Second Chances

“I’ll just wipe his paws with a damp cloth so he doesn’t track up the floor. He and his mama can do the rest.”

Moving slowly and murmuring endearments to the frightened kitty, Belinda made her way to the sink. Cradling the kitten against her with one hand, she turned her attention back to Paul and began to dab at the faint, tiny paw prints on his T-shirt with a damp towel.

“Leave it alone. It’s okay,” he said.

“It’ll just take a second….” she protested.

Paul’s hand closed around hers, stilling her efforts.

Confused, Belinda raised her eyes to meet his. He didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. The look in his eyes was enough.

VALERIE HANSEN

was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.

Married to her high school sweetheart since age seventeen, she now lives in an old farmhouse she and her husband renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous turn her life has taken. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired line.

Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Second Chances

Valerie Hansen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.

—Matthew 5:9

This book is dedicated to all the special people whose calming influence and wise counsel brings daily peace to all our lives.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Letter to Reader

Prologue

An orange glow danced across the night sky. Flames curled around the three-storey frame structure, licking the thick layers of old paint and bubbling them to ashes, then consuming the dry wood beneath. Firelight radiating through the window of eighteen-year-old Belinda Carnes’s bedroom turned the pale pink interior walls a sickly yellow.

Shocked awake, she bolted out of bed, ran to the window and stared at the fire next door. In the street below, her father was shouting, pleading, “Somebody do something. Dear God, do something!” The sound of his anguish tore at her heart, making her temporarily forget the terrible quarrel they’d had only hours before.

“Daddy!” Grabbing her robe, Belinda made a dash for the stairs. Their house was full of smoke, making it difficult to see or breathe. Maybe it was on fire, too!

She rocketed into the street, auburn hair flying, her robe clutched around her slim body, her feet bare. “Daddy! Where are you?”

The first fire truck was already shooting water on the flames as others arrived. “Get back!” someone shouted. Belinda ignored the order. She had to find her father. He was all she had left.

A team of volunteer firefighters ran by, dragging a bulging hose. Several of the men were part of her father’s congregation. Gasping to catch her breath, Belinda looked at the church that had been her second home since before her mother had died. She didn’t have to know much about firefighting to know the historic building, her father’s pride and joy, was beyond saving.

Blossoming spray from the hoses drifted over the appalled onlookers like icy mist over a river. Wending her way through the crowd, Belinda overheard more than one angry person place the blame for the terrible inferno on Paul Randall, the misfit teenage son of a convicted arsonist.

They were wrong. They had to be. She was sure Paul had left town right after her father had ordered him out of their house and out of her life for good. The bitterness of that altercation echoed in her throbbing head.

“Leave my daughter alone,” her father had shouted just hours ago.

Paul had stood his ground, feet planted firmly apart on the front walkway, fists clenched in defiance. “We’re in love. We’re going to get married, with or without your blessing. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“I’m leaving town tonight and Belinda’s coming with me,” Paul had said flatly.

“No, she isn’t.” Her father had held out his hand to her, his commanding voice as forceful as if he were warning his congregation about the wages of sin. “Belinda is going to go away to college in the fall, just like she promised her mother. By the time she gets her degree she’ll be wise enough to make the kind of choices that will affect her whole life. Right now, she’s far too young.”

Caught between her vow to her late mother and the angry young man who insisted they marry immediately and run away together no matter what the consequences, Belinda had felt trapped. Weeping, she’d stepped to her father’s side. No words were necessary. Her actions had spoken for her.

“Fine. I’ll go,” Paul had yelled, cursing to accentuate his mood. “But I’ll show you. You’ll be sorry. You’ll both be sorry. You just watch.”

Even now, Belinda imagined she could still hear the echo of Paul’s vehement threats. When he’d lost his temper and threatened her father she’d glimpsed a side of him she’d never seen before. A part of his character that had truly frightened her. And now the church was on fire. Thank goodness Paul was long gone! If he were still in town, he’d be the first one she suspected, too.

Belinda was so distraught she could hardly breathe, hardly think. Blinking back tears, she worked her way through the twisted maze of hoses lying in the street. Behind her, the upper windows of the old church began to shatter from the intense heat and the pressure of the water being hurled against them.

As she drew closer to her father she saw two men restraining him to keep him from trying to enter the burning building. “Thank you, God. He’s safe,” she whispered, grateful beyond belief.

All she could think about was getting to her father so she could tell him how sorry she was about the church and how much she loved him, in spite of their recent argument.

Suddenly, strong, masculine hands grasped her from behind. Held her fast. Told her, “It’s not safe to be out here barefoot.”

