Taking Chances (The Chances and Choices Duology - Book 1 of 2 - Contemporary Romance)

by Omasta, Ann

  Mr. Finley was carrying a pink bakery box, which he handed to Annie when she floated, in her distinctly Annie way, over to greet him. He’s the king of impeccable timing, I thought, as I eyed the box, wondering what kind of delectable goodness it contained.

  Something about Annie’s reaction to him drew my attention away from the pastry container. Was she blushing? Court and I looked at each other in surprise when we heard Annie’s girly giggle as he kissed her hand with a flourish.

  After he left, Annie swept back over to us, with the pink box in tow. Court was the first to get the words out. “So, what’s going on with you and the Fin-Man?”

  “Harry? Pish posh.” She tried to play it off as if there was nothing between them. “I’m sure he makes the rounds delivering baked goods to all the local businesses. It’s good TR or PR, whatever it’s called.”

  Court and I raised our eyebrows at each other over her use of Mr. Finley’s first name. Neither of us had ever heard it before.

  I thought about the idea of Annie being with Mr. Finley. He was on the shortish side, but not too short. He had graying hair and a slight belly pooch, but he was handsome in a sweet, grandfatherly way. Somehow, it all clicked into place in my mind, and I realized what a fantastic couple they would make. I was slightly annoyed with myself for being too consumed by my own love life to notice before how perfect they would be for each other.

  Court saw it too. “Well, I think you two want to TR each other’s PRs, and I for one, think it’s a great idea.”

  Annie shook her head, but all three of us erupted into giggles at Court’s play on Annie’s latest word jumble. When the laughter subsided, we all three stood quietly for a moment, consumed by our own thoughts.

  Suddenly Court blurted out, “Joe kissed me last night, and it rocked my world!”

  Chapter 34

  I was so happy for Courtney and Annie. They both deserved a happy, fulfilling love life, and it seemed like they were each on the verge of achieving just that.

  Trying to relax in a bubble bath later that evening, my mind kept returning to my disaster of a romantic life. Somehow, I had managed to screw up things with two amazing men.

  The rap on my bathroom door startled me out of my thoughts. Court cracked the door open and peeked in, “I’m heading in to work the dinner shift because Grace called-in sick again. There’s someone here to see you.”

  She opened the door a little wider to reveal Seth standing in my room behind her. I nodded at Court’s questioning look, to let her know it was fine; so she quietly left.

  Seth stayed where he was for a moment, then he walked into the bathroom. I gasped when he stepped into the light, and I saw the cut on his lip. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

  “Physically, yes.” His answer made me wince with the knowledge that I had caused his emotional pain. My face must have betrayed my thoughts because he attempted to lighten the mood by saying, “You should see the other guy.”

  The thought of Sam being harmed made my stomach roll and the burning watermelon was back in my throat. My face must have crumpled because Seth tried to ease my concern. “He’s okay.”

  He was looking down as he said the words, and it made me feel even worse to imagine how it made Seth feel to see my concern over his brother’s wellbeing. I had made such a mess of things. They really were both better off without me.

  It was kind of Seth to come back to give me closure, but I decided that he had already done way more than I deserved. So, I said, “Thanks for stopping by to let me know you’re okay. It was very thoughtful of you. I’m sorry for any pain I’ve caused you, and I hope that your are able to find happiness with someone who deserves you.”

  He responded quietly, “You’ve made your decision, then?” At my perplexed look he continued with a resigned, “You want to be with Sam.”

  “Decision?” I kept the question at one word because I was so taken aback by his words. He seemed to be waiting for me to expand, so I continued. “What I have done is horrible, and you both deserve better.” I looked directly into his eyes as I said sincerely, “I wish you only the best.”

  “That sounds like a dismissal.” He moved to kneel beside my bathtub even as he said the words. “Please don’t write me off so quickly, Ab. I don’t like it one bit that you were with Sam, but I accept the responsibility that it was largely my fault. I shouldn’t have left things the way I did. We can work through this. I love you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

  I was surprised by his words. How could he still want me after I had bedded Sam? Then realization struck. I had become a pawn in their game of one-upmanship. Neither of them actually wanted me. They just wanted to win, and I had unwittingly become the prize, until they moved on to something else.

  I said as much to Seth, who seemed shocked by my accusation. “I can’t speak for my brother,” he responded, “but my feelings for you have nothing to do with him. I want to live my life with you. If you’ll give me the chance, I promise to do my best to make all of your hopes and dreams come true.”

  His words were wonderful, perfect. A tear slid down my cheek and he gently brushed it with his lips. “You don’t have to answer me right now. Work through your feelings and let me know what you decide.” He rose to leave, but turned back to say, “I’ll be waiting for you. It seems that you have stolen my heart.” Then he quietly walked out of my bathroom.

