Luke's Second Chance Family

by Francesca Lane

  Then the salon’s shutdown happened, followed by an eviction notice from her apartment landlord since she had, unfortunately, been unable to keep up with the rent. She bit back a sigh. As it turned out, the timing for her stay at the beach house was pretty perfect, well, except for the memories she still chose to forget.

  Maggie took a sip of coffee, grateful for the time to consider her options before jumping back into the fray of life. As she peeked over her coffee cup at the sweet daughter she’d been blessed to call her own, she wondered what they would do when their month at the beach house was up.

  Luke kept his head down, making his order list for nearly a half hour, when a commotion caused his chin to jerk up. He squinted toward the front window of his shop. The young girl he had seen enter the bakery earlier flew out much like Zack had when he ran out of here this morning.

  To his chagrin, Maggie followed closely behind her. She shaded her eyes and scanned the block, her gaze brushing over the shop’s open door.

  Luke took a step back from the counter and bit back a swear. He had a business to run and no time to run to or from the past. Maybe he should have stayed in the back today and focused on the blank waiting for him—that piece of foam that had been staring him in the eyes for days, challenging him to shape it.

  He craned his neck, stretching to see if they had disappeared. Instead, the girl punched a fist into her waist and swiveled a look back at Maggie. She righted herself then and made a beeline for his shop, casting a quick look in either direction before crossing the street.

  It was too late to turn the Open sign to Closed. Too late to slam the door shut.

  What are you … chicken?

  He stood his ground as they approached, but instead of coming inside, the girl planted herself in front of the newly posted sign on his window, her eyes widening.

  She swiveled toward Maggie. “Surf contest. Can we watch it?”

  Maggie frowned. “We’ll be gone by then, punkin. Sorry.”

  “Aw!”

  He perused his order list for the tenth time: wax, shop T-shirts, stickers, and flip-flops in size twelve. He rubbed that spot on his upper lip, feeling like a fool. He’d loved Maggie once, but it was a long time ago, and frankly? As a stupid kid he hadn’t known what love was, so even if they had somehow stayed together, he probably would have messed it up.

  And he wouldn’t have his daughter Siena now.

  “Can we go inside?” Eva said.

  Maggie hesitated for a beat, then relented.

  Luke met them head on. “Hello.”

  She let go of her handbag, but swiftly caught it before it hit the floor. Eva, however, didn’t seem to notice, her gaze unwavering on the stack of boogie boards Luke kept in a corner of the store.

  “Mom,” she said, “can I get one of these?”

  Maggie’s mouth gaped and she slid a glance toward her daughter.

  Eva continued, “The one in the garage is super gross and crackly all over. It has dirt and webs on it, too.”

  Luke noticed the way Maggie’s forehead wrinkled, caught between acknowledging him and answering her daughter. He broke the silence and stepped toward the stack of boards.

  “Here,” he said, plucking a red and white one from the bunch. “This one’s a good size for you. Want to take a look?”

  Eva nodded.

  He watched as she took the board from him and ran her hand across its surface. “Have you boogie boarded before?”

  She shook her head no, vehemently.

  He smiled. “Well, then, you’re about to have some fun.”

  Maggie interrupted them. “Hello, Luke.”

  He pulled his attention away from Eva and gave her a slight nod. “Maggie.”

  Eva frowned and looked at her mom. “How come you know his name?”

  “We were friends when I was … your age.”

  He was having a difficult time taking his eyes off of Maggie, but he forced himself to snap a look at Eva, the girl a mini version of her mother. “Bet you think that was a long time ago,” he said, putting his hand out. “I’m Luke, by the way.”

  Eva giggled and shook it. “It’s kinda weird to think of my mom as a kid. I bet she was bossy.”

  Maggie stabbed her waist with one hand, much like Eva had done earlier. “That’s enough, Eva.”

  Eva bit her lip, but he could tell by the light in the girl’s eyes that she knew she wasn’t in serious trouble. As for what Maggie thought of him after all these years, he couldn’t tell.

