Second Chance Romance (Southern Nights) Completed

Chapter 3

Second Chance Romance

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved 

Chapter 3

Jade was in no way prepared for the barrage of feelings that seemed to completely drown out everything else around her when she peered into Austin's eyes.  A set of beautiful smoky eyes that once upon a time she had stared into endlessl and found herself hopelessly lost in them.  She was frozen, couldn't find it within herself to move a single muscle and didn't know what to say.  All she could do was stare dumbly up at him.

For half of a heartbeat Austin stopped breathing.  Every nerve cell in his body went on high alert.  There had been so many nights that he had dreamed of seeing Jade again.  Over and over he had visualized those vibrant green eyes that emulated the darkest of emeralds, that cute pert nose and her pointy chin that had a dimple in the center of it all highlighted his nights, but none of those images compared to the real Jade that was standing before him now.  She was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.

 Austin tried his best to offer her a sincere smile while he patiently waited for her to say something back to him.  There were so many things that he wanted to tell her like how sorry he was for hurting her and what a stupid mistake it was that he made so long ago and if there was anything that he could do to change it, he would.  But he wasn't really sure how receptive that she would be to his apologies so instead, he rocked back and forth on his heels with his hands clenched together behind his back and continued to wait.

 Oliver could feel the tension in the air and decided to take the initiative.  "Hey," he spoke up bringing everyone's attention back to him, "I am just going to take Libby outside," he said, lifting the little girl so that she rested comfortably on his hip.

 "Will you show me your big guns now?" Libby asked with the angelic innocence of a four year old child.

 "No guns, Libby," Jade said in a snippy tone without once taking her eyes off of Austin.  Standing there she realized then that she had never really said the words that she wanted to say to him all those years ago.  She was too ashamed to even confront the man, much less say anything to him. 

 "But mom!" Libby whined pitifully. 

 "Hey, I know something else I can show you," Oliver interrupted.  He shot a glance over to Jade and nodded.  "Would you like for me to show you how the lights work on my car?"

"Really."  She said, her face lighting up brighter than the sun itself.

"Really," he answered her with a smile.  And with that he turned and stepped outside with Libby in tow.

"Austin," Jade finally said in a vain attempt to remain cordial after Oliver and Libby had left.  She glanced nervously back at her daughter before forcing herself to look back up at him.  He had hardly changed a bit she noticed, still as handsome as ever with a body that any woman would kill to explore.  'Um......it has definitely been a while," she agreed took a step back, wanting to put some badly needed distance between the two of them.  "And it looks like the years have been good to you."

"The same could be said for you," he replied turning to the window and watching where Oliver had taken Libby outside to his Sheriff car.

A pang of jealousy struck him like a lightning bolt.  That should have been their child, he thought to himself.  If only I had thought with my brain instead of other stubborn body parts, then things could have been so different, he silently mused.