That Second Chance Page 17

  “No, it’s perfect.”

  I have formulas written on construction paper in thick, black ink hung up all over the room, along with some algebra puns I’m sure no one else will appreciate, just to add some whimsy to the space.

  It’s not the most amazing setup for a classroom, but it’s better than plain walls.

  “I’m worn out, and it’s only noon.”

  “Did you bring lunch?”

  I open up my desk drawer and pull out my lunch bag. “I did.”

  Kim nods toward her room, which is just across the hall from mine. “Come on over; Hailey is on her way. We always have lunch together during the school year. You should join us.”

  “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

  I follow Kim to her classroom, which is full of glossy posters—maps, presidents, and events in history set against colorful backgrounds. Her room is a dream, and I’m kind of jealous.

  “Wow, it’s amazing in here.”

  “Don’t let it fool you,” Kim says, taking a seat and offering me a desk right in front of hers, where I start unpacking my lunch. “I’ve been working on this for a few years now. Once you’re here for a bit, everything will start accumulating. You should see Mrs. Martin’s room down the hall. She’s been here for fifteen years, and it shows. Her room is gorgeous. Something to strive for, right?”

  “Hey, you guys.” Hailey, one of the English teachers, walks in, holding a Tupperware full of salad and a fork. We make some quick introductions; I find out she’s actually married to one of the PE teachers, and they’re expecting their second child in January.

  “Have you been able to settle down yet and make your way around town?” Hailey asks, breaking into the salad after shaking it up and spreading the dressing around.

  I swallow a spoonful of yogurt and nod. “Yes, I’ve had so much fun exploring the town the last few weeks. I’m still in awe that I get to live here.”

  “I moved here about ten years ago from Missouri,” Kim says. “And I’m never moving back. Once you live so close to the coast, it’s hard to go back to a landlocked state.”

  “Oh yeah, I can’t imagine living anywhere without a coast at this point,” I say. “Plus, everyone is so nice here.”

  “And all the men around here are easy on the eyes too,” Kim says with a raised eyebrow.

  Smirking, Hailey says, “Are you single, Ren?”

  Why is it the married women who always ask that question? I swear it’s their mission in life to get everyone married.

  “I’m single.”

  “Oooh,” Hailey answers a little too gleefully. “There are so many eligible bachelors in this town, and they’re all so fine. You have some great ones to choose from.”

  “Except for you-know-who,” Kim reminds Hailey.

  “Oh yeah, besides those four.”

  Intriguing. It looks like I’m on the cusp of some good old-fashioned Port Snow gossip. “What four?”

  Hailey twirls her fork in her salad and nonchalantly says, “The Knightly brothers.”

  The who?

  I wasn’t expecting that, though there is something going on with that family.

  “What’s wrong with the Knightly brothers?” I ask, holding my breath, a little nervous about what they’re going to say.

  “You haven’t heard?” Kim asks, shocked.

  “Haven’t heard what?” I look back and forth between the two of them, searching out an answer. What am I missing here? My mind flashes back to the weird comments I’ve heard over the last few weeks, the ones I’ve been trying to ignore. Could this be what they’re talking about?

  “I think I’ve seen you and Griffin hanging out around town, right?” Hailey asks.

  “That’s right—Mrs. Davenport was telling me he rescued you from your car, and ever since, you two have been joined at the hip,” Kim adds. “You need to know.”

  “Know what?” I feel almost sick to my stomach.

  The other night, with Griffin . . . God, I felt so much. From our joking conversations at the party, to the serious ones, to the walk home . . .

  And then dancing in the street, his large hand spanned across my back, holding me close to his body, his masculine scent flooding me with yearning. I’ve never experienced anything so romantic, anything so spur of the moment in my entire life.

  But when he held my hand, easily entwining our fingers as if we’d been doing it for years, it melted my heart on the spot. I could hardly breathe the rest of the walk home, so nervous that if I made the wrong move, he would pull away.

