Another Chance With Love (Chance Series Book 2)

by Blake Allwood

  I looked around at the lake and the trail that worked its way around it. “This is the last place I sat with my grandpa before he died. He’s the one I could talk to about anything. Sex, friendships, I even had a long conversation with him once about whether or not I should use drugs when a friend in middle school was trying to get me to try them. When Luka’s mom left him with me, I was shocked and scared shitless, but I knew as long as I had Aunt Doris, I’d be fine… we’d be fine. When I went on that trip with your mom, I didn’t worry about him one bit, knowing my aunt would keep him safe. Now, she’s met someone and is so giddy over him. I’ve never seen her that way, and all I can think about is she’s going to end up moving to Europe, and what the hell am I going to do then? I know, I know it’s selfish and cruel of me to wish Leonardo never showed up, but the fear is there, nonetheless. Then this morning, she told me you were going to come over, and I could tell this was a set-up and, Peter, even if you are interested in me, which you probably aren’t, but even if you were, I can’t date someone. I have a six-month-old baby. I just graduated from college, and I couldn’t even find the time to walk across the damned stage. There’s no way I can date someone, be a new parent, and continue to function like a normal human being.”

  Peter listened to me rant, and even though the embarrassment grew as the words spewed from my mouth, I wasn’t capable of stopping them.

  Finally, Peter leaned back, keeping his arm around me. “If you’re so worried about dating, then let’s not date. Let’s just hang out together. No strings, no commitments, just two guys hanging out.” He stared at me with a look of concern on his face. “I’m sorry I put pressure on you. I didn’t mean to, but I do like you, I liked you from the minute I met you even if I did want to tar and feather you for interfering with my life. But in the short time I’ve known you, everything has turned into something good. First, you got my mother to apologize to Martin, and Martin actually forgave her. I don’t even have words for how important that was or how that healed all three of us. Then your home was exactly what my client needed, and we’re building his shops around its architecture. And you, I don’t want to put any more pressure on you, but, to be honest, you are the first guy I’ve met since Martin left that I want to get to know better. That means something to me. I wondered if I’d ever date again and now, I can see that it’s possible. So even if you aren’t interested in dating me, I want to get to know you better. I want to get to know Luka better too. It’d be fun for me to spend some time with a baby. So, if you’re willing, let’s try that, okay?”

  Peter’s look was hopeful, almost childlike, and I smiled. “I don’t understand what a handsome man like you sees in a sleep-deprived, single dad, but sure, I’d like to have someone to hang out with too. Maybe the friend thing might work.”

  Peter’s smile grew mischievous. “Can I be a friend that kisses you?”

  I gazed at him then down at his very luscious lips, and before I could stop myself, I leaned into him, taking his mouth with my own. All the concern and frustration bubbled into that kiss as I pulled his head closer. My tongue tangled with his, and the heat magnified instantly. Luckily, he pulled back and sighed. “Let’s do this again when you aren’t feeling so vulnerable.” Then he looked around and said, “If that gets any deeper, we’re going to turn Springvale Park into a porn scene.”

  I knew I was blushing. One minute I was saying “Let’s be friends” the next I almost humped him in the park.

  “You’d be wise just to run away and never see me again,” I whined.

  “Um, after that kiss, you can bet that’s not gonna happen. I’m going to be like a lost puppy now following you around, begging for another kiss like that one.”

  I chuckled. “You can’t say you weren’t warned.”

  Peter smiled and pulled me up with him. “I need to get to work. Leonardo has my day filled from now…” he looked at his watch. “Until tonight.”

  “I need to get back too. I’m sure Aunt Doris is going to be ready for a break by the time I get home.”

  Peter kissed my forehead then peered into my eyes, and just as it appeared he was about to come in for round two, he pulled me into a hug. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said and turned to leave.

  He turned around again and smiled that million-dollar smile at me, and it took all I had to keep my knees from melting under me. “I’m so screwed,” I said out loud. Then he turned away and jogged toward the parking lot. “So fucking screwed,” I said again as I shook my head.

