Page 14 of One More Chance
Chapter 8
CHARLOTTE AND TABITHAlounged in the great room in front of the fireplace. Tabitha was reading and Charlotte was responding to her work email and getting updates from her assistant.
It had been dark for hours by the time Lauren got home. Charlotte looked at her watch, “Burning the midnight oil, Lauren? On the first day?”
Lauren set down her heavy briefcase, poured two glasses of wine, handed one to Charlotte and sat down on the couch with Tabitha.
She sighed, “Char, I couldn’t make up the crazy stuff that is happening over there. The developers are terrible. I thought we’d found a loophole to stop them, but lo and behold, they’re in merger talks with an even worse developer.” Lauren took a sip of her wine and patted her daughter’s feet. “How was your lesson?”
Tabitha looked up from her book, her eyes magnified from her reading glasses, “It was so much fun, Mum. I love skiing.”
Lauren smiled and rubbed Tabitha’s feet, “That’s great to hear, sweetheart. I’m so happy you’re having fun with your Auntie. It must have slipped your mind to tell her that your bedtime is 9:00, right?” Lauren pulled the blanket off Tabitha’s legs and snatched the book from her hands.
Tabitha groaned, “Aw, mum,” and flashed Charlotte a wry smile. She hugged both of them and headed upstairs to bed.
“I had no idea,” Charlotte replied.
Lauren relaxed into the couch. “She would read all night if you let her. How was your day?”
“Almost as bad as yours,” she replied.
Lauren sat up. “Oh no, was Tabitha a handful?”
“Tabby Cat? No, she was perfect. I love hanging out with her. But you’ll never guess who I ran into on the mountain.”
Lauren looked puzzled. “Who?”
“Logan.”
“No.” Lauren gasped. “Are you sure it was him?”
“In all his six-foot-five glory,” Charlotte replied and took a sip of her wine. “I got stuck on Old Red with him.”
“What the hell is he doing in town?” Lauren was perched on the edge of the couch, hanging onto every one of Charlotte’s words.
“Oh, I guess you didn’t hear. He’s retired from pro hockey and is coaching the Chance Rapids Bobcats.”
“Geez,” Lauren said and then whistled out slowly, “What did you say? What did he say?”
Charlotte replayed her run-in and subsequent high-speed escape from Logan.
“I can’t believe he’s back here. I mean, Chance Rapids?”
