Chasing Second Chances Read online

  “Oh, Lloyd,” she sobbed.

  “Shh.” He stroked her hair. “Everything will be all right. We’ll get them back. I promise.”

  She said no more, just crying on his broad shoulder, the tears trickling down her cheeks to stain his shirt.

  “Everything will be all right,” he repeated.

  She nodded, surrendering to his embrace, his chest just as firm as she remembered, his arms just as strong, his scent still the same. She closed her eyes, drawing comfort from them, but just when she felt herself relaxing, she heard footsteps and she looked up in time to gaze into a pair of brown eyes.

  A very familiar pair of brown eyes.

  “Bryan?”

  Chapter Six

  Bryan’s eyes widened before slowly softening, the sadness in them making Kate’s chest feel heavy.

  “Bryan, it’s not what you think. I…” She pushed herself away from Lloyd, compelled by the small voice inside of her that told her it was the right thing to do, only to regret it the moment she felt the air upon her damp, bare breasts.

  Shit.

  Bryan looked away and was about to open his mouth to speak when the phone on the quartz bathroom countertop rang.

  Lloyd stood up and reached for it while Kate grabbed the opportunity to wrap her towel around her chest, grateful that she had been saved from the awkward situation.

  For now.

  “Who is it?” she asked as she stepped out of the tub.

  “It’s an unknown number,” Lloyd answered, handing her the phone.

  At once, Kate stiffened, reminded of her bigger predicament, and as her gaze met with Lloyd’s, she knew that he was thinking the same thing she was thinking—that the caller could be the kidnapper asking for a ransom—and she took a deep breath before answering the call.

  “Kate Evans speaking.”

  “Kate?” A familiar voice sounded on the line.

  “Anne?” Kate heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear your voice. Your number didn’t register on my phone so for a moment there, I thought it was…” She paused suddenly.

  “I’m using the phone here at my mother’s house,” Anne explained. “You thought I was who?”

  “Anne, Jack and Lena have been kidnapped,” Kate blurted out.

  “Oh my God.”

  “When I came home, they were gone.”

  “Oh, Kate, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left…”

  “It’s not your fault, Anne,” Kate quickly told her. “I doubt it would have made a difference if you had stayed.”

  Anne kept silent, probably in shock.

  “The police might get in touch with you since I mentioned that I asked you to check on the kids,” Kate continued. “I gave them your number, but I didn’t know your address. I’m sorry to cause you trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble at all,” Anne said. “I’ll do everything I can to help.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh, I wish I could be there by your side right now but my mother still isn’t feeling too well.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”

  “You are?”

  “No, I’m not,” Kate admitted. “But I’ll be fine. Bryan’s here and Lloyd, too.” She looked up at Lloyd who was standing just inches away from her.

  “Lloyd’s there?” The surprise was clear in Anne’s voice.

  “Anyway, I’ll let you know when I find them,” Kate said, not wanting to explain Lloyd’s presence.

  “You do that,” Anne said. “And don’t lose hope. You will find them.”

  “I certainly hope so, Anne.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Kate wanted to tell her there was no need, but knew that there was. She did need a friend, after all. “Thank you. And tell your mother I hope she gets better soon.”

  Anne sighed. “You’re going through hell and still, you worry about others. My mother’s fine. You hang in there, okay?”

  “I will,” Kate promised.

  “I know you will,” Anne said. “I better go get breakfast ready. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Hearing the click at the end of the call, Kate set her phone back down and turned to Lloyd. “That was Anne. You remember her?”

  “I can’t say that I do,” he answered truthfully.

  “We used to work together. She was at Lena’s baby shower,” Kate said. “I asked her to keep an eye on the kids for me while I was away.”

  “But she left.”

  “It’s not her fault her mother got sick and she had to leave,” Kate defended.

  “Right. Sorry.”

  Kate fell silent, her glance going towards the still open bathroom door, where Bryan no longer stood. Once more, her chest felt heavy and a part of her wanted to go after him but she decided to stay, thinking it was better for her and Lloyd to be alone at the moment. He had come all this way, after all, and they had important things to talk about. Clearing things up with Bryan would simply have to wait.

  “Thank you for coming,” she spoke softly.

  Lloyd shook his head. “I came because I thought it was the best thing to do.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have left the kids with someone more reliable. No, I should never have left the kids at all.”

  “It’s not your fault you needed a vacation, Kate, and thinking it is isn’t going to do anyone any good,” Lloyd told her calmly. “You told Anne it wouldn’t have made a difference if she had stayed in town. The same goes for you. Even if you were here, there’s no guarantee you could have been able to prevent them from being taken. You could only have gotten hurt and seeing you get hurt would have frightened the kids more than anything.”

  The words, sincere and sensible, gave her pause. Lloyd had always been intelligent, logical, always been able to analyze any situation in a cool and collected manner, which allowed him to see the larger picture in any situation and see things from different perspectives. They were the qualities that made Lloyd the successful executive in one of the country’s top TV production companies that he was today.

