs. “The guest bedroom next to my room is already set up.”

  Alex opted not to look in on the kids, for fear they’d wake. He closed his bedroom door and glanced around. The kids had definitely been playing in here. There were a few things out of place, and the door to the walk-in closet was open. As he removed his clothes and changed into his pajamas, his thoughts went to Peyton. He’d done a foolish thing, bolting like that. He felt like a downright idiot. But it felt so good having her in his arms that he began to panic. There were so many feelings rushing to the surface, things he’d resolved to bury a long time ago. Like passion and sensuality. Caressing her soft, sun-kissed skin or touching those billowing curls.

  And it wasn’t only his physical reaction to her that bothered him. Being with Peyton all day made him feel like a piece of himself had been restored. He’d flirted with her and joined in the dinner conversation. He was like a different person. It was a little frightening. Things were changing so fast…

  Alex climbed into bed and pulled the covers up. His breath caught when he slid his hand under the pillow and didn’t feel Rachel’s shirt. He lifted both pillows, and it wasn’t there. He got up and looked under the bed, but it wasn’t there either. His heart started beating rapidly. Where could it be? The kids had been in here. Maybe one of them put it in the laundry hamper? He went into the closet and checked, but no luck.

  It would be silly to call Aubrey and ask if she’d seen it. He went down the hall and looked in Noah’s room. He was sleeping peacefully and there were things strewn about on the floor, but Alex didn’t see the shirt. Next he went into Chloe’s room. She was enjoying another night of sleep acrobatics; she was partially covered by the comforter, and her leg was dangling off the bed. He went in to tuck her leg back under her comforter and that’s when he saw it. She was wearing Rachel’s shirt. His heart began to beat erratically again. This time it was because he knew that Chloe was still holding on just as tight to Rachel’s memory as he was.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Alex looked up at the clock on the wall. They’d been in the staff meeting for two hours with no end in sight. But he had a pacemaker consult in thirty minutes, so he’d have to bow out early. Then it would be off to dinner and game night with Theo and the kids. Right now he didn’t want to hear about budget reports, which celebrities would be visiting, and the many fundraising events coming down the pike. He had better things to do, like saving lives and getting the low-income clinic off the ground.

  As far as he was concerned, funding had never been better. Mrs. Prendergast had come through with her annual donation and had given more than her usual sum. Some of the other department heads were pissed that she’d allocated most of her donation funds to cardiology. Stella said there had even been rumblings that he was the wealthy elderly donor’s latest boy toy.

  In addition to funding the various departments, she also decided that the art therapy department needed sprucing up. He was happy about that. It meant that Peyton would have all the supplies she needed to teach her therapy classes. He’d been by there a few times, but couldn’t get up the nerve to knock on the door. The kiss they’d shared still haunted him, but he didn’t know what to do about it.

  It looked like the meeting was just about to end when he raised his hand. No one had talked about the clinic, and he wasn’t going to let that slide.

  “Yes, Dr. Popovich?” Brandt Cummings, a member of the hospital board, replied.

  “We’ve received a healthy amount of donations, but I noticed nothing has been mentioned about the clinic.”

  Dr. Cummings took off his glasses. “The clinic is still in its planning stages. It really is an altruistic pursuit. Once we get our feet firmly on the ground with the upgrades, we can focus on that.”

  “I think a mobile clinic is much more important than some fountain with cherubs perpetually spitting water out of their mouths,” Alex replied.

  That got a few giggles around the room.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “It won’t be until we start a dialogue.” He sighed. “I’d like to start my own committee to brainstorm.”

  “OK.” Dr. Cummings gave him a smug look. “Do we have any volunteers to join Dr. Popovich’s mobile clinic planning committee?”

  Grayson raised his hand. “I’ll do it.”

  “Me too.” Martin from radiology raised his hand as well.

  Alex smiled when three more people agreed to participate. One surprise was Jeff. If he wanted to participate, then that meant he had an angle.

  “Well, Dr. Popovich.” Dr. Cummings cleared his throat. “I trust you will keep me apprised once the particulars are in order.”

  “Of course.” Alex nodded. “I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out of the loop.”

  “There’s one more item.” Dr. Cummings looked at his note pad. “In addition to the her usual generous donation, Mrs. Prendergast enjoyed her tour of the recreational area of the hospital so much she’s decided that we need an art gallery. As you know, she has plenty of contacts in the art world, and we will be showing many works for sale in a small gallery near the gift shop and exhibiting some of the paintings on the corridor walls. So we will have a gala for the opening next month to celebrate her substantial endeavor to bring more art to the hospital. Any questions?”

  That would be a perfect opportunity for Peyton. “Does that include local talent?”

  The elderly man took off his glasses. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m sure Mrs. Prendergast will have enough famous art brought in to rival the Getty Museum. But we do have a lot of local artists who could benefit from the exposure.”

  “I’ll bring it up to Mrs. Prendergast, but knowing how much she values your opinion, I doubt it would be a problem.”

  That remark got a few laughs too. Someone made a quip about Jeff not being her favorite anymore.

  The meeting adjourned, and he could get on with the evening. He wasn’t thrilled with Dr. Cummings answers and his lack of enthusiasm, but at least something had been accomplished. He’d meet with the newly minted committee members and brainstorm about how to get the clinic up and running. He smiled when he thought about the gallery. Peyton was going to be thrilled. He was sure she’d be one of the artists selected. He just wished he could tell Peyton in person. He still didn’t have the courage to face her. He missed her, but he felt like an ass for pulling away from her that night. He’d hoped to catch a glimpse of her around town, but for the first time since they’d met, he couldn’t find her anywhere.

  * * *

  Today could go so very badly, Peyton thought to herself as she carefully balanced the gift and the cupcakes and walked up the driveway to Alex’s house. Her stomach fluttered nervously, filled with butterflies. She had to take a deep breath and remind herself that this was only a birthday p
arty. The focus would be on Chloe. It wasn’t as if this was another date with Alex that might end in disaster…

  When Chloe gave her an invitation to her birthday party and asked if she’d make her cupcakes, she hadn’t know what to do. It had been two weeks since the trip to Napa with Alex, and she’d done her best to avoid him around town. It wasn’t easy, especially at the hospital, but she kept a brisk pace, all in the name of keeping a safe distance from him. She’d replayed that night over and over in her mind. She’d felt a warmth coming from him that night, and he was definitely sending her signals. A simmering heat had been burning between them since they’d met. The day he crashed into her car, she’d felt a jolt in her heart too, even though she’d found him completely infuriating at first. It was as if her heart had started beating again after a long hibernation. That would explain its erratic rhythm whenever he was around. The man was gorgeous, oozed sex appeal, and had a confidence that could only come from being an accomplished surgeon. Too bad what had started as a hot kiss had ended with him running out the door.

  So many nights she’d dreamed of those glacier blue eyes peering into her soul as he caressed her body with a firm yet silky touch that set her skin afire. In her dreams, he was playful and charming. He smiled and whispered naughty things to her as he lay on top of her and covered her body with his and continued his mission to give her unfathomable pleasure. But she had to let all of that go. He clearly wasn’t ready to move on, so there was no sense fantasizing about him. She didn’t have the strength to torment herself like that.

  She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and rang the doorbell. They couldn’t avoid each other forever. As long as she was the art teacher, she would run into him occasionally. She was here for Chloe. She could put her feelings aside and spend an afternoon with him to make his daughter happy. Chloe and Noah were sweet, well-mannered kids who were a breath of fresh air from the spoiled little trust fund kids that scampered around town. Alex wasn’t a strict dad, but he made sure his children showed respect and kindness for others.