Page 29 of Rip Ryder's Second Chance

“I can’t say that I know a lot about Bluebird, or how to run it, but Tuck put his faith in me. I just might have some of that strength running through my veins after all,” she said confidently.

He rubbed his thin jaw and his frown returned as he leaned forward. “If there’s anything at all I can do to help don’t hesitate to ask.”

She thanked him then watched him leave

Later, Noelle stood in the quiet house feeling both a sense of overwhelming anxiety and something she never would have expected. An excitement for life that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Demons existed for her here in Second Chance, but the beauty of the land made her feel refreshed.

The next day Noelle and Ollie drove into town and she was still reeling from everything that had transpired. And when she deposited the check into her new account at the local bank, she felt like she should know what her next step would be, but she didn’t. She had no clue.

“I know what we need, Ollie,” Noelle said to her son who was buckled in his car seat in the back seat. “We need some fresh air.”

She drove to the park and was pleasantly surprised to see that the playground that once consisted of two pieces of broken down, rusted equipment had prospered into a beautiful, kid-friendly area full of updated equipment, interactive pieces, benches, and flower gardens. Years ago, she’d once sat on a picnic table here pondering what her future would be like in Second Chance. Little did she know that her future wouldn’t be quite as she had envisioned. Now here she was, with her son.

She shut off the engine and went around to take Ollie out of his car seat.

“Want down.” He pointed at the ground. He squirmed in her arms, eagerly wanting to explore. She loved seeing his enthusiasm.

“Wait just a minute then I’ll let you down and you can run free.”

That seemed to placate him for now.

As Noelle always did, she surveyed her surroundings, taking in everything and making sure it was safe.

Once she reached the edge of the grass leading into the playground, she put him down and laughed as he waddled toward the slide. “Slide,” he said joyfully.

“Alright, kiddo.” She held his hand, helping him climb the short ladder and get situated at the top of the slide. “I’ll be at the bottom waiting.”

She hurried to catch him in her arms when he came swirling down. He laughed. “Again!” he screamed.

After several more turns, he’d had his fill and he wanted to move on to something else. They walked toward the swing set and she placed him into the toddler seat, securing him in. She gave him small pushes.

Across the playground she spotted a group of men coming away from the fenced in basketball court. She shielded her gaze in the sun to get a better look and realized that one of them just happened to be Rip. Instantly, her body became aware of his presence.

When he waved, she pretended like she didn’t see him and turned her full attention onto Ollie.

“I thought that was you.”

At the familiar voice, Noelle looked up as Rip was coming her direction. Her heart fluttered. Instead of his usual Stetson and frayed jeans, he wore a white T-shirt, loose fitting basketball shorts and tennis shoes. His hair was disheveled and damp like he’d been running. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

“Friends and I were over at the basketball court playing.” A tuft of hair had fallen over his forehead making him appear youthful.

“This place has really changed.” She gave Ollie another push in the swing.

Rip cocked his head. “Fifteen years can change a lot of things.”

She caught the underlying meaning but refused to fall victim to his goading. “I wanted to take Ollie out and get some fresh air before the storm rolls in this evening. I remember storms in this area could get vicious.”

“They still do. He seems to be enjoying himself,” Rip said.

“His favorite place is the park. He’ll keep me here pushing until my arm falls off.” She laughed.

“Let me take over.” Rip moved in.

“I’m sure you have other things to do on a Saturday afternoon.”

“Nah. I’m free.” He stepped up behind the swing and gave it a gentle swing. “Don’t worry. I won’t make him go too high.” He winked.

“Okay.” She stepped away and watched the duo. Rip kept the swing consistently moving and soon Ollie drifted to sleep.

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