Panicking, Belinda twisted to stare at him. Her eyes widened. It couldn’t be Paul…but it was. She immediately tried to jerk free. “Let go of me!”

Scowling, Paul released her, held his hands in the air and took a step back. When he said, “Sorry,” it sounded a lot more like sarcasm than penitence.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard the sirens so I came by to make sure you were all right.”

Fire reflected in the depths of his almost-black eyes, making him appear sinister, dangerous. Belinda’s already broken heart hardened at the sight of him, at the realization that all her wonderful excuses for his innocence were useless now that she knew he was still hanging around the area. “Stop lying, Paul,” she countered. “You came here to gloat and you know it.”

He combed his fingers through his long, thick, dark hair, pushing it back as he shook his head. “You have a really low opinion of me, don’t you?”

“I only know what I see. You said you were leaving town hours ago. Why didn’t you go?”

Paul’s jaw clenched, but he kept his outward cool. “I was packing. I knew your father banished me from this town but I didn’t know he was timing me or I’d have hurried.”

“Leave my daddy out of this. Haven’t you done enough to hurt him already?”

“Me? Hurt him? All I did was fall in love with his daughter!”

Paul saw Belinda’s tear-filled glance dart briefly in the direction of the burning church before returning to him. Suddenly understanding, he nodded. “I should have known. I thought you were different but you’re just like the rest of them, aren’t you?” His arm swept in an arc that took in the whole chaotic scene. “You blame me for this. All of you do.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn leather jacket. “It figures. My father made a mistake and went to prison for arson, so I’m guilty by association. Right?”

The unfair accusation stung, made her even more defensive. “You said it. I didn’t.” Standing firm, she refused to let him off the hook. “You were supposed to be long gone by now. Admit it. You only hung around so you could watch my father suffer.” Pent-up emotion made her tremble. “Get away from me! I never want to see you again. Ever.”

“Fine with me. I’m glad your old man decided that I’m not good enough for you. He did us both a favor. Goodbye, Belinda. Have a nice life.”

With tears running down her cheeks, Belinda pressed her fingertips to her lips to stifle her sobs as she watched Paul elbow his way through the throng of hostile onlookers, mount his motorcycle and roar away. She realized she was saying goodbye to more than Paul Randall. She was also giving up the naive belief that her love was enough to change him, to save him from the negative effects of his dysfunctional upbringing.

Admitting she’d been wrong about him was breaking her heart.

Chapter One

Belinda Carnes was busy sorting local business files in the tall cabinet at the rear of her office when she heard the familiar ding of the electric eye that monitored the front door. She smoothed her skirt and breezed around the corner into the reception area with an expectant smile, recognizing her visitor immediately. “Sheila! Hi.”

“Aren’t you going to say, ‘Welcome to Serenity. How can the Chamber of Commerce help you’?”

“Nope. I save that speech for the tourists.” Belinda’s smile widened. “And I leave out the part about the ticks and chiggers eating us alive all summer. What’s up?”

“You mean you haven’t heard?”

“Heard what? What are you talking about?”

“He’s back.”

“Who’s back?” The fine, auburn hair at the nape of Belinda’s neck began to prickle.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Sheila said. “You know very well who I mean. Verleen saw that lawyer, Paul Randall, coming out of the market downtown. He’d been buying groceries. Bags of them. I’d say that means he plans to stay with those ancient aunts of his for quite a while.”

Belinda blinked rapidly and paused to digest her friend’s comments. The whole idea of Paul being anywhere nearby tied her stomach in knots, made her pulse speed. “I’d heard he was going to help the Whitaker sisters with the legalities of their real estate deal but I didn’t think he’d actually come here to do it. What gall.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a long, complicated story.” She sighed. “Let’s just say Paul didn’t turn out to be the wonderful guy I thought he was.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?”

“You mean you haven’t heard the gossip yet? Amazing. The way rumors fly in this town, I’d have thought you’d already know the whole story.”

“I’d rather hear it straight from you,” Sheila said with undisguised interest.

Belinda filled her in concisely, trying to leave out any supposition. She concluded with, “No one has ever proved who was—or wasn’t—responsible for setting fire to the church…but nobody had any real motive except Paul.”

“Wow. No wonder you don’t want to come face-to-face with him.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Yeah, well…” A sly smile lifted Sheila’s lips. “That’s really too bad. I hear Randall is the best-looking guy around. And rich. I was kind of hoping you might want to introduce me to him. There aren’t that many eligible men in this area, you know.”

Belinda was flabbergasted. “You’d be interested in him, even after what I just told you?”

“Why not? Lots of us do crazy things when we’re teenagers. It looks to me like he’s reformed.”

