The Second Time Around Read online

  THE SECOND TIME AROUND

  Angie Daniels

  This book is dedicated to my girls Tonya Hill (Gross)

  and Latoyia Edwards for keeping me laughing while

  I was trying to finish this book. The next glass of

  Grey Goose and cranberry is on me!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 1

  Jabarie Beaumont had a feeling that something was about to happen.

  He had felt it last night and again earlier this morning. Even now while on his way to work, the strong sensation still hadn’t gone away. As he turned his silver Lincoln Navigator onto Main Street, he scowled. Whatever it was, he hoped it hurried up and happened.

  While obeying the twenty-mile-an-hour speed limit, his eyes traveled up and down the wide cobblestone street that was lined with single story buildings and mom and pop stores. Summer was a busy time for the merchants of Sheraton Beach. Inside, store clerks were waiting anxiously for tourists to arrive. The Main Street Café was already crowded with people dying to taste Carla’s infamous pecan waffles.

  At the end of the block, Jabarie eased to a complete stop and waited for the light to change. Tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel, he gazed over at the Cornerstone Bookstore. The quaint little store had been a prominent fixture on the busy corner for over two decades. Dozens of books of all genres were proudly displayed on one side of the window and at the other end…was a woman. Pursing his lips thoughtfully, Jabarie wondered who she was. He knew she wasn’t the owner. Ever since she had twisted her ankle three days ago, Ms. Nellie had been at home with strict instructions to stay off her feet. The store had been closed ever since.

  Jabarie lowered his sunglasses and rolled down the window so he could get a closer look. The woman turned slightly and removed a book from the display shelf. Her honey brown hair tumbled across her shoulders, glistening in the sunlight. White shorts that were barely legal clung to her hips and showed off shapely long legs.

  Every muscle in his body froze. He knew her. Even from the distance he could see her pouty raised lips and those large hazel eyes, or was it because he had them embedded to memory? After the way his pride had been badly stomped, he wasn’t likely to ever forget.

  The driver behind him blew his horn. Startled, Jabarie put his foot on the gas and moved through the light then eased to a complete stop directly across from the bookstore. As he tried to reclaim his breathing, he continued to watch the woman rearrange the front display.

  She was barely five-four yet packed a lot of curves onto that small frame. Curves he remembered holding in his arms all too well. Open at the top, her clinging pink blouse revealed smooth caramel skin and cleavage that sent his libido into overdrive. Damn, it had been a long time since any woman had gotten to him like this. Why’d it have to be Brenna Gathers? Jabarie let out a deep sigh. It took a lot of guts for her to come back to Sheraton Beach after what she had done.

  “Don’t even go there,” he told himself firmly, but it was too late, his mind had already delivered detailed memories he’d rather forget. Details of the night she’d walked out on him.

  Shaking his head, he still couldn’t believe she was back. After she skipped town the night before their wedding, he never thought he’d see her again. The recollection brought along with it a flash of anger he quickly pushed aside. It no longer mattered, he told himself. That was five long years ago.

  “So what are you going to do?” he heard himself say. If he had any sense, he would have put his Navigator into Drive and sped towards work. But he’d never been able to think straight when Brenna was involved. After a long thoughtful moment, Jabarie decided he couldn’t sit outside forever. He climbed out of the SUV and moved across the cobblestone street. But instead of going straight to the door, he stopped on the sidewalk, directly in front of the window.

  After all these years, what did he possibly have to say to her? Brenna walked out on him, not the other way around. His hand stilled over his heart, the one she’d torn to shreds years ago. He’d gone on to build a life without her and regretted the feelings that just looking at her could still bring forth. Gazing through the window, he scowled. It wasn’t fair that she still looked amazing. Her curvy body was exactly the same as he remembered. It just wasn’t fair. Their reunion would be so much easier if she had gained weight. Instead, she looked better than ever.

  Brenna Gathers was still nothing short of gorgeous. She was the kind of woman that with a single smile could get a man to do anything she wanted. He always wondered if she knew she had that type of effect on people. Obviously, she had. Otherwise she would have never had the guts to ask his mother for one-hundred-thousand dollars.

  He sighed deeply, and as if she’d heard, Brenna shifted in the window and her gaze came up to meet his. He knew the moment she recognized him. Her jaw dropped and her body went slack and a half a dozen books fell from her cradled arms. Her cheeks were flushed and she blinked rapidly. His surprise at seeing her again was nothing compared to her reaction.

  Good.

  Turning on his heels, Jabarie headed toward the door.

  Brenna had known it was only a matter of time.

  There was no way she could have returned to a small town like Sheraton Beach and not run into Jabarie Beaumont, although she had prayed for a miracle.

  In the meantime, she had tried to prepare for this exact moment. She had even memorized what she would say. The tilt of her head even practiced a mechanical smile. But now that the moment had finally arrived, she scrambled her brain, and for the life of her she couldn’t remember any of it. Instead she closed her eyes and took a deep breath just as the bell over the door jingled, letting her know Jabarie had entered.

