The Second Chance

by Ann Maree Craven

  “I know.”

  She was silent for a beat. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being there for him.” She paused. “For coming home.”

  The nurse left Carter’s room as I stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, the phone still pressed to my ear.

  Carter’s eyes slid open, and as much as I knew he needed to rest, I couldn’t help smiling when I saw those beautiful gray orbs land on me.

  To Lena, I said, “There’s nowhere else I could be.”

  And I meant every word.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Lena sounded skeptical, but I came home from the hospital days ago. Sure, I was still sore, and the headaches came and went, but I wanted to do this.

  “I’m fine, Lena.”

  I had a plan.

  Lifting my eyes to the sky, I smiled as I realized what a clear night it was going to be.

  “But taking a boat out in the dark. Carter—”

  “I can find my way out there with my eyes shut.” The boat trip from Superiore Bay to the Corolla Sanctuary was simple and straight forward. Plus, the ferry didn’t run late, and we wouldn’t be coming back until after dark.

  What even Lena didn’t know was that I spent the last few years hiding out at Conrad’s whenever my dad decided I was his verbal punching bag of the week.

  “It’s actually safer than all the times I’ve taken the boat to meet you after dark because I don’t have to navigate the rocky shore.” The island sanctuary sat far out into the bay, and its shores were made up of sandy beaches instead of the mainland’s rocky terrain.

  Lena crossed her arms. “I just … I’m worried about you.”

  I put a hand on each shoulder. “And I’m grateful you are. Someone had to be all these years, but I’ll be fine.” I finished loading the supplies onto the boat.

  I had a plan for tonight, a plan that started with a favor. “Just don’t—"

  “Tell Conner.” She rolled her eyes. “I know.”

  “I’m not going to tell you to keep stuff from him. Give me a lead first, though. If you wait till after I’ve gone, he can’t stop me.”

  “You’re nuts. You realize that, right?”

  I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “And you love me for it.”

  “Hey, guys.” Harper dug her hands deep into her pockets as she stood on the dock and rocked back on her heels. “Why did I have to meet you at the Bay Club?” She looked around like it was somewhere she didn’t belong, but her family must have belonged to some kind of yacht club in Boston.

  Lena glanced between us. “Well, I’m out. Just don’t die, Carter. Please. And don’t kill Harper.” She squeezed Harper’s arm on her way by.

  Harper lifted a brow. “And why am I possibly dying?”

  “We’re going for a drive.” I gestured to the small boat I stood in.

  “In that?”

  “Of course.”

  Her lips pursed. “Is now the moment to tell you I’m not really a boat person?”

  “Of course you are. Everyone is a boat person.” We’d spent hours upon hours as teenagers out on my family’s yachts, jet skis, and even the ferry.

  Her eyes focused on her feet. “I haven’t been on one since I left here.”

  “Well, now’s the time to change that.”

  Her gaze lifted to the horizon, where the sun was preparing to sink below the waterline. “Isn’t it going to be dark soon?”

  “We’ll be fine. It’s a short trip.” I lifted a hand toward her. “Are these just excuses, or do you really not want to come?”

  To my surprise, she put her hand in mine. “Fine, but like Lena said, don’t kill me.”

  A grin spread across my face as I helped her aboard and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We’ll be fine.”

  I couldn’t wait to show her my surprise. Ever since I got out of the hospital, all Harper had talked about was how my brother refused to give her an interview for the paper. Now was her chance.

  “Put this on.” I threw her a hideous orange life vest and slipped one over my head.

  She laughed as she buckled hers. “We look hot.”

  I glanced back at her with a smile before untying us and pushing off from the dock. It only took a few minutes to get through the no-wake zone of the yacht club before heading out into the bay.

  Warm wind whipped the hair back from my face as Harper moved to the front of the boat. Color rose in her cheeks, and her hair floated on the wind, but it was the smile I couldn’t keep out of my mind.

  I wanted to tell her right then, to yell the truth over the wind that I remembered everything we’d said to each other since she returned, everything we’d done. That our kiss was the single best moment I’ve had in ten years, even though my timing was terrible.

  But I didn’t.

  This was a moment I couldn’t bear to break.

  I slowed as we neared the island, making the familiar path to the beach nearest Conrad’s house. It would still be a bit of a hike, but it was worth it.

  “Hold on,” I yelled as I cut the engine. The boat slowed, but if we didn’t want to jump out in the water, we’d have to beach it. My family didn’t understand why I favored the smaller boats, barely larger than a dinghy, to the yachts we owned, but it was because in them, I could go anywhere I wanted.

  I rocked forward as the front of the boat hit sand and then jumped out into ankle deep water and pulled it up the rest of the way, using the momentum of the water.

  Harper watched me with wide eyes. “Do that a lot?”

  “A few times.” At least I’d worn sandals. Last time, I had on sneakers and had to suffer through soaking wet feet for hours.

  Harper jumped out onto the sand before I could help her, unbuckling her life vest and throwing it back onto the boat. “You sure this will be okay here?”

  “Who will steal it? The horses?” I tossed my own vest and pointed to the narrow horse path. “Come on, let’s go.” I wanted to make it to Conrad’s before it got too dark.

