One More Second Chance

by Jana Richards

  The tenderness she saw in his eyes caused hot tears to prickle at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to feel his strong arms around her. She longed to kiss him, touch his skin, the consequences be damned.

  The doorknob rattled, Alex stepped away from her, and the moment was over. Chloe entered the room carrying the container of urine. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves and took it from her.

  “The test will only take a minute.” He pulled a kit from a cupboard and took out some paper strips. “We simply dip the litmus paper in the urine. The paper reacts to a hormone in the urine that is only present when a woman is pregnant. If you’re pregnant, the paper will turn a different color. If there is no pregnancy, the strip will remain its original beige color.”

  Julia found herself holding her breath as Alex dipped one of the strips of paper into the urine. It immediately turned dark blue. Alex turned to Chloe, sympathy in his dark eyes.

  “You’re pregnant, Chloe. The blood test will confirm it in a couple of days, but I’m confident this test is accurate.”

  She started to sob, and Julia gathered her in her arms, letting her cry out all her fears. As she rubbed her back and whispered reassuring words, Chloe’s tears slowly abated. She accepted a tissue from Alex and blew her nose.

  “What do I do now?” she asked.

  “You have to tell your parents, the sooner the better,” Julia answered.

  “I can’t tell them myself.” Chloe grasped her hand. “Can you be there with me when I tell them? Please?”

  The last thing she wanted to do was to confront Ralph Sykes with news of his daughter’s pregnancy. The meeting was sure to be unpleasant, and Ralph would likely find a way to blame her. But she couldn’t let Chloe go through this alone.

  “All right. I’ll call your parents tomorrow and ask them to meet us in my office after school.”

  Alex put his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I can be there too, if you think it will help.”

  “Would you? Maybe my dad would listen to you.”

  “I’ll be there. But I want you to promise me that as soon as your parents are told, you’ll start getting prenatal care. I want you to make an appointment to see me or one of the other doctors right away.”

  “I will, I promise. But you’ll be there?”

  “Yes.”

  Alex’s offer took Julia by surprise. Despite the rollercoaster of their relationship, he’d been nothing but supportive to her and her parents, and now Chloe. On more than one occasion she’d allowed him to get close only to push him away. She wouldn’t blame him for hating her for the way she’d ended things last time. Most men would have had enough by now, but Alex stood steadfastly beside her.

  Her chest ached with longing, and she had to look away. If only…

  She stopped herself from going down that road. It only led to heartache.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Julia dreaded the meeting with Ralph Sykes and his wife all day, her stomach tensing nervously whenever she thought about it. But she’d made the appointment, and for Chloe’s sake she had to go through with it.

  Chloe was the first to arrive at her office when school was over for the day. She took the seat closest to the window and drew up her knees, resting her cheek against them and staring out the window. It was as if she was folding in on herself, trying to become as small as possible. Maybe she was trying to disappear. Julia didn’t blame her. She wouldn’t mind disappearing herself.

  Then Ralph and his wife Cynthia arrived. She didn’t know Cynthia well, but she’d always appeared to be a timid woman, easily overshadowed by Ralph’s more forceful and acerbic personality.

  Julia stalled a little, hoping Alex would arrive soon.

  “Can I get anyone coffee or water?”

  Ralph waved his hand. “We don’t want anything. Let’s just get to the point, Mrs. Stewart. Why did you call us here today? What has Chloe done that warrants a trip to the principal’s office?”

  “Chloe is a sweet, wonderful girl. She’s a good, hard-working student, and on a personal note, I know she’s a kind person because of the way she treats my daughter.”

  “Thank you—”

  Ralph cut off his wife. “Then what are we doing here?”

  Julia took a deep breath. “Chloe wants to tell you something—”

  A knock sounded on the office door and she sighed in relief.

  “Come in.”

  Alex stepped inside. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “You’re just in time. Dr. Campbell, these are Chloe’s parents, Ralph and Cynthia Sykes. Ralph, Cynthia, Dr. Alex Campbell.”