  “Hello, Bren.”

  The heat from his words radiated her body. Just as it did every time she dreamed about him. How ridiculous she had been to think that she could have prepared for this exact moment.

  Brenna swung away from the window and forced herself to finally face the man who five years ago had broken her heart. Looking up into his piercing dark eyes, her breath caught in her throat. They were so intense, she felt like she had been hit over the head. She had to force herself to speak. “Jabarie,” she said breathlessly.

  “I didn’t know you were back in town.”

  His voice sounded cool and controlled while his eyes studied her reactions. Needing to free herself of his intense stare, she dropped her gaze and stepped away from the window. Her knees were shaking, and it angered her that after all these years he still had that kind of affect on her. Moving behind the counter, she looked up at him again and tried to keep her emotions in check. “I got in last night,” she said, struggling to find her voice. “As soon as Aunt Nellie told me she’d twisted her ankle, I tied up some loose ends and came back to help run the store until she’s back on her feet.”

  Jabarie’s brow furrowed. “I just saw your aunt. She never mentioned that you were coming.”

  Brenna simply shrugged. “Maybe it slipped her mind. Anyway, she’s at home on bed rest.”

  He let out a slow breath. “I know. I’m the one who drove her home from the clinic.”

  “You did?” Brenna found it equally strange that her aunt had forgotten to mention that Ja
barie had brought her home. Then again, the way she cut her aunt off at any mention of her former fiancé, she couldn’t blame her.

  “I even called and checked on her this morning and Ms. Nellie never mentioned you were back.”

  “Someone has to run the store,” Brenna replied as she continued to look across at the man she had loved since the fourth grade and gave him her full attention. Good Lord. He was still fine as ever. His large dark eyes were still mesmerizing, his dimples irresistible, and his mouth still just as delectable looking as ever. It had been five years yet right now it felt like she had just left. The pain had resurrected and panged her heart. She had hoped with time and distance she would have gotten over him. But sadly she hadn’t. She had never forgotten a single detail. Realizing her thoughts were heading down the wrong road, she busied herself straightening a stack of bookmarks. Next thing she knew, Jabarie had moved behind the counter. Goodness, she hadn’t even heard him move.

  “How long are you staying?” Jabarie asked, leaning in closer, caging her in behind the counter.

  “Uh…until Aunt Nellie’s back on her feet.” She took a deep breath. His cologne hadn’t changed in five years, or was that just his natural scent?

  “Then what?” he asked silkily.

  “I go back to my life,” she replied barely above a whisper.

  Brenna noticed his eyes darkened dangerously before he stepped away and moved over to gaze out the large floor-to-ceiling window. She took that moment to try and pull herself together as she stared at his strong profile.

  After doing a complete sweep of his body, she noticed Jabarie had packed on the muscles over the years. He had always taken care of himself and the solid body standing before her was definitely proof of that. Jabarie still wore his thick curly hair low on top and faded on the sides. Above his right brow was a scar that he’d gotten while the two were skateboarding. She had to have been ten. Jabarie hadn’t noticed the rock that jammed one of the wheels of his board and had sent him landing face first onto the hot asphalt. She had never seen so much blood in her life. Yet, thirteen stitches later, they were back racing up and down the street.

  “How have you been?” She knew that question sounded stupid but at the moment she didn’t know what else to say.

  Jabarie turned away from the window, hands buried in the pockets of his pleated slacks and nodded. “I’ve been well, and what about you?”

  Still trying to get over you. She swallowed. “I’ve been busy.”

  “So I’ve heard,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she countered.

  He raked a hand across his face. As she stared up at his intense gaze she realized one thing hadn’t changed. He still managed to make her heart flutter with a single look.

  “That means I heard you opened your own bookstore.” His voice had softened considerably.

  Brenna simply nodded.

  “I’m glad to hear your dream finally came true.”

  Her dream had been to be his wife and have a couple of babies. Just thinking about it caused anger to brew to the surface, but she wasn’t about to go there. “Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  “Have dinner with me tonight?”

  Brenna gasped. Sharing time together was the last thing she had expected to hear from him. Jabarie moved toward her then lifted one hand and caressed the side of her face. She tried to stay still and fought the urge to close her eyes and lean into his hand.

  “Why would you want to have dinner?”

  He cocked his head to the side and frowned. “Why not?”

  She backed away from the heat of his hand and sucked in some much needed air. Afraid he might see how badly her hands were shaking, she moved over to the coffeepot brewing in the corner and shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “And I asked you why not?”

  Before she could come up with a plausible answer, the sound of the bell jingled over the door, shaking Brenna out of the private place she’d gone too. A woman with identical twins moved to the children’s section of the store. Brenna sent a smile their way then looked back over at Jabarie again. “I need to get back to work,” she said and turned on her heels.

