The Second Chance Page 14

  “You were still pretty young when I went my own way against Dad’s wishes.”

  “Yeah, you kind of ruined it for the rest of us.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered how I did it. He didn’t want me to go to vet school. But that was all I’d ever wanted, so I figured out how to pay for it myself with scholarships, student loans, and a lot of hard work. I got a job as a vet assistant and worked my butt off to get through school.”

  “And I rode the Ashford limo all the way to a business degree on Dad’s dime.” I shoveled mac n cheese into my face. “What’s your point?”

  “My point is, I know how hard it is to break away from Dad’s world. He uses money to manipulate his kids into doing as they’re told. I rebelled, but I had the luxury of Mom’s trust fund to pave the way for me once I was old enough to access it.”

  “Don’t remind me.” It was a sore spot that my two older brothers had the benefit of trust funds our father couldn’t touch. But Mom died before she could do the same for me and our little sister, Jorgie, so we were stuck under Dad’s thumb.

  “I want to help you, Carter.”

  “Why?” I frowned, finally looking at the earnestness in my brother’s eyes.

  “I saw you at the career fair.”

  “So?” I shrugged. “I volunteer to help the kids. It’s fun for me, and they need workers. And it’s something Dad can’t take away from me.”

  “But you’re good at it. Those kids love you, and what’s even more important, they respect you. You’re in a position to really help the people of this community.”

  “Yeah, well, the center doesn’t have much funding, so it’s only occasional events and some after school programs. It’s no big deal.”

  “Yes, it is. Carter, you were in your element at that fair. It was like watching you find your calling in life.”

  I snorted a laugh. “What, like volunteering is my Corolla Sanctuary?”

  “Exactly. Like you said, it’s something Dad can’t touch. It’s yours.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not a career. I don’t get paid, and in case you’ve had your head under a rock for the last six months, I have to work if I want to eat. Dad’s practically cut me off. I’m supposed to work for the winery in some capacity so I still get my monthly allowance. It’s like I’m twelve again.”

  “What if you could work for the center, receive a decent income for your work, and tell Dad to buzz off?”

  “I’d say what’s the catch? Because the town can’t afford to pay anyone to run the community center programs, and if they could, they could do a lot better than me. It’s a pipe dream. It would be great, sure, but it’s not going to happen. So, I volunteer my time whenever they need me, and the rest of my time, I spend annoying Dad as much as humanly possible. Life goals, you know.”

  “It’s just … you’re not far off from thirty. When are you going to make decisions for your future that don’t involve Dad and his money? Because that’s the only way you’re going to have a future that doesn’t include a corner office at Ashford Winery right next to Conner’s, along with a Dad-approved wife who will never be Harper Chapman.”

  “Shut your face.” I stared down at my meat pie. I loved meat. And pies. Put the two together and I was a happy dude. But Conrad just made me lose my appetite.

  “I meant it when I said I want to help you. I don’t have much money, but we both know a couple of people with deep pockets who could be persuaded to make an anonymous donation to the community center.”

  I glanced up at Conrad. “Conner and Grandfather? I doubt they’d care enough.”

  “Conner was there too, remember? He was impressed with your work. And Grandfather would be down for anything that annoyed Dad.”

  “I don’t know.” I sat back, nursing a sizable food belly.

  “Think about it. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. You just have to want it bad enough to make it happen. Decide what you want your future to look like and take it, brother.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Hey, Stevie.” I tapped the speakerphone button and laid my phone down on the bed.

  “What’s up, boss?” I could hear a keyboard clacking in the background. She was busy writing an article beleaguering the poor quality textbooks her school subjected their students to. She was great at the exposé articles on her school. They were probably going to come looking for me eventually.

  “I’m sending you the layout for this week’s front page. Something’s not right, and I can’t put my finger on it. Take a look and see what you think.”

  “Sure thing, boss. I’ll work on that before school in the morning so you’ll have it when you come into the office.”

  I loved this kid. She was so dedicated. “You’re amazing, you know that, right?”

  “Of course.” She was still clacking away only half-listening to me.

  “Make sure you actually sleep, kid.”

  “Will do. Later, Harps.”

  “Later.” I shook my head with a smile I couldn’t seem to wipe off my face. For the first time in years, I loved my job. I loved going to work every morning at my own pace, and working with Stevie was great. If I did end up staying in Superiore Bay for a while, I knew I’d have to hire someone full time, but Stevie was a priority. I needed to keep her around as long as she was willing.

  I went back to my layout, frowning at the oddly uneven placement of the articles. Sending it to Stevie, I closed the laptop and shoved it across my bed. We were ahead of schedule this week, and it felt great. So satisfying.

  A tap sounded at my window. A familiar one with just the right interval between taps. He hadn’t lost his touch. I smiled as I scooted off the edge of the bed and tiptoed to my window to open it.

  Sure enough, Carter sat perched on the tree branch that ran closest to my bedroom.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed at him, trying not to laugh.

