Second Chances Boxed Set: 7 Sweet & Sexy Romances in 1 Book

by Tracey Alvarez

  “I can’t fix her life for her. She needs to do that,” he told his friend.

  “Absolutely.”

  “She isn’t my problem.”

  “I can see that.”

  “It would take a whole medical team to sort out what’s in her head.”

  “I agree. Too much of a challenge for one man. I can see how that would lead to a very boring life.”

  Charlie narrowed his eyes. He was being mocked. He changed the subject.

  “I heard shouting earlier, what was that about?”

  Jacques grinned with mischief.

  “Big Mike, somebody insulted his plane and he pushed them in the water.”

  Charlie grinned back. Big Mike was a jungle legend. He flew a rust bucket and took it very seriously.

  “You don’t want to mess with Big Mike,” he said.

  “No, you would have to be very foolish indeed.”

  Jacques patted him on the shoulder before he went back to work. Charlie looked out of the glassless window over the fields to the rain forest beyond. He couldn’t help but think that there was more he could have done about Laura. Maybe when his six weeks were up he’d drop in on her and make sure she was okay. If it wasn’t against her stupid rules. He smiled. Who knew, maybe the simple act of turning up would be enough to make her lose control again. Now that alone would make it worth the trip.

  Laura tugged at her stiff black skirt and wondered again why she bothered wearing it. No one else in her new workplace was dressed formally. With a silent sigh, she acknowledged exactly how low she’d sunk – she’d worn the suit so that she would feel she was in control, even though it was pathetically obvious that she wasn’t. As the phone beside her rang again, she reminded herself that she was lucky to have a job, that it wasn’t a bad job and that it gave her the time and space she needed to look for a better one. All good. Right? So why did she feel like she was dying inside every time she put pen to paper? Because she was pathetic, that’s why. With a frown she squared her shoulders and she picked up the call.

  “Trash or Treasure,” she said in as cheery a voice as she could manage. “The free paper that helps you find a home for your unwanted goods. How can I help you?”

  She listened dutifully as the person on the other end of the line described the ad they wanted her to write, all the while wondering why they didn’t go online and fill out the form. Her temple began to throb as she reminded herself that computer illiterate people were the reason she had a take-home pay. Okay, a minimum wage take-home pay, but it was money, right? Her jaw hurt from constant teeth grinding and the twitch in her left eye had become a fully-fledged random spasm down the side of her face.

  But. It. Was. All. Okay.

  Her elbow hit the wall of her cubicle for the millionth time that morning as she reached for a pen that worked. Over the top of the partition wall she could see her twelve year old boss point to the clock and glare at her. Apparently she didn’t work fast enough; the last moron who held her job could deal with twice the number of calls in the same amount of time. She narrowed her eyes and imagined that his head blew clear off his shoulders. His face went pale and he scurried away.

  Laura turned her attention back to the caller instead of the clock. All the clock did was remind her that there was still four long hours left until she could go home.

  As the pain in her head thumped louder, she wondered if it was a good idea to take aspirin and antacids at the same time. Surely they cancelled each other out in her stomach?

  The caller sounded impatient in her ear and she realised that she’d tuned the man out. She gave him her full attention.

  “No.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “We don’t charge more because it’s a large item you’re selling. We charge by the size of the ad, not the size of the bed.”

  Then she reached for the pills.

  Laura’s land line rang at the same time as her microwave meal pinged it was ready. She took the meal, along with a can of Diet Coke, and plopped it all on the tiny dining room table. At least there was space on the table to plop it; when Maddie had lived with her the table had been used for storing clutter.

  “What is it?” she said by way of hello.

  “What the hell are you doing with your life?” her best friend said in her ear.

  Tears sprang to Laura’s eyes. She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed Maddie until she heard her voice.

  “Well hello to you too,” she said.

  “I just read your email. I can’t believe you didn’t submit your interview with Charlie, he wouldn’t care. It would take a bomb to get his attention. That was silly.”

