Page 28 of Second Chances

“Oh?” His eyebrows shot up.

She chuckled and waved her hand in the air.

“The morning we met.” She looked over at him. “Crystal read my star chart and claimed that a child would find me love.” She watched for his reaction and was slightly surprised when he didn’t laugh the statement off.

Chapter 8

Todd thought about Olivia’s words. Thought about being free to find love. To have a normal life. Up until he’d received that text, he would have thought it was possible. Now, however, he was beginning to think that coming to Silver Cove was a mistake.

He wasn’t free any longer. Not now that they knew where he was. Actually, he shouldn’t be sitting out here in the wide open, with Olivia and her daughter, enjoying the evening air and grilling dinner like he had not a care in the world.

What he should be doing is packing up, changing his name and… he thought about hiding for the rest of his life and shook his head. That wasn’t what he wanted. That was no way to live life.

He looked at Olivia and smiled. She easily matched his idea of the perfect woman. If he was free to live and love, that is.

“I’ll have to start believing in star charts then,” he said with a smile.

She remained quiet for a moment and then glanced over to where Simona was fast asleep in the chair. The iPad continued to play the show she’d been watching.

“I’d better get her home,” she said with a slight sigh.

He wanted to offer to bring Simona inside, to lay her on the sofa while they went into his room to… He took a deep breath and stood up.

“I’ll help you carry her out to the car,” he said while she gathered their things and piled it all into a massive bag.

He gently picked Simona up in his arms, careful not to wake her, and followed Olivia down the gravel pathway towards her car.

“Thank you,” she said after he set her down in the car seat. “For today,” she said after she secured Simona in the seat.

When she shut the car door, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. This time he moved slowly, enjoying the taste of the chocolate and sugar on her lips. The feeling of her soft body against his. The way she melted in his arms.

He wanted to explore that feeling further but knew that Simona was sleeping just inside the car. When he pulled back, Olivia swayed slightly. He smiled when she leaned against the car, as if needing it to hold her upright.

“Thursday,” he said, and her eyes cleared a little.

“Thursday.” She nodded and turned to go.

“Can I get your number?” he asked before she left.

“Oh, I… um.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Yes, it’s…” She started to rattle off a number, but then stopped and sighed. “I forgot. I just had it changed.” She pulled out her cell phone and looked up her new number. She connected their phones and shared her contact with him.

“Thanks.” He remembered what she’d said about her ex and sobered. “If you need anything. If you feel unsafe in any way, or if your ex…” He shook his head. “I’m a phone call away.”

“Thank you.” She touched his arm.

“Tell Simona I said goodnight.” He glanced into the car.

“She’ll be upset that she didn’t get to say goodbye.” Olivia smiled.

“Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to run into the two of you again before Thursday,” he suggested.

Olivia smiled. “You know where I work,” she hinted. “And Simona and I like to play in the park on Wednesday afternoons when I get off work.”

He nodded. “I like parks.”

She laughed. “See you around.” She got in her car, and he stood there, in the middle of the one-lane road, and watched her taillights disappear.

He had to admit, it was nice living on a point. One road in, only a handful of homes, no traffic. If anyone came around that didn’t belong there, someone was bound to notice.