Second Chance (12 page)

It sounded like a threat.  One
that oddly enough had her heart picking up pace even while her hands got
sweaty.

Without answering, she released
the handbrake.

Straightening, Grant stepped back,
and as she drove away she glanced in the rear-view mirror feeling a sense of
déjà vu.  He was standing there watching her, hands on lean hips, the breeze
flicking his shirt aside to give her a good look of his leanly muscled torso
clad in the t-shirt.

Only once he was out of sight did
she sag against the seat.

Jaw clenched, she drove to the
highway, turning onto it and heading back to town. The road blurred and she
swallowed the lump in her throat, willing the tears back.  Damn it, this was no
time to blubber.

Only she couldn’t stop the tears. 
They slid down her cheeks as fast as she wiped them away.  Her hands shook, her
heart felt so heavy and she couldn’t fathom why she even had this reaction.

God, it wasn’t like Grant was into
her that much.  Sure, he’d seemed like it, had kissed her like he wanted more,
but then at the first sign of someone coming he’d dropped her like a hot brick.

That wasn’t anything new, it had
happened to her before.

Sniffing, she reached across and
flicked open the glove box for a tissue.  Plucking one out, she straightened
and blew her nose, wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, glanced at her
reflection in the mirror.

Okay, definitely had the look of a
sheila who had bawled her eyes out.  Luckily Aunt Maree wasn’t expected back
until late.  She had time to calm down, wash her face, let the signs dissipate
so no one would ever guess what had happened.

Good intentions, but it didn’t
push the lump in her throat away.

Heart still heavy, she pulled into
the driveway of the house and got out.  Opening the boot, she reached in for
the blanket.

“Hey, Tam,” a voice greeted from
behind her.

Recognising the voice, Tam
cringed.  Shit. 
Shit
.  Closing her eyes, she managed to reply lightly,
“Hey, Ash.”

“Nice day to be out,” another
voice said.

Crap crap crap.  “Yeah.  I’m about
to clean up and-”

The mobile peeled out.

Goddamn it.  Just…
Her hand
tightened on the boot, her jaw clenched.  An unpleasant hot flush went through
her.

“Someone’s after you,” Elissa
remarked directly behind her.

“It’s okay.”  Grabbing the
blanket, she bit her lip.

The cursed mobile rang and rang,
and she knew who it was.  One of them.  One of those two refusing to leave her
alone, pushing her.  Pushing her for their own gains, not for her, but needing
her to get what they wanted.  Willing to lie and cheat for it, willing to…

And she’d kind of thought Grant
was different.

Fool me three times
.

“Tam?”  Ash asked.  “Are you all right?”

“Fine.”  It would have sounded
better if her voice hadn’t been thick with tears.

A hand on her shoulder.  “Tam?”

“Really, I’m just fine. 
I’m…just…”  She couldn’t finish, the tears coming fast and hard.

Shoulders slumping, she leaned her
head against the lid and started crying in earnest.

The blanket was taken from her
hand, a pair of soft arms went around her and she was turned and cradled close
to Ash.

“Oh, sweetie,” she crooned.  “It’s
okay.”

That motherly tone was Tam’s
undoing.  The dam she’d been trying to hold back burst open and she simply
leaned her head on Ash’s shoulder and cried while Ash patted her back and
murmured to her like she was baby Kurt.

Right then Tam felt like a baby. 
All she could do was cling to this sweet woman and wet her shoulder with tears.

After a couple of minutes she
managed to regain some control and stepped back, feeling like a fool.  “I’m
sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“No need to be.”  Ash rubbed her
arm, her gaze kindly concerned.  “Sometimes you just have to let it all out.”

“It’s stupid.”  With nothing to
wipe her eyes, Tam used her collar, much like a kid would.  “Damn, I’m just so
elegant.”  She gave a choked laugh.

“And like elegant ladies, we’re
going to have a cuppa.”  Elissa shut the boot.

“I have to get the things out,”
Tam began.

“Done it already.”  At Tam’s
startled expression, she added, “While you were having your moment I raided
your purse, got your keys and put everything away.”

“I don’t know whether to be
relieved or worried.”

“Go with relieved.  It’s a much
nicer emotion.”

“Okay.”  Tam’s smile felt watery.

Ash hooked her arm through Tam’s. 
“Come on, sister, let’s go in, have a cuppa, and you can tell us about it.”