  And when we got to my house, his hand still in mine, his gaze fixated on my lips, his palm pressed against my cheek. In that moment, the world stopped spinning, pausing midmotion as he slowly moved his mouth down to mine, a breath away, only to bolt out of reach when thunder struck.

  I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to beg him to come back, to please just press his lips against mine.

  I so desperately wanted him. It was the first time he’d ever let down his guard, seemed vulnerable. I saw that he wanted me, and in the blink of an eye, the moment was taken away.

  I want a redo, one more chance to show him that the kiss we were about to share would have lasted him an entire night.

  Kim and Hailey exchange one more look, Kim nodding at Hailey. They both lean forward, as if they’re about to reveal the secret of a lifetime.

  Hailey presses her hand to the table, growing serious. “A few years back, the Knightly boys were down in New Orleans, celebrating Brig’s twenty-first birthday. They were drunk and having too much of a good time. Somehow they stumbled into a palm reader’s table and broke it.”

  “Okay,” I say, drawing it out, wary. After all, this is Port Snow gossip, and it can’t really be trusted.

  “Apparently she read Brig’s palm and was terrible at it, didn’t say anything they didn’t already know. So of course, being drunk idiots, they ended up calling the whole thing a hoax and a waste of money.”

  “To her face?” I ask, propping my hand on my chin.

  “Yeah. According to Brig, she didn’t take kindly to that, so she ended up casting a curse on them, dooming them to broken love and ruined relationships.”

  I let out the most unladylike snort ever.

  A curse.

  Okay. Good job, Port Snow gossip. You’ve taken the cake with this one.

  “A curse? Really?”

  “Yes.” Hailey grows even more serious. “They didn’t think it was legit at first, but once they got back, it became incredibly real.”

  I take the bait. “What happened?”

  Hailey looks over to Kim, who continues the story for her. “Did you know Griffin was married?”

  Errrr.

  Griffin was married? The revelation shocks me more than I’d like to admit.

  “From the look on your face, I’m going to guess you didn’t,” Kim says. I shake my head.

  Hailey steps in. “He married Claire Stewart, his high school sweetheart. They were the couple in town. So sweet and fun to be around. It was almost sickening to be around them, because their love was so real, so true, that it would make any single person jealous.”

  I feel guilty talking about Griffin like this, behind his back, like I’m breaking his trust, but for the life of me, I can’t tell them to stop. I swallow hard. “What happened?” Did she leave him? Was she having an affair? Possibilities are floating through my head.

  “She had a massive heart attack and died. She was only twenty-five.”

  My mouth drops open, my heart breaking in half for the loss Griffin had to suffer through.

  A massive heart attack at twenty-five? I can’t even imagine the kind of toll that would have taken on Griffin, the heartache he must have experienced. No wonder he’s so hesitant around me. He suffered the greatest loss of all, and so young.

  Is he still hurting?

  “Oh my God,” I whisper. “I can’t even imagine what that must have done to him.” Then it hits me. “Wait, does h
e think the curse is what killed her?”

  Both Hailey and Kim nod at the same time.

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  They shrug and go back to their lunches as if they didn’t just drop a huge bomb in front of me—and I’m not talking about the “curse.” Griffin lost his wife; that just about kills me.

  Everything makes sense now.

  His sweet but tentative heart. His lingering gazes but refusal to take action.

  And the other night, when he was about to kiss me but quickly backed away once thunder struck.

  He’s scared, and that hurts my heart more than anything.

  Kim takes a drink of her water. “It’s not ridiculous to the Knightly boys. They believe it wholeheartedly; why else wouldn’t they have significant others by now? And the town believes it, too, especially after seeing every relationship they’ve been in fail miserably. They’re the most attractive men in town, not to mention the hearts they carry in their chests. They are all-around good men, and yet they’re still single. No one will go near them.”

  I shake my head. “Well, that’s stupid. Curses don’t exist. I don’t believe it for a second.”