  “No, it was right, he does care. He’s really upset about the whole thing and he didn’t want it to be trivialised.”

  “Come on Laura, we’re talking about Charlie. He quit the army because he was bored. Heck, he’s already off somewhere else chasing the next thrill.”

  Laura shook her head.

  “You’ve got it all wrong. He isn’t like that. I thought he was, but he isn’t. I guess we all change.”

  Well, all of them except her. She never changed. There was silence.

  “What happened between you two?” Maddie’s tone was suddenly serious.

  Tears pooled in Laura’s eyes.

  “I fell in love,” she said pathetically.

  “I’m going to kill him.”

  “It’s not his fault.”

  “It is. I told him not to hurt you again. I told him that he pushes you too much. I warned him and as soon as I get home I’m going to kill him.”

  Laura took the phone with her into the bathroom while she blew her nose on some toilet paper.

  “He says I need to take more risks. That I’m too uptight,” she said. The tears wouldn’t stop.

  Maddie cursed her brother before answering.

  “Of course he would say that, he rarely thinks anything through and is convinced it’s a great way to live. You do take risks, you just think about them first. Look at you now; you quit your job, that’s a risk. You went on holiday with Charlie, that was risk. Cut yourself some slack. When it’s important you can take chances with the best of them. Don’t let him get to you.”

  Laura stopped crying. Maddie was right. She’d been measuring herself against Charlie. That was like a mouse measuring itself against a lion. The comparison was laughable. So she wasn’t a daredevil, she still took chances. Lots of them. She looked around herself. She did it all the time and nothing life threatening happened. She started to smile.

  “Don’t worry honey. I’ll deal with Charlie,” Maddie threatened.

  Adrenalin coursed through Laura. She didn’t want Maddie to deal with Charlie. No. She had a better idea.

  “No, don’t do that. I’ll deal with him. Where did you say he was, exactly?”

  She reached for a pen as a plan formed in her mind. She hung up and returned to her now cold meal. Excitement grew while she ate. Could she do it? The phone rang again, as she was finishing a meal that tasted like plastic and cardboard.

  “Your father said you’re back from your trip with that idiot boy. Didn’t it even occur to you to tell me?” Her mother’s voice was like a pin to her bubble of excitement.

  “Hi Mum, good to hear from you too.”

  “Honestly,” her mother said, ignoring her as usual, “it would only have taken one more phone call. You know what your father is like when he’s painting towards an exhibition. It may have been months before he told me where you were.”

  If he remembered at all.

  “I’m sorry,” Laura said automatically even though she had called her mother. As usual it had made little impact.

  “That’s fine. Remember next time. Now how are things at your new job? I’ve always loved Francine, maybe you could get them to write something on my new play? You never could write anything for the children’s magazine, but now you have an audience that would appreciate knowing about me.”

  Laura gritted her teeth. Guess the fact she had c
hanged job hadn’t sunk in either.

  “I’m sure they’d love you,” she said vaguely. There was no point going over it again.

  “Now, about my play. Rehearsals are finished and opening night is Thursday, I thought you might like to come. Your father is too busy, but I can save a seat for you, if you’re free. It’s a wonderful show and the leading man is so talented. You’d enjoy it.”

  Laura heard the real message in the words. Come see me perform and tell me how wonderful I am and while you’re at it you can meet my latest toy boy. You’ll find him dreamy too and will think I’m so super lucky. Her brain began to pound. There was no point saying no. She’d learnt a long time ago that it was actually better to take the ticket and not turn up, rather than deal with her mother’s huff on the phone. She’d managed to avoid three out of the last four plays by using this tactic and her mother hadn’t even noticed. On opening night there were enough people fawning over her for her not to miss her only daughter.

  This time would be different.

  “That would be lovely.” Laura began to grin as she spoke. “But I can’t make it.” She took a deep breath. “I’m going out of the country.”

