Second Chances: A Small Town Love Story Read online

  Alfred, the snowcat driver was telling a story about coming up on a car that had gone into the ditch in a blizzard, and when he had dug out the door, found the couple inside, well, keeping themselves warm. He continued the story, that they had kept at each other even as he pried the door open. Alfred hadn’t known what to do, so he shut the door and gave them five more minutes to finish up. He hadn’t spared any details, “You know, they probably could’ve rocked that car out of the ditch with their humping,” he guffawed. Megan felt Josh laughing and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He caught her eye and winked at her as he brushed a tear of laughter from his eye.

  “When is opening day?” John the lawyer asked her.

  “It’s scheduled for the 15th, to coincide with the opening of the ski hill.”

  “That’s ambitious,” he replied.

  “She’s got everything under control,” Josh said and squeezed her hand, intertwining his thick fingers with hers.

  Megan felt tingles rush from her fingertips to her heart.

  “It’s going to be tight, but I think we can do it,” she said. She honestly believed that it was possible if everything fell into place.

  “Well, I’ll be there after I get a few runs in on the mountain,” John replied.

  “Me too,” Ethan chimed in. “I’m going to come in and get some coffee first thing.”

  As every man sitting around the table said that they were planning on visiting the café on opening day, Megan realized the enormity of what she had taken on.

  “I think you better expect everyone in town to show up.”

  Josh squeezed her hand again, “She’s ready. But I think that’s enough business talk for now.”

  The conversation turned back to knots, snowmobiles, snowpack, and avalanche danger, but Megan’s mind was flip-flopping between worrying about the opening day of the café, and the excitement she felt deep in the depths of her body. A part of her she hadn’t felt in a long time had awoken, and for the first time in years, she wanted to feel a man inside of her, and not in a perfunctory, making a baby way, but in a sensual filling up that can only come with pent up passion and desire.

  She was sitting beside her general contractor, thinking about how he’d look in her bed, how she wanted to run her fingers through his chest hair while she rocked her hips against his.

  She pulled her fingers from his and scraped her chair against the floor to try to create some distance between them. She couldn’t do this.

  “I should go,” she whispered to Josh. “Do you have the number for a cab?”

  “I do,” Josh whispered back. “But Al is the only cab driver in town.” Josh gestured to one of the men sitting at the far end of the table.

  “Shit,” Megan muttered to herself. She pulled out her cell phone and texted Charlotte.

  Need ride. ASAP.

  In textbook Charlotte fashion, her phone chimed back almost instantaneously.

  Are you okay? Where are you?

  I’m okay. I’m at the Last Chance.

  WTF. Be there in ten minutes. Be outside.

  Megan slipped the phone back into her pocket. “I have to go. Something urgent just came up.” Megan pulled a handful of cash out of her purse and thrust it into Josh’s hand. He pushed it right back into hers.

  “Drinks are on me. Let me walk you out.”

  Megan waved to the table of men, said goodnight, and brushed off their calls for her to stay for one more drink. She had to get out of that bar before she made a terrible mistake.

  Josh helped her into her coat and walked her out onto the street. The snow was falling heavier now, like thick wool blankets dropping from the sky, their hats were covered instantly in a crown of white.

  “There is no work emergency, is there?” Josh smiled meekly.

  “Josh, we can’t do this. For so many reasons.” She leaned against the bar, her hands shoved deep inside the pockets of her down coat.

  “Megan, have you thought about all the reasons that we should do this?” Josh looped his arm around her waist and pulled her hips toward him.

  She hadn’t.

  She felt an attraction to Josh that was stronger than any she’d had in her life. He was kind, generous, caring, hot as hell. She had only focused on the reason why she couldn’t let herself succumb to her desires, to let herself feel good, to risk being hurt again.

  There it was.

  The excuses, she was his boss, he was too young, it was too soon. She was just protecting herself from certain heartbreak.

