Mindy Obenhaus - A Father's Second Chance

She moved quickly across the street and up her front walk. At the door, she paused and waved before disappearing inside.

He felt like a jerk.

No, he felt like a fool for entertaining such crazy thoughts.

He went back into his house and dropped onto the sofa. He must be tired. But there was no way he’d be able to sleep. He needed to focus on something else.

Standing, he moved to the dining table and opened his laptop. May as well work on a quote. With nothing else in the pipeline, he’d need the work. And, if God didn’t want him to have the job, Celeste would turn him down anyway.

But what if He does want you to have this job?

Gage sighed. Then he’d just have to get through it as quickly as possible.

Chapter Four

Gage dropped the girls off at school without a minute to spare. After staying up late to work on Celeste’s quote, sleep held him captive with unwanted yet all-too-appealing visions of Celeste with his daughters.

Two cups of coffee and a quick shower later, he was still dragging. He could only hope the breakfast rush went long at Granny’s Kitchen. The busier Celeste was, the quicker the process would be. He’d simply drop off the estimate and she could get back to him later. Because after seeing her in his dreams, the last thing he wanted was to spend time in her presence this morning.

A half a dozen cars parked near the corner restaurant encouraged him. He snagged a spot, turned off the ignition and hopped out of his truck.

Despite a clear blue sky overhead, Main Street lay bathed in shadows, waiting for the sun to top the gray, volcanic peaks of the Amphitheater, the curved formation at the town’s eastern edge. Frost dappled windshields and rooftops, while the brisk morning air jolted his sleep-deprived senses. A reminder that winter wasn’t too far around the corner.

Inside the restaurant, smiling faces and the aromas of bacon, fresh-brewed coffee and cinnamon transported him to another time. Back when life was simpler and dreams were bigger. When the future was his for the taking. Before reality dealt a heartbreaking blow that would forever change him.

Celeste emerged from the kitchen, carrying three plates. One with eggs, bacon and hash browns, another with what appeared to be breakfast burritos, and the last held a cinnamon roll that looked exactly like the ones her grandmother used to make.

Spotting him, she did a double take. “Be with you in a second.”

His insides tensed. While his head told him to drop the file on the counter and run, his stomach begged him to pull up a chair and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Maybe food would help take his mind off last night. If nothing else, it would silence the rumbling in his gut.

He slid onto a bar stool as Celeste moved behind the oak-topped counter.

She paused long enough to grab a coffeepot and a white mug. “You look as though you could use this.” She set the cup in front of him and poured.

“That bad, huh?”

She puffed out a gentle laugh. “That bear—or at least thoughts of him—kept me awake half the night, too.”

Bear? He palmed the cup, the warmth seeping into his fingers. He should be so lucky.

“Cream or sugar?”

“No, thanks.” He took a sip, trying not to make eye contact. Celeste’s long blond hair was pulled back yet again, her attire more business than casual, and she’d grown at least two inches since last night.

“Excuse me for a minute.” She replaced the coffeepot on the warmer before continuing into the kitchen.

Gage couldn’t help wondering what had happened to the overbearing, dictatorial Celeste he met with yesterday afternoon. The one who had been a burr under his saddle. That Celeste he could deal with. The sweet, nurturing Celeste who showed up uninvited in his dreams? Not so much.

A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a foil pan encased in a plastic bag. She set it beside him. “My way of saying thank you for your help last night.”

The sight of six homemade cinnamon rolls covered in rich, gooey icing wiped every thought from his brain as his stomach broke into a Snoopy dance. “Where’s a fork?”

“Not so fast. Those are for later.”

“What?”

“Order up.”

Celeste reached toward the stainless steel pass-through to the kitchen and retrieved a plate. “This one is for now.” Frosting dripped from the steaming, oversize confection she placed in front of him. She handed him a fork and a short stack of napkins. “That is, unless you’ve already had breakfast.”

“I haven’t.” Filled with more anticipation than a grown man ought to have, he grabbed the fork. “And even if I had...” The warm pastry melted in his mouth while an explosion of cinnamon and creamy sweetness chased his cares away. “This is even better than I remembered.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He positioned his fork on the edge of the plate and picked up the file. “I finished your quote.”

Her brown eyes went wide. “Are you kidding?” She accepted the folder. “How did you manage that?”

No way was he going to let on how the sight of her with Cassidy and Emma had affected him. “Guess that bear riled us both.”

“Order up.”

“Drat!” Celeste tucked the file folder on the opposite work counter, alongside rows of ketchup, mustard and hot sauce bottles. “Duty calls.” She retrieved two more plates from the pass-through and was on her way.

Gage savored the first decent cinnamon roll he’d had in twenty years, washing down his last bite with a swig of coffee. Mission accomplished. The quote had been delivered and even though he’d been here longer than planned, the cinnamon roll more than made up for it. Now all he had to do was finish up some last-minute details at the Schmidts’ and he’d have the rest of the day to himself.

Standing, he reached for the care package Celeste had given him.

“This is starting to become a habit.” Blakely squeezed between him and the next stool, not looking anywhere near as chipper as she’d been yesterday.

He helped her onto the chair. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah. I just got some disturbing news, that’s all.” She pointed to the pan of rolls. “Hard to resist, aren’t they?”

“Morning, Blakely.” Celeste whisked along the other side of the counter.

“Hey there, Gage. Blakely.” Kaleb Palmer, Gage’s old classmate and the town’s most decorated veteran, waited in front of the register.

“I’ve been hearing some rumors about you, Kaleb.” Crossing her arms, Blakely leaned her elbows against the counter and looked past Gage. “And I sure hope they’re true.”

“Well, that depends.” The former soldier who’d lost a leg in Afghanistan grinned and handed Celeste a ten. “What kind of rumors?”

Blakely’s brow lifted. “That you’re looking to buy Mountain View Tours from Ross Chapman.”

Their good-natured friend accepted his change and turned to face them. “Then that would be correct.”

“Yes!” Blakely squirmed out of her chair and thrust her arms around Kaleb’s waist. “Praise the Lord and hallelujah.”

It was no secret that Ross Chapman, Mountain View Tours’ current owner, had been a thorn in Blakely’s side. Not to mention a poor businessman, nearly running the once well-established business into the ground.

Kaleb squeezed Blakely’s shoulder. “I just hope we can be allies instead of competitors.”

“Without a doubt. Trent and I will be happy to help you any way we can.”

“Good deal.” Kaleb started for the door, the hitch of his prosthetic leg virtually unnoticeable. “Now I’ve just got to get things hashed out with Chapman.”

Blakely grimaced. “Don’t bring up my name, then. However, I’ll definitely be praying for things to work out.”