Just One More Chance: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

  Jillian stood rooted to the sidewalk watching them drive away, wondering if she had made the right decision to even consider a date with him.

  *

  “I was surprised when you said you wanted to come in this morning,” Thomas said, studying Grant as he sat in front of him, his hands tightly clenched.

  Grant’s gaze was steady as he stared back. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what we talked about at our last visit and I don’t want to waste any more time.”

  Thomas let the silence fill the room, giving Grant the chance to speak at his own pace.

  “I thought maybe I could take things slow, but the truth is, I need to move forward.” Grinning sheepishly, he admitted, “That woman I’ve been crazy about since we were kids? I’m going to lose her if I don’t face what happened.”

  “You can’t rush these things,” Thomas warned.

  “I know, but I’m ready and I think the first step is talking to you about it. Don’t know if I’ll talk to my friends, but at least I want to talk to you…and then see if I can talk to her.”

  Settling back in his chair, Thomas smiled encouragingly at Grant. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  *

  Jillian and Tori sat at a Seafood Shack deck table overlooking the town’s harbor, sharing an appetizer and a bottle of wine, relaxing at the end of the day. Jillian presented her with a stack of brochures about Jillian’s Coffee Shop and Galleria for Tori to give to the guests of her Sea Glass Inn.

  “Oh, these are so pretty! Did you do them yourself?” Tori asked. “I need some updated brochures on my inn.”

  Smiling at the compliment, Jillian nodded. “They were simple to design and then I sent them off to one of the discount printing companies.”

  As they continued to discuss the brochures, Jillian noticed Grant and Zac walk into the restaurant. The men did not see her, but she had a birds-eye view of them as they approached the bar and sat down.

  As usual, it did not take long for the two handsome, single men to attract attention, especially by a couple of bombshell waitresses, circling them like sharks. Zac grinned at the blonde closest to him, throwing his head back in laughter as she leaned in, her hand on his arm and her breasts pressed against his bicep. Yep, encouraging as always.

  Jillian shifted her gaze over to the dark-haired beauty with her hand on Grant’s shoulder as her breasts came precariously close to his chest. Instead of laughing, Grant shifted his body away, shirking her hand off him. Huh? Jillian leaned back slightly so her view was not obstructed by the other people in the restaurant, and her eyes were not playing tricks on her—Grant was stepping back from the woman’s advances. The waitress gave a little pout along with her shrug and moved on to get the orders. Zac finally disengaged himself from the blonde and the two men sat on the bar stools talking until their take-out order came and they left.

  Looking back to Tori, Jillian saw her friend was staring at the men as well, her mouth hanging open.

  “Wow,” Tori said, looking back to Jillian. “Did I just see what I think I saw?”

  Pretending to not know what her friend was talking about, Jillian asked, “What did you see?”

  “Oh, come on, dearie,” Tori smiled. “I saw you eagle-eye Grant from the moment he walked in.” Leaning back in her chair, tossing her long, red hair over her shoulder, she softened her voice. “I admit, I was afraid he was going to flirt and hook-up right here and I hated that for you.” Looking back toward the restaurant where the men had stood, she added, “But he never looked at her. I wonder…”

  “You wonder what?”

  Shrugging, Tori’s lips curved slightly. “I know Mitch has mentioned Grant seeming to be more focused lately. I guess everyone has to finally grow up sometime.” She reached down to grab another nacho and pop it into her mouth, leaving Jillian to wonder what Grant was up to.

  *

  Drop-everything-we’ve-got-to-talk. The call had made its rounds and now the girls grabbed their plates loaded with sandwiches and chips in Jillian’s sun-filled yellow and green kitchen. The all night gab sessions that began when they were children at sleep-overs and continued when they were teenagers had developed into weekly get-togethers. The core group of Jillian, Tori, and Katelyn had now expanded to include Belle and Jade. Today was not on their schedule, but one phone call brought them all together on Jillian’s patio.

  A circle of comfortable wicker chairs and a settee, all with floral seat cushions, graced her brick patio. Pots of flowers in full bloom sat around the edge and a tall tree provided shade.