  Josh’s arm felt like a solid piece of wood supporting her back, he exuded strength and protection, and she felt herself melting, even in the cold of the night. She lifted her face to his and when her eyes met his, she saw kindness and desire. Her breath intermingled with his, their steamy desire dancing between their lips. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to his, her whole body shaking with the anticipating of feeling his lips against hers—

  “Oh, shit. Sorry,” Freddie’s voice rang out as he tried to back himself back into the bar. “Sorry you two, I. Shit. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  Josh and Megan jumped apart from each other.

  “You didn’t interrupt anything,” Josh said sternly and leaned against the building beside Megan. “I was just making sure Miss Brittle got home okay.”

  As if on cue, the headlights of Charlotte’s SUV turned onto the main street and the snow crunched under the tires as she pulled up in front of the bar.

  “Good night, guys,” Megan practically sprinted to open the door of the car.

  “Bye,” Josh said. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow,” Megan said and shut the door as quickly as she could. “Drive.” She ordered Charlotte.

  As the SUV pulled away, Josh turned to walk back into the bar. Freddie stared at the car as it drove away and then said to Josh, “I think that was Billie Jo Bunkman.”

  Chapter 16

  Freddie turned to Josh with a smile on his face, “Sorry for interrupting there.”

  “It’s probably a good thing,” Josh sighed. “Who is Billie Jo Bunkstan?”

  “Bunkman,” Josh corrected. “She was a few years ahead of me in high school. She was in my brother’s class. She grew up in the trailer park across the tracks.”

  “Well, she must have a twin, because that girl’s name is Charlotte.”

  “I mean, it’s been a few years, but it sure looked like her. She came to our house a few times to work with Logan on a school project. She had quite the uh, reputation back then. I think that they called her the BJ Queen.”

  “Is that because her initials are B.J?”

  “Hah, I never thought of that.” Freddie laughed. “I guess the Chance Rapids class of 2005 wasn’t too creative.”

  “Well, Charlotte seems a whole hell of a lot classier than that. And I don’t think a girl from the trailer park is living it up over in Sugar Peaks.”

  “I guess not.” Freddie stroked his beard, “I wonder what happened to Billie Jo.”

  Josh shrugged.

  “Want to go finish that pitcher?”

  “I should grab Timber and get home. Megan is optimistic about opening on the fifteenth, but I know how things work around here, and unless I light a fire under those drywallers, she’s going to be opening up in the new year and missing the holiday crowds.”

  “Fair enough,” Freddie said and opened the door. “Josh, I know you know what you’re doing, and I’m glad you’re moving on, but getting involved with someone across the bridge has never worked.”

  “I know, Freddie. Nothing’s going to happen with her.”

  Josh went inside the bar and said goodbye to the search and rescue team, hooked Timber up to his leash and trudged home through the snow that was now well over the top of his hiking boots. He thought about the almost kiss with Megan and although the stirring in his pants said otherwise, he was glad that Freddie had interrupted. Freddie was right, he was ready to move on, but he needed to find someone who was from his
world. Someone who wouldn’t leave.

  He shook the snow off his boots, looked around his tiny unfinished home and saw it through Megan’s eyes. He saw the plywood floor, the open walls, the kitchen with no cupboards. He had nothing to offer her.

  He stripped off his clothes and crawled into his flannel sheets, Timber came to the side of the bed and gave him a nudge, Josh let his hand fall from the bed and patted Timber’s damp fur. “Get in your bed buddy, no wet dogs on mine.” He swore he heard Timber groan, but then he heard the creaking as he settled into his wicker bed.

  His mind raced back to his day with Megan. It had been perfect, even after she saw his house. She wasn’t judging him, and Josh sat up and realized that the person who had been judging, was him. Megan knew who he was and still wanted to kiss him. Josh realized that he had been a fool. He reached for his cell phone and sent her a text:

  You are in violation of Chance Rapids Bylaw 1.27

  He was surprised when the phone chimed back immediately.

  Bylaw 1.27?

