Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) Read online

  “They're hoping the cancer is contained to just the ovaries. She'll need surgery, and then time to recover, but she should be okay,” Brooke continued, her voice hitching just a little. “The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, so I'm leaving this afternoon. Even with stopping overnight, I should make it there by tomorrow evening.”

  “When will you be back?” Ashley wanted to know.

  Brooke looked at her best friend and chewed her bottom lip. “At the end of August.”

  “What?! But the end of August is three months away! Why on earth would you go for so long?” Ashley complained, her full, pink lips forming a pout. She eyed Brooke carefully.

  “I don't know,” she replied. “All I know is that I feel like it's what I need to do. I want to be with my family ~ my parents, my sister. I need to spend some quality time with them, not just snatches of time stolen here and there.” She felt strongly about that, especially now, considering her mother's illness.

  Ashley could certainly understand that. She hadn't spent as much time with her family as she would have liked, either. But something else lurked in the back of her mind.

  Her eyes met Brooke's as she questioned, “Does this, in some small part even, have anything to do with Logan MacKenna?”

  “Of course not. Why would it?”

  Her answer was a little too quick, Ashley thought, and maybe just a little defensive.

  “I don't know, Brooke. You tell me,” Ashley said softly. She knew Logan was a sensitive topic for Brooke.

  “That's ridiculous. Logan and I have been over forever. I haven't seen him or spoken to him in nearly eight years, Ash.”

  “That may be, but that doesn't mean you don't have feelings for him still.”

  Brooke sniffed. “Whatever feelings I had for Logan died a long time ago.” She really couldn't care less about Logan MacKenna.

  “It's okay to have feelings for him, honey. He was a significant part of your life for so many years, and you share a long history. Even though things ended badly, that doesn't mean you can't have him tucked away in a special place in your heart.”

  “How can you think that way, especially after what happened?”

  Ashley held up her hands. “All I'm saying is that no one would blame you if you still have feelings for him. That's all. But at the same time, I don't want to see you get hurt again.”

  “Well, I don't, and I won't, so let's just forget about him, okay?”

  Ashley wasn't convinced. She just hoped that whatever Brooke's reasons for returning to Angel Ridge for so long, her friend was making the right decision. She worried about this long after Brooke had given her the spare key to her house to check on things periodically, and they said their goodbyes.

  Brooke had gone to the hospital after leaving Ashley's apartment. She'd completed her rounds and her notes in less than three hours, and had spoken to her Chief of Staff regarding time off. With some finagling, it would work. She'd been granted a temporary leave of absence, and would be expected to return back to work on the first of September. There was a mountain of paperwork that required her signature, which she'd made arrangements to have faxed to her on Monday.

  Brooke was relieved about getting the time off, but it felt strange to her at the same time. She lived and breathed for her work, her patients, her hospital. She hadn't been away from it all in years. At least not for more than a few days here and there. But she didn't have time to think about any of that at the moment. She had too many other things to worry about.

  After she'd hung up with her parents the night before, she couldn't sleep. She'd begun making her plans, and had even packed, knowing in her heart that she would be going home to Montana with or without a leave of absence. Now, at just about 2:00, she had her entire car loaded up and was locking her front door when she heard the roar of an engine.

  Oh, God, not now, she thought as she watched the sleek red convertible come to a sudden stop behind her car in the circular drive. When she reached the end of the walkway, he was already standing there waiting, a lazy grin on his face. He hadn't said a word yet and had already managed to annoy the hell out of her. Some people were just gifted like that, she supposed.

  “Hey there, gorgeous,” he said, flashing her his irresistible smile.

  He looked picture-perfect, as usual, wearing Armani and an air of authority.

  She wanted to knock his perfect white teeth down his throat. The thought surprised her. She had no idea where the aggression she suddenly felt had come from.

  “What do you want, Jason?” she snapped, stepping past him.

  “Hold on a second,” he said. “What, you can't spare me even a minute?”

  She looked down at her wrist watch. “Starts now,” she said, eyeing him disinterestedly.

  He didn't know whether or not she thought she was funny, but he was far from amused.

  “What's going on with you?” he demanded. “You don't answer my calls, you only give me scraps of your precious time.” He looked genuinely insulted. At one time she may have cared. This wasn't that time. “Did you get the flowers I sent?” he asked.

  “Yes, I did, as a matter of fact,” she replied. “Thank you.” And the staff at UCLA Medical Center thanked him, too. The beautiful behemoth flower arrangement he'd sent currently decorated a table in the main lobby. “Look at that,” she said, tapping a finger to her wrist watch. “Time's up.” She stepped around him and made it nearly all the way to her car before she was whirled around to face him.

  “Don't you dare walk away from me,” he spat out, his hand gripping her arm firmly. She felt a sudden stab of pain from where his fingers dug into her skin. The anger in his voice was hot and biting. She managed to yank her arm from his grasp and, opening the door of her car, she slipped inside. When he saw her belongings packed neatly into the back seat, because the trunk was already full, he narrowed his eyes. “What in the hell is this? Where are you going, Brooke?”

