Her Second Chance Forever Groom

by Lorana Hoopes

  “I’m Mia Conrad. We have an appointment for Carter Conrad,” Mia said when they approached the check-in desk.

  The woman smiled at them and then looked up their appointment. “Yes, you’re all checked in. Dr. Goodwin will be with you soon.”

  “Is this going to hurt, Mommy?” Carter asked as they sat down. Mia’s heart broke at the fear in his voice, and though she could lie to him, she wasn’t going to.

  “I don’t know, honey, but what I do know is that this will make the pain you’ve been feeling in your leg stop. That’s good, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” But his eyes dropped to the floor.

  “Hey, after this, how about you pick out the tree from the lot?” Emmitt asked. “Any tree you want.”

  Carter glanced up at him. “And decorations?”

  “You bet. We have to deck the place out good.”

  Though Carter perked up a little at that, Mia could still sense the cloud of fear hanging around him, see the weight of it pressing in on his small shoulders. When would they catch a break?

  Emmitt couldn’t imagine the anxiety coursing through Mia, though he could see it on her guarded expression as she stared out the window. Carter wasn’t even his kid and he was worried. The doctor had suggested ten weeks of chemotherapy before the surgery to remove the tumor and then another five weeks of chemo after. Plus, there would be the side effects of chemo to deal with—nausea, vomiting, mouth sores. None of it sounded fun to Emmitt, but he was determined to cheer them both up.

  He pulled into The Christmas Store, which was a store that specialized in Christmas offerings year-round. Emmitt had no idea how they stayed in business the other ten months of the year, but he was glad they existed today.

  “Let’s go get a tree,” he announced, forcing cheer into his voice. Perhaps if he could fake it enough, it would rub off on all of them.

  The somber mood lasted until they stepped inside the building. Then Carter’s eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  Even Mia appeared speechless as she gazed in wonder at the store. The front was filled with artificial trees of all kinds. Along the walls were rows and rows of ornaments and upstairs was filled with trains and miniature villages, stockings, and cards. “This is…”

  “Magical, right?” Emmitt smiled at her, remembering their last Christmas together. He’d been so close to buying her a ring that year, but his so-called friends—the other players on his college team—had told him to wait. They had warned him that pro football was different, that he might have to move across the country, that a long-distance relationship would never last, that he didn’t want to settle until he knew what was really out there. And he had listened to them. He had let their stupid words fester in his brain until they felt true, and he hadn’t bought the ring. Instead he’d bought her a leather-bound sketch book—still something she enjoyed but not the gift he should have given her.

  She caught his eye and smiled. It was still guarded, but he wondered if she were remembering past Christmases. Ones when it actually snowed and they chased each other around his yard and built giant snowmen. Others where it was cold but the snow refused to fall and they would sit by his fireplace and stare out the large bay window sipping hot chocolate. He hadn’t had a Christmas like that since he left. Now, his Christmases were either a quick trip to Florida where his parents lived or games. He didn’t even think he’d put up a tree in the last five years.

  “Let’s pick a tree first,” Carter said, eyeing the forest before them. He might have had a cast on, but he was still quick when he wanted to be, and he took off down the right side of trees. “I want a giant one,” he shouted back to them.

  “Thank you for doing this,” Mia said as they followed in his wake.

  “You’re welcome. I only wish I could do more.” And then he realized he could. He turned to her and grabbed her hands before he thought about it. “Mia, the guest house is yours for as long as you need it. Even if you finish the job earlier, feel free to stay as long as you need to.”

  Her eyes caught his and then fell to their clasped hands. “Emmitt, I…”

  “No, I’m serious. No one uses the guest house, so it’s yours, and it would be cheaper than flying back and forth for treatment.”

  “Mom, Emmitt, come see this one,” Carter called to them, and just like that, the spell was broken.

  Mia pulled her hands out of his grip and headed toward Carter. “Thank you, Emmitt. We’ll see.”

