The Second Chance

by Ann Maree Craven

“You and Lena were so hopeless.” Harper laughed, a huge grin on her face. “I think I did most of that project for you guys, and I wasn’t even in bio that year.”

  “You saved our butts. We actually got a decent grade on that project.”

  “No tan for Harper that spring break.”

  We’d spent most of our time at the library that visit. But with Harper, it was still fun.

  “You remember that summer we all got jobs at the Corolla Horse Sanctuary?” That was before Conrad took it over. It was nothing like it was today.

  “Now, that was a great summer.” She sighed wistfully.

  “No, it was not.” I snorted into my coffee. “I spent that whole summer mucking out stalls and dealing with bad tempered horses while you two got to play tour guides. It was so not fair.”

  “But the wild horses were beautiful. That reminds me, I need to talk with Conrad about doing a feature for the paper. I’d love to see what he’s done with the place.” Harper added a note to her enormous to-do list. She’d always been a list person. I knew if I went to look over her shoulder, she would have a list of lists.

  “Yeah, you and Lena got to give boat tours around the island so tourists could get a good look at the horses. Meanwhile, I got to work with the cranky old vet, taking care of the sick horses. You have any idea how hard a wild horse can kick when he’s in a stall he’s not used to?”

  “But you have to admit, that was the best summer because we got to spend so much time together with just the three of us.”

  “That part was pretty great,” I relented. “I just could have done with a lot less horse poop.”

  “I miss those days.”

  “Me too. Growing up sucks.” I leaned back in my chair, trying to focus on the task she’d given me. There had to be at least twenty articles here. When did she have time to do all of this?

  “You interviewed the mayor, Rusty McGreggor, and the school superintendent? Harps, when did you sleep?”

  “I interviewed the mayor and I wrote up the article on Rusty. Stevie did the one for the school. That kid is smart.”

  “She’s the best.” I smiled, thinking of all the times I’d worked with Stevie at the community center. That kid was a riot.

  “You know her?”

  “Oh, yeah, in passing. You know small towns. Everyone knows everybody around here.” I leaned over the article on Rusty and fixed a small typo in the third line. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want Harper to know about my work at the center. It was just something I liked doing with my time.

  We worked quietly for a while, falling into an easy silence. It was comfortable being with Harper. Just like when we were young, there was no pressure to fill awkward silences. We were just … us.

  I scooted back from my desk. “I don’t know if this is any good, but I finished proofing your main articles for the front page.”

  “Perfect.” She grabbed the hard copies from me. “I was just about to start plugging these into the layout. Cross your fingers it all fits without too much fussing.”

  “Fingers crossed.” I stood to stretch and went to make us some fresh coffee. I watched her while she worked, a small frown puckering her brow. She still looked like the girl I fell in love with when I was barely old enough to think girls were cute.

  I rubbed at the ache in my chest, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. I added a pack of sugar and a splash of cream to hers before I even considered if her tastes had changed.

  “Fresh coffee?” I moved behind her and sat the mug on her desk.

  “Thanks,” she murmured, her eyes darting across the screen before she leaned back. “There! What do you think?” She tilted her head back to look at me.

  “Is this the new front page?” I leaned closer on the pretense of checking out her work, but I really just wanted to see if her hair still smelled like pomegranates.

  It did. And that scent took me back in an instant. “It looks great, Harps.” My voice came out all hoarse and raspy. “The town will love it.”

  “I hope so.” She sighed, sipping her coffee. She swiveled her chair around to face me. “Tell me something, Carter,” she began, her voice sounding just as raspy as mine, “why is it my soon-to-be ex-husband could never remember the color of my eyes, and here we are, a decade passed since we’ve seen each other, and you remember how I like my coffee?” She peered up at me with her big green eyes. Eyes I could never forget.