  “That's none of your damned business,” she retorted. “We broke up weeks ago, Jason. You have absolutely no right to question me. My life and what I do with it have nothing to do with you anymore.” She closed the car door loudly.

  She watched as he stalked to his car and got in, slamming the door. He revved the engine again, then pulled out from behind her and stopped next to her car.“You're right about one thing,” he said nastily, glancing over toward her. “We're through.” His ego was bruised more than his feelings were, Brooke knew. “I could have given you everything you've ever wanted. It's your loss, Brooke.” He gunned the gas pedal, squealing out of her driveway and heading south on Pacific Coast Highway. Her loss, she thought. Pfft. Somehow she doubted that.

  She waited a minute to make sure he didn't come back before pulling out and heading in the opposite direction. She had a long drive ahead of her, and she wanted to make the most of the daylight hours. She'd stop overnight and get a good night's sleep. She was exhausted from not sleeping a wink the night before. It wasn't as if she could have gone back to bed after her parents had called to tell her that her mother has been diagnosed with cancer. So she'd paced and planned and packed. And then paced some more. If she made good time the next day, she would get to Angel Ridge by dark.

  She turned on the radio to keep her mind occupied as she sped out of Malibu, driving north along the Pacific coast until it was necessary to veer east, and watched the ocean she loved so much get smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely from view.

  She woke to the smell of bacon. It drifted up the stairs and filled her nostrils, prompting her to get out of bed and hunt down some breakfast. Brooke didn't normally eat bacon, but she was thinking she could make an exception just this once. She looked at the digital clock on the nightstand and saw that it was already 10:00. She'd gotten in late the night before. By the time she'd visited with her parents for a while, it was close to 1:00 before she'd gone to sleep.

  She pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed, padding to the bathroom. After completing her morning ritu
al, which included a nice hot shower, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She was surprised to see her sister at the range cooking what appeared to be cinnamon french toast. It definitely smelled like it. There was a look of deep concentration on her pretty face. She looked up in time to see Brooke come through the doorway, and the smile that lit up her face was priceless.

  They met halfway across the room and hugged each other hard, holding on for a little bit longer than necessary. Brooke pulled back first.

  “Look at you,” she said. “You look amazing.”

  Brooke meant it. Karissa wore a pretty floral print summer dress that showed off long, silky legs, and high-heeled sandals. She was beautiful, and always had been, with that girl-next-door appeal. Her long, honey blond hair fell in loose waves down her back. She had magnificent blue eyes and skin that was smooth and flawless. Her smile, pretty and sincere, drew people to her. She'd never seen her sister look so....fantastic. But it was more than that. Brooke couldn't quite put her finger on it.

  “Thanks, Brookie.” Karissa said, making her way back to the range. “That's quite a compliment coming from the original beauty queen,” she teased.

  Brooke smiled at her sister's use of her childhood nickname. Only Karissa and Logan had ever called her Brookie. Although, Logan's name for her had actually been Brookie cookie.

  Get out, get out, get out. Her mental chant sometimes helped to push thoughts of him from her mind. It was a technique she'd begun using recently, since memories and thoughts of him kept flooding her consciousness. She didn't want him there.

  Looking at her sister, Brooke found it impossible to believe that Karissa didn't have a man. It was no secret that half the men in Angel Ridge had a thing for her, but Karissa had never really found that one guy. She'd had a brief crush on Seth MacKenna when they were teenagers, but nothing ever came of it. She'd dated a handful of men, but had never become serious about any of them. There had to be someone Karissa was interested in. To Brooke's way of thinking, only a man could put that look on a woman's face. She'd have to work on getting the scoop. But later.

  “So, how is everything going with the shop?”

  Brooke was referring to her sister's business, Karissa's Cottage. Three years earlier, she'd bought the building and had it renovated. Now it was a beautiful, thriving, up-scale shop with an impeccable reputation. Karissa had worked her fingers to the bone to make it what it was today.

  “Everything is great. I went to an estate sale in Seattle a couple of weeks back and I found some beautiful new pieces. The shipment came in just this morning, in fact. Business is good. I was able to hire another shop assistant.” She chewed her bottom lip, as if trying to think of what else she wanted to add. “Oh, and the most wonderful news of all....I've decided to renovate the outbuilding, finally. Rather than use it for storage space, I'm moving my office in there. I'll still have an area for storage, of course. I just won't have all of that wasted space any longer. And that will free up the entire second floor of The Cottage to display more merchandise.” Her excitement was barely controlled.

  “That's wonderful, Riss.” Brooke's smile was huge. She was genuinely happy for her sister. “Is Seth doing the renovations?”

  Karissa hesitated, but only for a split second. “Yes, he is. He does beautiful work, as you've already seen. It makes sense to have him do the next phase.”

  Seth definitely did do great work, Brooke had to admit. He'd done an awesome job renovating what would become The Cottage when Karissa had first purchased the building. But then, Seth was super talented, in Brooke's opinion. He could design and build anything, even when he was young.