  Peter

  When I saw Trevor get out of his car, I thought it must be providence and pulled in beside him and parked. I watched as he walked over to the bench, sat down, and looked around. I got out of my car and walked toward him, reaching him just in time to see him start sobbing.

  My first thought was I should get back in my car and drive away, but he looked so alone sitting on that park bench, I couldn’t help but reach out to him. I spent a significant amount of time thinking it must be really hard to find out one minute that you’re a dad and the next minute have a week-old infant thrust into your sole care. I can’t imagine that kind of pressure.

  I didn’t mean for him to kiss me. I was all ready to pull back completely and just be the friend I knew he needed right now. Hell, I was even going to offer to be his babysitter, when he laid the most intense, amazing kiss on me I’d had, well, maybe ever. The old saying of being kissed so hard it curled your toes is no joke. I literally felt my toes curl with that kiss.

  I think part of my soul separated from my heart when I forced myself to pull away from him. It’d been so long since I kissed a man. Way too long, apparently. I didn’t kiss hookups, so the last guy I kissed was my friend Josh. Well, he wasn’t my friend at the time, but that had been awkward and well, wrong. Even if his dad hadn’t split us up, we’d have done it ourselves.

  But kissing Trevor, that was one of the best things I think I’ve ever done. It took every ounce of my will power to kiss his forehead and leave. All I wanted to do was kiss that amazing mouth again. Well, of course, my mind thought of a lot of other thoughts at the same time, but if I were going to work on being this man’s friend first, it wouldn’t do to think about all the other stuff I wanted to do to him… or have him do to me.

  Shit, Peter, I thought to myself, that man is someone’s dad for god’s sake. Are you really thinking about him in a pornographic way? Yes. I’m definitely thinking of him in a pornographic way… oh, the things I could do to that bubble butt...

  Okay, this has to stop, or Leonardo Richmond wasn’t going to see me anytime soon since I was going to have to go back to my condo and stand for an hour under an ice-cold shower.

  I made myself think of the architectural designs I wanted to chat with Leonardo about. Amazing, I never thought of architectural designs as sexy before, but after that kiss, even walls and floors seemed sexy as hell to me. A certain gothic home was exceptionally sexy.

  I arrived at the office, got out of the car, readjusted to make sure I didn’t have a full tent in the front of my pants, looked down, sighed, and moved my briefcase to hide my discomfort.

  Luckily, when I walked into the office, the chaos that seemed to be a daily part of my firm’s life was in full swing. Nothing was a better mood killer than suits running around like a bunch of feral cats who’d just been freed from their cages.

  I saw Leonardo and my boss sitting in the conference room and headed that way.

  When Leonardo saw me, he smiled and stood to take my hand. “Bonjour, Peter. We went ahead and started going over your drawings. Mr. Franklin just showed me your exterior ideas.” I glanced over at my boss and received a definite disapproving look, but it was quickly replaced with a smile for Leonardo.

  “Yes, now you’re here, I’ll let you show us your preliminary ideas.”

  I nodded, but before I could begin, Leonardo said, “I wanted to ask you if you can join Doris and me for supper tonight.” Then he smiled a mischievous smile. “I believe Mr. Kovachich will
be joining us.”

  I nodded, trying not to give too much of the familiarity away to my prudish boss. “Yes, I ran into Trevor at the park on the way to work this morning. In fact, that’s why I was late. He said they were serving scampi.”

  “Oh great, I love scampi,” Leonardo said, his smile broadening. He let the subject drop while my boss was in the room.

  Luckily, Leonardo approved of over eighty percent of my ideas. The only thing he didn’t like was the gothic interior. “I like there being some elements that pull you into the neo-Victorian, but it’s too dark for a modern shopping experience.”

  He pointed at the design. “The mahogany columns could be better utilized on the side walls outlining lighted cases, leaving the middle of the rooms just with illuminated shelves. That plays into an open concept while winking at the Victorian design, Oui?”

  I smiled at him. “Yes, it does.” It really was more interesting to work with an artist. They could see things people outside of the creative marketplace couldn’t.

