Page 29 of Second Chance Serenity

“Okay.” It’s so hard for me to see the man who’d raised me beneath the shell of what he’s allowed himself to become. The accident was hard, sure, I won’t take that away from him. But God kept him here. He let my father remain on this earth with my mother, my sister, his grandson, me—why can’t we be enough? “Well, I’m going to head over to Margot’s and pick up Matty. I can take you with me if you’d like? Get you out of the house?”

“I’ve already told you, no.”

“All right. See you later, Dad.” I stand up and head over toward my mom. After planting a kiss on her forehead, she walks me out the front door. “Why don’t you come with me? We can get you out for a bit.”

“You know I can’t leave your father,” she replies. I can see the sadness in her gaze, the brokenness. My mother used to be incredibly active in the church. She’d had friends, a life, and now she barely leaves the house. Margot does most of the shopping, and I take care of all maintenance around the place.

“I told you, I can hire a nurse to come in and take care of him.”

“No. He’s my husband. It’s my gift to be able to care for him when he needs me.”

“Ma—”

“Michael, I’m okay. I promise. Please. I love your father, with everything that I am, and even if he has a hard time remembering who he is, I never will.” He’d been a caring husband, a loving and supportive father to Margot, and—well—an active father to me. I know that’s what she’s holding onto. Honestly, it’s what Margot clings to on hard days, too.

“Okay. Just think about it, please? You can take care of him and still have a life.”

“Thank you.” She smiles and stretches up to kiss my cheek. “Let me know if Reyna needs anything, okay?”

“I will.” As I climb into my truck, I look up the street to Reyna’s house. Jaxson’s car is parked right out in front, and just seeing it there—even as I know there’s nothing romantic between them—is like sandpaper to my soul. It should be me in there. Protecting her. Loving her. I should be her husband, her partner, and I allowed myself to be chased out of town.

Forcing myself to look away, I climb in and make the fifteen-minute drive to the Hope Springs Bed and Breakfast across town. My sister has been running the place ever since she and her now ex-husband, Chad O’Connell, bought it from Betsy Lee five years ago.

It had been her dream to own a place like it, so when he left, I’d bought him out so she wouldn’t lose the place in the divorce. Now, we’re technically co-owners, but I’m a silent partner and have been secretly squirreling away my portion of the proceeds for Matty’s college fund. If he ever gets there.

With my nephew’s temper, he may just end up in jail first.

Margot is standing behind the counter on the phone. Her dark hair is up in a messy bun, her large-framed glasses slipping down her nose. When she sees me, she holds up a finger and flashes a quick smile. “Fantastic, Mr. Phillips, I have you down for that reservation. Yes, sir, I will take care of it. Absolutely. Okay. Wonderful. See you then.” She ends the call and plants both palms on the counter. “You are a sight for sore eyes, big brother.”

“Why is that?”

“Two of the lightbulbs in room 2A are out. I don’t suppose you could?—”

“On it.”

She laughs and follows me as I make my way down the hall to the supply closet for spare lightbulbs. “How is Reyna? I tried to call her earlier, but she didn’t answer.”

“She’s shaken up,” I tell her as I retrieve the box and head up the back steps.

“Jaxson told me she hired you guys and that he’s protecting her.”

Since the former LAPD detective hasn’t quite decided where he wants to live yet, he’s been renting the maintenance apartment here at the B&B ever since he got to Hope Springs. “Speaking of Jaxson, why isn’t he changing these out?”

“Busy protecting Reyna,” she replies as she slips past me and unlocks the door to the room. “Which, by the way, you should be doing.”

“She doesn’t want me to.”

“It’s a mistake. You have to know it’s a mistake.”

“I’ll let your maintenance guy know that you think he’s a mistake.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

After unscrewing the broken lightbulbs, I replace them and then turn to face her. “I appreciate it, Margot, but Reyna made her choice and I respect it.”

“Well. I love her, but it was a dumb choice.”

“I left her behind.”

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