Second Chances (sequel to Over You) Read online

  “Come here, Hudson,” Kyle said as he squatted. “Come here, kitty.”

  The creature cautiously moved closer, and Jessica’s mouth fell open as she recognized her gray tabby, except he looked nothing like himself. Someone had shaved off all of his fur. She knelt next to Kyle. “Come here, big guy.” Her voice hitched on the last two words. Without his long, luxuriant fur, he didn’t look big at all.

  Hudson crept up the stairs, his eyes showing his fear, then he stopped in front of Jessica, and mewed in a pitiful voice.

  Jessica scooped him up and held him close as tears pooled in her eyes. “My poor baby. Who did this to you? Who did this to you?”

  Hudson’s loud purr filled the air as he snuggled against his mistress.

  Jessica turned to Kyle. “Who would do something like this?” Then her eyes widened.

  “What is it?” Kyle asked.

  “Alex was here.”

  “Wait. What?”

  She nodded. “He was literally here, on this porch, talking to me, like, an hour ago.”

  Disbelief and fury swept over Kyle’s face. “He was here?” He pointed to the porch. “Today?”

  “Yes.”

  Kyle swore under his breath, then looked at Jessica. “He did this. You know he did.”

  “I don’t . . .”

  “That’s what you were thinking. Be honest. You were, weren’t you?”

  “Well, maybe.”

  “It’s a little too coincidental that an hour after he was here, your cat shows up looking like that.” He gestured at Hudson’s pitiful, hairless body.

  “You make it sound like he’s so ugly.” She glanced at her cat and held back a grimace. “At least they left his whiskers alone. And his hair will grow back.”

  “That’s not the point.” Then he laughed softly. “But he is really ugly. Maybe you can enter him in one of those contests. You know, World’s Ugliest Cat.”

  She couldn’t help it. She laughed too, but pushed against his arm. “Stop. You’ll hurt his feelings.” Then she stroked Hudson’s skin. “Besides, we don’t know if he’s traumatized by what happened.” She looked at Kyle sternly. “You calling him names doesn’t help.”

  He bit back a smile. “In any case, you’d better tell Barnes about this. I’m sure he’d be interested. Especially after the other things that happened.”

  “Oh, I will.”

  “And you’d better tell him that Alex was just here.” His forehead furrowed. “Why was he here, anyway? I thought you broke up with him.”

  “I did. But yesterday he sent me a text that Barnes came and talked to him, and he asked me if I was okay. I didn’t want to talk to him, so I didn’t respond, and he says he got worried.”

  “That’s convenient.” Kyle clenched his jaw. “At least he doesn’t know you’ll be going home.” Her face must have given her away. “He knows?” Kyle asked, obviously angry. “What? Did you tell him?”

  “I may have said something about looking for a job.”

  He raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe you told him.” He scowled at her. “Are you crazy?”

  Feeling like she was being scolded, she scowled back. “What’s so bad about him knowing I’m going to be home? I also told him that I’m with you now.”

  That brought him up short. “You did? Really?”

  “Yes. Why are you so surprised?”

  “You were so resistant to telling him before, that’s all.”

  “It seemed obvious that if I didn’t tell him, he would keep showing up uninvited.”

  His eyes narrowed. “And it was after you told him about us that Hudson showed up looking like . . . well, like that.” His gaze shifted to the hairless cat, then back to Jessica’s face.

  That fact could not be denied. “Yes.”

  He tilted his head to one side and raised his eyebrows, as if to say, What further evidence do you need, Miss Stevens?

  “I still don’t think he would do that,” she said.

  “When did he get into town?”

  “I don’t know.” Hudson twisted to get down, and Jessica released him, but made sure he didn’t wander far.

  “So he could have gotten here last night, for all you know.”

  “Or he could have gotten here right when he showed up here.” She flung out both hands to encompass the porch.

  Kyle shook his head.

  The front door opened and Ellen poked her head out. “Is everything okay out here?”

  Jessica smiled. “Hudson’s back.”

