One More Last Chance

by Cathleen Armstrong

  Unless you’re checking up on me. Sarah picked up her phone and curled up in a corner of the sofa. “Hi, Brandon.”

  “Hi.” There was a long pause. Sarah waited. “I guess first I need to say sorry for all the phone calls last night.”

  “Well, that’s a good place to start.”

  “I really thought you’d be home by 9:00 or so, since it wasn’t a date or anything.”

  Was Brandon apologizing or taking shots?

  “Anyway, when you didn’t pick up, I thought maybe you were just busy or saying good-bye to Chris or something, so I called again, and when you still didn’t pick up, things just got a little out of hand.”

  “I’ll say they did. What did you do? Hit Redial every time you hung up?”

  “I guess that’s how it seems. But it wasn’t quite that bad. Anyway, I am sorry for the whole thing—the jealous jackass I was before you left, and all those pathetic phone calls while you were gone. That isn’t me. And I give you my word that it’s not someone you’ll ever see again. Will you forgive me?”

  “Of course I forgive you, Brandon.” Sarah took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy. “But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking today, and praying, and I just don’t think this is working. We’re just in such different places in our lives—literally, figuratively, spiritually, any way you can think of.”

  “No. No, I don’t think we are.” Brandon cut her off. “Well, we’re in different places physically, obviously, but that’s the only problem I can see. The rest, no, I just don’t agree with you at all.”

  “Brandon . . .”

  “Let me finish. Please. These last few weeks have been hard on us both. We’re both starting new jobs, new careers actually, and I don’t know about you, but I’m finding I don’t know a fraction of what I thought I did.”

  Sarah almost smiled. That was quite an admission coming from Brandon, but she had to admit to herself that she knew what he was talking about.

  “And we live so far apart,” he continued. “Things that we might not even notice, or that we could talk over, get blown way out of proportion because we can’t be together—things like your dinner with a friend, or my having to change plans because of work.”

  “That’s just what I’m talking about, Brandon. This long-distance thing just isn’t working.”

  “And I say it can, if we give it a chance.”

  Sarah closed her eyes. “Brandon . . .”

  “Look, when I get married, and I hope it’s to you, it’s going to be for keeps. That means that every single problem that comes up is going to have to be met head-on and dealt with. You can’t run from them. Even I know that much. So, as I see it, this is just the first hurdle. I think we can clear it, and I don’t want to give up until we know for sure.”

  “What if I think I already know?”

  “Do you know, Sarah? For sure? I don’t. Look, you’ve already made plans to come here for Thanksgiving. Let’s give it till then. That’s only about six weeks. If you still want to end things between us then, it’ll kill me, but I’ll know you gave it everything you had.”

  Sarah felt a twinge of conscience. Had she really given it everything she had? Or had she sort of taken Brandon’s attentiveness for granted while she kept her options open?

  She took a deep breath. “Until Thanksgiving?”

  Sarah heard relief, maybe it was even joy, flood Brandon’s voice. “Until Thanksgiving, that’s all I ask.”

  Really, Brandon? That’s all? It sure sounds to me like you’re asking for a lot more than that.

  “All right, then.” Sarah smiled into the phone and willed her voice to catch up. “If, as you say, this is just the first of a lifetime of hurdles we’re going to clear, then we should know by Thanksgiving.”

  “We’re going to make it. Wait and see. This is going to be one of those ‘you kids today have it easy’ stories we tell our grandchildren.”

  Sarah laughed. Brandon’s mood was infectious. “By then fifteen hundred miles will seem like nothing. Their long-distance romances will be between planets.”

  “Long-distance romance. I like the way you say that.”

  “Is it the long distance you like, or the romance?”

  “You know the answer to that without my saying. I hate the long-distance part. And I want you to know that as of, well, last night, I’m butting out of your social life in Last Chance. I trust you implicitly, and that means if you want to go to dinner with Chris, go for it.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Sarah kept it breezy. “We had fun, but it was probably a onetime thing.”

