"Second Chance Romance
2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved
Chapter 2
“Layton," Austin barked, "You and the guys run through the drill one more time and then hit the showers. We’ll pick back up tomorrow with reviewing the tape so that we can be ready for Chapel Hill come Friday night.”
“Yes sir,” Gabe Layton replied to his coach and then jogged off towards the huddle with the rest of his team mates.
Austin looked down at his clip board and blew out a tired breath. They had a really good chance at winning a State Championship this year but there were never any guarantees. Not in football anyway. To make matters worse he had Principal McKay riding him hard about bringing home that damn trophy. If they couldn't pull it off there was going to be an awfully lot of disappointed people in this town.
“What’s going on little brother, you have the far off look in your eyes?” Austin’s older brother stopped by his side and asked while giving him a healthy smack on the back.
Austin grunted but held his ground, “Not much man. Just working the boys and getting them up to par.”
"Really,” Tim said and turned to watch the group of guys set up in the center of the field. He heard the count and saw Gabe straighten himself with the ball tucked under his arms and then do a bit of fancy foot work when the pocket around him collapsed before letting the ball fly smoothly to the open receiver. Touchdown.
“That boy has a future ahead of him,” he remarked and turned back to look at Austin.
Austin continued to gaze out at the field. “Yep, he sure does,” he said wistfully. At one time Austin had that same bright future too until he blew his knee out for good when he played college ball for Boise State. One bad tackle and his dreams to play in the NFL were over. With a whole lot of pushing from his big brother, Austin finally finished school with an education degree, returned home and is now coaching his old high school team.
“You sure you’re okay?” Tim asked the question again frowning a bit at the way Austin's face was drawn up in grim lines. He could only imagine how hard it was for his baby brother to watch other guys go on and do what he could do no longer. He had hoped that Coaching would help Austin, fill in that gap that he would be missing from not being able to play football but now he wasn’t so sure that was the best idea. Maybe he should have steered him into something else.
Austin turned to his brother and pasted a big smile on his face, "Yep, I'm doing just fine Tim, don't you worry about me." Tim glanced at his brother still not sure that he fully believed him when Austin held up his hand and fixated his fingers in the same way that they had always done back when they were in the boy scouts "I Promise, Scouts honor," he added.
Tim shook his head and sighed, "Alright but if you want to talk then you know where to find me."
"That I do," Austin agreed and inclined his head back towards the school. All of the guys had already left and headed for the locker room and Austin knew that he needed to get back as well to finish up some last minute paper work. "Walk with me?" He asked.
"Sure, why not." Tim said and fell into step beside his brother as they began their trek over the field. After several moments of companionable silence Tim spoke up, "Hey, did you hear about Jed Sampson?"
Austin almost stumbled at the mere mention of his name. When he heard or saw Jed he thought about Jade, his old high school flame. It had been over five years since he last seen her and the pain that was etched in her face when she walked in on him and Tina that one afternoon still haunts him today. He made a lot of mistakes in his life but by far the worst one that he had ever made was when he dumbly decided to bed down with Tina.
To this day he can't come up with a decent excuse for his actions. She showed up on his doorstep in nothing but a damnable trench coat and when he opened the door, she dropped the coat and every red blood cell in his body went South. That one mess up cost him more than anyone will ever know. It cost him his heart.
Swallowing hard, Austin replied stiffly as the memories swamped him, "No, what happened to Jed?"
"He died," Tim stated simply.
Austin stopped and his mouth dropped while Tim continued to walk towards the gym. "Jed Sampson died?" He repeated what his brother had just said having a hard time digesting the information that he had just been delivered.
"Yep, Oliver said he thinks that he had a stroke or something. Whatever it was he was dead as a door nail when he went to check on him."
Austin shook his head back and forth trying to clear it, thinking about Jade. Did she know? How would she take it? Would she be alright? For all he knew, Jade may not have even spoken a word to her father since the day that she left this town and him for good. Not that he didn't blame her.
And as if Tim could read his brother's mind he added, "Oliver also mentioned that Jade was coming back to town. He expected her to arrive sometime this afternoon."
Again Austin had to stop. "Jade's coming back?" He asked numbly, "Back here?" He said pointing down at the ground, "to Hillsborough?"
