A SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE BOXED SET

by Lewis, Laurie

  Pepper’s hand moved to Olivia’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t feel guilty about wanting to be happy.”

  Olivia shrugged. “Your turn. You owe me one answer. Tell me about you and Hudson.”

  “I always pay my debts,” began Pepper. “Hudson and I met at grad school in New York. I spent the summer before in rehab, but my parents thought a rigorous pre-med program would refocus my attention, and I was more than anxious to disprove their theory. Hudson had his own thing bogging him down when we met. We were two lost souls bemoaning life, who knew each other for about thirty minutes when we decided to throw in the towel, scrub school, and buy tickets for Mexico.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Yep. Just like that.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “We nearly killed ourselves.”

  Olivia gasped. “Suicide?”

  “No. Stupidity. Equally dangerous.”

  Olivia straightened. “Wait. When was this?”

  Pepper hesitated. “A long time ago.”

  “But what year?” pressed Olivia. “I was just trying to put this in context to when—”

  “—when you and Jeff waylaid him?”

  Olivia felt her face burn from a mixture of anger and embarrassment. “You know, you can be a real piece of work, Pepper.”

  “Just keeping it honest.” She tilted her head to the side and offered a half-smile. “So, getting back to the story … I slipped off on my own for an hour, found a dealer, and ended up wasted in some shack. Hudson scoured Puerto Vallarta for three days looking for me. He saved my life.” She tipped her head back and stared at the sky. “He stayed holed up in a hotel with me during the terrible days I detoxed. He only left me to buy food and bottled water, but somewhere along the way he picked up bacteria and became severely dehydrated. He nearly died.”

  Pepper met Olivia’s gaze. “It was so bad; he couldn’t keep anything in. His face was so hollowed, and his eyes were ringed with dark circles. I was terrified.”

  “So you took him to the hospital?”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not proud of how I handled things. I was afraid they’d arrest me and toss me in a Mexican jail. Remember when I said he even cares about people he shouldn’t? I was talking about me, Liv. Not you. I pooled all the cash we had left and hired a local nurse to take care of us. Her name was Alejandra.”

  Olivia recognized the name. “Hudson’s personal assistant?”

  “The same. She and her kids literally kept us alive. And she was tough. A day never passed that she didn’t remind us of our foolishness and promise we would get well. When Hudson got his company going, he hired her. Next to his parents, Alejandra’s the person Hudson trusts most.”

  “Followed by you.”

  “I’d like to think so.”

  Olivia regretted her absence from that list. “Where were his parents during all of this?”

  “They flew down, tore into us for being so reckless, and brought us home.”

  “To school?”

  “No. Back to Portland. Hudson’s body healed, but the rest of him was a mess for quite a while.” She looked up at Olivia. “We learned some precious lessons on that trip. I reapplied, got into med school, and switched my focus to psychology. Hudson launched The Bauer Group and hired Alejandra to help him choose good people he could trust to run each division.” Pure love washed over Pepper’s face. “Most amazing to me is that he forgave me.”

  Olivia’s eyes teared as she watched Pepper’s unabashed adoration. She knew every word was true. “You are in love with him, aren’t you?”

  The question didn’t surprise Pepper. She tipped her chin up and raised her eyebrows. “Guilty as charged, but I figured out a long time ago that it was a fruitless position, so I did what you did. I married someone else, hoping they’d love me the way I wanted to be loved by Hudson.”

  The comparison caused Olivia to draw back, feeling as if her heart had been split open. “I never said—”

  In true Pepper style, she switched from serious to playfully snarky. “Well, we’ve made good progress today, and the way ahead should be a bit clearer now.”

  Olivia knew that wasn’t completely true. The day had only muddled her emotions even more. Trouble loomed for Hudson, and Olivia was the cause.

