Falling into a Second Chance by Alie Garnett
Chapter Thirty-Six
The restof the week had gone by without a single sighting of Agatha. But the few times her sisters came to her house, they did willingly talk to him. They also started using his name and not just calling him whatever they wanted to. Those names usually weren’t very nice, but it seemed now that they were treating him differently.
On Wednesday, he had talked to his brother and admitted that he had failed in flipping the house. He had no idea what he was doing and didn’t want to do remodeling anymore. He also told his brother that he was going to do what he should have months before: he would start working in the family business. Even though Chris had never shown any interest in the business, Carter had willingly let him into the fold. He had even given him an office and was letting him choose what he wanted to do with his days, as long as it was insurance-related, that is.
In the meeting, he had told his brother about Agatha. Carter had just grinned at him and asked if she was the little dark-haired girl who he had teased all the time at school. It seemed he might be the kid from kindergarten after all. Or it might have been just a coincidence. That was until his sister confirmed that he had gotten in trouble that entire year for being mean to a little dark-haired girl with a lisp.
Chris had invited both of his siblings and their spouses to the party he was planning on Saturday night. He also invited his mom, who declined right away, which wasn’t a surprise. Agatha wasn’t part of the right social circle, after all, which was perfect for Chris. He just hoped Agatha would be a part of his circle soon.
The rest of the week was spent calling, texting, and emailing four hundred people who had the privilege of graduating on the same day as him. Though only a dozen were his friends back then, he made special effort to get everyone there. Many didn’t remember him, and some even said they weren’t coming because it was him, but he was doing whatever it took to win Agatha back.
There had only been a few people he’d contact that remembered Agatha at all. One had been her close friend who had lost contact with Agatha when high school was over. Another had been one of his closest friends, who had admitted that he was surprised Chris would even fall for someone like her. Which made him want to disinvite the man, except this was exactly who he needed to invite. People who he had spent his youth trying to impress. People who he didn’t want to even associate with anymore.
The house was quiet, dark, and was starting to echo his own sad look with Agatha gone. But hopefully, she would be back soon. He was so lost in thought as he analyzed her house that he missed the woman walking up his front sidewalk.
“So, Cliff is buying this place for Maby?” Sera Dean asked, not even snarling at him. It was the first time she hadn’t done it since he’d met her.
“Yes, it’s a secret, though. I don’t think he’s told her yet,” he informed Sera, in case she was planning on telling Maby. Cliff had sworn him to secrecy about the purchase when they had agreed upon a price.
“Oh, he told her. He really can’t keep a secret from his lady love,” Sera said, using was the same words Cliff had used to call his wife, his lady love. Sera stopped in front of Chris, looking at him closely.
Finally, Sera came right out and asked. “The girls say you’re in love with Agatha. Are you?”
“I am. I want to marry her. Should I be asking you for permission?” he asked, standing up straight. After all this time, he needed to start getting on this woman’s good side.
“No, you should ask her. I let my kids do what they want to do,” she said with a smile as she turned to look at Agatha’s house across the street, the house she had raised her kids in. At least her older kids.
His eyebrow shot up in question. That was not the impression he had ever got from her. To him, she was a mama bear, and he had gotten too close to her cub. She had taken more swipes at him than he cared to think about.
“When you’re not involved, that is,” she relented and turned back to him. “But you were.… You didn’t see her after everything that happened with you back then. I did. I never wanted to see her that way again. I still don’t. So, if you aren’t in it forever, I would like you to leave now.”
Sera stood her ground and crossed her arms, daring him to say he was just playing with Agatha’s emotions.
But Chris wasn’t scared. He was so in love with Agatha he couldn’t breathe when she wasn’t around.
“I want her forever, and everything that entails. I want to help her raise Poppy and have more kids of our own. I want to be there every day. I just want to tell her face-to-face, but I can’t find her,” he promised, wishing he could make the same promises to her daughter. He knew he would, and soon. But soon wasn’t coming quick enough for him.
“Good, because I will break your other knee if you ever hurt Agatha again,” Sera said. He wondered if she actually knew which knee he had broken, but he didn’t want to find out. Her eyes looked like she knew.
Chris smirked at her bravado. “I’ll remember that.” He loved that despite what she said, he knew she would always be a mama bear for Agatha. The woman he loved needed everyone she could get in her corner.
