Second Chances

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  The afternoon had passed in a blur to her. As Hannah occupied herself with sanding, Gavin pulled Joe aside. He had stood frozen outside the bedroom door, watching them work until he gained Joe’s attention. Immediately he gestured for the handy man to meet him in the hall.

  “What’s it going to take to get some carpet installed while she’s at work tomorrow?” He asked conspiratorially.

  Joe scratched at the stubble on his chin. “What kind you have in mind?”

  Gavin studied Hannah. She needed a room built for comfort, but she deserved to be pampered as well. “Some kind of neutral new shag I think. Something she can sink her cute little toes into at the end of the day.” He realized that he seemed all too familiar with his employee and grew serious. “So, is it possible?”

  Joe valiantly fought a grin and nodded. “I know just the thing. I’ll have it done by lunch.”

  “Really?” That made the wheels begin to spin in his mind as he imagined what else might be accomplished. “So, what are the chances that it could be painted for her as well?”

  Joe shook his head and beamed. “Well, I don’t want you to think I’m trying to jack up the price, but I’ll need help and it’ll cost you.” Gavin nodded in understanding. “So, is she worth it?” Joe asked, already sensing the answer.

  Hannah had worked her way around the room by this time and was working on the wall closest to the doorway. Given that they had completed the secretive portion of the discussion, Gavin didn’t mind having her close in on them. And he was relatively certain that she hadn’t heard what Joe had just said.

  Still he colored slightly at the tips of his ears before answering. Gavin said with a smile, “I’ll have Madge write you a check.”

  “Madge?” Joe and Hannah asked in unison.

  Gavin stiffened. Maybe she had been paying more attention than he imagined. Glancing at Hannah, he responded. “Madge is the housekeeper. Generally, she only works during the week, but she was here for a few hours yesterday morning so that she could get a few things in order,” he commented vaguely. And feeling that he had answered quite enough questions for one day, not to mention suffering from his proximity to his former bedroom, he turned abruptly and stalked away.

  Dinner was a quiet strained affair that occurred around six o’clock that evening. Hannah had cooked a meal of marinated grilled chicken breasts, baked potatoes, and sautéed green beans. Gavin was seated opposite her at the dining room table, leaving her so unhinged that she was barely able to do more than push her food around the plate. Much of the meal was spent coaching the girls on their table manners, not because they were behaving so atrociously, but because she knew that Gavin was certainly not used to sharing a meal with children to begin with and that any infraction would be a terrible affront.

  At last, the girls were excused to change for their baths, which their mother would be giving them once she loaded the dishwasher. Silently, she cleared their plates, rinsed and loaded the dishes, wiped the counters and table, then made her way to the stairs. The entire time she puttered around, Gavin had watched her, noting how every once in a while, a section of hair would fall forward, threatening to cover her expressive eyes. Inwardly, he would fight the urge to reach out and push it back. He was desperate to see how she was feeling, know what she was thinking, and since she wasn’t revealing anything in her speech, he was reliant upon what he considered to be one of her best features.

  The longer he studied her, the more he wondered why she was so uncomfortable. She had seemed fine all afternoon, working until just before she began the meal prep. She had been very friendly and more than a little tired when she found him playing at work in the study to share her day’s accomplishments. And then, he had peeked in on her as she prepared the meal. She was singing and dancing to the radio as she worked, looking entirely too fetching and adorable. He couldn’t take his eyes off her; she was so vibrant, positively radiant in her spackle spattered jeans and ripped t-shirt.

  Finally, he had broken away when she turned quickly his direction. He had whipped around the corner, flattened himself against the wall, and chided himself for behaving like some lovesick schoolboy. He was a grown man. He had goals. And she was one of them. If she kept treating him as she had at dinner, his plan wouldn’t be so difficult to enact after all. Yet instead of being thrilled at how she had withdrawn, Gavin found himself more than a little curious.

  Slowly he mounted the stairs and headed down the hall. He knew that it was time to tuck in the kids. He knew precisely where to find her. As he neared the room, he could hear her reading to the girls. The pilot had just met the little prince and was being ordered to draw a sheep. Unable to remove himself from the doorway, he leaned against the frame, listening to the story and drawing parallels to his own life.

  Hannah was rather regal and imperious. She shared what she wanted, often answering questions with questions. There was no doubt as to whom she so closely resembled. And what about him? He felt like the pilot, lost in unfamiliar territory. Sure, he had been there before, but it still seemed strange. And like the pilot, he had given up his dream. He didn’t want to take over the family business, it was expected. He had other bigger dreams, dreams that he only wished he had the courage to achieve. He sighed. She was done reading for tonight. She looked so peaceful as she drew each girl close for a tender hug and kiss. He couldn’t confront her now. Later he would demand to know how he had earned her dismissive attitude. Cautiously, so as not to disturb them, he returned to his study, his sanctuary.