  Chapter Eleven

  Labor Day was lonely for Olivia, who watched throngs of happy families frolicking on the beach below the deck while she worked. She was grateful Ethan made her the lead on the Syrian Refugee Microbusiness Project. It kept her busy producing materials that supported the weavers, painters, potters, jewelry makers, and other refugee artisans. Helping these victims of war rebuild their lives was deeply satisfying work and one of Hudson’s favorite investments. Working on it made her feel closer to him somehow and to the person she once was.

  Ethan arranged for an October trip to Turkey, so Olivia and a photographer could travel to the camps to interview the new business owners. After rushing to get her first passport, a terrorist plot in early September forced the cancellation of the trip before the document ever arrived. For the first time, she considered the danger Hudson and his philanthropic team placed themselves in to serve the people and causes he loved. And she was now a part of that team and that threat.

  Laurel’s employment as Olivia’s caretaker neared an end, and Olivia was about to be on her own. It was a daunting thought. Her mother had called the moves until the day Olivia boarded the plane for Seattle and college. The shy, nerdy coed connected with Hudson during the first week of school, and they became tied at the hip from that moment on … until she succumbed to Jeff’s proposal and began a new dependency.

  There were some exciting elements to being independence. She was employed and making good money, so previously unimagined possibilities were now available to her, but she was also the master of her future and solely responsible for it. It was terrifyingly intriguing. She needed Laurel to hold her hand through a few more firsts before launching into the world

  Her back cried for a good stretch. Long, lean arms, tanned brown from all the beach walking she had been doing the last two weeks, reached high and wide as she yawned. A tender twinge here and there reminded her that she was weak and still recovering, but it felt good to be free of braces and wraps.

  Two scars remained freshly pink on her forehead and cheek. Though healing nicely, they were daily, permanent reminders of the accident, making it hard to look in the mirror without thinking about the past and Jeff.

  By the time her alarm rang, she was already up and dressed in exercise clothes—black yoga pants and a white T-shirt, with her straight, dark hair neatly corralled in a ponytail. She counted it as a rather stellar accomplishment, since Laurel had rarely arrived to even find her awake. But this time, she was scrambling eggs in a bowl when the door opened.

  “Well, look at you!”

  “And I have a few ideas for today.”

  A broad smile stretched across Laurel’s face. “I’m so proud of you.” She pulled up a barstool and sat at the counter. “So … have you had any luck cracking the code on that bank deposit key?”

  “No, and it haunts me. Whatever is in that box must be important if Jeff carried that key in his wallet.”

  “What if what you find there just causes you more pain?”

  “Nothing can be worse than wondering for the rest of my life.”

  Laurel drew circles through a water droplet on the counter. “I suppose.”

  “What made you bring the key up?”

  “Just curious. So, tell me about your plans. I thought we were going apartment hunting.”

  Olivia scrunched her nose and leaned against the counter. “Before I leave this house and killer view, I need to find a beautiful, peaceful replacement place I can go to when I need to have a good cry. Tell me about that place you and Ben hike into with Joey.”

  “Short Sands Beach at Oswald Park? Yeah, it’s gorgeous there.” Her hand stretched forward as if she
were pointing to the places she was describing. “A white, sandy beach cove, forested cliffs, the tidal basin.” She rested her elbows on the counter and leaned in. “There’s this deep cave that sits near a waterfall that tumbles down into the tidal basin.” A swoon broke as she closed her eyes. “I’ve had fantasies about going all Tarzan and Jane in that cave with Ben,” she sighed, returning to reality, “but we generally go packing our five-year-old chaperone, so we search for starfish and anemones instead. No complaints. It’s Joey’s favorite place, too. Just off Highway 101.”

  “Let’s go there today.”

  Laurel leaned back and eyed Olivia. “It’s a half-mile hike along a mountain wall. I don’t think you’re ready for that.”

  “You take Joey there while wearing backpacks, so it can’t be too dangerous.”

  “But Ben and I watch Joey every second, and his legs never tire. You’ve just been released from physical therapy. You might make it down to the beach okay, but it’s all uphill on the return, and no cars can reach us if you wear out. It’s hike-in-and-hike-out only.”

