Take a Chance

by Abbi Glines

  Harlow straightened her shoulders, and she stared at me as a slow, angry rage lit her big, heartbreaking eyes. It didn’t look promising. “I’m not an idiot. I know that you never called me except for that one time, and then you were too drunk to know your own name. Don’t patronize me to make yourself feel better. I’m a big girl, and thanks to you I’m not nearly as naïve as I once was. I’ve learned a few hard lessons.” She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No. We have nothing to talk about, Grant. Talking time is over. Please, go to Nan. Enjoy her all you want. I’m not your concern, nor will I ever be.” She turned and started to walk back onto the court.

  I reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. I had to say something. I had to get her to listen to me. This whole time I thought Kiro had told her I was sleeping with Nan. I wasn’t sure where Kiro got his info or if he was just assuming it, but from what Dean had told me that was why Harlow was ignoring my calls.

  “If you didn’t know about me and Nan before, then why have you been ignoring my calls?”

  Harlow stopped and didn’t try to jerk her arm free from my grasp. She stood there, so calm. The females I knew did not deal with their emotions like this. They were loud. They yelled, screamed, and threw shit. Harlow was so unemotional.

  “You called once. You were drunk. You never called again. Now please let go of my arm. I have forty minutes left with Adam and I’d like to use my time properly.”

  “I did fucking call you. A million times! You wouldn’t answer. I called the house and got threatened by your dad. Even Dean warned me off. I thought that was what you wanted. I need to explain.”

  She spun around and the fire behind her eyes startled me. “No, Grant, you don’t. I’m a real smart girl and I’d know if I missed a call. You didn’t call.” She jerked her arm free and headed for her side of the court.

  This was not the way I had imagined this going. And I didn’t have a fucking clue how to get her to listen to me. She was so careful to protect herself. Walls had been erected between us and it felt as if they were made of steel.

  “If that is all, Mr. Carter, we need to proceed with our session,” Adam said in a businesslike tone.

  I didn’t want to do this here anyway. Not with an audience. Instead of answering, I just walked away. I didn’t know what else to do. I needed to regroup and plan what to do next. I also needed advice. Forget waiting on Rush. I was going to see Blaire.

  Harlow

  Adam acted as if nothing had happened. Even after I started missing every ball he sent my way. I couldn’t concentrate. Grant’s words were replaying over and over in my head. He was so determined to make me believe he had called me. Yet he didn’t think about the fact that his comment about sleeping with Nan was like sticking a blade through my chest. I just stopped trying. Adam stopped hitting and we stood there, staring at each other.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish today,” I told him. He didn’t need any more explanation; I knew he’d heard us. We weren’t exactly whispering.

  “I’m free for another hour and twenty minutes. Want to grab a cup of coffee?” he asked, surprising me.

  I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted. I didn’t really have a lot of friends. My books were my friends.

  “I won’t ask about what happened if you don’t want me to. I just thought coffee sounded good, and I’d like some company,” he said when I didn’t respond.

  I needed to do this. It was time I got a life. Dad had sent me here and made it impossible for me to hide in my bedroom. Staying at home meant being near Nan. “I’d like that,” I replied.

  Adam seemed relieved when he shot me a smile. “Good. I thought I might have to beg.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant by that or if he was teasing me. I waited while he used his towel to dry the small amount of sweat he’d worked up and take a long drink from his water.

  When he turned back to me I decided that I liked Adam. He was attractive and he was nice. And he hadn’t slept with Nan . . . or at least I didn’t think so.

  “Before we have coffee together, do you have any relationship at all with Nan?” I asked. I knew this was ridiculous but I was protecting myself. If he had then I was better off not spending any time with him off this court.

  Adam laughed. I guess I sounded like a child asking something like that. But I didn’t care. “No. Nan is the kind of girl I keep my distance from. She’s also messing around with August Schweep. He’s the club’s new golf pro.”