Tim wanted to laugh out loud. The usually cool and confident Austin wasn't looking very confident right about now. He had known about Jade and his little brother's relationship back in high school. Tim was only a year older than his brother and he as well as everyone else in Hillsborough had thought the two of them were getting pretty serious. Then, one evening, out of the blue, Austin had come home and announced that she was gone. He holed himself up in room for almost a month before finally emerging and going out on a tear.
He became a wild man and their parents worried about him daily. He went off to school focused only on women, booze and football. He barely survived the first year and then early on in the second is when he took that awful tackle, crushing his football dream. "Yeah," he finally told his brother,” It looks like our little Jade is finally coming home. Wonder why she ever left in the first place?"
Austin shrugged his shoulders and quickly adverted his eyes from his brothers watchful stare. He knew exactly why Jade had left that day and never once looked back. It was because of him and his stupidity. He was eighteen years old and one arrogant SOB that thought the world revolved around him. After that night he learned otherwise.
*********************************************
"Mama, who's that?" Libby asked pointing up at the chrome statue that stood in front of the Sheriffs office. Standing there in her favorite purple flower sundress with her dark brown curls pulled up in pigtails, Libby looked just like a little lady the way that her bright eyes beamed up at the old statute with curiosity.
Jade bent down to her level and stared up at the statue. "That is General Nathaniel Greene," Jade replied with a small smile on her face. "There was a big battle here during the Revolutionary War and he led all of the soldier's."
"Revo-loo-ten-ary War? Where people fight each other?" Libby questioned while tugging at the hem of her dress. Sometimes, Jade thought to herself, this child was too smart for her own good. You know that something is wrong in the world when a four year old know's about things such as war.
Smoothing back her daughters bangs because they were getting a little too long and hung precariously in her eyes Jade sighed, "Yes baby, like when people fight each other."
"But why do they fight each other, mama?"
A small smile crept up on Jade's face. With each new answer she gave, Libby would surely have another question. She was like a little sponge that absorbed everything around her. She questioned everything and craved answers like Jade craved chocolate. "Just because people do honey," she replied not sure what else to say.
"Jade, is that you?"
Standing up, Jade turned around to see the first familiar face that she had seen since she arrived back in Hillsborough. "Oliver?"
The red head offered her a sincere smile and quickly closed the distance between them. He held out his hand and Jade immediately took it. "It's nice to see you again; I just wish it could have been under better circumstances."
Jade drew in a breath and then let it out very slowly. Since Libby had awoken this morning she had tried to push back the real reason that she was being forced to return home. She didn't want to think about her father's death and the impending funeral. "It's alright," Jade finally replied. "It is kind of nice to return home if you know what I mean."
Oliver smiled and then glanced down at the little girl standing just behind Jade, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I love this town." Still smiling he looked at Libby, "And who do we have here?"
Jade was thankful for the change of subject. Reaching behind her, she picked up Libby and put her on her hip, "Oliver- meet Libby, my daughter. Libby, this Oliver. He is the Sheriff here."
Libby cocked her head to the side and studied the man for a moment. She narrowed her eyes on him before saying, "Does your gun really work? Cause Joey's gun is fake and it doesn't really work at all. It just makes a loud boom sound."
Oliver's grin widened, "Yes ma'am, it sure does."
"Have you ever killed any bad guys with your gun?" Libby asked.
"Libby, that's quite enough questions for the Sheriff," Jade said and sent Oliver an apologetic look.
"It's alright Jade and to answer your question, Missy, no. So far I haven't had to use it on any bad guys and if the good lord is willing, I won't ever have to."
Libby just nodded at that and Oliver waved Jade towards the courthouse, "You ready for this?" He asked her.
Jade closed her eyes for a second and then opened them with renewed determination. "Yes, ready as I'll ever be. Let's just get this part over with."
With Libby still on her hip the trio walked into the town hall and when the cool breeze from the air conditioner hit Jade's sun warmed skin she shivered. Reality was sinking in again as she realized that she was getting ready to identify her father's body. She did her best to hold on to her composure when all she really wanted to do was turn tail and run.
Jade, why don't you leave Libby here with my secretary Alice," Oliver said when they stopped at a small wooden desk. A small framed woman with short spiky hair smiled back at her and it only took a second for it to register with Jade exactly who this lady was.
"Jade Sampson?" Alice said and stood up, coming around to the front of the desk smiling brightly.
"Alice Combs? Is that you?" Jade asked excitedly. It had been years since she had last since her friend and once she was gone she was too embarrassed by what Austin had done to try and contact anyone.
