Everyone Deserves a Second Chance (5 page)
Read Everyone Deserves a Second Chance Online
Authors: Alyssa Shannon
"Momma?"
"I'm here baby." Lindsey called from in the kitchen as
she wiped at her eyes.
"I'm hungry." Garrett said coming into the kitchen and
grabbing hold of one of her legs.
"I bet you are. You never got dinner last night." Lindsey
reached for a box of cereal and pulled the milk out of the
refrigerator. When she set the bowl down on the kitchen table
Garrett finally let go of her leg and clBrendaed up onto a chair to
eat.
The ring of the phone startled Lindsey, and she nearly spilled the
milk all over the floor. She laughed in embarrassment and picked it
up off the hook.
"Hello?"
"Is Mrs. Norman available?"
"Yes, this is she."
"Good morning Mrs. Norman. This is Pete Clark from Bank of
America. I'm calling about your job application. I'd like you to
come in and talk to me about a potential job."
"Yes, yes of course. I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Good, I look forwards to speaking with you."
"Bye." Lindsey hung up the phone with a sigh of relief. A
job would mean one less obstacle to tackle today. She still had to
get Garrett into a school and find a place for them to live.
"Garrett, I'm going to go take a shower then go into town. You
stay here and be a good boy for Marcus. Okay?"
Garrett nodded as he put another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
Lindsey smiled then hurried upstairs to take a shower.
Marcus found Garrett slurping at the milk in his cereal bowl when
he took a seat next to the little boy.
"Can I have some more?" He asked as he put his spoon in
his mouth and licked it clean.
"A little bit more, that's it." Marcus refilled his bowel
before he poured some cereal for himself.
"Is Lauren coming back over today?" Garrett asked between
mouthfuls of cereal.
Marcus chuckled. "Yeah she is. She'll be here this afternoon
after she gets home from school. I bet you'll want to help her get
Tonka ready for the parade."
"Yeah!" The little boy's smile turned to a frown as he
remembered, "But momma won't let me ride in the parade with
her."
"Well I think I can fix that. You won't get to ride, but what
about driving a wagon?"
"A wagon? Like an old cowboy?"
"Yep, that's right. Then you'll still be in the parade with
the horses. Does that sound good?"
"Yeah! Momma can't say no to that also, can she?"
"I doubt she will." Marcus ruffled the little boy's hair
and then took their plates to the sink.
"Momma says I'm supposed to stay with you while she goes into
town."
"She's leaving me to baby sit again huh?"
"I'm not a baby!" He put his hands on his hips and lifted
his chin a notch.
"Of course not." Marcus chuckled. "Come on kiddo,
you can ride with me to the feed store."
"Can I drive?"
"Not until you're older." Marcus said as he held the
front door open and ushered the boy down the steps.
Garrett jumped up and down in excitement as Marcus led him over to
his old pickup truck. As they started down the gravel road Garrett
grabbed the hat off of Marcus's head and put it on his own.
"I want a cowboy hat. I wanna be a real cowboy just like you!"
"Then I guess you better take this one." Marcus pulled
the hat down over the boy's eyes. "Although it is a little
big."
Garrett laughed and pulled the hat back up. He looked up at
Marcus's hair and giggled. "Your hair is all messy."
"That's because someone took my hat." Marcus gave a mock
growl and tried to snatch the hat away.
"Can I turn the radio on?" Garrett clamped his hand down
on the top of the hat and fiddled with the radio.
"Sure." Marcus regretted the decision the rest of the
drive. Garrett flipped from station to station until he found a
country one. Then he turned the volume up as loud as he could stand
and tried to sing along.
"Momma never lets me listen to the radio!" He screamed
over the blare of the county singer's twanging voice.
"I wonder why?" Marcus said but Garrett didn't hear him.
He was too busy trying to sing along again.
At the feed store the man at the counter, Rick grinned at Marcus as
Garrett followed in behind him trying to copy the cowboy swagger of
Marcus's stride. When Garrett realized his imitation was going to
leave him straggling behind he ran a few steps to catch up and then
tried to swagger after Marcus again.
"Well now, I thought the only one who could get you to take
that hat off was Lauren. I guess I was wrong." Rick watched
the boy stop beside Marcus and try to copy his relaxed pose as he
stood before the counter.
"This is Garrett. Garrett, this is my friend Greg."
The little boy looked up at Rick and smiled revealing the hole from
his missing front tooth. "Marcus says I can be in the parade.