  They were the qualities that had made her fall in love with him.

  “I don’t know, Lloyd. I just can’t help thinking…maybe if I had brought them with me, then…”

  Slap!

  The force of his palm against her cheek made her stop mid-sentence. She rubbed her aching cheek and looked at him, confused.

  “That wasn’t what you wanted, was it?” he asked, his voice still calm, his eyes neither cold nor warm. Before she could answer, he pulled her back into his arms. “You keep talking like you want to be condemned, to be punished, but the truth is you’re afraid. You’re afraid of being condemned and punished so you do that to yourself before anyone else has the chance to, hoping that in acknowledging your own guilt, other people will find you innocent. But you don’t have to do that, Kate.

  “You don’t have to be hard on yourself. None of this is your fault and like I said a while ago, insisting on thinking that way isn’t going to do anyone any good, you least of all, so stop blaming yourself. Stop hurting and hating yourself, Kate. You’re stronger than this and you’re going to need every bit of that strength to get the kids back.”

  For a moment, Kate was silent, unable to say anything. Lloyd was right. She was afraid other people would think she was the worst mother in the world and so she decided to bestow that title on herself. She had thought it was the right thing to do, noble even, but now that she stopped to think of it, she realized how much it was hurting her. Not only that, it was making her feel weak and pathetic, and she didn’t like it at all.

  Gently, she broke free of Lloyd’s embrace and looked into his eyes, still a mesmerizing shade of bluish green. It was amazing how much had changed and yet how little. After all this time, he still knew her more than she knew herself.

  “You’re right,” she spoke. “I’m sorry. I…”

  “I think the first thing you should do is to stop apologizing,” he suggested. “There’s
no need for it and when there’s no need for it, it can get annoying.”

  Kate nodded, a little surprised by his frankness but knowing it was called for. It was what she had called him for.

  “Right. I…” She stopped herself from uttering another apology. “There’s something more important I should do, isn’t there?”

  “Have you talked to the police?”

  “I have.”

  “Then all we can do is wait for them to do their job,” Lloyd said. “And be strong in the meantime.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Have you eaten anything yet?”

  “I’ve eaten breakfast.”

  “Have you slept?”

  Kate shook her head. “I couldn’t.”

  “Well, you should,” he told her. “You have to take care of yourself so you can be at your best when we get the chance to do something. I can handle things and let you know everything you’ve missed as soon as you wake up.”

  Once more, he was right. She had been putting off sleep not only because she was dreading nightmares but because she didn’t want to miss out on any updates or calls from the kidnapper, but now that Lloyd was here, she supposed she did not really have to worry about that. Besides, in spite of the cups of coffee she had drunk, she had to admit that she was starting to feel sleepy now that she had had a nice bath.

  “You called me because you wanted some help, didn’t you?” Lloyd asked her. “Then let me help you. Rest and let me keep an eye on things. You know I care about the kids just as much as you do.”

  In the past, she would have argued with him, saying she cared about them much more but she only nodded now, content with the knowledge that he cared for the kids. Their kids.

  “All right, I’ll go get some sleep,” she acceded. “But first, I have to talk to Bryan.”

  Bryan was in the backyard patio, sipping a cup of coffee. When he saw Kate, he set his cup down, neither frowning nor smiling. Slowly, she sat down beside him and was about to apologize when she remembered what Lloyd had told her about unnecessary apologies.

  “I’m glad you didn’t leave. I would have had a hard time going after you if you did.”

  “I walked away last night. I told myself I wouldn’t do so again,” he told her.

  “I’m sorry I took out my disappointment on you,” she said, this time, thinking an apology was necessary. “I should never have said all those mean things when you were doing your best to help me.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.” Bryan placed his hand over hers. “I understand. Besides, you’re right. It was my fault for inviting you…”

  “It’s no one’s fault,” Kate stopped him from playing the self-accusation game, squeezing his hand. “I thought it was mine, so I tried to pass it on to you, but the truth is it’s neither your fault nor mine. It’s the kidnappers who committed a crime. I can see that now.”

  He paused before speaking again, looking into her eyes. “I’m sorry I left you alone.”

  “I needed some time alone, I think.”

  He opened his mouth, about to say something, but stopped. She could guess what was on his mind, though.

  “Lloyd is my ex-husband. I called him because I thought it was the right thing to do.”

  He nodded but still said nothing.

  “He’ll be staying here for a while, in the guest room on the first floor, until the kids are found,” she went on. “I know this must be hard for you but I can assure you that whatever Lloyd and I had, it’s long gone. It’s all in the past. You’re the man in my life now.”

  She looked into his eyes, waiting for him to react, to say something, and was relieved when she saw his eyes soften, understanding gleaming in them, his lips curving into a gentle smile.

  “Don’t worry about me,” he told her. “I won’t let you down again. In fact, I promise you I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  She, too, smiled. “Thank you, Bryan. I knew I could count on you.”

  “You can always count on me, Kate,” he assured her. “Always.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  They kissed briefly, then she got out of her seat. “I’ll just go get some sleep. I think I need it.”

