“Shazzy, come in. You look great! Time’s been good to you.”
“I wish I could say the same. You’ve definitely looked better.”
“Yeah, well I always did look better with you at my side. While you’re here I should look a lot better!” He tried to joke but Shasta visibly flinched. Instantly he regretted his words.
“I only mean that you bring out the best in me. I’m better with you around.”
“And I suppose if I’d been here, this wouldn’t have happened.” Shasta snapped.
“What? No. Shazz, what happened to me was an accident. No one could have stopped it.” Adrian reached for her hand. Another mistake. The second his large hand engulfed her tiny one, jolts of attraction and awareness shot through them both. Shasta quickly pulled away but sat down in a chair next to him.
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little touchy. I don’t know why I snapped at you.” She sighed. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better. You?”
“I’m okay.” she lied. He knew but chose to let it go.
“I’m just glad you’re here. You have no idea how good it is just to see you.”
“I had to come. You needed me.”
“In that case you should have never left. I’ve always needed you.”
“The past is the past Adrian. Right or wrong, we can’t change it now.”
“I know. It doesn’t have to be the end though. You said you aren’t married. Does that mean we can have a second chance?”
Shasta turned away quickly before he could see her tears. “You need to rest. We’ll talk it out tomorrow. Shasta got up and started to walk away but Adrian grabbed her arm.
“Running from me again? Shasta, this accident happened for a reason. It brought you back to me. I miss you. I tried for ten long years to get over you but it never happened. Not even close.” Adrian spoke, fearing it would be his last chance. Shasta turned to look into his blue eyes.
“Fine, I might as well jump in and get this over with. You won’t like what I’m going to say but you have to hear the truth.”She took a deep breath trying to avoid snapping at him again
“As long as when you’re through I get to finish saying what I need to. It’s only fair.” he interjected, releasing her arm.
Shasta told him about how, after breaking up with him to avoid a long distance relationship, she met Roger. He had the same major she did and they spent the next three years bonding over homework and pizza. They got engaged the beginning of their senior year.
“Roger waited until we were at the altar before deciding that he wanted to leave me. He said that you were the one I should marry.” She shot her glance from her hands to his eyes to judge his response. His gentle gaze encouraged her.
“Right there before God and every one. I begged everyone that knew you not to tell. I was too proud to let you find out. Besides, I couldn’t let him be right. No matter what the cost. It wasn’t until I was faced with the possibility of your...” She swallowed hard. “death that I even considered telling you the truth. I’m sorry. I should’ve been honest with you from the start. I was wrong to keep this from you.”
Shasta could not even look at Adrian as she finished the monologue she had rehearsed countless times in her mind. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to regain her composure. Adrian sat quietly with his hands folded in his lap and waited for her.
“Shasta.” His deep, soothing voice came out just above a whisper. She finally looked into his eyes. What she saw there surprised her; instead of anger there was understanding. His gentle eyes held her captive so she could not look away.
“I’m sorry he hurt you like that. You deserve so much better.” He reached for her hand. Slowly she placed her hand in his.
“I wish I had fought more for you. I should have stopped at nothing until I made you my wife. I was so sure we were going to end up together that I let you go. I was dead wrong. Please forgive me. I swear I’ll never make that mistake again.” Tears filled his eyes. “Every day for the past ten years I’ve lived with the regret of all the things I never said. Things that may have made you stay. You deserve so much better than me, but I love you. I always will.”
Adrian pulled Shasta into his arms. He stroked her cheek with his calloused thumb, sending shivers through her. His eyes searching hers, begging for forgiveness. Again she was shocked. This was the last thing she had been prepared for.
“Please Shazzy, Angel. Give me another chance to prove my love to you. I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make amends to you. Showing you how much I adore you.” He took a deep breath, his whole heart in his eyes. “I can’t let you go without a fight this time. You have to know that ever since that first letter of yours, you’ve been the only girl for me. There could never be anyone else and I just can’t make it any longer without you.”
Shasta couldn’t speak. No response seemed to fit her roaring emotions. When at last she found her voice, it was shaky.
“Adrian I…we… how do you know we haven’t changed too much? What if you don’t like who I am now?”
“What if I do? Shazzy, if the past years have taught me anything at all, it’s that I gave away my heart a long time ago. You own it. You always will. Nothing in this world will ever change that.”