Shaking her head, Belinda made a face at her friend. “Not reformed. Just turned his talents to getting back at Serenity by legal means. Don’t forget the lawsuit against the town fathers a few years back. When he proved land-use discrimination and the councilmen had to back down, they all lost face. Half of them weren’t reelected.”

“So? That’s just business.”

“Not in a close-knit town like this one. Around here, it’s considered a vendetta. That’s another reason I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Guilt by association, you mean? I’m surprised you don’t already have a problem with that. I hear that you used to tell everybody you were going to marry Paul.”

Belinda blushed. “I was just a high school kid with a stupid crush on the only boy in town my father refused to let me date. In other words, a typical teenager. Besides, that was ten years ago. Believe me, I’m cured and everybody knows it…especially me.”

“Being young doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love for keeps,” Sheila countered. “My mom got married when she was seventeen. She and Dad are still doing okay.”

“My parents had a wonderful relationship, too. Everything changed when my mother died, though. The only thing that saved Daddy’s sanity was focusing all his energy on his church.”

“The one that burned down?”

“Yes.” The memories of her late father’s subsequent slide into depression brought Belinda’s thoughts full circle. “The doctors said he died from a heart attack but I think he just gave up caring about anything, even his own life, after he lost the church.” She hardened her heart. “Getting back to Paul Randall. I don’t care where he stays or what he does while he’s here as long as I don’t have to deal with him. I’ll be delighted if I never lay eyes on him again.”

“You sound like you really mean that.”

“I’ve never meant anything more in my whole life.”

Paul managed to keep himself occupied all afternoon by strolling around town and stopping to make casual conversation whenever he got the opportunity. He was amazed at how few of the old-timers recognized him at first. And at how shocked they looked when he identified himself. Clearly, they remembered the punk kid with the perpetual chip on his shoulder and were having trouble believing the changes he’d made in his image. Good, he thought, satisfied. That was exactly what he’d intended.

Beginning at the Mom and Pop café and gas station located next to the only traffic light in town, he worked his way through the pharmacy and the farm bureau office, then strolled the last block to the town square. A green, close-cropped lawn surrounded the courthouse. Most of the benches in the shade of the maple trees were occupied by old men, heads nodding sleepily. As usual, Serenity was so serene it gave him the willies.

Paul snorted in self-derision as he entered the hardware store on the north side of the square. All the businesses on that block faced the old brick courthouse, which meant he could stand on the opposite side of the square and position himself to look directly at the door to the Chamber of Commerce without attracting undue attention.

Ever since he’d learned Belinda worked there, he’d been trying to ignore that particular office. And he’d failed miserably. It looked like he was either going to have to pay his old flame a visit and try to clear the air, or resign himself to his grinding gut and buy a giant supply of antacids to calm the ulcer that usually flared up when he was under a lot of stress.

Paul opted for the visit. He’d written dozens of letters to Belinda over the years but had never mailed any of them. Initially, he’d focused on defending himself until he’d realized how futile that was. Later, he’d simply apologized for his anger. The last attempt had been a letter of condolence when he’d heard that her father had died. Worried that it might seem inappropriate because of his volatile past association with the man, he’d torn it up instead of sending it.

Remembering, he paused near the front of the hardware store, just inside the door.

“Something I can help you with, mister?” the skinny, slightly stooped proprietor asked. “You’d best hurry. We’re about to close.”

Paul snapped out of his reverie and smiled pleasantly. “Sorry. I was just looking, anyway. Do you happen to know how late the Chamber of Commerce stays open?”

“Till five, like the rest of us,” the man said. “Why?”

“Just wondered.”

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

Chuckling, Paul shook his head. That was at least the tenth time that day he’d been asked the same question in exactly the same words. “Nope. I’m an outsider. Definitely an outsider.” He offered his hand. “The name’s Randall. The Whitaker sisters are my great-aunts.”

Accepting Paul’s hand, the proprietor shook it heartily. “Well, well. I didn’t know Miss Prudence and Miss Patience had kin in these parts. Where’d you say you was from?”

“I settled in Harrison after I got out of law school,” Paul told him. “I’m just visiting here.”

“Well, if you’re fixin’ to repair that old house of theirs, we got the best selection of plumbing and electrical parts in the county.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for your time.” When the man opened his mouth and began to add to his sales pitch, Paul headed for the door. “I can’t stay and talk right now, but I’ll be sure to check back with you later. I need to run over to the Chamber office before it closes.”

“Tell Miss Belinda I said howdy.”

“Right.” Waving a congenial goodbye, Paul crossed the wide, shady street at an angle and started to jog across the courthouse lawn. The digital clock in front of the bank on the north-west corner read four fifty-five.

