Last Chances

by Jeanne Bannon

  “I know you said I couldn’t, but I really want to take him home, Hayden. Can you arrange it, please?”

  Five

  Regret slammed Hayden like a punch to the throat. Part of him hadn’t really expected his plan to work and now that it had, he was torn. On the one hand, he’d be saving Jasper’s life, but on the other, he could be putting Pressley in danger. Jasper had bitten Shaun when he was first brought in, leaving a puncture mark in the space between her thumb and index finger. But that had been out of fear, he reasoned — new place, new people. The poor dog was just protecting himself.

  Besides, Jasper really did like Pressley; maybe she was the right person for him. Whatever it was that she had, or was doing — her soft voice, her gentle demeanor, the kindness that oozed from her — Jasper had picked up on it.

  Hayden’s thoughts ping-ponged — was he pushing the dog on Pressley because Shaun would have wanted Jasper saved, or was he respecting Pressley’s wishes?

  He could bear it no longer. Guilt made him speak. “Maybe you should think about it for a day or two before jumping into something that might be more trouble than it’s worth.”

  “But he’s supposed to be put down next week, right?”

  “Yeah, but that gives you some time to think about it. And, it’ll give you time to soften up Janet about adopting Jasper. She’ll flip out when she finds out you want him.”

  Pressley got to her feet and stretched out her back. She looked thoughtful, then finally nodded her assent. “Couldn’t hurt, I guess but please make sure you’ll watch over him. The vet won’t come in early to put him down, right?”

  “No, don’t worry. I’ll make sure he won’t.”

  Pressley looked at the wall clock. “I have to get back to work. Janet’s probably wondering what I’m up to.”

  “Wait! Um, maybe we should talk about this whole Jasper thing a bit more. I know quite a bit about his history,” Hayden said. “Might help you make up your mind.”

  “I really should get back to the office, Hayden.”

  “No, I didn’t mean right now. I meant after work. I’ll come by your place to pick you up. Maybe we could grab a bite, or something?” Hayden felt his checks flush. It was not something he was used to. In fact, he hadn’t felt this way since he was in high school. What was it about this plain Jane that stirred him? Maybe it was that she really wasn’t such a plain Jane after all. He saw beneath the façade. Those big brown eyes, full lips, and thick dark hair she kept in a bun. More than anything he wanted to see what it looked like cascading over her shoulders. Pressley was a beautiful woman, despite her best efforts at hiding her assets.

  Her eyes widened and for a moment, Hayden was afraid she wasn’t going to answer. Again, her eyes darted to the clock. “Um, yeah, that would be fine, I guess.”

  Hayden pulled out his phone and smiled with relief, though he wished she’d been more enthusiastic in her response. “Wanna give me your address and number?”

  “Can we meet?” Pressley said.

  “Huh?”

  “Can we meet at the place? Wherever it is you want to grab a bite?”

  Hayden’s smile faded. “Um, sure. Six o’clock good for you, or is it too early? We can meet at Cranbrook Park and take it from there.” He wanted to add, “It’s a busy, public place, so you’ll feel safe.” His pride was wounded, but he’d survive and besides, he couldn’t really blame her for being cautious; after all, they’d only just met.

  She took his phone and punched in her number, leaving blank the space where an address would go, then handed it back. “Text me your number so I’ll have it in case I’m running late, okay?”

  * * * * *

  Pressley left work promptly at 4:30 to get ready to meet Hayden at Cranbrook Park. She was home now and in her bedroom, looking through her closet for something comfortable, yet stylish — if such an outfit even existed. It was a good idea, even at this time of year when chilly days were more frequent than warm ones, to meet at the park. It was out in the open where other people would be, not that she was scared of him. On the contrary, for some reason, she trusted him, but she was nervous to have him over to her house. Her social anxiety kicked into high gear just at the notion. If only she could call her therapist. A pep talk would do her some good right now. But they’d parted ways when they’d mutually agreed she was able to cope on her own.

