Page 84 of Second Chance with Seth

“Everything’s just fine.”

“Then why are you going?” he asks, his frown deepening.

“Because I have a few things I need to deal with in Concord. Everly’s not impressed with me for leaving, but…”

“I can’t say I blame her.” He shakes his head, folding his arms across his chest. “You’re not gonna hurt her again, are you?”

“No. What I’m gonna do will make things better. I’m not sure she appreciates that, but it will, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I hear his sigh of relief and he lets his arms fall to his sides, moving a little closer. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but she means the world to me. I—I went through a bad time before I met Tomas. My ex…” He stops talking for a second and takes a breath before he says, “My ex wasn’t a kind man. I can’t talk about what he did, but I wound up at the hospital on more than one occasion. The last time I was there, I met Tomas, and he’s the one who persuaded me to leave. I did, but it was hard, even with Tomas’s help. Colin – my ex – he’d sapped my self-confidence, and I’ll admit I became a bit of recluse. Tomas saw Everly’s ad for help. She’d placed it online, and he thought I’d fit in here, even though this is a million miles away from what I used to do.”

“What did you used to do?” I ask, intrigued by his story.

“I worked in advertising.” I nod my head and he smiles. “When I first came here, I was so damn shy, I wouldn’t even make eye contact with the customers. I used to be terrified of my own shadow, but Everly persevered. She has the patience of a saint, that woman, and with her help, I’ve managed to face the world again. Obviously, Tomas has had a lot to do with that, too, but I’d be nowhere without Everly.”

“I know. She’s amazing. And I promise, I won’t hurt her.”

“Good,” he says, his smile widening.

“Look after her while I’m gone, will you?”

“Of course I will.”

“Thanks.”

I reach over the counter and offer my hand. He glances at it, and then at me, and then holds his out, too. We shake and I give him a nod of my head.

“See you soon, Owen.”

He grins and I make for the door and step out onto Main Street. I hadn’t expected that, but hearing about Owen’s past just brings it home to me how much I wanna move my life back here… so I can be a part of this family again. Because that’s what it is. I don’t think I realized that before, but this is the best family there is. Aunt Clare started it, and Everly’s carrying things on, and it’s where I belong. I know that now. The problem is, to make that happen, I have to go. I wish I didn’t, but I do. It’s only fair, and it’s the quickest and easiest way to get things done… even if I’m not altogether sure what those ‘things’ are yet. Nonetheless, I steal a glance back through the window as I walk past, sighing when I see that Everly hasn’t come out from the kitchen yet. I hope that doesn’t mean she’s out there crying… although I think she probably is, and while I’d love to go back there and comfort her, I can’t. I need to get this done so I can come back home for good.

I’m back in Concord within no time at all, but that’s hardly a surprise. It’s not a million miles away, and I’m used to the journey… although it’s not one I’ll be making for much longer.

Not if everything goes according to plan.

Rather than going home, I head straight for the office, because I need to speak to Aiden before I can do anything else, and I park my car outside, making my way in.

It seems strange to be back here, even though I’ve only been away for a few days, and I settle behind my desk, switching on my computer and am about to pull my phone from my pocket, just as I hear a knocking at my door and turn, letting out a sigh as Davina comes in.

“I thought I saw you,” she says. “Thank God you’re back. It’s been hell without you.”

I can’t say the same, but I manage a smile. “I’ve got a few things to sort out,” I say, hoping she’ll get the hint, but she doesn’t and takes a seat opposite me, smiling across the desk.

“I need to talk to you about the…”

“Not now,” I say, more firmly.

“But I’ve been waiting since Friday, and…”

“Davina… I just said, I’ve got a few things to sort out.”

She stands up, frowning. “Maybe after lunch, then?”

“I’ll have to see. Don’t get your hopes up. I’ve got a lot to do.”

“Okay,” she says with a definite pout, and leaves the room… thank God.

I pull out my phone and place a call to Everly. She doesn’t reply, but she could be doing any number of things, and I wait for her voicemail to finish telling me to leave a message and then say, “Hi, it’s me. Just checking in as promised. If you get a chance, can you call me back? If not, I’ll call again later. Love you, babe.” I hang up and stare at my computer screen, deciding I may as well check my emails as I’m here. There’s nothing of any great importance, and I’m just wondering about going to see Aiden when my phone rings. It’s Everly and I snatch it up and connect the call straight away.

---