  “Clearly, the man is an idiot.” I smiled, taking a sip of my coffee. “I remember everything about you. Maybe he just never grasped the way your eyes change with your moods. Sometimes, they’re so green it’s like staring into a meadow. Other times, they’re a stormy, dark green, with flecks of brown. And when you’re really happy, they’re this beautiful crisp, clear green.”

  Harper’s breath caught as she bit her lip. “Garret and I used to make a great team. We were happy. Ambitious and so laser focused on the same things.” She shook her head. “But somewhere along the way, I got lost.”

  “Why did you marry him?” It was a question I’d longed to ask her for years. News of her wedding had come out of nowhere. I knew she’d dated guys in college. I’d dated plenty of girls myself, but back then I was so sure we’d reconnect after college. That our lives would come together so easily when the time was right. Then, all of a sudden, she married some older man who couldn’t have known her like I did.

  Harper took a deep breath, leaning her head back against her chair. “I was young and stupid.” She shrugged. “He was the handsome, older man from the right family, with the right background. My parents loved him. When Garret and I got engaged, my mother and I grew closer. For once, she approved of my life choices. I was happy. Then. And Garret was my boss. Our lives and schedules fit together. We wanted the same things … until we didn’t.”

  “He hurt you.” I didn’t need to hear the details. I could see it in her eyes. I moved to sit on her desk, pulling her chair close when she nodded.

  “Not in a physical way, or even emotional. It’s more like he disappointed me. And eventually, I got complacent, going through the motions of our marriage. I was focused on work. When I caught him kissing another woman … it shocked me.”

  “I’m sure that was painful.” I could kill the stupid jerk for putting that look on her face.

  “No, that’s just it, Carter. It wasn’t painful. It was a wakeup call. It should have broken my heart, but it didn’t.”

  “So, what’s next for Harper Chapman?” I asked, trying not to let myself hope. I didn’t want to hope for her marriage to end. I didn’t want to be that guy.

  “That’s the hard part. I don’t know.” She leaned forward, taking my hand. “I’m still kind of lost. I guess that’s why I’m here, trying to resurrect a dead newspaper. I need time to figure out what the next chapter of my life is going to look like.”

  “And Garret?”

  “It’s over with him. I won’t go back to a loveless marriage.” Her eyes shone with such sadness I wanted to erase it.

  I squeezed her hand, and before I could stop myself, I was kissing her. The last ten years melted away, and I marveled at how familiar her lips still felt against mine. Her hands lifted to rest against my chest, sliding up to my shoulders.

  Harper pushed her chair back, breaking the kiss.

  I could see the panic in her eyes.

  Stupid. She’s not ready for that, you idiot.

  “Thanks for all your help.” She turned back to her computer screen, her hands shaking. “I can take it from here. I’m almost done, so I’ll be heading out soon anyway.”

  “I’m sorry, Harps.” I slid off the desk, not sure what just happened or how to fix it.

  “It’s fine. I just really need to focus on my work, Carter.”

  “Okay. I’ll, uh, leave you to it.” I couldn’t force my presence on her if she needed to be alone. I made a beeline for the door, making sure to lock it behind me.

  As I walked to my car, I called the local police precinct an
d asked them to have a car come by to check on Harper and offer an escort to her car when she was ready to go. It wasn’t my place, but even in our worst moments, we were always friends. And friends watched out for each other.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Well, Garret worked fast. I stared down at the manilla envelope in my lap, knowing exactly what rested inside the wide pocket. They must have already been ready when he called, and I hadn’t even known. For a moment, I wondered what he thought when he looked at them.

  Did he really miss me? Or was he only worried what this would do to his image?

  The truth was, things like this never touched a guy like that or what people thought of him. It was the woman who took the reputation hit while the man rolled onto the next mistake he’d get away with. While me … I shook my head. It didn’t matter to me what people in that world said or thought.

  Or it shouldn’t.

  I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, unable to lift my eyes from the envelope. It was early, too early to be sitting in my car outside my old friend’s place, but my nerves were completely shot, and I needed someone who wouldn’t judge me for once.