  One shall not partake in a shotski without actually skiing first – he added a ski emoji.

  Unlike his first message, he didn’t receive a response right away. He saw the text bubble come up and disappear at least three times and knew that she was at a loss for what to say.

  I like to live dangerously.

  He smirked. She was good.

  As a citizen of Chance Rapids, I need to ensure that you get onto a set of skis in the next twenty-four hours or pay the consequences.

  And what might those be?

  A mandatory polar bear dip. Your choice.

  The text bubbles came and went again. Josh’s heart was in his throat. He hadn’t flirted like this in years. He felt himself growing hard under his flannel sheets imagining Megan’s body in a bikini, covered in goosebumps, how hard her nipples would be in anticipation of jumping into the icy river. How good it would feel to sit next to her in the sauna, sweating and kissing, He was growing harder imagining what he would do to Megan in the sauna pre and post icy swim.

  He would grab her behind her neck, her icy hair melting in his hands as he eased himself on top of her while on the top bench, the hottest bench, of the sauna. The stones would be hissing, and the room would be steamy as he undid her bikini string and took her nipple between his lips. Her back would be arched and she’d be moaning, her hips moving toward him achingly. He would kiss down her taut abdomen and nip at her strong thighs. She would be writhing in anticipation and he would tease her inner thighs with his tongue while he slid her bikini bottoms to the side before burying his face between her legs, tasting her anticipation.

  His phone chimed again, interrupting his daydream. His cock was rock hard and tenting out his sheet. He shifted to pick up his phone,

  I’m a good girl. I don’t break bylaws. Winky face.

  The phone chimed again.

  I guess this means we’re going skiing. She added an angry face emoji.

  He wasn’t surprised. He didn’t know too many women who would want to jump into the Chance River in December.

  Easy now, girl. There’s a loophole. Nobody said it has to be downhill skiing.

  Megan texted back a smiley face.

  Josh set down his phone. He was too far into his daydream about the polar bear dip to switch it up to a cross country scene. He reached down and gripped his hard cock and imagined Megan’s lips as she moaned with her orgasm. He stroked himself as he imagined pulling her bikini bottoms all the way off and scooping her up in her arms and setting her down, turning her so she could plant her hands on the sauna bench while he slid into her from behind, slowly at first. Josh’s stroking matched the pace he was thrusting into Megan in his fantasy, he imagined gripping her hips in his hands, how her round yoga pants wearing ass would look arched in front of him, and he began thrusting harder and faster, his cock throbbing as he held back. In his fantasy, he gripped her hips tightly to his body as he came, his breath rasping as his manhood throbbed and twitched inside her tightness. In his fantasy, he collapsed against her back and then she turned around and kissed him hard. Their naked sweaty, post-orgasmic bodies sensitive and quivering in the heat. Then they’d run naked and jump into the Chance River and repeat the whole thing. All. Night. Long.

  Josh fell asleep excited and ready to jump in with Megan, all in.

  Chapter 17

  Megan rolled over and saw the sun rising over the jagged peaks. She yawned and stretched in bed. She had never been a morning person, but today she wanted to jump out of bed and sing in the shower. She was excited to get to the café and see Charlotte’s vision come to life. Every other morning that she had woken up in Charlotte’s mountain house had reminded her that her life was in shambles. Charlotte told her that sometimes things have to fall apart for something greater to be built. Megan had chalked that up to Charlotte seeing one too many motivational speakers, but today, for the first time, she really believed it.

  Yes, her husband of fifteen years had cheated on her. Yes, she was broke. But, today, all she saw were possibilities. The possibility of running a business with one of her best friends. The endless combinations of recipes she could play with for the menu, and even though part of her was afraid to admit it, the possibility of getting to kiss Josh Johnson, to feel the brush of his beard on her face, his hands on her waist.

  She realized that she had been in a rut with Alex, that she hadn’t felt a fire in her belly to do anything for a while, but now, she felt like she could take on the world, and leave that cheating son of a bitch in her wake.

