Page 2 of Second Chances

She shifted slightly behind the counter and winced when the pain made everything in the room spin. She wasn’t even married to the man, yet she couldn’t work up enough guts to stand up to him.

Biting her lip to fend off passing out, she held onto the countertop with her good hand and willed her body to get back under her control.

When the bell rang signaling someone coming into the store, she tried to focus her eyes as she called out a greeting and stood.

Then once again, the store spun, and her world went black.

She woke with Rowan Holley kneeling over her, looking down at her wrist. Rowan was the town doctor and hunk, but he’d married Kayla a few months back and had been officially off her radar. Not that she had one. After Brock, she’d turned that thing off.

“Don’t move,” Rowan said to her in a calm voice. “I’ve called for an ambulance.” He was frowning as he looked down at her arm. “Want to tell me what happened?”

She glanced down at her now bright-purple arm and shook her head quickly.

“I didn’t think so. Crystal is on her way.” He sighed.

She groaned. “Couldn’t you just... put a sling on it or something?”

His frown somehow grew. “Olivia.”

How long had she known Rowan? Almost five years now? She’d never seen the man look so worried or pissed.

“Not this time. I’m afraid you might have to have surgery,” Rowan said.

She glanced down at her arm and saw what she’d been denying in her head. Her arm wasn’t just broken, it was shattered.

“Now, want to tell me what happened?” Rowan asked, his tone darker and more forceful. Still, there was tenderness behind his eyes.

She closed her eyes, feeling the sting of tears. Tears she hadn’t spilled in the past five years. Tears which now seeped from her eyes uncontrollably.

“Brock. He was angry that I was filling in for Kayla tonight,” she admitted. “He wanted to go out with the guys.” She’d filled in tonight for Kayla after her friend had gone into labor. Olivia had been excited to know that Kayla was giving birth to her and Rowan’s first child together.

She heard Rowan sigh. “I stopped by the store on the way home from the hospital to tell you that Kayla and Willow are both doing fine, only to find you on the floor.”

“Willow?” she asked, feeling as if her body was floating.

“Yes, Willow Lori Holley was born about four hours ago,” Rowan said with a smile. “When I drove by, I saw the lights and wondered why you were still here.”

“I just got here,” she said, feeling groggy.

“Honey, it’s just past midnight,” he said softly. “You filled in for Kayla at five.”

“No.” She shook her head. “That can’t be right.”

“Just rest, the ambulance is almost here now,” Rowan said softly. She closed her eyes and could hear the ambulance.

That had been it. When Olivia had woken in the hospital after getting a few pins in her wrist and saw her sweet daughter, Simona, being held by Crystal, tears streaming down her chubby cheeks, she was determined to make a change.

No matter what happened in her life now, she was never going to allow anyone to hurt her or her daughter ever again.

Chapter 1

Two years later…

Olivia stepped out on the sidewalk and smiled. The warm summer air hit her, making her realize that she may have forgotten to put on deodorant that morning. God, she hoped she hadn’t. It was going to be a very long day. She couldn’t afford to sweat through her blouse. Still, she could always purchase another bottle of her favorite lavender deodorant from the store.

It was one of the perks of working there, having access to all the goods. Some of the stuff really worked better than big-name brands. Even if they did cost double, Olivia knew that they were well worth the price.

But on her budget, she had to be careful not to spend too much of her paycheck on the things she loved. Even with the employee discount, she could easily overspend if she wasn’t careful.