  Everywhere she turned, he was there. Once again, Gavin had listened to her read to the girls, she was certain. He didn’t linger to chat, reinforcing her belief that he didn’t want to be seen, so she had ignored him. It was easy enough to do, despite his imposing exterior. He seemed to take up the whole of a normal doorway; thankfully her bedroom doors were double. Once the girls were settled and she was reasonably confident they would drift off easily to sleep, she grabbed the cordless phone from the kitchen and wandered out to the patio.

  Just before the second ring, Amy picked up. “Amy Pendergast here,” she said seriously.

  “My, how professional,” Hannah teased.

  “Oh, it’s you!” Her friend exclaimed happily. “It came up as a private number, so I wasn’t sure who to expect.”

  “And I’m the last person you would think to call during the week now, right?” Hannah asked with a sigh. It had been such a long weekend. And in her life, she always considered Sunday evening a school night.

  “Well, yes, actually,” Amy admitted. “So, how are things?”

  Hannah could tell that she was waiting as patiently as she could manage for some good dirt. Amy was still concerned over her mystery man. “Well, he’s here,” she began quietly.

  “Of course he’s there, he lives there!” Amy gave an exasperated sigh. “Why does this surprise you?”

  “I don’t know. He’s really important, runs the family business, and makes a lot of money. I would expect him to be at the office… a lot.”

  There was a pause as Amy considered the reality of what her friend had shared. “Is that what you found so engaging about this man?” Amy asked. “Did you expect things to be as they were with Brett, because as I recall, things didn’t go so well there,” she reminded her gently. “Change is good, Hannah. Embrace it.”

  Sighing some more, she began quietly, “I just don’t know how to be. I don’t know what to do with him around. I don’t know what’s expected of me. I mean, I know it’s not a relationship, so I don’t have to…entertain him or anything. Ugh.” She felt incapable of explaining.

  There was a pause as Amy reflected both on what Hannah had said and what she had left unsaid. “He’ll let you know what he wants. He’ll share with you his expectations. It’s not as though this guy is setting you up for failure, right?” Her voice gained a measure of confidence as she continued. “I mean, he sought you out, hired an investigator, drew up a contract that seems mutually beneficial, which says somethi
ng given the expert review I gave it.” She laughed some. “So relax. It will all work out in the end.”

  Biting her lip, Hannah knew Amy was right. She just had to relax. Inhaling deeply, she walked back into the kitchen and searched the cupboards for the perfect mug and her favorite evening tea. Once the steamy sweet mug was prepared, she headed back out onto the patio. She could see the moon shimmering off the waves on the lake. And something about the clear warm evening was tugging at her to walk down to the shore. That was precisely what she was contemplating when Gavin found her.

  He had read the last paragraph no fewer than three times and he still had no idea what it said. With a threatening growl, he rose from his chair and stalked from the room. Where was she? And why had she not come to see him at all? The house was quiet. He was used to quiet, but somehow, he expected…more noise, to feel more life in the house. It was utterly unsettling.

  When he reached the French doors from the kitchen to the patio, he found her sitting there, her legs curled up under her as she sipped from a steaming mug.

  “What are you doing?” He snapped disturbed to be so aware of her.

  Lazily turning toward his voice, Hannah found him staring at her coldly. She took another sip of tea, her eyes never leaving his as she prepared to respond. “It’s called relaxing,” she said seriously. “You should try it some time.” Her gaze returned to the lake and the brief expanse of yard between the fenced stone pool area and the water.

  For the first time in a long time, Gavin had no idea how to react. Everyone else in his employ would have snapped to attention in his presence, yet here she was sharing his home, his table…he could feel his body growing warmer at the realization of her nearness.

  Feeling the pressure of his constant gaze, she stood and stretched lazily to hide her nervousness, and noted the rapid beat of her heart. “I’m going to walk down to the water,” she announced.

  His jaw tightened. “You can’t go wandering around at night.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him defiantly.

  “It’s just not safe,” he continued.

  “We’re a good distance from our nearest neighbors and even farther from everything else. What could be safer?” Her free hand was on her hip.

  He decided to try a new approach. “The girls…”

  “…sleep through the night,” she countered, completing his next complaint. “And I’m not going to be gone for long.” She sighed.

  He opened his mouth to further protest, but discovered that he had used up all his arguments. He just stood there and scowled.

  “For the love of God,” she moaned, “just come with me then.”

  He stiffened as though that thought had never crossed his mind, as though he hadn’t been trying to find a way to throw them together, as if he hadn’t been wondering what it would take to get to spend some more time in her presence. The nights, he had discovered after only one night, were going to be the hardest. All night he had lain in bed, concentrating on the ceiling, wishing that just for one moment he had x-ray vision and could watch her in the room above him. It hadn’t happened, of course. In fact, all that had happened was that he fell asleep early in the morning, slept late, and missed seeing her until she returned from Lowe’s. He sighed. She was consuming far too much of his time, and even more of his thoughts. So, despite his better judgment, he fell in step beside her and meandered down the cobbled path to the lake.

  Inhaling deeply, Hannah soaked in the fresh cool spring air. “Do you smell that?” She asked.

