One More Chance

A Lifetime

Bryce

Six months later...

"Good morning, Carol. How are you today?"

The older woman peers at me as I step inside her room behind Giana. "Bryce, right? My future grandson-in-law."

I grin. "Yup, that's me." Also called the handsome idiot, I almost add but I don't. Giana says the less references to me no matter how apropos I may consider them, the better.

It'll only confuse her, she says. It's the same reason we don't give her a menu to choose from whenever we take her out to dinner. The less choices, the better.

"He brought you your favorite scones, Grandma. He thought you'd be running low by this time."

Carol laughs. "Low? I think I'm out. Letitia next door loves them, too, although the nurse has to cut one scone in half on account of her..." She pauses, her brow furrowing as she tries to remember the word. "Diet restrictions."

At the rate Giana and I are going with what flavor the wedding cake will be, we're all going to end up with diet restrictions very soon, too. I'm partial to the Italian cream cake with cream cheese filling while Giana likes the hazelnut cake with milk chocolate mousse and salted caramel filling. But that was before we made the mistake of bringing Io and Kieran along who both declared that we both had to consider the vanilla-bean-browned-butter cake with salted caramel mousse and a baked crumble topping which brings us back to square one. I had to hit the gym twice that day.

"You ready for a walk around the park, Grandma?" Giana asks and the older woman nods.

"I've been waiting for you two all morning." She gets up from her chair and puts on her visor. "I've got a floral arrangement class to go to this afternoon."

Carol's definitely been livelier ever since we transferred her to the facility across town, the one that Giana learned had excellent memory care services. From the daily walks at the park next door to the myriad of activities like flower arranging and making care packages for seniors in need, Carol is always busy. She's also happier. Sure, she forgets who I am now and then but I don't mind it one bit.

But what's more important is that Giana is happy. While she misses visiting her grandmother three or four times a week like she used to, she knows Carol is in good hands.

We head to the park accompanied by three other residents and two staff members. As the group walks in front of us, I hold Giana's hand.

It's been six months since that day when she returned to my life, six months since I thought I'd lost my chance with the only woman who saw me—and loved me—for who I was. Giana has set me straight like no one else I've ever known. She makes me want to be a better man every day and not waste a single opportunity to do good.

No wonder my parents love her. They're not even faking it. They really enjoy her company and Giana enjoys their company, too. Even my mother has been good about not overstepping when it comes to the wedding arrangements. Giana knows what she wants and my mother knows that.

As far as work, I've stepped into my position as junior principal partner like an eager duck to water. It fits me way better than my previous position managing the architects even if one of them happens to be my future wife. Everyday we drive to work together and she goes to the fourth floor while I continue up to the top floor to my office which is a few doors down from my father.

"I think I've decided on the cake," Giana announces, her declaration snapping me back to the present.

"You have?"

"We're having all three."

I stare at her. "All three flavors?"

"Why not? We have over 200 guests coming, Bryce, which is pretty much half of the town. We blocked the country club for the whole day, remember? Even the golf course. We're going to need a lot of cake."

With Dad's business contacts and my friends from back east, it wasn't easy to cut back. Then there was the entire Holden side of the family to consider. No, we didn't invite all of them and the ones we eventually added back to the list only got added after Dad made them promise they'd behave or he wouldn't think twice in kicking them out. Knowing Dad, he totally would. In the end, he and my mother are my biggest champions.

If I was worried that my family would totally take over the guest list, Giana surprised me. True, her grandmother is the only family she may have left but both of them have lots of friends in town and relatives from out of town. There are also her late mother's friends from the library who had always kept in touch. What she lacked in quantity, she made up for in quality.

I pull her to my side and kiss her forehead. "Problem solved. All three flavors it is then."

She stops and wraps her arms around my waist. Up ahead the group continues walking but we're not worried. Either we'll catch up with them in a few minutes or they'll make that loop around the park and come up behind us.

"I love you, Bryce Holden, Jr." she declares. "I'm so glad you ran out of options when you were looking for a fake fiancée."

"Me, too. Thank god I couldn't take another rejection."

She frowns. "Does that make me easy?"

I think for a few moments. "Not really. You made me wait three dates before I could get you to bed."

She giggles. "But only because Sheriff Merritt caught us making out underneath that Supermoon. Otherwise, we would have done it up there."

"Nah, it would have been too uncomfortable. I'd have voted for the bed."

"Or the dining table and the couch–"

"Or the other couch and the game room." I laugh before I turn serious. "I love you, Giana Avila. More than life itself, boy, do I love you."

I lower my head and kiss her, not caring if we're out in public or blocking the path, at least, for a few minutes longer. It still surprises me how I never once thought I'd find a love like what my parents have but I did and I found her when I wasn't exactly looking.

"There you two are. One minute you were with us and the next here you are, kissing like it's running out of style. You two should get a room," her grandmother huffs as Giana and I step back to give her room, both of us grinning. "Chop chop," she continues. "We've got a mile left to go."

As she and the group pass us, I bring Giana's hand to my lips. 

Nah, not a mile, I want to say out loud. We've got a lifetime.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading One More Chance, a small-town fake relationship romance. I hope you enjoyed Giana and Bryce's story as much as I had fun writing it. 

I'll have more stories for you coming soon. Until then, check out my other stories on my profile, and don't forget to say hi whether here on Wattpad or out in the wild!