  “What?” At last something that got her mother’s attention.

  “Yes,” Laura said with glee. “I won’t be here Thursday, but I’m sure you’ll be wonderful as usual.”

  “But where are you going? You never miss my opening nights.”

  Laura rolled her eyes and wondered how she could ever have thought that she was in danger of becoming like her parents.

  “I’m going to Bolivia,” she said. Her heart raced at the thought.

  There was a lot of bluster coming down the line. It felt so wonderful to hear it that she almost giggled.

  “Why are you going to Bolivia? What is in that third world country that’s more interesting than my play?” Trust dear old Mum to make it all about her.

  Laura grinned so wide that her cheeks hurt.

  “Charlie is in Bolivia,” she said.

  There was a shriek.

  “Yes, Mum,” Laura said, “I’m chasing after the idiot boy.”

  With that she hung up.

  She was halfway through her happy dance when a thought struck her - what if the idiot boy wasn’t pleased to see her?

  Laura swallowed hard. It didn’t matter. One way or another she was taking this chance.

  For the first time in her life she hadn’t planned things out, she didn’t know where things were going, and it was terrifying.

  She caught sight of her manic grin in the bedroom mirror while she started to pack.

  Chapter Eleven

  Charlie heard the commotion before he saw it.

  “What’s going on?” he asked his Bolivian nurse.

  She grinned up at him. Everybody in this country was as short as Laura. He felt like a giant.

  “Some tourista upset Big Mike,” she said.

  Charlie grinned back at her before returning to his paperwork. As entertaining as Big Mike was, there would be another tourist to upset him soon enough. Right now, Charlie had a tonne of paperwork to get through before the clinic opened again. He eyed the clock; better get a move on.

  “Hey Charlie,” Jacques shouted. “You’ve got to come see this. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Big Mike is seriously upset.”

  “I’m busy,” he called back.

  His colleague appeared beside him; Charlie felt a hand on his shoulder.

  “No, my friend, you need to come now. This has something to do with you.”

  Charlie was curious, but the paperwork was calling. Jacques took the pen from his hand and pushed him towards the door.

  Outside there was quite a crowd. They parted before him, like the red sea for Moses. Now, he was on high alert. Was this a practical joke? Some sort of hazing for the new guy? Fine, he’d play along. He walked to the high bamboo fence at the edge of the compound and that’s when he heard it. An angry English accent that was eerily familiar.

  Laura? Blood pumped fast through his veins. It couldn’t be. He pushed past an overgrown bush that got in the way of the gate to the compound and stopped dead. There was Big Mike, the man mountain. He was standing with his back to Charlie with his arms folded. Behind the big man Charlie could see arms and legs waving in mid-air. Very familiar arms and legs.

  “What’s going on?” he said.

  At the sound of his voice there was silence. Big Mike stepped aside and pointed at the arms and legs.

  “Does this belong to you?”

  Laura was hanging from the top of the bamboo fence. Mike had picked her up and hitched her there by the back of her t-shirt. From her position high on the fence, she was face to face with Big Mike. A fact neither of them appeared to be thrilled at.

  Charlie shut his eyes tight, then opened them. Nope, it wasn’t a dream. She was there. He wanted to run at her and scoop her into his arms. But she was hanging on the fence.

  “Charlie.” Big Mike was losing his patience. “Does this belong to you?”

  “Hey, imbecile,” Laura shouted at Big Mike, “slave trading is over. I don’t belong to anyone. Now let me down.”

  The crowd gasped with glee that someone dared take on the giant. Charlie wasn’t surprised. He looked at Laura’s bright pink cheeks, her freckled nose and that pouting mouth, which was so naughty in his dreams.

  “Yep, unfortunately, she belongs to me.”

  Against his better judgement his chest rose with pride at the thought.

  “Hi, Laura.” He waved up at her. “Did you get lost on the way to the office?”

  Laura peered down at him as he stepped in front of her.

