After Shock- Ellie's Chance

by Vikki McCombie

  Ellie looked relieved when Zach and Brian ran to them. Her son blew his hair from his eyes. “We’re hungry. Can we get something to eat?”

  Brian chimed in. “Yeah, Dad. I’m starved.”

  Then Kelly said, “Yes, Daddy. Please?”

  Ellie spoke up. “There’s a great seafood place in Yorktown, not far from here. They have other items besides seafood as well.”

  The boys high-fived each other. “Lit.”

  Jason chuckled and inwardly rolled his eyes. What happened to just saying awesome or cool? “Then it’s decided.” He glanced at Ellie. “Lead the way.”

  Soon, they had arrived at the restaurant and ordered their food. The boys joked around as they waited. Kelly colored her placemat with the crayons the server had given her. Jason turned his attention to Ellie. “So, what kind of work do you do?”

  “Hospitality,” she replied. “I manage the front desk at the Cavalier Hotel on Atlantic Avenue. Been there four years.”

  They’d driven past the iconic hotel when they went to the beach the first time. If she was in management there, she must be excellent at her job. “Woo. That’s an impressive hotel. I imagine it’s pricey to stay there.”

  “It is, but it’s worth it,” she assured him. “Their accommodations and amenities are the best in the area.”

  “Sounds like you enjoy your job,” he replied.

  She beamed. “Oh, I do. My degree’s in Business Management, specializing in hospitality. I worked at several other hotels before I joined the staff at the Cavalier.” The pride in her voice came through. “How long have you been in the Navy?”

  “Since high school,” he told her. “I joined NJROTC my junior year. Then I went to Annapolis where I majored in Economics. Most of my career has been spent on ships. This is my first rotation on land.”

  She met his gaze. “Zach mentioned you’re a single father. I imagine it would be difficult to remain on a ship when you have children.”

  A heaviness filled him. He still found it difficult to talk about Marsha. How diplomatic of her to refrain from mentioning his loss. He hated platitudes from someone who had never met her. “It was. My parents helped out after—” he swallowed. No use ignoring his loss, “my late wife passed until I was able to rotate off, but I don’t want to burden them any longer. Besides, we all needed a fresh start. That’s why I accepted a position here rather than staying in Jacksonville.”

  “I can only imagine how hard it’s been for you. It’s good that you had your parents to help you during what must have been a terribly difficult time for you and the children.”

  “Yeah,” he replied, pushing the pain deep, “but we’re doing better now. I like this area, and the kids are thrilled with their teachers and school.”

  Kelly spilled her milk, so he mopped it up. That turned the conversation in a different direction. Thank God. While he couldn’t avoid all talk of Marsha, he could only keep it together for so long.

  After lunch, he drove Ellie and her son home. Kelly had grown irritable and tired, so they cut short a long goodbye, and no future outings were discussed. While he’d enjoyed the morning, and certainly found Ellie attractive, he just couldn’t become romantically involved with her. His life was too full. No, he needed to keep his distance.

  Regret and disappointment filled him. With a deep sigh, he returned his attention to Kelly. His family and work had to be his top priority. No matter how much he wished it could be different, he needed to put all thoughts of Ellie in a box and turn the key.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Ellie watched as Jason drove away. While it had been an enjoyable outing, she suspected he wasn’t ready for more than friendship, if even that. He clearly was still grieving for his late wife. He’d clearly loved her a great deal.

  With a regretful sigh for what might have been—wait. She wasn’t interested in a relationship with any man. Why had she let her wayward thoughts go in that direction.? She mentally shook herself, then turned and briskly entered the house, determined to never allow something of that nature enter her mind again.

  After telling her he needed to finish his school project, Zach bounded up the stairs. Ellie spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning. Since she rarely took a Saturday off, it would have been nice to skip the housework, but that wouldn’t be a good idea. After all, she had to get her heavier household chores done on her days off. She certainly didn’t have any time during the work week to do more than straighten up and prepare meals.

  She devoted Sundays to one-on-one time with Zach. It was the only day they had where neither of them let outside concerns interfere. She’d established that as their day from his birth. Even when she was in school, she’d devoted her time to her son on that day. It was the most precious time of her week.

  Zach fought against it at times, now that he was almost grown, but she’d hold onto her tradition as long as he remained at home. Thank goodness he wanted to attend Old Dominion University and could still live at home next year when he started college.

  He understood, that even though she’d saved for his education, and made a decent living, that would be all they could afford. While Zach made excellent grades, he probably wouldn’t win a scholarship, unless it was in sports. He’d filled out his profile with NCSA and contacted the head coach of the men’s soccer team at ODU. He had applied for a sports scholarship during the last school year, but they wouldn’t know anything until sometime in the winter or spring.

  He’d also filled out the school admissions application as well and applied for a few grants in hopes of avoiding too much debt from student loans. Since he would be an in-state student, and had well above the needed grade point average, he’d definitely be accepted at ODU.

  The next day, they went to a movie they’d both wanted to see. It was the newest action film, and they both had enjoyed it. Then they’d gone to their favorite Italian restaurant for dinner. Once they returned home, Zach turned in for the night, not that he’d go to sleep yet; he wanted to add a few finishing touches to his project that was due the next day.