  “Why is Dr. Campbell here? What does he have to do with a school matter?”

  Julia turned her attention to Chloe, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. “Chloe, your parents are here, and they want to know what’s going on. Can you tell them?”

  She shook her head, and tears began to run down her cheeks. Alex moved to stand behind her, his hands on her small, thin shoulders. Julia smiled reassuringly for her. “Okay, honey.”

  She took a deep breath and faced Ralph and Cynthia. “Chloe came to me yesterday and told me she thought she was pregnant.”

  “What?” Ralph burst from his seat and turned furious eyes on Chloe. “Is this true?”

  “Yes,” Chloe said between sobs. She was crying in earnest now.

  “I took her to see Dr. Campbell so we could either confirm the pregnancy or rule it out, and he confirmed it.”

  Ralph began to pace her small office. “I can’t believe this. I tried to teach the girl good moral values, and this is how she repays me. I’m ashamed of you, Chloe.”

  Cynthia gasped. “How can you say that, Ralph? She’s our daughter, our only child.”

  “It’s the truth! How can I hold up my head in this town when I have a pregnant teenage daughter? No one’s going to take my candidacy for the state legislature seriously now.”

  “Is that your only concern right now?” Alex said. “You need to think about what’s right for Chloe and her baby. This isn’t about you.”

  Ralph turned on him, eyes blazing. “Just because you’re sleeping with the principal, don’t think you have any right to tell me what to do for my own family.”

  Julia rose to her feet, fury making her deadly calm. “I suggest you keep your comments and your prejudices to yourself, and begin thinking about your daughter. She’s scared, and she needs you.”

  “This is great for you, isn’t it? I can just imagine how you’ll use my pregnant daughter against me at the public meeting.”

  “I would never use Chloe like that!”

  “If you hadn’t brought that daycare with all those bastard children to this school, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten crazy ideas about having sex! This is all your fault!”

  Alex straightened to his full height and stepped in front of Ralph. He towered over the older man, his eyes full of an emotion she’d never seen in them before. Julia shivered, afraid they were going to come to blows right there in her office.

  Before she could say anything, Cynthia got to her feet and pushed herself between them. “Ralph, that’s enough! For once in your life, think of someone besides yourself! Chloe needs us, but obviously she felt too afraid to come to us for help. And no wonder, the way you’re acting.” She turned to Julia. “Thank you for your concern for Chloe. I’ll make sure she’s well cared for.”

  “I’d be happy to look after Chloe’s prenatal care if you want,” Alex said. “Just make an appointment with my nurse at the clinic.”

  Cynthia nodded her head. “Thank you. I’ll do that.” She held out her hand. “Come on, Chloe. Let’s go home.”

  “Cynthia—” Ralph sputtered.

  She gave him a withering look. “We’ll finish this conversation at home.”

  Chloe took her mother’s hand and left with her. Ralph stared after them for a few moments in stunned surprise, obviously not used to his wife speaking out. With one last glare in Julia’s direction, he left her of
fice, slamming the door behind him.

  Julia blew out the breath she’d been holding and sank into her chair. “Gee, that went well.”

  Alex chuckled and slid into the chair Chloe had just vacated. “If that’s a sample of a typical workday for you, I’m glad I don’t have your job.”

  “There are days when diffusing bombs or driving trucks filled with dynamite sound like nice, safe occupations.”

  Alex laughed out loud. “Poor old Ralph didn’t know what hit him. First you stood up to him, and then his wife delivered the knockout punch.”

  “You had me worried for a second,” Julia said. “I thought you might actually hit him.”

  The smile left his face. “Believe me, I thought about it. The things he said about his own daughter…” He shook his head, his jaw clenched. “But when he started ragging on you, I nearly lost it.”

  She knew it would have been professionally damaging to both of them if he’d actually struck Ralph, no matter how much he’d deserved it. But she felt a perverse spark of pleasure knowing he’d been willing to defend her.

