Second Chance Girl--A Modern Fairy Tale Romance Read online

  “You have to make it again,” Nick said at last. “You have to show him.”

  “Nick’s right. We’ll get it out of the studio before he can destroy it. He’ll be forced to admit you’re the one who’s going to beat him.”

  Mathias hadn’t said anything. He’d walked out into the woods around their house and had stayed gone for two days. When he’d returned, he’d started making dishes and bowls, mugs and basins.

  He shook his head and returned to the present. The small statue of Millie still stood in the center of his desk. He touched the cool, smooth glass. No matter what, Ceallach wasn’t going to take this away from him. That he knew for sure.

  * * *

  “WHAT?” VIOLET DEMANDED the second she sat down at the small table.

  Carol sighed. Sisters—who knew they could be a problem? “Thanks for suggesting we have coffee,” she said as cheerfully as she could. She motioned to the giant cinnamon roll she’d already purchased. “I was hoping we could share. Otherwise I’ll eat the whole thing and wake up weighing 400 pounds.”

  “I don’t think that’s how metabolism works.” Violet eyed her. “There’s something. Don’t think you can hide it from me.” She pointed to the short line at the counter. “I’m going to get coffee and another fork. You can use that time to figure out how to either cough up the truth or lie your way out of whatever you have going on.” She took a step, then stopped. “And remember, I can always tell when you’re lying.”

  Carol wanted to say that wasn’t true, only it was. She and her sister were close, which was why she’d agreed to coffee. After her unsettling evening, she’d wanted a friendly face and a bit of female support. Only she’d forgotten that although her sister loved her, she wasn’t a pushover. Which meant either coming clean or making up a very believable story. While Carol knew she had many lovely qualities, she also knew that all the creativity genes had gone to Violet. So annoying.

  Rather than fight the inevitable, Carol waited until her sister had taken the seat opposite.

  “Fine,” she said, her voice low. “I had sex with Mathias last night. Sort of.”

  Violet’s mouth fell open, her eyes widened and she nearly dropped her fork. “I... You... What? Mathias? But I didn’t know you two were... Wait. What do you mean sort of?”

  Carol took another bite of cinnamon roll. When life got confusing, sugar and fat were always a comfort.

  “We’re not dating, if that’s what you’re asking. We’re friends. He’s into those sexy bridesmaids and I’m...”

  “Not?”

  Carol smiled. “Exactly.” Her smile faded. “I don’t know what exactly happened.”

  “Oh, honey, then one of you was doing it wrong.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  “Sorry. I’m confused, but I’ll focus. So what happened?”

  Carol explained about driving home and seeing Mathias walking Sophie. There had been the invitation to come over and margaritas and one thing had led to another...almost.

  “He passed out before we could...you know.”

  Violet leaned close. “Seriously? You just told me you had oral sex with Mathias but you can’t say intercourse?”

  “That is hardly the point.” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one had settled close to them. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say the next time I see him.”

  “I think mockery is in order.”

  “How is that helpful?”

  “It’s the truth. Come on, the man passed out. That’s all on him, not you.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not blaming yourself, are you?”

  Carol shifted in her seat. “Not exactly. It’s just, I’m not like the women he sees. They’re all so glamorous and beautiful.”

  “They’re in wedding clothes. Of course they look all fancy.”

  Logic, Carol thought. How annoying. “Maybe if I was different he would have stayed awake.”

  “Only if you were coffee. Carol, you know he had way too much to drink. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I feel awful.”

  “Imagine how he feels. Talking about humiliating.”

  Carol stared at her sister. “I never thought of that. You’re right. He has to be devastated. I mean, he’s a guy and he just passed out. That’s not good.”

  “See. You’re the innocent party.”

  She liked the sound of that. Last night she’d been so shocked, she hadn’t known what to do. She’d let Sophie out and had tidied up, then left. But she hadn’t been able to sleep or known what to think. Even worse, she couldn’t stop thinking about how great the sex had been. Imagine if they’d been able to continue!

  “So what do I say when I see him?”

  “Probably avoid words like loser.”

  “Violet!”

  “Sorry. I don’t know. What do you want to say?”

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t heard from him yet.” She’d kind of thought he might text her, but so far there hadn’t been a word.

  “You will. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out how to crawl out from under his rock. Plus he probably doesn’t feel very good.”

  “I’m sure he’ll apologize,” Carol murmured. “I’ll wait until that happens, then tell him it’s fine.”

  “You sure you don’t want to demand a rematch?”

  Carol’s stomach tightened. She would like nothing more, but sex on demand seemed way too risky. What if Mathias was regretting what had happened? What if he never wanted to see her again?

  She knew she was looking for trouble, but it was difficult to be rational about the whole thing. She wasn’t like Violet—she had no sense of style, no attitude. Mathias was all attitude.

  “I want things to go back the way they were,” she lied, hoping her sister didn’t notice. “I’m sure they will.”

  “After he grovels.”

  “Yes, after that. So how was dinner with your Englishman?”

