Second Chances (Dreams Come True #2) (4 page)

“Hm?” Sebastian smiled at me.

“Oh, you were all…
real real real
.” I shrugged, trying to cover my feelings. “Not the blonde. She’s a fake as they come. Fake hair. Fake lips. And I’m pretty sure…” I held my hands out in front of my chest to complete the thought I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

“Those are most definitely fake.” Sebastian laughed in a way that suggested he knew first hand.

For some reason, I didn’t like it. I took a few more bites, eating in silence, then the food lost all taste. Setting the fork on the edge of my plate, I reached for my hot chocolate. Taking a long sip, I closed my eyes and I waited for the warmth to spread. I wanted the chocolate to sweeten my demeanor, the hot drink to thaw my icy heart.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian’s brow furrowed as he spoke. “You suddenly went very quiet and your mood changed altogether.”

“My mood’s fine.” To cover up the fact that I had actually snapped at him, I pursed my lips and sucked in a mouthful of whipped cream. “I’m fantastic.”

His lips twitched. “I can tell.”

For some reason, I set my mug down hard on the table, surprising both of us. Then I crossed my arms over my chest. This meal was supposed to soften me up so we could talk. Instead, it had the opposite effect and I was tenser than ever. “So, why am I here, Sebastian?”

“You said we’d talk after you ate.” He stuck another fork full of pancake into his mouth and chewed carefully.

“I’m done.”

Swallowing hard, he nearly choked so he could respond. “You barely ate anything!” He gestured to my overflowing plate.

“I lost my appetite.” I glared at him, hoping he’d initiate this discussion so I could leave.

“Why do I feel like I did something wrong, even though I did everything you asked?” Sebastian frowned at me as he set his fork on his plate, then laced his fingers and leaned on the table.

This had gone so wrong so fast. I stared down at my plate for a moment feeling incredibly ridiculous. He was right. Not that I’d ever admit it. He didn’t do anything wrong. It was me. I don’t know how to be. I’m not good with people. It was the product of keeping everyone at bay for all these years. How could I let anyone close? Who would understand? Slowly, I reached for my hot chocolate and swallowed several large gulps of the warm, sweet liquid. It wasn’t as good as Mattie’s but it would suffice. Finally, I felt my mood level out. Maybe even enough for conversation. “What did you want to talk about?” My words were spoken quietly as I eyed him over the rim of my mug.

“Okay. So you’re calm. That’s nice.” He dabbed at the sides of his mouth with his napkin before laying it on the table. “Well, I figured out what to do with your father. I thought you might want to know.”

Leaning back in my chair, I gripped the mug even more tightly. Of course he’d want to talk about my father. Why else would I be here? It’s not like it was a date, not that I knew anything about dating since I’d never been on one my whole life. People don’t have breakfast dates, do they? “And what did you decide?”

“I’m in a rather unique position.” He grinned as he leaned back in his chair, mirroring my body language.

“How so?” I sipped my drink and waited to see if he did the same.

Sure enough, Sebastian took a long sip of his hot chocolate. When he finished, there was a dollop of whipped cream on his nose. Finally, I giggled and motioned for him to lean close as I picked up his napkin and wiped his face. “Thank you.” This time, his cheeks were the ones that turned a bright crimson.

“No worries. I’m sure you’d do the same for me.” I shrugged to show it was no big deal. I specialized in detached. “Tell me about this unique position already.”

He had been gazing at me with some indecipherable look in his eyes, but my words snapped him out of it. “Oh. Right.” Sebastian cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his seat. “So, I worked out a deal with the police and an in-patient treatment facility.”

“I’ve tried those before.” Sinking in my seat, I sighed.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Unique position, remember?” Startled, I nodded. “Good. Now stop interrupting.” He seemed almost playful, so I clamped a hand over my mouth. “See, if he leaves before the thirty-day treatment is completed, he can be sent to jail. He’ll also have to pay restitution. Hell, I’ll own him for…well, probably forever.” He smiled. “Now you may speak.”

Removing my hand from my mouth, I smiled at him a moment. There was something inside me, coming to life. I considered what he’d said. “I’m almost afraid to get excited, but this could work.” Closing my eyes, I exhaled slowly. Finally, I opened them, lifted my fork and started to pick at the pancakes again.

“This is…”

I held up a finger. “Shh!  Stop interrupting.”

“You’re not saying anything!” He beamed even as he tried to sound exasperated.

Shifting in my chair, I turned to face him. “I’m thinking.”

Leaning forward, he murmured, “While you’re thinking, can we talk about you?”