“You own mine but...”
“No buts. If you love me then there's nothing that can tear us apart. I won’t let you go again.” Adrian held her tight and looked deep into her eyes searching their depths. His own eyes filled with determination.
“Okay.” Shasta whispered. As she did, the weight she had carried for so long fled her, leaving her light headed. Her smile lit up the room.
“Okay? Okay you’ll stay?”
“I’ll stay.”
***
When Amy arrived early the next morning, Adrian was getting up out of bed.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She demanded. Unable to believe what she saw.
“Mom’s bringing me my clothes. I’m going to look my best when Shasta gets here. Last night she said she’d stay. Today I’m going to seal the deal and ask her to marry me.” Adrian said in a voice that Amy learned long ago not to argue with. She tried anyway.
“You have a head injury. You really shouldn’t be making any life altering decisions right now.”
“I love you, little sister, but I decided I wanted to marry Shasta after reading her first letter. I should have done this a long time ago.”
“Okay, I had to make sure. It will be great to finally have her as a sister. Good luck.”
“Thanks, Amy.”
***
By the time Shasta arrived, Adrian was clean shaven and dressed to kill. His blue shirt and black jeans accented his body to perfection.
When Shasta walked into his room it was clear she had dressed for him as well. Her jade blouse highlighted her eyes and hair. Standing in the morning light she reminded him of the first time he saw her. His world stood still. It was as if he had come full circle.
When Shasta saw Adrian, her heart stopped. He was gorgeous on a bad day. Today… she was caught totally off guard. The shock was clear on her face.
“Good morning Shasta. How did you sleep?” Adrian asked, hiding a smile. He stood to greet her.
“Honestly, better than I have in a while. You?”
“The same. Knowing you aren’t going to take off has worked wonders for me.” He opened his arms to her and was rewarded with her smile. She slid effortlessly into his embrace, her own was careful but secure.
After enjoying the feel of her in his arms, he released her enough to slide carefully to one knee. He looked up and saw the curiosity in her green eyes.
“The last time we were together I made the biggest mistake of my life. I had this ring,” He pulled a gold and emerald ring from his jeans pocket and held it out to her. “And I didn’t give it to you. I know you said last night that you would stay, but that’s not quite enough. Will you marry me? I don?
??t want to waste another second apart from you.”
“Adrian Chance, this has to be the worst possible place on earth for a proposal!”
Fire sparked from within her and for a second he feared she would storm out.
“I guess I can see why you didn’t want to wait for a better moment.” She smiled and he felt his heart begin to beat.
“I’ll marry you on two conditions.”
“Anything,” he whispered.
“We find a better place than this.” She smirked.
“Done.” He smiled back trying to guess her other condition.
“I want to get married just as soon as we can. I’ve taken way too much time from our life together and besides, I hate waiting.”
“Absolutely!” Adrian stood and pulled her tightly to him. His mouth found hers in a moment of rare perfection. All pride forgiven and washed away in the light of their second chance.
# # #
Thank you all for reading Second Chances. Shasta and Adrian have been demanding I tell their story for years. I am glad to finally share them with the world. Please take a moment to post a review at your favorite retailer. I would love to hear from you.
Thanks!
Wendy Thomas
About the author:
Wendy is a small town girl who grew up in south Missouri. She now lives in Iowa with her husband, three teen boys, one girl and four rabbits.
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Check out book one of my Heartland Horses series. R&R
“I finally found you. Your evil will be put to an end once and for all.” the deep voice hissed over the phone before it went dead. The girl at the other end began to cry in fear.
***
“Rafe, It’s me. We have to get her out of here, now!”
“How close is he?”
“I don’t know but I’m certain now that he’s called her. She’s been up all night for the past two nights. Not like her normal writing sprees. She’s upset and scared. I even heard her crying a little bit ago. I can’t protect her adequately here.”
“Go to her. She doesn't leave the apartment without both of us. I’ll be on the next flight. This ends now!”
“Finally. Safe trip brother. I’ll see you at her place.”
“Take care of our girl.”
“With my life.” Ryder hung up and ran a hand through his hair. His heart began to race. After nine grueling years of shadowing his mate to protect her, he and her other mate were finally taking her home.
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