  Alex checked his watch and rose to his feet. “I’ve got to get back to the clinic. My patients are probably wondering what happened to me.”

  “Thanks for coming. I know it meant a lot to Chloe to have you here. It meant a lot to me, too.”

  He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, his expression intense. “I’d do anything for you. I hope you know that. You mean everything to me, Julia.”

  Her chest grew tight, and she could hardly breathe. “Don’t say that, Alex. Please.”

  He stepped toward her. “Why don’t you want me to tell you how much you mean to me?”

  “Because you’ll be leaving soon.”

  A part of her wished she could simply run away and follow Alex wherever he wanted to go. But she couldn’t. Her life was here, and so were her responsibilities.

  He took her hands and squeezed tight. “Then I’ll stay. I love you, Julia. I don’t want to lose you.”

  She shook her head, trying not to cry. “I know you mean that, at least for now. But if you stay just to make me happy, you’ll soon grow to resent me. You’ll want to pursue better opportunities, and I’ll just hold you back.”

  “No, that’s not going to happen. I love you.”

  She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “I wish things could be different, but I can’t go through that again.”

  “I’m not your ex-husband, Julia,” he said fiercely. “I’m not going to abandon you and Ava.”

  “Is Lobster Cove really the place you want to live and work for the rest of your life? Do you honestly want to live in a town this small forever?”

  He hesitated, uncertainty evident on his face, and Julia pulled her hands away from his, her heart breaking.

  “That’s what I thought. It’s not your fault. We just need different things.” She took a deep breath and looked away. “Thank you for helping Chloe.”

  “Julia, don’t do this. Don’t push me away. I need you.”

  She couldn’t breathe. What could she possibly say to that?

  “Alex—”

  “I’m not going to give up on you, on us.”

  He pulled her in for a brief hug, and Julia closed her eyes and inhaled, trying to memorize his scent and the way she fit perfectly against his body. Then he pushed away and slipped out of the room, the door closing softly behind him.

  A flood of longing washed over her. If only…

  She shook her head. Wishing and hoping only brought disappointment and heartache. She’d wished for Russ to be happy with her in Lobster Cove, but it hadn’t made any difference. In the end he’d left her.

  She couldn’t let herself forget that.

  ****

  The following Saturday, Wyatt and Lily arrived shortly after lunch to collect Ava. Lily had asked if they could take her to the annual Harvest of the Sea Festival, and even though Julia would have liked to spend the day with Ava herself, she’d agreed. She couldn’t deny Lily the only thing she’d asked of her. Ava would attend some of the festivities with the Stewarts and then spend the night with them. There was no guarantee how long they’d be in Ava’s life. Her mother’s illness had driven home that point very clearly.

  After the Stewarts left with Ava, she puttered around the house, straightening things and throwing a load of laundry into the machine. For a while she tackled some paperwork she’d brought home with her from school, but she had to abandon it when she found her mind wandering. The house was cold and quiet without Ava. She knew it was ridiculous to feel this way; Ava had been away before for an afternoon. Yet today Julia felt alone. And lonely.

  She’d been lonely for a long time, she realized. Even when she was still married.

  Especially when she was still married.

  Was she missing Ava, or was it Alex she needed?

  She’d been restless ever since Alex told her he loved her, needed her. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he could learn to be happy in Lobster Cove.

  But she didn’t really believe it. He was a big-city boy. He’d soon grow tired of small town life. And he’d soon grow tired of her. She had to let him move on.

  She got to her feet. It was time to stop being ridiculous. She had to move on too, and get on with her life. With careful strokes she applied her makeup and then dressed in her best jeans. She’d go to the festival for a while, even though her heart wasn’t really in it. At least she’d be out with people instead of brooding at home alone. She grabbed her jacket and her house keys and walked downtown.

  Most of the festival events were taking place downtown in the community center. All the Lobster Cove stores were decorated with brightly colored banners and flags for the Harvest of the Sea festival, many of them featuring the cartoon depiction of Lionel the Lobster, the festival’s mascot. Some shops had bright red stuffed Lionel toys in various sizes displayed in their front windows. It was pretty kitschy, but fun.