I stiffened then shook my head. “I never talk about myself.” From the corner of my eye, I watched for a reaction.

Apparently, he had decided to ignore me, since he continued to speak. “Your father says you’re talented. You can fix anything. Is this true?”

Licking my lips, my head tilted as I studied him. “I’m opening a shop called
Second Chances
. What do you think?”

“Good.” He nodded then started to tug on his lower lip.

Fascinated, I watched for a moment before interrupting. “What are you thinking?”

“The insurance company will probably cut me a check today to get started on repairs and replacing things around here. I want to hire you to fix as much of what’s broken as possible.” With a hesitant smile, he asked, “What do you think?”

Silently, with narrowed eyes, I considered his offer. “I have to get ready to open my store.”

“I understand that, but you must also need money.” I watched as his jaw tightened. This was a man who didn’t like being refused.

“Yes, I do, but I also need time and there’s only so much of that.” I was determined to stick to my plan. “I still have to go find more pieces to work on…”

Sebastian leaned on the arm of the chair. “What do you need?”

With a slight grin, I responded. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Do I have the field trip for you.” He crossed his arms over his chest for a moment as if deep in thought. “So, if I can find you more pieces, and pay you to repair stuff around here, will you do it?”

My lips pursed as prepared to blurt out what troubled me most. “Why would you do this for me?” Determined to get an answer, I pushed my chair back from the table. “My father destroyed your gallery. You could’ve thrown him in jail, but you’re obviously paying for a program at a treatment facility instead. As if that wasn’t enough, you want to hire me to do work
and
supply me with pieces for my shop.” Shifting to face him, I leaned forward and balanced my arms on my thighs. “What do you want, Sebastian? People don’t just do all this and expect to get nothing in return. You could buy all new furniture. You don’t really need me. Talk to me. And don’t bother lying to me because I’ll know.”

Now it was all out in the open. I felt better, but the longer he made me wait in silence, the more my stomach twisted in turmoil. Apparently, I wasn’t suffering alone. Staring at him, I could see the sweat breaking out in tiny droplets over his brow. He tried to act all cool, but he was drying his hands on his pants and probably trying to decide what to say. My eyes honed in on his little tells. It had been a guess, but I knew I was right. He wanted something. Judging by his reaction, it had to be big.

“Well.” Sebastian swallowed hard. He started to talk once more, but instead hesitated and took an enormous swig of his hot chocolate. He wiped his mouth and dabbed at his brow. Through it all, I waited. Finally he sighed and his shoulders sank. “I…I want you to marry me.”

Chapter Four

Sebastian

Already I regretted the way I’d blurted it out. In my head, it made perfect sense. In reality, the very suggestion was ludicrous. It wasn’t much of a marriage proposal, not that this would be a real marriage anyway. It hadn’t even been much of a business proposal, which would’ve at least been practical. The moment the words flew from my lips, I knew I’d made a mess of it. Why did this female affect me so?

After, I no longer trusted myself to speak so I rubbed my hands together, an act meant to warm them since I suddenly had turned ice cold, and then I watched her for a reaction. It was painful, every second of silence. I could almost see the distance between us growing even though she hadn’t moved. Then slowly, hesitantly, she finally found some words.

“Um. Thank you, but no.” Then she stood. She stood and she backed slowly away. “So, I guess we’re through here.”

Then she bolted. She seriously ran from the room, leaving me sitting there, staring at two barely eaten plates of blueberry pancakes I’d ordered just for her. If I’d been ordering for myself, I’d have selected a cheese omelet with a thick slab of ham on the side. We would’ve been drinking mochas instead of straight-up hot chocolates. And I’d have picked something decadent to go with it too. Cheese Danish. Not one of those small ones, the big ones, like Entenmann’s. Yeah.

It pained me to admit defeat. Marisa had been served up on a silver platter, her father the human bargaining chip, his future in my hands. How else was someone like me supposed to find a wife? I tugged on my lip. In truth, I’d had years to find someone, but I’d focused my attention on work. It was the one place I felt confident and knew what I was doing. The only times I felt comfortable around females was when alcohol was involved. Naturally, that always wore off by morning and I was left scampering for my condo, if I’d even stayed at all. I’d squandered my time because I never thought I’d find anyone anyway. Then along came Marisa. She seemed to find me funny when we were both sober. I could speak to her without getting tongue-tied. Sure, she was scary in her own way, but more than that…she was intriguing, open, and real. I knew deep down, though we came from completely different socio-economic backgrounds, we had much in common.

