“Second Chance Romance”
2012 © All Rights Reserved
Chapter 11
Walking out of the police station, Jade was confused. She wasn't sure what to think of the whole Austin, Oliver situation. Was Austin being for real, did he really mean what he said or was he just hurt? Was he really done with her? If so, isn't this what she wanted, shouldn’t she be happy? She’d been down that road before and even though he set her heart on fire it was the past. This time, for Libby's sake she had to make sure she made the right choices. It wasn't about her anymore because she was amom and Libby's happiness was her one and only priority.
“Mama?” She heard her name being called and came back to reality.
Jade stopped and glanced down at her daughter. It was dark out now; the only light illuminating the street was the town’s singular lamp post. It was eerily quiet because everyone was at the game. Bending down so that she was on her daughter’s level she gave her hand a little squeeze. “What is it baby?” she questioned.
The little girl blinked and furrowed her tiny brow. With a whimpering note in her voice she asked; “What about Jeffrey mama, are we still going to see Jeffrey?”
Jade closed her eyes. She knew Libby had been looking forward to the game all week because Oliver had promised her he would take her to meet Jeffrey the Bull Dog. And now, after all that had happened today she was afraid she was going to have to break her little heart and tell her that she wouldn’t be able to meet him after all.
Breathing out, she opened up her eyes and catching a stray curl that was lying across her daughters right eye, she impulsively lifted her hand and brushed it back. Looking at the hurt in her little girl's face she was unsure of what to say. Nothing she could say would change the way her little girl was feeling but she knew she had to say something.
“Sweetie,” she started, trying her best to think of a way to frame the words just right, “We’re…”
“We’re running a little late but if we hurry up, we can make it before half time." Hearing the familiar voice, Jade glanced over her shoulder and stared up at Oliver. He was standing on the top step, hands shoved in his pockets, looking very unsure of himself. When he noticed her eyes were on him, he mouthed to her, ‘I’m sorry," which in turn, he received a prompt roll of her eyes towards him.
But Libby’s face lit up with a grin that would melt the devil’s only son's heart. She looked up at Olly with hopeful eyes. “Really? You mean I can still meet Jeffrey." Turning back at her mom she cheered, ”Did you hear that mom, I can still meet Jeffrey if we hurry up?" Let's go mom, let's go, we have to hurry."
Oliver took the steps two at a time, then slowed as he approached Jade and the little girl that had already managed to steal his own heart. He held Jade’s gaze for a long moment and tried his best to covey just how sorry he was about the whole situation. He had no excuse for his actions and knew he had let his personal feelings get in the way of his duties and responsibilities.
The only reason he challenged Austin to begin with was because of his own left over high school insecurities and a burning jealousy that he always had of him. However, none of that crossed his mind when he found himself rolling around rumbling in the dirt like a teenager, back in high school, fighting over a girl.
That was over five years ago and now he was a man, a man that had fallen head over heels in love with a woman and her fairy like child. The very last thing he wanted to do was mess up what Jade and he had started to build. The woman standing beside of him and her little girl are the best two things that could or had ever happened to him and he wasn't ready to give up on them yet.
Pulling himself away from Jade’s watchful gaze, he turned his attention back to the miniature sprite and smiled. “Only if your mom says that we can still go.”
Libby clapped her pudgy hands together and held them at her mouth. “Can we mama? Please?” And in that small face, all the hope in the world rested there. She had been promised that she would get to meet Jeffrey and wanted so badly for her mama to keep that promise.
Feeling the need to lighten the mood, Oliver nudged Jade with his shoulder. “What do you say mama? Does she get to meet Jeffrey or not?”
The nudge knocked her slightly off balance. Damn him, she cursed silently to herself. He knew that if he put it that way, it would be virtually impossible to say no to her. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to go home, put Libby to bed and have a glass of wine while she tried to sort through this mess she had gotten herself into. But after seeing Libby’s wistful expression; she was done. She couldn’t bring herself to say no.