  Luke chuckled. “I wouldn’t call her bossy, Eva. She always liked to speak her mind, though.”

  Eva looked serious. “Yeah. She has a lot to say.”

  “Oh brother.” Maggie shook her head. “I was just trying to keep order around this town. Somebody had to protect the beach from all the year-rounders.”

  Luke scratched his chin. “Year-rounders? That a word?”

  “If weekenders is, then yes. It’s a word.”

  He grinned. “As I recall, you showed up on the first day of summer every year and staked your claim.” Luke slid a look at Eva. “Your mom had her favorite beach chair—it was blue. She’d set it up under that tattered old umbrella your parents had, and woe to anyone who would sit in it without permission!”

  Maggie shook her head in disapproval, though her eyes danced. “Usually stinky boys who just wanted to mess with my things.”

  Luke quieted, a smile lingering. “Or get your attention.”

  Something hardened in her gaze. She dropped that fist from her waist and snapped a look toward Eva. “I don’t think we’ll have much time for that, kiddo.”

  “Aw, please? Can’t I try it?”

  Maggie shook her head. “Maybe another time … if I get all my work done at the house. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Reluctantly, Eva handed back the board.

  Luke took it with regret. He watched as Eva twirled off to another part of the shop, her attention turned to the rack of short boards he’d created last spring.

  “She’s a sweet kid,” he said.

  Maggie hitched her purse onto the crook of her elbow, as if readying to leave. She swung a gaze at her daughter. “She’s my everything.”

  He lowered his voice now, drawn to her in such a big way that it surprised him. “How are you, Maggie?”

  She hesitated before dragging her gaze back to him. Her eyes were duller somehow. “I’m … great. In a good place. I’m at the family home, carrying out my parents’ wishes by doing my share—I’m painting several rooms—and giving Eva a taste of my childhood the best I can.”

  “I’m sorry about your parents.”

  She nodded, her expression unreadable, and he wondered how often she had been reminded of them since she’d come home—whether from people like him bringing it up or familiar memories that she had likely encountered. It had to be tough.

  He knew it had been for him when people asked him about his wife.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “I saw Grace a couple of months ago,” Luke said. “Did she mention it?”

  Maggie gave him a vague shrug and stepped back, her gaze drifting to Eva who stood mesmerized by the boards. Her body language was telling and he shut off the spigot of questions that suddenly filled his mind. Like why did you run off with … that guy? If I had apologized, would you have come back? And most important, could you ever forgive me for how I treated you? She had taken a step back, a tension wrinkle between her eyes. Maybe … maybe it was best that he not bring up all that old stuff.

  His eyes flitted to Eva and he knew the answer: Now was not the right time to talk about old hurts. Maybe there never would be one.

  Eva’s voice split the silence between Luke and Maggie. “So I’m thinking … maybe I should take surfing lessons, momma Did you know there’s a surf camp here?”

  Maggie’s eyes widened, as if stricken. She was no longer a carefree teen, and though he, too, had moved on, it ached to see what had been lost. Growing up had a way of chasing away
the happy-go-lucky days.

  She walked over to her daughter and gently placed a hand on her back. Together they stood looking up at the boards that Luke had shaped himself. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the two of them.

  Maggie leaned her head down closer to Eva, giving her back a brief rub. “I’m sorry, darlin’, I would love for you to surf sometime, but it’s not in my budget right now.”

  Eva nodded. Was she used to this answer? Luke frowned and quirked a look toward the stack of boogie boards he kept on hand for the tourists that invariably flocked in during the summer, looking for things to keep their kids busy and … carefree.

  Instinctively, he grabbed the board he had shown Eva earlier. “How about you take this and see how you do with it. My treat.”

  Maggie’s face clouded over and she shook her head, but Eva moved quickly across the space. She reached for the board, her face lighting up. “Really?”

  “Yup.” He pressed his lips into a smile, working to keep his gaze connected with Maggie’s. “A gift for a … bossy old friend.”