  “We’ve done two miles on the beach. Surely I can make a half-mile decline, and then I can rest. And on the way out, aren’t there places to stop for a minute if I do get tired?”

  “You stop and rest all the time on the beach. There are only a few spots on that mountain, Olivia. And only one pull-off to let people pass.”

  Olivia was already up and grabbing a backpack off a chair. “I found this pack in the garage. I packed two water bottles, grapes, and two sandwiches. Let’s go.”

  “I …”

  She turned and shot Laurel a kilowatt smile. “Trust me. I can do this, Laurel. I feel great.”

  Olivia missed Laurel’s anguished groan when she hurried out the door and into the driver’s seat, waiting for her reluctant partner. Laurel rounded her shoulders in defeat, gawking at her through the passenger door.

  “You’re planning to drive? Down the highway? You’ve only driven up and down the access road since the accident. Transition into these things, Olivia. I can come for a few hours next week, and we’ll take things slow. Why be foolhardy?”

  Olivia twisted the steering wheel in her sweaty hands. “I need to know that I can stand on my own two feet. I need to be able to get where I need to go, and that means I need to drive on the highway, not just merely downtown. I can’t expect to be chauffeured around forever.”

  “This is a bad idea. I’ll make a deal with you. Let me drive on the way to the trail, and you can drive back if you feel up to it. Deal?”

  “All right, but I don’t have a death wish. For the first time in a long time, I’m excited about life, but I want a full life. Not some anemic version of one.”

  “All in due time. Now switch seats with me.”

  The two headed for Highway 101. Olivia’s breathing rate was still ramped up, and her heart pounded every time a truck sped by or a car passed. She hoped Laurel couldn’t tell what was happening inside her in those instances when the image that flashed across the screen of her mind was the moment of impact between Jeff and the truck.

  “The parking pull-off is just ahead,” Laurel said with dread in her voice as she slowed and pulled in. A small sign confirmed their arrival at the trailhead to Short Sands Beach, but all she could see was a short stretch of dirt trail that disappeared into a thick curtain of foliage. She swallowed her apprehension and gathered her pack. With a bright smile of false confidence, she exited the car and waited at the trailhead for Laurel, who gave her a final, raised-eyebrow exit offer, which Olivia ignored as she moved into the woods.

  A narrow trail, carved into the steep hillside, had been denuded by years of foot traffic, but the slim path was the only claim man held in the forest. Thick roots pushed up from the path and jutted out from the hillside, making Olivia constantly veer over and around obstructions. After several awkward near trips and falls that brought her closer to the steep drop-off than she cared to be, she realized her ankles had weakened during her recovery and were unable to make the quick, nimble adjustments to stabilize her on rough terrain. To compensate, she tightened her other leg and calf muscles, adding to the fatigue already wearing them down. She found herself looking anxiously ahead for a break of blue through the trees or the sound of the sea above the hush of the forest. There was none.

  The burn in her legs was joined by a jelly-like weakness that finally caused her to humble her pride and admit that she was in trouble. She leaned against the hillside to rest her legs. Before she said a word, Laurel was beside her, wide-eyed with worry as she assessed their position on the trail. “I’m sorry, Laurel. I should have listened to you.”

  “Never mind that now. We’re more than halfway. You’ll never make the uphill climb back to the car in your condition. There’s a rest stop about twenty yards ahead. Let’s get you there.”

  The words were comforting, but the fear trembling in Laurel’s voice was not. Olivia nodded silently as Laurel took the backpack, placing it on her own back. She also moved to the front position, laying Olivia’s hand on her shoulder. “Lean on me to steady yourself, okay?”

  They set off again, with Olivia mirroring Laurel’s steps over and around obstacles. After a few minutes, they reached a scenic overlook of the ocean where a bench was waiting. Olivia bypassed the view, making a beeline for the seat, where she plopped down and bent over, breathing hard.

  Her phone began to ring from inside the backpack, but she made no effort to retrieve it.

  Laurel fished it out and looked at the screen before holding it out to Olivia. “It’s Hudson.”

