Page 49 of Just Another Chance

She sold her soul to the devil.

A bitter laugh erupts from my chest. “He did the same thing to me. Offered to pay me off if I walked out of Tanner’s life. But not even a million dollars would’ve tempted me.”

“That’s because you’re a good person, Addie. Way better than me and Thomas. I should never have accepted his offer and hurt you like that. I regret it so damn much. You have to forgive me. Please. I don’t know what I would do without you.” The tears begin to slide down her cheeks and my heart caves.

Even though I’m upset and hurt, my sister and I have bonded and established a relationship that we’d never had before. And it feels really good. I don’t want to throw it away over something that happened two years ago. Besides, she’s changed for the better and I need her right now more than ever before. “Knowing what you did hurts,” I say slowly, choosing my words carefully, “but you and Owen are the only family I have left. I love you, Kayla.”

With a sob, she throws herself against me and we hug fiercely.

“I love you and that little guy so much, and I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she cries.

We pull back from each other and laugh through our tears. Even though Kayla and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, we’ve grown so close in the last couple of months, and I don’t know what I would do without her. It’s a relief to get all of this out in the open and be able to forgive her and now move on.

After we settle back down, I clasp my hands together. “What do you think? It seems like my only option is to ask Tanner for the money. Unless we can sell Mom’s house in the next 24 hours, I don’t know what else to do.”

“How bad was your fight?” she asks softly.

“It wasn’t great,” I admit. “But I have to do whatever it takes to keep Owen safe.”

“Of course,” she agrees.

“I just never wanted Tanner to think I only cared about his money.”

“Oh, Addie, he never thought that. You’ve never asked that man for a dime. It was always true love between the two of you and it never had anything to do with money.”

I hope that she’s right. I’ve never cared that Tanner came from money and could buy anything he wanted. It’s something I never gave much thought to because Tanner doesn’t flaunt his wealth. He never did. I always thought of him as financially secure and comfortable. And extremely generous. But I never expected him to always pay for everything or to loan me money. It wasn’t ever an issue between us because I never made it one.

But now, I’m going to have to step outside my comfort zone and ask for a lot of money. And right when he’s mad at me.Figures.

Why is my life never easy?I wonder.

Pulling myself out of my pity-party, I hug my arms across my chest. “Guess I’m going to have to do some serious groveling.”

“Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asks earnestly.

“Babysit? And pray Tanner is in a good mood when I talk to him.”

“When are you going to go see him?”

“Not tonight. I want to give some time to cool off. Maybe…hopefully…he can try to see my side of the story a little better.”

“I really believe you guys are meant to be together, Addie. It’ll all be okay. I just know it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man love someone as much as Tanner loves you.”

Her words are sweet. I just hope they’re true. Because at this point, Tanner and I are running out of chances fast and that scares me.

18

TANNER

After talking to Sierra, I feel a little better. But it’s probably just the whiskey. To be honest, I feel miserable and all I want to do is get away from everyone and everything. I need time to sort through my emotions and decide how best to move forward with Addie and Owen.

There’s something else I need to do, too.

The following morning, I throw on a t-shirt and jeans, get in my SUV and drive to Calvary Cemetery. I haven’t been there since the day we buried Thomas Beckett. It takes me a minute to remember where exactly his gravestone is located and I manoeuvre my car around the narrow, meandering roads. When I find the right landmarks– a tall oak tree and a small pond– I pull over and park on the grass. After turning the car off, I sit there for a long moment and wait for my nerves to calm. Then I get out and start walking across the sprawling green lawn.

Last night, it occurred to me that I’ve never made peace with my father. I wasn’t sure I could, but here I am. I think in order for me to move forward, it’s something that I finally need to do. I sidestep graves and finally find the headstone that belongs to my parents.

It still amazes me how two people could’ve been so different. My mother was a beautiful, bright light with a spirit that cared for others deeply. She was so kind, loving and always there for us kids. My father was the complete opposite– cold, distant and controlling. He was always working and never gave his children the time of day. Unless he had an ulterior motive, he steered clear of his kids and left the parental rearing up to my mom.

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