Everyone Deserves a Second Chance (9 page)

"Hi Garrett."
Brian smiled at him from where he sat at the front of the wagon
and motioned him forwards. "My name's Brian." He
pointed to the two younger boys beside him. "That's Jack and
Charlie. Don't bother trying to tell them apart." He grinned
at his twin younger brothers but they were too busy fighting for
the reins between themselves to notice.

"Go ahead on up
there Garrett." Brenda told him giving him a gentle push in
the right direction as she settled down on a hay bale across from
Connie. It only took a second before Garrett climbed over the
edge of the wagon and took a seat next to Brian.

"Well, I'm glad this
is almost over. I swear every year it gets more and more hectic."
Connie pulled a piece of straw from her jeans and smiled at
Brenda. "I bet Lauren was just as wound up as these three
were." The wagon gave a lurch as the boys snapped at the
reins and moved the horses into position in the parade line.

"Probably more so.
She looks adorable in her dress. We braided Tonka's mane and tail
to match. Then I found this tiara and magnetic earrings that go
matched also. She's been so excited to go show off."

They jerked along as the
parade started off. From time to time they glanced up at the four
boys at the head of the wagon and settled a minute dispute
between them. Otherwise they rode along pleasantly as they made
their way to the start of the parade.

"He's a cutie."
Connie said as she listened to Brian and the twins talking to
Garrett. "Rick told me he's was the son of Marcus's friend.
Is he staying with him for a while?"

"Yeah, so to speak.
Listen Connie, you've known Marcus since you were little—"

"There they are."
Marcus and Rick rode up to them. Marcus tipped his cowboy hat to
the boys and winked at Brenda.

"We just wanted to
make sure you guys were okay before we started out." Rick
said to them.

"We're fine. If they
start anything I'll take a crop to their butts and they know it."
Connie said with a grin and her three boys groaned. Garrett only
looked confused.

"You guys be good.
Make sure you take good care of Garrett for me, okay?"
Marcus asked of the boys. They nodded and Brian put his arm
around Garrett's shoulder.

"We'll take good
care of him Uncle Marcus. Don't you worry." Brian patted
Garrett on the shoulder and grinned up at Marcus.

"Good. We'll see you
at the end of the parade then." Marcus said, tipped his hat
again, and he and Rick rode off back down the parade line.

"That man has his
heart set on you. Give him another month or two and he's yours."
Connie said returning her attention to Brenda with a smile. "Now.
You were saying?"

"Oh nothing."
Brenda returned her smile. "I'll just be glad when this
parade is over and done with, that's all."

"You can say that
again." Connie said with a roll of her eyes. "Debbie
wants me to help her organize a winter dance for kids at the end
of next month."

"But they're only in
elementary school."

"I know I know."
Connie sighed and blew her short brown hair out of her mouth.
"Supposedly it's the in thing for all the eastern schools
right now. She read some article online from some school in
Boston that raised a fortune through their dance. You know
Debbie, she's always scheming for ways to raise money."

"Well give her some
credit. She has done wonders for the school." Brenda turned
and started to wave to the crowd as the boys drove the wagon past
the beginning of the onlookers.

"Oh I know, I
wouldn't discredit her there. But they're kids. Maybe she should
be working on her marriage instead of wasting her time on
something that isn't even really appropriate for kids so young."

"There was a scene
again huh?"

"It was awful."

"I've tried
convincing them to come spend some time at the clinic."
Brenda offered, concerned about the worried look she saw in
Connie's eyes. "But they have to want the help first."

"I'm just so worried
about her. How can I not help worrying about my sister? I hate to
say this, but I think she should leave him. Charlie! Stop that!"
Connie gave one of the twins a glare and he slowly lowered his
arm instead of hitting his brother again.

"I don't agree. Any marriage can work, no matter how ill
matched it is. They're not having any problems beyond normal. If
they knew how to cope with them they'd be as happy as you and
Rick are with each other."