With my hands behind my back, I walked down the hall, out to the gallery. The insurance adjuster should be here soon. Depending upon the size of the check, I’d re-evaluate my original plan. Marisa had correctly assessed my ability to replace the furniture. There was only one reason for her to repair and redesign it. I wanted to spend time with her. I wanted an excuse, a way to be tied to her, if only for a little while. Shaking my head, I turned the corner, and there she was.

Marisa sat on the floor studying the bench. I watched her a moment. Her eyes were glazed over as if she were lost in her own world. Cautiously, she ran her hands over the wood, making sure to avoid the splintered areas. Her methods were fascinating. Eventually, she turned, saw me standing here, and her cheeks grew pink again. I rather liked them that way.

“I’m sorry. I was just leaving.” She stood and brushed off her hands, then wiped at her perfectly rounded behind. “I never should’ve worn yoga pants.” She ran her fingers over the fabric once more to ensure everything had been knocked off.

“Really? I think they’re a step up from those overalls.” I smiled at her, still afraid to say too much and have her run off again.

Marisa laughed, a sound that made my heart skip a beat. “Well, the overalls are practical whereas these are…comfortable. Of course, I wasn’t planning on working.” Her eyes stared off to the back corner where a chair lay in three pieces.

Almost as if taking her cue, I began to walk toward the piece she’d eyed and was pleased to see she had followed behind me. “It’s a shame. I think this has been in the gallery for more than thirty years.” I lifted the arm of the chair and passed it to her. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Turning it over in her hand, one side of her mouth rose. “This wood is beautiful. It would be easy to fix. It wouldn’t take me long at all.” Marisa glanced up at me and sighed. “You’re going to convince me to make all the repairs, aren’t you?”

“I’d like to.” I nodded, a crooked nervous smile on my face. “Although, I’ll admit, the passionate way you’re looking at the furniture is making me a
little
uncomfortable.” I winked.

“I can’t help it. I love what I do.” With a sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest. “So what would you pay me?”

Her question caught me off guard. I stretched and scratched at the back of my head. “Honestly, I wouldn’t even know what to charge for this. I’d want to be fair. I’d need to know how long it would take you. Would you rather be paid by the hour or by the piece?” I licked my lips to cover how anxious I felt. “And this is how my mind works. Sorry.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow. You’re thorough.” Marisa walked through the gallery. I watched as she counted on her fingers and waited for her assessment. “I’m going to say it would take me no more than two weeks. This would be full days, none of this half-day crap. And I’d need supplies included in the calculations.”

“Could you write up a work order and I could pay you half up front, the remainder upon completion?” My head tilted in interest. Before she left, I needed to get a handshake out of her so I could feel confident we had a deal. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sylvie gliding toward us. Knowing how Marisa had reacted to her presence last time, I turned to look at her. For the first time since our one-night stand over a year ago, I studied her, trying to see her as Marisa had. She had been a huge mistake, the classic Christmas party whoops. We’d never mentioned it again. The woman meant nothing to me.

“You’re obviously busy.” Marisa glared at me, apparently mistaking my curiosity for interest and turned to walk away.

Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her hand. “Wait, please. I need to know we have a deal.”

Her eyes were on my hand, holding hers. When she turned, I’d covered it with my other hand. Even now, I’d pulled her in closer, so her palm was pressed against my chest. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to me, which was strange, since I didn’t like human contact. Part of me wanted to release her and back away, but the rest of me wanted to hold on for dear life and never let go.

Marisa tilted her head and stared at my face. For the first time since we’d met, I felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, I worried she could see the monster from the mirror and trembled slightly under her scrutiny.

Finally, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll bring you the invoice tomorrow. If you agree to it, I’ll get started on Monday.” She looked at my hands pointedly. I remained frozen. “Let go,” she hissed. When I jumped and released her, a smile broke out over her face. “Tomorrow. Ten in the morning.”

“I’ll order pancakes.” I beamed, flooded with relief.

Pausing, she shook her head. “Nah. For a quick meeting, we should just eat cheese danish.” Then she skipped to the front door and ducked through the opening. Once outside, she gave a little wave.

Damn, she was cute.
It was all I could do not to go after her. I wanted a little while longer to bask in her light.

“There’s a man here about the door.” Sylvie interrupted my reverie, an unfamiliar edge to her voice.

Looking around, I found it impossible to hide my annoyance. “Where?”

“He went out to his truck to get some books and a measuring tape. He’ll be right in.” She smiled at me and batted her eyelashes. In the past, I might have responded with a smile, but now I was filled with thoughts of Marisa. A moment later, when I failed to react, her face fell and she began to retreat back to the front. For some reason, she paused. “You never looked at me like that. Not even when we slept together. What is it about her?”