  “Move over, I’m coming in.” He reached for the windowsill like he’d done countless times.

  “You know we have a front door and we’re not sixteen anymore?” I stepped back as he came in headfirst through the window that had seemed a lot bigger a decade ago.

  “It’s more fun this way.” He groaned and fell into an awkward somersault into the room. “Ouch.” He rubbed his ribs, lying flat on my fuzzy rug. “I think I’ll just stay here for a minute.”

  I moved to lie down next to him. “Men who have been in recent accidents shouldn’t be climbing through windows.”

  “Noted.” He let out a breath, turning his head to face me. “But in my defense, that tree wasn’t nearly as tall and that window was a lot bigger the last time I broke into your room at night.”

  “Feels like a million years ago, doesn’t it?” I reached for his hand as we lay on the soft rug, staring up at my ceiling.

  “Sometimes. And sometimes, it feels like yesterday.”

  “Not that you aren’t always welcome, but did you have a specific reason for breaking into my house?”

  “I have good news.” He frowned at the ceiling. “At least I think it’s good. It hasn’t happened yet, but I think I want it to.”

  “What are you babbling about?” I rolled onto my side to face him. He edged toward me, pulling me closer to his front.

  “I want to work with kids,” he blurted.

  “That’s probably a good idea considering you already do and you’re really good at it.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know the career day thing wasn’t a big deal to you, but it was to those kids, and you made it so much fun for them. They adore you.”

  “I speak their language.” He grinned. “I’m still kind of a child myself.”

  “What’s changed? What has you so excited?”

  “Conrad.”

  “Your brother?”

  “He thinks I should turn my work with kids into a career. One that pays.”

  “I think that’s a brilliant idea.” I would support anything that made this guy ha
ppy. It was so strange to see him like this, like it never occurred to him that he was good at something. I was proud of his brother for stepping up to show Carter he had many options that didn’t include a job he’d hate at the winery.

  “I just need to figure out how to make it happen. I might need to go back to school for a while to get the right credentials. No idea how I’m going to pay for that. It’s probably just a dream.” Some of his excitement deflated, and I hated to see it.

  “Why don’t you think it could happen? If anyone could talk this town into hiring a director for the community center, it’s you.”

  “Everyone sees me as the Ferrari-driving playboy. They might think it’s a great idea to hire a director, but no one’s going to want me to be the one responsible for the center.”

  The wheels in my mind started turning. I had an amendment to make to my article on the career fair.

  “How long have you worked with the center?” I propped up on my elbow to look down at him. His face was relaxed again, and the smile came easy to his eyes. I could get used to seeing him this happy.

  “Years. Whenever they need me, I’m there. I kind of stumbled into it right after I got home from college. There was a day camp fair thing happening on the square. Kids were everywhere, and Harrison was flipping out because he didn’t have enough volunteers. So, I stepped in and did the face painting booth. I sucked at it, but I had kids lined up around the square waiting to get their superhero symbols. That was all I could draw that was remotely convincing. It was a blast. So, the next time there was a camp day, I signed up. After a while, it was kind of a given that whatever the center had planned, I was up for it.”

  “You could build a convincing résumé with all that experience, you know.”

  “From volunteer work?” He gave me a skeptical look. I forgot sometimes how clueless-rich-boy he could be about some things most of us took for granted.

  “Yes, Carter. Work is work. It doesn’t matter if you get paid or not, it’s still great experience. You could send out your résumé to tons of places in the area and find a good job working with kids.”

  “Outside of Superiore Bay? I couldn’t do that to the kids here.”

  “There are other towns around us with community centers. Ones that aren’t Hidden Cove,” I added in a rush.

  “You said us.” He unleashed the full force of his smile on me.

  “You know what I mean.” I laughed it off, giving him a playful shove.

  “You love it here, and you know it.” His arms wrapped around me, and I laid my head on his chest.

  “This has always been my home, even when I haven’t been here. Grandma’s house was my safe haven.” I left it unsaid that he and Lena were all part of what made Superiore Bay home to me. They were my roots. But the question remained, was I going to make a permanent return to those roots? Or would history repeat itself again?

  “Hey, Harper?” A soft knock sounded on my door, and my dad peeked in.

  Like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, I sat straight up and moved away from Carter. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?” I had a weird sense of déjà vu. I had experienced this moment before. Many times. Ten years ago, it was the same scenario, except it was Grandpa who’d caught Carter in my room after curfew.

  “Boy, what are you doing in my daughter’s room?” Dad’s voice went cold with a hard edge. “Is he the reason you’re in this mess, Harper Chapman?”

  “Dad, come on.” I scrambled to my feet as he came charging into the room.

  “Do you have any idea what she’s going through right now?” Dad’s hands clenched at his sides. “The last thing she needs is some layabout, trust fund brat confusing her.”

  Carter seemed to be caught up in déjà vu of his own. Faster than I could blink, he was on his feet and out the window.

  “This feels way too familiar.” He leaned back in to kiss me on the cheek. “Later, Harps.” He winked and disappeared.