  “Shall I take that as a no?”

  She stopped and turned around. He stood before her trying to hide his anger but Brenna had always been able to look into his eyes and see beneath the surface.

  “I think it’s best if we leave the past behind us.”

  Chapter 2

  For the rest of the afternoon, Brenna was a nervous wreck. She spent half the day thinking about Jabarie, and the other half on pins and needles expecting him to walk through the door at any moment. The younger Jabarie would have, she thought as she shut off the coffeepot. Stubborn and used to getting what he wanted, he was never one to accept no for an answer. Five years ago, he would have kissed her senseless until she’d agreed to have dinner. But as she moved to make sure everything was locked up tight for the night, she realized a lot of time had passed. She was no longer naive and twenty-one. She was a different woman and apparently Jabarie was a different man.

  With a sigh, Brenna turned out the last light in the store then armed the alarm on the way out. It had been a long and tiring day. Nevertheless, Aunt Nellie would be quite pleased. The store had had a good day.

  While moving out to her aunt’s Toyota Corolla, she inhaled the salted air and allowed the feeling of home to wrap around her. Despite her reason for leaving in the first place, it felt good to be back, even if it was only temporary.

  Brenna climbed behind the driver’s seat and started the car. If it hadn’t been for a box of used books she needed to bring into the store this morning, she would have walked into town like she had done for as long as she could remember.

  Driving slowly down Main Street, she noted how little the ocean-view town had changed in the last five years. She was pleased to discover it had preserved its small-town charm. Annie’s Antiques was still to her left and the Sheraton Gift Shop to her right. One thing she noticed was that Gabe’s Candy Store was gone. Her lips curled upward as she remembered dashing there every Friday only seconds after receiving her weekly allowance. The store with the bright red awning out front was now a video store. From the crowd of young kids standing out front, Video Adventure was the happening place to be.

  As she turned onto Palmer Road, she allowed her mind to travel back to the good times. Chasing ice cream trucks, flying kites, and of course hours of swimming. Feelings of warmth flooded through her chest. Yep, it was good to be back even if it was just for a short time. In three weeks she would return to her new life and once again leave the past behind.

  Brenna pulled in front of her aunt’s small, ranch-style home and turned off the car. As she climbed out, she exchanged waves with Ms. Lucy next door, who was sitting out on her porch swing.

  “It’s nice to have you back,” the seventy-year-old widow said in a low raspy voice.

  As Brenna moved up the sidewalk, she gave the woman who made the best peach cobbler in town a friendly smile. “It’s nice to be back, Ms. Lucy.” Then with a nod, she hurried through the front door before the old lady could strike up a conversation. Once she did, there was no escaping.

  Brenna tossed her purse onto the couch then glanced around the small uncluttered room. Everything was handmade, from the Afghans draped across the aging furniture, to the crochet tablecloth and homemade drapes. The thing she loved the most about the house she had grown up in, was the abundance of windows overlooking the smooth, sandy Atlantic shore where as a child she had spent hours playing.

  Removing her tennis shoes, Brenna padded across the hardwood floor and entered the first room on the right where her Aunt Nellie was sitting up in a full-size bed with her ankle propped up on a pillow.

  “There you are,” she replied, chestnut eyes dancing with excitement. “I was wondering when you’d get in.”

  Brenna flopped down onto the r
ocking chair beside her bed. “Busy afternoon. Where in the world did all these people come from?”

  Her aunt chuckled lightly. “It’s gotten really popular around here since you left. I think tourists have discovered that by traveling just a little farther south from Rehoboth Beach they can find a small town more charming than any other resort on the east coast.”

  Brenna nodded in agreement. In the last several years several families had converted their homes into a bed and breakfast. No sky rises. Nothing commercialized. Sheraton Beach offered their visitors beautiful blue waters, friendly local merchants, and old fashioned hospitality. It was some of the things she missed most about this place.

  “How did you get along today?”

  Aunt Nellie gave her a dismissive wave. “Don’t worry. I was fine. Lucy came over and made me lunch and then rolled my hair while we watched the soaps.” At fifty-five, her thick shoulder-length hair still didn’t have a strand of gray.

  Brenna crossed her ankles and smiled. It had always eased her mind to know that the small close-knit community always knew how to pull together when a resident was in need. It was one of the advantages of living in a small town. The disadvantage was that everyone knew everyone else and gossip spread fast. She could bet word had already spread of her return to Sheraton Beach.

  “You see anybody in particular today?”

  “Anyone like who?” Brenna asked, suddenly becoming suspicious.

  Aunt Nellie shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know…like maybe Jabarie perhaps?”

  Just as she’d suspected, someone had already blabbed about him coming into the bookstore.

  “Who told you that?”

  Her aunt turned to her with an amused look on her face. “Gavin Holmes said Jabarie stopped in the middle of Main Street and almost caused a traffic jam when he spotted you standing in the window.”