  Ellen came outside. “Wonderful.”

  Jessica’s smile vanished. “But someone shaved off his fur.”

  Ellen looked around, and when she saw Hudson, her eyes widened. “They certainly did.”

  “I know,” Jessica moaned. “He looks awful.”

  “He’s certainly not as handsome as he used to be.”

  Kyle laughed. “You’re being generous, Ellen.”

  “I wonder who did it,” Ellen said.

  “I think it’s Jessica’s ex,” Kyle said.

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Because he was just here.”

  Ellen looked at Jessica with a question on her face, and Jessica told her what had happened with Alex earlier.

  “What do you think?” Jessica asked, uncertain what to believe.

  “I think you need to tell Detective Barnes and let him figure it out.” She smiled. “That’s his job, you know.”

  “Okay. I’ll call him now.” Jessica picked up Hudson and brought him inside, with Kyle and Ellen right behind her, then she sat on the couch in the living room and called Barnes while Kyle and Ellen watched.

  After she told him what had happened with Hudson, she felt a nudge from Kyle who mouthed Tell him about Alex. She rolled her eyes, then told Barnes about Alex stopping by. After she finished talking to Barnes, she set her phone down.

  “Well?” Kyle asked.

  “Well, what?”

  “What did he say about Alex?”

  “He said he’d look into it.”

  “You didn’t tell Barnes that you were going home next week,” Kyle said.

  “So?”

  “Maybe he should know.”

  “Why?”

  “Maybe he can talk to the police in your town so that they know what’s going on.”

  Jessica laughed. “There are way bigger crimes going on in my town than someone kidnapping cats and shaving them. They’d just laugh at him.”

  Kyle began pacing. “I don’t like the idea of you being there by yourself.”

  Unless it’s Melanie who’s doing all this, she thought. Then going out of town is the safest place for me. “I’ll be careful, and I’ll be fine.”

  “What about staying with your parents?” he asked.

  “They’ll be out of town,” she said. “They planned a vacation a long time ago and they’ve already left.”

  Kyle turned to Ellen. “Ellen, back me up here,” he said. “Don’t you think she should postpone her interviews until the police figure out who’s behind these things?”

  Jessica looked at her aunt, who was quiet. Finally Ellen said, “I’m sure Jessica will be extra careful. She can’t put her life on hold. That’s probably exactly what this person wants. To scare her into hiding.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Kyle clenched his jaw, then stared at Jessica. “I’ve got to get back to work.” Then he turned and left the two women alone.

  “Jessica,” Ellen said in a soft voice. “I know I said you should go, but maybe you should reconsider.”

  “I’ll just be gone a few days, but I have to get a job.” She scooted closer to her aunt and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Besides, what if this is all Melanie’s doing”

  Her aunt seemed surprised by the idea. “Do you really think so?”

  Jessica shrugged. “I don’t know. But it seems just as likely to be her as Alex.”

  “I suppose.” But her aunt didn’t seem convinced.
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  Chapter Twenty

  When it was time for Kyle to leave for the day, Jessica went downstairs to talk to him. The night before he’d mentioned the idea of maybe doing something with her that night, and she wanted to see if he was still interested. “Hey.” Her voice was tentative as she hadn’t spoken to him since their discussion earlier that day, and she was worried he might still be upset with her for insisting that she go home.

  “Jess.” He smiled, and walked over to her. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  His warmth pleased her.

  “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I got mad at you earlier.” He stroked her face as he gazed at her. “It just makes me crazy to think that you could get hurt.” He paused. “I just feel better when I know you’re nearby.”

  Touched by his sincere concern, she felt somewhat guilty for being adamant about not altering her plans, although she had no intention of canceling her interviews. Both jobs were good prospects and she didn’t want to blow either opportunity. Not only that, but she really didn’t feel like she was in any danger. In her heart of hearts, she suspected Melanie much more than Alex. “I know.”

  “Just . . . think about staying, okay?”

