Page 87 of Second Chance Faceoff

I stared at the screen, then reread the line three more times, just to make sure it was real. A nervous flutter rose in my chest—part excitement, part disbelief.

The doorbell chime made me jump.

Colton stepped in, casually dressed and freshly showered. “Are you ready? Our reservation is at seven.”

I turned to face him, my phone still in my hand.

“I got in.”

He blinked. “Got in where?”

“The sanctuary program. The one with the elephants. Three weeks. Kenya.”

His face lit up. “Riley, that’s amazing.”

He ran a hand through his hair, still damp from the shower. “You know I’m in the off-season.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So?”

He smirked. “Think you can get a plus one?”

I laughed, a mix of nerves and delight bubbling up. “You’d want to come?”

He pushed off the frame and crossed the room in two steps. “Are you kidding? Elephants, Kenya, you—what’s not to love?”

“I’ll check if they allow guests. It’s a working program, not a safari—but they might make exceptions. I mean, what if someone has kids?”

Colton nodded. “Fair. But if they do—I'm in. Can you get that much time off work?”

My grin stretched wide. “I already cleared it with work when I applied. They will be thrilled. Apparently getting accepted is a big deal. They said it would be a feather in their cap too.”

Colton reached for my hand. “Then I guess we’re going to Kenya.”

I nodded, still half in shock. “We’re going to Kenya.”

***

A few days into the program, we’d already found a rhythm. The air was warm and dry, with bursts of birdsong and the occasional trumpet from deeper in the sanctuary. I was in boots and dusty khakis, clipboard in hand, trying not to let a baby elephant chew on the corner of my notes.

Colton grunted as he hefted a crate of produce past me, sweat clinging to his neck. “I was not told fruit hauling was part of the boyfriend experience.”

I smiled. “You volunteered. That makes you fair game.”

He rolled his eyes but kept moving, pausing only when one of the younger elephants veered toward me and curled its trunk into my ponytail.

“Hey!” I laughed, trying to twist away gently. “Not for eating.”

Colton set the crate down and leaned on it, watching the scene with amused eyes. “That one’s got a crush.”

The sun was beginning to dip, casting the whole sanctuary in gold. I looked around, my heart full in a way I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just the elephants, or the newness of the place—it was the feeling of having brought something once-imagined into real life.

A familiar handler approached the fence, leading one of the older elephants. She lumbered toward us with calm determination.

The handler gave me a small wave. “She’s got something for you.”

I frowned as the elephant extended her trunk. Draped over it was a brightly patterned scarf, knotted around a small wooden box.

I glanced at Colton. He shrugged, doing a terrible job of looking innocent.

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