Second Chance Summer (Chance Series, #1) (2 page)

I’ve spent so long fighting and denying everything about last summer. I’m not willing to have it laid out so obviously in front of me.

~

I sit back on the sofa and sigh. Looking around the room, it’s cleaner than it was before. Then again, I doubt it could be any worse than it was when I got here three hours ago.

I look up at the clock on the wall. It’s almost eight – I’ve missed dinner. I press the heels of my hands into my eyes, exhaling slowly. Dinner... Yeah, right. I don’t expect there to be anything in the fridge but cans of crap I’ll never touch.

I amble into the kitchen and look into the fridge. Apart from a carton of milk, half a loaf of bread, and a packet of bacon, it’s empty. The top shelf of the freezer holds the processed food I’ve avoided for the last year. I guess I’m heading up to the store tomorrow morning for some real food, since my mom is too busy working at the bar then drinking away her wages.

Yeah. Real nice way to welcome your only daughter home, Mom.

I pull out the griddle to cook up some of the bacon and wince. Judging by the thick, solid layer of grease coating it, she didn’t get round to that cleaning that either. Am I surprised? Not really. I weigh it up. Clean, or drive to the store now for food?

Another glance at the grill makes up my mind. Store it is.

I swipe my car keys from the hall side and go back out into the light summer evening. Luckily for me, Patty’s store will be open for another hour.

The drive takes a few minutes, and when I pull up in the parking lot I see Patty laughing behind the counter with old Mr. Jacobs. She blows him a kiss and winks sassily. I smile to myself. Old or young, as long as they’re male, Patty will bestow her flirtatious southern charm on them. Eric, her husband, leaves her to it with a laugh.

The bell jingles, and I step into the small store. Patty glances over to the door, looks away, then looks back again. I give her my best smile, and she squeals loudly, clapping her hands.

“Well if it ain’t little Kia James back from the Big Apple. Sure took ya long enough, sugar,” she scolds with her strong southern twang.

“I know, Patty, I know,” I say apologetically. “I’m back for the summer.”

“Here, Eric! Get yaself out here. Kia’s back for the summer!” Patty calls over her shoulder.

“Well I never.” He wipes his hands on his pants and hugs me gently. “How you doin’?”

“I’m all right, thanks, Eric. What about you? Hows Jocie doin’ in Dallas?”

“Well, Jocie is doin’ just great. Met a lovely man and now they’re expectin’ a little one.” Patty practically bursts out of her skin as she tells me about her grown-up daughter.

“Really?” I touch her hand. “That’s real good news, Patty. I’m so happy for y’all.”

Patty nods. “She’s not due till the spring, but we’re already settin’ up the spare room. You see your Momma since you been back?”

“I only got back a few hours ago and no, I ain’t seen her yet.” I grab some essential foods from the shelves. “I wasn’t expecting to. I’ll be surprised if I see her at all this summer.”

Patty shakes her head. “She gotta sort it out, Kia. It ain’t fair on you, honey. You gotta talk to her.”

I smile sadly and put my food on the counter. “I gave up talking to her about it the day I left for college, Patty. She don’t wanna change, and I can’t make her. He left us six years ago, and she still ain’t over it. It ain’t my problem anymore.”

Eric rubs my arm. “Well, we sure are proud of you. Going off to a big college like that.”

I smile gratefully at him, and his eyes twinkle. “Thanks, Eric. You sure know how to make a girl’s day.” I wink.

I hand Patty the money and grab the bags.

“Come over for dinner one night, Kia. I’ll cook you up my famous chicken with potato salad.” Patty tempts me.

“Mm... Corn too?” I open the door.

“Well, o’ course. What kind of southern woman do you take me for?” She grins.

“It’s a date.” I wink at her and wave, walking back to my car.

I put the groceries on the passenger side seat and start it up. My head drops backward against the headrest of the seat. New York’s skyline flashes through my mind momentarily, and I sigh.

I pull away from the store back toward my house, wondering what time my Mom will make it home.

With any luck, she’ll be back by next week.

CHAPTER 2

Of course,my car would die when I’m at home. And of course the only garage within ten miles is the one that belongs to a guy I’ve known my whole life. And, because it’s how it goes, of course Reese Pembleton just happens to work in that exact garage.

