Second Chances (3 page)

Chapter 4

            
 
Katie Granger watched her dad pace along the fifty-yard line of the high school football field. Most of the fans had dispersed, and her friends - what few she had - left her alone to wait for her father.

She took a deep breath, knowing how hard he was on himself after a loss.  As the new head coach of the Granite Chargers, she knew he would be recanting every play putting the errors to memory for tomorrow’s practice.

Katie hopped down from the bleachers and hesitated before stepping onto the field.  Her whole life, she’d sat on the sidelines, cheering and watching her dad in all his glory as a pro ball player.  But, after his fourth knee injury - he was sidelined and forced to retire. 

As an offensive tackle for the Redskins, Nick Granger hit and hit hard.  At 6’2”, he was quick on his feet and was known for his agility, speed, and passion for the game.  And with any loss, he always said it felt like however hard he hit – he’d been hit ten times as hard when they lost. 

Nick kicked the turf, and turned to the bleachers, where he knew his daughter was patiently waiting, only to see her fixed by the player’s bench.  The fact that she hesitated in approaching him pulled at his heartstrings.  It was the first game of the season, and now they were on their own.

In the past, after one of his games at FedEx field, her mom would have taken Katie home, where they’d wait for his return - however long that took.  However, now that her mom decided marriage to a former NFL player wasn’t on her bucket list, his daughter had to wait for him alone.

Nick chastised himself for not thinking of how his post-game routine might have affected her.  Not only was she starting a new school, where she was struggling to make friends, but now she waited alone.  It was sure to be a fresh reminder of her mother’s desertion.

              “Come here, sweetheart.”  He jogged toward his daughter with open arms.  “How about we stop for an ice cream cone on the way home?”

              She linked her arm in her father’s and grinned, happy to be going anywhere with him.  In the last year and a half, she’d grown up a lot.  Seeing her father pull through a rocky divorce only to put on a smile for her benefit, when she knew he was hurting, gave her a newfound respect for him.   She cocked her head and looked up to one person in her life, which had never let her down.  She grinned, thinking he deserved better.  They both did. 

              “Sounds great.”

              “Sorry I took so long.  I’ll make sure not to do that again.”

              “You better make sure there isn’t a next time.  If you keep losing, they’re going to cut you loose.”

              “Ouch!”  He laughed and tugged at her braid.

              “Seriously ... you got to step up your game.  That kid?  The one who is your first string quarterback?”

              “You mean Conner Knight?” He smiled down to his fifteen-year-old, who was almost to his chin. He watched his daughter eagerly nod.  

              “Yeah – he’s overthrowing.  You gotta help him find the pocket.”

              “Katie, this was the first game.  Give the kid a break.”

              “No, I’m just saying …” She pulled away from her dad’s side and spun around – sending her braid flying through the air.  “He’s too quick.  It’s like he’s scared of being hit.”

              Nick chuckled, knowing his daughter’s heart for football beat as strongly as his.  It’s one of the reasons he took this job, as he knew it would give him more time with her.  He’d had an offer or two from a few networks, and although more lucrative than being a high school football coach, they weren’t positions that would allow him to be a full-time dad. And now that he was a single parent, Katie was his priority. 

              “Well, I’ll give my staff your notes so we can correct Conner’s approach.”  His heart warmed as her smile widened.

              “Whatever!  You’re making fun of me.”

              “No! I’m serious.  I’m happy to pass it on … no pun intended.”  He grinned and reached for the passenger door. “Get in, kiddo.”

              He watched his daughter scamper into his truck and wondered how long they'd have this kind of relationship. For now, she would rather be on the football field than out shopping with the girls.  Getting to watch the game won out over getting a manicure any day.  It was one of the reasons his ex-wife, Arielle, was happy to move on toward her own life – as she felt neither, Nick nor Katie, needed her. 

Katie had always been his girl. And although he loved she was his little tomboy, he also knew one day she’d need the guidance of a balanced, good woman.  He just hoped it wasn’t anytime soon, as he had no idea where to steer her.  Not to mention that he wasn’t ready for her to grow up just yet.

Chapter 5

            
 
Paige watched her big brother and little sister carefully haul one of her reading chairs into her new home.  She looked down the street, which was lined with colorful trees and long driveways leading to happy little families, and suddenly felt like she was in an episode of the twilight zone. 

For almost her entire married life; she and Davis had lived in a townhome – with short-stacked steps and concrete walkways, which led to local shopping and restaurants only a few steps away.  And now here she was moving into a three- bedroom detached home with a front and back yard.

             
What have I done?  Who’s going to help me with the yard work? 
She placed her hands on her hips and let out a breath, unsure of why she let her little sister convince her to come back. 
Granite, Virginia …wow.
  

To her, it didn’t look like it changed much, but she knew she had and wondered if the pairing was a mistake.

              “You did the right thing.”  Her dad gently stepped in behind her and drew her back into his chest.

              Frank Knight soared over most men.  His size would intimidate most, but his kind eyes were always enough to draw people in past his giant frame.  Paige allowed herself to be engulfed and sighed as she relaxed into in large frame.

She wistfully looked toward the street to the corner, where she used to wait for the bus as a schoolgirl.  Her childhood home, where her parents still lived, sat only a few streets over.  She took a deep breath, trying to stifle the feeling that she’d made a mistake coming home.

              “You sure, dad?  Because it feels like everything in my world is just wrong.”

              “I know.” He whispered into her hair, before spinning her around to kiss her forehead.  “But trust me.  You’re better off here, where you have your family.”