  The hike took us about twenty minutes of walking through thick brush and narrow paths. The island was wild and overgrown, home only to a herd of horses and one man.

  “I forgot how beautiful this place was.” There was a reverence in Harper’s tone that made me smile. I loved it out here and hadn’t realized how much I wanted her to feel the same.

  Conrad’s small rustic cottage sat at the top of a grassy hill. The barns, outbuildings, and visitors center sat on the other side of that hill, but from here it looked like my brother had the whole island to himself.

  As we crested the hill and rounded to the back of the house, Conrad stepped out of the barn, bucket in hand, and froze when he saw us.

  “Hey, bro.” I smiled brightly as I approached. “You remember Harper.”

  “The reporter,” he said. The statement wasn’t kind or unkind. It just was. Like my brother.

  “Hey.” Harper rushed forward. “This place has changed a lot since I worked here, but it’s incredible. I love the new visitors center. And the barns have been rebuilt.” She turned to me. “Is this the surprise? You got your brother to agree to an interview?”

  “Yes?” My question was directed to the unsuspecting Conrad.

  A scowl darkened Conrad’s face, so I quickly spoke again.

  “He was so concerned for me after the accident that he couldn’t deny me the one thing I’ve ever asked him for.”

  “You actually ask for a lot,” Conrad grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “Yes, but this is the first thing since I almost died. Call it my almost-dead wish.”

  Harper’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t know we were coming, did you?” She turned an accusing glare on me.

  I shrugged. “He’s not going to say no. Are you, brother?”

  Conrad scrubbed a hand across his face. “Fine. Get inside, both of you.”

  Harper’s face brightened. “You won’t regret thi
s. I promise. It’ll be completely painless.”

  “Doubt that.” Conrad followed us into his house.

  I made sure he couldn’t see my smile. He might growl and grumble about us being here, but this would be good for him.

  The interview wasn’t quite as painless as I’d promised. Harper asked a lot of questions. By the end of it, Conrad looked completely spent and practically shoved us out the door. He didn’t question if I could get us back safely in the dark. Conrad knew me better than that.

  Once he slammed the door behind us, a giddy laugh escaped Harper. “This is going to be the best article we’ve had in the Weekly Wine. This place … it’s so amazing, even more so than I thought. Everything Conrad is doing to help these horses, to take care of them, it’s wonderful.”

  She looked so happy, so content, all I could do was stare at her.

  When she turned to face me, there was a half-smile on her face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I’m just … Carter … that was—” She jumped toward me without warning, her lips brushing mine with the barest of touches.

  “What was that for?”

  Her eyes shifted between mine. “Thank you.”

  “Well, if we’re thanking each other …” I dipped my head, capturing her lips and savoring what I’d wanted for weeks, years—what I dreamed about. My kiss was a question. I demanded nothing from her.

  And this time, she didn’t pull away.

  My arms slid around her back, tugging her closer, fitting her against me like a lost piece that I hadn’t been able to find in so many years. I breathed her in, letting her invade every sense, every cell. But I refused to push her into anything more.

  Because she was Harper. She’d always been the only girl I ever loved. Whether she was here or in Boston, married or not, every part of me wanted every part of her.

  I cupped her face. Slowly, the kiss turned into a torturous, languishing moment until she smiled against my lips.

  “Now that was a kiss.” I breathed.

  She made a sound of agreement in the back of her throat.

  I took hold of her hand and tugged. “Come on. Making out in front of my brother’s house is not high on my list of priorities.”

  We walked back to the beach under the light of the moon and my flashlight, an easy silence falling between us. She started to climb into the boat, but I slipped an arm around her waist and held her to me. “We’re not going back quite yet. Stay here.”

  Jumping into the boat, I found where I’d stashed the blanket and thermos. I held it up when I returned to Harper. “For old time’s sake.”

  Her smile spread slowly, highlighted by the moonlight. “You’re just full of surprises, Mr. Ashford.”

  I winked before spreading the blanket on the sand. If we were lucky, we’d see some of the horses, but I wasn’t sure they moved much this time of the evening.

  Both of us sat on the blanket, and I leaned back on my elbows, wondering what she’d do if I kissed her again.

  She lay flat, her eyes lifted to the stars like I’d seen her do so many times over the years. Once, stargazing was a favorite activity of ours, and I’d always known why. The peace, the quiet, it was so different from the rest of our lives. In the stillness, we could just be together.

  When I lay beside her, Harper rested her head on my shoulder. “Beautiful.”

  She meant the stars, but I couldn’t stop looking down at her. “Understatement.”

  She tilted her head up, and I couldn’t help pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

  “I’m glad you aren’t pulling away anymore.”

  She pushed herself up on her elbow. “Anymore?” Her palm made contact with my still-bruised chest, and I winced. “You remember.”

  As I looked at her, as I saw my Harper in the eyes of this older version, I knew I couldn’t lie to her. Not anymore. Not ever again. “I never forgot.”

  I waited for her to react, to get mad or yell or just do anything. What I didn’t expect was laughter. Why was she laughing?