  Kim shrugs. “Okay, believe what you want, but I’m telling you right now, I would stay away. They’re bad news.”

  And I’m pretty sure my new work friends are bad news too.

  I spot him from across the street, sitting at a picnic table with his brothers, laughing and joking around, a big bowl of chips and dip between them. They’re outside the Lobster Landing, most likely taking a break from the rush hour crowds.

  After I got out of school, where a meeting with the math department took up most of my afternoon, I knew I needed to find Griffin. Besides a few glimpses around town, I haven’t seen him in days, and after the conversation I had with Kim and Hailey, I need to come out and tell him I heard about this deeply personal burden he’s been carrying. I owe it to him.

  With a deep breath, knowing this will not be a comfortable conversation, I resolutely secure my purse strap to my shoulder and make my way over to their table.

  Reid is the first to spot me; a slow smile spreads across his face as he nods in my direction. The other three turn their heads, their blue eyes piercing me all at once, but Griffin’s are the ones I focus on, older, wiser, with a hint of surprise passing through them.

  “Miss Winters, how was school today?” Reid asks when I finally reach their table.

  “Hi.” I shyly wave. “Just had a few meetings and set up my classroom some more. It was productive.”

  “Are the teachers being nice to you?” Brig asks. “Because we know people and can kick some ass if anyone is giving you a hard time.”

  “Umm, I think I’m good. No need to kick ass just yet.”

  “Your answer was hesitant,” Griffin says, studying me from his seated position. “Did something happen today?”

  It’s the first time he’s said anything to me since our almost kiss; the concern and protectiveness in his voice send my stomach into a tailspin, and a wave of emotion hits me all at once.

  I meet his eyes. “Can I actually speak with you for a second?”

  All the boys whip their heads toward Griffin; he stands immediately and steps out from the bench, his gaze trained on me. “If Jen asks, I’ll be back in a few.”

  With a hand to my back, Griffin leads me toward the stone harbor wall that connects with the back of the Lobster Landing. The space gives us a little privacy, but the other three Knightly boys can still see us, and when I look up, they’re all staring straight at us.

  Great.

  “Is everything okay?” Griffin takes a seat on the wall, and I do as well.

  I set my purse down and twist my hands in my lap. It dawns on me that I’m probably way too emotional to have this conversation.

  I feel guilty, sad, broken for the man in front of me, all kinds of things that I’m sure are showing up on my face.

  “Hey,” Griffin says, tilting my chin up just as a lone tear runs down my cheek. He wipes it away, his thumb grazing my skin—a much-needed connection with the man who’s slowly been capturing every inch of me since I moved here. “Did someone upset you? Seriously, just tell us who, and we’ll take care of it, Ren.”

  I shake my head. “No one did anything to me.” I wipe my eye. “I’m sorry; I don’t know why I’m crying, and I don’t mean to cry in front of you.” I take a deep breath and look up at him. His brow is furrowed with concern as his hand inches toward mine. He grips my fingers, fusing us together.

  Another wave of tears.

  Jesus. Why can’t I keep it together?

  I quickly wipe away the tears and try to calm my rapidly beating heart.

  “Ren, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry.” I wave my hand. “This was not how this conversation was supposed to go. Give me a second.” I take a few deep breaths as he squeezes my hand for reassurance. When I feel like I’ve finally calmed down, I look him in the eyes again. “I had lunch with two teachers today, and they told me something personal about you, something that wasn’t fair for them to say or for me to listen to.”

  He sits up straight, his grip on my hand loosening. “What did they say?”

  Nerves bubble up in my stomach again, and from the way he’s immediately put distance between us, I can tell this might have been a mistake. But there’s no turning back now.

  I nibble on my inner cheek, contemplating how I want to say this. I think touching upon the curse is ridiculous. After all, I don’t believe it. But the information about his wife? He should know I know.

  “They, um . . . they told me that you were married.”