  She’d have to get into Hayden’s car at some point, so he could take her to wherever they were going to eat — that might be uncomfortable, especially if they had nothing to talk about except Jasper.

  A sudden heart-rending thought sprang to mind — what if this was actually a date? Getting together to talk about Jasper was nerve-racking but tolerable, but the notion of a date made her nauseous with fear. She made her way to her dresser mirror and leaned forward until her face was inches away. “Stop! You are good enough just the way you are. You are smart and kind and have no reason to be scared,” Pressley told her reflection. This time she halfway believed herself. She remembered Hayden mentioning the name ‘Shaun’ — so then, what was she afraid of? He was probably gay and really did just want to talk about Jasper. He’d said he knew quite a bit about the dog. That had to be it! She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. After a few more, her pulse slowed, and her stomach settled.

  Back to her closet she went, grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater and, after changing, she was in front of her mirror again, this time to inspect her bun. It was in its usual neat pile atop her head. She reached for the bobby pins and hair ties holding it in place and began to pull them out. She stopped. Her bun was a leaning wobble on the verge of collapsing. Was she really going to let her hair down? She smiled at her reflection. “Yes, I am,” she proclaimed and with expert fingers, pulled the last of the snag-free hair elastics out, along with the remaining pins. She brushed out the knots. It felt great not to be so confined. Her usual routine was to put her hair in a ponytail once she got home; very rarely did she ever let it hang loose. But now that the pressure of a date was gone, she wanted to be comfortable.

  After donning a pair of hoop earrings and applying a little lipstick, she was ready to go.

  Six

  The light was waning, but the park was brightly lit and for an evening in November in South Carolina, the weather was surprisingly warm. She texted Hayden before getting out of her car. She should have asked him what he drove, but it was too late now.

  He didn’t text back. He didn’t have to. She saw him sauntering over after jumping from the driver’s seat of a black pickup truck, a big smile on his face.

  “Hey, you hungry?” he said when he got to her window.

  Unsure of whether to get out of her car, Pressley simply nodded. Hayden opened the car door and moved out of the way for her. “All right, come on, then.”

  She killed the engine and grabbed her purse. Before following, she chirped the car alarm and checked the door to make sure it was locked, then she zipped up her coat.

  Instead of getting into the truck, Hayden opened the tailgate, hopped up and held out a hand for Pressley. Behind him, she saw a cooler and blankets. She was completely bewildered, but took his hand nonetheless.

  He pulled her up and she landed in the bed of the truck with an inelegant thud.

  Hayden laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pull so hard.”

  Pressley felt the heat of embarrassment rise in her cheeks, and laughed to cover her feelings. Hayden helped her to her feet and smiled contritely. “You okay? Didn’t hurt anything, did you?”

  She shook her head no. The plastic cargo liner had softened her landing.

  “Great!” He turned around and she heard rummaging. “This is a little unconventional, but I wanted to do something different,” he called over his shoulder. When he turned back around, she was presented with a low-slung, canvas chair complete with a cup holder in the armrest. Hayden set one up for himself as well.

  “Go ahead — have a seat. I’ll set up dinner.”

  She’d never
eaten dinner in the back of a pickup before; hell, she’d never even been in the back of a pickup. But relief settled in with the realization she and Hayden weren’t going to a restaurant after all. It was unconventional, but more than that, it was simple, and Pressley was all about that.

  Hayden set a small table in front of them. It wasn’t much larger than a TV tray and it sparked childhood memories of the times her mom let her eat dinner in front of the television, so they could watch sitcoms together. He placed a small plastic tablecloth over it and smoothed it flat.

  “We barely know each other, so I apologize in advance if I’ve picked food you don’t like,” Hayden said as he opened the cooler. “I don’t have a picnic basket.” He laughed.

  “A cooler will do in a pinch,” Pressley replied. She had to admit she was amused and was curious about what Hayden’s idea of picnic food would be.

