Back for Seconds (Lone Star Second Chances Book 1)

by Ginger Voight

  “Oh, honey,” Novi sighed as she reached across the table for her friend’s hand. “You’re so far out of his league you’re not even playing the same game. He’s a manwhore. That’s what they do. I guarantee the minute you sleep together he’ll be out the door, trying to get into bed with someone else.”

  “Well, then, I’m so happy you’ve encouraged me to sleep with him,” Joely retorted.

  “I told you to sleep with him, not marry him. Every girl needs a Xander once in her life. Someone who makes us feel sexy and powerful, someone who breathes excitement into our otherwise boring lives. And girl, you are in need of some serious C.P.R.”

  “So you’re saying you would sleep with him?”

  “Slept,” Novanna corrected. “Past tense. He would have been a dried-up husk after that first night at The Ranch. See that’s what you need to do. He’s got all the power in this relationship, such as it is. You need to show him that you’re not this mousy, timid little housewife. Release your inner cougar, girl. It’s in there. Let it go.” Joely didn’t look very convinced. “But, if you’re looking for something a little more stable, a little more long-term, I know some non-manwhore-y men I can introduce you to.”

  Joely shook her head. She didn’t know what she wanted to happen with Xander, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t ready to actually start dating again. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a very good idea, with the kids and everything.”

  “How are the kids doing, anyway?”

  Joely took a deep breath. “Surprisingly well, all things considered. Kari is really stepping up to the plate with this new job. She even helps me with the cookies every day, no complaint, no argument. She still talks to her friends, but she’s not ringing the bell to go back home anymore. It’s almost like she’s thriving in this new environment that isn’t so perfect and demands much more from her.”

  Novanna nodded. “She’s a strong kid. Strong people rise to challenges. How about Nash? I know you were worried about him being so introverted.”

  “He’s still introverted,” Joely told her. “Although he did come out of his shell a little bit last weekend, when we spent the day with Xander celebrating his birthday.”

  Novanna arched an eyebrow. “You let the kids spend the day with him?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Just a bold choice considering any relationship with Xander, by all evidence, will likely be a temporary arrangement. I thought you wanted to keep things uncomplicated.”

  “It’s not like that. Xander’s in the kids’ lives regardless, given all the time we spend at the restaurant. He’s Kari’s boss, after all. She’s the one who invited him, not me.”

  “Mmhmm,” Novanna said as she signaled for the check.

  “What?”

  “Look, girl. You’re in some very dangerous waters here. You need to get in there, sow whatever wild oats you need to sow, and then get the hell back out again. The further down the rabbit hole you go, the further your kids go. And they really don’t need another father-figure taking a powder once he moves on to greener, younger, pastures.”

  It hurt Joely to hear it but she supposed that was what best friends were for. Novanna wasn’t going to sugarcoat the truth, and Joely already knew down deep she was probably right. Her fling with Xander, though sexy and exciting, had an expiration date already built in.

  As caught up as Joely was with her own soap opera, there was sadness around Novi’s eyes that could not be ignored. Despite her fifteen-year marriage, and despite how beautiful, sexy, smart and fierce Novanna had always been, she was terrified of the same fate befalling her. “You know David isn’t like that, right?”

  Novanna sighed as she reached for her drink. “Not yet. But the clock is ticking.” Off Joely’s look, she expounded. “Russell hired one of Jena’s friends to work at the office. She’s everything I’m not. Don’t think that wasn’t on purpose.”

  Joely reached for her hand. “Take it from me. If he wanted something different, he wouldn’t be with you. Russell can dangle a hundred girls in his lap, but that won’t force a faithful man to cheat.”

  The minute the words were out of her mouth, she sat back in stunned silence. Wasn’t that what Xander had been trying to tell her?

  Novi finally sighed. “He’s talking about babies again, Joely. Let’s face it. He wants something I can’t give him.”

