Read Online Second Chances by Kimberly McKay - Free Book Online Page A

and released the thoughts of years gone by away.  What was he doing here?  
    She shook her head and grinned.  He may have had the same effect on her as it were yesterday, but she wasn’t a schoolgirl anymore.  
                  “Nick Granger, you’ve not changed a bit.” 
                  He sent her a sexy smile and slowly looked her over.  He raised an eyebrow, as his dimples begged to be touched.  She forced her hands to stay in her pockets and fought back the urge.
      It was then she wished she’d had some powder, as her dinner shift had wiped any trace of makeup from her face. Self-conscious, she brought her gloved hands up to her neck.  Nervous that she’d smell of cheeseburgers and fries, she took a step back.
    “I could say the same about you.”  He noticed her nerves and took a step forward.
    As he closed the gap, Paige froze as if her feet were glued to the pavement.  Her stomach tightened with anticipation. 
    “What are you doing here?”  She rubbed her arms.
    “Man, I’m sorry. Here…” He moved in next to her and swung his coat around her shoulders.  He felt bad for exposing her to the elements.  Although still early fall, they’d had an unusually cold one.  
    “No, I’m fine. You need your coat, but thank you.”  Paige shrugged it off and offered it back to him.
    Nick smirked, thinking some things never changed.  Of course, she would give it back to him.  It’s who she was – at least from what he remembered.  She had always put others first.  It was nice to see she’d not changed on that front.
    “Okay, but I offered.”  He slid his arms back into his heavy leather coat and buttoned it up. 
    “You didn’t answer my question.”  Her eyes twinkled.
    “I was waiting for you.”  He raised an eyebrow, hoping she’d be impressed. 
    Nick wasn’t sure what inspired him, but on the ride home from Tight Ends he couldn’t get her out of his mind.  As he pulled into his drive, he made a split decision and quickly threw dinner together for his daughter, before slipping into something more casual and grabbing his keys. It was only a 30-minute drive back to the restaurant, and he wanted to see her.
    “This whole time?”  Paige asked, stunned.
    “No, I had to take care of Katie.” He saw her look of confusion, and added, “She’s my daughter.  Then I drove back.”
    “Oh.”  She looked at him with new eyes, and could easily see him in that role.  With his kind heart, he’d be a natural. Her mind snapped back to the subject at hand.  “Why?” 
    “Why not?  I thought we could catch up.”  He suggested, hoping she would be open to it.
    Catch up?   Paige breathed in, wondering the ramifications.  Dating wasn’t part of her agenda, and catching up with someone that always had her head spinning might be too much too soon.  She watched his dimples deepen and took a mild step toward whatever he was offering.
    “Well, that was nice.”  She nodded toward the restaurant, referring to the event earlier in the evening. “It looks like you’ve done pretty well for yourself.  I had no idea you were some big-time football player.”
    “Really?  Sam never told you?”  Nick wasn’t sure if he should take offense or not.
    “Not once.  I kind of had my own life, separate from them until recently…”  Her voice trailed.
    “Yeah, I heard.  I’m sorry.”  The instant he uttered those words, he regretted it.
    “Why am I not surprised?  I’m sure my dirty laundry has been aired to the whole town of Granite.”  Paige dug for her keys in her pocket.  “I swear … my brother.”  She stepped toward her car.
    He quickly sidestepped and tried to repair the damage.
    “Hey – if it helps.  I’ve been there.  I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”  Nick ran his hand through his hair, knowing he’d missed his window of opportunity.
    “No, it’s not your fault.  It was really good seeing you, though.”