  Eva giggled.

  Maggie did not look too pleased at all and her tone turned testy. “I’m sure your boss wouldn’t appreciate you giving away the store. What are you doing here, anyway, Luke? Don’t you have some waves to watch?”

  “I own this place.” Luke dipped his chin, his eyes connecting with hers. “You know I was teasing you earlier. Not about the board—that’s a gift. But about the bossy thing.”

  Maggie shook her head. “I just—”

  “Please, momma.” Eva batted big brown eyes at her mother and held the boogie board to her chest.

  Luke almost felt guilty. Almost.

  Maggie set her chin, a slight glare cast Luke’s way. She licked her lips and returned her gaze to Eva. “Hon, it’s just one more thing we’ll have to move. Besides, we played hooky this morning, but there might not be too much more free time over the next few weeks. I’d hate for you to be sad every time you look at the thing.”

  Eva jumped slightly, her excitement palpable. “I won’t! I promise!” She turned to him, still hugging that board to her body. ”Thank you, Luke!”

  That guilt Luke was feeling set in fast now. But shoot. It was just a boogie board. Every kid needed one, didn’t they? Reflexively, he pulled off his baseball cap and ran a hand through his bedhead.

  Maggie gasped.

  He laughed, sheepishly. “Guess I should’ve run a brush through it before opening the shop.”

  “Wait … are you dying your hair now, Luke?” She seemingly lost all thought of the boogie board and stepped closer to him, her eyes squinting and peering at his head.

  “She does that all the time,” Eva said, a slight roll to her eyes.

  “Hush, you,” Maggie said. She returned her gaze to his head. “It looks so natural. Who does it?”

  “What in the world? Nobody.” He slapped the hat back onto his head and pulled the bill down low, while tugging it tighter in the back. “Why are you so interested in my head?”

  Eva spoke up, laughter in her voice. “Mom’s a hairdresser. She’s interested in everybody’s head.”

  Luke leaned his head back and let out a laugh, too. “Oh. Okay. Makes sense. I guess.” He pulled the hat back off his head and tossed it on the counter. “This is the real me. Didn’t even wash it today.”

  “Gross,” Eva said.

  He turned and stuck his tongue out at her, enjoying the banter. If she were one of the locals, she’d probably be in here weekly during the summers and on weekends the rest of the year. Lots of kids called this place home-away-from-home. He wouldn’t have it any other way. No matter how surfing ended for him, the sport helped him keep his nose clean when he might have otherwise found himself in all kinds of trouble.

  Maggie’s stricken expression hadn’t changed, though, and he was beginning to wonder if he looked worse than he thought. When he was a kid, his mother would get after him for not washing his hair, but he’d always thought, why bother? Back then, he always rolled out of bed and hit the surf, saturating his hair with salt water and sand anyway.

  She stepped slightly closer, her voice hushed. “I thought you were more … blond.”

  He pulled back, one hand finding his chest, a grin stuck on his face. “You’re kidding.”

  She stared at him, her brows dipping low over her eyes. “You look so different. I-I change people’s hair color all the time, but wow. You really look like … someone else.”

  “I’m the same guy, Mags,” he said, calling her by the name she once answered to. “I just don’t use Sun-Dash anymore.”

  Maggie flinched a little.

  “Used to spray that stuff all over myself and then bake out in the sun all summer long.” He leaned closer and winked. “I don’t recommend it.”

  “What’s Sun-Dash?” Eva asked.

  Maggie stepped closer to her daughter. “It’s hair bleach that works with the sun and you should never, ever try it.”

  Luke cut in. “Was popular in surf culture, though I don’t promote it or sell it here.”

  “Yes,” Maggie continued, looking at Eva. “If you want to change your hair, you should—”

  “I know, I know. Always go to you.” Eva pouted at Luke. “She’s still mad at me for cutting my bangs.”

  Maggie smiled slightly. She pulled her daughter into a one-arm hug and Luke sensed a lightening of the mood.