  Chapter 35

  I was still reeling from Seth’s visit. Normally, sitting on our front porch swing, looking out over the water, drinking hot tea relaxed me; but it was doing nothing to calm my frazzled nerves tonight. I wasn’t even that surprised when the sleek, black Porsche eased into our driveway.

  When Sam reached the porch, I saw his black eye. His brother had given him a serious shiner. It was already turning purple and looked extremely painful. It made me wince just looking at it. Seeing my reaction, he tried to play it down. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” He paused before adding, “I deserved much worse.”

  He looked like he felt as guilty as I did, and it made me feel dreadful, knowing that I had caused all of this turmoil. He sat down beside me on the swing, but made no attempt to touch me. Even after all that we had been through, I still felt the electricity sizzle between us. My physical reaction to him was undeniable.

  We sat there like that for a long while. When he finally broke the silence, his words surprised me. “You deserve a much better man than me. You should be with someone like Seth. He will never let you down. I, on the other hand, am known for loving ‘em and leaving ‘em. I just came to tell you that I care about you both, and I sincerely hope that you are able to work this out.” He looked at me before continuing. “I’ll keep my distance until I’m sure that I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.”

  Anger flared inside me at his words. “So, you feel guilty about fucking me, and you have decided to let Seth win this one. Am I the trophy in this round of the competition?” I spat the words out with venom.

  He seemed honestly stunned by my accusation. “Abby, it’s nothing like that. How could you think that?”

  I ignored his question, so he continued. “I’ve never wanted any woman the way that I want you; and believe me, when I’m with you, the last thing on my mind is my brother.” He flashed his crooked smile as he said the last part.

  I studied him to gauge his sincerity. Could he be telling the truth? Does he want me like my body craves him? I wanted to believe that I was in some way special to him, even if it was only physical.

  “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that first night we met at the charity auction, and I didn’t even know you were with Seth then,” he pointed out.

  He paused for a moment and I pondered over his last statement. It was true. At the time of our rendezvous in the bathroom, he hadn’t known I was with Seth. He had been attracted to me sexually, just for me, and not as another way to compete with his brother.

  As if reading my thoughts, he continued. “I can
barely keep from touching you now, just sitting here next to you; but it’s not just you’re body that I want, Ab. I want to spend time with you and laugh with you and dance with you and dream with you and have a future with you.”

  My mouth fell open at his last statement. Seeing the surprise on my face, he continued on, as if trying to convince me. “Why can’t you see how amazing you are? I’ve never desired anyone like this.” He touched me then, for the first time, since arriving. He tenderly brushed the back of his fingers down my cheek. Just that slight connection with him felt amazing. I closed my eyes and leaned my head towards him, enjoying the sensation.

  He moved his hand down and gently raised my chin, so that I was facing him. My eyelids felt heavy as I gazed at him. I licked my lips, aching with desire. “There’s nothing I want more right now than to kiss those soft, beautiful lips.” My lips parted slightly at his words, ready to be taken. My eyelids drooped as I leaned forward, wanting him, but his lips were not there.

  He cursed and stood up. I could see his erection straining for release from his jeans. My eyes were drawn to it, riveted, until I realized what he was saying.

  “You’re too good for me, Abby.” I started to shake my head in disagreement, but he continued on, ignoring me. “Seth is a good man, and you deserve to be with someone like him. I’m sorry that I’ve made such a mess of things. I want to say that I will back off and pretend to hope that the two of you are able to work things out, but I don’t think I have the strength to give you up. It’s just too hard, and I’m evidently not that big of a man. I’ll try to give you some space while you work through this, but please don’t take too long.” His next words were so quiet that I wasn’t sure if he actually uttered them or if my imagination conjured them. “Choose me.”

  With one last burning gaze, he turned and left.

  Chapter 36

  I had requested a meeting with my ladies. Annie, Courtney and I were sitting around the kitchen table, and the two of them were having a rowdy discussion. They were supposed to be helping me sort out my feelings, but it seemed they each had very different opinions about what I should do.

  They were on their second bottle of our favorite soft red wine, and they were starting to get more vehement in their arguing. I was drinking water because I wanted to keep a clear head as I worked through the mess I had made of my love life.

  “Seth is sweet and kind, and he really cares about her. He’s the better long-term investment.” This came from Court.

  “Long-term investment?” Annie nearly screeched. “We aren’t discussing annuities here. We are talking about love. She has passion with Sam.” She reached over to grab my hand. “You have to follow your passion, Sweetie.”

  “Passion burns out and then what are you left with?” Courtney countered. “You need to choose the one that you can have a future with.”

  “Love isn’t meant to be solid and dependable. It’s meant to be fun and exciting. If we find moments of pure joy, we should cherish and embrace them, even if they are short-lived. You can’t deny your reaction to Sam. It’s your body’s way of telling you that you are meant to be with him.”

  “She has passion with Seth. It’s just slower burning than what she has with Sam, which means it will last longer. This hot flash of lust with Sam will fizzle out in no time.” Courtney refilled their wine glasses as she said it.