  He took out a bottle of red wine and two plastic cups and placed them on the table, followed by sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil.

  “Everyone likes wine, right?” He uncorked the bottle, poured the wine, then handed her a glass.

  She did like wine, especially red, and was grateful to have something to calm her nerves. But he’s gay, she suddenly remembered — nothing to be nervous about. The thought didn’t have its intended effect — yes, it did calm her, but it also made her heart heavy.

  “And, since I chose a Chianti, I figured meatball sandwiches would be a nice accompaniment. Italian food — a safe choice, right?” Before she could answer, he nodded toward the cooler. “I even have tiramisu for dessert.”

  “You went to a lot of trouble.”

  Hayden laughed. “Wow, you’re low maintenance if you think sitting in the back of a truck eating meatball sandwiches is a lot of trouble.” He picked up her sandwich and slid a paper plate under it. “Now I feel bad that I didn’t bring real plates.”

  She sipped her wine and unwrapped her sandwich. They ate and drank and did their best to fill in the silences with small talk. She wondered when the topic of Jasper was going to be broached. Should she be the one to bring him up, or let Hayden take the lead?

  She decided to wait. The evening was young, and he was doing his best to be hospitable. Hayden would eventually fill her in on Jasper as he’d promised. She just had to be patient. After another glass of wine, the chitchat came easier, the wine having transported her to blissful laxity.

  By the time they’d finished dessert, the sun had been replaced by a full moon. That and the lights around the perimeter of the parking lot cast a cozy glow.

  Hayden made quick work of the cleanup by throwing everything into a plastic grocery bag. “You warm enough?” he asked. “I have blankets.”

  Pressley shook her head. She was perfectly content — her belly was full, and her head was just cloudy enough to whisk away all worry. It also gave her the courage to study his face, without turning away every time their eyes met. The lighting was complimentary and made his jawline unapologetically masculine. His lips were full and totally kissable. If only he were straight!

  As Hayden tied the handles of the plastic bag, readying it for the garbage can, he said, “So, I went through Jasper’s records today. He’s been in the shelter a little over a year and although I remember the day he was brought in and the reasons why, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. You need to know everything about him before deciding whether to adopt him.”

  Pressley perked up. Here it was, the conversation she’d been waiting for. She was grateful for his consideration. Yes, it was important to know as much as possible about the dog so that she could provide the best home possible for him. It didn’t matter what he was going to say, she’d already made up her mind that Jasper would be hers. She’d dog-proof the house, arrange to have someone come by to let him out and take him for a walk. Luckily, she had those resources at her fingertips — there was a bulletin board filled with business cards for all kinds of doggie daycares and professional dog walkers at the shelter.

  “You wanna walk and talk?” He held up the plastic bag. “Maybe find a garbage can for this?”

  Pressley was up for a walk. She stood, zipped her coat up as far as possible, and donned a pair of black knit gloves. She was nothing if not prepared for any eventuality. She even had a pair of earmuffs in her purse but thought better of fishing them out. If worse came to worst, the hood of her coat would warm her enough.

  Hayden jumped down and offered his hand. Pressley took it and hopped down off the tailgate with uncharacteristic grace. She was grateful to have landed so elegantly. Was Hayden impressed?

  She was already familiar with the park and the walking paths, though she’d only visited in the summers. After disposing of their litter, Hayden took the lead and chose the path that bordered the lake.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I’ve already told you Jasper was in a dog-fighting ring, right? His owner was arrested and charged. He went to jail for two months and was fined five hundred dollars.” Hayden shook his head. “It’s disgusting — just a slap on the wrist, really. He had five dogs that he used for fighting, but Jasper was the only one in good enough shape to bring into the shelter. The other four had to be euthanized.”

  “That’s awful. I don’t understand what’s wrong with this world. That monster’s probably doing it again.” It was hard to think about — animals being used in such a horrendous way.

