Read Online Second Chance (Cold Springs Series Book 1) by Nancy Henderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Henderson
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drink.” His response was automatic. I don’t think it’s wise with my past, he wanted to add, but didn’t.
Sam set the bottle down on the counter. “Oh, um…do you like soda? I have all kinds.”
“Whatever’s good.” He wiped his palms off on his jeans and sat down at one of the tables. “I don’t mean to put you out. If you had other plans—”
“No, no plans. Just lots of work left to be done, but I could really use a break.”
“What else do you need to do?”
She paused, as if going over a list in her head. “I still have shelves to stock, more cleaning. There’s always cleaning, but the majority is done, I suppose.”
Just then a kitten appeared around his ankles. He looked down at the delicate orange ball of fur and held his hand out for it to sniff. The cat rubbed its face on his index finger and purred loudly. “So Burt struck, I see.”
“He certainly did.” Sam approached the table with two large glasses. She took the frozen pizzas and placed them on two pans and disappeared with them into the kitchen. “I’m naming him Chance because he represents my second chance coming here.”
“So you’re keeping him?”
“Why not? I’ve never owned a pet.”
He chuckled. “I had a German shepherd growing up.”
“I remember.” Sam laughed. “He and you were inseparable. Did he die of old age?”
“I don’t know. Mom got rid of him right after—” He paused, remembering the letter his mother had written. Euthanized. She didn’t want any trace of her son around. He had shamed them. Mom hadn’t come out and said that in the letter but Ian had assumed that was why. He had probably made his entire family a laughingstock to this town. Cold Springs offered no forgiveness, and to think his family had received any was just fooling himself. That was the last letter he’d received from any part of his family. Mom had come to visit him once, and Ian had refused to see her, then no one had come again. He knew it must be hard for them, especially Mom, and he wasn’t going to force himself on any of them. It would be better for everyone to just forget about him, if possible, and hopefully they would all find peace in their lives.
Sam was looking at him with a strange expression on her face. Heat rose at the back of his neck as embarrassment suddenly got the best of him. Coming here tonight had been a huge mistake.
“Things must have been pretty hard on you.”
He shrugged, at a loss for words. He didn’t want her pity. He didn’t want anything. Just the damn pizza already.
As if on cue, the oven timer buzzed. Thankful for something to break the tension, Ian went to the kitchen to get the pizza. He came back, set it down on one of the adjoining tables.
When Sam had gathered forks and a spatula, she sat down and held the plates as he served. Her stomach growled, loud enough for him to hear.
“It’s funny how sometimes I’m too busy to think about food now.” She laughed. “I ate all the time when I was working at the agency. I guess it has something to do with brain work versus physical work.”
“You don’t look it. Like you ate all the time, I mean.”
“Uh, thanks.”
He smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just meant a lot of women your age have put on weight. You haven’t.”
“You know I’ve always been gangly.”
Anything but the sort , Ian thought but kept quiet. He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her. She was cute as a kid, but now. Now she was a knock out, even in work clothes covered with kitchen grease.
“I always figured you were too good for me.” He hadn’t meant to say that.
Sam put her slice down. “What?”
“I guess that’s why I left you stranded that night. What I mean is, Jane Benton was
Sam set the bottle down on the counter. “Oh, um…do you like soda? I have all kinds.”
“Whatever’s good.” He wiped his palms off on his jeans and sat down at one of the tables. “I don’t mean to put you out. If you had other plans—”
“No, no plans. Just lots of work left to be done, but I could really use a break.”
“What else do you need to do?”
She paused, as if going over a list in her head. “I still have shelves to stock, more cleaning. There’s always cleaning, but the majority is done, I suppose.”
Just then a kitten appeared around his ankles. He looked down at the delicate orange ball of fur and held his hand out for it to sniff. The cat rubbed its face on his index finger and purred loudly. “So Burt struck, I see.”
“He certainly did.” Sam approached the table with two large glasses. She took the frozen pizzas and placed them on two pans and disappeared with them into the kitchen. “I’m naming him Chance because he represents my second chance coming here.”
“So you’re keeping him?”
“Why not? I’ve never owned a pet.”
He chuckled. “I had a German shepherd growing up.”
“I remember.” Sam laughed. “He and you were inseparable. Did he die of old age?”
“I don’t know. Mom got rid of him right after—” He paused, remembering the letter his mother had written. Euthanized. She didn’t want any trace of her son around. He had shamed them. Mom hadn’t come out and said that in the letter but Ian had assumed that was why. He had probably made his entire family a laughingstock to this town. Cold Springs offered no forgiveness, and to think his family had received any was just fooling himself. That was the last letter he’d received from any part of his family. Mom had come to visit him once, and Ian had refused to see her, then no one had come again. He knew it must be hard for them, especially Mom, and he wasn’t going to force himself on any of them. It would be better for everyone to just forget about him, if possible, and hopefully they would all find peace in their lives.
Sam was looking at him with a strange expression on her face. Heat rose at the back of his neck as embarrassment suddenly got the best of him. Coming here tonight had been a huge mistake.
“Things must have been pretty hard on you.”
He shrugged, at a loss for words. He didn’t want her pity. He didn’t want anything. Just the damn pizza already.
As if on cue, the oven timer buzzed. Thankful for something to break the tension, Ian went to the kitchen to get the pizza. He came back, set it down on one of the adjoining tables.
When Sam had gathered forks and a spatula, she sat down and held the plates as he served. Her stomach growled, loud enough for him to hear.
“It’s funny how sometimes I’m too busy to think about food now.” She laughed. “I ate all the time when I was working at the agency. I guess it has something to do with brain work versus physical work.”
“You don’t look it. Like you ate all the time, I mean.”
“Uh, thanks.”
He smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just meant a lot of women your age have put on weight. You haven’t.”
“You know I’ve always been gangly.”
Anything but the sort , Ian thought but kept quiet. He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her. She was cute as a kid, but now. Now she was a knock out, even in work clothes covered with kitchen grease.
“I always figured you were too good for me.” He hadn’t meant to say that.
Sam put her slice down. “What?”
“I guess that’s why I left you stranded that night. What I mean is, Jane Benton was
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