Are you going to the parade Mr. Greg?"
"Well I can't say I was going to, but if you're going to be in
it then I just might have to make an exception." Rick winked
at Marcus before he opened a jar on the counter and pulled a piece
of licorice out. He handed the candy down to the boy who thanked
him in delight.
"What happened to your face?" Rick asked, motioning to
bruising on Marcus's face.
"I ran into a fist. Its really not that bad."
"Well it sure looks it." He chuckled. "What can I
get you today?"
"Same as usual."
Rick nodded as he started to ring up the order on the cash
register. "Where'd you come by this little tyke?"
"He's the son of…a friend." Marcus finished
quickly trying to cover his uncertainty.
"For a second I thought he was yours and that you've been
hiding him away all these years. He sure does look like you."
"Naw, not mine. Although Brenda keeps telling me she'd like to
give me one of my own." Marcus grinned as he handed over his
credit card.
"You ever gonna make an honest woman out of that lady? You two
sure do well together." Rick gave Marcus his card back and
then came around the counter to help him gather the bags of feed
they would load into the back of his truck.
"I was thinking about this winter… but you know the
timing is never right. Last winter Lauren broke her arm and it just
didn't seem right with her so worried, and the winter before that I
still couldn't make up my mind. You know how it is."
"Well I doubt that little lady will wait for you forever.
Better do something right quick this winter. I know if I weren't
married I'd have snatched her up in a second. That little girl of
hers is the cutest little thing in three counties. All my boys love
her to pieces and invite her over every chance they get. You should
have seen, last week she came to the fall barbeque—which you
should have come to," he glared at Marcus for a second before
continuing. "And Brian called her chubby. You should have seen
the way she decked him one. Gave him a bloody nose and a renewed
sense of respect for a girl's feelings."
"What can I say, she takes after her mom." Marcus grinned
as he picked up two more bags of grain and followed Rick out to his
truck. Garrett was sitting on the front steps of the store chewing
on his licorice and he jumped up when they came out. He offered to
help but this time Marcus turned him down.
"Not this time bud. Next time."
"Aw."
"Yeah yeah, I know. You can help me with the horses when we
get back to the ranch."
"Okay." The little boy replied with a sullen expression.
"Oh Rick I forgot to ask." Marcus tossed the feed into
the back of his truck and turned to his friend. "Are you gonna
have Connie and your boys driving the wagon again in the parade
tomorrow?"
"Sure will."
"You wouldn't mind if Garrett rode along, would you?"
"Course not! My boys would be delighted to have him. That
gives them one more excuse to hitch up both horses. They've been
begging me to let them drive both horses this year. I was already
going to say yes, but it's nice to hold it over their heads."
He chuckled and turned back to his store. "I'll see you boys
tomorrow then."
"Tomorrow." Marcus said with a smile and a wave as he
ushered Garrett back into the truck. To Marcus's great misfortune,
the first thing Garrett did was turn the radio back on.
Garrett and Marcus looked
up at the sound of Lauren's voice. The little girl came flying into
the stables, her arms full of ribbons and bows and other
assortments of decorations. She smiled when she saw them and set
her armload down on a bale of hay.
"I made Mom get lots
of stuff so that we can make Tonka look pretty." She said with
pride. "And look, we got a red bow to go right between his
ears."
"He's gonna be the
prettiest horse at the parade tomorrow, now isn't he?" Marcus
said with a grin as he grabbed a halter and handed it to her.
"You'll be okay bringing him in?"
"I'll be fine. I'll
have Garrett help me. Come on Garrett!" She stuck her tongue
out at Garrett and raced out of the barn with him hot on her heels.
"She's driving me
nuts." Brenda said as the two kids nearly ran into her on
their way out. "All I hear morning, noon and night is the
parade this the parade that. I'll be happy when it's over."
She walked up to Marcus and then started in surprise when she saw
his black eye.
"What he hell
happened?" She asked, gently touching him on the cheek and
running her fingers over the tender skin by his nose.
"Its nothing to worry
about. Call it a case of mistaken identity." Marcus smiled and
kissed Brenda on the lips once, twice, and then three times,
reluctant to pull away.
"I hope the bastard
looks as bad as you do." She wrapped an arm around his waist
and pulled away quickly when he winced. "Goodness gracious.
What'd you do, go ten rounds?"
"I'm just a little
sore, that's all."
"How long is she
staying?" Brenda asked, suddenly changing the topic to the one
that was worrying her most.