Releasing a deep sigh, she made sure to keep her eyes on her daughter. “Fine,” she begrudgingly agreed. “We’ll go as long as you promise to be a good girl and when we get home tonight I don’t want any lip about going to bed.”
Libby nodded her pear shaped head. “I’ll be good, I promise,” she grinned.
“Okay,” Jade said turning towards Oliver, stepping closer to him so that little ears didn’t hear her. “This by no way means that you’re off the hook either,” she mumbled under her breath.
He mock saluted her, two fingers at his brow. “Understood.” And before she could move away from him, he grabbed her arm and bent close to her ear, “I’ll do whatever it takes to get back in your good graces.” And before she could say anything, he turned from her and faced Libby. “Ready to go little bit?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Libby said jumping up and down excitedly. Oliver held out his hands to her and fearlessly she leaped. In one practiced move, he raised her up to him and swung her around; her giggles of happiness ringing out into the night air. Jade watched the two as they played and was hard pressed not to smile.
Right now, she wasn’t sure what to make of what happened earlier with Austin and Oliver. She had feelings for both of them; She couldn't deny that fact but her feelings for Austin were for the Austin of old, not necessarily the man he was today. Oliver was new, he was refreshing and it was more than obvious that he cared for her and loved her daughter.
If she was to make a list on paper of the pros and cons of each of them Oliver would obviously be the better choice, she told herself. Even after the stunt he pulled this afternoon, it was more than clear to her that he would be a loving partner for her and a doting father to Libby.
The answer should be simple, right? Easy as pie because the writing was set out in front of her? But, If it was so simple, so cut and dry, why could she not stop thinking about Austin? His warm kisses that she felt all the way down to her toes, the smoldering way he looked at her, the tender way his hand caressed her cheek......
“Jade?” Oliver questioned.
Opening her eyes at the sound of her name, she found a worried Oliver standing in front of her. She hadn’t even realized that she closed them. “Are you alright?” He asked, Libby sitting on his hip.
She shook her head slightly and cleared her throat. “Yeah. Um, yeah, I’m fine,” she told him, “I just have a slight headache.”
He frowned and hitched Libby up to get a better grip on her. “Are you sure? You’re looking a little pale.”
She reached out and grabbed his hand and gave it a light squeeze, forcing her lips up in to a smile. “I’m fine,” she assured him again and poked Libby in the belly. The little girl giggled in pure delight.
Jade pulled herself up taller and straightened out her shoulders. “Let’s go see Jeffrey the Bulldog,” she said aloud, more determined than ever to put Austin out of her mind. He said he was done with her and she was done with him the day that he breached her trust and welcomed Tina into his bed.
He didn’t even deserve her thoughts anymore. Austin Giles was a jerk and from this day forward, she wouldn’t even allow herself to say his name.
As for her future, only time would tell. She would bide her time and see what came of her relationship with Oliver. It looked promising, but she of all people understood all too well that looks could be deceiving. And if all else fails, she could always pack up what she had left here in Hillsborough, give it a final fare-thee-well and head back North where she still had her apartment. A life with just Libby suited her just fine too.
Either way, from here on out, Austin was going to be nothing more than a memory.
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“Alright guy’s, we’ve got this. Everyone knows what their supposed to do.” Austin made certain to make eye contact with each and every face in the huddle. At this point the boys were running on a good dose of adrenaline and a crowd supported high.
They all nodded in answer to his question. “On three then,” Austin tossed his hand into the middle of the huddle.
“One! Two! Three! Go Bulldogs!” The rowdy bunch of boys bellowed all at the same time. They all threw their hands up in the air and belted one loud ‘Hoo-Rah!” before running back on the field to take their places.
Thankfully, due to the zealous introductions and announcements, the game started much later than anticipated and Austin arrived only two minutes into the first quarter. Soon after he got there, they put their first points on the board and have stayed ahead ever since. The trick now- make sure they stay ahead and win the game.
