To Love Again: A Sweet Romance (Forty and Free Book 1) (2 page)

Gavin picked up the phone and met Lance’s eyes as he answered it. If there was one thing he was not accustomed to, it was taking orders. As Gavin continued his conversation with the client, Lance stood up from the chair. With tensed shoulders he turned and walked out the door.

Gavin had the feeling that Lance was not going to give up easily this time.

Chapter 3

Nicole’s eyes popped open with the sudden reaction from the strong feeling that she’d missed hearing her alarm. She looked at the clock, which clearly showed that she’d overslept by twenty minutes.
 

“Oh no! We’re going to be late!” She jumped up out of bed. “Jordan, Melody—get up! Get dressed! We’ll eat in the car!”

Her chest seized with panic. A wave of dizziness rushed over her.

Once she was out the door and into the kitchen she grabbed the counter to keep from slipping in her socks. When she grabbed onto the counter to steady herself, she nearly knocked off the open box of cereal left there. It dawned on her that the two children whose names she’d been screaming were dressed and sitting at the table.

Jordan and Melody looked up from their breakfast with wide eyes.
 

“What’s wrong, Mom? You look really upset.” Jordan stood up from the table.

It still shocked Nicole that he was almost as tall as her. Even though she’d been with them almost every moment of their lives, she couldn’t figure out where the time had gone.
 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Her voice sounded harsh to her own ears.
 

Melody bit into her bottom lip and looked down at her cereal.
 

“I just thought you might like to sleep in.” Jordan frowned. “I’m sorry, Mom. I mean, it’s not like we can’t get our own breakfast.”
 

“Yes, I see that.” Nicole leaned against the counter. “Thank you for that.”
 

“You’re not mad?” Melody looked up at her.
 

“No, sweetie, I’m not mad. I’m sorry for snapping. I was just surprised.”
 

“Really, Mom, we can take care of ourselves.” Jordan grabbed a carton of orange juice from the fridge and refilled his glass.

Nicole did her best to hide an involuntary frown.
 

“I’m really excited about the wedding.” Melody finished her last bite of cereal.
 

“Don’t talk about that to Mom, dummy.” Jordan glared at her.
 

“Oh.” Melody frowned. “I’m sorry.”
 

Nicole walked over to her daughter and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Both of you listen, okay?”

Both kids looked at her with a hint of uncertainty in their expressions.

“I know things are changing. I know that you’ve seen me upset. But you both need to understand one thing. I love you. That will never change and you can always talk to me about anything—even the wedding. It’s okay for you to be excited. I’m excited for you.”
 

“You don’t seem excited.” Jordan tossed his spoon down in his bowl. “I don’t think any of this is right.”
 

Nicole took a deep breath. It touched her to the core that her son cared about her feelings, but this was not the time to appreciate that. This was the time to make things easier for him to understand. As much as it tortured her to speak her next words, they had to be said.
 

“There’s nothing wrong with love, Jordan. Your father and I had a beautiful time together, and as a result, we have two amazing children that we both adore. Our lives and feelings changed. Now your father has met someone who he loves, and she loves him. They will have a beautiful time together too.”
 

“Does that mean you’re going to meet someone new too?” Melody smiled as she picked up her cereal bowl and carried it to the sink.

Her daughter’s question knocked Nicole off balance.
 

“Oh no, I don’t think so. Well, not for a long time at least.”
 

“You can’t live in the past forever, Mom. If Dad gets to be happy, so should you.” Jordan dropped his bowl in the sink and spared her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Affection from Jordan was so rare that it brought tears to her eyes. She hid them as the kids headed off to school.

After Nicole washed the dishes she sat down at the family computer. She toyed with the mouse, watching the pointer bounce back and forth from the submit button to the cancel button on her screen.

In all the years that she’d been a mother, she couldn’t remember once taking a full day for herself. It had been very important to her that she’d always been a part of their daily lives.

But now? That wasn’t an option any more. Between school, sports, and now visits away with their father, she’d been forced to have days where she didn’t even see her kids. It wasn’t easy for her to take, but she knew that it was a normal part of their growing and becoming more independent.

That didn’t mean that it wasn’t leaving her feeling a bit lost. She thought about waking that morning to find her children dressed and ready for school. She thought of the way she’d snapped at them—not because they’d done anything wrong, but because she was so stressed. She didn’t want to be that kind of mother.

Maybe it was time—to rediscover herself as a person, not just as a mother.

She clicked the submit button on the computer screen before she could think about it another minute. Once she’d done it, she immediately wondered about the refund policy.

Then a rush of excitement pulled her right up off the couch.
 

“I’m going on a vacation—alone.” She smiled at the thought. “Ten days of sleeping in, showering whenever I want to, and maybe even taking a few naps.” She laughed at the idea.

Maybe it wasn’t a thought-out plan, but it was what she wanted more than she’d realized. It refreshed her to be impulsive and make a decision that was completely her own—without input from anyone else. Jordan’s comment about her deserving happiness reminded her of all the messages of support she’d received earlier on the support site. This was going to be her opportunity to come out of her shell again and embrace a new future that was in front of her.
 

“Cielo Spa & Resort, here I come—but first, I’m going to need to do some shopping.”

She headed back to her bedroom to check her closet and make a list.

Chapter 4

It was too early for any of his co-workers to be in the building. Gavin had planned it that way. He didn’t want Lance to head him off at the door and stop him from working. There were a few newer clients that he wanted to connect with about recent contracts that had been made.

When he walked into his office he saw the large envelope on his desk right away. For a brief moment he flashed to the last time he’d found an envelope on his desk that looked like that.

