Free Second Chance by Leighann Dobbs Page B

Stan’s words were apologetic, but something in his demeanor told Holly he wasn’t really sorry, he was just doing what was best for him .
    “I made a huge mistake leaving.  I’m ready to come home now.”
    Holly snorted out a laugh.  He was ready to come home?   Like she wanted him to.  Maybe she should have.  Maybe she should be nice and forgive him or at least feel sorry for him.  Maybe she should try to reconcile with him instead of throwing away the last fifteen years of her life.
    Holly stared at Stan, her heart wavering with conflict.  The expectant look in his eye confirmed her suspicions ... he thought she would simply cave in and take him back.  That’s what the old Holly would have done. 
    Looking at him, she realized too much had happened and it was too late to go back.   She was a different person now and the new Holly had no intention of letting Stan run her life again. 
    In a final moment of clarity, she saw Stan for what he really was – a self-centered jerk who had left her without explanation, cleaned out their bank account (her life's savings!) and spent it on another woman. She realized she didn’t feel sorry for him.  In fact, she was surprised to discover that she didn’t really have any feelings for him at all.
    Ignoring Stan, she turned to Nick who was leaning against the open door frame, watching the whole exchange.
    “I think we’re done here.  Let’s go home.”  She turned on her heel and walked out the door, leaving Stan staring after her with a look of stunned confusion and anger on his face.
 

Chapter Two
     
    “Do you take all your clients out to dinner?”  Holly glanced sideways across the table at Nick, a hint of a flirtatious smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
    The fine linen tablecloth felt crisp under her palms, the silverware reflecting sparks of light from chandeliers above.  In front of her, a plate with the remains of the most delicious salmon she’d ever tasted had been pushed aside in favor of dessert.  In the background, the soft tinkle of silverware against china and the low murmur of dinner conversation set an elegant, but relaxing ambiance.
    Nick’s laugh was intoxicating,  his smile causing just the right amount of crinkles around his vivid blue eyes. “Only the pretty ones.”
    His face became a bit more serious. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.  Discovering Stan had spent all your life savings in Nevada last week must have been quite a shock.”
    Holly thought about how she had been forced to sell some of the jewelry her mother had left her to make ends meet and felt her smile fade. “Yeah, that’s for sure.  But my expenses are really very minimal and I can make do until I get a job.”
    Holly swallowed her regret, forcing herself to think about the positive things happening in her life.  “It’s really not all bad … and I’m finding Stan’s leaving may have been the best thing to come from our fifteen-year marriage.”
    “Oh, really?” Nick’s eyebrows shot up.
    “Yes, well, for one I’ve become a lot more independent, more in charge of my own life.  And I’m going to be able to do a lot of things Stan never approved of me doing.”  Holly’s smile widened at the thought. “Like going to art school.”
    “I didn’t know you were an artist.”  Nick leaned closer with interest. “I love art.  In fact, one of my friends owns the Cooley Art Gallery downtown.  Perhaps we could go there together sometime?”
    “That would be lovely!”  Holly felt a hot flush of excitement at the prospect of seeing Nick again, but at the same time a nibble of doubt nagged at her.  She’d just gained her independence from Stan and feared letting another man in would mean giving that up.
    Holly glanced at the table, her nerves making her jittery.  The last of the chocolate mousse had been scraped from their dessert plates and they were down to their final few drops of coffee. Their date was coming to an end and