  Plopping into one of the chairs, Katelyn took a bite of her sandwich and, barely chewing, said, “Spill it.”

  Jillian’s mouth was poised over her sandwich but halted in its path. Her eyes cut to her best friend and her brow crinkled with irritation. “Can’t I even take a bite first?”

  Chewing, Katelyn shook her head, unable to speak until she swallowed. “Nope. Rules say, you call a special meeting then you need to start talking.”

  Belle looked over, wide-eyed. “Rules? We have rules?”

  “Yeah. The person who needs the meeting can’t keep the rest of us waiting, and no calorie counting. We talk, we eat, we drink. Those are the three rules.” Katelyn stated firmly.

  Tori laughed seeing Belle’s big-eyed stare and patted her hand. “Not real rules, Belle. Just…well, you know…um…”

  “Oh, for crying out loud!” Jillian said, tossing her food back onto her plate and setting it to the side. “Okay, here goes.” Pursing her lips, she said, “Grant asked me out on a date. I told him no, but then he said he was getting some help with things that happened when he was in the service, so I told him I would think about it.” Whatever she expected their reaction to be, she was stunned when no one said anything. Tori leaned back in her chair, a smile on her face. Belle appeared genuinely pleased and Jade, the newcomer to the group, eyed the other women looking for a clue as to how she should react.

  Katelyn took a long sip of her lemonade, washing down the bite, before setting the glass on the arm of her chair, its condensation dripping onto the wood. She turned her gaze toward Jillian and stared long and hard at her friend.

  “Come on, say something,” Jillian begged. “Tell me I’m stupid for even considering giving him one more chance. Or tell me you think it’s great. Tell me anything.”

  Tori, Belle, and Jade instinctively knew the conversation might include all of them, but the undercurrent of heavy emotion ran between Jillian and Katelyn.

  After a long, uncomfortable moment of silence, just when Jillian was beginning to think her best friend was never going to speak, Katelyn blinked rapidly to hold back tears.

  Sucking in a breath, Katelyn said, “We may have only been in high school, but I loved Philip.”

  The others sat in stone silence, their food abandoned on their plates. Jillian’s face softened as she leaned forward, placing her hand on Katelyn’s arm. “Oh, honey,” she whispered.

  “No, no, I’m all right,” Katelyn assured, sighing heavily. “But we didn’t get our chance to see if what we had would make it in the adult world.” She shifted her gaze over Jillian’s shoulder, her eyes glazed with memories. Clearing her throat, she turned back to look at her closest friend. “He may not have come back from the war, but he wasn’t the only one affected. I see it in Aiden and Brogan. I love my brothers, but they both have scars deep inside. They deal with it in different ways, but the emotional scars are there.”

  Tori nodded slowly and Jillian knew that Mitch, though he seemed to have come back unscathed from his tours, bore his own inner wounds. Her eyes shifted back to Katelyn’s, as she continued.

  “I wanted Grant to come home to you just like I wanted Philip to come home to me.” Sighing, Katelyn said, “But when Grant returned and acted like the two of you weren’t an item, it pissed me off. He left again to live and work in Virginia Beach, but then when he came back, I thought he was ready to settle down. But I’ve watched him hold you at arm’s length for all th
at time as he seemed to go for anything and everything around! And now? Now he wants to come back?”

  Jillian winced and dropped her head. She thinks I’m a fool. She thinks I’m setting myself up for more heartache. A hand landed on her arm, giving a little squeeze, and she lifted her eyes back to Katelyn’s as her friend continued.

  “But honey, I’m starting to see a different Grant. Hell, I’m starting to see a difference in all of them. Maybe the American Legion meetings and activities are helping our boys work through whatever they had to deal with.”

  Holding her breath, Jillian asked, “So what are you saying?”

  Katelyn’s lips curved slowly into a small smile as she squeezed Jillian’s arm once again. “Sweetie, I’m saying that maybe Grant is now ready for whatever you two are going to become.”

  “So you don’t think I’m crazy for going out with him. Opening myself up for possible heartache?”

