Page 11 of Second Chances

Play practice commenced shortly after, and when it ended, Charlotte, not quite ready to go home to her empty house, stopped by the diner. At Betsy’s, she ordered a slice of peach pie, and while Sissy filled her coffee cup, her phone rang.

“Trixie, how are you?” In the month since the state fair, the two had texted frequently and occasionally shared a phone call. Multiple attempts to schedule dinner or lunch had failed, since their lives had proven too busy.

“Swamped, now that we’re home from Chicago.” The last time she had spoken with Trixie, she and her husband were on their way there for a vacation. “Brian and I had the most incredible time with Daniel. I had to pinch myself that my eldest son is the award-winning chef for the Hotel Dumont,” Trixie’s voice oozed pride. “Lottie, have you ever been to Chicago?”

“Once. My husband and I drove there for a Stevie Nicks concert after Isobel went to college. We did one of those pizza tours. My mouth still waters whenever I think of that deep-dish pizza. Mmm.” During that trip, Charlotte had glimpsed a hopeful future for her and Brady, one that would have them traveling more, sharing experiences, but their return home had quashed her optimism, as the stagnancy of their married life fell into place once again.

“Oh, Lottie, you have to go back.” Trixie paused briefly, then dropped her voice half an octave, “The city is pretty romantic, you know…perfect place for a weekend with someone special.” Charlotte, unsure how to respond, let the statement hang between them. Other than telling Trixie about her divorce, the two of them hadn’t discussed Charlotte’s love life. Or lack thereof. “Anyway, I’ve been struggling to keep up with the bookwork for the auto shop since I’ve been back. I mean, we were only gone for two weeks! You’d think my dad would know how to organize what used to be his business. Honestly, I don’t know why my brother George couldn’t do it, since he’s been running it for twenty years. I tell you what, he’s no busier than my brother Henry, who manages his own shop and does his own bookkeeping.” Trixie’s greatest rants concerned her brothers, and Charlotte, an only child, was intrigued by the family dynamics. Often, her friend was exasperated by her older brother, while being overly protective of her younger one. “Maybe I should ask Henry to come over from Beverley this weekend. He’s so generous with his time…always wanting to help everyone out when he can.”

“Your brother has an auto shop in Beverley?” Something flickered in Charlotte’s mind at this information, but she wasn’t sure what it meant.

“Yeah, I told you that when we met, didn’t I?”

“No, you only said one of your brothers lived in Beverley,” Charlotte reminded her as pieces of a puzzle fell into place. Could the man she’d seen outside the auto shop that fateful day last spring be Trixie’s brother? Her heart fluttered thinking of every time she’d hoped to run into him by chance around town.

“Oh, sorry, I must have gotten interrupted or something. I love to brag about my little brother,” Trixie declared. “Yes, he moved there about twenty years ago. Started his business, started his entire life over with his son after his marriage ended. Now that we’re on the topic of Henry, can I say that from the moment I met you, I thought you two might be a good match?”

“Oh, really? From the two minutes we talked that night, you thought that?” Smiling as Sissy placed her pie in front of her, Charlotte lifted her fork for a bite.

“Totally! Look, I don’t want to say too much because some of what my brother has gone through is very private, but he had to make some tough choices for his son and for himself.” Sounds familiar, Charlotte thought. “Those things have made him a little more closed off than he needs to be… than he used to be. When he was younger, Henry was incredibly open, so generous, until…all I’ll say is that he’s been hurt, more than a man of his caliber deserves. Women have been interested, believe me, but I think they’re just too…I don’t know…blah. But you…you have a certain spark that I think would complement him.”

Flattered that Trixie wanted to set her up, she was also nervous, which made no sense because her brother was the man she’d been interested in for months. But that could be why she felt conflicted, too. What if he wasn’t interested? Would it affect her friendship with Trixie? “What about your friend, DD? I saw him with her at the fair?” No way could Charlotte compete with her—she was gorgeous.

“Oh, so you did notice him at the fair, huh?” Charlotte blushed, even though she was alone. “You coy little devil, you never even let on or anything. As far as DD goes? No way. Henry learned his lesson with her in high school.” Charlotte tensed, uneasy about having to compete with the closeness she’d witnessed between the two at the fair, not looking for a twisted romantic entanglement involving possible exes. “Besides, she’s married. Second husband.” Scooping up another bite of pie, she relaxed slightly as Trixie continued, “Caused a real stir in Clover Lake when she showed up with Burnside, believe me. Hometown widow returning with a rich husband from the East? Anyway, she was only there that night because Nora invited her—she wasn’t with Henry. Between you and me, I have never seen what appeals to my sister-in-law about that woman. But, I guess sometimes we choose friends at an early age and we’re stuck with them.”

“Not that it’s the same, but Amy and I have been friends since kindergarten, so I know how hard it can be to let go of a friendship like that.”

“I’m sure it’s not the same at all. Amy seems perfectly nice. Not like someone who gets a kick out of using people for their own advantage,” Trixie huffed. “Anyway, back to my brother. Are you interested?”

Interested? Definitely. Terrified? Even more so. An idea bloomed. Maybe if she had a reason to see Henry, rejection wouldn’t be as scary. Or likely. “You said he’s a mechanic? I have been having issues with my car starting in the morning,” Charlotte admitted, dreading what could be wrong with her ‘69 Tempest, a classic car originally owned by her father. Jacob Sherk had carefully maintained it after purchasing it brand new, leaving it in pristine condition for her after he died. The tangible link to her father meant the world to her, and the vehicle was so precious to her that she only drove it around town; she used a Jeep as her general workhorse.

“Perfect! This is better than I could have planned. Take your car over to his garage. It’s on Main Street, right across from the coffee shop, and ask for Henry.”

Charlotte admitted, “I know where it is. The first time I was in Beverley, I saw him sitting on the bench outside the shop, reading a book.”

“Really? Henry the workaholic? He barely gives himself a day off.” As if Charlotte needed one more reason to be intrigued by him, Trixie sweetened the pot with, “You know, he built that bench with his own two hands.”

Biting her lip, she imagined what else he could be good at with his hands and fanned herself with her napkin. Not wanting to appear too eager, she said, “I guess I could swing by there after school tomorrow...”

“Excellent! Listen, Lottie, Henry is worth it, I promise. He’s been single a long time. Many women have been interested; I just think he’s been waiting for the right person to appreciate all he has to offer.”

Quietly, she told Trixie, “I admit that I find him attractive; I just don’t know how ready I am for anything.”

“I know your divorce is recent and meeting someone might be overwhelming, but just keep an open mind, okay? I’ve gotta go, but let me know how it goes. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Sissy refilled her coffee. “Did I hear you mention you were having car trouble?” Charlotte confirmed with a nod, pushing her glasses up her nose. “You should take it to Henry at Check Care Auto. He’s really nice.” She blew a bubble with her gum. “Once he changed my tire for free, when he found me by the side of the road coming home from band practice. My mom has, like, a huge crush on him.”

She couldn’t keep the latest development to herself. “Amy, you will never believe what I just found out.”

“God, I can’t even begin to imagine. Ooh, I know! Mr. Gorgeous from the auto shop is your next-door neighbor, but you only just found out because he’s been away for the past three months on some secret mission.”

Charlotte burst out laughing. “Close. Kind of. Peripherally.”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“Mr. Gorgeous, as you call him⁠—”

Amy squealed. “Ooh, I knew it had to do with him. And don’t pretend like you don’t agree he’s gorgeous, Lottie. That man is fine!”