Page 20 of Second Chances

Not helping matters was his sister, who, visiting him out of the blue one day, asked not-so-subtly if her new “friend” had brought her car in. Blushing as Trixie hid a sly smile behind a steaming cup of coffee, he confirmed Charlotte had dropped her car off. When that was all he would confirm, his sister asked him what he thought of Charlotte. What could he say? That he thought she was magnificent? That he found himself undeniably attracted to her? That he was drawn to her? That he longed to taste her mouth with his while inhaling her beauty until it filled him? He hadn’t…he couldn’t. He just grunted in response and answered the shop phone when it conveniently began ringing.

Forcing his attention back to DD, who was using alcohol to quiet her fears about Burnside, he wondered how much she was drinking these days, a habit that, unfortunately, wasn’t new. In their small hometown of Clover Lake, a secret was virtually impossible to keep, and DD’s day-drinking had progressed over the past few years, the news making it the forty miles over to him in Beverley. Which was why last night, after first hearing about Burnside from Josh, his initial instinct was to contact her personally to offer his support. He had hesitated, though, remembering her overly-friendly behavior at the fair last summer. Despite this, a lifetime of caring about her had him texting his son this morning, asking after the Van Holland family. Finding DD alone at the diner had surprised him, and even though the hospital was right across the street, she had worn a dazed look, as if she was unsure how she’d gotten there.

While he watched her peel apart her turkey club sandwich, cringing as she tossed aside both the lettuce and the tomato, he ordered a strawberry malt from Sissy when she passed by the table. “Ice cream in the dead of winter?” DD shook her head, the brittleness on her face giving way to a small smile. “Henry, you’re no better than a teenager,” she chastised. “So who was on the phone that had you looking like you could eat fire?”

Not in a million years would he discuss Melanie with DD. Instead, he redirected her. “You mentioned something about Burnside’s business?”

After popping a cheese curd into her mouth, she said, “Yes. I was looking through his files last night after I got home. Henry, what will I do if I have to take care of everything? I don’t have a knack for any of that. I don’t know business, or stocks and bonds. I was a teacher, but a million years ago. Hamilton could help, I guess, but he’s so busy with his college courses.” Aside from that, unless the young man had been privy to his father’s business, as Henry had been from an early age, he would be in over his head. “Maybe you could come over to Clover Lake tomorrow and help me understand what I’m looking at?”

His strawberry malt arrived, and a sip of the frozen concoction hit the roof of his mouth, making him see stars. Closing his eyes to recover from the freeze, his brain warned him that agreeing to DD’s plan was a terrible idea, and not just because Henry wasn’t exactly sure what Burnside’s business was. As the headache receded, he opened his eyes again, calmer once Charlotte filled his vision, her glossy brown waves tumbling over her shoulders, brushing her ivory-colored cable-knit sweater. Her warm brown gaze captured his, until guilt crept in for ignoring DD, who was watching him expectantly. “I don’t know, honestly. I manage my own books at the auto shop, but my knowledge about business management begins and ends there. What about Nora?” His sister-in-law’s family owned a string of successful car dealerships located throughout eastern South Dakota, and Nora was the operations manager for the company.

“Henry, be serious.” DD rolled her eyes. “Nora has enough on her plate.” As if he didn’t? “Please, I need you.” With an uneasy knot forming in the pit of his stomach, he could see he had no choice but to agree to help her, as much as he was reluctant to. “I guess I can see what I can do-”

Rising from her seat, DD came over to him, bending to hug him, her cloyingly heavy perfume completely enveloping him. Thankfully, her phone rang. “It’s Hamilton.” This time, it was DD’s turn to take a phone call in the vestibule. Seizing the opportunity, Henry strode over to Charlotte, whose eyes, the color of melted milk chocolate, widened when she looked up.

“Henry.” Her smoky voice almost buckled his knees. “Hi. I’ve been meaning to stop by the shop to thank you for sorting out my Tempest. I can’t believe it’s been two months already since…”

Her voice trailed off as a delicate finger traced the side of her water glass. The compulsion to pluck her from the table and take her to his house where he could taste the dampness on her fingertip made him only able to mutter, “Charlotte…” as he clutched the edge of her table.

“Would you like to have a seat? Here I am babbling away and you’re standing there.” With her honeyed voice, he’d be content to have her babble all day. Desire flared when her tongue darted across her full bottom lip, his mouth desperate to taste hers. His eyes never lost contact with hers as he sat down across from her.

“How have you been, Charlotte?” So close to her now, he thought of all the nights he had imagined her beside him, sharing a meal, a conversation, a stolen glance. Was there any chance she’d been as lonely as he had been during the holidays, despite being surrounded by people?

“I’ve been good. Busy, because of the holidays.”

Henry nodded. “Me, too. Merry Christmas, by the way.” He suspected she would be even more beautiful with the lights of a Christmas tree glinting in her hair or reflected in her glasses.

“Merry Christmas to you, too. And Happy New Year, I guess, since it’s going to be here before we know it. Never know when we’ll see each other again.”

Maybe this was his chance? Should he ask her out for New Year’s Eve? No, he chided himself, she probably already had plans. A woman like Charlotte wasn’t sitting around without a plan to ring in the new year. “I never got a chance to apologize that I wasn’t there.”

“Henry! Henry! Can you come now?” DD hailed him, marching toward him in her high-heeled boots as she held her phone over her head. “Burnside is awake. I thought maybe you could talk to him about all of this?” She shook her phone at him, and, swallowing a groan, he reckoned it was best to get “this” taken care of.

“Um, sure, I can do that. I’ll be right behind you.” A flash of annoyance on her face signaled her displeasure when he didn’t follow her immediately, but he stayed seated. She took the hint and left the diner. To Charlotte, he said, “I’m sorry about that. I promised her I’d help with something.”

“I understand.” The warmth in her gaze conveyed her sincerity. “Ruth told me that her husband is in the hospital. You should go.”

Reluctantly, he hoisted himself out of the booth. “I hope I’ll see you soon?” Should he just ask her out now? And then what? Rush out on her to help another woman? Even with his limited experience, he knew that wasn’t ideal. Her finger traced shapes in the condensation on her glass again, and he loathed to leave her. “I guess I should go.”

Her dark eyelashes were so long they brushed her lovely cheeks with every blink. “Call sometime—you have my number.” His mouth dried up with her words, and he promised himself that as soon as he got DD settled, he would call Charlotte. He would ask her out. He would hold her, sink his hands into her hair, taste her, everywhere. A last, lingering glance at her before he left the diner had him wishing he could stay with her.

By the time he exited, DD was on the other side of the street. Heavy traffic allowed Henry a moment alone with his thoughts. What would his son think about him dating again? Would he find it odd? Unexpected? He replied to a text Josh had sent about Burnside, and then, curious about his son’s reaction, he texted:

In other news, I have been thinking of putting myself out there, maybe joining a dating service? It’s so hard to meet someone when you’re my age.

Maybe I shouldn’t have waited so long.

Love, Dad

Obviously, he wasn’t considering a dating site, not with his fascination with Charlotte, but how could he admit to his son, after so many years of being alone, that there already was a woman who had caught his attention? A woman so incredibly easy to talk to that he lost himself in the conversation. A woman whose smile stole his breath each time he saw her. Now that he had seen her again, he was even more determined.

Josh

What about that woman who brought her Jeep in? You said she stopped in another time, too? You kind of hinted there could be something there.

Or, Effie says she could fix you up with the high school English teacher…

Almost Forty Years Ago