I’m not blind. He’s hot as hell and as dangerous as an arrow to your heart. In fact, he probably is the damn arrow.

He walks toward me as I enter the garage, his eyes fixed on mine. I’ve been back here three days and I’m nowhere near ready to speak to him. Hell, I’m not even ready to see him again - especially after seeing the pictures Luce left me. My guilt and regret hangs heavily on me, mixed with maybes and might-have-beens, and I wish I could just give him my keys without the inevitable small talk.

“Kia,” he drawls, his voice hitting me like a ton of bricks.

“Reese.” I look up at him, clasping my keys tighter. The ridges on the metal cut into my palm the same way his stare slices into me.

“How are you?”

“I’m good. You?”

He doesn’t blink. “Better than I was.”

I swallow, his words hurting more than I want to admit, even if I know I have no real right to be hurt. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He nods once. “How’s college?”

“All right.”

“It that much better than here, huh?” he asks, folding his arms across his chest. I can see his tribal tattoo poking out of his white, oil covered top and creeping around his bicep.

“I never said that.”

“You meant it though, right?”

“You have no idea,” I reply under my breath, glancing around and catching Adam’s eye. Anything to break eye contact with Reese.

“Lookin’ good, Kia!” he calls with a wink.

I roll my eyes playfully. “Am I gonna get any half decent service around here or have I gotta wait for you to stop lookin’ at me like I’m your Momma’s chicken pot pie?”

Adam looks me over slowly, thoroughly enough to make any other girl blush. Thankfully, after a friendship built over mud pies in kindergarten, I’m immune to his charm.

“All right, gorgeous, I’m done. Reese, serve the lovely lady.”

I look back at Reese. He’s standing in the same position, his wary eyes a little heated.

“You know…” I quirk an eyebrow at him. “…I think there’s a lot to be said for your manners. I was told southern men were gentlemen, but I think they were mistaken, ‘cause there sure as hell ain’t one here.”

“Kia.” Reese leans forward and hooks his finger under my chin. His eyes are hotter than they were a second ago, and I can feel that heat searing into me. “If I were a gentleman, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be rememberin’ what that pretty little body looks like lying under me while I kiss every damn inch of it.”

My heart thumps at the memory, blood rushing to my cheeks. How dare he say that so casually? Damn him to Hell.

I knock his hand from my face and put my keys in it. “She’s yours to look at. I’ll be waiting outside.” I turn from him, before my eyes give me away, and stalk outside into the hot, sticky air. Not that it’s any better than being right in front of Reese with darkened eyes. He’s like his own heat source when he looks at me like that. The brief seconds of his hand touching me cause goose pimples to erupt all over my skin.

I lean back against the wall and try to remove him from my mind. Ice cream... Cold shower... Ice cubes...

Dang it. Not working.

I sigh, shaking my head at myself.

“So, what are we doing?” Reese steps out next to me, minus his coveralls and plus low rise jeans. Do I remember what’s under those jeans? You bet I do. Too well.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” I look at him out of the corner of my eye.

“Lunch break.” He leans back next to me. “And hey, we do have to catch up, don’t we?” I open my mouth, but he carries on. “So, where are we going?”

I laugh softly, almost a little sadly. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Can’t I take a pretty girl out to lunch?” His lips curl up.

“Unless that pretty girl is your girlfriend, then no, and last time I checked, we never actually made it that far.”

He freezes for a second, and I want to take back my words.
I’m
the reason we didn’t get that far.

“Reese, I…”

“Well I’ll be damned if New York ain’t been good to you, Kia,” he says.

“And what’s that meant to mean?”

“It means you finally got an attitude.” He moves his face in closer to mine. His breath fans across my cheek and I lock my knees in place. “And I’m real sure it’s the sexiest thing this side of the Atlantic.”

I grit my teeth. Typical Reese – don’t get your own way, turn on the charm. That charm is what made last summer happen.

It takes all my strength to step away from him. To not grab his shirt and kiss him senseless right here.

“Unbelievable.” I shake my head.

“What?” His eyes widen, and his lips part as if he can’t believe I’m not falling into his arms.