  At that, his hand leaves mine completely, and his body goes stiff. He turns away from me, and I quickly continue before he can drum up any ideas in his head.

  “They told me you tragically lost her a few years ago.” I press my hand to his thigh to comfort him, but he shudders beneath my touch, standing abruptly. I do the same and stand in front of him, not giving him a chance to flee. “I’m so sorry, Griffin. I can’t—”

  “I have to get back to work.” He starts to move past me, but I press my hand against his chest.

  “Please.” I choke on my words, tears ready to fall from my eyes. “Please don’t be mad. I’m sorry. I had no idea they were going to tell me that. It’s something I should have heard from you.”

  Body still stiff, he shoves his hands in his pockets and looks down. “Well, that’s Port Snow for ya. You get the good and the bad. But now you know . . . so no need for me to say anything.”

  I want to hold him, to cry with him, to tell him how sorry I am that he had to go through something like that, but I don’t get a chance, as he pushes past me.

  “Griffin . . .”

  “Don’t worry about it, Ren.” He pauses but refuses to meet my gaze. “It’s not a big deal, but thanks for telling me you know. I’ll, uh . . . I’ll see you around.”

  And with that, he walks past his brothers and back into the shop. I feel even worse than before. With a sigh, I sit back down on the rock wall and cradle my head in my hands. What a mess. Here I thought I was doing a good thing by talking to him, and instead, I drove a wedge between us.

  “You okay?” I look up to find all three brothers standing over me, a concerned look on each of their faces.

  I nod and wipe away my tears. “Yup. Fine.”

  Not wanting to stay here and hash everything out, I grab my purse and go to stand, but Brig gently pushes down on my shoulder, making it almost impossible to go anywhere. “You’re not fine. Nice try, though. What happened?”

  “Do we need to knock some sense into our brother?” Reid asks, stepping in.

  “We’re not opposed to it,” Rogan adds, surprising me with the sincerity in his voice.

  I shake my head. “He didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just upset, I think.”

  “Why?” Brig asks.

  I take a deep breath, trying to steady the quiver i
n my voice. “Some girls at work told me about his wife and how he lost her. It was personal information, so I wanted to let Griffin know I knew. I thought it was important.”

  “And what did he say?” Rogan asks.

  “Just that it’s what to expect when living here, and thanks for letting him know. He wasn’t happy. I feel . . . stupid for saying anything.”

  Reid and Rogan exchange a meaningful glance while Brig pats my shoulder. “Don’t feel stupid, Ren. You did the right thing.”

  Rogan continues, “He doesn’t talk about it much, so it probably took him by surprise. I’m sure he wanted to be the one who told you. Let him cool off a bit; he’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “Trust us.” Reid steps in. “He’ll be fine. In the meantime, why don’t you join us this weekend? The camping club is having their final summer campout, and it’s going to be a lot of fun—hot dogs, fishing, two days of wilderness. Plus, there are campground bathrooms with running water. We’ll be talking about the Lobster Fest, tossing some final ideas around before securing our booths. You could help us brainstorm.”

  “Great idea,” Brig says, a sly look in his eyes. “Beck and Rylee will be there. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

  “I don’t know.” I wipe a tear, feeling weird about the sudden change in conversation. “I don’t have any camping gear.”

  “Don’t need it—we’ll have everything. You can catch a ride with Rylee and Beck. Just bring clothes and tons of marshmallows.”

  “Clothes and marshmallows? That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  Brig joins his other two brothers, all three of them with their hands in their pockets; they look so much like Griffin that I can’t help but smile.

  “As for Griffin, just give him a little time; he’ll come around,” Reid says.

  I glance over at Rogan, who nods in agreement, and it’s his confirmation that finally comforts me. Give him some time, go camping—I think I can do that.

  Maybe some time away is exactly what I need.

  “Okay. I’ll go camping. I’ll text Rylee to find out when they’re leaving.”