  “That I don’t know, but Jasper was one hell of a fighter and I’m pretty sure he still is.” Hayden sighed. “I have a confession to make.”

  Those words stopped Pressley in her tracks. She looked at Hayden, waiting.

  He let loose another sigh, then began, “I’ve been selfish.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He thrust his hands into his coat pockets and took a while to answer, which made Pressley’s heart beat a little harder. What in the world was he about to say? She wanted to pull the words from him.

  Finally, he spoke. “Finding a home for Jasper was Shaun’s greatest wish. She loved that dog and I’m afraid I might be pushing him on you just to keep my promise to her. I’m not sure taking Jasper is the right thing to do.”

  Was it the fact he’d just said “her” and “she” or that he was trying to talk her out of taking the dog that made her flush? Pressley spotted a nearby bench and made a beeline for it.

  Hayden followed and sat beside her. “What are you thinking? You disappointed?”

  How could she say what she was thinking? A smile wanted to bloom on her lips and yet her heart was beating so fast, it stole her breath.

  Seven

  Hayden tried to read the expression on Pressley’s face. She looked terrified but kind of happy at the same time. He was utterly and thoroughly confused. “Say something,” he urged.

  Her eyes darted up to his and then away again. She opened her mouth, moved her lips, but not a word escaped.

  Pressley got up and started to walk away at a brisk pace, making him jog to catch up. He passed her and turned around, walking backwards so he could face her. “Please, Pressley. What’s wrong?”

  The wind had picked up and her hair whipped wildly around her face. It was cooler by the lake. Hayden did his best to shield her as she struggled to pull on her hood. Maybe the usual practical bun wouldn’t have been such a bad idea this night. Or maybe she’d ditched the bun because she wanted to look nice for him. He noticed she was wearing lipstick, too, but she was beautiful even without makeup.

  “Maybe I should go home,” she said, finally.

  “But why?”

  She was busy tucking her hair into her hood. “Because it’s cold and … I don’t know. I’m not feeling so great.”

  Hayden wrapped an arm around her. “Come on, let’s go sit in my truck. We can talk there.” He felt her body stiffen as he hurried her back along the path to the parking lot. Thankfully, they hadn’t wandered too far away.

  “I should just go,” she protested.

  “I’ll respect your wishes,
really, I will, but can I have just one more minute? Please?”

  She nodded.

  Once they were in the front seat of his truck, he turned the engine on and hoped it would warm up quickly. He wanted Pressley to be comfortable.

  He opened the compartment between them, took out a bag and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” she asked. Her hood was still on, concealing most of her face.

  “I bought it for Jasper, in case you still wanted him after everything I told you. It’s a muzzle. It’ll keep you safe until he’s adjusted to his new home.”

  She took it out of the bag and examined it. “It seems a bit barbaric.”

  “No, it won’t hurt him. It’ll just keep him from biting.” Hayden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Everything about this woman was a puzzle.

  “I like you.” The words tumbled out before he could stop them.

  She turned, and he could see her face now. Slowly, he reached over and removed the hood from around her head. It was as if he was on automatic pilot as he ran a hand through her hair. Pressley closed her eyes and a small smile curled her lips. And then he kissed her.

  * * * * *

  For a moment, Pressley thought she was going to faint. He’d actually made her head spin, or was it the wine? Either way, the kiss thrilled her but also embarrassed her. She’d acted like a fool. Her nerves had gotten the better of her again, but Hayden’s kiss had awakened that side of her she’d kept under wraps — sensuality begging to be let loose.

  “That was nice,” she said with a smile.

  “You’re beautiful,” Hayden replied, and leaned in for another kiss. This one made her toes curl, and the fiery woman inside clawed her way to the surface. Pressley wrapped her arms around Hayden’s neck and inched as close as she could get. She didn’t care that her heart beat wildly, that her breath came in hot, short rasps — she wanted him so badly, it hurt.