  There was just a beat of silence before Brandon picked up the conversation again. “Well, okay, but it’s totally up to you.”

  “Thanks, Brandon. Your confidence means a lot.” She looked at her cat clock in the kitchen. “You know what? It is way late, even in Last Chance, and I need to get to bed. We’ll talk again soon.”

  “Oh, one more thing. I was going to surprise you, but all things considered, I’d better let you know. I have a meeting in LA next Monday, and I thought I’d fly into El Paso Friday night and then go on to LA late Sunday. Are you free this weekend?”

  “Oh, yes. I think we need a little face time.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  Sarah laughed. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “We’ll just see.” Sarah could almost hear his grin. “I’ll keep you posted on my flight times. Call you tomorrow at 11:00?”

  “I’ll be waiting.” She heard him blow a kiss as she hung up.

  Sarah sat for a moment holding her phone. This was not how she thought the call would go, but she was okay with it. In fact, she found she was actually looking forward to the weekend and having Brandon in Last Chance.

  Turning out the light, she headed back to her room. On the way, her phone signaled a text. It was from Brandon: “DFILY.” Don’t forget I love you.

  She hesitated a long moment before she sent her own text: “DFILY.”

  Chris turned off the television and tossed the remote on the coffee table. He had told Olivia she could wait up for her mom to return her call if she put on her pajamas and curled up on the sofa under a blanket. Olivia had been asleep since 9:00, and, of course, Kaitlyn had never called.

  He turned out the light and scooped Olivia off the sofa, blanket and all. The princess movie he had put in for Olivia hadn’t really captured his attention, and he’d had plenty of time to think things over as the evening went on. He had come to a couple of conclusions. First, as much as he loved his sister, she was beyond rotten as a mother, and he was going to do everything he could to keep Olivia. He didn’t think Livvy stood a chance otherwise. And second, he wasn’t all that crazy about this Brandon guy either. Chris had been around women in love, and to tell the truth, all of them seemed a lot happier about it than Sarah did. He was done worrying about stepping on some other guy’s turf. If Brandon won the day, it would be because he was the better man. But it would not be because Chris hadn’t given him the fight of his life.

  He strode down the hall with Olivia in his arms and her blanket trailing behind. He had learned a long time ago that if something was worth having, it was worth fighting for.

  23

  Friday night was, hands down, Sarah’s favorite time of the week. The school week was over, the weekend stretched out in front of her, and with the added ritual of frozen pizza for dinner and a good, scary movie, what was there not to love? Some Fridays, between the pizza and the DVD, she went to a football game at Last Chance High, which made the night perfect. Tonight the team was away, so it was just pizza, Whisperer in the Wood, and, of course, Brandon. But he wouldn’t be getting in until late. And truthfully? That was okay with Sarah. She needed a little decompression time between school and Brandon.

  She was into her second piece of pizza—and the part in the movie where the first girl, for some unfathomable reason, decides to wander through the woods by herself at night—when the doorbell rang. Sarah jumped about a
foot, hit the Pause button on the remote, and opened the front door to find Rita on her porch.

  “Sorry for just barging in like this. I tried to call a couple times, but you didn’t answer.”

  Sarah looked around the room as she opened the door for Rita. “I guess my phone’s still in my bag. Sorry. What’s up?”

  Rita held up a key hooked to a large red plastic tag with a seven on it. “I was hoping I could drop off Brandon’s key. Other than him, my last guest has checked in, and I would love it if I could just go back to my apartment and turn in early.”

  “Sure.” Sarah held out her hand for the key. “He’s planning on stopping by to let me know he’s here anyway.”

  “I thought he probably would. Good night, nurse, Sarah, what are you watching?” Rita’s attention had been caught by the television, where the girl’s face was frozen into a mask of sheer, addle-brained terror and her arm was thrust out to protect herself from some unseen horror.

  “Oh, Rita, you caught me. Scary moves are my secret vice, developed young to prove to my brothers that I was as tough as they were.”