  “Girl, the only thing that’s crazy is not following your heart. I see that now,” Katelyn added.

  *

  The evening stars dotted the dark sky as the surf reflected the moonlight. Alone, Jillian sat on the sand of the town beach, watching the waves washing up on the shore. This spot was hers, claimed since she was a teenager slipping out to sit on the beach until her curfew. Enjoying the solitude as her mind wandered she startled when her phone vibrated.

  Checking the caller first, she smiled as she answered, “Hey, mom.”

  “Hi darling, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. How’s your trip?”

  “New England is beautiful, but we’ll be glad to get home in a few weeks. Your father is chomping at the bit to go fishing off the pier this time of year.”

  “That’s nice,” Jillian commented.

  “Hmmm, you sound distracted. What are you doing?”

  “Just hanging out at the beach.”

  “Oh, I know what that means,” her mom replied. “What’s going on?” Hearing the silence, she continued, “Come on, Jillian. You sit and watch the waves at night when you have things on your mind. It used to worry me to death, until I finally realized it was what you needed. So, what’s got you down at the beach this late?”

  Chuckling, Jillian said, “You think you know me so well?”

  “It’s a mom thing. Just go with it.”

  “Grant asked me to go on a date,” Jillian confessed. “And I keep wondering if I’m just opening myself up to more heartache giving him another chance.”

  The silence crept through the phone waves for a minute before her mom said, “I wish I could tell you that he won’t break your heart again, baby, but only you can decide if the risk is worth it.”

  “You know the feeling of wanting something so bad you think you can’t breathe without it? And yet you know it’ll never be yours? Well, that’s how I’ve felt for so long and now, I guess I’m scared. He said that he’s getting help with some things that happened when he was overseas. I don’t know, mom, but it seems to be making a difference.”

  “Oh, Jillian, you’re going to have to ask yourself which is better—guarding your heart or taking the risk and possibly finding the one you’ve always needed. There’s no right or wrong, here. Only you can decide.”

  With vows of love and goodbyes, Jillian disconnected. Sighing heavily, she watched as a few night birds flew over the water, heading off to roost as ghost crabs came out to scamper on the beach. Guarding my heart…or taking a risk? As the moon rose higher in the sky, she stood and shook out her blanket. With a small smile, she turned to walk back to her house, her decision made.

  Looking down at her cell phone, she punched in Grant’s number. He picked it up on the second ring. Before he had a chance to speak, she blurted, “Okay Grant, I’ll go out to dinner with you, but as friends…no date. Just two friends going out.”

  Silence on the other end of the line greeted her and she wondered if he were there, until she heard a loud sigh.

  “Oh, Jillian, thank you, thank you,” Grant enthused. “I promise I’ll prove to you that you’ll never regret giving me this chance.”

  “O…kay,” she replied. “Well, um…I’ll see you on Wednesday.” Disconnecting, her heart pounded. In fear or anticipation? She had no idea.

  *

  Grant stood and looked at the silent phone still in his hand and sucked in a deep breath. Smiling, relief speared through him. This is my chance. This one I won’t screw up.

  Chapter 8

  Grant looked at the clock on the dashboard of the police vehicle and groaned out loud. The timing of the traffic stop could not be worse; he fired off a quick text to Jillian letting her know he was running late due to work. Hopefully, she’ll understand.

  Pulling up behind Burt’s police SUV stopped on the side of the main road leading from town, he walked over, eying his fellow officer who had the vehicle’s driver standing to the side. The man was arguing loudly, causing Grant’s suspicions to rise.

  “Check the front seat,” Burt said to Grant.

  Walking over, Grant peered inside, seeing a gun lying on the passenger seat, partially hidden by a plastic grocery sack. Yeah, a routine traffic stop for speeding just got a whole lot more interesting.

  As Burt handcuffed the driver, Grant began the search. It did not take long to discover the packets of white powder hidden poorly. Is this guy stupid, or what? Several bags of the powder were wrapped in more plastic grocery bags and sitting in the back seat.