             
Where you all can keep an eye on me,
Paige wanted to say but didn’t.

              “You see that right there?”  Frank pointed toward her mother, who was vigorously working in her new flowerbed.

              “What?” Paige hid a grin as her mother wiped the sweat from her brow, with muddy garden gloves, leaving a streak of dirt on the side of her face.

              “That is love.  Your family came out in spades to make sure you have a home, where you’ve got everything from warm colors in your garden, to having a full house of furniture.”  Frank put his hands on her shoulders and put some space between them so he could see her eyes. “I know you always have been miss independent, but it’s okay to lean on us.  We’re here to help.”

              Sam Knight, her older brother, caught the tail end of their dad’s sentence as he walked by with a small end table.  He set it down temporarily to pull Paige in for a small hug, saying, “Not me. I’m just here for the pizza and the beer.”

              Paige grimaced and pushed Sam away.  “Shut up and keep working before I change my mind and go home.”              Sam picked the table back up, and responded, “You are home.  Alexandria was just a place where you lived.”

              Frank watched his beautiful daughter’s face fall.  Knowing how much she must be hurting, he gently took her by the hand. “Come here.  Sit with me.”

              Paige sighed and followed.  She took in the expansive wrap around porch, wondering how they found her a home so quickly.  She gave him a sideways glance.

              “You know - it was only a few weeks ago that I said I was willing to come back here.  How did you find me something this close to home?”  She sat down next to him, as he made room for her on the porch swing.

              Frank stretched his arm around his daughter and contemplated how she would react.

“I’ve had my eye on this house for a while - in case.”

“In case, what?”  She raised her eyebrow.

Frank stammered.  “You know … uh.  In case, you needed it.”  He watched his daughter’s eyes, which looked like they could burn a hole through him, but continued anyway.  “This home popped up on the market about eight months ago.”

              “Eight months!  I’ve only been divorced for six!”  Her brow furrowed.  “What the heck, dad?” 

              “Let’s just say … it was a father’s intuition.  When this came on the market, it spoke to me.  And I knew you weren’t happy.  You can call it divine intervention.” He saw the look of fire that spread through his daughter’s eyes.  “Geez, it’s not like I wanted you to leave him or get divorced!” He threw his hands up.

              “Dad!”  Paige stood up and walked toward the front banister.  She stared out at the endless row of homes, which lined her new street.  She wondered if anyone in them knew about her situation.  After all, this was a tight-knit neighborhood, and the Knights had lived here for generations. Even her brother Sam and his family lived only a few blocks away.

              “Paige – don’t get all self-righteous.  He’s not worth it - never was.  I knew he wasn’t worth your time then and especially not now.  Don’t be angry with me when you should be saving it for Davis.”  Frank walked over to his daughter and lightly put an arm around her.  “I love you and only want the best for you.  After all, you’re my baby girl.”

              Paige laid her head on his shoulder, as her dad’s words sunk in.  She quickly wiped a single tear away from her rosy cheek. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that I was making a mistake?”

              “Honey, you were always headstrong.  You wouldn’t have listened.  And sometimes the hardest thing we have to do as parents, is let our kids sort their way through as adults … even the stuff that might hurt them.”  He sighed and rested his chin on her head.

              Paige closed her eyes.  It felt good to be in his arms.  As much as she didn’t want to admit it – she needed to be daddy’s little girl right now.  At least with him, she knew she was loved.

              “Thanks.  I don’t know how I’m going to repay you.  I wasn’t left with much in the settlement.”  Paige sniffed.

              Hearing his daughter’s admission of any terms of her divorce gave him the permission he needed.  Paige never talked about her life, and not only was he unsure of her financials but wasn’t sure of why Davis would leave her without some sort of structured pay, which would ensure her well-being. After everything Paige had done to elevate Davis’ career, it was the least he owed her.

              “So tell me.  How come that no good loser wouldn’t have left you with anything?  He made good money.”

Paige could feel her dad’s back stiffen and knew he was holding back from saying more.  She grinned, because no matter how many times he told her that she was headstrong, he was cut from the same cloth.

“Dad – don’t start.”

“No, after all you’ve done to stand by his side.  Why didn’t you have a good lawyer, Paige? Why didn’t you come to us for help?”

She sighed and slowly pulled away to pace the long porch. As hard as she tried to justify it, she couldn’t.  When it came down to it … she wanted to take care of herself but knew she failed miserably.

“I tried, dad.  I tried.  I did the best I could.”  Tears ran from her face.

Suddenly, Paige’s mom leaped up from the flowerbed, from where she’d been eavesdropping.

“Frank, leave the girl alone.  Hasn’t she been through enough?”  Serena pulled her gardening gloves off and marched up the steps.

“Mom, he’s right.”  Paige stopped to stare at both of them, who looked to be in shock.

“Is it me, or did she just say we were right?” Frank whispered, reaching for his phone.  “I’ve got to take a picture to commemorate this moment.”

“Frank!” Serena hit him on the shoulder with her gloves, before setting them on the banister.  “Paige, don’t listen to him.  He never listened to his parents either.”

Paige ignored their friendly banter and continued.  “I should have called you.  I should have dumped my lawyer and hired a new one.  Since Davis was a lawyer, he had every trick in the book up his sleeve. I’m positive he moved his money, so it looked like there was nothing to leave me.  And what burns me most, is that the whole time I was too proud to admit I needed help.”  She dropped back down to the porch swing deflated.