  Lena was the only girlfriend I’d ever had who never criticized, always listened. We might barely know each other anymore, but when I woke up this morning, I knew I needed her.

  The night before last had played on repeat for the last twenty-four hours. Once Stevie stopped by before going to the printer’s, I went home and promptly crashed, sleeping for a full sixteen hours. I’d been awake since then.

  And today, my first issue of the Weekly Wine would hit newsstands—metaphorically, that was. Superiore Bay didn’t actually have any newsstands. What if people hated it? I knew we did a good job, and this edition was something I was proud of. But I also had no idea if anyone here even wanted news other than juicy gossip about their neighbors.

  A tapping on my window reminded me where I was. Lena stood there in her faded blue pajama shorts and tank top that had holes in the hem. Her dark hair was a mess. She hadn’t changed, and the thought made me smile.

  I opened my car door, ready to explain why I was here and have an adult, rational conversation about everything that was on my mind. Because we were adults, for wine’s sake.

  “I kissed Carter,” I practically yelled, the words exploding out of me. So much for adult and rational.

  Lena stared at me for a long moment before turning on her heel and heading for the bunkhouse she and her brother had converted into a small apartment. I wasn’t sure what to make of her retreat until she hollered back over her shoulder. “Are you coming? We’re both going to need coffee for this conversation.”

  I scrambled after her, following her through the swinging door into the tiny apartment. It had a two-butt kitchen and a living room that was small but looked so comfortable with a plush brown couch and big screen TV. Everywhere I turned were haphazard decorations, like someone had made an effort but wanted comfort more than beauty.

  It was perfect. The penthouse I’d had in Boston felt cold in comparison.

  Lena walked into the kitchen and fiddled with an ancient-looking coffeemaker. It sputtered to life.

  Enzo walked out of one of the bedrooms wearing loose jeans, a dark sleeveless shirt, and a ball cap. I could only stare because Lena’s little brother got hot.

  He’d only been a year younger than us, but back when we were teenagers that seemed like a lifetime. Now, he looked … well, good was an understatement. All tanned skin and dark hair sticking out around the edges of a Red Sox hat.

  He paused when he noticed me there. “Good morning.” His voice was so much deeper than I remembered.

  “No flirting, Enzo.” Lena rolled her eyes. “This is Harper. Carter’s Harper.”

  “I’m not Carter’s Harper,” I muttered.

  Lena gave me a look. “Says the girl who kissed him.”

  “Lena!”

  “Enzo won’t tell anyone. He’d have to have friends to tell people.”

  Enzo only laughed at the barb. “Good to see you again, Harper. Glad you got my sister out of bed. I need to get out to the orchard. Some of us who aren’t businesspeople now still have to work at the crack of dawn.”

  Lena shoved him away, and he was still chuckling as he walked out the door.

  When the coffee was done, she handed me a mug and led me into the living room. I sank into her deep couch with a sigh, letting my entire body relax, the tension easing as it always had in Lena’s presence.

  “So,” she started, sipping her coffee. “I was like half asleep when Enzo woke me up to say there was some girl sitting in her car outside. But you kissing Carter, that made me wake up real quick.”

  I groaned and set my coffee on the table in front of the couch. “Technically, he kissed me. I didn’t kiss him back.”

  “Why not?”

  I gaped at her. “Are you serious? For a million reasons.”

  She smiled. “Okay, but it’s Carter. Isn’t he the guy you once told me all reason flies out the window for?”

  I did remember saying that. But I was sixteen at the time.

  Lena wasn’t finished. “Do you remember your first summer here?”

  I nodded.

  “You were so uptight, so shy and reasonable. We adopted you. Carter saw you sitting by yourself on the boardwalk with a book in your lap and decided we needed you.” She bumped my shoulder. “And he was right. We got to keep you for years after that but only for summers and the occasional spring break. Then, we lost you.”

