Page 24 of One More Chance
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LOGAN CHECKED HIS PHONEas he exited the rehab facility in Windswan, it was 8 p.m.—the party would just be starting. He did a quick calculation and figured that he could be at The Last Chance Tavern, complete with his raffle prizes, in about an hour. He smiled, not too late, not too early, just right. He smiled at his three bears analogy; he was feeling so upbeat after such a good visit with his mom. She looked alive, like the woman he knew before booze took over her life, but he had to remind himself that this was her fourth stint in rehab. The last time she had stayed clean for over two years and it had broken his heart when he heard the tell-tale slur in her voice when she relapsed.
He hopped in his pickup truck and pulled onto the highway westbound towards Chance Rapids. Ever since he found out that Billie Jo, or Charlotte, whoever the hell she was, was going to be at Josh and Megan’s Stag and Doe party, he’d flip-flopped between excitement and nervousness at the prospect of seeing her again.
His return to Chance Rapids had been bittersweet. He loved being at home with his brother and coaching the team he had once played for. His role as coach was almost as exciting as playing with the pros, but being near his mom was the real reason for his return. His hope was that this time would be different. He might be dreaming, but he figured if he were around, maybe treatment would stick this time.
Freddie and Tyler had organized the fundraiser for Josh and Megan. Logan’s job had been to secure prizes for the raffle, and he felt like he had come through big time. A box full of signed hockey jerseys and VIP tickets for the next pro game sat next to him in the passenger seat.
He saw flashing yellow lights ahead and a long line of red taillights, the stopped traffic stretching as far as he could see. “Shit,” he muttered.
He shifted the truck into park and turned the radio on, his hand recoiling from the knob as a Billie Holiday song rang through the speakers. Logan wasn’t a big believer in ‘signs’, but he was about to run into his first love, and the artist she was named after just happened to be on the radio. The coincidence wasn’t lost on him.
He punched the button to change the station, but then changed his mind and clicked back. He let Billie Holiday’s voice fill the cab of his truck and remembered the last time he heard the song. He and Billie Jo were sitting in his bedroom working on their economics assignment. He was surprised to hear that she was named after a jazz legend, one he knew well, his dad was a huge fan. They had listened to Billie Holiday CDs while they worked. That was the night that she inspired feelings in him that he couldn’t explain.
She was different than all the other girls. In high school, he dated cheerleaders, blonde ones; as a pro hockey player, he graduated to blonde models. The cheerleaders had bored him back then, just like the models did now. Billie Jo was smart and edgy. Everyone in school had judged her because she was poor and wore second-hand clothes to school, but he saw beyond that.
He remembered how her lips felt on his, the one and only time they kissed in front of the gas station. The butterflies in his gut from that kiss had almost made him sick. The ‘I might puke feeling’ had never returned, until today with the anticipation of seeing her. He knew that he could make it right with her. He was going to do whatever it took to win Billie Jo Bunkman back. No matter how hard she tried to stay away, he was Logan Brush, star defenseman. How could she say no?
He pulled out his phone to dial Freddie and swore when he saw that there was no service. He looked up at the walls of the canyon, trapping him incommunicado for who knows how long.
“Dammit,” he cursed out loud. Was he going to be too late? He tapped at the steering wheel impatiently as he realized that he might miss the entire party. This was his opportunity to win Charlotte back, to make up for the last time that he didn’t show up, and he couldn’t believe it. It might just happen again.
Chapter 12
THE MUSIC WAS LOUD, the bar full of laughter, and Charlotte was cleaning up at the blackjack table. With a few pints of very strong craft beer flowing through her veins, her gambling chops were on fire.
“This is supposed to be a fundraiser,” Josh said as he leaned over Charlotte’s shoulder and flicked over the giant stack of gambling chips in front of her.
“The house always wins,” Charlotte grinned.
“Clearly not tonight,” Josh laughed.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Charlotte turned to face Freddie. “I feel terrible that the guys organized this whole thing.”
“We knew that you were busy, we’re just glad that you could make it,” Megan smiled. Her arm was wrapped around her fiancé, a glass of seltzer in her hand. “I think that the guys did a pretty good job.”
