SECOND CHANCES

You can come home again.

Bittersweet memories overwhelmed Rori as she pulled her packed sedan up the tree-lined driveway. From the moment she’d approached the outskirts of town, the memories had rushed back. The girl who left town ten years before didn’t exist anymore, not really. And Rori was back for good. This time older, wiser and stronger. Getting out of the car, she breathed in deep as she stretched. Her screaming muscles and kinked neck were glad of the reprieve after twelve hours behind the wheel.

The sound of her name being called pulled her out of her thoughts and she turned around with a smile for her sister Kelly as she came out of the big house. Rori shoved the heap of golden curls out of her face and pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head to hold the hair back.

“Kelly!” she exclaimed as she rushed toward her sister.

After the hug broke, Kelly looked her up and down with a huge grin. “You look damned good, Rori. What the hell?”

“You walk or bike everywhere in Paris. Took off those last twenty damned ‘sitting on my butt getting my degree’ pounds.”

“I think Max and I should move to Paris, then. Can we leave the boys with you?”

Laughing, Kelly tucked a wayward curl behind her sister’s ear. “You look fabulous.”

Rori grinned and popped the trunk of the car. “I’d gladly take those boys from you but you know you’d want them back in a few weeks.” Grunting, she pulled bags out, hefting them to the driveway. “Come on then, help me with my suitcases.”

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Kelly asked, leading her into the house.

“It’s being shipped, should be here Monday or Tuesday. I knew it would take me a few days to find a place.”

Kelly spun to level a glare her way. “A place? What do you mean, a place? No way, Rori. I just got you back! You’re living here.”

“Kel, I love you, but you and Max have two kids. I’m a grown woman. I’ll get an apartment or a house. I won’t impose for any longer than I have to.”

Kelly turned back and scowled at her before leading the way upstairs to the third floor attic bedroom. “It’s not an imposition! You’ve been gone so long. Stay as long as you want.

Max adores you, the boys adore you and I adore you, too. There’s no rush, honestly. I’ve missed you so much, I want you close by.”

Sitting her suitcase down, Rori took an admiring look around the room. “This is gorgeous; you’ve done so much to this place.” She kissed Kelly’s cheek. After feeling out of place and anchorless for so long, her heart swelled and she blinked back tears at her sister’s reception. She’d missed her so very much -- missed belonging to someone. “Thanks, it’s nice to know I’m loved. But I need a quiet place to work. And someday, I might actually have sex again so my own place is a good thing. It’s not like I’ll be far away. Oakley is still a small town.”

“I want you to be here with me,” Kelly repeated, but with resignation. With a sigh she opened the closet doors and pulled out hangers. “Mom and Howard are anxious to see you, too. She’s pissed that you aren’t staying with them.”

Rori snorted as she began to unpack. Kelly began to hang things up while Rori put things into drawers. “I know; Mom gave me the lecture already over the phone last week.

And what a treat it would be to stay with her and Howard, huh? Anyway, if I stayed with her, I’d rob her of her righteous indignation. She’s determined to be offended, no matter what I do, so I may as well oblige her and make myself happy in the bargain. She was offended when I went away to college. She was offended when I went to graduate school.

She was offended when I moved to Paris. Now she’s happy that I’m moving back but offended I’m not staying with her and her new husband in a two-bedroom condo.” She shrugged. “This way she can be offended no matter what I do. Win -win for her. Anyway, if I didn’t give her something to be offended over, she’d just turn to you. I figure you and I need to take turns.”

“I’d say she means well. We both know she does. But I also know she doesn’t spend enough time thinking about the way she talks to you and how what she says affects you.

God, it still makes me so mad to think about the way she used to go on and on about your looks!” Kelly fumed. Then, with a resigned shrug she blew her hair out of her eyes and grinned. “Wait until she sees you.”