  Awesome. Grant was sleeping with her while she was sleeping with the golf pro. Ew. Just ew. “He’s not the only person she’s messing around with.”

  Adam’s eyebrows shot up. “Like I said. Not my type.”

  Yes, we could be friends.

  “Good. Not that coffee means anything. I just prefer not to waste my time with people who have had any relationship with Nan.”

  “Hate her that much?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “No. It’s just a big red flag that the person lacks something.”

  “Really? What would that be?”

  “Integrity,” I replied before snapping my mouth shut. I shouldn’t have said that.

  Adam, however, burst into laughter again.

  •

  We walked into a small café area just inside the doors on the large wraparound porch. My eyes immediately found Rush standing at what looked like the entrance to a larger dining room or restaurant. He glanced from me to Adam and raised his eyebrows slightly, then nodded a hello before turning his attention back to a guy whom I recognized from the wedding.

  “Is it okay if we get coffee in here? The dining room is packed this time of day. Or would you rather go in there and get something to eat?”

  It was lunchtime but the idea of walking in there while it was full of people didn’t sound appealing.

  “Can we get a sandwich in here?” I asked

  “Sure can.” He pulled out a chair for me. “Have a seat and I’ll grab a menu. They don’t normally bring them in here.”

  I started to tell him not to bother, that coffee was fine, but he had already headed for the door. I didn’t look to see if Rush said anything to him. I kept my attention focused on the windows overlooking the courts. Letting myself think about this too deeply would make me nervous. There was no reason to be nervous. Adam was a nice guy. He played tennis. We already had something in common.

  “I like Adam.” Rush’s voice startled me, and I turned around to see he’d walked over to my table.

  “Me, too,” I replied, wondering if he knew much about me and Grant or anything at all.

  “Nan treating you okay?”

  He would be worried about that. Rush knew more than anyone how bad it was between us. “Haven’t seen her yet. I’m avoiding her.”

  Rush smirked. “Not a bad idea.”

  “How’s Blaire and the Nate?” I asked.

  A glow touched his face and his smirk transformed into a smile. The genuine kind that you knew went deep. “They’re perfect.”

  He never was a man of many words. “I’d like to come see them.”

  “Blaire would like that. As soon as I tell her you’re here, she’ll be hunting you down.”

  That made me smile. I really liked Blaire. She was the kind of person you couldn’t help but be drawn to. “Good. I look forward to her finding me.”

  Rush glanced up and then back down at me. “I’ll let you enjoy your lunch. Don’t let Nan take control. Stiffen your spine.”

  He didn’t say any more; he just walked off. I turned to see Adam walking back into the room. He and Rush greeted each other in passing. Adam set the menu in front of me before sitting down across from me and glancing back at the door.

  When he turned back to me he looked like he was thinking about something. I decided to wait and let him build up the courage to ask me. Opening my menu, I studied the selections of salads and sandwiches.

  “So you’re friends with Rush but not Grant. Aren’t they close or b
rothers or something?”

  Ah. He was finally going to ask about the scene Grant and I had caused earlier. I wasn’t ready to give him details. We’d just met, and what had happened with Grant was too personal.

  “Rush is a friend. He has been since we were kids. Grant is someone I met a few months ago and made the mistake of trusting. That’s about it.”

  Adam nodded and then turned his attention to his menu. He was going to be satisfied with that explanation. Good. I wasn’t going to tell him more.

  Grant

  Ihad started for my truck when I noticed Rush’s Range Rover. He was here. I turned around and headed back inside while calling him to find out exactly where he was.

  “Yeah,” Rush said.

  “I see your truck. Where are you?”

  “Inside. Are you outside?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wait out there. I’ll come outside.”

  Then he hung up. What the hell? He had been in the dining room. I could hear familiar sounds in the background. Why was he leaving to come see me? Unless . . . Harlow was in there. What did he think I was going to do? Make a scene? Hell, I’d already done that on the tennis court. I needed a game plan. Not another train wreck.