"Well, I'm Alice Reinhart now," She said leaning in to hug her long lost friend, "Where in the hell have you been?"
"Long story," Jade breathed out. "One that is probably best told over a couple of stiff drinks."
Alice chuckled, 'I hear ya woman and who is this?" She asked looking pointedly at Libby.
"My name is Elizabeth but everyone calls me Libby and I am four years old," the little girl spoke up before Jade could say anything.
Libby stuck out her hand and Alice instantly reached for it and shook it just like she would have shaken any other adults hand. "Well Ms. Libby, it's very nice to meet you. Would you like to sit with me for a moment and have a lolly pop while your mama goes to see something with the Sheriff?"
Libby hesitated because she really loved lolly pops before glancing back at Jade who simply smiled. Jade then leaned over to her daughter’s ear and stage whispered, "It's okay to stay."
Libby clapped her hands and replied, "Yes ma’am that sounds good."
Jade grateful for Alice's assistance, handed over her daughter to Alice and then turned to Oliver, "Let's do this thing already." Seeing her father's cold dead body was the one thing that she dreaded the most. The funeral, the estate was all just part of the motions that had to be dealt with afterwards but having to identify his lifeless body was going to be the wost part.
Oliver turned and indicated for Jade to follow him. They went down to the end of the hall and stopped at a door labeled 'Morgue.' "Are you sure you’re ready for this?" Oliver asked with nothing but concern displayed on his face.
"Yes, I'm ready," she said without any hesitation. More than anything Jade just wanted to get past this so she could go on to the next step. The sooner she cleared everything up, the sooner she could leave this town again, get away from all of the memories and more importantly away from Austin Giles. Yeah, she was definitely ready.
Jade walked out of the morgue and sank against the wall. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but it surely hadn't been that. The rush of the memories that assailed her, her father holding her as a little girl on his knees, him bandaging her skinned knee when she fell off her bike and him wiping away her tears after the nightmares came. So many good memories that she had forgotten, so many that she would now cherish forever.
He was gone. He has truly gone and standing in the cold hall, she dropped her face to her hands and let the tears fall. For years she held it against him the way that he had cast out Libby and she had forgotten. She had forgotten what a loving father he had been.
"Hey," Oliver said coming out of the Morgue and shutting the door behind him. Seeing Jade, he instantly went to her and pulled her into his arms, patting her back awkwardly. "It's going to be alright," he soothed. "It's going to be okay, you'll see."
Jade sniffed and for just a moment she stood in this man's embrace and let him comfort her. It had been years since she had the comfort of a man and it felt kind of nice to have it again. After a few more sniffs, she stepped back from Oliver and wiped at her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered sounding a bit ragged from her current onslaught of tears. "Thank you for understanding."
Oliver cocked his head to the side and offered her a quirky smile. "No problem, you clearly have every right to your tears Jade." He lifted his hand and placed it on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze of assurance. "If you need anything, and I mean anything Jade, while you are here, then come find me. I'll be more than happy to help you out. Okay?"
Jade found some comfort in that statement. To know that someone had her back was different for her but it was all too common here, in the small town of Hillsborough. That was one of the aspects that she had missed from small town life, the feeling of belonging and the feeling of a coalescent group. When one's luck was down, the town rallied up behind them until they were back on their feet and in the time that had passed since she had left, that hasn't changed.
Sighing, Jade could only nod her head. She was still a little to choked up for words and right now all she wanted was to get out of this hall and back to her daughter.
Oliver sensing this, wrapped his arms around her shoulder and started to pull her down the hall. "Come on Jade, the worst part is over. Let's go see that pretty girl of yours."
That brought a smile to Jade's face and in turn Oliver smiled back. It had been years since he had last seen Jade Sampson. She was a looker back in high school but she was taken by Austin Giles. Then she left and he had heard all of the rumors that she had walked in on Austin and Tina to find them in a very compromising situation. But now she was back and beautiful as ever. He hadn't seen a ring on her finger and that little girl of hers was an Angel. Maybe, he thought to himself, he would ask her out once she settled in a bit. He didn't know if she was planning on staying or not but if he could give her a reason to stay then who knows what might happen. All he could do was wait and see.
"Mama!" Libby squealed in her little girl voice when they entered the office.