  Opening one of the bags, he used his test kit, quickly seeing the change in color on the test strip, indicating meth. Looking over toward Burt, he called out, “Positive for methamphetamine.”

  Bagging the evidence and calling for assistance from the state police, Grant watched as Burt took the driver into custody, placing him in his vehicle. The state police arrived and assisted Grant with the scene. Impounding the car, Grant had to wait for the tow truck to arrive.

  Seeing Jason drive up, Grant grinned. “Didn’t know you’d take the job,” he greeted.

  “Well, seeing as it’s the only garage in town and still short-handed, looks like you got me.”

  Grant watched as the large man hooked up the suspect’s vehicle to his tow truck as quickly as possible and, with a wave, Grant was finally able to leave the scene. Sighing heavily, he glanced at the evidence bags in the back seat. Now, time to process and write up reports. Damn…

  Two hours later, he was just finishing when Mitch popped around the corner. “You ’bout done?”

  “Yeah. The evidence is locked up and I’m just finishing the report now. Burt’ll do the traffic report and I’ve got the drugs and weapons.”

  Nodding, Mitch replied, “Good work. I’m heading out and Mildred’s just left. See you tomorrow.” Grinning, he said, “And by the way, you’ve got a visitor. Since you’re almost done, I’ll let ’em come on back.”

  Curious about his visitor, his lips curved into a huge grin as he spied Jillian walking around the corner, a picnic basket in her hand. “What’s this?”

  “Since you couldn’t come to dinner, I thought I’d bring dinner to you.”

  Holding up the report on his desk, he grinned, “Perfect timing. I just finished the report, so we don’t have to eat here.” Glancing at her basket, he said, “I had planned on wining and dining you, but I don’t want that to go to waste.”

  Her smile was replaced with a serious look as she replied, “I don’t want to be wined and dined, Grant. I don’t need that.”

  Standing, he walked around the desk, stopping only when his boots were directly in front of her shoes. Looking down at her upturned face, he reached for the basket. “Then let’s go on a picnic.”

  Meeting his grin, she nodded as she walked beside him, leaving the station. She felt his hand resting on the small of her back as he guided her through the parking lot. Each fingertip burned through her lightweight sweater and she missed the heat as they reached his jeep and his hand left her back to reach for the door.

  He hated that he did not ha
ve a chance to go home for a shower and change clothes before their date. She appeared fresh in her lacy, pink top and white capris, showing off her tanned legs, and blue sandals with her pink-painted toenails peeking out.

  Opening the back door to his SUV, he placed the basket carefully onto the floor to protect the contents. As he turned, she was reaching for the passenger door, but he quickly reached it before she did. Offering her a hand up, he settled her into the seat. “Buckle up,” he ordered gently before closing her door and circling the front to climb into the driver’s seat.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, as he drove out of town.

  Grinning, he replied, “Got a special place.” Leaving her in suspense, he took several back roads after they left the main street leading out of town.

  Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the end of a sandy jeep path, pine trees and sea grass dotting the dunes. He grabbed the picnic basket from the back seat before taking her hand and leading her toward the beach. Grinning, Jillian said, “I’ve lived here my whole life and haven’t seen this spot!”

  Settling a blanket on the sand before placing the basket on top, he said, “I never knew about it as a kid. I found it when I got back from the Army. I come here sometimes to…be alone.”

  The thought of him bringing some of his dates here for privacy flew through her mind, but before she could wonder too much, he added, “I’ve never shared this place with anyone…not even my friends.”

  Shocked, she tried to hide her smile but it came out anyway. “Well, then I’m honored.”

  Sitting on the blanket, he reached up and took her hand, gently pulling her down next to him. “Jillian, you’re more than a special friend.”

  Putting her hand on his chest, pushing slightly, she shook her head. “Grant, you can’t play me like this. We’re here as friends. Don’t say things like that and then turn around and—”

  “No, no,” he protested. “I won’t.”

  She observed his expression, seeing nothing but sincerity in his eyes. “You’re confusing the hell out of me,” she complained. “Let’s be honest, you started this only after seeing me with other guys. How do I know you’re not just trying to keep me from moving on?”