Oohh, Tam didn’t know about that. 
She didn’t know these women that well, even if they had been kind to her. 
Silently she allowed herself to be ushered into the house, but she baulked at
being led into the kitchen.

“I think I better clean up a
little.”

Ash studied her face before
nodding.  “A freshen up will make you feel better.”

“I’ll get the kettle on,” Elissa
chimed in.

Relieved to escape, Tam shut the
bathroom door behind her.  Studying her reflection in the mirror, she winced. 
Red nose, red eyes, red cheeks.  Not an attractive look.

Splashing her face with water, she
dried with the hand towel, brushed her hair and plaited it firmly before taking
a deep breath and stepping back.

Okay, she still looked a little
red-eyed but there was a small improvement.  A very small improvement, but
still an improvement.  Time to face the girls.

Shoulders straight, she returned to
the kitchen to find Elissa pouring hot water into mugs while Ash had found the
biscuits and simply placed the whole container in the middle of the table.

“Sugar, milk?” Elissa queried.

“One sugar, milk,” Tam replied. 
“I can do it.”

Elissa levelled a stern gaze on
her.  “You just sit down.  Geez, your job is spent running around after
everyone else, it’s time you got a little TLC.”

“I’m not delicate.”

Elissa laughed.  “Look at the
three of us, do we look delicate?”

Even Ash laughed.

Tam couldn’t help but grin wryly. 
Three generously proportioned women appearing delicate?  Now that was a huge
stretch of the imagination.  They looked exactly what they were - healthy,
happy, voluptuous women.

Well, two of them were happy.  She
was, too, most of the time.  But right now…

“Uh oh, there’s that look.”  Ash picked
up two of the mugs.  “Where are we sitting?”

“It’s too lovely outside to be
stuck in here,” Elissa said.  “Let’s go out back.  I know Maree has some chairs
out there.”

Within minutes they were on the
back veranda, Ash and Elissa sitting at the little wrought iron table in two
matching wrought iron chairs, while Tam sat on the veranda with her back
against the veranda post.

“You’re not doing penance or
anything, are you?” Elissa queried.

“No, why?”

“There’s a spare chair.”

“I like it right here.” 
Stretching out her legs, Tam crossed her ankles.  “It’s comfortable.”

“If you say so.”

”I say so.  Toss me a biccie, will
you, please?”

Elissa tossed her a biscuit. 
“It’s like feeding a seal.”

“In that case I’d be asking for
fish, not a biccie.”  Feeling a lot better, Tam dunked the biccie in the hot
tea.

“It’s lovely out here.”  Ash
studied the garden.  “Wish mine looked like this.”

Tam glanced at the pristine,
colourful garden of emerald green lawn, flower beds in dazzling colours, and
the neatly pruned tree.  “Aunt Maree has a gardener.”

“Still wish mine looked like
this.”

“Your garden is just fine,” Elissa
stated.

“Never said it wasn’t.  Just
sometimes I wish I had more of a green thumb.”

“Remember what it looked like when
Scott was by himself?”

“Yep.”

“Remember what it looks like now?”

“Yep.”

“It’s a functional garden and
looks pretty.  Family orientated.  This garden is pristine.  It wouldn’t stand
a chance with little kids and a footy.”  Elissa paused.  “Not to mention
Tilly.”

Ash grinned.  “Can’t have Tilly
upset.”

“Hell no.  Upset Scott’s little
baby and you upset him.”

“Point taken.”

Smiling, Tam took a sip of hot
tea.  “Tilly’s the tabby cat Mrs Preston told me about?”

“Scott’s had her since she was a
kitten,” Ash replied.  “He loves her to pieces, she has him wrapped around her
paw.  Woe betides anyone who dares to slander her.”

“Tilly has you wrapped around her
paw as well,” Elissa said.

“What’s your point?”

“Now you sound like the other
girls.”

Ash grinned.

“Oh, I nearly forgot.”  Leaning to
one side, Elissa plucked something from her pocket to lay it on the table. 
“Your mobile.  It was on the car seat ringing away while you had your moment.”

“Who was it?”

Elissa’s eyes were amused.  “Dingbat
2.”

Ash’s eyebrows shot upwards. 
“Dingbat 2?”

With a groan, Tam tipped her head
back, hitting it lightly against the wooden post.  Regardless of her decision,
they weren’t giving up.  She should have stopped it immediately at the time,
not strung them along.  Revenge might very well be coming back to bite her on
the arse.