Rori had left Oakley ten years before, with braces, glasses, sporting an awful case of acne, and carrying an extra fifty pounds. Gotten away from a mother who either cooked meals laden with cream or deep fat fried. Worse, she’d also consistently picked at her daughter’s appearance. Being away from that constant assault on her self esteem and undermining of her body had been a big healing point. Emotionally, Rori began to shed her old self within weeks. Getting the braces off and a pair of contacts had been the first physical changes. Over the last years she’d shed most of the fifty pounds and the acne had gone away when the diet and stress of her life with her mother had been absent. Now she bore very little resemblance to the painfully shy girl she’d been when she left town. The biggest change though, was on the inside; she finally loved herself and it showed. She’d set goals for herself and had met them. She’d survived. She’d believed in herself and that was the best thing of all.

“She saw me two years ago when I came back for Christmas.”

Kelly laughed. “Yeah, but with the new hair color and the last twenty pounds, you look hot. Vixenish, even, with those curves. Why can’t I have curves?”

“Is vixenish even a word? Well I’m claiming it anyway. You’re so good for me.” Rori laughed. “Heck, I had to catch up with you. You’re five years older than me, have had two kids and look at you! It’s like you get more beautiful each time I see you.” Kelly had always been beautiful, both inside and out. Where Rori was tall and had been gawky and heavy, Kelly was small, like a little doll with giant blue eyes. She’d married her high school sweetheart, Max Harris, who was, of course, the quarterback to her head cheerleader. They were a really lovely couple and their sons were big, like their daddy, with his black hair and Kelly’s blue eyes.

If Kelly hadn’t been her best friend as well as her sister, Rori probably would have hated her. Instead, the two sisters, as different as they could be, had always been there for each other, always supporting and loving when needed. Without Kelly, Rori didn’t know if she’d have been able to get past her mother’s constant carping on her appearance.

Kelly hung up the last sweater and closed the closet. “Come on downstairs, the boys will be getting home from school soon and they have been talking about you nonstop since you announced you were moving back here. I’ve got today’s paper. Why don’t you look through the ads for places to live if you’re determined that way.”

Rori followed her sister downstairs, where they sat in the sunny kitchen and caught up on gossip as they drank iced tea and looked through the ads for rentals.

“Aunt Rori!” Shane and Alex burst through the door and suddenly there was a jumble of arms and legs and backpacks as the boys jumped onto Rori, hugging her.

“My goodness! Who are these handsome men, Kelly? Wait, are these my nephews?

These brawny dudes? It can’t be!”

“Aw, Aunt Rori.” Shane, who was twelve, gave her a wry smile. “Can you come to my game tonight? I’m pitching.”

“You are? That’s so cool! Of course! In fact, I’ll be at all of your games. I wouldn’t miss them. It’s one of the reasons I came back, you know? To see you and your brother grow up, to go to your games and school stuff, to scare off your girlfriends.”

“Mine too?” Alex, who was nine, asked. “Not the girlfriend part, girls are gross. I’m in the next league down from Shane. I’m shortstop this year. My games are day games.”

“Well good, that makes it easier for me to be at both your games then. Your mom can give me your schedules so I’ll be sure not to miss them. By the way,” she dug in her bag for her keys, tossing them to Shane, “presents for you in the trunk. Go to town.”

They scrambled out of the room and through the front door.

“You spoil them.” Kelly grinned at her.

“Of course I do, it pays to have good-looking men who adore me.”

“Speaking of that, Jude is still single.” Kelly shot her a sly look.

Jude Callahan, the guy who’d been the star of every one of Rori’s girlhood fantasies.

Despite his bad boy behavior, he had always been nice to Rori, even made her feel like an actual girl instead of a shy lump. He was also Max’s half-brother.

“That so?” She smiled at Kelly, not even bothering to hide her interest.

“Yep. He’s working with Max.”

“Jude Callahan is a cop?” She snorted at the irony of the town’s malcontent now in charge of keeping order.

“Yep.”

“Hmm. I can only imagine what he looks like in a uniform.” Rori raised an eyebrow at her sister, who nodded back and they both burst out laughing.