  I waited on him. He was there fast. Rush walked out the door and glanced over at me with a concerned look on his face.

  “Did I beat you here?” he asked, as if he weren’t at all suspicious.

  I decided to ease his mind. “I know Harlow’s in town. I know she’s living with Nan and we’ve already had our first encounter . . . and second, actually.”

  Rush let out a relieved sigh. “Good. After your last drunk-ass rant I was worried this was going to be an issue.”

  “My only issue is she won’t let me explain. She hates me. I need advice, man. I fucked up. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. But I think . . . I think I may need to talk to Blaire.”

  Rush’s eyebrows drew together. “How’d you fuck up? Kiro was keeping her from you. That was it. Harlow is a sweet girl. I can’t imagine her hating anyone.”

  “There’s more to it than that,” I said, running my hand through my hair. I didn’t want to tell Rush that I’d been sleeping with Nan again. She was his sister, and even though she was selfish and mean as a snake, he loved her. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to me using her.

  “What more is there?”

  I thought about that. I wished he would just let me talk to Blaire. I didn’t need help from him.

  “Tell me you didn’t screw around with Nan,” he said with an exasperated sigh.

  He knew. He always figured shit out. “Yeah, some.”

  Rush shook his head and let out a hard laugh. “You’re fucked. I said Harlow doesn’t hate people, but Nan is as close as it gets for her. You need to let the Harlow thing go and move on. Ain’t no way you’re fixing that shit.”

  I wanted her to understand. I wanted her forgiveness, and I wanted her to know I cherished what she had given me. No one or nothing would ever be that special for me again. I would never forget it. Maybe it was best for both of us if that was all she was willing to do. That night when I had been inside of her, I had been shown something much deeper than I ever imagined. It scared the hell out of me.

  To love someone the way Rush loved Blaire . . . that was intense. It was controlling and it had the power to destroy you. I had seen so much heartache and pain in my life. My father had been in love more than once, and each time it had ended painfully, not only for him but for me. Love forever wasn’t something I believed in. Harlow was dangerous for me. She was the first person I had ever allowed myself to picture forever with. What if she stopped loving me one day . . . or what if I lost her? I saw the vacant look in Bethy’s eyes. The pain deep inside her. She had to wake up every day and live with it.

  “I just want her to listen to me. I don’t want anything else. I want her to know . . . that . . . that she was special. That night was special. That’s all. Nothing else. I’m not asking for a second chance. I can’t do that. I just want her forgiveness. And I can’t live with myself if she believes I took her innocence as a game. It was never a game.”

  Rush stood there staring at me as if I were speaking a different language. I was rambling. I wasn’t making sense. At least not to him. I needed to talk to Blaire, dammit.

  “You just want her to know that your fucking her meant something? Is that what I’m understanding? You don’t want anything else?”

  I flinched at his description but nodded.

  “Can I ask why?”

  The image of Bethy doubled over wailing as they lowered Jace’s body into the ground was etched in my brain. “I can’t love someone the way you love Blaire.”

  Rush cocked one of his eyebrows. “Why is that?”

  “Because it scares the hell out of me. I’m not going to be that vulnerable. I don’t want to be.”

  Rush didn’t look as if he understood, but he finally nodded his head toward his Rover. “I’m headed home. If you want Blaire’s advice then meet me there and you can tell her this crazy shit. But she isn’t going to take your side in this. I’m warning you now.”

  I didn’t expect her to. “I know.”

  “When you tell her you slept with Nan after taking Harlow’s virginity then I’d duck, because the gun will come out, and this time I’m pretty damn sure she’ll pull the trigger,” he said with an amused grin before walking out toward his truck without looking back at me.

  He was right. Blaire was going to chew my ass out. But once she got over it she’d help me, if only because she would understand that Harlow deserved it.

  •

  Thirty minutes later, Blaire was glaring at me. Her face had gone from horrified to completely pissed off. Nate had luckily crawled into her lap, otherwise I was pretty sure she’d have taken a swing at me.

