Second Chance Hero (3 page)

“Thanks. The cream cheese was my partner’s idea. I’d
never heard of it before.”

Partner? She must mean business partner, right? I’m
about to reply, when a bright red Fiat 500 pulls up outside the house. I know
instantly that that car has just made the journey from London. A tall, gangly
man in a suit steps out and I wonder how he got in that car in the first place.
He makes a beeline for the house, like he’s been here before.

“Hey, baby.” He says, kissing Jenna on the forehead.
Not the affectionate greeting you’d expect.

“Hey.” What, no baby or sweet cheeks? “Kip this is
Deacon. He’s my mum’s best friend’s son. Deacon, this is Kip.”

I would normally laugh in the face of someone with a
name like Kip, but the fact that Jenna had just referred to me as her mum’s
friend’s son has frozen me to the core. We were friends once; she could have
just said that. Why make that point of disregarding me? We were just having a
conversation.

“Nice to meet you, mate.” I put my hand out, and he
takes it. What a weak hand.

He just nods at me and turns to Jenna.

“Your rents inside?” Rents?! He walks her up the
path back to the house “Why are you wearing that thing? I just bought you a
coat.”

She shrugs off the sheep, and takes one long look
back at me before she goes inside, leaving the door open. She left the door
open. She wants me to go back in. Or she assumes I’m going back in.    Or she
wants me to go in to continue this mind fuck she’s just sent me on. Jenna
Rivera is back in Folquay and I’m first in line for the rollercoaster.

I race up that path, desperate to figure her and
this Kip bloke out.

Everyone is gathered in the lounge, talking about
Jenna’s cake shops.

“The displays look beautiful,” My mum coos over a
picture on Jenna’s phone. Mum never got to have a daughter, but always treated
Jenna like her own. She’s going to love having Jenna back in town.

“Yeah, you wanted to have a couple more opened up by
now though didn’t you?” Kip pipes up, “But we just haven’t reached that target
yet.”

What?

“Well, things change.” She tries to defend herself,
but I see the hurt in her eyes. I look at Esteban and Mindy, who looks as in
shock as I feel about how he just deflated her, “I’d rather concentrate on two,
than struggle with four.”

There’s my Jenna. Feisty and strong. She stands up
from Kip’s lap and walks to the fireplace to get her drink and I get my first
proper look at her. My god. The little girl I once knew is gone, and has been
replaced by this goddess of a woman. Her long tanned legs seem to go on
forever, before morphing into perfect hips and a tiny waist. She’s let her hair
down from that ball and it falls past her shoulders in soft waves. The waves that
remind me of the beach –
that
night on the beach. I don’t understand why
she dyed it blonde. It doesn’t suit her. She used to have dark hair and the
richest brown eyes that made her olive skin look tanned and healthy. The blonde
washes her out; she wouldn’t stand out from any other woman in the crowd.
Unless it was me looking, I’ve only ever seen Jenna, and the last five years
have consisted of me trying to find her replacement. That is never going to
happen now that I’ve seen those curves.

“Deacon?”

Someone’s calling me, and I’ve been staring at
Jenna’s backside for longer than socially acceptable.

“Yeah?” I respond, trying to play it cool and
looking around to see who wants to tear my attention away from Jenna.

Oh, Kip.

“I hear you got a degree in business management? That’s
impressive.”

Who told him that? Fuck. Unman me some more, please
God.

“Actually. You’ve been misinformed, Pip.” I’ve been
trying to get that one in there since I heard his stupid name, “I dropped out
of uni to take over my father’s company. Property development. An annual
revenue of roughly £1.5 million.”

His mouth hangs open. I bet he was expecting me to
have a degree in business, but work in the greengrocers. That should shut him
up. Jenna looks shocked too; I thought she knew I took over.

“What do you do?”

He hesitates, before he answers.

“I’m a junior stockbroker.” He tries to make it
sound cool, but the wine, beer and whiskey have gone to my head.