The boys came back into the house clutching their presents. “Aunt Rori, how did you know I wanted this remote control race car set?” Alex asked.

“And this mitt, Aunt Rori, it’s the coolest thing ever. Plus the Game Boys are excellent.

My old one got busted and Mom and Dad wouldn’t get me a new one.”

Kelly looked at Rori, who smiled back at her, without an ounce of guilt. “I’m glad you like it all. Your mom told me that you needed a new mitt and the guy at the toy store said that RC stuff was what nine-year-olds wanted.” She accepted the hugs and kisses they offered.

“All right boys, go and do your homework!” Kelly barely stifled a grin, her voice mock-stern. “We’ll eat dinner early so we can get to Shane’s game. Daddy will be home in half an hour. Go on.” They ran off up the stairs. “I don’t get kisses like that anymore.” She shot Rori an annoyed look that was ruined by the slight curve at the corner of her mouth.

“Kelly, don’t begrudge me the only male attention I’ve had in six months.” Rori laughed at her sister’s put-upon face and brushed her hands off. “Now, let’s get dinner started shall we? I’m going to call these people about the ads.”

Rori called and made appointments for the next day to go out and look at two apartments and a small house. Afterwards, she cut up tomatoes and other salad fixings while Kelly made a quick spaghetti sauce and boiled noodles. She also called her mother and made plans for a dinner at her condo on Sunday afternoon.

“Hey there, Kel!” a deep voice called out from the front hallway.

“Hey, Max, we’re back here. Dinner is just about ready; grab the boys will you?”

“Sure thing. I’m headed upstairs to change.”

Rori set the table and Max came back downstairs a few minutes later, in jeans and a sweatshirt, the boys in his wake. He saw Rori and grinned, wrapping her in a big hug.

“Damn, girl! You’re looking good. It’s good to have you back.”

“Thanks, it’s good to be back.” And it was. Paris was nice but it was so far away from her family and she’d sorely missed her sister.

As they ate dinner the boys chattered about their day in school while the adults chatted about the changes in Oakley and what had happened in their lives since they last spoke. Afterwards, Rori helped clear the table and ran up the stairs to change for the game.

She rode over to the park in Max and Kelly’s SUV. Sitting between her nephews in the back seat, she tried to follow along as each of them talked over the other, excitedly telling her about their ball teams and school.

When they got to the park, the boys scampered off to talk with friends and Rori took an appreciative look around. The ball fields at the park were bigger these days and fairly comfortable stands had been added. Things had changed in the time she’d been away.

“Dude, this place looks pretty posh compared to the old days when your ass would be flat and aching by the time the game was over,” Rori told her sister as they moved into the bleachers to sit and watch the game.

“Oh my lands! Rori Simon? Is that you?”

Rori turned and saw a small woman with bright red hair and blue eyes. Recognizing her, Rori grinned and pulled the woman into a hug. “Becky! Hi, how are you?” Becky Helm had been a pretty good friend back in high school, but they’d lost touch when Rori had gone away to school.

“I wouldn’t have recognized you if you weren’t with Kelly. My god, woman, you look amazing. What are you doing in town? We should get together before you leave and catch up.”

“Actually, I’m back for good. I’m a writer, something I can do anywhere. I missed Kelly and the boys so much. I thought I’d try living back here. I’d love to get together! I’ve thought about you often and wondered how you were.”

“Are you staying at Kelly’s?”

“Yes, for now. I’m looking for a place of my own, though.”

“Well I have her number and I’ll call you. We should go and grab a drink, go dancing. I just got divorced and I need to kick up my heels,” Becky said bluntly.

Rori didn’t know what to say. Divorce was an unimaginable sorrow to her, although she could identify with coming out of a long relationship. “Oh really? I’m sorry. I didn’t even know you got married.”

“Paul Prentice. The sorry, drinking, cheating jerk.”

“Ah. Well.” Rori’s voice trailed off. Paul Prentice was all of those things even back in high school.

“Yeah, I know, it’s not like that’s news.”

