by Nella Tyler
I began to cry too as the doctor wrapped the baby in a blue towel.
“It’s a boy,” Caleb said lowly and when I looked up to him, his eyes were wet with tears. It was a far cry from the Caleb I had first met all those months prior, but it was a change I loved. I imagined he was always the same person, just hiding behind steel walls. “It’s a boy.”
“Do you want to hold him?” the doctor questioned, but he already knew the answer as he stepped towards me and placed the boy into my arms.
And I looked down at him with adoration I’m not sure I’ve ever known. Even in his infancy, I could tell he had his father’s devilish good looks. It was going to be a long road, but it was going to be a road worth traveling.
“He’s so perfect,” I said.
Caleb leaned down beside me on the bed and smiled. With his finger, he brushed at the light coating of hair on the baby’s head. “Hey, Daniel,” he said in the calmest voice I’ve ever heard him speak. Daniel was the name we had eventually agreed on for a boy; his name would have been Esther if he were a girl.
There I was, at the end of one journey and the beginning of another. I never could have imagined my life would have taken the turns it did, but I was grateful that Caleb came into my life. I was grateful that I took the chance and made a few terrible decisions, because ultimately those terrible decisions brought me to this moment where I finally had a family of my own.
And I looked up to Caleb with a smile while holding Daniel in my arms, and I saw my future, my love, my one and only. I fought like hell for him, to be with him and to keep him out of prison. It was worth every little battle, and his wet eyes bored down upon my own with the exact same look, a look that screamed he was the luckiest man in the world.
My heart was full. My life was complete.
And the passionate kiss he laid upon my lips was the cherry on the top of the best day of my life.
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SECOND CHANCE
By Nella Tyler
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Nella Tyler
Chapter One
Lauren
The house was alive with music, laughter, and glinting bursts of light that seemed to be ricocheting off the walls with excitement. There was a low drum of excitement that pervaded through the house and seemed to grow with each passing minute.
I stood in the center of the Morgan’s massive, open-plan living room, just underneath their simple, rustic chandelier that still managed to look extravagantly opulent, and gazed around the room. I loved moments like that, when everyone was so uninhibited that they forgot to be conscious. Everyone’s bodies seemed to be moving in a gentle rhythm that matched the understated vibrato of the music.
I plucked another drink from the tray of a passing waiter and moved towards the corner of the room so I could observe the moment and commit it to memory. I could see Beth and Ty talking by the massive sliding doors leading to the pool. My mother was by the grand spiral staircase, chatting to Mr. Morgan, and I could tell from the way she kept touching her face that she was nervous about being in such posh surroundings.
The truth was I knew exactly how she felt. It was how I had felt the first time Chase had brought me home to spend the day working on our science project for mid-terms. I had looked around in awe, admiring the eclectic blend of antiques and modernity that had come together seamlessly to create his childhood home. I had felt as though I didn’t belong and it was only after I felt well and truly embraced by Chase and his family that I had started to feel as though I wasn’t an outsider any longer.
My eyes moved away from my mother towards Chase, who stood in the center of the room, surrounded by a few of his teammates. He was wearing one of his favorite jerseys: the one with his name and number on the back.
I knew I wasn’t biased in thinking he was the best-looking guy in the room. He had classical features that managed to give off casual ease and raw masculinity all at the same time. His brown eyes were bright and just a shade lighter than his hair, which he kept ruffling through with his hand every few minutes, betraying his discomfort at being the center of attention.
“What are you doing skulking in the corner?” Mrs. Morgan’s voice cut through my quiet observation.
I turned to her and smiled. Chase had gotten his looks from his mother. He had her warm brown eyes and her dark hair that now held streaks of gray running through it in tasteful layers that looked more like highlights than anything else.
“I was just…observing,” I admitted.
Mrs. Morgan smiled as she followed the direction of my gaze. “He looks happy.”
“He should be,” I said. “Being awarded rookie of the year for the Los Angeles Rams is a huge accomplishment.”
“I have to admit, I wasn’t very happy when he decided to drop out of college to join the NFL,” Mrs. Morgan said.
“You weren’t?” I asked in surprise, turning to her. “Chase told me you were very supportive.”
She smiled a secretive smile that suggested being a parent sometimes required a certain amount of tactful deception. “I was supportive of the fact that he finally seemed to be passionate about something,” she explained. “I wanted him to have a purpose in life, and I figured that it was better than having him enlist.”
“Ah,” I said understanding. “You didn’t want him to join the military.”
She sighed and I could hear the sound of her worry and fear. It encapsulated me like heat. “I already have one son in the military, and I have been terrified every single day since his enlistment. I didn’t want to have to worry for another son, too. So, when Chase told his father and me that he was dropping out of college to join the NFL…I was just grateful that he wasn’t joining the military.”
“I don’t think he knows that,” I said softly, glancing at Chase.