  “Well,” Maggie said, “we’d better go. You sure about the board?”

  He grinned. “Absolutely. Maybe I’ll see you two out on the beach sometime, eh, Mags? You need a break once in a while from all that painting, don’t you think?”

  Maggie shrugged, her eyes not meeting his. “Maybe. Thanks, Luke.”

  “Nice seeing you again,” he said.

  She nodded once, but didn’t say anything more. Given their history, what else could he expect?

  Two

  Maggie walked along unseeing, her mind preoccupied. She had violated her better judgment and was now paying the price. Maybe on the way back, they should stop at the store and pick up baked goods so that the next time she and Eva needed a break, they’d stay home.

  Who was she kidding? Running into Luke was bound to happen. From what she knew, which wasn’t much, Luke Hunter still lived here in Colibri. He wasn’t on Facebook—she’d looked, much to her shame—but occasionally an old acquaintance would mention him in their banal posts.

  Still, Maggie had hoped to duck into Colibri, fulfill her part of the infamous Last Will and Testament, and slide back out with her heart intact. Those plans were dashed the minute she looked up and realized that her ex-boyfriend owned the surf shop that she and Eva had wandered into.

  She bit the inside of her cheek. Had she been right to stay in there and banter with Luke as if they didn’t have a past? Especially with the secret she still harbored? She mentally shook off the weight of guilt that haunted her. Dashing out of there would have seemed suspicious, rude. And it would not have changed a thing. Luke was a happily married man and she wasn’t about to do anything to change that.

  She had promised.

  “He’s a super nice man, isn’t he?” Eva asked the question, breaking into her thoughts as they crossed the street. Maggie nodded, then watched her daughter skip ahead, as she usually did. Only this time she was dragging a boogie board along.

  Maggie exhaled. Her desire to get out a little and see the town turned into an eventful morning. She passed by the bakery and took a quick peek in the window. The cute place was teeming with people and for a second she almost wanted to go back in for another pour of coffee. Her stop in there already felt miles away.

  Maggie shook off her melancholy the best she could, unable to get thoughts of seeing Luke again out of her mind. She didn’t want to admit this, even privately, but she had thought of him often during the past decade—a little too often. He hurt her deeply back then, but replaying the events of that night also served to highlight her own poor choices.

 
Kind of a lose-lose situation.

  Maggie blew out another breath, releasing the tension that had built up during their short time in the surf shop. Luke had been nice. And funny. And too generous.

  It was annoying.

  Good thing he was married.

  Though she wanted to hang onto the anger that lingered within her, a fresh and frightening thought entered her consciousness as she trudged along. She flicked a look at her daughter, desperately wanting to protect their life together. Her mind began to race, but she carefully avoided the rising fear. Instead, she flicked away the crush of thoughts in her mind, not allowing them to flourish.

  One thing Maggie had been happy about was how easily she had snuffed out Eva’s interest in surfing. So much to unpack there. Thankfully, though, it did not appear that she would need to address it. In some weird way, she had Luke to thank for that. At first, the gift of a boogie board made her cringe. She wasn’t a charity case. She did not need some ex-boyfriend to assuage his guilt by giving her gifts.

  As she thought about it, though, she hoped the gift would appease her vivacious daughter for the next four weeks—exactly the time they had left in Colibri. Guilt had already snaked through her. Wasn’t this trip out to the bakery—and ultimately, to the surf shop—to appease just that? She felt guilty about her single-parent home. That they were suddenly uprooted. And that Maggie had brought her beautiful daughter to a veritable playground at the beach where she didn’t have a friend—and Maggie had little time to entertain her.

  Inside the house that her family had called home for many, many summers, Maggie dumped her purse and yoga jacket on the bench at the end of the hall. She still couldn’t get used to coming in the front door off the driveway. For some reason, memories of bounding down the hall and exiting the house through the back door that led to a rickety old deck on the sand gave her comfort. Like she was still young and without worry.