  She padded into the kitchen and saw Charlotte poring over the café’s drawing while she scrolled through the city’s real estate listings on her computer and talked on the phone to a client. Always the multi-tasker.

  Megan poured herself a cup of coffee and perched on one of the wooden barstools beside Charlotte. Charlotte smiled at her and raised one finger, signaling that she would be off the phone in a minute. Megan looked out the window at the gently falling snow and felt at peace. Maybe there was a bit of a small-town girl in her after all.

  “Morning, Sunshine. You’re up early today,” Charlotte said as she ended her call.

  “I wanted to get up and experiment with some recipes before I head into the café. Has the designer sent all the paint colors? The drywallers are starting today and I want to make sure the painters have everything they need to get started.”

  Charlotte smiled at Megan.

  “What?” Megan looked at her quizzically.

  “Just proud of you, that’s all. A new woman walked down those stairs and into my kitchen. And I really like her.” Charlotte took a sip of her coffee and then quickly added, “Not like I didn’t like the other Megan. This is like Megan version 2.0. More powerful and focused.”

  “I have you to thank,” Megan jumped off the stool and started pulling baking ingredients out of the cupboards. “I can’t believe that you trusted me with this project.”

  “I knew that you could do it.”

  “Well, with you behind the curtain, it certainly helped. I do feel a little guilty misleading everyone about my involvement here.”

  Charlotte shuffled all her listing paperwork into a pile. “If things keep going, you’re going to BE part owner of The Sugar Peak Café, and then you won’t be lying to anyone.

  “Well, Josh thinks that I own this house.”

  “This house?” Charlotte pressed her pointer finger into the marble island.

  “He just assumed, and I didn’t correct him,” Megan said, and she tied her hair up into a ponytail. “Now I don’t know how I’m going to tell him.”

  “I don’t think that he’ll care. I saw the way he looked at you when you jumped into the car last night. It looks like I might have interrupted a moment there.”

  “Actually, you didn’t, Freddie did.”

  “Freddie who?” Charlotte leaned onto the table, her eyes steeled on Megan.

  Charlotte measured out some flour and dumped it into a lar
ge steel mixing bowl. “Freddie Brush.”

  “That was Freddie Brush? The guy standing with you and Josh, the one in the blue hat?”

  “Yeah, he’s a little rough around the edges, but he seems like a good kid. Can I use these eggs?” Megan asked as she pulled a dozen free range eggs from the massive refrigerator.

  “Did he see me?”

  “I don’t know. It was dark and snowing pretty hard. Why, do you know him? He’s a lot younger than you are.”

  “I knew his brother.”

  “Oh, Logan?” Megan separated the egg yolks from the whites into two small bowls and set them aside on the counter. “Did you know that he played in the NHL?”

  “I heard that,” Charlotte murmured. “Meg. I don’t want to tell you who to hang out with, but that Logan Brush is an asshole with a capital A, and I’m sure his brother is cut from the same cloth.”

  “Char, when was the last time you saw any of these people from high school? People change you know. You did.” Meg pointed at Charlotte with the flour covered wooden spoon.

  “I’ll give Freddie a pass, but I’ll never forgive Logan for what he did.”

  Megan stirred the mixture together and waited for Charlotte to continue, which she didn’t.

  “And, are you going to tell me what he did?”

  Charlotte seemed lost in another world, her eyes glassy as she stared out the window.

  “Char.”

  “Oh, what, sorry.” Charlotte snapped her gaze from the window and began flipping through her real estate listings. “No, that’s a long story for when we’ve got a few bottles of wine in front of us. Not a sunrise conversation.” Charlotte picked up her phone and started typing feverishly and then paused abruptly. “Megan, do me a favor, please.”

  “Anything.”

  “You can’t let Freddie know who I am. I’m just not ready yet.”

  “Okay. But you are going to have to help me figure out how to explain to Josh that I’m not a rich real estate developer.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” Charlotte murmured but seemed distracted.