Connie wiped a tear from
her eye and gave Brenda a watery smile. "Listen to me
rambling on about myself. You'll start to think I'm trying to get
free therapy out of you." Connie laughed and waved with
renewed vigor to the crowd. "I just want to see them both
happy."

"Mom! Hey Mom look!"
Lauren called as she pulled Tonka down to a walk to match stride
with the slower wagon. "I got second place! See?" She
handed her ribbon over to Brenda who took it with a smile.

"I'm sorry honey. I
know you wanted first."

Lauren stuck her tongue
out. "Oh well. The judge told me I was a pretty as a rose!
You know what he told Harmony? He told her that I was the only
thing that was as looked as pretty as she did!" Lauren
laughed and hugged Tonka around the neck.

"Then who got
first?" Brenda wondered watching her daughter's delight with
amusement.

"Harmony of course!
Don't you listen Mom? Gosh! Oh, I have to go tell Uncle Marcus."
She kicked Tonka into a trot and started back down the parade
line shouting, "Uncle Marcus look!"

"Brian and Lauren
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" One of the twins called to Brian who punched
him in the shoulder. Garrett giggled and fell along with the
twin's antics as they continued to tease Brian.

"Knock it off you
two!" Connie scolded them as the wagon came to a halt at the
end of the parade. Brian jumped from the wagon and the twins took
off after him. Only Garrett remained seated with the reins in his
hands, watching the three boys as they tackled each other and
rolled in grass laughing.

"Here Garrett, let
me show you what we do with the team while we're enjoying the
rest of our time out here." Connie and Brenda climbed out of
the wagon bed and took up the reins on either side of the little
boy.

Brenda and Connie
continued to chat over Garrett's head as they drove the wagon
further from the commotion and over to a line where they could
unhitch.

"Momma! Did you see
me?" Garrett cried as they pulled to a stop and she
approached. "Brian let me drive the wagon all the way at the
end. It was neat!" He jumped from the wagon and threw
himself into her arms until she finally picked him up.

"You are way too big
to be doing that." She said with a laugh.

"Megs?"

Lindsey spun at the sound
of Connie's voice and a smile spread across her delicate
features. "Connie? Connie Russell?" She approached
straining to hold Garrett who was still in her arms. "I
never thought I'd see you again. What a surprise!"

"You know the
saying, birds of a feather flock together. I never thought I'd
see you again. You lit outta here like a bat outta hell after—"

The silence surrounded
the four of them. Brenda looked from one woman to another and
then at the anxious child between them. This was not going to be
a pretty reunion.

"Garrett come play!"
Brian ran up and shattered the thick silence. Garrett slid from
his mother's arms and ran off after Brian.

"Be careful!"
Lindsey called after him. "And don't talk to strangers!"
But the kids were already out of earshot. Lindsey turned back to
Connie. "Don't tell me that was little Brian."

Connie laughed and caught
Lindsey's arm in her own. "Yes, they do get big fast, now
don't they?" She motioned to Brenda. "You've met Brenda
haven't you? She works at the family psychological health clinic
in town."

"Yeah, we met a few
days ago." Lindsey responded before she gave Brenda a forced
smile.

Brenda couldn't bring
herself to return the gesture. Connie continued talking as if
nothing had happened as she threaded her arm through Brenda's and
dragged the two back towards the continuing parade festivities.

It wasn't long before
they were immersed in the crowd of laughing people and children.
Enormous stuffed animals already filled the arms of overzealous
boyfriends and proud fathers. The smells of grilling hamburgers
and hotdogs, fresh popped popcorn, cooling pumpkin pies, and warm
funnel cakes flavored the air.

"Garrett!"
Lindsey called after her son who ran helter skelter along with
Lauren and Connie's twins. "Excuse me." She gave Connie
an apologetic smile then hurried off to pull her son out of the
maelstrom.

"You didn't tell me
he was hers. Better yet, that Garrett was his." Connie said
glancing worriedly at Brenda as she took her arm and guided her
away where they could talk without interruption.

"He swore to me that
Garrett isn't his. They're only staying for a while. It doesn't
change anything."