  “You want me to take him, baby?” Rush asked, walking into the living room.

  “No. Leave him in her arms. I’m safer that way,” I replied.

  Rush chuckled and walked over to sit beside her. Nate went to Rush with a happy laugh and I watched my badass best friend become complete sappy mush as Nate laid a loud smacking kiss on Rush’s face. Yeah . . . that kind of love. I couldn’t do that. What if something happened to Nate? How could Rush wake up every morning?

  “I’m not like Rush. I can’t do this. This . . . life. I can’t love someone so completely that they hold my heart in their hands. I’m not that strong. I’ve had bad experiences with that kind of trust. But I care about Harlow. I let it get far with her. I let her in enough to care that I’ve hurt her. I don’t want her to be hurt. Help me, please.”

  Blaire’s angry glare softened some, and she leaned forward, not taking her eyes off me. “Why? Tell me why, Grant. What is it about what I have with Rush that you can’t take?”

  I wasn’t dredging up my past and talking about my childhood like that was a good excuse. And none of us wanted to bring up Jace. That was still too fresh. “I’m not ready for that. I would eventually hurt Harlow, and I can’t do that. I just want to get her to listen to my explanation and walk away from this as friends. She’s sweet and special and I can’t stand the idea of her thinking I used her.” Friends. That word sounded flat. If Harlow forgave me, could I live with just being friends? How was I supposed to look at her and not remember how good she felt in my arms? Was I asking for something impossible? I didn’t want to leave Rosemary. Hell, I couldn’t leave Rosemary. Someone needed to make sure Harlow survived with Nan.

  Blaire tucked a strand of her long white-blond hair behind her ear and pierced me with her steady gaze. “You don’t want her but you want her to know that what y’all did was special to you. I can understand that. It’s typical you. You don’t like hurting people.”

  “Can you tell me what to do? She hates me right now.”

  Nate reached over and tugged at Blaire’s hair and giggled happily.

  “Don’t pull Momma’s hair. We’ve gone over this, dude,” Rush said, savi
ng Blaire from another hard tug.

  Blaire thanked Rush and pressed a kiss to Nate’s head then turned back to me.

  “Let me talk to her. Then I’ll let you know when you can talk to her. Until then, stay out of Nan’s bed, especially now that Harlow’s living there.”

  “Not going there again. I’m hanging up the whiskey, too.”

  “Good, I’m tired of picking up your sorry ass from the bar,” Rush said.

  “Language,” Blaire reminded Rush.

  “Sorry,” he replied quickly.

  Blaire sighed. “Nate’s first word is going to be a four-letter one, I just know it.”

  “‘Ass’ only has three letters,” I replied.

  “The gun, man. Remember the gun. My woman comes armed,” Rush warned.

  Blaire stood up and let out a frustrated growl. “You two. I swear,” she said, reaching for Nate. “I need to go feed this guy and then it’s his naptime. I’ll call you, Grant.”

  I watched her walk out of the room.

  “Eyes off my wife’s ass,” Rush warned.

  It was the first time I’d felt like laughing all day.

  Harlow

  Lunch had been painless.

  But I wasn’t sure I was doing it again anytime soon. I just wasn’t ready to trust anyone right now. This was temporary, and as appealing as having a friend sounded, I didn’t see Adam wanting friendship. He would eventually want more.

  I left the club and headed to my car. I wasn’t in the mood for golf. I just wanted to read and escape this mess Dad had left me in. I needed to get out of Rosemary and find some public park where I could sit under a tree and read. I had two books on my e-reader I couldn’t wait to read.

  Then I spotted him. Long dark hair with just enough curl to make it look messy pulled back in a ponytail. Cowboy hat perched on his head. Blue plaid shirt pulled tightly against his broad shoulders and back as he leaned against my car with his arms crossed over his chest. Excitement bubbled up inside me, even as I wondered why he was here. I started running.