  “We’ll also need some signature pieces in the middle of the rooms as separators, but they should all play on the mechanical elements of steampunk.” Leonardo said as he continued to study the drawings.

  I was so impressed with this man’s vision. As he spoke, I could see the store’s layout in my mind.

  “That’s going to be awesome, Mr. Richmond,” I said.

  I sat down with my sketchpad and drew out what I was seeing in my mind. As I drew, Leonardo and Mr. Franklin chatted. I could only barely make out that Leonardo was talking to my boss about Doris and Trevor’s home. He also said he was going to host a party there as a coming-out party regarding the new business. It was going to be like a ribbon-cutting but more elegant.

  Mr. Franklin didn’t have an elegant bone in his body, and I almost chuckled at the thought of the older man pretending to appreciate Leonardo’s idea. I could only imagine he was mortified at the idea.

  When I’d finished the drawing, I pushed the notepad over for Leonardo to look at. He expressed a huge smile. “That’s my vision exactly.”

  “I can get these drawings put together for you over the next few days. You should have some mockups for your party provided I get started right away.” I turned toward Mr. Franklin and asked, “Do you think I would be able to dedicate my time to this project?” I knew this was the biggest account we had at the moment, and I assumed Franklin would put everyone on it, but I didn’t want to share the project with a lot of people who’d just screw up the finesse I thought this project would need. I knew there’d be hell to pay for putting my boss on the spot like this, but in the long run, it would be worth it.

  Franklin nodded hesitantly. “Yes, I think I can delegate your other projects to your associate architects. Are you confident you can have all the plans written up in time for us to put the models together?”

  Here was my payback because now, I was on the hook if the project didn’t get completed on time. “I do. It’ll require some long hours, but I do think the mock-ups would be a great demonstration piece for the coming-out party.”

  Leonardo sat across from Franklin and me, absorbing everything we said, then he stood up. “I trust you, Peter. Unless you need more from me, I’m going to take my leave. I wanted to spend some time exploring the Kovachich’s neighborhood. I saw several small properties there I’d like to take a look at.”

  When Leonardo left, Franklin just shook his head. “You’ve really put a lot of pressure on yourself. But, if anyone can pull this off, it’s you. Let me know if you need help. I would’ve put Fricks on the project with you, but I’m guessing you don’t want his help.”

  My face flushed a bit in spite of myself, and the old man chuckled. “I can’t say I blame you. I didn’t like to team up when I was your age either, but remember, you’ve got to ask for help if you need it. You’re a smart kid, so I’ll just trust you.” He stood up and continued to talk. “Well, to a point, come see me Monday morning with what you’ve gotten done. If you stay on track, I’ll let you keep on it, but I warn you, if you fall behind, I’m gonna put Fricks on this with you.” He looked me in the eyes. “Got it?”

  I nodded, relieved I’d gotten my way.

  The rest of the day, I spent deep in the project. When five o’clock came around, I was still so buried I didn’t realize what time it was until the main room’s lights went dark. Shit, I needed to clean up before going over to the Kovachich’s. I finished up a couple ideas I was working on, saved my work, and shut the computer down.

  As I left the building, I realized this was probably the only night for weeks that I was going to get out of the office before nine o’clock. I only had myself to blame, but this project was right in my wheelhouse. I loved taking old architectural concepts and adding or taking out elements to make them uber-modern, or in this case, steampunk.

  If I played my cards right, maybe this project would lead to more of this type of design work. It was the perfect project for me, and if today was any indication, the inspiration I felt while working on the project kept me glued to the computer.

  I rushed home, showered the day off, changed into clean clothes, and rushed over to Trevor’s house just in time to hear Luka’s loud screeches. Dang, I could hear them all the way to the street. The boy had some remarkable lungs.

  When Doris let me into the house, I saw Leonardo in the back with eyes the size of saucers. I greeted Doris then walked into the parlor, where Trevor paced with Luka, trying to calm him.

  “Want me to try?” I asked.

  “If you want,” Trevor sighed.

