One More Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong

Author:Cathleen Armstrong [Armstrong, Cathleen]
Language: eng, spa
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042040, FIC027020, Self-realization in women—Fiction
ISBN: 9781441245083
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2014-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chris wasn’t sure he could say he loved Emma when she and her mother stopped by on the way home from the dentist, but he certainly had to admit her manners were flawless. And she was very clean to boot.

“Well, look who’s here!” Juanita met them at the door. “Chris, come meet the Andersons.”

Chris stepped in from the kitchen and shook Sue Anderson’s hand.

She stepped back so she could look at him without craning her neck and smiled, while placing protective hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “So nice to meet you. This is my daughter, Emma. This is Mr. Reed, Emma.”

“How do you do, Mr. Reed?” Emma extended her own hand.

“Hi, Emma.” Chris took her hand and bent down to smile at her. “But you can call me Chris. I don’t think anyone has ever called me Mr. Reed.”

“Mr. Reed has a niece about your age, Emma.” Sue Anderson’s message was clear. There would be no first-naming. She turned to Chris. “Is she here? We’d love to meet her.”

“We’re expecting her any minute. She’s been out at the Cooley ranch with Sarah.” Juanita led them to a table. “Meanwhile, why don’t I bring you a dish of ice cream and a soda? It is hot out there today.”

“No, thank you.” Emma slid into the booth and folded her hands.

“No ice cream?” Juanita stopped on her way back to the kitchen. “Would you rather have pie?”

“We don’t eat a lot of sugar.” Sue slipped her sunglasses into her purse. “And it’s getting toward dinner anyway. Do you suppose we could just have a glass of ice water? It is hot out there.”

“What about a diet soda then? It’s sugar free.” Juanita wasn’t going to give up.

Sue wrinkled her nose. “But there are way too many chemicals. Really, water is fine.”

“Okay, water it is.” Juanita placed two glasses on the table. “How about some fruit? Carlos has been using watermelon slices to garnish today. I could bring you some of those.”

“No, thank you. We don’t want to spoil our appetite, do we Emma?” Sue took a sip of her water and glanced at her watch. “Do you think Olivia will be along soon? We really should be getting home.”

On cue, Sarah’s car turned off the highway into the parking lot. Sarah stopped her car and waved through the windshield as Olivia got out and ran into the Dip ’n’ Dine.

“Sarah said to say hi, but she couldn’t come in.” Olivia didn’t acknowledge the Andersons in the booth by the window as she climbed onto a stool at the counter. “Can I have some lemonade? I’m about to croak, it’s so hot.”

The contrast between Emma in her white sandals and crisp sundress and Olivia in dusty jeans and the lopsided ponytail she insisted on putting up herself couldn’t have been greater. Chris felt a surge of protective love well up for his motherless waif as Olivia’s gaze found Emma’s and the two girls sized each other up.

“Olivia, come over here. There are some people I want you to meet.

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