“Would Dingbat 2 have anything to
do with you being upset?” Ash asked.

Tam glanced at her.

“I know, it’s not our business. 
But we’re here if you want to talk about it.”

Talking about it wouldn’t help.

“You know,” Elissa said, “Simon
caught me throwing my mobile out the car window.  I was really upset.”

Curious, Tam angled her head
slightly.  “With Simon?”

“Nope.  He just bore the brunt of
it.”  Elissa paused.  “Well, he didn’t have to, he chose to.”

“Because he loves you.”

“Back then it was because he was a
friend.  Or wanted to be.”  Elissa frowned thoughtfully.  “I don’t quite
remember.  I
do
remember that he was persistent.”

“What she’s trying to say is that
a phone call had her really upset.”  Ash nudged the mobile with her finger. 
“Do you want to tell us about Dingbat 2?  Is he the cause of you being upset?”

Dropping her gaze to the mug in
her hands, Tam bit her lip.  Dingbat 2 was part of the cause, Dingbat 1 as
well.  Grant, yes.  Did she want to tell them?  How much to tell them?

Truthfully, she felt the need to
talk to someone who wasn’t family, who wasn’t emotionally involved, who could
be objective. 

She didn’t have to mention Grant.

Tam studied Ash and Elissa,
meeting their steady gazes.  Okay, she didn’t know them that well, but they
seemed decent.  Still, it was a big ask…

The mobile rang and she jumped.

Ash picked up the mobile, studied
the name and calmly flicked it off.

“What the…”  Astonished, Tam
stared at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”  Without
blinking, Ash held the mobile out to her.  “Did you want to speak to Dingbat 2
after all?”  When Tam scowled, she said mildly, “That’s what I thought,” and
placed the mobile back on the table.

“Have you got a stalker?” Elissa
queried.  “If so, speak to Kirk, he’ll help.”

“No.”  Tam rubbed her brow. 
“They’re not stalkers.”  At the continued silence, she sighed.

They sure as hell were stalking
her, but it wasn’t the way most people thought.  She’d kind of asked for it. 
Revenge was supposed to be sweet, and it had been until recently.

Until she’d come to her senses.

With another sigh, she dropped her
hand to her lap.  “Promise you won’t tell anyone.”

“We’re not gossips,” Elissa
replied.

“Whatever you tell us goes no
further,” Ash assured her.

It wasn’t like it was a big deal,
not really.  Not to everyone else, anyway.

“Okay.  Okay.”  Taking a sip of
tea, Tam got her thoughts in order.  “First off, Dingbat 1 and Dingbat 2 are
two men back in the city.”

Ash and Elissa nodded.

“I met Anthony first.  I was working
in the local supermarket and he asked me out.  I was really flattered.  I’d
seen him a few times, he’d spoken to me, it’s not something that has happened
often, you know?  I’m not someone a man like Anthony normally goes for, I’m not
a slim, pretty chick.  I was used to seeing him with the stunners on his arms,
so when he asked me out I should have had alarm bells ringing.” Tam shook her
head.  “He wined me, dined me, treated me like a queen.  I was sucked in,
thought I was falling for him.  Then out of the blue he dumped me.”

Ash winced.  “Hard.”

“What a mongrel,” Elissa said.

“No explanation.”  Tam turned the
mug round and round in her hands.  “Took me awhile to get over that.  Called
myself all kinds of a fool, he’d just been amusing himself with me.  I was
moping in a club one night while waiting for a couple of workmates to arrive,
and along came Peter.  He’s Dingbat 2, in case you don’t pick up on it.”

“Ah.”  Elissa nodded.

“Good looking, a real
metrosexual.  Fine clothes, fine face, fine hair, manicures, you name it. 
Everything money could buy.  I was more cautious this time, I’d been burned
once already.  Then my workmates came in and one of them introduced him as her cousin. 
Of course that kind of placed him in the safe zone, you know?”

“Perfectly,” Ash agreed.

“I couldn’t believe that he
actually wanted to take me out.  Here we were surrounded by all these perfect
women in their skimpy dresses, and here was this handsome man asking me out. 
Bolstered by my workmates I finally agreed.”  Tam’s mouth twisted derisively. 
“He was attentive, ringing me, sending me flowers, even bringing me to meet his
family.  I can’t say they were that thrilled to see me until he introduced me,
and then they became friendlier.”  Tam took a mouthful of tea.