The Single Mom's Second Chance

by Jessica Keller

  Claire ran her fingers through her hair and began to tug, and then froze. That mannerism belonged to Evan and she wanted no part of it. “That will hurt my father’s business in town.”

  If Brice built a dock and offered cheaper rates, everyone would pull off of both of the Atwood docks. Brice could undercut them significantly to woo clients. A significant part of her father’s income came from fees collected on products being shipped in and out of Goose Harbor through the docks.

  “Well, it’s a monopoly right now.” Kendall tore into a second napkin. “Do you think that’s the best for everyone?”

  “I work for my father’s company at the moment, so it’s my job to care about him losing revenue.” Dad losing money wasn’t what bothered her, though. It wasn’t what made it feel as if someone had stuck screws into her chest and turned them. If Evan had been honest and told her the plan, if he’d trusted her... But it had all been a lie, hadn’t it?

  “I can’t believe this. Evan...” She gasped. “That’s what this was all about. My dad was right. All along.”

  A vent overhead kicked on and started to spew hot air. Being inside was stifling. Tightness clawed up Claire’s sides. The homey grease smell now made her gag. She needed fresh air. Needed to be alone.

  Claire tossed cash onto the table and gathered her belongings. “I have to go.”

  Kendall caught her arm. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  Claire nodded once and then turned and rushed out of the café.

  How many times had Dad told her that all people would view her in relation to what they could get from him? It would always be about her dad. Evan’s sweet words, all the romantic moments and reliving of the past they’d done had been for him to—once again—get something for his brother. He’d used Claire, and worse, he’d used Alex.

  Perhaps her father hadn’t been lying about him reversing the blackmail, either.

  She checked her watch. Two hours until the meeting at town hall.

  Two hours until she exposed a rat.

  * * *

  Evan dragged his shoes through the snow, slowing the swing. He’d been outside waiting for thirty minutes in a coat that wasn’t quite warm enough for lengthy exposure.

  Claire would show. Of course she would show.

  What if she didn’t?

  Is this how she’d felt on the courthouse steps?

  He stomped his feet to warm up. Checked his phone again. No new messages. Today she hadn’t responded to any of his texts, which was odd, especially for a Saturday. Then again, her father was still in the hospital and she was probably there with him. Or Alex had a Scouts meeting. There were a number of reasons.

  Ten minutes ago, Evan had watched people stream into the town hall. He pictured Mr. Banks pacing the stage, looking for them.

  Where are you?

  He waited five more minutes. Two more after that. Looked at his phone again.

  Worry roared in his chest and pounded in his ears. What if something had happened to her? Maybe someone inside town hall knew what was going on. He jogged down the path, across the square and into the building.

  Claire’s voice filled the meeting room. “My opponent doesn’t care about this town. Not like he’s led you to believe.”

  Concerned murmurs bounced around the room. People shook their heads and turned to whisper with their neighbors.

  Her gaze scanned the room, landing on certain people, making eye contact. “Once he takes office, his plans are to use his political position to grant special favors and permits to members of his family. That has been his aim all along. He plans to destroy long-standing businesses so he can give money to the people he deems worthy.”

  Oh, no. The dock.

  Sickness rolled like a lopsided soccer ball through his gut. He should have come clean to her about Brice pushing him to run and why. But it hadn’t come up and once they started spending time together, it had been the furthest thing from his mind.

  She finally spotted him in the back of the room. Her eyes bored into his. “Evan Daniels knows nothing beyond using and manipulating people. He pretends to care, only as long as it benefits him.”

  Evan’s knees wobbled. He grabbed on to a nearby chair for support. He finally found his voice. “Let me explain. Please, Claire.” Every head whipped in his direction. As if he was facing a pack of circling wolves, he held up his hands.

  Mr. Banks loudly cleared his throat. “Please refrain from delaying us with any more outbursts. You’ll have your turn, Mr. Daniels. When Miss Atwood is done with the floor.”

  Overhead lights made the moisture in her eyes gleam. “With the tourist season dawning, we can’t afford to trust our future to someone who only looks out for himself. Who believes love is a commodity. Goose Harbor is better than that. Vote with a conscience.”

  A smattering of applause followed her retreat from the podium. She backed toward the edge of the stage, where Evan knew there was a door to a narrow staircase. The din of confused and curious neighbors talking to each other made it impossible to think.

  Evan zigzagged around people standing in the aisle. He hopped over a chair and made it to the back staircase just in time to hook Claire’s arm. “Why didn’t you come to me with that?”

  Spinning on her heels, she shoved his hand off her arm. “Why didn’t you tell me? No, don’t bother answering that. I don’t care. Not about this election. Not about what people think of me. And certainly not about whatever sob story full of excuses you want to share.”

  He jammed his hands into his hair. Rocked on his feet. “I know it looks bad.”

  Her glare could have melted granite. “All the attention, the late night talks, the kiss and your time spent with Alex—all lies, all an act, so Brice could have a stupid little dock.”

  “None of that was an act. I love you. Please, Claire. I love you.”