Rori laughed. “Honey, if making perfect choices was a requirement for living I wouldn’t be here. I’ve just ejected my own sorry, cheating, jerk from my life. We’re better for it.”

“True, but the bed gets cold.” Becky winked.

“Yeah, it does,” Rori said with a wry smile. “But that’s what down comforters and sex toys are for.”

A few moments later, Rori turned back to focus on the game, not wanting to miss anything. The boys were really important to her and unfortunately, she’d missed enough of their lives as it was. Impressed at Shane’s skill, she was proud as she watched him play.

After a while she leaned across Kelly to talk to Max. “Dang, he’s just like you, Max.”

Max was Mr. Sports back in the day and Shane looked to be a natural, too.

“He loves sports but I don’t push. I had enough of that myself. He chose soccer over football this year -- he’s really good. Alex is, too.” Max nodded in the direction of the youngest Harris son who was -- Rori did a double take -- oh good lord, walking over with his uncle Jude.

Kelly gave her a subtle pinch and Rori put on her “sort of interested” face as he approached.

“Hey, Max, Kel. What’s the score?” he asked absently, handing hotdogs and sodas down the row. “Sorry I’m late, got a call. Jerry Wallace again.” He rolled his eyes, bringing a laugh from Max. Jude looked at Kelly and then at Rori, flashing a saucy smile before turning back toward the field. Moments later he did a double-take, jerking his head back around, really seeing her. “Rori? My god, is that you?” He quickly got up and pushed his way past Kelly, plopping down next to Rori.

Rori took a deep breath. Acting, my girl, she told herself. Don’t drool or yank off your shirt, and remember to breathe.

“Hi, Jude. It’s nice to see you. You’re looking good. How are you?” she said smoothly, impressed that her shirt was still on and that she hadn’t grabbed that notable bulge in his lap.

“I’m good, working with Max now. I thought you were in Paris?”

“I was. Had a lovely flat on the Seine for the last two years. But I missed Kelly and the boys and even my mother. I decided that I could work just about anywhere, so I let Kel talk me into moving back here.”

“Wow. That’s great. It’ll be nice to have you back in town. I hear you write romance novels.” He grinned.

“Yes.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “and erotica too, but with a pen name.”

Unable to resist, she breathed him in. Damn, he smelled good. He looked good, too. His hair, which used to be long and blond, was now much shorter -- still very sexy. He had a different mother than Max, so while Max had his mom’s blue eyes, Jude bore his mother’s green ones.

He wasn’t as broad or tall as Max, either, but he still stood at six feet and had, from what she could tell, very nicely defined arms.

“That so?” he drawled with a sexy grin. “I’ll have to read it sometime. You look really good. I like your hair.”

“Oh thanks.” Running fingers through her hair and shaking her head she added, “It was always naturally curly, it just needed the right cut and products to get rid of the frizz and ...

never mind. That’s probably more than you wanted to know.” She broke off her explanation with a laugh.

“Isn’t anyone going to introduce me to the beautiful woman?”

Jude and Rori turned to see Ryan Lassiter standing there grinning. “Hi, Ryan. How are you?” Rori asked with a small wave.

Ryan cocked his head. “It’s Rori Simon, Ry,” Max helped. Ryan Lassiter was another one of those big corn-fed boys who was easy on the eyes. Rori knew a lot of them because of Kelly’s relationship with Max. Many of them treated her like a little sister, which made things a little more tolerable when she had no date for the prom. At least she had some positive male attention.

“Nuh uh! Get out. Damn, girl! How are you?” He hugged her, sitting down on her other side. She caught the subtle once-over he gave her.

“I’m good.” Her attention moved back to the game. “Oh, way to go, Shane!!” she called out when her nephew struck out yet another batter.

“So, are you just visiting?” Ryan asked and Jude leaned in to catch her answer.

“No, I’m back for good. I’m in the process of looking for a place now.” The two men on either side of her were so delicious she forced herself to keep watching Shane. It was either that or take a bite out of one or both of them. Man, she needed to get laid.

