Free Second Chance by Shelby Gates Page A

single one.
    She flipped the envelope over in her hands, examining it. Part of her wanted to tear it open, to reveal the contents and see just what her grandmother had sent. But another small part of her wanted to savor it. She was holding the last thing her grandmother had wanted to give her.
    A knock at the front door startled her and she dropped the envelope. It fluttered to the surface of the desk. She brushed her hair back, straightened her shirt and hurried to the door.
    Kevin Stafford stood on the front porch, a clipboard in his hand. His face colored when he saw Elle.
    “Oh. Hey,” he stammered. “I didn’t know this was your place.”
    “It’s my grandmother’s.” She studied him. “And I didn’t know you had a job.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t. Not really, anyway. My brother, he lives in Benton, owns a remodeling business. He’s on a job site right now in town, asked me if I could help out today.”
    “You’re in construction?” she asked. She thought lay-offs in construction were reserved for winter months.
    “No. Not at all.” He smiled. “I couldn’t build something to save my life. But I am capable of taking room measurements. Which is what I’m here to do.”
    “Oh.” She held open the door. “Well, I guess you better come in, then.” She tried to put the envelope out of her mind and focus on the task at hand.
    He wiped his shoes on the mat out front and stepped inside. He surveyed the living room. “Wow. This place is great.”
    She nodded. “It is.”
    “You’re really selling it?”
    She nodded again.
    “Damn.”
    “What?”
    He pulled a measuring tape from his pocket. “Wish I could afford to buy it.”
    Elle frowned. “But you already have a house.” An amazingly nice one, she wanted to add.
    He bent down next to the baseboard and hooked the measuring tape to the corner. “Belongs to Mary’s folks. We’re just living there.”
    Elle didn’t know that. “How long have you been there?”
    “Almost two years. We were doing a rent-to-own option with them. At least until my job ran dry.”
    She watched as he pulled the tape along the bottom of the wall. He recorded a number, then released the tape.
    “Where did you work?”
    “The hospital,” he said. “IT department. They switched information systems, brought in some folks directly from the source to get things up and running. Layoff is only supposed to be for a few months. You know, they get the system going, then bring us back in a few months later and get us trained.”
    “And that’s not happening now?”
    He shrugged. “I dunno. But I can’t afford to wait around for a job that might not re-materialize.”
    “So you’re working for your brother?”
    He snorted. “Good lord. No. I sent some resumes out. We’ll probably have to move. Probably to Raleigh or Fayetteville. And walk away from the buy-in.”
    She heard the resignation in his voice, could tell that he didn’t want to leave. She knew the feeling.
    “Hey,” he said.
    She looked up.
    “I’m really sorry about the nanny thing.” His cheeks flushed red again. “I can’t believe I let that fall through the cracks.”
    “It’s OK,” Elle said.
    “No, it’s not.” He shook his head, frowning. “You flew all the way out here for a job that didn’t exist. It was a shitty thing to have happen to you and I’m sorry I was the cause of it.”
    “It’s OK,” she repeated. “I actually got a call from Nice Nannies last night. With another job offer. So no worries. Really.”
    He smiled. “Really?”
    “Yes. Really.” She didn’t tell him she was torn about taking it, hadn’t decided what she was going to do. But she didn’t want him feeling guilty anymore. He was suffering enough.
    He finished measuring the living room. “Are we just replacing the baseboard in here? Or somewhere else?”
    “I think Cash wanted an estimate for the whole house,” Elle said. She’d done a cursory inspection of the other rooms and had noticed more