  Olivia shook off the information. “I don’t want him to know—”

  Laurel pressed the phone’s button. “Hello, Mr.—I mean, Hudson. Really glad you called. We’re in a bit of a—”

  Olivia snatched the phone and sucked in a calming breath. She replied quickly with, “Hello, Hudson. What can I do for you?”

  Silence preceded Hudson’s confused response. “You called me the other day about something critical. I promised to call when I returned to the states. Remember?”

  Olivia’s brief recovery shifted into a new panic as she remembered the reason she contacted him—to confess the news about her pending lawsuit and to alert Hudson to Larry’s smear campaign. When too many unanswered moments passed, Hudson began asking questions.

  “What was Laurel saying before you took the phone? Are you okay? Where are you? I’m at the house and no one’s here.”

  Cold sweat broke out over Olivia at the news. “H-How can you be here? You were in the Philippines yesterday. You said it would take two days.”

  “I hitched a ride on a cargo plane to California. It was easy from there.”

  Her shoulders slumped in guilt at her obvious ingratitude. Hudson must have altered his plans and rushed on, thinking she was having an emergency, and now, because of her impetuousness, she likely was. She kept making a mess of things, and the fallout somehow kept landing at Hudson’s feet.

  “Liv? Just tell me where you are and what’s going on.”

  She choked back her rising emotions. “I’m fine, Hudson. Please don’t worry about me. Just rest. We’ll be home soon.” Then she ended the call.

  But Laurel took her own phone out and texted Hudson. After pocketing it, she shot an unapologetic look Olivia’s way. “I’m sorry, but we’re in trouble here. We need his help. He wants me to get you down to the beach. He’s on his way.”

  Olivia did not argue.

  The rest helped, but Laurel’s steadying shoulder was required to help Olivia make it down the last hundred yards of steep decline. A picnic area greeted them at the base, and that was where Laurel deposited her.

  “You’re sopping wet and exhausted. Let’s not add dehydration to the mix. Drink, drink, drink.”

  After Olivia complied, Laurel helped her hobble to the restroom provided by the Park Service, and then back to the picnic table. Exhausted in body and spirit, she lay down and drifted off to sleep.

  C
hapter Twelve

  When Olivia awoke, Laurel was gone and a scruffy, disheveled man was seated on the attached bench with his head resting on his arms, which were wrapped around a rolled blanket. Panic rose in her at the initial shock of the homeless-looking stranger, but she withheld her gasp once she realized that the stranger was, in fact, Hudson.

  He was fast asleep, and it appeared that sleep was sorely needed. A thick reddish-brown stubble covered his face, and his dark hair was a tangled mop. Olivia wondered what he had been through to reach her and look as he did.

  She reached out to gingerly finger a sweat-curled strand of his hair. Like a touchstone, the shared nearness shot a wave of memories through her. The result was a stark mix of joy and pain, happiness and sadness, want and anger. She withdrew her hand and sat up to end the thoughts. Her movement caused Hudson to awaken as well.

  He seemed equally confused, clearing the sleep from his voice and rubbing his fingers deeply into his eyes as recognition and welcoming filled them.

  “You’re awake.”

  “You too,” Olivia replied with a dip of her head. “I’m sorry about … about all of this.”

  Hudson raked his fingers through his beard as he turned to survey the horizon. “A storm’s brewing, and the rain will make the steep path slippery. That nap is the first real sleep I’ve had in thirty-six hours, so I don’t think carrying you up the mountain on my shaky legs is a good plan.”

  “I could make it if I just had a little—”

  Hudson cocked his head in incredulity, and she surrendered the notion.

  “Help is coming. We just need to hunker on the beach until it arrives. There’s a large cave down by the tidal pool and a fresh waterfall where we can refill your water bottle. It’s the best option while we watch for our ride.”

  Olivia observed the steady stream of hikers and picnickers making their retreat up the trail from whence she and Laurel had come. “Where’s Laurel? Did you send her home?”