  “Won’t give him,” Joely corrected. “He’s still fighting for you. Trust me, that’s a damn rare trait in men these days.”

  “Either way,” Novi shrugged. “It’s still just another man trying to change us into what they think we should be.”

  That shut Joely up quick. As exciting as her affair had been, Xander was no different than any other man, or the ‘society’ he so disdained. He thought she needed fixing and it was his job to do it. She was a project, nothing more. In fact, she was really no different than his fixer-upper houses. He’d tinker and tweak her to prepare her for her next owner, and when he was satisfied that she was a successful remodel he’d mosey along to another girl, another town, another country to do it all over again. It was up to her how far she was willing to let the whole thing go.

  She still wasn’t sure how far that was by the time she dropped Kari off at the restaurant. She decided to go inside, to check her cookie supply to see how many goodies to make for the next day. The minute she saw Xander, though, she knew it had just been an excuse. She had wanted to see him. She wanted to know if maybe his interest had waned once he had another, more exciting, alternative in Jena.

  The minute their eyes met, electricity shot through her body, warming her to the tips of her toes. “Hello, stranger,” he smirked as he joined her behind the counter.

  “Hello,” she said stiffly as she counted what product she had left. She actually had to start over twice. Standing that close to him was frying her brain. She felt the heat of his body as he took one step closer.

  “Do you have a few minutes? I’d like to speak to you in my office.”

  She turned to face him. He didn’t bother backing up. “Sure,” she finally said. He took a step back and held out a hand. She led the way upstairs to his office, fully conscious that he was watching the sway of her hips. He closed the door behind him, resting against it as she turned to face him at last. “So. Are we done pouting?”

  “I wasn’t pouting,” she said, resisting the urge to do that very thing.

  He chuckled as he walked towards her. “You’re already due a few swats for your petulant behavior. Do you really want to add lying to the list, too?”

  She stared at him, open-mouthed. “How dare you make this about me? I told you I didn’t want to work with Jena and you’ve done nothing but ignore me. You’re the one being the ass here.”

  “True,” he agreed happily as he perched on the edge of his desk. “I’m a total ass, but you knew that going in. So if you’re expecting me to hold your hand while you torpedo your business, you should already know you’re in for a long wait.”

  “You’re right. It’s my business. And I get to reserve the right to refuse business, especially to sneaky, lying whores who go after married men.”

  She spun on her heel to leave. “Get back here, Joely,” he said. His stern words stopped her in her tracks. She slowly turned to face him. He didn’t move one inch towards her, but with the fiery look in his eyes, he didn’t have to. “This isn’t about Jena. It never was. This is about the fifteen guests at this baby shower, all of whom are going to get a Joely original, made with just as much love and care as every other cookie you sell. You know the ones, those special cookies that keep everyone coming back for more, spending outrageous amounts of money on a basic mixture of sugar and flour, just because it brightens their day and makes them feel better about life in general. You’re not selling a cookie. You’re selling a feeling. Let me tell you something, sweetheart. Bitter doesn’t sell.”

  She gulped hard as she stared at him. He hadn’t moved one muscle as he read her the riot act, and he wasn’t
through. “This is about creating a customer base, with more and more young women who will want unique baked goods for all their special occasions, which include weddings, baby showers, as well as any other reason at all to celebrate. Parties for adults. Parties for kids. Parties because it’s flippin’ Thursday and no one has anything better to do. Not to mention holidays. Ever heard of Christmas? We’re talking orders by the dozen for special gifts for grandma all the way down to the mailman.”