  “You actually think I’d believe you?” Her laugh held no humor. “How’s the saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... At least there’s no fear of that. Did you actually think I was dumb enough to fall for you again? Well, I’m not.” She gripped the railing and turned away from him.

  The door behind Evan whooshed open.

  Mr. Banks sopped at his forehead with a grimy handkerchief. “It’s high time you took the stage, Mr. Daniels. People are liable to riot if you don’t do something to calm them!”

  Evan kept his gaze glued to Claire’s back, willing her to turn around, to hear him out.

  “Go.” Her voice was pure ice.

  “Claire.”

  “I’m busy, Mr. Daniels. I have to go explain to a seven-year-old boy that the man he believes to be a hero is a liar who can’t be trusted. I have to go tell him that another person in his life wasn’t worth getting attached to. I have to—” A sob broke off her words. Claire rushed down the steps.

  Banks seized Evan’s arm before he could follow. “There is a roomful of townspeople in there.”

  The back door slammed. Claire was gone.

  Evan bowed his head and finally nodded, following Banks back into the meeting room. He held his hands up to quiet the crowd. “Claire was right. I only sought the position at my brother’s urging and we do dream of building another dock in town and thought me being mayor couldn’t hurt our chances at getting approval granted. However, as of this moment I am stepping out of the mayoral race. Claire remains blameless in all of this. She is a strong and determined leader who could do our community proud. Vote for her.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Someone jiggled his doorknob. They were using a key to enter, since he hadn’t answered their knocks. Evan stared at the half-eaten container of ice cream melting on his counter, not even caring about the mess it would make. Stella pawed at the back door, wanting to be let out one more time before bed.

>   Brice and Kendall exchanged sad looks as they entered his house.

  “We heard about the meeting. People were talking about it at church today. You okay?” Kendall didn’t bother taking off her coat or boots. She joined him in the kitchen and wrapped him in a hug. “I’m sorry. I think this is my fault.”

  Evan patted her back. “You told the truth. You have nothing to feel sorry for. I’m the only one in this situation who did something wrong.”

  Kendall didn’t let go. “She’ll come around.”

  Evan eased out of her hold. “Does it matter? I went and saw Sesser in the hospital. I tried to make peace and he said I could only have that over his dead body. It’s better this way. She’s better off without me.”

  A muscle in Brice’s jaw popped. “Other way around—you’re better off without her.”

  Protectiveness over Claire roared to life in Evan’s chest. Brice might be his brother and his best friend, but Evan wouldn’t let him speak badly about the woman he loved. “I know you don’t like Sesser, but what have you got against Claire?”

  Brice’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s toyed with you for half your life.”

  “Toyed with me? How about flip that around.” He drew a circle in the air with his finger. “I’m the one who left her at the courthouse, and she wasn’t wrong to share what she did at the meeting. Those were our plans and I deliberately didn’t tell her about them.”

  “She made it sound like we were trying to hurt the town. As if we were Sesser Atwood, ruled by greed. We want that dock to help the community. Our intention wasn’t to line our pockets, but that’s how she painted it.”

  “Intentions don’t always matter.” His talk with Claire about flirting came to mind. “You can have the best intentions and still end up hurting someone.”

  “But the dock was important. It was—”

  “I don’t care about the dock!” Evan tossed his hands in the air and stalked to the other side of the kitchen. “Can’t you see that? My life is falling apart and all you can talk about is that stupid dock.”

  “You used to care about it, too.”

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I never cared about it. I never wanted to be mayor. I did it because that’s what you wanted, and for so many years I’ve made my choices based on what’s best for you. How I can make you proud. I can’t do that anymore.” Evan shoved his hands against his counter, savoring the coolness, and hung his head. “I can’t—I’ve lost everything.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She told me to tell you. Said you deserved to know.” Evan launched into the details of Sesser’s blackmailing. Every part of it. Brice stumbled into a seat. He listened with his head in his hands and then stayed that way a long time after Evan’s story was done. Kendall squeezed Evan’s shoulder before taking the seat next to Brice and picking up his hand.

  Brice’s head lifted and the green eyes that mirrored Evan’s own sought him out. A breath rattled through his older brother. “He paid my tuition? He’s the reason I have a degree? I can’t comment on that... I’ll need time to process. But I need you to understand that you don’t owe me anything. You never did.”

  Their dad had beat Brice senseless more times than Evan wanted to remember. Evan had crouched out of sight until Dad’s anger burned off. He’d never pulled him off of Brice. Brice was selfless; he deserved a happy life with Kendall. Evan? Most days he still felt less than a man for allowing it all to happen.

  Evan’s vision blurred. “When I goaded Dad, when I thought I was too funny for my own good...every time he lunged at me, every single time he came at me with his fists up, you were there. You stepped in front. Blocked me. I let you take those hits. Hits meant for me. Again and again, and I never once—”

  “And it was my choice to step in front of his fists and take the blows with your name on them.” Brice met his gaze. “My choice, Evan. No one made me do it and I didn’t do it to get something from you.”