  Unlike last time, Luka didn’t calm down as quickly, which was both a disappointment and a relief. I was beginning to wonder if my mom had made some deal with the devil. Something to give me special powers over babies that would increase her chances of grandchildren.

  Trevor went into the kitchen and fixed a bottle,

  As he walked away from me, he said, “He’s already had his bottle just an hour ago, but god help us, if we’re gonna have any peace, I’m going to have to give him at least a half of another.”

  Almost the moment Trevor put the bottle up to his mouth, Luka calmed down, although he still hiccupped while sucking, from being so upset.

  “Want me to take him now?” Trevor asked.

  “No, I like holding him. Why don’t you go mingle with Doris and Leonardo? I’ll just walk around here while Luka finishes eating.”

  Trevor looked at me oddly, then put his hand on my forearm and agreed, albeit reluctantly. “We’re just in the next room if you need us.”

  “We’ll be fine,” I assured him.

  When Trevor left, I gazed at the little man in my arms, and like last time, I quietly sang the songs my mom used to sing to me when I was little.

  It only took seconds for Luka to finish the partial bottle his father had made him. I expected when he was done, he’d start screaming again, but instead, he looked up at me with those bright blue eyes, kicked his feet, and waved his hands. I grinned at him as I realized he was happy.

  “Let’s see if you stay happy when I burp you,” I said.

  I found a cloth diaper sitting next to his bassinet, threw it over my shoulder, and patted his back like I used to do with my little cousins. It only took a couple seconds for him to burp, then I sat down with him and let him lay on my closed legs. I took his cute fingers in my hands and began blowing kisses at him.

  “You are cute as a bug, you know that?” I asked him.

  He wiggled and kicked his legs as Doris came in. “Wow, I haven’t seen him that happy since before he had his shots. Maybe we need more cute men to come visit.” She chuckled while watching us.

  “Maybe,” I said. “Or he just wanted a little more formula, and I’m reaping the benefits of him getting his way?”

  “I think you hit the nail on the head,” Trevor replied as he came in. “Until Luka, I had no idea an infant could be so demanding. But when this one wants something; he could blow the roof off the house if
he doesn’t get it.”

  “Like his dad?” I asked.

  Doris laughed out loud. “You learn quick.”

  Trevor just gave both of us the dirty eye but smiled. “His mom was as stubborn as I ever was, so I guess he comes by it naturally.”

  Doris’s face took on a sad expression at the mention of the baby’s mom. She didn’t say anything about her, instead changing the subject to include Leonardo. “I’ve come to see there are two kinds of men on this earth. Those who are natural with babies, and those who are scared to death of them. I can see which one you are, Peter. Which are you, Leo?”

  Leonardo squirmed. “I don’t have a lot of experience with babies.”

  Doris laughed out loud. “Don’t worry, if it wasn’t for my nephews, I doubt I’d ever have been around babies myself.” She went over to Leonardo and kissed his cheek, and they exchanged a genuine look of affection.

  “Is anyone else besides my son hungry tonight?” Trevor asked.

  “I’m famished,” I admitted. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

  “Good, we have scampi, from the old world. My grandpa used to say, ‘soup and salad.’”

  Doris chimed in, “Then we have a very yummy chocolate cake that Leo brought with him. Let’s get started.”

  Trevor came over to take Luka from me, but the moment he picked him up, Luka began to fuss. I stood up and reached out for the baby again, and immediately, he calmed back down.

  “Seems my son has a bit of a crush.”

  I smiled at that. “Well, why should he be left out of the crushes around here?”

  Trevor blushed, and so did Doris and Leonardo.

  I held the baby for most of the night, or at least until he fell asleep on my shoulder. Finally, Trevor took him and laid him in the bassinet. I was finally able to eat. The scampi was truly out of this world. “I’ve always loved scampi, but this is different from anything I’ve eaten before.”

  “Oui, this is very good,” Leonardo agreed.

  “As Trevor said earlier, this is my dad’s recipe,” Doris explained. “He used to make it for every dinner party, saying everyone who visited needed a taste of the old country since that’s who and what we came from.”