  He hated the expression on her face, the distrust she still held for him, though he couldn’t blame her. Even more, he hated that he had made her that way, and he wondered if he would ever be able to redeem his actions of five years ago.

  Chapter 12

  Mia watched Emmitt struggle with the enormous tree. She should probably offer to help, but it was much more entertaining watching him wrestle the monstrous beast Carter had picked out. It had to be nearly eight feet tall and at least three feet around. It was a good thing it was an artificial tree because Mia couldn’t imagine the cleanup from all those needles had it been a real tree.

  “No one help me here,” Emmitt teased. “I’ve got this all under control.”

  Across the room, Carter giggled from his perch on the couch. Bags of ornaments surrounded him, and he pulled them out one by one and snipped off the tags. “It looks like the tree ate you.”

  “I hope not,” Emmitt said as he pushed the tree into the final position and stepped back. “I don’t think I’d taste very good.” He plugged in the cord and the lights on the tree came to life.

  “It’s so pretty,” Carter said. “Can we hang the ornaments now?”

  “We can, but let’s move them a little closer so you don’t have to walk so far.” Emmitt gathered the bags and placed them closer to the tree and then fished out the package of hooks. “Want to help us, Mia?”

  A million reasons as to why she shouldn’t flooded her mind. How many times had she done this with Emmitt and imagined their future together? Imagined the sound of Christmas music filling the air and the two of them dancing around the tree in their socks and pajamas. Imagined him lifting their son or daughter up to place the angel on top of the tree. Too many times for sure, but those were different times. Tonight was about making Carter happy, so she agreed.

  There was no music playing, but Mia could almost forget about Carter’s cancer as she watched him hobble to the tree and hang his ornaments. He had always loved Christmas and loved decorating their much smaller tree at home, but his favorite thing had always been opening gifts. She wondered what she would get him this year as she had no money. Would it be awful if she asked Emmitt for an advance to buy Carter a few gifts? Surely, he would understand the reason for it. She would ask him tonight once Carter was asleep.

  It took them nearly an hour but finally the tree was fully decorated, and while it wasn’t beautiful in the traditional sense—Carter had a tendency to place a lot of ornaments in the same spot, leaving other large patches bare—it was beautiful to her.

  “Want to put the angel on top?” Emmitt asked Carter.

  Carter nodded and grabbed the golden angel. “Be careful,” Mia said as Emmitt bent to lift him. Though she knew from his well-defined shoulders and biceps that he was probably strong enough, fears of Carter falling and breaking another bone rushed through her mind.

  “I’ll be careful. I promise,” Emmitt said. With ease, he scooped Carter up and held him in place until the angel was situated. Then he returned him to the ground just as softly. It was the perfect picture Mia had always imagined it would be, and it pulled at her heartstrings.

  “Okay, buddy, let’s get you to bed,” Mia said. It wasn’t that far past his bedtime, but she needed to break up this family picture before she said something she might regret later.

  “Aw, Mom, do I have to?”

  “Yes, you have to. I need you to get some good sleep tonight before your first treatment tomorrow.”

&nb
sp; “Okay,” he said with a sigh. “Night, Mr. Emmitt.”

  “Night, buddy. We’ll hang out again tomorrow before your appointment.” He ruffled Carter’s hair and the boy turned adoring eyes up at him.

  Oh, dear. Mia had been hoping not to see this bond develop. Yes, she wanted a man in Carter’s life, but she wanted someone he could look up to. Someone who would be around while he was growing up. And that someone was definitely not Emmitt. She should have thought this through better. She should have known that Emmitt, with his charming smile and house of toys, would have been like candy to a kid such as Carter who had none.

  “I’m going to put him to bed, but then can we talk for a minute?” Mia asked Emmitt.

  “Sure. I’ll be in the living room. Join me whenever you’re ready.”

  Mia nodded and escorted Carter out of the main house.

  “Mr. Emmitt is awful nice, isn’t he, Mom?” Carter asked as they entered his room.