"Hey there baby," she replied sweeping her up in her arms. It was the most damnable sight that Oliver had ever seen and it made him want her just that much more. But now wasn't the time, he reminded himself. The girl had just arrived back in town and she needed to get settled in at Jed's place. He would bide his time and when it was right he would spring the question and let the chips fall where they may. If it was meant to be it would happen, if not..... well if not, then it was never meant to be in the first place.
Oliver cleared his throat in an effort to get everyone's attention. It worked, everyone turned in his direction and looked at him expectantly.
"Hmm," he started and then suddenly turning shy he rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, "Do you need a ride back to the house?"
Jade smiled back at him, an honest to goodness sincere type of smile that made him go weak in the knees. "I have a car out front," she told him standing Libby up by her side and taking her smaller hand in her own. "But, can you tell me if Grace's Diner is still open. We could use something to eat before we head to the house and I am in no mood to stop by the grocery store tonight and then cook afterwards."
Oliver's previous shyness slipped away and he nodded exuding nothing but confidence, "Yeah, it is and she still makes the best apple pie on this side of the Mississippi. I was heading that way myself for some supper."
"Really?" Jade asked with a slightly raised brow. Oliver had been so sweet to both her and Libby and right now she didn't want to be alone to loose herself in her thoughts. Especially, after her little break sown in the hall. And more importantly, she didn't want Libby to see her in that state. "Would you like to join us? I mean at Grace's for supper," she added as an afterthought.
"Sure," Oliver replied. "That would be nice," he said smiling down at her before letting his gaze to slide down to Libby's. "And Missy, they make the best hamburgers too with a side of home fries and ice cream as well."
Libby beamed back at Oliver and the smile on her face melted him right there, in that one spot that he stood. It was like the sun was shining a bit brighter when that little girl graced him with her smile.
"Ice cream? Do they have strawberry ice cream?" Libby asked sounding hopeful.
Oliver chuckled and walked over to the little girl. He bent down on one knee so that he could look her in the eyes and pretended to whisper to her a big secret, "Yes ma'am, I believe they do and if you smile at Ms. Grace like you just smiled at me, I bet she'll give you a double scoop."
"Two scoops!" Libby yelled already bouncing up and down.
"Two," Oliver confirmed, holding up two of his fingers and then stood back up to look at Jade. "I'll follow you out there, if that's alright with you?"
Jade nodded and lifted Libby back into her arms, settling her on her hip like a pro. "Sounds like a plan to me," she replied and then turned to Alice. "We need to meet some time and catch up girlie. It's been way too long."
Alice nodded, "We sure do. You take care of your dad's stuff first and then we'll get together, Margarita’s and all." She glanced at Libby and pinched her cheek, "This little girl of yours is just too adorable."
Libby laughed and swiped her hand at her cheek. Everyone else in the room laughed too. Jade planted a kiss on her other cheek and in turn Libby scrunched up her nose and wiped that away as well.
"Mama, stop!" Libby said dramatically. Her little pig tails were swinging back and forth as she continued to wipe at both cheeks, "Let's just go eat already."
"Oh, alright," Jade replied to her daughter. She wanted to kiss her cheek again but restrained herself, knowing that Libby wouldn't be real happy about it. Instead, Jade looked up at Alice pointedly and said, "I'm going to hold you to those drinks that you promised."
Alice nodded knowingly and with that Jade turned to leave with Libby sitting comfortably on her hip. Oliver followed in behind her and stopped at the door. Glancing over his shoulder he told Alice, "You know where to reach me if you need me?"
Alice just shooed him out the door with her best patronizing look, "I know where to find you, now go on. Don't keep that little girl waiting any longer than she has too."
Oliver held his hands up in a surrender like gesture. "I'm going," he said with a sheepish grin and walked out the door, closing it behind him.
*******************************************************************
Austin pulled up in front of the Diner, starved and exhausted. The practices were tiring and the news that Tim had relayed brought up a torrent of memories that he had long since tried to bury deep; really, really deep.
Even as haggard as Austin felt, he was still looking forward to some of Grace's famous fried chicken and apple pie. No matter how bad he felt, comfort food always made him feel better and being in the Diner around the Town's people was a hell of a lot better than going back home to another nuked meal and a house full on cold loneliness.
Walking in the door, he smiled when Erica, the newest waitress to join Grace's crew greeted him. "Is it just you today Austin?" She asked sweetly. Erica could barely be more than a day over eighteen and she was a shameless flirt. Austin never really indulged her but he always remained polite. That was part of his southern heritage and the way that he was brought up. A man was always polite to a lady, if nothing else.