“You know, there’s an apartment in my complex that just opened up. A two bedroom,”

Jude said. “You should check it out. The complex is nice. Quiet. Decent rent, the landlord is a good enough guy.”

“No crime because half the police force lives there -- Ryan, Sean, several of the other guys too,” Max added.

Rori subtly raised a brow in Kelly’s direction. Her sister nodded in response. “Sounds like I should take a look, then.” Rori had to admit she was curious.

“Why don’t I take you over after the game? I’m sure the landlord will be around and happy to show you the place,” Jude said easily.

“Um, sure. Why not?”

“Fine, just push my sister out the front door, Max,” Kelly said with a pretty pout.

“Hey, I was just trying to help. She knows she’s welcome at ours as long as she wants to stay, but the girl will want her own life, Kel,” Max said, bending to deliver a quick kiss to his wife’s lips.

“I’ve already told you I’ll be in town. I don’t plan on moving away anytime soon. I told you why I wanted my own place.”

“You just want to have sex!” Kelly said playfully.

Ryan and Jude choked and Rori just rolled her eyes and swatted her sister’s arm.

Jude sat there, his thigh touching Rori’s. He kept sneaking looks at her from the corner of his eye. When had the shy, heavyset girl turned into the confident beauty sitting by his side? From her curly, honey-blonde hair to the tips of her shoes, the woman was hot.

Smoking, smoldering hot.

His eyes were drawn to the slice of bare breast exposed at the top of her shirt, the creamy skin that rose and fell with her every breath. Of course, they nearly fell out of his head when Shane struck a batter out and made that double in the last inning, causing her to jump up and down. Go, Shane! Jude loved his nephews, never missing games if he could help it, but he mentally made a note to help them both practice to improve their skills so that more jumping up and down occurred.

He’d always had a soft spot for her. Being the younger sibling of the older brother who everyone worshipped -- Jude understood more than a bit about what it was like to live in the shadow of a guy everyone thought was perfect. Kelly was always popular and pretty while Rori was shy -- not disliked really -- just mainly unnoticed. He’d admired her getting out of Oakley to go to college in St. Louis at W.U. He’d seen her a few times over the years, briefly here and there, noticing the small transformations, but he hadn’t seen her in about five years and he thrummed with the electricity of his attraction for her.

“You have a key, so we won’t wait up,” Kelly said quietly into Rori’s ear as she hugged her after the game. They’d stopped a few feet short of the cars to talk out of range of the men.

“I don’t plan to be out late, Kel,” Rori whispered back.

“Well why not? I’ve seen the way Jude keeps looking at you.”

“Yes, and I’ve seen the way the other women have been looking at him. He’s still a skirt chaser, isn’t he?”

Kelly’s eyes lit with understanding as she nodded. “You’re right to be on your guard about that. If you’re expecting more than a casual relationship he’s probably not what you’re looking for. Don’t get hurt, Rori. I don’t know that he can be caught.”

Rori briefly put fingertips to her sister’s face, touched by Kelly’s concern. She’d just gotten out of a relationship with a man she’d trusted who didn’t deserve it. She had no plans to go there again. “Oh, Kel, if I want to catch Jude Callahan, I’ll catch him, trust me on that.

But I don’t know if I do or if I just want to get him naked a few times and out of my system once and for all. Hell, for that matter, Ryan is pretty cute too.” She wiggled her brows and Kelly laughed.

“You ready?” Jude called out from the knot of men standing near the cars.

“Yeah, hold your horses,” she said teasingly as she walked over. She caught her reflection in the shiny paint job of one of the cars in the lot and smiled, happy she’d worn her new low-rise jeans with the short sleeved button down shirt in blood red. She wasn’t model thin; she was curvy and she’d finally realized that her body was sexy and felt comfortable showing off a bit from time to time. It had only taken her nearly thirty years to figure that out.

Jude grinned at her as she approached. He waved to Kelly and the boys and turned back to Rori, touching her back to guide her to the car. He unlocked it with his free hand.