  The more he shamed her, the worse she felt. She knew he was right. “These women aren’t your enemy. They’re your ticket to freedom. And you know it. Now, you could totally turn down Jena and her sister. No one privy to the uncomfortable situation would blame you for standing your ground. But when it comes to their friends, and their friends’ friends, none of whom have any dog in your particular fight, all they’ll see is how unprofessional you are, letting petty grudges affect your business decisions like a twelve-year-old. And when their events come up, and they will, they’ll find someone who’s a little less high-maintenance and temperamental to work with. Worse, they’ll tell everyone they know to do the same. Simply put, you can’t afford to pick and choose at this point, Joely. This is about building a brand. They’re the client. They get to be as difficult and crazy and self-indulgent as they want to be. But you? You’re held to a higher standard. You have to be. And I, for one, believe that you’re more than capable to rise to the challenge. So we’re going to take this job and you’re going to make the most kickass cookies you can make, with the grace and the class you’ve demonstrated since that bastard cheated on you. You’re going to blow them all away and show every single person in this fucking town that you’re unbreakable.”

  They stood staring at each other for long moments. “Fine,” she finally said through clenched teeth. She turned for the door and his words stopped her again.

  “Good, we’ll make the appointment after we return from Dallas.”

  She stopped at the door, turned and glared at him. “I don’t think I’m going to Dallas, actually.”

  He slid off the corner of the desk and approached her slowly, his eyes dark and ominous. “Oh yes, you are,” he told her as he reached where she stood. He didn’t touch her, but she still shivered as if he’d just ripped every single stitch of clothing from her body. God help her, it was all she wanted him to do. “You’re going to drop off the kids on Friday and you’re going to drive back home, where I will pick you up promptly at six o’clock. You don’t even have to pack. I’ve already arranged everything.”

  Her eyebrow arched. “You sure like to take control, don’t you?”

  “You gave me control,” he reminded her in a low voice. “You know deep down I’m not going to take you anywhere you’re not willing and ready to go.” She held her breath as he reached for a lock of her hair. “So are you ready to start listening to me or should I expect another week of the silent treatment?”

  Her heart thundered against her chest. “Fine,” she repeated, this time in a breathless whisper.

  “Good girl,” he said with a grin before he opened the door and held it open with one hand. “Now you better get home. You have dozens of cookies to make if we’re going to be gone all weekend.”

  His eyes bore into hers, daring her to defy him. She tipped her head and squeezed past him through the door. Just as she cleared the door frame he gave her a firm swat on her backside, which made her gasp and spin around. “That’s one,” he said with that insufferable smirk. “You get the rest Friday night.”

  He closed the door between them.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Joely ended up working all the way up until Friday. She had to produce enough cookies to last the weekend, making six days’ worth of inventory over the course of three days. By the time the weekend rolled around, she was ready for the mini-vacation, though she had no idea what to expect with Xander in the driver’s seat.

  He sent over another outfit that Friday afternoon, another dress, with a white bodice with capped sleeves and black skirt with a tulip hem. He also provided lingerie to wear underneath, complete with an ivory embroidered bustier with garters, matching panties and stockings. Normally she would have felt ridiculous putting on such a get-up, but thanks to Xander she felt flirty, feminine and empowered as she added each sexy new layer. The anticipation built by the minute until she was a raw nerve as she sat at her vanity and applied her makeup. Her mind went wild, contemplating the possibilities. She had no idea what to expect from him, which was part of the excitement.

  She was amped up before she picked up the kids from school. She picked up Hannah first, who was strangely out of sorts. She wouldn’t even cheer up at the idea of an ice cream cone, a treat that Joely sometimes indulged as they waited for Nash and Kari to get out of class. “What’s the matter, honey?” Joely finally asked.

  “I don’t feel good, Mommy,” she said with tears in her bright blue eyes. They stopped by the house, where she checked her temperature, which was 99.1. Her low-grade fever, coupled with her complaints of nausea and chills, pointed to a stomach flu that had just started circling around.

  “Sounds like a bug, Bug,” she told Hannah as she brushed her hair out of her face. She thought about cancelling her plans and keeping Hannah at home, but then reasoned that Russell was a doctor after all. It wasn’t like he was incapable of taking care of a sick child. And that was going to happen on his watch sometimes too. “Do you want to stay here with Mommy this weekend?”