“No, I don’t think so, either,” she smiled. “My sons can be extraordinarily obtuse at times. They have a habit of being so consumed in their own little moments that they forget that other people are having different reactions. Chase was so happy about his recruitment that he didn’t see anything else. Braden was the same way when he told me he had enlisted.”
I remembered the day Braden had left for his deployment. I had seen his mother’s fear, I had seen his father’s pride, and I had seen Chase’s excitement. He had held my hand and squeezed it hard. “I wish I could go with him, Laurie,” he had whispered to me. “I wish I was old enough.”
“What about me?” I had demanded, suddenly scared.
He had turned to me with a smile that took over his whole face. “You’d come with me, of course,” he said in a matter of fact voice. “We’d go together.”
“Is that allowed?” I had asked.
“We might have to get married first,” he had replied with a shrug that suggested that marriage was inevitable for us anyway, so it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
“How is Braden?” I asked.
“Doing well,” Mrs. Morgan sighed. “At least, so far as I can tell. He’s in some secret location that he can’t tell me about, which only makes me worry more. Sometimes I don’t know if he puts on a brave face for me or if he really is happy over there.”
“I think he is,” I said. “Why else would he have committed to another four years?”
She shook her head. “I just wonder…he’s missing out on so much…a wife or girlfriend, the possibility of children. It’s funny how life is sometimes. I never expected Chase to be the one with the long-term girlfriend.”
I smiled. “I suppose I’m too close to the situation to have an opinion about it,” I admitted. “I’ve been with Chase so long that I can barely remem
ber what my life was like before him.”
Mrs. Morgan laughed. “How long has it been?”
“Nine years,” I replied promptly, a note of achievement in my voice.
“Nine years,” Mrs. Morgan repeated. “Dear Lord, sometimes it feels like just yesterday. You two were so young when you got together – only thirteen – I suppose it was meant to be.”
“I think so,” I nodded.
She looked over at where Chase stood with his friends and teammates. I could see the pride reflected in her eyes, but it was more than just pride. It was the comfort and security of knowing that at least one of her sons was safe, well, and had a certain future, even if it was not the future she had envisioned for him.
“Your graduation is coming up soon, isn’t it?” Mrs. Morgan asked, turning to me with a mother’s interest.
“It’s still a few months away,” I nodded. “But yes, it’s on the horizon.”
“How do you feel?”
“Excited,” I replied immediately. “Just really excited. I’m ready for the next phase.”
“Well, you’d be in the minority,” Mrs. Morgan smiled. “Most kids are nervous as hell to get out there into the world after the safety of college.”
I nodded, knowing that she was right. All my other friends were probably more nervous than excited about our impending graduation. Some of them even had jobs lined up and still there was the dread of the unknown that impeded their excitement. I knew why I felt differently than the rest, and it had everything to do with Chase.
We had been together since we were thirteen, and as we had grown and evolved together, the world had become much less scary because we both knew we were in it together. I was never worried about my future because I was certain it would always include Chase, and that was enough for me. Jobs and homes were just the background of our lives; as long as he and I were together, nothing really scared me. The unknown was more of an adventure than a worry.
“I’m going to check in on the kitchen staff,” Mrs. Morgan excused herself.
I waved her off, finished my drink, and then moved off towards Beth, who was leaning against the open sliding doors gazing out at the green-blue waters of the pool. She was twirling her fingers through her dirty-blonde hair.
“Having fun?” I asked.
“Hi,” she said, turning her blue eyes on me. “I’m sure I’ll have much more fun once you introduce me to some of Chase’s teammates.”
“See anyone in particular you like?” I asked teasingly.
“I see quite a few actually,” she said with a wink, and I laughed. She looked around and shook her head. “Man, the Morgan family really knows how to throw a party. This house is amazing.”
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“Only once before,” Beth nodded. “And, it looked a little different. It’s nothing that I’m used to.”
“Hey, it took me a long time to get used to it, too,” I admitted. “In fact, I still don’t think I’m entirely used to it.”
“Hmm. In any case, it suits you,” she said gently.
“Does it?” I asked in surprise.
“It does,” Beth nodded seriously. “You look like you belong here.”
I shook my head. “I look like I belong with Chase,” I corrected. “The rest of it…well, it doesn’t really matter much, does it.”
“I guess not,” she shrugged. “Where is your man?”
“He’s over there,” I said, gesturing in his direction with my head. “I wanted to pull back a little and let him ride the high he’s on, enjoy some time with his friends.”
“Well, he deserves that title,” Beth said. “He had one hell of a season.”
I nodded emphatically. “He was amazing,” I agreed. “But he put in the work.”
“And you finally got your work out buddy,” she pointed out.
“I’ll admit, that was an unexpected perk,” I nodded. “We had a lot of fun training.”
“If there was a girlfriend of the year award, you’d get it,” she said.