  I shook my head as he scrambled down the tree, and my father took off down the stairs and out the front door. There was more yelling, but I shut the window and returned to my chair for my laptop.

  “Men are idiots.” I opened the document with my last article and made a few final adjustments.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Carter, your girlfriend’s a genius.” Delia snatched up the ringing phone the moment I stepped into the community center office.

  “Yes, ma’am.” She spoke into the phone, nodding her head eagerly. “You can send your donation to the address listed on our website.” She paused, pointing toward the seat in front of her desk.

  I took the hint and sat down.

  “No, ma’am, thank you. Yes, Carter Ashford is certainly an asset to this town.” She beamed a smile at me. “I’ll be sure to tell him.” She dropped the phone back in the cradle.

  “Okay, what is going on? And how do you know Harper’s my girlfriend when we haven’t made it official?” We hadn’t even had that conversation ourselves. I leaned back, stretching my legs out in front of me. It had been a long morning already, and I wasn’t in the mood for town drama.

  Delia gaped at me. “Haven’t you seen the paper today?”

  “Not yet. It was a crappy night.” It wasn’t enough that Harper’s dad chased me down the street, but my morning started off with an irate call from my father. He wasn’t happy I was still working at the wine bar. He’d assumed I would be sick of it by now and happy to take on a cushy executive position in the company.

  He hadn’t been amused when I told him I liked being a barback and had no plans to pursue another position.

  “You need to read that.” Delia threw the morning’s edition of the Weekly Wine across her desk just as the phone started ringing again.

  My face was plastered across the front page with several pictures from the career day event at the center.

  I snorted at the headline. “Is There A Philanthropic Ashford Hiding Among Us?” Dad was not going to like this.

  I couldn’t help the grin tugging at my mouth as I sat back to read the highlights from career day. It was sweet of Harper to put us on the front page with a catchy headline.

  “Oh crap.” My eyes widened at the audacity of my hopefully-someday-more-than-girlfriend. “She did not just do this.” I laughed, trying to keep it down while Delia was on the phone.

  Most residents of Superiore Bay will be accustomed to The Ashford and the tight fist he holds on his millions. The same millions he holds over his own children, treating them like puppets on a string. It’s no secret that Conrad Ashford walked away a long time ago, but has another Ashford scorned the old man?

  “I’m so dead.” I snort-laughed, thinking of my father’s face when he read this. I was surprised I hadn’t received a summons yet.

  What about the young Ashford playboy we all know and love? (Especially this reporter.)

  Did she just profess her love in the newspaper?

  The one who scoots around town in his cherry red Ferrari,

  “I do not scoot!” At least not anymore. My old girl was still sitting at the local garage waiting for me to admit she was totaled.

  … shirking his duties in favor of fun and sun … and anything that sets the old man off. We all know Carter Ashford.

  At least we think we know him. But then, this reporter has always known there was so much more to this man than he would have us believe.

  We’ve seen him in his latest role as a hardworking barback and the world’s worst waiter at the Ashford Wine Bar. But how many of us have noticed the thankless work he does for the community of Superiore Bay?

  The countless volunteer hours he’s logged at the local community center is shocking to this reporter. (I did the math. It’s over ten thousand hours!) In the last seven years, Carter Ashford has quietly been there for the children of this community, day in and day out. And they adore him!

  I could feel my face flushing with embarrassment … and pride. I never wanted or needed such recognition, but Harper
had laid it all out there for the whole town to see.

  The phone rang again, and Delia grabbed it, her eyes alight with happiness. I returned to the article to see what more drama Harper had stirred up. She went on to report on the conditions of the community center and how much we were lacking. How we had the volunteers to do the work, but our funds were so minimal we couldn’t do half of what we’d like.

  It was all true, but her article had painted me as the savior of the Superiore Bay Community Center. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I was a volunteer like all the others. I just had more spare time on my hands because I was the rich kid with no direction.

  “You don’t look happy.” Delia set the phone down. “Harper is an angel for doing this for us.”

  “Doing what?” I set the paper back on her desk.

  “Haven’t you heard how much this phone is ringing?”

  “Sure.” I shrugged.

  “Donations, Carter.” She leaned forward. “They’re flooding in by the hundreds. The people of this town want to help us do more. They want to give us full funding.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Harper set up a Go Fund Me link on the Weekly Wine’s website. It’s lighting up like the Fourth of July, and people are calling wanting to mail their donations into the center directly. She’s a genius. If you don’t marry her, I will.”

  “That’s wonderful.” I was delighted for the kids who would benefit from all this attention, but I still wasn’t sure how I felt about my role in Harper’s article. It was supposed to be about the kids, but she’d made it about me.

  The phone rang again, and I left Delia to her busy afternoon. Part of me wanted to go straight over to Harper’s house and ask her about the article, but the cowardly part of me didn’t want to deal with her parents again. She had a lot going on with them in town, and I didn’t want to add to her worries.