“You mean you’re the arsehole who cold calls people
all day? I think that’s called a glorified telesales man, mate.”

The room falls silent, and maybe they were expecting
me to welcome him with a little more charm. Stick that in your pipe and smoke
it. I look over to Jenna; I can't keep my eyes off her. There’s a ghost of a
smile on her lips and I know she’s amused by my outburst. We always used to take
the piss out of salesmen. And marketers. Or anyone else who spent their days
calling people, begging to provide them with a service.

“Haven’t you got to be at the site early tomorrow,
Deac? You can't drive home after so many beers. Stay with us.” Mum says, and I
know it’s a good idea to leave now, before I say anything else.

“You don't live with Emma, Deacon?” Jenna asks,
still rooted to the spot by the fireplace. Clearly she’s discovered more about
me tonight, as I have her.

“No. I moved out. Happy birthday, Jen.” I give her
the gift I’ve had in my house since she disappeared. It’s not something I
bought, she was never materialistic. It was something I thought she’d love,
something from our childhood. But I’m not sure this new Jenna will appreciate
anything that isn’t city-suitable.

Jenna

I didn’t expect to see Deacon last night. It’s no
secret that we’ve been avoiding each other, so when Mum mentioned he lived in
town I half expected him to go away for the weekend. Because that’s how long
I’m here for.

When I get downstairs, my mum is in the kitchen, her
favourite room in the house as it is mine, making breakfast.

“Mmm, smells good,” I inhale the sweet smell of
pancakes, “I was going to make some breakfast muffins, but you’ve beaten me to
it.”

“I was up early, so I thought I’d do it,” She hands
me a cup of coffee as I sit in one of the chairs at the little table in the
corner, “It was nice to see Deacon last night.”

“Was that your plan, Mum?” I pour some sweetener
out, watching each grain disappear, “To reunite us? We’re not best friends
anymore.”

“I know that, baby. But you’ve both changed so much.
Emma and I thought it was time you saw each other again.”

“That wasn’t your decision to make. I’m with Kip,
and I don’t think he’ll appreciate people playing games.”

“Oh, Jen –“

She is interrupted as Kip comes into the kitchen,
fully dressed in his suit and ready for work.

“You came all the way here, to stay the night?” My
mum questions him, grabbing a cup for coffee.

“No coffee, thank you. I only drink organic. And
something has come up at work, Mrs. Rivera, I am sorry.”

            “Organic.” Mum snorts, and I can't help
but laugh. She places a plate of pancakes on the table for me, covered in maple
syrup and bacon. Just how I like it.

“Jenna, baby.”

Not in my mum’s house.

“It’s organic milk, Kip. Haven’t you got to rush?”

He looks at his watch, “Actually, yes.”

He kisses me on the cheek and thanks my mum for her
hospitality like she’s running a bed and breakfast. I notice he’s catching the
train back into the city, and he leaves my car outside the house. I turn to
look at my mum; she’s got her hands on her hips and tapping one foot.

“What was that about?”

“Kip likes organic, and he’s a vegetarian. So I
don’t eat meat in front of him.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s his lifestyle, Mum. Can you keep the pancakes?
I want to go for a run before I eat.”

“Since when do you run?”

I wish everyone would just stop treating me like
I’ve come from some foreign planet.

“Since I live near the Thames and it’s relaxing to
run.”

Mum shrugs, and drops the subject, something I’ve
always been grateful for, and puts my plate in the microwave.

“I love you, Mum.” I jump up, stretching and put my
earphones in, “I won't be long.”

I set off along the harbour, past the quay where a
few fishermen are unloading their morning catch, and down onto the beach. It’s
a quiet and warm Saturday morning; high season hasn’t hit yet, and very few
locals get up early on Saturdays. It’s just me, and the beach. And Deacon Reid.
Oh god, he runs too? Oh, god. He’s shirtless, and running in my direction. I
try my best to pretend not to see him, and I think he’s attempting to do the
same, but the beach thins out and there’s no way we can run past each other
without feeling awkward.

