Her Second Chance Family

by Christine Scott

  A week had passed since they’d shared that intimate embrace in the kitchen of her home. He still wore the shadow of a bruise beneath his eye, although the injury was healing quickly. It served as a constant reminder of what had happened between them. No matter how much she wished it wasn’t true, things were different. There’d been a shift in their relationship, an irrevocable one.

  And Maggie was at a loss as to what to do about it. She felt in limbo, torn in two by indecision. Her mind knew full well the risk she was taking. Logic told her to flee, to take her son and seek the safety of anonymity. But her heart told her to stay. The part of her that craved the closeness of a warm body and a caring relationship just wouldn’t let her abandon this chance at happiness.

  So, while her mind and heart warred, she stayed. Only, whenever she saw Jason, she didn’t know how to act, how to greet him. She couldn’t feign an indifference that didn’t exist, not after the wantonness of her behavior. Nor could she bring herself to open her heart to the uncertainties of a love affair.

  She didn’t know if she was strong enough to risk another heartbreak.

  Despite the emotions churning inside her, she found herself smiling as he approached the counter.

  Smiling back, Jason slid onto a stool at the counter in front of them. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  Stan Wilson followed at a slower pace. Dragging his feet, he took a seat next to Jason. His gaze darted selfconsciously around the diner until finally coming to rest on Jenny. Then, with a challenging glint in his eyes, he stared at her.

  Oblivious to the undercurrents rippling around him, Jason nodded at the magazine still lying open on the counter. “Something’s caught your attention. Good news, I hope.”

  “Well...” Maggie glanced uncomfortably at Jenny and Dot.

  Jenny’s cheeks flushed a deep red.

  Dot snorted, her chest heaving with barely controlled laughter.

  Stan Wilson glanced sharply at the magazine, his eyes narrowing on the bridal pictures.

  Jason looked confused. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  “No, Chief Gallagher,” Jenny said, picking up the magazine, clutching it protectively to her breasts. She looked at Stan, her gaze defiant. “We were just picking out the bridesmaids’ dresses. My wedding’s just around the corner.”

  Stan’s jaw clenched, then unclenched. His battle with self-control was obvious. But his gaze didn’t waver. He continued to stare at Jenny, refusing to retreat.

  “Ah...I see.” Jason’s smile faded. Frowning, he shot a wary glance at his officers.

  “Time to get back to work,” Dot suggested, giving Jenny a nudge toward the kitchen. “Mel’s going to be bustin’ a gut if we let the orders stack up.”

  With a stubborn stomp of her foot, Jenny whirled away from the counter and marched toward the kitchen. Rolling her eyes, Dot followed the younger woman. Maggie glanced at Stan and wondered how to soothe the officer’s ruffled feathers.

  Her worries were for naught. Looking as though he’d been sucker punched, Stan rose to his feet. “Chief, I just remembered. I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on. I’ll, uh, meet you back at the department when you’re finished with lunch.” Turning on his heel, he strode out of the diner.

  Jason stared after him, releasing a whistling breath. “This is going to be a rough summer.”

  Observing Stan Wilson’s angry progress across the street, Maggie shook her head. “Nobody ever said falling in love was easy.”

  After a heartbeat of a pause, Jason said, “No, it’s not.”

  Maggie whipped her gaze around at the solemn tone of his voice. Jason was no longer watching Stan. His gaze was focused on her. An unspoken emotion glittered in his pale blue eyes.

  And Maggie knew he was talking about more than the state of his officer’s heart. He was talking about his own.

  Seconds passed. A palpable tension stretched between them. Swallowing hard, knowing she was taking the coward’s way out, she said, “Wh-what can I get you for lunch?”

  Disappointment flickered across his face, just before a carefully schooled smile slid into place. “Well, I was going to order the special. But maybe I’d better get a couple of club sandwiches to go. Stan’s mood is going to be bad enough this afternoon. He doesn’t need an empty stomach making it worse.”