  Mia pursed her lips together as she thought about how to answer him. “He is, buddy, but Emmitt’s job keeps him busy a lot of the time. In fact, he’ll probably have a game coming up soon, so don’t be surprised if he isn’t around as much when that happens.”

  The movers had arrived earlier, but they hadn’t unpacked the boxes and in all the commotion, Mia had forgotten to do it as well. She opened the boxes and began searching for a pair of jammies for Carter.

  “Can we watch him play some time?” Carter asked, stifling a yawn.

  “Maybe, but we’re not really here to watch Emmitt. We’re here for me to work and you to get better.” Nope, this one was more stuffed animals. He would want those tomorrow, but she wouldn’t mention them now or he would have a fit searching for every stuffed animal until he found them all.

  “But can’t we do both?” He sat on the bed and Mia saw the dark circles under his eyes. He needed sleep. She opened the next box. Bingo.

  Thankfully, the movers had packed the clothes nicely instead of just throwing them in a box—Mia wondered how much extra Emmitt had paid for that service—and a pair of matching jammies lay right on top. “We’ll see, bud,” she said as she helped him out of his clothes and into the pajamas.

  “I think it would be cool if Mr. Emmitt were my new dad,” he said as his head hit the pillow. “Do you think you might ever marry him?”

  What did she say to that? Did she tell Carter she had planned to marry Emmitt? That she had thought out their wedding down to the type of cake and the first song they would dance to? That she had imagined herself at every game of his, cheering him on? Of course she didn’t. That would be too much for his four-year-old brain to handle. Heck, it was too much for her twenty-five-year-old brain sometimes.

  “I think I could marry someone like him,” she said instead. “If God sends the right man to me.”

  Carter’s eyes closed and his hand curled under his pillow. Mia watched him for a moment. In this bed, he didn’t look sick. He looked content and happy. If only she could keep him like this forever. His eyes popped open and focused on her. “Maybe He already has,” he said sleepily and then his eyes shut again.

  Mia waited for him to say more, but the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest told her he had drifted off to dreamland. Was Carter right? Was God giving her and Emmitt another chance? No, this was business and nothing more. She needed to remember that. He was her boss, not her boyfriend, and she was about to ask him for an advance.

  Emmitt sat in the living room waiting for Mia to return. What did she want to talk to him about? Was it possible that she was walking down memory lane like he was? Had she felt the electricity between them earlier as he had? The soft pad of a footfall grabbed his attention, and he looked up to see her in the doorway.

  Her face held a conflicted expression, and he wondered what was going on in her head. “Hey, come on in. Do you want anything to drink?”

  “No, I’m good,” she said, shaking her head. “This won’t take long.” She crossed the room to the chair across from him and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them a moment. “I need to ask you something.”

  “Sure, anything.” He scooted toward the edge of the chair to lean closer to her.

  “Well, I know I haven’t started yet, but Christmas is less than a week away, and I really want to get Carter something. However, as you know, I have no money. Do you think I could get a small advance? Just enough to buy him a gift?”

  Emmitt had not been expecting those words. Nor had he thought about the fact that Mia might not have enough money to buy presents for Carter. It was sobering to say the least. “Yes, of course, and I’d be happy to purchase a few gifts as well.” He was already making a list of everything he would love to get the boy.

  Mia held up her hand and shook her head. “No, that won’t be necessary. Today was great, but I can’t let you spoil him. It would make it even worse when we go home and he has to go back to our little house without all of this.” She waved her hand around the room.

  “What if you don’t?” Emmitt asked.

  “What if I don’t what?” Her eyes locked on his, and Emmitt felt his courage wane. Was this what he wanted? He should be sure before he offered. It wouldn’t be fair to do this to her again.

  But he was sure. He’d been almost positive when he’d seen her for the first time back in Kempton, and today had solidified that feeling. He wanted Mia back in his life. And Carter too. He wanted a family. “What if you don’t go back?”