  “But I could have tried to stop him. Half the time it was my fault that he was mad.” Evan pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to block out the memories of their father’s wrath. “I keep trying to do something to make it up to you, but it never feels like enough for everything you suffered. So yes, now that we’re older, if you want something, I’ll do anything to get it for you. That’s why I ran for mayor.”

  Brice let go of Kendall’s hand, rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his palms together. “You are no longer a victim, so stop putting yourself in that box. None of us are victims any longer.”

  Where had that come from? “I don’t pretend to be a victim.”

  “You tried to pay back what you viewed as a sacrifice by sacrificing your relationship with Claire twice now.” Brice spoke slowly, carefully, as if he was explaining a difficult concept to a child. “I’m going to say this once, so listen up. Don’t cheapen my sacrifice by feeling guilty when it was my choice. You are not allowed to carry that burden on your shoulders any longer. You were worth it. Each kick and hit and verbal assault. You were worth it every single time.”

  “But why?” Evan’s voice broke and he didn’t try to hide it. “I don’t understand. I’ve never been able to understand.”

  “I love you. It’s as simple and complicated as that.”

  Kendall set her hand on Brice’s knee. “God loves you like that, too, Evan. You realize that, don’t you?”

  “I’m a Christian.”

  “That’s not what I asked. A person can be a Christian and still struggle with feeling less-than, worthless and undeserving. God doesn’t want you to feel that way. The cross was the moment when God whispered, ‘I love you and you are worth this much to Me.’ We risk cheapening God’s sacrifice when we deem ourselves undeserving. I know I’ve been guilty of doing that sometimes.”

  “I think I’ve been doing that my whole life. What am I going to do, guys? I’m a complete mess.”

  Brice rose and made his way to his brother. “Welcome to the club.”

  * * *

  Residents filled the meeting room to bursting on Monday night. Voting had occurred during the town hall’s business hours and had been tabulated before the special board meeting. Some of the local shop owners had closed early in order to secure seats in the front. Claire kept her gaze trained on the floor while they visited around her. Excitement pulsed in the air, as if they were at a prizefight instead of a perfunctory assembly.

  Mrs. Clarkson squeezed down the crowded aisle to claim the empty seat beside Claire.

  Claire clasped Alex’s hand. After Mr. Banks announced that she was their new mayor, she’d keep her speech short. She’d apologize for her outburst on Saturday, thank them for their votes and promise to lead them with a more level head than she’d recently displayed.

  Mr. Banks tapped the microphone. “No one is happier than I am that this election is over. Our new mayor will take office next Monday, which means I’ll be stepping down at the end of this week. I’d love to be able to say that I’ve enjoyed my time serving in the interim position, but I haven’t, and you are all aware of that already, so let’s move on.”

  He began to open an envelope. His hand trembled with age. The page inside crinkled as he drew it out. He read the sheet, once, twice, a third time before clearing his throat. “It seems the person who won did so by the wildly unorthodox method of being a write-in candidate.”

  Whispers carried around the room, but Claire couldn’t hear them. A write-in candidate? She’d lost. They didn’t want her, even when she was the only choice.

  Mr. Banks lofted the page into the air. “The next mayor of Goose Harbor is Kellen Ashby!”

  Kellen’s daughters sprang to their feet, screaming and jumping up and down. Skylar ran to the stage, snatched the page from Mr. Banks and performed a victory dance that rivaled any on the football field. Kelle
n’s face had gone red. The poor man looked petrified.

  Claire’s initial shock faded and she couldn’t help but chuckle. If she had to lose to someone, Kellen wasn’t so bad. He was a great guy who would serve the community well.

  Mrs. Clarkson slipped her arm around Claire. “Try not to feel bad, dear. This town always did run better with an Ashby at the helm.”

  Claire got to her feet and addressed the crowd. “You all chose well. Kellen will make a great mayor.” She sent a smile his way to show him she was sincerely happy for him and wanted him to accept the position. “Much better than I would have been.”

  The crowd responded by converging in Kellen’s direction, and Claire took that as her cue to sneak away. She kept hold of Alex’s hand and led him out the back way, down the narrow stairwell where she’d fought with Evan. Now that she’d had two days to cool off, she regretted how she’d handled the blowup with him. She’d allowed emotions to rule her and didn’t want to make that mistake again.

  When the time came she’d apologize to him, if he would hear her out. She’d told her father about Brice and Evan’s plans to build the dock and her father’s irate response had embarrassed her. He was her parent, but he was spiteful, mean-hearted and greedy. Kendall had explained how breaking Dad’s monopoly would be a positive step for the community, and after considering it, Claire couldn’t help but agree.

  Late Saturday, guilt had shrouded her shoulders like a heavy woolen quilt. She’d spent her entire life being supported by the money her father had pinched out of the people of Goose Harbor and other nearby communities. She knew most of his business practices were dishonorable and she’d turned a blind eye. Evan’s point about messes being hidden under the snow came to mind. He’d been right. Stepping out on her own was scary, but she could no longer ignore the evil her father engaged in.

  Claire had immediately typed up and handed in her resignation from the family company. She’d also informed her parents that she and Alex would be moving out as soon as they could. Now came the task of finding a new home.