  Maggie nodded, then, feeling the heat of his gaze, she headed for the kitchen to place the order. As she did so, she noticed a customer take Stan’s vacated stool and begin talking to Jason.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Maggie busied herself delivering other orders until his sandwiches were ready. Out the corner of her eye, however, she watched Jason. A concerned look crossed his handsome face as he listened to the man at his side. He nodded and spoke, his tone low and confiding. Finally the other man stood and placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. He smiled and said something more. When Jason laughed, her stomach did a flip-flop. Her hands shook as she packed his bag with the sandwiches, pickles and chips before returning to where he sat.

  She placed the bag on the counter. Her heart lurched at the expectant look in his eyes. “Your lunch is ready.”

  At her brisk, businesslike tone, Jason sighed. He stood, reaching for the wallet in his back pocket and placed enough money on the counter to cover the cost, plus a generous tip. With a bittersweet smile, he said, “I guess I’ll be seeing you around, Maggie.”

  He turned to leave.

  Unwilling to let him go, not with things so unsettled between them, she blurted, “Jason, wait.”

  He stopped, swinging around to look at her. His wide shoulders tensed. He remained standing very still, focusing all his attention on her as he waited for her to speak.

  Daunted, Maggie took a deep breath for courage. “Kevin has a ball game tonight at the park. You’re...you’re welcome to come if you’d like.”

  Relief eased the lines of tension around his eyes. “What time’s the game?”

  “It starts at seven.”

  “I’ll be there,” he said, not giving his answer a second thought.

  “Good,” Maggie said, gripping the edge of the counter until her fingers were white-knuckled from the exertion. “Kevin’ll like that.”

  He nodded, a knowing smile playing on his lips. It was as though he’d read her mind and had understood how difficult the invitation had been for her to make. “I’ll see you tonight, Maggie.”

  A weight pressed against her chest, making it difficult to breathe as she watched him leave. She’d taken that first step. She’d opened the door to her heart.

  From now on, there was nothing she could do to keep it from slamming in her face.

  Jason wasn’t coming.

  Maggie checked her watch. Seven forty-five. There was less than fifteen minutes left in the game. She tried not to let her disappointment show. But with each slam of a car door and each voice of a new arrival, her hopes rose and fell.

  She glanced around the grounds. It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun was just beginning to set across the green fields of the city park. Tree limbs, heavy with new leaves, swayed in the light breeze. The stands surrounding the ball field were filled with cheering parents.

  Maggie sat alone, waiting anxiously for a man who wasn’t going to come.

  Memories of the past crowded her mind. Too often, she’d been disappointed by her ex-husband. The only attention he’d paid to Kevin was one of irritated disapproval, and even that dubious regard was given in small quantities. Most of the time he ignored his son. Kevin had been born a small child. His fine bone structure and shy temperament was a constant annoyance to his father, a man who was strong, confident and aggressive.

  A part of her had been relieved by her ex-husband’s indifference. The less time he spent with Kevin, the less chance he had to become abusive to their son. Another part of her, however, couldn’t help but be disappointed. Her own childhood had been devoid of a male presence. She’d wished for so much more for Kevin.

  And whether she wanted to admit
it or not, she thought she’d found that something more in Jason.

  He’d been so attentive, so encouraging, so supportive of Kevin’s attempts at baseball. Maggie sighed. That was what made his absence so much harder.

  “Y’rrr out,” the umpire called, demanding Maggie’s attention.

  Three outs. With a shuffling of feet and kicking of the dirt, the teams exchanged places. They were now in the bottom of the last inning. Kevin’s team was up at bat, with the other team two points ahead. And if her calculations were correct, Kevin would soon be hitting.

  Parents of other children on the team were exchanging words of encouragement, knowing just the perfect thing to say. She had no clue about what advice to give her son. Instead, she caught his eye as he stood in the dugout and gave him a thumbs-up. He smiled, then turned his attention back to the game.

  Maggie drew in a steadying breath, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. The first batter approached home plate. With enthusiastic swings, the young hitter struck out. Leaning forward on the bench, elbows on her knees, her fingers laced, Maggie concentrated so hard on the game she didn’t hear the approach of another fan. Not until he placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Startled, Maggie whirled to meet Jason’s apologetic glance.