"As long as she needs
to—"
"Marcus!"
"Its not like I can
tell her to get lost."
"Why not? The motel is
super cheap, she'd be just as well off staying there."
"She's got other
reasons for wanting to stay with me for a while Brenda, that's all.
She's already looking for a place of her own."
"He's yours, isn't
he?" Brenda gave him an angry glare as she walked away from
him, arms across her chest, and then spun to face him. "I knew
something like this would happen. I knew it! How could I have been
so stupid?"
"No Brenda, he's not
mine."
"Well he sure as hell
looks like you. I mean Marcus, can you imagine my surprise when I
show up and she's there in your kitchen making you breakfast like
she'd never left? Like nothing ever happened between you two? Then
this little boy runs in with Lauren and he's your splitting image
and about the right age. What the hell am I supposed to think?"
Marcus sighed and crossed
the few steps to Brenda and pulled her into his arms. "He's
not mine. Her being here isn't going to change anything between
us." He lowered his head to capture her lips and let his one
hand slip under her dress until he was touching her butt. He could
feel her melting into his embrace and his body responded in its
excitement.
"I got him Uncle
Marcuse!" Lauren called out as she neared the barn holding on
to the horse's halter as she urged Tonka forward.
Brenda pulled away from him
abruptly and pulled at her dress to try and straighten it. "I
hope not Marcus. I really do."
"Put him on the cross
ties." Marcus called to the kids as he tried to calm himself.
"Is she still going to your parents after the parade?"
"Yes, thank god. I
could use the break." Brenda smiled at her daughter as the
eight-year-old ordered Garrett around and told him what to do with
the same authority she used with anyone near her age.
"Then maybe I could
come over tomorrow night…" Marcus whispered in her ear,
letting his hand grab at her ass again as the children were too
caught up in the horse to notice. He kissed her on the neck, the
cheek, and finally caught her mouth again.
Brenda pulled away flushed
and then responded. "Tomorrow night sounds fine."
Marcus grinned. "Good."
"Uncle Marcuse! We
need your help now. He won't pick up his foot." Lauren looked
at Tonka and gave him a scolding. "Now listen here Tonka. You
know better. Pick up your foot!" She reached down and touched
his leg. The horse gave a groan before lifting the leg for the
young girl.
"I thought you said
you needed my help." Marcus called with a smile as he leaned
against a stall door.
"Once his feet are all
clean then I put his tack on and then I ride him. I have to
practice some more before the parade. After that he's gonna get a
bath. Tomorrow morning, really early, we're gonna come over and
load him into the trailer and then take him to the parade."
Lauren instructed Garrett as the younger boy brushed at the horse's
coat.
"They grow up so
quickly." Brenda said with a sigh as she watched her daughter.
"Do you ever wish Fred
was still around to see her?" Marcus asked as he came out of
the tack room with the Tonka's saddle and bridle, setting them down
near the children.
"Thank you Uncle
Marcus," Lauren said with a smile.
"Welcome kiddo."
Marcus inspected Tonka's feet before he returned to stand by
Brenda.
"I used to." She
started, watching her daughter lift the saddle to the horse's back.
"But now I know better. I know he'll always be around to watch
her grow up, even if only in spirit." Brenda threaded her arm
through Marcus's and leaned her head against his shoulder.
Marcus chuckled remembering
what Rick told him. "I heard she gave Brian a good whack at
the barbeque."
Brenda laughed and wiped at
the sudden tears that came to her eyes. "You should have seen
the poor boy's face! He was in such shock he didn't even realize
his nose was bleeding until a few minutes later. I thought Rick
would be furious, but he only burst out laughing and told Brian
that Laura was just giving him a lesson on how to treat a lady."
"That's what he told
me earlier today. Connie and the boys are going to driving the
wagon tomorrow. I convinced him to let Garrett ride along."
"Laura said he was
going to ride with her." Brenda watched Lauren scold Tonka for
not lowering his head down far enough for her to get his bridle on.
The older gelding groaned before lowering his head to her and
accepting the bit in his mouth.
"Yeah well his mom
wasn't too agreeable to that." Marcus grimaced as he
remembered the look on her face when he'd mentioned it. "She
won't even come near a horse anymore."
"Everyone finds their
own path to healing. You should know that well by now."
Marcus helped Lauren
tighten Tonka's saddle and checked the gelding's bridle before he
lifted her up onto the horse's back and handed her the reins.