One More Kiss: A Second Chance Romance (One More Series Book 1) Read online

  Amy shook her head, waves of black hair dancing in the warm air. “No, Dad, I want to wait for her here.”

  I looked at my mother and she smiled at me. Her hand slipped between mine and Amy’s. Amy looked up at her with adoration as my mother spoke. “Honey, why don’t you help me get checked in? Then we can have everything perfect for when your mother gets here.”

  Amy sighed but nodded. “Okay, if you think she would like that.”

  “I bet she would,” I said as I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  She squirmed away from me and looked around. I couldn’t believe how fast my little girl was growing up. In two weeks, she would be turning nine, and her whole world was about to change. For the first few years of her mother’s absence, I would make up stories. I’d tell Amy that Julia had come in the night, leaving behind gifts before jetting off on another secret mission, but over the years, the stories became fewer and fewer as Amy stopped asking about the estranged woman she no longer knew.

  I hadn’t even noticed that her attention was no longer on me as her eyes grew wide and she started to tug on my shirt. It wasn’t until she let go and jetted away from me that my concentration was broken. Amy never took off without me. We had a very strict set of rules since it was just the two of us. I was just about to yell her name when I saw what grabbed her attention, or who, actually.

  Seeing her for the first time was a punch in the gut as I sucked in a sharp breath. She hadn’t aged a day. Her black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Her curvy frame was perfectly outlined in the bright pink sundress that she wore. As Amy ran to her, Julia dropped everything she was carrying and opened her arms as she sank to the floor. I had to fight back tears as I watched the two of them embrace.

  “Awe, now isn’t that sweet? She really does love her mother, doesn’t she?” said my mother.

  I nodded. “She really does.” I quickly cleared my throat and looked away. “Well, since we’re all here now, maybe we should get this show on the road?”

  “Hey,” she said as she and Amy approached. Before I could speak, Julia looked away from me to my mother. “Theresa, it’s so good to see you again.”

  My mother pulled Julia into a warm embrace. “Oh, Julia! It’s so good to see you too! I was starting to wonder if Aaron had made you up as much as you’re gone. Oh, well, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about that later. What do you say we get moving? Amy and I were just going to check in. Why don’t you two take the bags to the loading area, and we’ll meet you in the suite?”

  “Suite?” Julia asked. “I thought that we were getting different rooms?”

  “Oh, don’t worry, dear,” said my mother. “I promise the walls are thick. I know it’s been a few weeks since you two lovebirds have seen each other. I really just wanted to splurge on this trip. It’s so rare that we can get together as a family. Plus, I know the financial problems you’ve had lately. I just wanted a treat.” Theresa turned away from us and back down to Amy. “Ready?”

  Amy nodded but looked back at Julia. “You’re going to be here when I come back, right, Mom?”

  Julia nodded. “Of course I am, sweetie! I’m going on the cruise with you guys. I just need to talk to your dad for a second.”

  Amy glared at me. It wasn’t a sight that I saw often. “Don’t scare her away, Daddy.”

  My mouth fell open, and I was just about to reprimand her for her tone when my mother tugged her away. We were left standing in an awkward silence as we watched them go. I wanted to hug her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and never let her slip away again. She smiled at me and took a step back, putting a little space between the two of us and making it clear that there would be no happy reunion just yet. It was a miracle that she was even there. I needed to remind myself of that.

  “Listen,” I said cautiously. “I really appreciate your coming down here like this. I know it’s not ideal.”

  “No,” she whispered. “It’s far from ideal, but it’s good to see you and Amy. Your mother seems to be doing well.”

  “She had a scare with cancer a few years ago, but it seems to be in remission now.”

  “Aaron,” she said, her hand touching my shoulder. “You never told me that. I would have come and visited her.”

  I shook my head. “She asked me not to say anything. Plus, I wasn’t really in a good place to see you again either.”

  “We do need to talk at some point, Aaron. You know that you’ll have to tell them the truth. It might be easier if you just did it now.”

  “Please, Julia,” I begged.

  I shot a glance at my mother, who was kneeling as Amy chattered away. Our eyes locked, and I saw the suspicion, though she did a good job of hiding it. My heart started to race. I couldn’t ruin this trip for her or Amy. I needed to hold onto the secret just a while longer, but the two of us standing here like strangers wasn’t going to win anyone over. I looked away from my mother and smiled at Julia, effectively disarming her argument as I took her hand and pulled her closer to me. I just needed a little bit of time for Julia and me.

  “Please, just give me this week, then you’re free to do whatever you want. You can tell them both the truth and I won’t stand in your way.”

  She nodded her head, her clear eyes afraid but willing as I pulled her even closer and kissed her softly on the cheek. It was a struggle for me to stop myself there, but I didn’t want to push my luck. When she took a step away from me and I saw the faint smile on her lips, I let out a breath of relief.

  “All right, Aaron. We can do this your way, but it doesn’t mean we can’t talk. A lot has changed in five years. We can’t run from it forever.”

  “I promise that we’ll have time alone this week,” I said as I slipped the last of our luggage onto the belt headed for the boat. “Just play along.”

