Holly felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “What?”
“I did some more investigating after you ran into him, Holly, and I found some things linking him ... and Eve, to the ring.” Looking at her, his face turned sympathetic. “He was probably involved long before he left here.”
Holly felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Stan had been involved in a stolen car ring ... with Eve, right under her nose, and she’d had no idea.
“Well, that would explain his sudden departure and his desperation for money. We’ll find out the real story once we get a chance to talk to him,” Bill assured them. “I better head on out in one of the police cars. Looks like I’ll have a long night ahead of me. I’ll have one of the guys give me a ride home.”
As Bill nodded a good-bye and headed out the door, Nick reached for Holly’s hand and pulled her over to him.
Holly felt happy, happier than she had in years. “Nick, I think maybe we should talk about a few things ....” She let her voice trail off.
“Yes, we should,” Nick replied with a teasing gleam in his eye. “By the way, what was all that ‘boyfriend’ stuff Stan was talking about upstairs anyway?”
Chapter Six
The outdoor tables at the Purple Finch Cafe were small but charming. Holly bit into her grilled cheese sandwich and let the warm, gooey cheese coat her taste buds. The late fall sun shone brightly, making it warm enough for Holly to bundle in a sweater and sit outside to enjoy her lunch break from the museum. She marveled at how perfect her life had become and let out a soft sigh of contentment.
Her sigh turned into a full-blown smile and she glanced up to see Nick approaching the table. He came over and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.
“Enjoying lunch, I see.”
“Umm … hmmm,” she mumbled around a mouth full of food.
Nick sat opposite her and covered her hand with his, momentarily distracting her from eating. “I’m going to call my landlord today and give him my notice…. Are you sure about this?”
Holly flipped her hand over, lacing her fingers through his. “Never been surer,” she said with confidence.
In the several months since the whole business with Stan had happened, Holly and Nick had been inseparable. Rose had been right, Nick was nothing like Stan, and Holly had never been happier, but shuttling between his apartment and her house wasn’t the ideal situation so Holly had invited him to move in.
“I’ll be starting art school next semester and my time will be pretty limited between my job at the art gallery and classes. If we don’t move in together, we may not be able to find any time to see each other,” she said with a laugh.
A little sparrow landed on the sidewalk a couple of feet away. Holly untwined her hand from Nick’s long enough to break of a small piece from her bread crust and toss it on the ground in front of him. The bird immediately hopped over. Scooping up his prize, he retreated to a nearby tree branch to eat it.
“I talked to Bill earlier today. It seems Stan has made a deal with the Attorney General. He’ll be giving them information about who else was in the car ring. Then they’ll be moving him out of state. I don’t think he’ll be bothering you anymore.”
Holly waved her hand, dismissing any thought of Stan. She had made her peace with him and had even visited him in jail. He had been apologetic, but her feelings still didn’t warm towards him. She had moved on and Stan knew it.
Nick stood up. “I have to get back, I’m working on a case and I have a lot to do today, but not enough so I couldn’t take a few minutes to see you.”
He came around to her side of the table. This time her mouth wasn’t full of food and when he kissed her on the lips, she kissed him back. He let his lips linger for a while, then pulled back, tracing his finger down her cheek. “I’ll see you later tonight, right?”
Holly felt a familiar warm glow starting in her center. “Of course.” Her voice sounded a little breathless, but then Nick’s kisses always made her sound that way.
Holly leaned back and watched him walk away, marveling at how funny life was. Nine months ago, Stan’s leaving had turned her world upside down. She had been hurt, scared, and miserable, thinking she’d never be happy again. But what she had considered to be the worst thing to ever happen to her had actually turned out to be the best. It had given her the opportunity to have a second chance at happiness, and in the process she’d gained a new career, an education, and, most importantly ... love.
The end.
***
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About the Author
Leighann Dobbs lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. She likes to write romance short stories and novelettes perfect for the busy person on the go. These stories are great for someone who doesn't have a lot of time for reading a full novel. Why not pick one up and escape to another time and place the next time you are waiting for an appointment, enjoying a bath or waiting to pick up the kids at soccer?
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
About the Author
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
About the Author
Second Chance Page 3