  Hannah’s lip quivered as she shook her head. “I want to go home,” she said. It broke Joely’s heart to realize that no matter how much had changed, that house in Fairway Oaks, where Hannah had lived her whole life, was still “home.” It was the place she wanted to be when she didn’t feel good. It was still her source of comfort.

  “Okay,” Joely said, and that was that.

  “Maybe you could stay with us,” Hannah suggested, her eyes wide.

  Poor kid, thought Joely. She felt so miserable she just wanted things to be back to ‘normal.’ No one could blame her, least of all Joely, but she knew she couldn’t comply with the request. This was their new reality. It was the new ‘normal.’ Hannah’s time with her dad no longer included her mom. It sucked in times like these, but the sooner everyone acclimated to these changes, the better.

  It was times like this that her job as Mom, the one who had to enforce things that would discomfort or inconvenience her children, flew in the face of her affection for them. She wanted to give them whatever would make them happy, whatever would make them feel better. But she had to do the hard work of saying ‘no’ when all she wanted to do was say ‘yes,’ simply because it was better for Hannah in the long run. “No, sweetie, I’m sorry,” she finally said. Tears rolled down Hannah’s cheek and she turned away from her mother, who had disappointed her yet again.

  It dimmed her enthusiasm as she picked up the older kids. Kari looked over her new outfit with interest. “What are you all dressed up for? Another night out with Auntie Novi?”

  Joely didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to lie but she couldn’t tell them the truth. “I have some business meetings this weekend,” was all she said. Fortunately Kari didn’t press her further.

  “Cool,” was all she said.

  Joely arrived at Fairway Oaks a little after five o’clock, but the mood was far from festive. Nash was back to his withdrawn self. There were no bro handshakes between him and his dad as Russell greeted his son with his standard, “Hey, sport.”

  Likewise Kari’s feet dragged as she carried her backpack into the house. No longer did she race back to her father’s home, empty-handed, to all the belongings she had left behind, like some anchor to her old existence. Instead she began transporting the things she had been acquiring as a part of her new life in Old Elmwood, like the stacks of books she got from Granny Faye, or the diary Lillian had purchased her as a homecoming gift.

  The shift was subtle but undeniable. She no longer considered her time at her Nana
’s house as the temporary sleepover. She was planting roots there.

  Hannah was whiny and testy as Joely lifted her out of the car and into her arms to carry her to the house. Normally Hannah detested such things. She had been proud to become a big girl at every stage in her life. But she didn’t feel well, so she whined and leaned against her mother’s shoulder as they walked up the sidewalk.

  Russell gave Joely’s new duds a once over before he focused on Hannah. “Everything okay?”

  Joely transferred their daughter to him. “She doesn’t feel well. I think she’s come down with a bug. She has a low-grade fever and some nausea.”

  He held his hand to Hannah’s head. “And of course your plans this weekend don’t allow for you to care for her, I suppose.”

  Joely glared at him. He was criticizing her for not properly prioritizing their children? What nerve. “She wanted to come home,” she told him as she reached into her purse and pulled out the medicines she had already begun administering. “I already gave her the first dose at three-thirty.”

  “Are you still going out of town?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she answered. “I have some business in Dallas over the weekend,” she added, though she hated herself for justifying anything to him. It was clear from the smirk on his face he didn’t believe her anyway.

  “Do you have a number where you can be reached?”

  Her eyes leveled on him. “You can reach me on my cell.”

  “Are you going alone?” he finally asked.

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she retorted.

  “So, no,” he decided.

  “Think what you want, Russell. You will anyway.” She turned to Hannah, brushing her hair out of her face. “Feel better, baby girl,” she said as she bent forward to kiss her cheek. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mommy,” she managed, though tearfully. It practically ripped her heart in two as Joely walked back to her car. When she got inside, she saw Russell cuddle and rock their daughter to stem her tears. Despite what a horrible husband he had been, and a part-time dad, he did love his kids. She knew that Hannah would be okay.