  She nodded and reached out her hand. I took it into mine as we headed back in the direction of the boat. It felt so right to be holding her hand, like a piece of me that was missing had suddenly returned. The sensation was accurate. After all, she was the mother of my child. But she had left us both behind. The nagging memory wouldn’t let me forget about our past. I broke away from her just as Amy ran up to us. She had no problem taking my place holding her mother’s hand.

  “Are we all ready?” asked my mother.

  I nodded. “Everything is good to go.”

  “What do you think?” my mother asked Amy with a glint in her eye. “Do we have everything we need for an amazing vacation, honey?”

  Amy looked away from her and up at Julia. “Everything is perfect now.”

  Julia smiled down at her. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  I cleared my throat and started walking in the direction of the boat. It was going to be a very long week.

  Chapter 3

  Julia

  Good God, he looked amazing. He was always tall and lean, but his once shaggy hair was shaved closer to his head now. He’d kept himself in amazing shape, making me think of my own body, but he didn’t seem to notice the few extra pounds I’d gained. Aaron was the type of man who loved a little bit of extra meat on the woman in his life, and as his eyes traveled down the length of my body, a surge of desire coursed through me.

  “Here we go,” I said as I handed Theresa a daiquiri. “I got you a soda, Amy. I thought with it being a special holiday, you could have one.”

  I glanced at Aaron and he nodded. “Why not? So, we’re all settled into the room. Who wants to go for a swim?”

  “Oh,” I said. “You know, it was a long flight. I think I’m just going to lie down for a while, if that’s okay.”

  “Are you sure, dear? I would love to spend some time with you,” Theresa said.

  I smiled at her. “I promise we’ll have lots of time for that this week. You know how bad jetlag can get though.”

  She nodded. “Well, I think Amy and I will go out and see what adventures we can get ourselves into.”

  “I’ll come with you guys and give her some time
to sleep in peace,” Aaron offered.

  Grinning, I closed the door behind me. It wasn’t that I wanted to rest, but everything was happening so fast. A week ago, my biggest concern was whether my mother would poison me, but today, I knew I’d never face that peril again. I hadn’t had the chance to touch base with her doctor since she’d been admitted, but I did have over twenty missed calls from her private line in her bedroom at the mental hospital. I didn’t want to listen to them and hear what she had to say. After the initial twenty-four hours of seclusion, she’d been granted phone privileges, though I knew they were being monitored.

  I played the first message.

  Julia. You need to get down here at once. The doctor is trying to tell me some cock and bull story about you locking me up! I’ve told him that’s a lie but the damn man won’t listen. I need you to call me at once.

  I winced and listened to the rest. By the time I reached the end, my hands were shaking with fear and beads of sweat had started to appear on my forehead despite the crisp air conditioning in the suite.

  It is apparent to me at this time that you’re not coming for me. I can’t say I’m surprised. You were always such a selfish child. Your father died because of you, and now I find myself at the end of my life and you’re out whoring around or something. This is my last attempt to save you, Julia. Call me at once or you will not be welcome in my home again.

  “Jeeze,” I muttered as I set the phone down. It seemed to sense the silence and it started to ring. The area code was the same but the number was different. I knew that it was her doctor calling this time and not her. I answered the call at once. “Doctor? How is she?”

  I listened as he sighed. “I wish that I had some positive progress for you, but she seems to be slipping even further into the dementia.”

  “Yes, she left me a few messages. Should I be worried about her?”

  “No, of course not. This is pretty normal for a patient dealing with the scope of dependency that she has. She was able to feed off your father’s illness for so long and then yours when you came.”

  “Won’t she just find someone in there?” I asked.

  “We’re monitoring her closely. Her only interactions are with those who don’t understand the scope of reality. She has no chance of finding another victim.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. Is your prognosis still the same?”

  He hesitated. “It is even more so proven that she is safest in here. My staff has found her trying to fish batteries from radios, the lead used in phones, and even her own medication. We’ve had to take some added precautions. Now, all of her time on the phone is being monitored, but you should know that yours isn’t the only phone number she’s been calling.”

  “I’m not?” I said in shock.

  My mother wasn’t a social person by nature. She would chat with the people in her neighborhood but never invited them over. Growing up had been strange, to say the least. My friends were not allowed to come to our house but I could leave. Of course, by doing so, I would upset her. I would come back and spend days begging for her forgiveness until eventually, I just stopped leaving altogether. It was when I met Aaron that my life started to change. It had been my father who’d pushed me to run away with Aaron and never look back.

  “No, she has been trying to reach out to a woman, though I don’t know much else. She started making the calls before we monitored her, and now, they mostly use code. The woman is young, but I can’t offer you anything besides that. I plan on speaking with her today about it at our next session.”

  “That’s strange,” I muttered. “Please keep me updated on her progress.” The door to the bedroom slowly started to open. “I have to go. Thank you.”

  I hung up the phone just as Aaron peeked his head inside. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “No,” I whispered. “I was just making a few phone calls before lying down. How is Amy doing?”