  Rita gazed at the screen a moment longer before shaking her head. “Well, as secret vices go, I suppose that’s not a particularly bad one. But I have to say it’s not one I would have thought about you having.”

  “Well, now you know.” Sarah grinned. “What about you, Rita? Any secret vices you want to confess?”

  “Now, if I did that, they wouldn’t be secret, would they?” Rita headed for the door. “Be sure to give Brandon a big ‘Welcome to Last Chance’ from me, will you? And ask him to stop by the office in the morning so we can get him checked in.”

  “I’ll do that.” Sarah tossed the key on the mantel and went back to her sofa. She picked up the remote, hit Play, and jumped another foot as the scream ripped through her living room.

  She had finished the movie and most of the pizza and had dozed off on the sofa when a tap on her front door brought her to her feet almost before she knew she was awake. She stood swaying next to the sofa, trying to figure out what was happening. Another tap. Brandon.

  It hadn’t taken very long, maybe five minutes, after she hung up from talking to Brandon Monday night to wonder if she hadn’t just made a big mistake, and she hadn’t repeated the DFILY text despite the fact that one had appeared on her phone every night since within seconds of Brandon saying good night.

  But now that he stood before her in his rumpled suit pants and dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, she realized to her surprise that she had missed him and that she really was glad to see him.

  “Hey there! I thought you were going to call once you got on the road out of El Paso.” Sarah returned his warm hug but turned her head just a bit so his kiss fell on the corner of her mouth.

  “I tried to.” If Brandon was disappointed with his reception, he gave no sign. “You didn’t pick up.”

  “Oops, I never did get my phone.” Sarah dug through her bag and held up her phone. “Silenced too, of course. Sorry.”

  She couldn’t help taking a quick look at the call log. Only one message. Maybe Brandon was ready to stop hovering after all.

  “Come sit down.” Sarah pointed toward the sofa. “Are you hungry? I could heat up that pizza.”

  “No, thanks, I bought a sandwich on the plane.” Brandon sat down and picked up the DVD case. “Another action-packed Friday night, I see.”

  “Hey, it’s how I know it’s Friday. Would you rather I had been out looking for a party? Not that I would have found one.” She laughed as she sat down beside him. “Stubble’s gone, I see.”

  Brandon rubbed his jaw and made a face. “Yeah, the company likes a clean look, so I just shave like everyone else now.”

  “Well, I’m glad. I think you look a lot more handsome this way.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek, but when he turned to her, she moved away.

  “I’m sorry. I really am glad you’re here. But I’m just not ready to . . .” She searched for words. “To pick up as if nothing had ever changed between us. I still need more time.”

  “I see. Well, I noticed you only answered one of my texts. I was hoping you weren’t getting cold feet again.” His smile looked a little weary as he took both her hands. “But listen, that’s why I’m here. I love you and I believe you love me too. And if you need a little time to figure that out for yourself, then time’s what you’ve got.”

  “Thank you.” It had never been a question of loving Brandon. It was all about whether they could be happy together, but Sarah was just too tired to go into all that now. “Rita brought over your key, but she wants you to swing by the office tomorrow to check in. I’ll bet you’re beat.”

  Brandon took the hint and got to his feet. “It is late, but I’d like to take you and your grandmother out for breakfast tomorrow. Can I pick you up about 9:00?”

  “Sure. I’d like that. And I’m sure Gran would too, but if you want her to come with us, you’d better make it 10:00. She likes a bit of a slow morning.”

  “Okay, 10:00 it is. Is this the key?” He took it off the mantel and stopped at the door. His smile was tender. “Good night, sweet Sarah. Sleep well, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Sarah crossed the room, and without quite knowing how it happened, she found herself in his arms. He bent his head and brushed her lips with the lightest of kisses, and this time she didn’t turn away.

  “So, Carlos, when are you going to eat a plate of mole verde like you promised?”

  The Dip ’n’ Dine was nearly full, but a busy room always energized Chris.