I laughed. “Come on,” I shook my head. “I was just being supportive.”
“Please, you go above and beyond when it comes to Chase and you know it.”
“Well, it’s no less than he would do for me,” I countered. “That’s what you do when you’re in a relationship.”
Beth sighed. “Funny, I’ve never actually had a relationship like that.”
I gave her a sympathetic smile and nudged her comfortingly. “Hang in there,” I said. “It’ll happen; you just have to be patient.”
Beth rolled her eyes good naturedly, “That’s easy for you to say; you met your life partner when you were still a kid.”
“I got lucky,” I nodded.
Chase was now on the opposite side of the room. His back was to me, but his broad shoulders and intimidating height cut an impressive silhouette. He was talking to my mother and she had to crane her neck backwards to look up at him.
Chase and my mother had always had an easy relationship. She would refer to him as the son she never had and I knew he thought of her as his second mother. It had worked out so perfectly that sometimes even I was floored by it. We had carved out a little world for ourselves, Chase and I. We were cocooned in that world and the comfort it brought.
Mom saw me watching them from across the room and waved at me. Chase turned back to look in my direction and as his eyes fell on me, his face split into a smile I knew was specifically for me. He had been looking at me that way for nine years and I took for granted that that smile would always be there, ready to warm me with its brightness.
Chapter Two
Chase
“That last game…man, it was good!” Tyler said emphatically. “I mean, that last play!”
I laughed and nodded. “Thanks, man,” I said.
I was surrounded by some of the old high school gang, and I was slightly uncomfortable with the way they were all looking at me. It was as though I had just come back from the moon: as though I was some kind of hero.
I was looking around for Lauren when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I reached in and retrieved it. Coach Kimmel’s name flashed at me from the screen and I moved into a quiet, neighboring room to take the call.
“Hi, Coach,” I said as I closed the door behind me, shutting out the sound.
“Hi, kid,” his raspy voice sounded from the other line. “Sorry I couldn’t make it to your party.”
“Hey don’t worry about it,” I said. “It’s not like this title is a one-time thing. Oh, wait…”
Coach Kimmel’s loud laugh came through clear as a bell, drowning out all other sound. “I just wanted to call and tell you…well, how proud I am of you. You’ve come a long way, kid.”
“Thanks, coach,” I said sincerely. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Ah, well, that girlfriend of yours made my job a lot easier,” Coach Kimmel replied. “She had you fit as a fiddle by the time you stepped onto my field.”
“She’s always been into fitness training,” I nodded. “In fact, she works part time as a personal trainer for one of the local gyms downtown.”
“Took you on as a client, did she?” he asked teasingly.
“Pro bono client,” I replied. “I got to enjoy all the perks.”
“I’ll bet,” he replied. “Are you ready for next season?”
“Next season?” I repeated. “We just finished this one.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Coach Kimmel said as his tone changed slightly. “It’s all about getting your head ready for the upcoming season. Don’t stop training; you gotta keep fit, you gotta stay strong.”
“I will,” I nodded.
“Listen, kid,” he said, a serious note to his tone. “You’ve got it, and that means you can go far. This season was stand out for you, but we’re going to make next season even better. In fact, this time next year, every football fan out there is going to know your name.”
“Geez,” I replied i
n awe. “No pressure.”
“Pressure is good,” he said, using the voice he used just before a big match when he was trying to light a fire underneath us to spur us forward. “Pressure is what drives you forward and refuses to let you give up. Pressure is what reminds you that some things are important and those things are worth fighting for. You understand me?”
“I understand you,” I nodded soberly, even though he couldn’t see me.
“You’ll do great things, kid,” Coach Kimmel said with a conviction that set my teeth on edge. “Now get back to your party and enjoy yourself. And give that pretty girlfriend of yours a kiss from me.”
I smiled into the receiver. “You got it, Coach,” I said. “Thanks.”
I hung up and moved back into the main room where the party was being held. Immediately after I opened the door, the drum of music assaulted my ears and the guys welcomed me back with cheers that were tilted from drinking. I smiled at them, but I moved passed the boys in search of Lauren.
I spied her in one corner talking to Daniel, Tyler, and Beth. She was gesturing animatedly and I smiled fondly. She was a hand talker, and you could decipher the crux of any story if you watched her hands move long enough. I could tell she was telling the group about Lewis McCredie, one of her newer gym clients whom she had a soft spot for.
She was wearing dark jeans that hugged her long, lean legs and an off the shoulder blouse that brought out the deep green of her eyes. Her dark-brown hair was pulled back to reveal the pale skin of her neck.
I approached the small group and snuck in behind Lauren, putting my arms around her before she saw me.
“Oh,” she said, taken off guard. “I didn’t see you there.”
“You were busy telling these guys about McCredie,” I said smugly.
“You were listening?” she asked, leaning back so she could look at me.