With only three minutes left to half time, they were up by seven. If they could make a good stop on this play, they might, just might be able to put a few more points on the board before they go back to the locker room and there was nothing like going in ahead to keep up the momentum.
Austin stood on the sideline, his eyes glued to the other quarterback. He heard the count, saw the snap and held his breath. Everything from there played out in agonizing slow motion. The opposing quarterback had the ball in his hands, he danced to the left, he danced to the right, he drew his hand back, flicked his wrist and the ball went sailing through the air.
Austin’s heart jumped in his chest. His eyes followed the ball as it floated under the bright lights of the stadium. He saw the receiver holding his hands up for the ball, the crowd noise in the background was completely drowned out by the roaring sound in his ears.
His heart stopped. The ball came down and he closed his eyes, certain that the receiver was going to catch it and they were going to tie up the ball game. He waited…. and waited and then there was a thunderous applause that broke out behind him. A hard slap rained down on his back followed by, “Great job Coach.” He snapped his eyes open and looked out at the field. His boys were dancing in their end zone.
“We scored?” He said the question to himself, but it was his Assistant that answered.
“Helluva thing out there Giles. Your boy, Lee came out of nowhere. We all thought that the receiver had it, then Lee came bolting though like a streak of lightening, snatching that ball right out of the air, running it straight into the end zone.”
“Hot damn!” Austin smiled to himself, watching his boys run in. His afternoon may have started out like shit but it was ending with a silver lining. “Come on, come on,” he waved the boys in. The entire team stood on the side line, watching on as the kicker went out and successfully kicked the extra point.
The feeling surrounding him was electric and for just a minute, Austin let that feeling settle over him, taking him back to the time when his own team won the state championship. It seemed so long ago and yet he could remember it like it was yesterday. After the big win, Jade and him, went out for their own little private celebration. It was the first time that he had ever made love to her. When his thoughts drifted to Jade, he quickly clamped down on them.
She refused to listen to him, refused his apologies and he couldn’t blame her. If she was happy with that prick sheriff then so be it. He wasn't going to fight with her anymore.
The half-time buzzer rang out, pulling him from his thoughts and away from Jade. He glanced back at his team and raised his hands in the air. This was what mattered to him now, these boys, this team. At the signal of his raised hand, the boys started to chant, “Bulldogs! Bulldogs! Bulldogs!”
He gestured towards the locker room and like soldiers they filed in and made their way in that direction. Austin took a breath as he followed them in, preparing to give the speech of his life.
Ten minutes later, Austin walked out of the locker room, alone, to catch a breath of air. The day was finally starting to catch up with him. He hoped his boys took his words to heart and in the second half, they would give in their all. They deserved the title and he wanted nothing more than for them to win it.
He walked around the side of the locker room and stood there for a long moment, staring up at the moon, making an effort to clear his mind when he heard the sound of sweet girlish laughter. The sound was light and pleasing to his ears.
Turning around, he saw where it came from and at that very moment, he wished he never made the effort to dawdle around the corner.
Standing at the edge of the field was Jade, holding her adorable daughter in her arms as they talked with Jeffrey the Bulldog. This part of the picture he could handle easily, it even brought a small smile to his lips. It was when he noticed Oliver standing behind them, his arm settled possessively around Jade’s waist that he wanted to march right up to him and punch the insidious jerk in the face again.
Growling low in his throat, he turned around and forced his feet to move. He had to get away from there, away from them. No more than an hour ago he told her he was done and damn it all to hell, he meant it. He would not continue to pursue her if she didn’t want to be pursued.
He rounded the corner to the building and the anger boiled in his blood. He had never been one that was prone to violence but right now; he wanted to smash someone's face in. Before he thought better of it, his fist balled up into a tight knot and he pulled back, flinging it forward into the brick wall beside of him.
Instantly, he recoiled, bringing his now bloodied hand back to his chest. Austin winced as he soaked up the pain. He knew then what he had to do, he had to find a way to get her out of his system. One way or the other he had to find a way to forget Jade Sampson, even if it damn near killed him in the process.
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