  “Carter.” Tears streamed down her face, but I could tell they weren’t tears of sadness. I sat up to face her.

  “You feeling okay, Harps?” I felt her forehead. “Lightheaded?”

  She pushed my hand away. “I’m not the one who is a complete idiot.”

  “I know. I shouldn’t have lied.” I looked down at my hands. “I just wanted you to have an out because I was a jerk, pushing for something I had no right to push for.”

  After a pause, Harper’s fingers slid under my chin and tilted my face up. “No, you shouldn’t have lied. Amnesia, really? That’s a real thing people get, not a joke.”

  “I know. I just didn’t want to put any pressure on you. We were going around in circles, and I just … I’ll do anything to have you in my life however I can. If that means I get to be your best friend again, then I’ll be so happy for that. Harper, I need you. I have always needed you. And if that means a platonic friendship, then I wanted to make that easier on both of us. I wanted to give you space, so I fibbed.”

  Her face softened, and her fingers flitted over my cheeks, around the curve of my jaw, stopping at my neck. My pulse beat furiously as I waited for her to speak.

  I was always a person who didn’t need anyone—except Lena—and right now, it felt like I’d cracked myself open, exposing every part of me.

  In the dark, I couldn’t see the color of her eyes change or read her expression. But I could feel her. Her fingertips on my skin, her knee pressed against mine. Her presence wrapped around me, more powerful than it had when we were kids.

  As if reading my mind, Harper whispered, “We aren’t teenagers anymore, Carter.” She leaned forward, resting her forehead against mine.

  “No, we’re more than that now.” Her breath warmed my lips as I brushed hers once, twice.

  On the third time, she didn’t let me pull back. Her kiss told me she forgave me, she wanted me.

  It told me she needed me just as much as I needed her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Being out on the water at night was half-terrifying and half-thrilling. As I walked through my grandmother’s front gate, the adrenaline from the night buzzed in my veins.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so … light. In Boston, everything was always stressful. Difficult. Everyone had ulterior motives, scheming behind the scheming. They were looking for stories or for a way to bring other people down.

  Carter lied to me about the memory stuff, but he’d done it to put me at ease after the last disaster of a kiss.

  A smile curved my lips as I remembered the way he’d kissed me tonight. Convincing Conrad to give me an interview hadn’t benefitted Carter in any way. In fact, he probably owed Conrad some kind of favor now. The Ashfords weren’t exactly the kind of family who did things for each other out of the goodness of their hearts.

  Except I was beginning to see them differently. Conrad was surly, sure, but he’d also seemed … kind, way under the gruff exterior. And Conner couldn’t be all bad if Lena fell in love with him. Carter grew up so lonely, but I started wondering if that had been entirely his father’s doing. If his brothers had as little fault in their minimal relationships as Carter himself did.

  I always wanted a sibling, but part of me thought my parents would do the same thing. They would have driven us into competing against each other. Instead, all of that pressure fell on me alone.

  Even that thought couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I reached the front steps and took a seat. I wasn’t ready to go inside yet. Grandma was off with her friends on a gambling trip to Atlantic City and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning. Tonight, I’d rather face the quiet with the stars for company.

  Lifting my face to the sky, I studied the heavens I’d always loved so much. They looked different here than in Boston, and different still out on the island I would now always associate with Carter. Out there, everything was so clear, so peaceful.

  I rested my arms on my
knees and thought over everything I left behind in the city. Most of my possessions—though, nothing I had missed in my time here. Friends who hadn’t called me. Colleagues who were probably glad I wasn’t competing with them for stories anymore.

  And an ex-husband who may have never loved me. We fit together, sure, and we gave each other the parts of ourselves we could. I just never realized that I had locked away an entire side of myself the moment I left Superiore Bay the last time.

  It was a side I’d only ever given to Carter, pieces of myself I couldn’t reach during my life in Boston.

  Until I came back.

  This place opened me up, it made me dream again. Not of promotions and big city lofts. I used to dream of saying important things, of making a difference in people’s lives, not merely providing entertainment.

  Could I ever go back to Boston and put all those dreams, all these pieces of me, back in their box?

  Noise came from inside the house, and I jumped to my feet. Footsteps. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone home. I checked the time on my phone, ignoring the missed calls from my parents. It was just after midnight. Who could be in Grandma’s house? Superiore Bay wasn’t exactly a hotbed for crime.

  And still, I searched for something, anything I could use as a weapon. There was a rake leaning against the side of the house. I wrapped my fingers around the smooth wood of the handle and crept back up the steps to the front porch.

  Slowly, I pulled out my keys and opened the screen door to unlock the front. The hall was dark, but a low murmuring came from the kitchen, and the glow of a lamp filtered into the hallway.

  I tried to make my footsteps as silent as possible, but the wood creaked under my feet and I held my breath, waiting. Heavy steps neared, a man. I raised the rake, ready to jump into action if I needed to. I wasn’t sure what I was thinking, entering the house like this without calling the police.

  Closer and closer still.

  I was ready for whomever stepped out of that kitchen.

  When a shadow appeared, I screamed and dove for them, bringing the rake down with all my might. A hand blocked it, knocking the rake from my hands.