  She’d thought Violet might resist changing the subject, but instead her sister slumped in her seat and sighed.

  “Amazing.”

  “The word and the body language don’t match.”

  “I know. We had a great time. He was funny and charming. My dance memory from all those years ago is restored.”

  Carol smiled. “I’m glad. So he was swoon-worthy?”

  “Totally.” She stabbed the cinnamon roll. “He invited me back to his hotel room.”

  “Did you go?” Carol asked, although she already knew the answer.

  “No. I couldn’t. I’m sure it would have been amazing, but he’s leaving and I’m not interested in that kind of thing.”

  Carol studied her sister. “Your lips are saying one thing but the rest of you is saying another. Second thoughts?”

  “Maybe. No. Yes.” Violet sipped her coffee. “I’m not sorry I said no and I am sorry I said no. I really like him. There’s something so appealing about him.”

  “Maybe you should plan a trip to England.”

  “I’m not going to go all the way over there, chasing a man. If he wanted to see me for more than a one-night stand, he would have said so. He would have stayed, or suggested we keep in touch. He did neither.”

  It appeared that bitch logic had it out for the Lund sisters this morning.

  “I wish I knew how to make it better,” Carol admitted.

  “Thanks. I’ll be okay. It was just dinner, right? One evening in a lifetime of evenings. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  Which sounded great but left Carol with the nagging feeling that both of them were lying about something really important.

  * * *

  CAROL SPENT THE NEXT twenty-four or so hours waiting for the text/phone call/visit that never came. Mathias had totally dropped out of sight and she honestly
had no idea what to think. Embarrassment was one thing, as was regret, but this? What was the man thinking?

  As her mind was more than willing to provide a hundred not-flattering-to-her scenarios to answer that question, she tried another tack. Was he sick? Injured? Had he moved to Borneo to avoid a humiliating morning after? Had it really been that awful?

  She did her best not to think about what they’d done, only telling herself not to think about it was pretty much the same as thinking about it All. The. Time. It seemed there was no win in what had happened—at least not for her.

  She’d nearly convinced herself that maybe she should consider a lunchtime cocktail as a distraction when her phone rang. She lunged for it, grabbed too hard so it slipped from her fingers and hit the floor of her office, then spun under the desk. She dropped to her knees and finally got hold of it and was able to see the screen even as she pushed Talk.

  Mathias!

  Her chest tightened, her stomach lurched and her mouth went dry, which made it hard to say, “Hello?”

  “It’s me. Sophie’s missing. Somehow she opened the gate and got out of the backyard.”

  Two actual seconds passed before she was able to process what he’d said. He wasn’t calling about them—he was calling about the dog. Who was missing. Her brain kicked in.

  “Oh, no. Do you think she’s in the preserve?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say yes. I thought I could come there and we could go out and call her. Do you think any of the animals would hurt her?”

  “No. They’re all grazing animals.” Unless Sophie got curious and ventured too close. Then there could be some serious kicking.

  She winced as she thought of the little dog being injured. “I’ll grab my golf cart and head out right now.” She had her Jeep as well, but the electric golf cart would be quieter and less likely to scare any of the animals or Sophie.

  “I’m at the house. Give me five minutes and I’ll meet you.”

  “I’ll be by the barn.”

  She hung up and called her father, then hurried to the barn. She’d barely backed the golf cart out of the bay when Mathias pulled up.

  For a second all she could do was stare at him. He was so tall and handsome, she thought foolishly. So appealing with his eyes all dark with worry. What they’d done that night—

  “We’ve got to find her,” he said by way of greeting. “My mom’s going to kill me if we don’t and I’ll feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

  So much for a romantic reunion. “I’ve already talked to my dad,” she told him as he got into the seat next to her. “He and my uncle are going to drive down the main road and be on the lookout. We weren’t sure how far Sophie could get on her own.”

  “Clear to Iowa if there’s enough time.”

  “We’ll find her.” Carol headed out past the barn.

  “She could be anywhere.”

  “Sophie wants adventure, not to run away. I’m sure she’s stayed close.”

  She followed the main path, stopping every hundred yards so Mathias could call out. As he yelled the dog’s name, Carol watched for her own charges. Quietly grazing zebras and gazelles meant a Sophie-free zone. If the animals were agitated or running, chances were they would find their beagle in close pursuit.

  They went by the gazelles first. There was no sign of flapping ears or a wagging tail. The zebras were equally quiet. Even Harriet, the water buffalo, barely raised her head as they zipped by.

  “I can’t imagine Sophie hanging out with Millie,” Carol said, “but we should check on her anyway.”

  She headed toward Millie’s favorite midday spot only to stop when she heard a happy yip of excitement.

  Mathias shot her a look of confusion. “Can Sophie even see that high? Wouldn’t Millie just be weird legs to her?”

  “I have no idea.”