It had been from Amy—paperwork for the divorce he’d requested. She hadn’t exactly fought him on it. In fact, he realized throughout the process, that she’d wanted out. His lips tightened at the memory.

She’d asked for counseling—told him that she wasn’t happy. He told her that he wasn’t going to change.

Then it ended. Just like that.

He closed his eyes and ran a hand across his forehead. He did his best to avoid thinking about it, because at some point he finally recognized that he’d abandoned her long before the marriage was over.

But it was too late then. She was already in love with someone else—someone who didn’t prioritize business trips over anniversaries, or clients over caring for a wife as she struggled with infertility. The problems at home had felt like things that couldn’t be solved.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t give her a baby, and no matter how much she begged, he couldn’t understand why she needed him to spend time with her.

For the thousandth time, he reminded himself of what an idiot he’d been—so blind to what he’d done to their marriage. Perhaps she hadn’t respected how much he valued his job—she hadn’t tried to understand his passion for it. But that wasn’t a reason to cancel every plan they’d ever made.

He walked over to his desk and picked up the envelope. Inside was an official letter from Lance, along with two plane tickets and a reservation receipt.

Gavin sat down in his chair as he read the letter.
 

I know you won’t believe me, Gavin, but I’m doing this because you are the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had. You looked out for me when the business struggled, and now I want to look out for you.

If you don’t use these tickets and the reservation, then you’ll be off the Bramley account. I need you to recharge and have a little fun. I need you to get out in the real world again.

Don’t bother trying to call me, my phone is off. I’ve instructed security to escort you from the building if you are there past nine. Don’t try to hunt me down and knock me out either, because I know where to hide. Ha ha.

Just do this for me. It’s ten days and then it’s over. Have a good trip!
 

Lance

Gavin shook his head as he looked over the document again. “Unbelievable.” He crumpled up the letter and tossed it in the garbage. He wanted to be angry. But he couldn’t be. Lance was the only family he had, and he knew that he was right. He hadn’t been anywhere but the office and his apartment in a very long time.
 

“Well, I guess I’m going on a trip.” He sighed as he picked up the tickets and reservation. He knew that Lance was serious about security. He never made a threat that he didn’t follow through with.

As he left the building, a weight lifted from his shoulders. No, he wasn’t thrilled about the trip, but a small part of him hoped that it might not be so bad. There was no way he’d leave his clients in the lurch, though.

Instead of driving home, he headed for one of the many locations that he visited on a weekly basis. His local advertising clients were scattered throughout the state and he even had a few in neighboring states. They were used to his face-to-face personal touch of being accessible at any time to them. Many times clients would seek out the company specifically because Gavin worked there, and they wanted his style of professionalism.

As he drove from location to location his mind wandered over what the vacation might be like. He planned to spend it in his room as much as possible, but he might be tempted to try out a few nice restaurants. The only time he ever treated himself to something like that was when he had an important meeting with a client.

He parked in the lot of a large department store and walked toward the entrance. As he passed a couple that clutched hands and kissed, he resisted a scowl. It was much easier to tolerate life holed up in his office or at home, where he didn’t have to be reminded that there were happy people out there in the world.

He opened the door to the department store and stepped inside. As he headed in back to the manager’s office, he passed by a woman who held up a shirt. Compared to the plain long-sleeved shirt she wore, the blouse was bright, with a deep neckline, and looked as if it would suit her figure well. When she turned around to look into the mirror, holding the top up to her chin, she caught him mid-stare. Her dark green eyes widened, then her gaze darted away as she lowered the shirt.

He cleared his throat. “It’s a nice choice.”

Flustered, he hurried away from the awkward moment. Still, he couldn’t get the memory of her eyes out of his mind. They were a shade that he didn’t think he’d ever seen before. He didn’t dare to look back to see if she’d even noticed him. Still embarrassed, he knocked on his client’s door and tried to push the woman out of his mind.

Work always helped him to forget about anything else, and the moment his client opened the office door, the encounter was forgotten.

Chapter 5
 

Nicole’s shopping trip had been quite fruitful. She tossed three large bags down on her bed. The fitting room hadn’t been kind, but she’d adjusted to the fact that she’d had to go up a size. She hadn’t really gained too much weight, but things seemed to have moved into new places.

She hung the clothes that she’d bought up in her closet. After her mini-spending spree she felt better equipped to enjoy her vacation.

Over the next few days, she helped the kids get ready for their trip. The closer it came to the time for them to leave, the more excited Nicole felt about her own vacation. At a time when she’d expected to be depressed, her mind was suddenly focused on all the future possibilities.

When her ex-husband arrived to pick up the children, he stayed in the car.

Nicole grabbed the suitcases and carried them out to the car with the kids trailing after her.

Jack looked at her awkwardly through the window.

There he was. Still as gorgeous as the day she met him. His stark black hair was perfect as always, his clear blue eyes held that sparkle that charmed her from the moment she’d first met him.

But when he looked at her, there was apprehension instead of affection.

“Nicole, the kids can handle their luggage.”
 

“I know that.” She gripped the handles of the suitcases, then set them down in the trunk. She hugged the kids tight, then walked around to the open driver’s side window. “Be careful with them.”
 

“You know I will be.” He met her eyes. “Nicole, I know this has to be hard on you.” His voice was rough as he forced out the words.
 

“It’s okay, Jack. Really.” She smiled at the kids in the backseat of the car. “Have a great wedding. I know the kids will have a fun time.”

His puzzled expression was enough to indicate that he’d expected more of a fight.
 

“Thanks, Nicole.”
 

She nodded and walked back toward the house.

As the engine roared to life, she turned back in time to see them drive away. Only then did her heart lurch with pain. To her, it seemed as if her family was driving away with all of her expectations for what her life was supposed to have been like.