  “I came to see you, numb nuts, now make the moron put me down. I’m going to kick his backside all the way to Brazil.”

  There was hysterical laughter behind him. It was like a fly had dared take on a lion. He had to admire her guts, or stupidity.

  “That’s my girl,” he told Big Mike, who wasn’t amused. “What did she do anyway?”

  Laura was affronted, her little arms and legs waved in protest.

  “What makes you think it was me? Is he the one hanging on the fence? No. Are you listening, moron?” he shouted at Big Mike. “You can’t treat people like this. Just who do you think you are?”

  There was more laughter. Mike growled deep in his wide, wide chest before turning to Charlie.

  “She mocked my baby,” he rumbled.

  Laura rolled her wide emerald eyes.

  “Your flying rust bucket? I had to tie the door shut with string. Seriously. You shouldn’t be taking people up in it. It’s dangerous. You -” She pointed at Mike. “- are irresponsible.”

  There was more growling.

  “Then she bullied me into driving her all the way into town,” Mike said.

  That brought some amazed gasps. Mostly people were wondering how Laura could have bullied anyone, let alone Big Mike.

  “And, to top it off,” the man glared at Charlie, “she said I have a personality problem.”

  Charlie’s lip twitched as he tried to take the big man’s complaints seriously. People behind him were falling over laughing, but Charlie was too close to Mike to lose control.

  “That’s terrible,” he said as calmly and as soothingly as possible.

  “Terrible?” Laura gaped at Charlie and Mike. “If he doesn’t have a personality problem then why am I hanging on a fence?” She turned back to Mike. “Normal people don’t do this sort of thing.”

  Mike took a step towards Laura. Charlie panicked and stepped between them.

  “Are you saying I’m abnormal?” Mike’s deep voice asked Laura.

  Anyone else would have heard the warning in the tone. Not the Iron Maiden.

  “I’m beginning to think you are seriously stupid as well,” she told Big Mike.

  “That’s it,” Mike said to Charlie, “get out of the way. I’m throwing her in the river.”

  “Just try it, buster. As soon as I’m free you’re
dead meat.”

  Charlie held up his hands to stop Mike, while wondering how Laura planned to make good on her threats.

  “We need to calm down,” he told them. “By we I mean you two,” he added, just in case there was any confusion.

  “I am calm,” Laura shouted as she tried to kick him out of the way.

  “Yeah,” he told her. “I can see that.”

  Mike grunted.

  “Look,” he told Big Mike, “she came to see me. She’s my problem. Why don’t you let me sort it? That way no one has to go in the river.”

  Laura was shouting abuse behind him, but he ignored her.

  “I don’t know,” Big Mike said. “She’s really annoyed me.” He looked Charlie up and down. “And I’m not sure you can handle her, Doc.”

  Charlie wasn’t either.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said.

  “Let me down,” shouted Laura.

  “Okay,” said Mike reluctantly. “What do you want me to do? Do you want her down?”

  He didn’t seem too pleased with the idea.

  “Not yet,” Charlie said as he turned to Laura. “We’ve got some stuff to talk about first and it’s better with her up there.”

  Now that really made her mad.

  Charlie grinned. Even in the chaos that Laura generated wherever she went, he still felt more relaxed than he had in weeks.

  Laura was beyond angry. She was volcano mad. If someone didn’t let her down from the fence soon she was going to… Going to what? She was stuck. The wind left her sails. She looked down at Charlie grinning up at her; he was enjoying every minute of this. It wasn’t the wonderful reunion she’d planned in her head. Nope, it was about as far from it as she could get. So much for taking a chance. She took one and look where it got her. She was a freak show for the afternoon session at a jungle clinic. She glared at Big Mike. He glared back. I’ll get you later, she promised herself.

  “Charlie,” she said, disgusted that she was left to appeal to his good sense. Not that she’d ever seen any in him. “You need to let me down. This isn’t comfortable.”

  He leered up at her.