  Ellie finished getting her clothes ready for tomorrow, and she spent the rest of the evening reading the latest crime thriller. Although the bone-chilling excitement could have kept her reading long into the night, she exerted some self-control and closed the book at ten o’clock. She needed to be up at five the following morning if she wanted to be at work by seven.

  Even though she could go in later, she wanted to see her night auditors before they left. She prided herself on being a hands-on manager who cared about her associates. While she knew of others in the hospitality industry who didn’t believe it was important, she felt differently.

  After she turned out the bedside lamp, her thoughts turned to the previous day, and the time she spent with Jason. Every time he’d innocently touched her to get her attention and ask about an aspect regarding the battlefield, a zing of awareness had shot through her, almost leaving her breathless. That would never do. The last thing she wanted was an unrequited infatuation with the man, no matter how much her body wanted it.

  Punching her down-filled pillow into its customary position, she closed her eyes determined to put Jason out of her mind. After tossing a few minutes, her body relaxed, and she slipped into that place between wakefulness and deep sleep. Jason’s devilish smile was the last thing she recalled.

  The next morning proved to be hectic. By the time she’d had her morning coffee, she was running late. She always read while she drank her morning brew, but she’d wanted to finish the chapter she was on, so that delayed her. She dashed upstairs and knocked on Zach’s door. Once she heard his mumbled assurance he was getting up, she rushed through her morning routine. Once she’d showered, applied light makeup and dressed, she sprinted down the stairs and put together a quick but nutritious breakfast for them. Zach entered the kitchen. “Hey, Mom. How’d you sleep?”

  She smiled at her son’s bed head hair. “Good, how about you? I hope you didn’t stay up too late.”
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br />   He stretched and cracked his knuckles. She hated it when he did that, but it wouldn’t do any good if she said anything. “Nah, I was asleep by eleven.” She pushed the button on the smoothie machine as he continued. “My coach would kick my a—, sorry, my behind, if I dragged at practice after school. You do remember I have practice today, right?”

  “Of course. That’s one of the reasons I start my work day so early. That way, I should be off by four as long as nothing happens to detain me.”

  “Brian’s dad offered to pick me up and drive us. That way I don’t have to sweat over you being late.”

  She glanced at him. “You know I’m rarely late,” she huffed. “That’s really nice of him, though. When did he tell you that?”

  “While you took Kelly to the restroom yesterday.” His mouth twisted into a smirk. “So…Mom, do you like Brian’s dad?”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks. She hoped Zach wouldn’t notice how his question disturbed her. “I guess so,” she replied, while tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. “I don’t really know him, but he seems nice enough.”

  Zach tapped the toe of his athletic shoe on the tile floor. He did that when he wanted to ask for something. “Nah…I mean ‘like him.’ You know?” He made air quotes when he mentioned “like him.”

  “No, of course not. You know I rarely date.” Wanting to end the conversation, she glanced at her watch. “Oh, dear. I need to leave.” She stood and rushed from the room to avoid any more pointed questions from her son. He was way too perceptive for her comfort. It was a good thing she had no reason to see Jason again, other than in passing.

  Ellie arrived at the hotel with time to spare and met with Melissa, one of her night auditors. She was her newest associate and needed some direction. She’d received a text from another night auditor alerting her to a problem. The young woman had been unable to balance the money on her shift, and Bud had to redo her paperwork. That created extra work for him when Melissa should have been able to figure out where she was off.

  Once Melissa took a seat, Ellie asked, “Bud told me you had trouble balancing last night. Do you understand where you made your mistake?”

  Melissa clasped her hand so tight her knuckles turned white. “I do. Bud showed me, so I won’t make that mistake again. I promise. This time, I took better notes.”

  “I’m relieved to hear that.” Ellie met the troubled young woman’s gaze directly. “Balancing the shift work is the most important part of your position. When it’s off, not only does it cause your co-worker additional time, it could cause issues with accounting. You’ll be on your own tonight, since Bud is off. Can you handle this, or do I need to come in to help you?”

  Melissa’s cheeks flamed, clashing with her bright red hair. “Oh, no, ma’am. That won’t be necessary.”

  Ellie relaxed against her chair. “Well, good. I’m pleased you feel confident enough to handle everything on your own. I do realize there’s a lot to learn, and in every other area, you’re performing well. Just in case, you do have my number, correct?”

  “I do, but,” Melissa straightened in her seat, “I won’t need to call you. I can handle it on my own.”

  “All right. I believe you. Now, why don’t you take off? You’ve had a rough night and need to get plenty of sleep so you’ll be ready for your shift tonight.” She gave her an encouraging smile. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning. I know you’ll be able to give me a successful report.”

  Melissa stood. “Thanks for your willingness to forgive my mistake. I won’t give you reason to doubt my abilities again.” She turned and made her way from the office.

  Ellie tapped her chin. She hoped that would be the end to Melissa’s confusion. It was imperative that her newest associate work independently. After all, on Monday and Tuesday nights, she’d need to handle her duties on her own because Bud had those nights off. Tonight would be the test.

