Page 3 of Second Chances

“Scully, huh? Love the name! Huge X-Files fan here.” One of the men, with gleaming black hair twined into two braids, remarked to Amy. “I’m Adam Flying Eagle, and this is my partner, Paul Jacobsen.” The men, about two decades younger, stood up to shake hands with Amy and Charlotte. Where Adam was darkly handsome, Paul, with his bright red hair, had the look of someone who used liberal amounts of sunscreen on his fair skin in order to avoid being burned to a crisp.

“Nice to meet you.” With a warm smile, Charlotte held out her hand to them. “Forgive my friend—she’s had a lot of coffee.”

“In my line of work, I run on coffee.” Dark brown eyes glittering with pride, Adam explained, “I’m the deputy sheriff,” just as Charlotte noticed the star on his chest.

Paul informed them, “And he has been for five years now.”

“So you guys live in Beverley?” Amy swirled her iced coffee before pouring in extra sugar.

Paul, whose pale hand held Adam’s swarthier one, nodded proudly. “Best place to live in South Dakota. Where are you ladies from, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Iowa,” Charlotte answered. “We are Deadwood-bound for the weekend, but couldn’t resist stopping here for lunch.”

Amy nodded. “We’re celebrating. Charlotte just got divorced. She also turned fifty and now needs a new direction.”

“Kill me now,” Charlotte muttered to herself, then declared more loudly, “Amy, these men did not ask for my life story.”

“We absolutely did!” Adam assured her, then with a glance at his watch, announced, “Unfortunately, I need to get back to work and make sure the streets of Beverley stay safe.” After giving Paul a tender kiss, he addressed Amy and Charlotte, “Pleasure meeting you both, and I hope I’ll see you again.”

“Don’t forget we have drinks tonight with Josh and Liam,” Paul called to his retreating back.

“So, Paul, I couldn’t help but overhear you earlier about a teacher retiring…?” Amy inquired.

Charlotte shook her head at her friend’s audacity—not only eavesdropping, but then admitting to a stranger about it? Typical Amy, though, no fear, which was why she loved her so much. “Again, please excuse her. We’ve been driving all morning, so she is desperate to hear someone other than me talking,” she laughed.

“To answer your question, yes, one of our English teachers is retiring. Since he’s on the school board, Adam was asking me about the applications we’ve received for the position.” Paul slapped his hand to his forehead. “I’m the vice principal at Beverley High School, which is what I should have led with.”

Amy clapped her hands. “What a coincidence! Charlotte teaches sophomore English in Sioux City.”

“Oh my god, Amy!” Charlotte was unable to contain her frustration with her overly exuberant friend. “I can speak for myself, Paul, believe it or not. Amy’s always had a problem dialing down her…shall we say…excitability, since we were kids.”

Paul nodded. “I have no doubt you can hold your own. Although I am not into women, I am into women who are strong and opinionated.” He paused, and they chuckled. “Is your curiosity about the teaching position part of the new direction you’re seeking?”

Charlotte shook her head. “I’m not⁠—”

Amy cut her off. “Don’t you think she would love it here?”

“I can only speak for myself, but I moved here after I met Adam, five years ago. We were both vacationing in Barcelona and bumped into each other while touring a chocolate factory. We were each with a group of friends, but spent the remaining four days eating tapas and checking out Gaudi masterpieces together. I’m originally from Maine but moved here knowing only Adam, and have never regretted it. Beverley is fantastic.”

Later that afternoon, with Paul’s contact information in her phone, possibilities, hopes, and dreams cautiously buzzed around in Charlotte’s head. Growing up, with an adventurous streak a mile wide, she’d been willing to take chances. Wasn’t that how she had ended up pregnant during her senior year in the first place? But what about her life in Sioux City? What about Amy? What about Isobel? She posed these questions to Amy as they entered the Black Hills.

“Lottie, you’ll always have me,” Amy assured her. “And you know how I love to road trip! Issy and I can come together for visits, or I can come alone, or bring some other friends. I just…I feel like you’ve spent your entire adult life swallowed up, being a mom and wife.” Easy for Amy to say, Charlotte thought. Though she had been married and divorced twice, she had remained childless by choice. “You need to figure out who Charlotte is.”

While pulling handles and placing bets in Deadwood that first night, their conversations centered around the logistics of Charlotte moving, with a multitude of ‘what-ifs’. Dancing in Saloon No. 10 the next evening to a cover band playing “Brown-Eyed Girl”, Charlotte yelled over the music, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to apply.” Amy squealed in response.

On the drive home, she admitted, “I think I am ready for a change.” Detouring through Beverley made up Charlotte’s mind, and even though she didn’t see the handsome man again, she braced herself for the future.

At Check Care Auto, the hood of the vintage Thunderbird slammed down unexpectedly, nearly sacrificing the fingers of Henry Livingston’s left hand. Simultaneously, he shook his head at his inattention and cursed his ex-wife. Letting out a long sigh of relief that all his digits remained attached, he wondered why she was calling him…again? Why couldn’t she just leave him alone? Certain Melanie wanted to discuss their son…the son she abandoned when Josh was only twelve…made him more inclined to avoid speaking with her at all.

“Need anything else, boss?” Chuck, his most detail-oriented employee, startled him.

“No.” As Chuck ducked out the open bay door, Henry called, “Hey, thanks for finishing up that utility van. I’ll call April and tell her it’s done.”

“No need to, boss. I already took care of it.” Henry shot him a startled look, because the man despised making phone calls to customers. Then he remembered how Chuck insisted on checking every detail of the van after he replaced the brake pads. Chuck cast his eyes away as his cheeks turned red. “I figured she would need her vehicle for deliveries after work. I’m going to pull it out to the street and drop the keys off with her.” Quiet and reserved, April owned the flower shop next door and had remained single after the death of her husband a few years ago.

“Okay, then.” He gave the other man a knowing look. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Chuck didn’t suppress a grin as he got behind the wheel of the car.