"It's just me today Erica," he confirmed with a forced smile.
He watched on with mild amusement as she bent over and tugged her shirt down and then stood up, trying to push her chest out at him. Austin averted his gaze and heard her disgruntled sigh when she realized that he wasn't paying her a bit of attention.
"This way," she muttered after a long minute had passed and she led him to a booth over in the corner. He slid in the seat when she backed out of his way. Making himself comfortable, he picked up the menu and even though he knew what he wanted Austin made a show of looking it over.
"Do you know what you want to drink?" Erica asked.
"Sweet tea," Austin replied and then added, "I'll have the chicken special with mashed potatoes and gravy and peas. A side of apple pie too."
Eric looked down at Austin who laid the menu to the side and made one last attempt to gain his attention by bending over more than was necessary to pick up the menu. Austin never once looked in her direction and Erica huffed off in a tiff. He shook his head, he loved a pretty woman as good as any but Erica was way too young for him. Hell, he taught classes with kids as old as her. No thank you, he said to himself.
Austin was staring out the window, running plays in his head and devising new offensive measures when a child's harmonious laughter caught his attention. It was exuberant and refreshing and when he turned to see where it was coming from, his jaw dropped. On the other side of the Diner, sat none other than Jade Sampson. She had Oliver with her and a little girl too who was giggling at something that Oliver had just said to her.
But then his attentions settled back on Jade. She was pretty before but with a little age, she was absolutely remarkable now. Jade. She was the woman that he at one time thought that he would spend the rest of his life with. The only woman that had ever held his heart so wholly and the only woman that he had regrettably driven away.
Letting out a sigh, he watched the group with a kind of wistfulness that would never be. She would probably curse him to his grave after what he had done to her all those years ago and to be truthful, he would curse himself too.
Erica brought his food and set it down in front of him. Without saying a word, she sashayed back off to another table where three teenage guys were sitting and spoke with them animatedly.
Looking down at his plate, suddenly, Austin was no longer hungry anymore. At least not for food, anyway. The type of hunger that he had right now would never be sated. He would die of starvation before Jade would ever come and smile at him the way that she used to.
Irritated with himself, Austin stood up and dropped a twenty on the table. He would go home and nuke one of those frozen meals anyway. There was no way that he could sit in this Diner and watch Jade, wondering about all that could have been and what will obviously never be. It just hurt too damn much.
Austin stopped by the restroom before he left and did his business. He went to the sink and washed his face before looking up at the mirror and taking in the dark circles under his eyes. "Damn, what's happened to you?" He muttered to his reflection.
I need to get laid, he thought to himself. It's been too long since he had last taken refuge with a warm and willing woman, too damn long. At least if he was with another woman, he wouldn't think about the one that plagued his conscious on a nightly basis...... for a little while anyway.
The only problem with that theory was that the only woman he wanted to be with was Jade Sampson and she certainly wasn't going to welcome him with warm arms.
It was one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.
Tossing the paper towel he used to dry off his hands in the trash, Austin headed out the door feeling about as useless as a flea on a dog’s back. Not paying attention he almost toppled right over the little girl that had captured his attention earlier with her musical laughter.
"Hey!" She said to him, "Watch where your going mister."
Austin looked up to see Oliver standing just a foot away watching his every move. He then turned back to the little girl and bent down to her level to apologize and was instantly taken aback by the child's eyes. Eyes that he would swear mirrored his own.
A small hand cupped his cheek, "Are you okay mister?" The little girl asked and the irony of the question rivaled the sweetness of the young one that had asked it.
Swallowing past the knot in his throat, Austin covered the little girls hand with his. "I'm fine," he said a little unsteady, "Are you okay?"
The girl giggled, "I'm fine silly but you should really look out where you are walking."
"Your right," Austin replied and smiled back at the Libby. "I'm really sorry and I'll watch out for now on."
Libby fisted her little hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes on him, "You promise?"
"I promise," Austin chuckled and even crossed his heart with his finger.
"Libby? Who--" and all other words left Jade's mouth when the man that has just been talking to her daughter stood and turn around to face her.
To say that she was stunned was putting it mildly. To say that she was gobsmacked was much more like it. Austin's gaze casually raked over her from head to toe before he turned on that brilliant smile of his that so easily captured her heart back in high school. Then he did the inevitable, he spoke, "Hello Jade, it's been a long time."