“Hey.” I wave as we both stop and walk until we’re
standing in front of each other.

I can't help but look at him. I try, really try to
keep my eyes on his, but it’s impossible. He’s so big. He used to be tall and
lean, like a gazelle or something. Now he’s big, with broad shoulders, a narrow
waist, and muscles that ripple under his skin as he catches his breath, and
sweat trickles down his chest, covered by a sports vest. He’s definitely more
of a lion now; even has a head of dark blond surfer curls to call his mane.
He’s such a man. Big hands, muscular arms and legs, and stubble on his jaw. But
his eyes are still the enchanting shade of blue they have always been piercing
through anything he looks at. His Swedish Grandfather would be proud of the
fine Scandinavian ancestry displayed on Deacon Reid.

“You alright, Jenna?”

“What are you, a lumberjack?”

I regret what I said instantly. Now he’ll know I was
looking. My chest is heaving, and not from running.

“I had to find something to do when you left, Jen.”

He stretches his arms behind his head, pulling the
vest tight across his abdomen. It takes everything in me not to combust right
there and then. Why is this happening? I need to go back to London, before I’m
left on the floor picking up the pieces of my heart and self-respect again. But
I know that look he’s giving me, I’ve seen it before, and I have to stay clear
of it. What Kip and I have is stable and I can't rock the boat. It’s not the
most exciting relationship, but stability is what I need.

“I didn’t know you took over your dad’s business.
Remember when we used to play there as kids?”

A trip down memory lane isn’t going to help, but I
can't think straight. We start walking, in the direction I was running.

“Mum wanted to sell it. I couldn't let her do that,
but Brad didn’t want it. I couldn't let everything Dad built be sold off. I
learned enough in my lectures, and just kind of winged it. Never looked back.”

I bite my bottom lip. I want to congratulate him,
but that will be patronising. I want to say nothing, but that would be rude. I
open my mouth to patronise, but he speaks over me.

“Did you open your gift?”

I nod. I did. Once Kip was asleep and I had my
emotions in check. It had taken me the rest of uni to get it together after that
night at the beach, and I have to stay in control. I move my hair away from my
chest, where it is tied in pigtails, and pull my vest down, to show him the
shell settled comfortably between my breasts. I know he made the necklace
himself, and I’m glad he hadn’t gone and bought me something I would never use
or ask for. But he still thought about me, enough to think to make it in the
first place.

“Thank you.”

When he doesn’t say anything I notice him ogling my
chest, and I put my pigtails back in place. His eyes look up to meet mine.

“I should go. I wanna get this run in before I plan
my trip back.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Sorry?”

“I’ll run with you.”

I roll my eyes and take a deep breath, before
putting my earphones back in and setting off further along the park. The music
is loud in my ears but I can feel Deacon running with me and I can see his
shadow on the sand. Even his shadow is huge; I cannot believe how buff he’s got
– big and strong, and powerful. My body protests and I stop, leaning over and putting
my hands on my knees. I’m new at running, and can't do the long distance yet.
Who am I kidding? I stopped because the way I was thinking about his body was
guaranteed to have me fall face first on the sand.

“You alright?” He asks, smirking. He’s laughing at
me the bastard. He knows exactly what he’s done.

I pretend to try and catch my breath as I try
desperately to compose myself and get rid of the images in my head. This man
was once my best friend, my favourite person in the world. And he broke my
heart. It doesn’t matter than he’s grown and moulded himself into a successful
business man. To me, he’s still that twenty one-year old who ruined me on this
beach.

“I need to go home.” And by home, I mean London.

Everywhere I look there’s a memory, some reminder of
our friendship, and I can't take it.

“Okay. I've gotta get my car from your parents’
house. I’ll walk you.”

I turn my iPod off and we walk back up the length of
the beach and along the harbour in silence.

“Why did you change your hair?” Deacon asks as we
reach my parent’s road.

I changed everything about myself after that
Christmas. I couldn't look in the mirror at my long dark waves without feeling
the tips of Deacon’s fingers running through them.