All afternoon Belinda had fidgeted at her desk, eagerly awaiting quitting time so she could close the office. She’d already straightened the racks of brochures and maps several times and dusted everything in sight. All that was left to do was turn off the lights, lock up and make a dash for home. The sooner the better.

At five minutes to five, she started for the door, the click of her heels echoing in the empty office. Surely all the evenings she’d stayed open late would make up for leaving a few minutes early this time. One hand was poised over the Open sign, the other reaching for the lock, when a dark-haired, sophisticated-looking man in navy blue slacks and a sky-blue sport shirt appeared at the door.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and moved with an athletic grace. His hair was cut in the smooth, full style of a successful executive, except that it was long enough in the back to brush against his shirt collar.

Belinda’s heart recognized him a few seconds before her brain agreed. She froze in mid-motion, sorely tempted to slam the door and bolt it. She didn’t care if she did represent Serenity. That didn’t mean she had to be nice to the likes of Paul Randall.

He glanced at his gleaming gold wristwatch. “I thought I still had a few minutes.”

“Sorry. The office is closed.”

“Too bad,” he said with a wry smile. “I need some information about this interesting little town.”

Belinda was not about to let him get the upper hand. “Fine.” She grabbed a random handful of colorful brochures pertaining to the area and thrust them at him. “Here.”

“I’m afraid that won’t do,” Paul said, stepping through the half-open door.

She gave ground. “I told you. The office is closed.” The spicy aroma of his aftershave affected her strongly and made her want to put even more distance between them.

Paul’s smile grew into a self-satisfied grin as he looked her up and down. “Humor me. I have as much right as anybody to be treated with respect. All I want from you is a few facts.”

Whether she liked it or not, he’d made a good point. Fair was fair. Besides, it wouldn’t do to let on that she was still mad enough at him to make her blood boil. A contrary man like Paul Randall would probably enjoy seeing that she was upset, and she wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.

Circling him widely, hurriedly, Belinda said, “All right. What can the Serenity Chamber of Commerce do for you? I’ll give you two minutes.”

Paul’s gaze met hers, challenged it, held it. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. Perhaps I’d better come back tomorrow when you have more free time.”

And make me go through this emotional turmoil all over again? No way! The smartest thing she could do was give him the information he wanted, right now, and be rid of him.

“That won’t be necessary,” she said, pleased at how calm and businesslike she sounded in spite of her quaking insides and righteous indignation. She rounded the end of the counter to put a solid physical barrier between them. “What is it you need?”

“Well… A list of the commercial property within four blocks in any direction from my aunts’ estate, for starters.”

“You need to go to the county office for that and you know it,” Belinda said, scowling. “What do you really want?”

Inwardly tense, Paul kept his posture relaxed, his smile as enigmatic as he could make it. He’d known that facing Belinda again would be difficult but he’d had no idea what a strong, gut-level reaction he’d have to her. That had been such a surprise he found he could hardly think straight, let alone come up with reasonable-sounding excuses for tracking her down while he was in town.

The most sensible option was probably to tell her the plain truth. The minute he’d set foot in Serenity again he’d felt he had to see her, to talk to her, to make her understand that he hadn’t been responsible for the loss of her father’s church. He was good at arguing court cases. It should have been easy to present a logical defense of his innocence.

Unfortunately, Paul had to admit he was currently standing on a foundation of emotional quicksand and sinking fast. Any notion he’d had about being permanently immune to Belinda’s charms had vanished the moment he’d faced her again. If anything, the attraction he felt now was stronger than ever. That conclusion didn’t astonish him nearly as much as the fact that the memory of her rejection still hurt.

If it hadn’t been for her cautious expression and stiff, standoffish posture he might have foolishly relaxed his guard and told her how he felt, then and there. Which would have been the dumbest thing he’d done for ten years. Sharing some information about his professional concerns, however, didn’t seem like such a bad idea. At least it would give him something intelligent to say.

“I was hoping you’d have time to bring me up to speed on the way Serenity is developing. You know. New business trends, population demographics, that kind of thing. Sort of an overview of what you see as the future of the town.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’ve not only lived here for a long time, your job has put you right into the center of commerce.” He quickly pressed on, hoping to sway her decision before she had a chance to think it through. “So, since you’re about to close the office, how about I make reservations at Romano’s for tonight? We can relax and talk over dinner.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. No way!” Belinda’s heart was racing and her mouth was as dry as the bottom of Lick Creek in mid-July! Didn’t he remember anything about their last day together? About their quarrel? About the things she’d said to him? The passage of time had not changed her mind. Too many unanswered questions remained. Important questions. Questions she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask because hearing the answers might prove too painful.