  He grabbed her hands and stood, pulling her up beside him. “What if you stay? What if we try again? I was wrong to leave last time, Mia. I was weak and confused and I let others’ opinions sway my own. But, I’ve been on my own for the last few years, and I’ve hated it. Being with you these last few days has made me realize how much I want this. You. Carter. A family. What if God brought us back together so we could have a second chance?”

  Something flickered in her eyes. Surprise? Confusion? Joy? He couldn’t tell. “Emmitt, I…”

  He needed to show her—to convince her that he’d changed. He pulled her closer and lowered his face to kiss her, but before he could, she placed a finger on his lips.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Emmitt. You’re my boss right now, and I should focus on that.”

  Right. Boss. He had thought she was feeling something too, but she was just doing her job. He’d lost his chance with her. He dropped her hands and took a step back. “You’re right, of course. I’ll be happy to give you an advance of whatever you need.”

  “Thank you,” Mia said. “I’ll list what we need to purchase tomorrow so I can get started for you.”

  Emmitt nodded and watched her walk toward the doorway. “Mia?” She turned and looked at him. “Will you and Carter at least come to my game on Christmas Eve? I have box seats and no one to ever use them. It would mean a lot if you would watch me play.”

  A small smile pulled at her lips. “We’ll see.” And then she was gone.

  Emmitt sank down into the chair and dropped his head into his hands. Right now, he hated DJ for pushing them to do this ‘no regrets’ pact. True, he had apologized for his regret, but now he was seeing what he could have had—what he threw away—and realizing that he would never get that. At least not with Mia. And Emmitt thought that realization might be worse than any regret he might have had. Because this regret would never change.

  Chapter 13

  A sigh escaped Mia’s lips as she stared at the list she had created. She needed to unpack their things, purchase the supplies she would need to do the rooms for Emmitt, and take Carter to his appointment that afternoon. It felt like more than she could do in a week, much less a day.

  “Can I have cereal again, Mom?”

  Mia smiled at Carter, who had hobbled into the kitchen and stood staring at her in his too small train pajamas. Clothes. She needed to buy him clothes as well. “Of course, bud.” She took a bowl down from the cupboard and filled it with cereal. “Do you think you could unpack some of your bo
xes today while I’m working?” she asked as she grabbed the milk from the fridge and filled the bowl.

  “By myself?” Carter asked.

  “Yes, by yourself. I need to get some work done for Emmitt today, and I won’t have time.”

  “Maybe Mr. Emmitt would help me unpack,” Carter said excitedly. “Then we could get done quicker and play games.”

  “I don’t think Mr. Emmitt has time to do that. He has a game he needs to start preparing for.” She set the bowl down in front of him and then filled her mug with coffee before sitting down.

  “We could at least ask,” Carter grumbled as he shoved the spoon into the bowl.

  Mia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a knock sounded at the door. Emmitt? It had to be as she knew no one else here.

  She opened the door to find not only Emmitt but Anton and a pretty brunette.

  “Oh, good, I was hoping we wouldn’t wake you,” Emmitt said. “Can we come in?”

  “Um, sure.” Mia held the door open and stepped back. What were they doing here and who was the woman? She was glad she had gotten dressed before making her coffee this morning.

  “Mr. Emmitt, do you want to help me unpack this morning?” Carter asked.

  “Carter,” Mia began, but Emmitt cut her off.

  “That would be great. How about Mr. Anton and I help you guys get settled here and Kris here can help your mom with decorating?”

  “Hi, I’m Kris with a K. It’s short for Kristina,” the woman said, stepping forward and holding out her hand. “Also known as Anton’s better half.”

  “Hah, you wish, woman,” Anton said with an affectionate smile. It was clear these two were dating.

  “Um, nice to meet you,” Mia said, returning the shake. “I appreciate the offer, Emmitt, but I should probably unpack myself.”

  “Nonsense, Mia. You have a lot on your plate already. Let us help you. It’s what friends are for.”