  Ellie spent the rest of the morning with her general manager, discussing the latest survey results. Fortunately, the scores were great, and she wanted them to stay that way. Her job depended on the feedback their guests supplied. If the surveys weren’t favorable, it fell on her shoulders.

  In the time she’d been in her position, the scores had been way above the benchmark. Her team worked well together making sure the guests enjoyed their stay. Her Guest Relations associate acted as a liaison between the guests and the various departments and did a fantastic job of turning difficult situations into positive ones. Carolyn was her top performing associate; too bad she wasn’t interested in moving into a leadership role. She’d make a great supervisor.

  Checking the clock on her computer, she realized it was time for their daily rush of guests checking in. Ellie loved the energy and excitement during that part of her day. Mondays were as busy as the weekends since many businessmen and women arrived in town and normally stayed a few nights. Plus, the hotel had several conferences starting. Time to put her game face on.

  The rest of Ellie’s day became hectic. The guests checking in were demanding, so while she loved her job, there were moments it could be a trial. Thank goodness for her assistant manager. Pippa really carried the day, making it possible for her to leave on time.

  Ellie drove to the store and replenished the fresh fruits and veggies she needed to make the meals for the week, then turned toward home. After putting away her groceries, she opened her laptop and logged into Facebook. Going to the blog where her sister’s friends were trying to find a donor, she wrote down the information for the center where she could be tested. While it was too late to call today, she would do it tomorrow.

  She moved on and checked her email, then closed her laptop and began to prepare dinner. Once she had the chili simmering on the stove and the salad chilling in the fridge, she took the opportunity to read more of her novel. Soon she was on the edge of her seat as the main character’s life hung in the balance.

  The sound of a vehicle pulling into her driveway pulled her from the story. It must be Zach returning from practice. Ellie rose from her chair, then moved to the door and opened it. Jason climbed out of his SUV. Her heart flipped at the sight of his tall, muscular frame. He really was such a handsome, virile man.

  He raised his hand as he called out, “Hey, Ellie. Good to see you.” He jogged toward her with a huge grin on his face, and his green eyes sparkled with vitality. “I’m glad you came out. How would you like to attend the Wednesday night supper at the church I’ve started attending? From what one of the guys at work told me, they have a great youth group. Brian wants Zach to go with us to check it out.”

  She froze in place. Church. The one time she’d gone to church with her mom, it had not been a good experience, and they’d never gone again. God had never played much of a part in her life; in fact, the exact opposite. Could Jason be one of those fanatical people her father used to talk about, bent on converting everyone to his religion? She certainly wouldn’t have thought that, but who knew?

  “I never go to church and neither does Zach. I’m surprised he wants to go.” Her skepticism sharpened her tone.

  Jason frowned, clearly surprised by her derisive attitude. “Never? I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who’s never gone to church. Why not?”

  His blunt question surprised her. “Well, I did go one time as a child, but that’s all. I’ve never felt the need to turn to a spiritual being and I’ve never cared to know anything about it. From what I’ve seen on TV while flipping channels, those evangelical ministers seem to yell a lot. I’ve never been interested in learning more.”

  Zach jogged over with Brian. “Mom, I really want to go. It sounds fam. Please?”

  She met her son’s eager gaze. This was so unexpected. He’d never voiced any desire to go to church before. She supposed she should at least find out more. She turned to Jason. “What kind of church is it? I hope it’s not anything like those big mega churches on TV.”

  Jason chuckled. “Not at all. It’s an Episcopal church, much more trad
itional. I’ve attended one before and the people are usually fairly mellow. I’ve found them very inclusive and non-judgmental. Sounds like you’ve only seen the more extreme side of the Christian faith. Let me show you a different kind.” His voice deepened. “What do you say? Will you go?” He smiled. “If nothing else, it’ll save you from cooking. It’s a potluck dinner and guests don’t need to bring anything.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. Zach stood in front of her, giving her a pleading look. “Well…I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go one time. Just to see what you mean.”

  Jason grinned. “Fantastic. I’ll pick you up shortly after five.” His smart watch beeped. “Whoa, we need to go. Kelly’s babysitter has class in thirty minutes. See you Wednesday.” Then he jogged to his truck with Brian following behind. They jumped in and quickly buckled up. In a blink of an eye, his SUV pulled onto the road and disappeared from sight.

  What have I agreed to?

  Zach turned to her. “Thanks for saying yes, especially since I know you have no desire to visit a church. It really does sound fam, though. What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

  Ellie grinned at her son. “When aren’t you starving? Come on. The chili should be ready.”

  “OMG! I love your chili.” Then he took off for the house. Ellie shook her head. Teenagers. Would she ever figure out the meaning of all the slang kids used today? At least she understood that one.

  Knowing she needed to get supper on the table, she rushed inside to make sure Zach ate the salad first. She’d think about why she’d agreed to go later. Episcopalian. She’d google it once Zach turned in.

  She had to admit—Jason had piqued her curiosity. Her one real experience had been awful. She’d only been six or seven at the time. The minister had preached that everyone would go to hell if they didn’t believe in Jesus. His bellows had thundered through the sanctuary, and others in the congregation had yelled out as well.