  Aaron’s boyish grin surfaced. “Are you kidding me? You’re here and her grandmother whom she adores. Her favorite people all in one place, she is having a blast. I just forgot my sunglasses.”

  “Maybe now would be a good time for us to talk, don’t you think?” I offered.

  He looked back into the hallway, “I don’t think so, but you really should join us. Mother met a fellow on the upper deck, and it’s looking like Amy and I will be on our own at the pool.”

  “Just you and Amy?” I asked hopefully.

  Aaron nodded. “That’s right.” He shifted. “But you know you will have to talk to my mother at some point, right? I mean, you can’t avoid her for an entire week.”

  “I know,” I muttered. “I just don’t know what to say to her. You told me on the phone that they both think I’ve been working, but how does that work? How do you keep up that lie for five years?”

  His eyes grew cold but not before I saw the glint of sadness in them. Our separation had been years ago, but it was obvious that those feelings still lingered. I wanted to know just how deep they went, but it wasn’t the right time to ask him for either of us. Diving into that well would take time and privacy, neither of which we had, I realized as I heard Amy come running into the suite.

  “Come on, Dad! You promised me the pool, and Grandma just wants to sit there and make noises,” she said as she bounded into the room.

  Instantly, she jumped on the bed and curled up next to me. I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around her. “Grandma’s making noises?”

  Amy rolled her eyes dramatically and nodded. “It’s like she’s laughing but it sounds all funny.”

  I held in the snort. “I think that means she likes him, honey.”

  “Will you come down to the pool with us, Mom?” she asked me. “I know you’re tired, but I promise I won’t bother you.”

  My chest tightened as I wrapped her into my arms again. “Oh, honey, you could never bother me, and yes, I would love to come down there with you.”

  “Julia, if you’re tired, you can tell her ‘no’,” Aaron interjected. “She knows what a pushover adults become when she pouts like that.”

  “Oh yeah?” I said as I cocked my head at her. “Well then, missy, you’ve got another thing coming. Who do you think you got that from? I am a professional at pouting.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Really? I never knew that.” She turned her attention back to her dad and gave him a stern look. “You never told me that.”

  His expression softened at once. “Well, now that she’s back here for good, you have all the time in the world to learn about each other. So why don’t you and I go jump in that pool, and I’m sure your mom will be up soon?”

  “Okay,” Amy said as she leapt off the bed. “See you soon. Love you, Mom.”

  “I love you too,” I said as she ran from the room.

  The tears were threatening to break through once again. I wouldn’t be able to hold them back if Aaron kept watching her that way. I’d been gone for five years, but it was evident in that time that he’d stepped up as a parent and taken care of everything she needed. She didn’t lack for anything. Guilt washed over me again as I went over the millions of things that I’d missed by not being there with my family for so long.

  “Hey,” whispered Aaron as he reached out and touched my leg. “Don’t start falling apart on me now, okay? You missed a few things, yes. But you’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

  “Thank you,” I said, covering his hand with my own. “I will adjust. It’s just been a rough few weeks.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about it poolside? I know there are a few things that we need to talk about. Your story, for one. Amy is already asking questions, and it’s just a matter of time before my mother wants a face-to-face with you.”

  “Right,” I said as I withdrew my hand and stood up. “I forgot why I was really here.”

  “Julia,” he whispered. “That isn’t what I meant and you know that. I’m thrilled that you’re here. All it takes is one look at Amy and you should know
that.”

  “That’s for Amy, but what about for you? And us?” I asked.

  He took a step forward, and Theresa’s chipper voice came from the main hall. “Yoo-hoo? Is anyone still here?”

  Aaron looked around the corner. “Hey, Mom.”

  I grabbed ahold of the door and stopped. “I’ll be out in a second. Will you wait for me?”

  “Sure,” he said with a grin. “We’ll talk later, okay? I promise.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get the story straight and be done with it. I’m not going anywhere after that. We can talk then.”

  “Are you sure? I do want to talk,” he said quickly.

  “I’m sure. Whenever you’re ready, okay? I don’t want to rush you. Give me a second to change.”

  “All right, I’ll be right downstairs,” Aaron whispered. “I’m not going anywhere if you aren’t. I promise you that.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I closed the door.

  There was an unfamiliar voice from just down the steps but I ignored it. Theresa had a way of quickly making friends. I changed into my swimsuit, trying to ignore the way my cleavage popped out of the suit. It seemed fine when I bought it, but I couldn’t deny I was more self-conscious around Aaron. Grabbing my swimsuit cover, I tugged it over my head and took a deep breath before opening the bedroom door again.

  Chapter 4

  Aaron

  My mother and her guest disappeared into the kitchen after being reassured that we were not going to be staying in the suite. Amy was still patiently waiting for me in the small living room. She looked up and smiled when I walked into the room, but it wasn’t at me. I turned to see what had her awestruck and quickly found myself enamored and hiding a growing erection in the process. Julia was standing on the steps smiling across at us. The thin sheath over her swimsuit did little to hide the figure I’d fallen in love with years before.