“What’s with the meaningless questions? People
change, Deacon.”

“Red.” He mumbles, barely audible.

But he’s not my Red anymore. He’s Deacon Reid, and
that’s it.

“Thanks for walking me back.” I say as we reach the
end of my path. He shrugs.

“Had to get my truck.”

I look behind him, and see the shiny black pick-up
truck. It looks like a Ford, and it looks expensive.

“Nice.” I look back to his piercing ice-blue eyes, “See
you around.”

“Pop in to the site before you go.”

I nod, knowing that I’m not going to pop in
anywhere. I’m going to spend the day with my parents and drive home tomorrow
morning.

“Do you want your breakfast warmed up?” Mum asks as
I walk through the door.

I shake my head and climb the stairs to shower. I
watch out of my bedroom window as Deacon gets into his truck and makes a phone
call. I watch as he talks with his hands. He looks frustrated, raking his hands
through his wild hair over and over and gripping the back of his neck.
Something’s got him riled up. And then I feel sorry for him. He wouldn’t have
known how to run a business when he dropped out of university; and there was no
one around to help him. I wonder if he’s got the hang of it now, as I watch him
turn on the ignition and drive away.

I sit down on the edge of my bed and run my hands
over the bedding; the same patchwork set I had begged Mum to buy when my
parents bought me my double bed at sixteen. I remember the times we all used to
squeeze in and watch films. All four walls in this room are full of memories;
photos of us all as kids, on the beach with a picnic, in Mr. Reid’s fishing
boat, bowling in town. Everything I treasured from my childhood growing up by
the sea is documented in this bedroom. I feel nostalgic as I look around, and I
wish I could go back to those times – times when life was easy and I wasn’t
pretending to be one person on the outside, while living as a twenty year old
student in my head. Lying back on my bed and look up at the ceiling. I close my
eyes and dream.

“Jenna?” I hear mum calling from downstairs, “Lunch
is ready. Wash up and meet us in the garden.”

I manage to have a quick shower to wake myself up,
and pull open my wardrobe to look for some clothes. All the clothes I had when
I was here last are in the wardrobe. I left so quickly on Boxing Day that I
left them here and just started from scratch when I got back to London. I pull
out my old favourite black skinny jeans and a white t-shirt tied in a knot at
the side. I tie my hair up in a messy ponytail and look in the mirror. This
definitely looks better with dark hair.

Mum, Dad and Jonas are already eating when I get
downstairs; I join them at the table and they all stop and look at me.

“Oh mi, Jenna.” Dad says. I know what he’s talking
about; I don’t dress like this anymore.

“It’s just some old clothes,” I shrug and sit down
at the table, “No big deal.”

I ignore the looks and tuck into the lunch of
sandwiches with homemade coleslaw, and a big bowl of strawberries and cream.

“You look comfortable,” Mum whispers, “shall we have
a walk around the shops after lunch? Have a glass of wine at The Duck?”

“Sounds good.”

Mum and I are sitting outside The Duck, on a picnic
bench in the recently refurbished pub garden. Mum bought us a bottle of wine,
and we sit and ponder into our glasses.

“Are you happy Jen?” Mum asks, and I can't look at
her. I can't lie to her while looking into her eyes.

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Things seem a little forced between you and that
Kip. I don’t like the way he put you down last night. Two cake shops is
incredible, sweetie.”

“I know that, I’m not worried about opening more,
Kip just wants to support me. But he gets me. Things are easy, he gives me my
space when I need it, and looks after me when I need him.”

            “Baby, it’s easy to dodge our
responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our
responsibilities.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It might be easy now, but what’s going to happen
years down the line when you regret not discovering what you really want?”

I look past Mum, and she looks behind her instantly.
Deacon comes into the beer garden with a slim brunette, carrying a bottle of
beer and her glass of wine. He sits down, facing me but not noticing me.

“I know what I want.” I watch as Deacon leans in and
nuzzles into the girl’s neck, “I want to walk round the shops.”