  “You know I would if I could, but if I don’t start a new job soon, there’s a very real possibility that I’ll lose my apartment. I can’t wait, Kyle. I’m sorry.”

  He sighed, then hesitated. “What if you moved here? Permanently?”

  “What? To my aunt’s house?”

  “Not necessarily. Just to this town.”

  She frowned. “That doesn’t solve anything. I still wouldn’t be able to support myself. I don’t think there are many job opportunities for software developers around here.”

  He bit his lip, then smiled with apparent uncertainty. “What if you . . . well, you could move in with me.”

  Her answer was immediate. “I am not moving in with you.”

  Her abruptness seemed to take him aback. “Why not? I could support you while you look for a job that lets you work remotely.”

  “Number one, my parents and my aunt would hate that idea. Number two . . .” Her gaze skittered away from him.

  “Yeah? Number two?”

  She forced her eyes to meet his. “Number two . . .” Her voice softened. “The only man I’ll be living with is my husband.”

  Her statement seemed to catch him by surprise. “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about that.”

  “Well, I do.” She couldn’t hold back a giggle. “No pun intended.”

  He smiled half-heartedly. “Okay, so scratch that idea.”

  Dismay that he obviously had no interest in marriage tugged at her heart, but she scolded herself for thinking her declaration would do anything to change his stance. Had she somehow thought he would propose on the spot because of her statement? Did she think he wasn’t serious when he’d told her he wasn’t anywhere near ready to marry? Evidently she had. Frowning now, she tried to stay focused on her reason for coming to talk to him in the first place. “Did you want to do anything tonight?”

  The expression on his face made her think she’d hurt his pride when she’d turned down his offer to live with him. “I don’t know. I’m kind of tired.”

  Putting a flirtatious smile on her face, she put her hands on his hips and gently swayed. “Surely you have enough energy to take me dancing.”

  His petulant expression faded, and a smile grew in its place. “Maybe.”

  “Good.” She kissed him soundly on the mouth. “Pick me up at seven.”

  His smile grew into a grin. “Will do.”

  She turned, then threw a last smile his way before going upstairs to figure out what she was going to wear.

  When he came to pick her up, she was ready, wearing a flattering red dress and a pair of spiked heels.

  “You look fantastic,” he said, his eyes showing his appreciation.

  “You don’t look too bad yourself.” And she meant it. In his jeans and dark grey shirt, he looked hot.

  They walked out to his truck hand-in-hand and he helped her climb in, then he got behind the wheel.

  “How’s Hudson?” he asked as they drove toward the dance club.

  “He seems to be okay. He mostly just looks pathetic.”

  “At least he’s not shedding now.”

  She gave him a stern look, but then let a smile break through. “Poor little guy. Ellen promised to take care of him while we’re out.”

  At the club, they hit the dance floor right away, and as Jessica danced, she glanced at the other dancers. Her eyes skimmed over one man, then came back to him when she recognized Trey Harrington, Douglas Harrington’s son. He must have felt her gaze, because he suddenly looked her way. Jessica quickly looked in another direction, but not before she saw the scowl on his face when he seemed to recognize her.

  Then she considered the idea that he could be the one behind all the odd things that had happened, including the assault on her cat, and she felt a shiver of fear crawl up her spine. Especially when she so vividly recalled how his father had tried to kill both her and Kyle. If Trey was anything like Douglas Harrington, she knew she had good reason to be afraid, and suddenly she was eager to get out of town and back to the relative safety of her apartment three hours away.

  When Kyle pulled her close for a slow song, she tried to focus on how much she enjoyed being with him, but her mind kept sliding back to Trey Harrington dancing only feet away. Her eyes strayed in his direction several times, but she managed to look away before he caught her staring.

  “Are you okay?” Kyle murmured next to her ear.

  “Yeah. Fine.” Afraid Trey would overhear her, she kept her thoughts to herself.

  After a while she and Kyle walked to a table to take a break.