  She followed the path, then stopped. Millie stood nibbling on branches Carol had hoisted into place that morning. Sophie danced between her long legs, moving perilously close to giraffe feet. Before Carol could do more than feel the cold flood of panic, Millie lowered her head so that she gently butted Sophie in a gesture that was almost maternal. The bouncing beagle swiped the side of Millie’s face with a kiss.

  “Holy crap,” Mathias muttered. “What is she doing?”

  “Making friends?”

  Sophie spun toward them, barked happily and darted toward them. She jumped into the cart, landing on Mathias’s lap. After planting her front paws on his chest, she licked his face, then grinned at Carol. Millie returned to her meal.

  “You’re a troublemaker,” Mathias told the dog. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Sophie sat down on his lap and leaned against him as if indicating she was ready to go. Carol used her walkie-talkie to let her dad and uncle know the little dog had been found.

  “Millie could have killed her,” she said. “It wouldn’t have taken much for her to crush her, but she didn’t. She seemed happy to have a friend.”

  Mathias lightly touched her hand. “You’re getting her a herd.”

  “It’s taking too long. I worry about her being happy.” She shook her head. “Sorry. Not your problem.”

  Now that the crisis was over, the realization that she was back in Mathias’s company had her wondering how to bring up what had happened...and not happened...between them.

  “So you’re, um, feeling better?”

  He gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry about the other night. There’s some stuff going on. I hope I didn’t say anything stupid before I passed out.”

  She waited, but that seemed to be all he had to say. Questions formed, then faded. Weren’t they going to talk about—

  Her mouth dropped open. No. No! There was no way on this planet that he couldn’t remember what had happened, was there?

  “The whole evening is kind of blurry,” he admitted, then cleared his throat. “Speaking as your neighbor and friend, I promise I won’t be drinking that much again. It’s not my usual practice. Like I said—too much going on.”

  He didn’t remember. Not the evening, not the kissing, not the other kissing! How could that have happened? Only she knew the answer and it wasn’t pretty. She was truly that unspecial and unmemorable.

  They reached the barn. She parked the golf cart, then waited while he collected Sophie and got out.

  “I’m going to take this one home and give her a stern talking-to.”

  “That will help,” Carol muttered, still in shock.

  He flashed her a slow, sexy smile that had her knees buckling. “I have hidden powers of persuasion. You’ll see a changed beagle in the morning.”

  “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

  He chuckled. “No, but I’m going to look at the gate and see how I can make it more Sophie-proof. Thanks for helping me.”

  “No problem. I’m glad she’s okay.”

  Mathias waved, then walked to his car. Carol stayed where she was and told herself that later there would be cake. And some kind of pasta. Then she would give herself her own stern talking-to. The lecture would be heavy on Mathias is not for you with a little bit of one day you’ll find someone wonderful thrown in for good measure.

  CHAPTER NINE

  ULRICH PUT OFF leaving Happily Inc as long as he could, but finally he ran out of reasons to stay. Obviously he wasn’t going to see Violet again and he had no business in town, so early in the morning, he headed east, toward Los Angeles and his flight to London.

  He’d assured his grandmother that the apology had been delivered and all was well with her young friend. He did not share how much he’d enjoyed Violet’s company or the way her laughter had brightened a dark place deep inside of him. Being around her had made him feel alive for the first time in years. If only she’d accepted his
invitation.

  He shook his head as he drove toward the highway. What would that have accomplished? If leaving her had been this difficult after only a few hours in her company and a few kisses, how much harder would it have been after he’d had the pleasure of making love with her?

  Still thinking about what that would have been like, he made a left only to find himself speeding toward a giraffe in the middle of road.

  Ulrich slammed on the brakes, instinctively turning away from the animal, which meant he was heading toward a ditch and a grove of trees. Not sure which was going to be the easier blow, he aimed between them. A plan that turned out to be less than successful when his car hit soft dirt, came to an instant stop, only to roll and roll, and then the world went dark.

  * * *

  ULRICH WAS AWARE of the passing of time. He’d been awake for a while—or at least not passed out. The world seemed to be moving with some kind of blurry not-quite-real sense of time. Based on the bright lights and the smell, he knew he was in hospital. He thought there might have been a car accident and for some reason there was an image of a giraffe in his mind, but he had no real idea of what had happened.

  Most of his body hurt—some places more than others. He couldn’t seem to move his left leg, which didn’t bode well, and when he tried to raise his head, the room spun. He was hooked up to an IV, but he didn’t think he’d been to surgery. When he’d gathered enough strength, he planned on demanding answers, but for now he was going to rest.

  After a while, he became aware of someone nearby. Not a nurse. The presence was more restful and there was no poking and prodding. Despite the risk of the room spinning, he forced himself to open his eyes and found Violet sitting by his bed. When she saw him looking at her, she smiled, although her expression remained concerned.

  “Hey, how are you feeling? What do you remember? Want me to call the nurse?”

  She morphed into two people before settling back into one. He closed his eyes. “No nurse.”

  Her warm hand reached for him and she squeezed his fingers. “Okay. I’ll just sit here. How are you feeling?”