Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (7 page)

“That's why we should never say anything, never do anything,
that we can't take back.” Her heart was breaking all over again. She took
Logan's hand in hers and placed the ring in his palm, then closed his fingers
over it. “Just go, Logan. If you care about me at all, you'll go. You'll give
me the space I need to work through these feelings and to figure out what comes
next.”

The turmoil she felt consumed her. She walked slowly to the
bathroom and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She didn't hear
anything for a minute. Then she heard it, and the sound ripped at her heart.
The tears he'd managed to hold in check for so long burst free. On the other
side of the door, Logan cried pitiful tears, long and hard. Brooke wanted to go
to him and hold him, assure him that it would get better, and they'd work this
out. But she couldn't, because that would be a lie. She thought about being
held herself, and reassured. But there was no one to hold her, to reassure her.
Not anymore. Logan had always been the one to do that. She'd lost not only the
love of her life, but her best friend, as well.

Minutes later, she heard the opening of the door in her
room, and then the click as it closed again. Then there was only silence.
Brooke put her head in her hands and cried, heartfelt sobs that racked her body
and made her weak. She felt beat down, like a part of her had died, and for the
first time in her life she knew what it was to grieve.

Brooke didn't know why thoughts of Logan, and of their past,
kept creeping into her head. That particular time in her life, that one
specific heart-breaking, life-changing event, was one she'd like to erase
forever from her memory. Why wasn't there a delete button that applied to
peoples' lives? If you didn't like the outcome of a situation, you could simply
hit “delete” and wipe it away, as if it never existed. She mulled that over as
she approached Maple Street.

Less than a minute later, she maneuvered her shiny BMW into
a vacant spot in front of Karissa's shop. It was just before noon. She'd slept
until nine, which was a luxury she rarely afforded herself, even on Sundays
when she didn't need to be at the hospital to complete rounds.

She'd spent some time with her mother, then showered and
went over some notes on her laptop before heading into town. Now, as she slid
from behind the wheel of the car, she wished she'd taken the time to eat
breakfast. Her stomach was rumbling. She'd just grab Rissa and find a nice
little place to have lunch, just the two of them. They could catch up on
everything. Brooke knew that Karissa was keeping something from her, and she
was determined to find out what it was. She sensed it, and her senses were
rarely wrong.

She stopped on the sidewalk in front of the shop and stared
in amazement. Her sister was a genius. The two-story building stood proud, its
beauty and elegance timeless. It had been a home, and one of the oldest in
Angel Ridge. It was beautiful, lasting, enduring. Brooke never tired of staring
at it.

A circular drive stretched long and wide, forming an arch in
the front of the building. Stone walkways wrapped around the sides of the
cottage and branched out in various directions once they disappeared toward the
back. French doors on the first floor, she remembered, opened onto a small
patio, and beyond that a magnificent flower garden thrived. Stone and glass
glinted in the sunlight. Brooke admired the combination.

Above the wooden doors was the pretty sign. Karissa's
Cottage. The name suited the overall look of the place. It reminded Brooke of a
pretty little cottage you would find in the English countryside. Brooke pushed
open the large, heavy doors to the beauty and magic that was Karissa.

Her sister had outdone herself here. The first floor was the
shop itself, with display after display of beautiful and elegant pieces,
strategically arranged. They sparkled. The grand staircase led to the second
floor. Upstairs was Karissa's home away from home, and the location of her
office, a small kitchen, a bath, and a living area. A balcony at the rear
overlooked the garden below. Brooke pictured Karissa sitting up there most
evenings when she stayed to go over the books, or to order supplies. She'd sit
with her laptop and enjoy the evening breeze, listening to the sound of rushed
voices on the street below.

There was a garage in the back, behind the massive garden.
Karissa thought that using it for storage space had been a good idea. She
housed pieces that she wasn't using, and pieces that needed to be refurbished,
inside. It wasn't finished, and had concrete floors. There was a loft above,
which was pretty much empty. A lot of wasted space there. She had been toying
with the idea of having Seth finish it, Brooke knew.

 Seth, the only MacKenna male who had gone into architectural
design and contracting, had designed the floor plan for the shop. It had been a
huge undertaking, but in the end Karissa and Seth had made it into something
special. And Karissa had made it shine. She'd spent countless hours there,
working to make everything perfect. That had been three years earlier, and
Karissa's Cottage had never been better.

Brooke wasn't surprised to find no one behind the counter.
Karissa was all over the place most times. She called up the stairs and heard
her sister's response as she reached the top of the staircase and then
descended the steps. “Hey, what are you up to?” Karissa was happy that Brooke
had stopped by. She could get used to seeing her face everyday.

“The place looks great,” Brooke commented. “I can't believe
how much you've done with it since I was here last year. Every time I see it,
it's even more beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Karissa said. She looked around at the place she
loved so much, the place she'd poured so much of herself into. She was proud of
what she'd done with it. And she really couldn't complain. She just wished
other aspects of her life could be so simple and easy.

Business was good, she felt fulfillment in the career path
she had chosen, she had an education. All that was missing now was a man,
someone special to spend her life with. Karissa didn't think in the short term.
She knew what she wanted and what she wanted was a husband and babies. A home.
She wanted what most women wanted. She'd dated, off and on, but had never found
“the one.” Sometimes she wondered if there really was such a thing. She liked
to think so. She would admit, but only to herself, that she'd had a thing for
Seth since high school. Over the past year or so, it had developed into
something different, something she couldn't quite describe with words. He was
good-looking, charming, smart, funny. He was every woman's fantasy, really. And
she'd fantasized about him plenty.

They'd spent numerous hours together, working side by side
to capture the essence of her vision for the place. No one understood what she
wanted like Seth did, no one could anticipate her needs like Seth could. They
had a connection, not only in their professional lives, but in their personal
lives, as well.