  I shifted my eyes away. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want you to apologize. That’s not my point.”

  “What is your point? I know I hurt him, that I made a giant mistake I regretted for a long time.”

  Lena set her coffee down and took my hand. “Harper, we were the kind of friends one doesn’t forget. I like to think even after years apart nothing has changed.”

  I smiled at that. “I want that so much.”

  “Then, I need to tell you something about Carter.” She drew in a breath. “He’s going to murder me, but here it goes. He waited for you to come back. For the first couple years of college, he was convinced you two would reconnect when the time was right. I had to hear about it every time he called me, but then it was less and less, until he didn’t mention you at all. I wasn’t sure what happened.

  “After that, he started dating again, but I can’t remember him ever being serious with anyone. Most of the women glommed onto him because he was an Ashford heir. The day he heard you were coming back, he looked so shell shocked I wasn’t sure he believed it until he saw you for himself.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?” I couldn’t hardly stand knowing how much he’d held on to me when I’d forced myself to let him go with a vicious finality.

  “Because Carter is my favorite person in the entire world—don’t tell my boyfriend.” She laughed. “And I know from experience that the best things happen when you stop being reasonable.”

  There was that word again. “You and Conner …”

  A grin lit up her face. “We definitely defy all reason. We make no sense, and yet falling in love with him is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  I couldn’t breathe. “I can’t …” I came back to Superiore Bay to find myself, not to find Carter.

  “You have another reason for hesitating.”

  I held up the big envelope I clutched tightly in my right hand. “I got these today.”

  She took the envelope from me. “Do you want me to open this for you?”

  I nodded.

  Her thumb dipped below the metal clasp, and she worked it free until the flap tilted up. Reaching her hand in, she pulled out the papers that said Petition for Divorce at the top.

  I sucked in a breath. “You wondered what happened when Carter was two years into college … my parents introduced me to Garret. We announced our engagement three months later.”

  A sad understanding dawned in Lena’s eye
s. “I never followed news from Boston, and he never told me. I didn’t know you’d married until afterward when I ran into your grandmother.” She paused. “Can I ask you a question?”

  I nodded, my eyes still on the papers.

  “Do you still love him? Is that why you’re hesitant to sign these?”

  “Of course not.” The answer came so quickly she had to believe me. “It’s just … this is a divorce, Lena. It’s a big deal. I’m going to be a divorcée.”

  “Who cares?”

  “Everyone. My parents are humiliated.”

  “Screw them.”

  “Lena!” That was so unlike her.

  “I’m sorry, but what does it matter? Divorce shmivorce. What matters is that you don’t have to stay in a marriage you don’t want. Your happiness matters more than some arbitrary reputation.”

  I leaned my head on her shoulder. “I wish the rest of the world was like you.”

  “You’ve just been part of the wrong world. Here in Superiore Bay, we enjoy our juicy gossip, but we don’t judge. When you’re here, you’re part of the community, and we protect our community.”

  It was one of the reasons Superiore Bay had such a rivalry with Hidden Cove. Others thought it was ridiculous vanity, but really, it was pride. I’d always envied that about the people here. They had a fierce loyalty.

  Taking the papers from Lena, I started reading through them. Garret and I had a prenup which made everything infinitely easier. We were each leaving with what was our own. I didn’t want anything in Boston, and whatever Garret was, he was an honest man. He wouldn’t try to screw me.

  Lena sat patiently at my side as I skimmed over everything, and then she retrieved a black ball point pen. I scrawled my name at the bottom next to Garret’s and initialed where it told me to.

  By the time Lena had to get ready to head to the worksite for her new business, I felt infinitely better than I had. She had that effect on me.

  I stopped by the post office on my way back to my grandma’s and mailed the divorce papers, letting go of all the fears that were attached to them. The whole process was underwhelming and kind of numbing, but I still didn’t think twice about my decision.