"But it changes
everything." Connie took her arm and gave it a squeeze. "I'm
sorry Brenda. If I'd have known I wouldn't have ever suggested
you and Marcus getting together."

"You said yourself
earlier today that he was as good as mine. Give him a month or
two, you said. I was so sure he was going to propose last winter,
and then Lauren hurt her arm and he...it was just bad timing I
guess." Brenda could feel her emotions welling up in her
chest. Marcus was such a good man. He was passionate and caring,
dedicated and hard working, and more than what any woman could
ask for. He'd come to replace Fred if she let him.

Connie gave her a sad,
sad smile. "And we both know where his heart is."

Marcus pulled his hat off his head as he followed Brenda into the
small building. She led him past a small reception area and back
into one of three rooms at the far end of the building.

"Have a seat. Would
you like some coffee, tea maybe?" She asked as she took off
her coat and shut her purse into a desk drawer.

"Naw, I'm fine.
Thanks." He took a seat in one of the chairs before her
desk.

"Okay, I'll be right
back then." She smiled at him before her footsteps faded
down the hall.

Marcus studied the
office. Two impressive degrees were hung in silver frames behind
the desk on the wall. Several pictures scattered her desktop,
most pictures of her little girl, but a few showed the smiling
face of a young man with a bushy mustache. Her former husband he
guessed. To the other side of the room there were a collection of
chairs and a couch surrounding an inviting antique coffee table.
Filing cabinets and well-stocked bookshelves covered the rest of
the far wall and the back of the room. A basket of childrens toys
overflowed beside the couch. The overall decoration was both
tasteful and inviting.

When she came back in she
held a cup of steaming coffee and motioned him over to the chairs
and couch. As he seated himself across from her she took a sip of
coffee and set it down on the end table beside her.

"I'm not sure how
this all works. Or what you cost or anything."

"Don't worry about
that. Today I just want you to talk." She folded her hands
in her lap and looked across at him.

"Okay… about
yesterday—"

"Where you born here
in Nevada?" She interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah I was.
One of my great grandfather's came out this way during the gold
rush. He never made it to California. From what I've been told,
he met a saloon girl in town and she was more gold then he ever
wanted. My family has been out here ever since."

"So you inherited
your property from him?"

"My spread? Naw,
that was my own doing. I worked for the guy who used to run the
place. Jack Lawrence. He got sick two years back and left the
spread for us when he died. He knew how much we loved it there.
He was a great old guy."

"So your parent's
are still around then?"

"My dad died when I
was pretty young. My mom passed away a few months before Mr.
Lawrence did. They'd had a thing going between the two of them
for years. One of the reasons I was always over at his place. He
was like a father to me, Mr. Lawrence was. When my mom got breast
cancer he was devastated. He got sick soon after she died."
Marcus paused and took in a shaky breath. "He didn't have
anything else to live for." He glanced at Brenda and then
quickly dropped his eyes to the floor. He could feel the swell of
his emotions as they threatened to crest and wash over him.

"They couldn't find
any cause for his sickness?" She asked with genuine concern.

"No." Marcus
swallowed and forced himself to hold back tears. "I think he
died of a broken heart." He stood up abruptly and pushed his
cowboy hat down on his head. "Maybe this wasn't a good
idea."

Brenda stood up with him
and moved from his way so he could get past her.

"You can just send
me a bill." Marcus said as she followed him down the hall
and back to the front of the clinic. She held open the door for
him as he stepped outside and squinted at the rising sun.

"Thank you Mr.
Whitman." Brenda called after him as he started quickly down
the street.

Marcus turned and
squinted back at her. "For what?" He asked, honestly
bewildered.

"For coming to
talk." She smiled at him and slipped back inside before he
could say anything else. Marcus wiped at his eyes before he
climbed into his truck and sped out of town.

When he pulled down the
driveway of the ranch he put his truck into park and sat there.
He couldn't bring himself to go inside the house. Everything
about it reminded him of her. He sure as hell couldn't bring
himself to go into the stables. So instead he sat in his truck
and rested his forehead against his arms on the steering wheel.