  “Well, the man is certainly good with his hands, that's for sure.”

  “Yeah,” Karissa agreed, her thoughts turning to Seth. She'd met with him a few days before, on Friday, to go over some preliminary ideas for the space. She likely wouldn't see him at all this week, due to her mother's surgery. She'd be at the hospital much of the time with Brooke and their dad. Disappointment tugged at her. Not because she wanted to see Seth, necessarily, but because she wanted to get things going with the project. At least, that's what Karissa told herself as she expertly flipped a slice of french toast.

  “So, where are mom and dad?” Brooke asked.

  “Dad's out tending to the horses and mom's having her tea on the deck,” she replied. “Are you hungry? I'm making cinnamon french toast...your favorite,” she said in a sing-song voice. Brooke snagged a piece of bacon off of the plate next to the range. She bit into it, and her mouth watered. It was delicious, just the right combination of crispy and juicy. She closed her eyes and savored the taste on her tongue. She didn't indulge often, so this was a real treat.

  “Oh, that's so good, Rissa.”

  Karissa smiled at the compliment. She enjoyed cooking, and enjoyed even more when others appreciated her cooking. Karissa laughed when Brooke planted a smacking kiss on her cheek.

  “Why don't you go on out and keep mom company. I'll let you know when breakfast is ready.”

  “Are you sure? Don't you need any help in here?” Brooke noticed that everything was pretty much done, and that Karissa was just waiting on the french toast to finish cooking.

  “I'm all set,” Karissa said with a smile. “Go ahead.”

  Brooke shrugged, and made her way through the lower level of the house toward the back, where a set of glass doors opened onto the deck. She saw her mother sitting on a cushy chair, reading a magazine. Raelyn looked up as Brooke came through the doors and a smile lit up her gentle face.

  “Good morning, angel baby.”

  Brooke smiled back at her. Her mother had called her that for as long as she could remember.

  “Morning, mom.” Brooke kissed her on top of her head, then slid into a chair next to her.

  “Did you sleep well?” Raelyn asked. “You were so exhausted last night when you finally made it here.”

  Brooke waved a hand absently. “I'm used to not sleeping. I'm a doctor, remember?” she teased.

  Raelyn looked at her daughter, thinking how wonderful it was to have her home. It had been over a year since Brooke had been there last. She'd only come home to visit a handful of times since she'd moved to California. She was closer now, and had been for the past eight years, but they saw less of her. Raelyn knew that had to do with Logan MacKenna, although Brooke would likely deny it. She was just happy to have her little girl back, even under the circumstances.

  When she and Paul had phoned Brooke a few days before to let her know that Raelyn's test results showed cancer and that she would need surgery, Raelyn had tried to talk Brooke out of coming. She knew Brooke would want to come and she tried to dissuade her. But she was stubborn, like her papa. Now here she was, and Raelyn couldn't be happier. Especially when Brooke had informed them that she would be staying for the entire summer. Three whole months! Raelyn was a bit suspicious, but she'd take it regardless. They hadn't spent that much time, at one time, with their little girl since before she'd gone away to Harvard.

  Karissa came out balancing a large tray on one hand, and set it on the patio table. “Brooke, could you begin arranging the place settings while I get the other tray?' she asked, and darted into the house, returning with a tray full of glasses and a pitcher of foamy orange juice. Just as Brooke finished setting the table, her father strode through the doors. His booming voice was filled with laughter and happiness.

  “Well, well, if you aren't the three loveliest ladies in all of Montana,” he said, giving them each a quick kiss. “How did I get so lucky?” he teased. Brooke hugged him. He smelled of aftershave and horses. She absolutely loved it. Paul absently patted her hair as he held her. He was happy to have his little girl home. And more, he loved that Brooke coming home made Raelyn so happy.

  Raelyn. His wife, his lover, the mother of his children. His best friend. He couldn't imagine living his life without her. He was a man of tremendous faith, and he believed that she was going to be just fine. She had to be. When Ka
rissa called them to the table, he looked down at his daughter and was reminded that he was the most fortunate man alive. He had not only one, but three loves of his life.

  The next few days passed in a blur. Raelyn's surgery had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, and Brooke and Karissa had followed their parents to the hospital in Brooke's car. They were all unusually quiet during the half hour drive.

  The hardest part had been waiting in the small waiting area off of the surgical unit for what seemed like hours, hoping to hear some good news. They'd passed the time with positive thoughts. They talked about what was going on around town, and laughed as Paul recounted stories of their youth. Memories that were wonderful, and that Brooke hadn't thought about in much too long. It was a welcome distraction from the constant fear and worry as they'd sat and waited for some word. One of the surgical nurses had come out about two hours into the procedure to inform them that the surgery was going well and that Raelyn was doing just fine.

  Finally, the surgeon himself had come out to talk to them. The surgery went better than they could have hoped. There were no complications, and Raelyn's surgeon informed them that they had removed the reproductive organs, and that the cancer had indeed been contained to the ovaries. Raelyn would need to spend a few days in the hospital, and then she would be able to go home.