  “What?” Carlos ladled green chile sauce over three plates of huevos rancheros simultaneously without spilling a drop. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yeah, you do. You said if we had even five orders for the mole, you’d eat a plate yourself, right in the front window. Well, I had more than ten times that, so when’s it going to be?”

  “Oh. I already had some.” Carlos never even looked up from his work.

  “You did? When?”

  “Took some home that night.”

  “And?”

  “Not bad.”

  Coming from Carlos, that was high tribute. He never bragged about his cooking; he didn’t have to. Everyone else did it for him. But then he never praised anyone else’s either. That would be false humility.

  Chris hid his smile as he went back into the dining room. He’d get something new on that menu yet. The smile did a pretty good job of hiding itself, though, when he got out there. The Saturday waitress was showing a party of three to a booth—Elizabeth, Sarah, and some smooth-looking guy who could only be Brandon. Elizabeth had mentioned that Brandon was coming for the weekend when Chris had picked Olivia up after school Wednesday. He tried to figure out how Elizabeth felt about it, but she had been pretty noncommittal about the whole thing. And here he was—Brandon himself. Chris busied himself with something or other until they had their menus and water and then went over to their booth.

  “Good morning, Elizabeth, Sarah. Good to see you.” He smiled at Brandon, and an unspoken And you are? hung in the air. Chris knew, all right, but Brandon didn’t have to know that.

  “Chris, this is Brandon Miller. I know I’ve told you about him. Brandon, this is Chris Reed.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” Chris extended his hand. “Are you in town long?” Came in last night, going on to LA Sunday night.

  “Just for the weekend. Leaving tomorrow night.” Brandon shook Chris’s hand. He had a strong grip, but then, Chris may have put a little extra muscle behind his handshake too.

  “That’s a long way to come for a short visit.” But don’t prolong your stay on my account.

  “Ah, she’s worth it.” Brandon rested his arm along the back of the booth and smiled at Sarah. “Besides, we’ve always been able to pack a lot into a short time, haven’t we?”

  Before Sarah could answer, Brandon went on. “Which reminds me, Sarah told me all about that steak place you went to la
st week. Sounds like kind of a fun place, so I thought we’d go back tonight.” He grinned. “That way she’ll have something to compare those great Chicago steaks to when she comes to see me next month. Can you tell me how to find it? She said it was out in the boonies.”

  “Yeah, it pretty much is, but it’s not hard to find. I’ll write out the directions for you.”

  “Outstanding.” Brandon picked up his menu with his free hand and started looking at it. “Say, can we get some coffee? And I take cream.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll get it right over.” Chris walked away. Score: Brandon 1, Chris 0. He stopped the waitress and told her that table 4 needed coffee and might be ready to order.

  The Dip ’n’ Dine stayed busy, and it wasn’t too hard for Chris to be elsewhere in the diner and yet not look as if he were actually avoiding Sarah’s table. Finally, though, he could see they were getting ready to leave, so he thought he’d better stop by.

  “How was your breakfast? Everything okay?”

  “Delicious, Chris. It always is.” Elizabeth smiled up at him. “Tell Carlos I said so, would you, please?”

  “I surely will.” He handed Brandon a hand-drawn map. “Here are the directions to Papa’s. How long did it take us to get there, Sarah? An hour, maybe?”

  Brandon made no move to take the slip of paper. “I guess we’re not going to need it, after all. Sarah said she’d rather go somewhere else.” He shrugged and started to slide out of the booth. “Any other suggestions?”

  Chris thought a minute and then shook his head. “Sorry, can’t think of a thing. Oh, wait, I think an all-you-can-eat buffet just opened in San Ramon. I haven’t tried it myself, though.” You’re on your own on this one, Miller. Sorry, but I’m not planning your romantic evening for you.

  “Well, when you two figure out where I want to have dinner, be sure to let me know.” Sarah had followed Brandon out of the booth. “Or here’s a thought. You could ask me.”

  Brandon laughed and gave her shoulders a one-armed squeeze. “Sorry. Any place you want to go. Just name it.”