  He was still in full uniform, and his face looked haggard. His hair was mussed, unruly curls falling onto his forehead. There was an unmistakable weariness in his stance. “I’m sorry, Maggie. There was a bad accident. Some tourist made a wrong turn on Main Street and hit a van full of kids. I couldn’t get away until we got the mess sorted out.”

  Relief poured through Maggie. Not at the accident that had claimed his attention. But at the fact that, despite the demands and the toll his job had taken, he still found the time to be with her son.

  “I’m glad you came,” she said softly, her smile hesitant.

  The corner of Jason’s mouth lifted into a half grin. “So am I.”

  Their gazes held for a long moment. Then the crack of a bat and the cheer of the crowd broke the intimacy of the moment. Maggie watched as the ball sailed into the outfield and the batter made it safely to first base.

  Jason glanced around the field, taking in the scene. “How’s Kevin’s team doing?”

  “Well, it’s close. We’re in the bottom of the last inning, and his team’s only two points behind.” Quietly she added, “There’s one out and Kevin will be up soon.”

  Jason nodded, staring at the dugout. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched as he strode with his usual long-legged confidence to the dugout. Her heart caught as Kevin’s face lit up with unfettered delight at Jason’s presence. Jason knelt down on one knee, speaking to him at eye level. Kevin nodded, listening intently. Then, patting him on the shoulder, Jason returned to the stand. He slid into the space next to her, his leg brushing hers.

  She felt the sinewy strength of his muscles beneath the stiff fabric of his pants. The heat of his body warmed her. Inhaling sharply, she breathed in a mixture of scents that was purely male: spicy cologne, the oiled leather of his gun belt and the sweat of hard work. She found it difficult to concentrate on the baseball game and not on the man beside her.

  The pitcher threw wild, hitting the next batter on the leg. Once it was assured the player wasn’t injured, the little boy took his base. The next batter hit a high fly into the air, allowing the shortstop to catch it with ease.

  Two outs, two men on base—and it was Kevin’s turn to bat.

  Maggie moaned beneath her breath.

  Jason chuckled and covered her hand with his. “Don’t worry, Maggie. He’ll be fine.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because for the last five days we’ve been practicing hitting in the backyard. His swing’s improved and so has his accuracy.” Squeezing her hand gently, he repeated, “Like I said, he’ll be fine.”

  Kevin hitched his pants up on his slender hips as he strode to the batter’s box. With a determined scowl on his face, he tapped the tip of the bat on home plate, took a couple of practice swings and stared down the pitcher, who had to be at least twice his size.

  Maggie gripped Jason’s hand tightly, forgetting all the reasons she should be keeping a distance between them, needing his reassuring touch even more.

  On his first attempt, Kevin tried too hard. He swung, his bat whistling as it sliced the air. Strike one.

  Maggie glanced at Jason. He smiled at her, seeming unperturbed, his confidence in her son unwavering.

  The second pitch was high. But Kevin got a piece of it. The ball went up, up, up into the air. Calls of “heads up” peppered the stands. The foul ball landed smack dab in the middle of the bleachers. Strike two.

  Jason chuckled at her cry of dismay.

  Maggie held her breath and waited for the next pitch.

  It was a perfect throw, just the right height and speed for someone Kevin’s size. With a satisfying crack of the bat, the ball sailed into centerfield.

  Maggie jumped to her feet, with Jason following.

  Dropping his bat, Kevin ran for first base. The ball continued to fly, up and over the outfielder’s head. Kevin and his teammates rounded the bases. First one, then another, made it into home. The score was now tied.

  Kevin hesitated on his way to third base.

  In the outfield, two players had collided while trying to catch Kevin’s hit. Regrouping, they picked themselves up and ran for the ball. The third-base coach was waving Kevin on.

  Glancing anxiously at the outfield, he ran for broke. He rounded third base, heading for home, the tie-breaking run resting squarely on his small shoulders. The boy in centerfield picked up the ball, tossing it to his cutoff man at second. Kevin and the ball were now at a dead heat.