  “So, what if it does?” Annie countered. “It will be amazing while it lasts. There’s no guarantee that things will last with Seth either.”

  “It’s a lot more likely than her chances of making it work with Sam,” Courtney countered.

  I let them bicker, lost in my own thoughts. They both made valid arguments. I had been struggling with the same points for the last few days. I had hoped that the two of them would be able to help me figure out the right answer, but they were like the two sides of my conscience that had been warring it out.

  I wasn’t sure if there was a ‘right’ answer. How could I choose between kind, caring, grow-old-together love and hot, steamy can’t-get-enough-of-each-other passion for each other? Which was better? Which was right for me? Which did I want?

  I returned my attention back to Annie and Court’s conversation just in time to hear them come to an agreement. “One thing’s for sure,” Court held up her glass to toast. “She needs to make a decision soon and stick with it.”

  “Here, here.” Annie clinked her glass with Court’s.

  I picked up my water glass and chimed in. I fully agreed that I needed to make a choice for all of our sakes. The problem was, I had no idea who to choose.

  It was like having two fabulous, but very different showcases on the ‘Price is Right’. Time was quickly ticking away and I had to make my decision, but how could I pick?

  Chapter 37

  I woke up the next morning feeling exhausted and still uncertain about what I should do. I had spent the night tossing and turning and making up my mind and then changing it.

  First, I had decided to choose Seth. I had always wanted to have a family, and Seth was the ideal person to make a family with. He would be a wonderful husband and father, and I would be lucky to have him. We would have beautiful babies that looked like him, and we would live happily ever after.

  Relief had swept over me. I had made a decision, and I was going to stick with it. Then, I began to picture going to Davis family events with Seth, and seeing Sam with a constant parade of leggy ‘I’ girls. I pictured him ramming his fabulous cock into them while their perfect, fake, plastic tits never moved. The thought made me cringe. I wanted that cock to be ramming me.

  I had sat up in my bed, sweating and feeling nauseous. I couldn’t handle seeing Sam with those women, even in my imagination. When it really happened, I would be desperate from wanting him. If he showed the slightest bit of weakness in his resolve to avoid me, I would cave into my desires and sleep with him. Seth would inevitably find out about the affair and divorce me.

  Okay, so I couldn’t have my ‘happily ever after’ with Seth because I wouldn’t be able to resist his brother. Since that was the case, I decided to flip-flop my decision and choose Sam. There, the decision was made, so I turned over and tried to go to sleep.

  Sam and I would have a hot, satisfying sex life. We couldn’t get enough of each other, and we would probably nearly kill each other in our attempts to bang each other’s brains out. It would be fantastic.

  Our life together would be mind-blowing, at least for a year or two, but eventually, the passion would subside. What will we have left then? I tried to picture us a few years down the road. I couldn’t imagine things working out in the long-term with Sam.

  Would he be bored with me, and sleeping with ‘I’ girls on the side? Would he not bother with sneaking around and just leave me?

  I visualized what Seth’s life would be like without me. He would meet someone wonderful, who was deserving of all that he had to offer. They would have a family and grow old together. In this scenario, I wanted what this imaginary lady had, and, irrationally, I wanted to gouge her eyes out.

  I was appalled with myself. I had no right to lay claim to two men, but that is exactly what I had done. I couldn’t see a way for this to work out well. I was going to be consumed by jealousy when the twin I didn’t choose moved on, even though I had no right to be. What the hell was wrong with me?

  I realized then that I needed to do some soul-searching and work on myself before I would be ready to move forward with a romantic relationship with anyone. Something was terribly wrong when I was paralyzed about making a decision between two amazing men because I didn’t want to give up the other one.

  It was selfish and embarrassing, and I needed to get over myself. I needed to give myself some space from this love triangle and work through what to do.

  I used our home phone to call Annie and ask for a week off, which she gladly agreed to give me. I packed a small bag, said goodbye to Buster (who gave me one tail thump upon hearing his name), picked up a new smartph
one at the cellular store and stopped by Joe’s to give Court a goodbye hug. I texted both of the Davis boys and told them I was leaving town for a week, and that I would be in touch when I got back. Then, I turned the phone to silent mode and lit out of Dodge!

  Chapter 38

  I didn’t go far. I discovered a small, lakefront motel that was about a half-hour drive up the coast from Harbor Shores. Marta, the friendly, matronly woman behind the front desk gave me a rate for the week and an actual, metal key for my room’s door. It had been a while since I had seen one of those, and I knew instantly that I had found the right place to stay.

  My room was small, but clean and functional. I unpacked my travel bag and took a walk along the lakeshore. I found some colorful rocks along the way and placed them in the pocket of my hoodie. The wind off the lake was clean and refreshing. If I couldn’t sort out my feelings in this wonderful spot, then I was a hopeless mess.