“I'm starving,” Brooke announced. “Do you want to grab some lunch?”

Karissa glanced down at her wrist watch, noticing that it
was already noon. “Sure,” she said. “I could eat. Evie had to take off for a
bit to keep her doctor appointment, but she should be back any minute.” With a
few final strokes of the keyboard, she closed the file that she'd left open
earlier and leaned a hip against the counter. “What are you in the mood for?”
she asked. 

“A nice cold turkey sub, loaded with veggies,” she answered,
as the shop door opened and Evie, Karissa's assistant, came in like a
whirlwind.

“Hi, y'all,” she said, cheerfully.

Evie had worked for Karissa since the Cottage first opened,
and she had proved to be a valuable employee. She was responsible and
trustworthy and had a good rapport with the customers. Karissa enjoyed the
easiness of her relationship with Evie, and working alongside her was fun.

“Evie, I'm going to lunch,” Karissa informed her, as the
telephone rang.

 Evie picked up the receiver as she waved to Karissa and
Brooke. “Y'all just take your time and enjoy lunch. I've got things covered
here.”

They walked out into the sunlight arm in arm. “So, a turkey
sub, eh? In that case, I know just the place,” Karissa said, leading Brooke
down Maple Street.

The Grapevine Meat & Cheese Market stood on the corner
of Maple and Vine. It had opened only a few months before, but in the short
time its doors had been open, it had made quite a name for itself. Their meats
and cheeses were fresh and of the highest quality. They made subs, sandwiches,
fish, homemade salads, and so on. There was a nice little area with tables so
that patrons could sit and eat their meals in comfort and just relax.

Brooke and Karissa stood at the counter, waiting to place
their order. Karissa said something outrageously funny, and Brooke laughed.
That laugh had Logan's head whipping around. He'd heard it a million times. It
was rich and seductive, and Logan knew it could belong to only one woman.

He scanned the customers in the dining area, but didn't see
her. He edged around to get a better look at the other side of the deli. There
she stood, wearing a lavender summer dress. It was strapless and had a slit up
the left side. She wore high heels of the same color, and her legs, long and
tanned, seemed endless. Her hair, dark and thick, trailed down her slender back
nearly to her waist. Her blue eyes sparkled as she talked and laughed with her
sister. She was stunning.

He heard Seth calling his name; it tunneled through to his
subconscious. When he didn't respond, Seth's eyes trailed over to where Logan's
were fixated. Chase's gaze followed. And they realized why their brother had
been temporarily dumbstruck. Brooke, more beautiful than ever, stood with
Karissa, talking and laughing.

When Logan just stood there, Chase asked, “Aren't you gonna
go over and say hello?”

Logan looked at Chase, then at Seth. Both men stared at him
expectantly. “I don't think so,” he muttered. He couldn't focus with her across
the room. How was he going to be able to form a coherent thought with her right
in front of him?

“Well, I am,” Chase said, making his way toward the two
women.

Of course he is.
Reluctantly, Logan allowed Seth to
nudge him along in front of him.

They'd just finished placing their order when a familiar
voice came from behind them.

“Well, aren't you two the prettiest things I've seen all
day,” he teased.

They turned at the same time. Karissa smiled at Chase as
Brooke threw herself into his arms. He wrapped both arms tightly around her and
spun her, lifting her clear off the floor. She laughed as he placed her back on
her feet, giving her a loud smacking kiss on her lips. He greeted Karissa in
the same manner.

“Don't mind him. He can't help himself when he's in the
company of anything female,” Seth said, gathering Brooke close for a hug. She
laughed in delight. It was so wonderful to see them both. They had been like
brothers to her and Rissa their entire lives. Seth leaned down to kiss
Karissa's cheek. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi, Seth,” Karissa returned. Brooke noticed the color that
flooded her sister's cheeks and the look in her eyes. 
Mhmm
, Brooke
thought.
Bingo!
She returned her attention to the guys, for the time
being.

“Look at the two of you,” Brooke said. “All grown up and as
handsome as ever.” She couldn't believe it. When she'd left for college, they'd
been teenaged boys. After she and Logan had broken up, Brooke had very rarely
returned home. She'd run into them a couple of times, though, when she'd been
home visiting, but not in several years. Now they were big, strong, handsome
men. Actually, handsome was a gross understatement. Gorgeous was a more
accurate description.

When Brooke heard her sister say “Hey, Logan”, her head
whipped around. He stood at the edge of the counter, only a few feet away. She
should have known he wouldn't be far. The three of them had always been
together. Obviously, that hadn't changed. He moved closer to give her sister a
hug.

“Hi Rissa,” he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

His voice, deep and masculine, had Brooke's stomach doing
somersaults. He let Karissa go, and stood there, seemingly relaxed.  She
watched him closely. She knew that she was bound to run into him sooner or
later, but she was hoping for later. She wasn't prepared for this. He stood
before her, big and beautiful, and larger than life, for what Brooke thought was
an eternity. Her voice seemed to escape her and her heart beat frantically in
her chest until she thought it would burst.

“Hello Brooke.”

He watched her intently, and she was acutely aware of all
eyes on them. He was taller than he used to be, at least he appeared to be, and
bigger. Definitely bigger. His chest was broad and his arms well-muscled. He
was lean, and filled out his Levi's oh so nicely. His dark hair was cropped
short. He watched her from underneath thick, black lashes with eyes that were green
and brilliant. He was simply gorgeous. More so than she even remembered. Her
eyes were drawn to his beautiful lips, and she remembered so well the taste of
them. She wondered if he were to kiss her now, would they still taste the same?
Like his brothers, he was a grown man, in every sense of the word. She was
attracted to that raw masculinity.
And I must be out of my mind,
she
thought.