  She’d no sooner arrived at the community center when her secretary, Beth, approached her, looping her arm through hers.

  “Boss! I’m glad to see you! Can you help us out? We need another person to judge the pie contest.”

  “Beth, I hate doing stuff like that. It’s like picking the prettiest baby; you always end up hurting someone’s feelings.”

  “Please, please, please, Julia. It’ll be fun. I promise. Everyone who helps to judge the contest gets a free ticket to the dance tonight. How about it?”

  She wasn’t planning to stay for the dance, but she couldn’t say no to Beth’s request. She was a wonderful secretary, always going above and beyond for her, and for the kids.

  “Okay, fine. But I’m doing this for you. You owe me.”

  Beth did a little happy dance. “Thanks, Boss. I promise you that every morning next week you’ll have a latte from Julie’s Coffee Shop on your desk by nine a.m.”

  Julia laughed. “I’m going to hold you to it.”

  Beth led her to the judging area, where her fellow judges—Jill, from Maggie’s Diner, and Bob, the local chiropractor—were already waiting. Eight pieces of pie were set in front of her. Julia inwardly groaned. She liked pie as much as the next person, but eight pieces was a bit much.

  Fortunately, she wasn’t expected to eat every morsel. Jill was a veteran judge, so following her lead, Julia nibbled a little from each pie, sampling the filling and testing the crust for flakiness. The three of them decided unanimously on the blueberry pie.

  After that, Beth dragged her around the community center to judge more contests; best dried flower arrangement, best pickled cucumbers, and best artwork in the ten- to twelve-year-old category. She ran into Ava and the Stewarts and spent a little time with them, but didn’t want to intrude on her daughter’s day with her grandparents. After confirming that they’d bring Ava home at ten Sunday morning before they met friends for brunch, she left Wyatt and Lily in the midway area, where they watched Ava and one of her friends on the mini rollercoaster.


  Julia realized part way through the afternoon that her blue mood had lifted and she was having fun. She’d needed this outing, needed to do something to get out of her own head.

  She met Edie and Aaron and their kids just before the community supper, which was held outside. Oak Avenue had been blocked off to allow for dozens of picnic tables to be set up on the street next to the community center. Later, the tables would be pushed to the sides to allow for dancing. The band was already setting up on one end of the street. Thankfully, the night was warm for early October. There wouldn’t be many more nights like this before winter settled in.

  The thought of winter almost doused the happy mood she’d worked so hard to attain. Winter meant cold winds and mountains of snow. And it meant the coming of February and Alex’s departure. She forcefully pushed the thought from her mind, not wanting to let it spoil her evening.

  Together with Aaron and Edie and their kids, she ate her supper of fresh boiled lobster, corn on the cob, baked potato with all the fixings, and coleslaw. Julia passed on the homemade pie, having had enough for one day. She helped Natalie and Michael crack their lobsters, and showed them how to dip the succulent pieces in the small bowl of melted butter that sat on a stand and was warmed by a candle. It was a fun if messy meal.

  After they finished eating, Julia helped clean up the kids, wiping sticky fingers with wet naps and removing the plastic lobster bibs. A few minutes later, Aaron and Edie said good night and headed home. By then some tables had already been pushed aside, and people were starting to dance. That was Julia’s cue to go. The last thing she wanted was to spend the evening as a wallflower on the sidelines. Or worse, to find herself the recipient of pity dances from the husbands and boyfriends of her friends. She put on her jacket and moved toward the exit.

  “You’re not leaving already, are you? It looks like the party’s just getting started.”

  She turned toward the familiar voice, her heart in her throat. Alex smiled down at her, his dark eyes warm and full of an emotion she was afraid to name. The last words he’d said to her came immediately to mind: I’m not going to give up on you, on us. She clasped her hands together, disconcerted to find they were shaking.