  “I’m going to grab us some drinks,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  She nodded, then watched him go, her gaze zeroing in on Trey Harrington, who looked like he was having a good time with the redhead he was with.

  Five minutes later Kyle came back empty-handed. He slid into the seat next to her. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to cut our date short.”

  “What? Why?” She knew the only explanation had to be Melanie, and she fumed at the thought.

  “Avery’s been sick and she refuses to sleep, and Melanie is so exhausted that she needs me to come take care of Avery so she can get a little bit of rest.”

  Livid at the audacity of Melanie to interrupt her date with Kyle because she needed a babysitter, Jessica bit back a rude remark, and instead had a brilliant idea. “Okay. Let’s go over there and help her.”

  “Let’s? As in you and me?”

  She nodded. “Sure. Why not? There’s no reason we can’t be together, even if we’re not dancing. And hey.” She grinned. “Maybe we can turn on some music and dance there.” Her grin turned into a smirk. “We’ll keep the music low of course. So we don’t wake Melanie.”

  He seemed uncomfortable, but eventually he nodded. “Okay. I guess that would work.”

  “Great.” And as a bonus, I can get away from Trey Harrington. She jumped up and took his hand, tugging him to his feet. “Let’s go.”

  They walked out to his truck, and though she pretended this was a great way to spend the evening, inside she was furious. And she could hardly wait to see the look on Melanie’s face when she opened the door to see Jessica standing next to Kyle.

  Ten minutes later Jessica’s inner mean girl was soaring with glee. As she’d predicted, Melanie had not been expecting to see Jessica on her door step with her arm possessively around Kyle’s waist.

  “Uh, hi?” Melanie said, her gaze bouncing between Kyle and Jessica.

  “Hey. How’s Avery doing?” Kyle said, either ignoring Melanie’s discomfort, or not noticing it.

  “Well, she’s developed this really bad cold in the last couple of days, and she just refuses to sleep.” She completely ignored Jessica as she focused on Kyle. “So if you could just take care of he
r while I sleep for a couple of hours, that would be wonderful.” Her perfect white teeth were framed by her naturally rosy lips as she smiled.

  “Yeah. I’m happy to help.”

  “Great.” Her gaze flicked to Jessica, then she opened the door wider and they walked in. “She’s watching TV right now.”

  As Jessica followed Kyle and Melanie inside, she took in the understated decor and noticed that besides a few toys tossed here and there, the place was spotless. Like she’d been expecting company. Jessica frowned at the thought, but the woman really did seem worn out, and for a moment Jessica felt a sliver of empathy. That is, until Melanie put her arm around Kyle’s waist and rested her head against his shoulder.

  “That child can be so draining,” she said. And then a little louder. “Of course you know that better than anyone, since you’ve practically raised her.” Then she laughed. “But I’m sure you’re used to it by now, right, Daddy?”

  Kyle laughed with obvious discomfort. “Right.’

  Pressure began building in Jessica’s head, and she was certain steam was beginning to gush out of her ears. I can’t believe how blatantly obvious Melanie is being, she thought. Physically claiming Kyle as her own—and right in front of me.

  “Daddy!” Avery screamed with pure joy as she rushed Kyle, flinging herself into his arms.

  “Hi, sweetie,” he said, hugging her close. “I hear you’re not letting Mommy get any sleep.”

  He makes it sound like they’re a family, Jessica thought, her head pounding.

  “Daddy, play,” Avery said, taking his hand and dragging him toward her toy box.

  “Looks like she’s in expert hands,” Melanie said, focused on Kyle. “I’ll be in the bedroom if you need me.” Her gaze shot to Jessica, then back to Kyle. “You know where it is.” Then she turned and sashayed away.

  Oh. My. Gosh, she wanted to scream, but knew it would fall on deaf ears. Was Kyle blind to Melanie’s tactics? She watched him as he played with Avery, and suddenly felt like she’d been bested by a two-year-old. But after a few minutes he was able to get her focused on playing with a doll house, and he sat next to Jessica on the couch.

  “Thanks for coming with me,” he said.