  Preparing for the worst, he scrunched up his face and inhaled hesitantly. “I don’t smell anything.” He sniffed a few more times, trying to figure out what she was referring to.

  Hannah giggled. “Stop,” she said with a smile. “I wanted you to smell spring.” He looked completely puzzled, judging from the way his head cocked to the side. “Close your eyes,” she urged. He took a step back. She shook her head and laughed some more.

  He found the sound of her laughter to be therapeutic and intoxicating. She was so free with her emotions in a way he never was. She could transition from them so quickly and embrace them. She was so unlike him. And she never seemed afraid of being silly or making a complete and utter fool of herself. It was endearing, really. Naturally, the same could not be said for himself. The moment she asked him to close his eyes, he worried about what she was asking of him, worried she’d ridicule him, even though they were alone. And so he hesitated.

  “Nope,” Hannah took a step closer, slowly, as though he were a wild beast to be tamed. “It won’t hurt. I promise.”

  And if Gavin had felt slightly concerned and foolish before, being handled with kid gloves completely irked him. He bristled. “I’m not…afraid.”

  She smirked. “I never would suggest it.” And yet her tone was completely mocking. She took another step closer. She was so close that he could feel the heat of her body radiating towards him. It left him feeling…hell, what did naming the feeling matter? How long had it been since he had felt at all. “Just trust me, Gavin,” she murmured.

  He swallowed. He wanted to trust her. It went against everything he intended, but something in him wanted to bend to her, just a little.

  “I’ve had to place my trust in you,” she said quietly. “I have entrusted you with my entire life, with everything I hold dear. I moved in here, barely knowing you, hoping that you wouldn’t expect more of me than I could give, that I wouldn’t be trapping myself in a worse existence than I currently had. I had to expose my children to you, uproot my entire life, and maintain a level of secrecy from my friends and family so that you could maintain your pride and privacy.”

  His heart rose up in his throat as he considered all the changes she had just endured. All that she had said rang of a deeper truth than he cared to ponder. He swallowed, feeling a measure of guilt, knowing what he intended. “Why did you?” He asked hoarsely.

  “Why did I what?” She asked in a low voice, afraid to break the spell. He wasn’t answering. She stared up at his face, barely discernable in the limited light. “I saw something in you,” she admitted. “I saw someone who might just be hurting as much as I was, someone who might understand me, and who might benefit from having us here.” She looked down suddenly, embarrassed about her honesty.

  “You trust me,” he acknowledged hoarsely. And then, before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her close against him. He could feel how rapidly her heart was thumping against her chest and wondered if he had the power to make it go even faster. She was gazing at him in wonder. It was more than he could take. He did not have feelings for her. He would fight them. And just to prove it to himself, he bent his head to her face.

  Hannah hesitated. She had seen that look come over him, had watched him do that thing where the guy studied the girl’s lips to measure the distance, the last step before giving in to temptation and actually possessing them. And she couldn’t help but wonder for a moment what it would be like. She hadn’t been kissed in oh so long. Brett had stopped kissing her long before he ever left. Even when he did kiss her, she felt nothing. Maybe he didn’t either. Maybe that’s why they were getting divorced. Maybe she really wasn’t desirable. She wanted to be wrong. She saw how Gavin was looking at her. She felt desired. Despite the wrongness of it, she wanted to know how it would feel to be good and kissed. She wanted a taste of passion. Just a small taste. More of a nibble, really.

  Gavin’s lips closed the distance to hers. She could feel the heat of him drawing nearer, a prickle of anticipation grew, and there was a ripple down her spine. She had never felt like this before and he hadn’t even made contact. Her body was actually quivering in anticipation. He must have thought she was cold since he drew her even closer, so that not even a hint of moonlight could have passed between them.

  His lips touched hers, gently, tenderly, and ever so slowly he urged her to open to him, teasing her with his tongue. He nibbled and sucked, pressed her closer to him, until she had completely melted into him. Hannah
could feel the hard planes of his chest, his pelvis, his most intimate parts pressing against her. And God help her, she liked it, craved it even. When he finally broke away, pulled back, she found herself missing him, desperately trying not to reach for him, resisting the urge to cling to him. Slowly, she exhaled, still feeling his warmth on her lips, even as her womb throbbed for him.

  That was some kiss. He had set out to prove he felt nothing for her and had instead outdone himself. She was a little rusty, or maybe no one had cared enough to kiss her properly, but by the time he broke off the kiss, he knew it was already too late. She had responded. And his body, in turn, had responded to her. Gavin knew he could make a feeble argument that it was just because he had been without female companionship for so long, but he knew better. He had never responded to India like he had to Hannah, whom he barely knew. And that didn’t bode well at all. It didn’t fit with his plan for revenge, and it most certainly didn’t fit with his vision for his future. Tomorrow they would be reporting to the office, stuck together all day, without escape. He wouldn’t last a week before making a complete fool of himself over her. Of that he was certain. Taking a step back, Gavin said quickly, “Goodnight.” Then he raced, yes, raced back up the hill to the house, leaving her alone in the dark, which he believed to be a safer scenario than alone in the dark with him.