  “You do,” he agreed. “I’ll just be here.”

  She gave him another kiss, this time on the cheek, then went inside the house and up the stairs to her bedroom, where she climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her head. Trying not to think of bad thoughts, she closed her eyes and snuggled into her soft pillow, her last thoughts of Bryan, then of Lloyd before drifting into the abyss of unconsciousness.

  She hoped they would be all right while she slept.

  Chapter Seven

  Bryan wasn’t all right.

  In spite of the fact that he and Kate had made up, in spite of the assurances she had given him, he could not help but feel uneasy.

  And he hated it.

  He was a man who liked to be in control. It was one of the reasons why he chose to be a doctor, because being a doctor meant he could have some measure of control over other people’s lives. Yet, he did not choose to be a surgeon because he knew so many things could go out of control during a surgery. Instead, he had chosen to be a cardiologist, a heart specialist who spent most of his time interpreting test results and prescribing medications.

  True, he knew that there were things that were beyond his control—experience had taught him that as well—and he accepted that. He knew, too, that people could not be controlled completely, which was fine, since the world would be a dull place if everyone marched to the same beat of the drum. Even God knew that. He just didn’t like it when things quickly spiraled out of control, or when there were too many variables in a situation.

  Like now.

  Right now, he wasn’t even sure where he stood, Lloyd’s presence something he had never seen coming.

  Yes, Kate had told him that he was the man in her life, and he knew in his heart that she loved him, but still, he could not silence that voice inside of him that kept telling him he could still lose her, that women changed their minds easily, especially when their emotions were in turmoil, and that she could easily fall back in love with the man she had loved once before. Loved enough to marry, at that.

  He pounded his fist on the table.

  Why did Kate have to call him?

  Perhaps if he and Kate had not argued, or perhaps, if he had not left, she would not have brought Lloyd into the picture. Then again, she could have still done so sooner or later, since he was the father of her kids, after all—a fact which he could neither undo nor refute.

  Damn.

  He had never been in this situation before. He had always been good-looking, with dark brown eyes and smooth skin that he inherited from his mother and a body that stayed lean no matter how much he ate, and intelligent, too, and so it was the women who had competed for his attention. He had never competed with any man for a woman’s attention before. He had never had to.

  Until now.

  Fate certainly had a tendency to teach him lessons the hard way.

  Well, he was not going to back down. If he had to fight to keep Kate, so be it. He loved her. He really did. And he wasn’t just going to give her up so that some arrogant ass who had failed to treasure her once could have her and have the chance to hurt her again.

  No way in hell.

  His fingers closed around the empty cup of coffee on the table, crushing it as he gritted his teeth. After a few seconds, though, he forced himself to take deep breaths and calm down. Being motivated was good. Being angry wasn’t. He would have to keep his temper in check if he wanted to keep Kate.

  Deciding to let off some steam, he went to the room where Kate kept her exercise equipment and decided to lift some weights and do some cardio. Afterwards, he took a bath, then went downstairs, intending to go to the supermarket and also grab some food since the ref was still empty, only to bump into Lloyd in the living room.

  Just like that, he was in a bad mood again.


  He tried to cross the living room quietly, hoping he would not get noticed, but luck was still against him. He had hardly taken a few steps when Lloyd turned, the tension in the room immediately rising as their gazes clashed.

  “I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself,” Lloyd spoke first, stretching out his hand. “I’m Lloyd Marrick.”

  Bryan debated whether or not to shake his hand, not really wanting to but at the same time, not wanting to be rude. In the end, he shook it, remembering his promise to Kate to be on his best behavior. “Bryan Knowles. Kate’s told me about you.”

  “I’m sorry I can’t say the same about you,” Lloyd said.

  Bryan tried not to frown.

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a cardiologist,” Bryan answered proudly.

  “Oh, I see.” Lloyd sat on the arm of the couch. “That must be quite a lucrative profession since cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of human mortality.”

  “It is a very fulfilling profession,” Bryan corrected. “It is an honor for me to be able to help people live longer.”

  “How noble,” Lloyd remarked. “You almost remind me of Kate’s sister, Eleanor.”

  This time, Bryan could not resist frowning as soon as Lloyd had turned his head away. Not only was Lloyd mocking him, he was also trying to impress his familiarity with Kate upon him, which he did not appreciate at all.

  “Well, Ellie and I have some common ideas,” Bryan lied. He had never met any of Kate’s siblings before but was not about to give Lloyd the satisfaction of that knowledge.

  “Ellie?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “She never liked being called that before.”

  Bryan grinned but did not comment to that. Instead, he said, “Well, I should get going. I need to get some supplies. Kate has to eat.”

  Lloyd gave a low chuckle. “You seem to spoil her.”

  “Kate is not a child,” Bryan said, his temper rising a notch from the remark which he felt was uncalled for. “She is a fully grown woman who is capable of distinguishing between what she wants and doesn’t want, and what she needs. I am simply taking good care of her.” He paused then could not resist adding, “It’s about time someone did.”