“An Acura, huh? I would have thought you’d be riding a motorcycle,” Rori joked as he opened the door for her.

Looking pleased, he gave her a sexy wink. “I do. A Harley, as a matter of fact. I just didn’t ride it today,” he said as he slipped into the driver’s seat.

“Really? You’ll have to take me for a ride sometime,” she said, suggestively. “On your motorcycle I mean.” Rori was not acquainted with the woman who’d taken over her body and mind, but she liked her.

“Why, Rori Simon, are you flirting with me?” he asked, pleased surprise in his voice.

“Why, Jude Callahan, what makes you think so?” she shot back, fluttering her lashes.

“You’ve really grown up.”

For some reason, that rankled her. “Mmmm. Well it happens. Look at you, a cop.”

“Yeah, strange isn’t it? I find though, that I really love my job. I’m good at it.”

“You should be an expert. You broke all the laws you’re sworn to uphold!” She laughed and he joined her. “But I’m glad you love your job. It’s really special when you’re able to have passion for what you do.”

He pulled into a smallish apartment complex and into a covered spot. As they got out of the car, she saw the big motorcycle in the next spot and raised a brow. Sleek and powerful, the chrome gleamed and the black leather seat was smooth. She nearly purred -- the damned thing was nearly as sexy as he was.

“Let me drop off my stuff in my apartment and we’ll go to the manager’s office,” he said over his shoulder as they walked up to his place.

Rori trailed behind him. Not that following him was a chore, Rori thought to herself with a smirk. The man had a world-class ass -- rock hard and muscled. She wanted to take a bite. Was it hot? She was flushed just watching his powerful thigh muscles flex and move with that rear end. Man oh man, could she ever make plans for that ass.

At the top of the stairs she tore her eyes from his posterior and found herself on a front patio lush with plants. Hmm, well, that was a surprise -- she hadn’t taken him for the green thumb type.

Forcing herself out of the lurid fantasy she’d been building with him bending her over the balcony there, the scent of gardenias in the air as he fucked her, his hands all over her body, she followed him inside, doing her best to act nonchalant. Once inside, still acting casual, she stealthily glanced around as he put his uniform in the hall closet and laid down a binder and a messenger-type canvas bag on the table.

The apartment was neat and masculine. Dark colors, a giant television and stereo system. His CDs and DVDs were carefully arranged on large shelves that lined the walls near the entertainment center. A nice, big couch and two club chairs rounded out the room.

“Nice place you have here. Bet the chicks dig it.”

He grinned at her. “I don’t bring chicks here most of the time.”

“Ah, don’t want them to be able to track you down, huh?” She snorted.

He swatted her bottom playfully. “What an opinion you have of me.” He laughed.

“Come on. Let’s go find the landlord.”

She followed him out, still feeling the warmth of his touch on her bottom. Lord, she was such a geek for being turned on by a playful swat on the butt. Okay, really turned on.

She took a deep breath and tried to get the image of him doing it again, only naked, out of her head.

The landlord was in and he happily showed her the apartment, a two bedroom located directly across a grassy strip from Jude’s place. It was nice. The master bedroom faced the small lawn, but the living room faced a copse of trees. It was an upstairs end unit so it would be quiet and she had a cop next door and underneath her. A woman living alone couldn’t ask for much more safety than that.

“What do you think, Ms. Simon?” the landlord asked. “I haven’t put an ad in the paper yet. I just replaced the carpet and did some painting. If Jude here is willing to vouch for you, I’d love to have you as a tenant.”

“Well, yeah. I’ll take it,” she said to him impulsively, surprising herself. Normally she was meticulous and precise, making lists. She reasoned out each and every point pro and con.

But today she felt like tossing all that caution and reason to the wind and with a mental shrug she did. And just like that, she had a home of her own. They went to the manager’s apartment to fill out the necessary paperwork and pay the deposit and the first month’s rent. He gave her the keys and a parking space and she told him she’d start moving in that week.