  At home plate the catcher raised his glove, his feet straddling the base, readying himself to tag Kevin out.

  Maggie’s heart thudded wildly in her chest. Joining the other parents in yelling words of encouragement, she jumped up and down on the narrow metal footspace, nearly losing her balance and toppling forward. Jason reached out a steadying hand, smiling indulgently at her show of enthusiasm.

  Kevin neared home as the second baseman tossed the ball to the catcher. With the reckless spirit of youth, he threw himself at the plate, sliding under the catcher’s feet as he jumped up to catch the ball. A hush fell on the crowd as they watched Kevin touch the base—a split second before the catcher, ball in hand, brought his cleated foot down squarely on Kevin’s outstretched arm.

  And Maggie’s world tilted beneath her as the snap of Kevin’s bone breaking echoed across the field.

  A collective gasp arose from the crowd.

  The color drained from Maggie’s face. She opened her mouth, but no sound was emitted. She swayed, looking as though she might faint as she stared at her son.

  Kevin lay on the ground, holding his arm awkwardly in front of him, his body curled protectively around his injury.

  Jason’s grip tightened at her waist. “Maggie, are you okay?”

  She drew in a choppy breath. “I’ve got to get to Kevin.”

  He nodded. Jumping down from the stands, he reached out to help her. He felt the tremors racking her body as he lifted her to the ground. His own heart thumped so hard he could barely hear the excited buzz of the crowd around them. Pushing his way through the throng of players and coaches, glad for once of the respect his uniform afforded, he led Maggie to her son at home plate.

  By the time they reached him, Kevin’s coach was kneeling beside him, shouting orders to his assistants. “We need ice. Somebody get an ice pack out of the cooler.”

  Somewhere in the commotion, Kevin had lost his glasses. As Jason approached, he saw the tears making tracks on his dusty cheeks. But the boy wasn’t crying out in pain. Instead, he bit down hard on his trembling lower lip, keeping up a brave front.

  Hiding her fear, Maggie dropped to the ground beside her son. With the same air of self-assuredness Jason had seen her assume when Bob Williams had
his heart attack, Maggie spoke to her son. “Kevin, I’m going to have to look at your arm. Do you think you could hold it out for me?”

  Kevin nodded, still not saying a word. He slowly lifted his arm from the protective cradle of his chest.

  The arm wasn’t swollen, yet, but Jason could clearly see the imprint of the catcher’s cleats. The skin at the point of impact looked red and tender. And the set of bones looked off-kilter, somehow, as though one side were shorter than the other.

  Jason heard Maggie’s sharp intake of breath as she stared at Kevin’s arm. Swallowing hard, she gently probed the injury with two fingers. When she reached the point where the cleat marks were at their deepest, Kevin cried out in pain for the first time.

  “I’m so sorry, honey. I’m all finished now,” she murmured, her voice soothing. Tears glazed her eyes. She blinked rapidly, not allowing her son to see her distress. Then, carefully, she replaced Kevin’s arm against his chest Jason felt the full impact of her concern when she turned her troubled gaze to him. “His arm’s broken. He needs to go to the hospital.”

  Once again, without question, Jason accepted her diagnosis. “I’ve got a first-aid kit in my patrol car. There’s an air splint We can put it on him before we move him.”

  “That would be great.”

  Her voice sounded strained, hollow. Wishing he could do more to reassure her, Jason forced himself to move, heading for his patrol car with rapid strides. By the time he returned with the first-aid kit, Maggie was holding an ice pack on Kevin’s arm. The coach had cleared a space around them, keeping curious parents and players away.

  Without asking, Maggie opened the kit, inflated the air splint and anchored it around Kevin’s arm. Jason watched with a growing unease. This wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed Maggie’s nursing skills. It seemed as though she knew exactly what to do, as though she was a trained medical professional.

  Jason pushed the thought brusquely from his mind. If Maggie was a nurse, why in the world was she working as a waitress? It just didn’t make any sense.