I found it impossible to hide my grin. Here she was, assessing Marisa as harshly as Marisa had done with her earlier. “You don’t like her?” I crossed my arms over my chest and waited happily for her response.

“She’s so…utilitarian. You own a gallery. You’re all about beauty. She…doesn’t make sense.” Sylvie huffed and then stomped away.

Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I understood what she meant. She was right. Though I had always been superficial, whatever it was about Marisa, it had little to do with what was on the outside and everything to do with who she was inside. I shook my head, unaccustomed to this kind of thinking. It was time to get to work.

***

Marisa

As I walked back to the shop, I couldn’t stop thinking and replaying every moment in my head. There were some good times. The pancakes were delicious. The hot chocolate was divine. And Sebastian…well, I couldn’t classify him yet. One minute he seemed cool, the next he was pretty much an ass. Still, I could see past it to earn some much-needed money. The situation had been looking pretty dire. Hell, I was surprised my knee-jerk reaction hadn’t been to agree to marry him.
So, I had my first marriage proposal before I ever had my first date.
The thought kept a smile on my face the rest of the stroll.

When I opened the shop door, I waited to hear Mattie’s customary greeting. Instead, I heard nothing. Alarmed, I locked up then rushed through the building and up the back steps. “Mattie?” I started looking around, running past the clearly vacant kitchen, through the living room, and took a left into Mattie’s bedroom. It, too, was empty. Returning to the kitchen, out of options, I dropped into my chair and found a note on the table.

Risa,

Your dad called.

I went to his treatment facility to deliver a few things.

Be back soon.

Xoxo

Mattie

Immediately, I felt better knowing Mattie was safe, but why hadn’t my father called me? Pulling my phone out of my sweatshirt, I realized I had no missed calls. Was he mad at me for leaving him last night?

When Mattie returned half an hour later, I was still sulking, chin on my stacked fists, at the table. I watched as Mattie took off her coat and hung it up in the closet. I stared silently while the older woman filled the teakettle with water from the sink and set it on the stove to boil. My heart was heavy.

“What’s troubling you, honey child?” Mattie lowered herself gently into the chair and grunted when she made contact with the seat.

“Arthritis acting up?” My concerns suddenly seemed trivial when reminded of her very real medical issues.

“Yeah. The cold is killing me.” She narrowed her eyes and raised her finger. “Mark my words. This is my last winter in Canada.” I clapped a hand over my mouth as I tried to cough to cover my laugh. “You wanna say something to me?” Mattie’s eyes twinkled as she spoke.

“You say this every winter. Then spring returns and you stay.” I shrugged. “Five years at least.”

“Well, when my boy finds me and buys me an island home, you’ll never see my ass in the winter again.” She folded her arms and rested them on her belly.

“I know, Mattie.” I had been hearing this for years, but whenever I pressed for more information about this mysterious boy, she’d shut down. It clearly bothered her, but she refused to talk about it and I’d given up trying.

She grunted at me and picked up her note. “See my note?”

“Yes. Eventually.” I frowned. “I may have searched the house first. We wouldn’t have this problem if you’d learn to text.”

“We wouldn’t have this problem if you’d looked on the table first.” Mattie chuckled. “Your daddy called me. I didn’t see him. You didn’t miss anything. He just needed some supplies.” She smoothed out her shirt. “He can’t have visitors yet. He’ll call you when he gets phone privileges.” She glanced at me and must’ve noticed the tears in my eyes. “I know what you’re thinking. He’s not mad at you. He’s sick, baby girl. We have to give him a chance to get well. It could work this time.”

Sitting up, I sniffled. “What makes this place any different? This time any different?”

“Don’t think like that.” She slapped the table between us. “And where did you disappear to? Someone didn’t leave a note.”

“Well…it looks like I get to fix the furniture he destroyed.” I smiled shyly, a little ashamed to admit how excited I was at the opportunity.

“You’ve been doing that your whole life. What makes this time any different?” Mattie teased her in her own way.

“I get paid for it. That’s new.” Leaning back in my chair for a second, I thought about everything happening before my phone chimed and I dug it out of my sweater pocket to check it.

Sebastian: Any chance you can run an invoice over in the next half an hour? The insurance adjuster would like to see it.

Staring at the phone for a moment, I considered the time to create it, print it off the computer, and finally hand deliver it. Then I responded.

me: Could be closer to forty minutes. Will that work?

Sebastian: K

I giggled as I hunched over my phone and responded.

me: And potassium to you too. See you soon.