Hell, the way he’s looking at me right now,
I
can’t believe I’m not falling into his arms.

“Hey, Adam?” I yell and look around Reese. “You got my number right?”

“Same as before you left?” He looks up from my car.

“Yep,” I answer. “Can you do me a favor? Give me a call when you’re done with my car. I got stuff to do.”

“Sure thing, gorgeous.” He puts a thumb up, and I wave.

“See ya around, Reese.” I say nonchalantly, turning away.

“Kia...”

I wave over my shoulder, and head away from the garage. After eleven months of not seeing him and of burying my feelings for him, I’m definitely not ready to face what’s obviously still there.

~

I hear Mom stumble down the stairs and look through the kitchen drawers. A cupboard opens. The bottle hits the side. A glass follows it.

I look at the clock. Two p.m.

I want to stay here in my room. I want to ignore it. I want to forget about the crap she’s made me deal with, but some crazy sense of daughterly duty pulls me from my spot on the bed and toward the kitchen.

She still wears the old, tattered, navy blue robe he left behind. She still holds the vodka bottle like it’s her lifeline. She still doesn’t remember she has a child to look after.

And still, I’m here. Like always.

“Hey, Momma,” I say quietly.

She turns, hiding the bottle behind her back like it’ll make it go away. Her blonde hair is matted and unkempt. Last night’s make up is smudged under her eyes, and she attempts a bright smile.

“Kia, honey. I didn’t know you were coming home.”

You never do, I want to say.

“I came home early,” I lie, giving her a way out. “It wasn’t supposed to be till next week but school let out early.”

“Of course that’s why,” she says, grasping onto the excuse. “That’s why I wasn’t here to see you. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No, Mom.” I fake a smile. “Not at all. I can look after myself, remember.” God only knows I’ve been doing it since I was thirteen.

Her green eyes don’t smile when her mouth does. They’re dull, lifeless. “Yes... you’re a big girl now, aren’t you? You don’t mind if I’m not here tonight, do you? It’s just with you comin’ home early I have plans and...”

“No, Momma, I don’t mind. I understand.” I give her another fake smile, and her eyes brighten. “You go have fun.”

She winks at me, and scoots from the kitchen, the bottle still behind her back.

I watch her go, my mood deflating, and head for the back door as the anger at myself kicks in. Anger at myself for giving her the out, the excuse, for just letting her go. Always… It’s always the same.

She messes up. I give her the escape route. She takes it. I let her.

I climb into the tree house like I did so many times after Dad left. The tree house is my safe haven where I can let it all out.

I lean against the thick trunk of the tree and rest my head back against it, shutting my eyes to hold back the tears. I wonder if it’s too late to sign up for summer classes. What in the hell am I doing back in Alabama? This place...

“Argh!” I kick the floor.

This place is like a drug. It’s the last thing you need, the thing you want out of your life but try as you might, you can’t fight it. It keeps pulling you back in until you’re broken, shattered, and dependent.

I don’t want to be dependent. I want to spread my wings and fly.

I don’t want to be like my Mom, left behind by the man she loved for her whole life.

Reese’s face pops into my mind. His voice, his touch, his laugh.

I need to get out of here.

~

Party at Rock’s Saturday. U there?
Reese.

I shrug as I type a message back.
No reason to be.

Luce is back.

Nice try.

A party at Rock’s. Did he already forget he got in my pants before? ‘Cause I’m pretty damn sure it was brought up in the garage earlier.

“Ass,” I mutter and slam the back door. My cell rings again, and Luce’s name pops up.

“A little birdie told me Miss New York is back in little ol’ Alabama,” she sings, exaggerating her drawl.

“A little birdie told you right,” I reply, smiling at my best friend’s voice.

“Then I wanna know why you ain’t got your pretty little ass round my house yet.”

“I didn’t know, you were back from Vegas until Reese told me.”

“Reese, huh?” Her suggestive tone riles me.

“My car battery died. I saw him at the garage with Adam.”

“I know, I’m just teasin’. I saw it there when I drove past and stopped off. I ain’t seen you in a year, girl!”

“You know why, Luce.” I push my hair from my face.

“I know, Kia. She still as bad as ever?”