Second Chance With Me - S. Moose Page 0,2

If they try to interact with me … well, let’s just say it doesn’t end well for them.”

Clayton laughs. “Noted.”

“We didn’t have to come here if you don’t drink coffee.”

“No worries. I like to try new things, and since you suggested we come here, I wanted to make you happy and thought it would be fun.”

“That’s really sweet of you.” The butterflies are back. Clayton Turner has to be the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. He has a shy part to him that’s alluring. There’s no cockiness to him. “Tell me more about yourself.”

“Let’s see. Well, you know I’m twenty-three, and I didn’t get a chance to tell you this before, but I started working for the Seattle football team as a physical therapist.”

“Shut up. You help Will Montgomery?” My jaw drops. “Please say yes. I love Seattle. My dad, bless his heart, always wanted a boy. He ended up with three girls, so for some reason, I was the one he handled as a boy. We used to go to all the games.”

Losing a parent is never easy. I’m not naïve to the fact our parents live forever. I know death is part of life. I wish I said more to him the last time we were together. More than a simple goodbye.

I lost my way and my faith when he passed away. There were evil people God could’ve taken, but He chose my father. My father who worked hard every day of his life and lived for his family. He was the backbone and loved us with his whole heart.

Sometimes, I still feel lost without him. When I get good news, I want to call him and tell him what’s going on so I can hear how proud he is of me.

“Yeah, he’s a great guy. Used to? You don’t go anymore?”

I clear my throat and play with the napkin, trying to keep my emotions in check. “My dad passed away last year. It’s hard. My family, we’re managing, but he held our family together. He was the glue.” Don’t cry. Don’t cry. “Massive heart attack.”

Clayton reaches over for my hand and covers it with his. “I am so sorry for your loss.” I’m not sure how it happened, but he’s next to me, and my head’s resting on his shoulder. “Let it out,” he whispers, and I do.

Chapter 2

Clayton

There’s no way she’s this into me.

I’m a good looking guy and I’m confident in myself, but seeing her is making me question all of my moves and what I know about women. She’s the rare type of beautiful.

When she walked into the coffee shop, I stopped dead in my tracks. She took my breath away. Something about her pulled me in. I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve been in some relationships here and there, and one time I even thought I was in love, but this instant gravitational pull to her has me needing to know more about her.

As soon as I saw the tears forming in her eyes when she talked about her dad, I really wanted to hug her. I wanted to take her pain away.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, Clayton. I haven’t talked about my dad in a while, and I feel like the wounds are still raw. My mom’s a mess, and my sisters avoid any show of emotion altogether. They work all the time, and my mom tries to keep busy with whatever hobby she can find. Then there’s me.”

“What about you?”

She lets out a breath and holds my hand tighter. “I escaped Portland and moved here.”

“I get it. Okay, let’s change the topic. If there’s anywhere in the world you could go, where would it be?”

She has a wistful smile, and I’d love to see her smile every day. “Paris. Something about the city makes me feel like I’m in a fairy tale. I went during my senior year of high school. It was a gift from my parents. They worked so hard to pay for that trip. I remember my dad worked overtime for over three months just so I could experience Paris. Eleven days. It was transcendent. I’d go back in an instant. What about you?”

Growing up, I’ve had the best of life. My parents had my little brother and me, and we experienced life in a different way. My mom was a stay-at-home wife and made sure we were taken care of. My dad was a CFO for one of the top