Second Chance on the Shore (Coastal Dreams #1)
Prologue
HOUSTON
Carson Andrews kissed his wife as he entered the kitchen, his morning jog behind him. He headed straight for his stainless steel water bottle, drinking its entire contents before coming up for air.
“I’ll get Lily up while you’re in the shower,” Angie said. “Once she’s dressed and fed, I’ll drop you off at school.”
He stole another quick kiss and left the kitchen, stripping off his T-shirt as he headed to their bedroom.
Turning on the shower, he shed the rest of his clothes, putting them in the laundry basket in the closet, just as his wife had trained him to do.
He stepped into the shower and adjusted the temperature before washing his hair and lathering his body.
And the entire time, he couldn’t help but think just how good his life finally was.
It hadn’t always been that way. His parents and younger brother had died in a car accident when Carson was twelve.
He hadn’t been with them because he was spending the night with a friend, and the guilt had about eaten him whole.
His only living relative was his dad’s sister, Jayne, a maiden aunt who neither wanted to raise an almost-teenage boy nor spend any time with him.
Carson had learned early that while he may have a roof over his head, he was definitely on his own.
He’d dived into school, and basketball had become his refuge.
His aunt had never come to a single game he played in, nor had she attended either his high school or college graduations.
By the time his small wedding with Angie rolled around, he didn’t even bother sending her an invitation, knowing she wouldn’t RSVP, much less show up.
Surprisingly, Aunt Jayne had left him her house and everything inside it when she passed a year after his wedding.
He and Angie had taken a few months to get the house into shape to sell.
They sold most of the furniture, which had netted a tidy profit because almost everything was a valuable antique.
They pulled up the carpets and had the floors re-sanded, making the wood gleam.
After they painted the inside themselves and had a painting crew take care of the outside, they had put it on the market and sold it within four days.
Taking the money from the sale of the house, they had bought a place of their own and owned it, free and clear, thankful they had no mortgage to pay.
Angie had grown up in foster care, so they knew they were starting from scratch in building their family.
Lily had come along twenty-two months ago and was the apple of their eyes.
She had the blond, curly hair of her mother, as well as Angie’s clear, blue eyes.
She ran more than she walked and jabbered constantly.
He wasn’t as fully fluent in Lily-speak as Angie was, but Carson was starting to pick up more and more on what his daughter said.
He and Angie were both ready to try number two.
Maybe spring break would be a good time for them to start.
As he toweled off and dressed for the day, he was eager for his upcoming spring break to begin once school was out this afternoon, probably more so than the students he taught and coached.
Basketball season was over, and the Andrews were headed to East Texas and the piney woods of Tyler State Park.
He’d reserved a cabin through Wednesday at noon.
That would give them the weekend, plus a few extra days to rent canoes on the lake, fish, and hike.
Lily loved being outside, and they enjoyed pointing out various wildlife to her.
Carson wanted to take her fishing, hoping to catch a few catfish or bass.
Knowing his daughter’s tender heart, most likely he’d toss anything they hooked back into the lake.
He returned to the kitchen, seeing Lily in her high chair. Cheerios were her favorite food, and they were scattered about the tray. She also had slices of bananas and a yogurt for breakfast.
“How’s my favorite girl?” he asked, leaning down and kissing her cheek.
“More milk, Daddy,” she said, handing him her sippy cup.
Carson filled it and placed the lid atop it, giving it back to Lily.
“Kank oo.”
“You are welcome,” he replied, smoothing her hair.
Turning to Angie, he asked, “Do you have Binky’s things ready?”
The beagle heard his name and stood. He’d been sitting under Lily’s high chair, hoping for Cheerios to fall.
“Already put his bag in the car, along with his blanket and lovey. Diaper bag is there, too.”
Binky was the newest addition to their household.
They had adopted him two weeks ago at a community fair.
They would drop him off at the vet’s this morning since he’d just turned a year old.
The adoption agency said that was when he should be neutered.
Binky would stay at the adjacent kennel, recovering from his surgery until they returned Wednesday afternoon, getting rest and quiet.
“Finish up, baby girl,” Angie said. “It’s time to drop off Binky and Daddy.”
Carson wet a rag and cleaned Lily’s face and hands before taking her to the car and buckling her into her car seat.
He got in the passenger seat as Angie opened the back door for Binky.
The dog immediately jumped up and sat next to Lily, who began stroking his fur.
He was glad they had decided to adopt the beagle.
Already, the two were inseparable. Lily was also learning how to be gentle with Binky.
Their daughter was the one who had named the dog Binky, after her pacifier.
Angie had said they could get a dog if Lily would give up her binky.
The toddler had tossed it aside the moment she’d laid eyes on the beagle and hadn’t asked for it once, not even at bedtime.
They reached the vet’s office, and Carson snapped on Binky’s leash and led him inside.
He handed over the bag of Binky’s things, and the vet tech who took Binky in hand said they could call after three to see how the beagle was doing.
He thanked the guy and kissed Binky’s head before returning to the car.
Usually, he drove himself to work, but he needed new brakes on his truck, something he’d deal with once they got back to Houston.
Angie had offered to drop him off at school, and they would take her SUV to Tyler State Park.
She’d taken the day off from the hospital in order to pack and run several errands, including picking up food and snacks for the cabin.
Once she dropped him at school, she would take Lily to the daycare at the hospital so she could get more done.
Lily was in a big “helping Mama” stage, and it took Angie three times as long to do anything if Lily assisted her.
She drove past the front of the high school and to the field house in back, where his office was located.
Carson leaned over and gave her a goodbye kiss. “Hope you get lots done. See you this afternoon.”
“I’ll pick up Lily first. When we get you, we can head straight out of Houston.”
Angie handed him his lunch, and he waved goodbye as she drove off.
His day was busy. He worked on his athletic budget in his office before heading into the main building to teach his three World Geography classes.
He would have preferred to teach history, since he had a passion for it, but when he’d been hired straight out of college, the geography slot had been the open one.
By the time another US History vacancy had appeared in the department, Carson had already been teaching geography for two years and decided to pass on making a switch.
He already had lesson plans and activities for geography, and he’d come to enjoy teaching freshmen, something many veteran teachers avoided doing.
He ate lunch with a few of the other coaches in the break room inside the field house.
The soccer and baseball coaches wouldn’t really get a spring break since their teams had games scheduled.
He was thankful to have some time away from Houston with his family.
Basketball season always drained him, with long days and nights, plus weekend tournaments.
He would recharge his batteries during his time off and enjoy spending time with his family.
He hated shorting them, but that was the life of a coach during season.
Carson returned to working on his budget, which was due two days after he returned from spring break. He texted Angie twice, just checking in, but she didn’t reply to either text. He knew she was getting her hair cut and thought she might be in the chair and not able to reply to him.
He glanced at his watch and saw school let out in fifteen minutes. It would be a zoo in the parking lot, and he’d told Angie to park two blocks away to avoid the traffic. He decided to slip out now before the bell sounded and the chaos began. Knowing his wife, she would already be waiting for him.
Then the phone on his desk rang. Reluctantly, Carson answered it, not wanting to get tied up when he was ready to duck out the door. “Hello?”
“I need you to come to my office right away,” Joel Campbell said.
“Could we do this over the phone?” he asked, not wanting to leave the field house, cross the parking lot, and wind his way to the front office where the principal was. Even if Joel only spent two minutes with him, by the time he trekked back, school would be letting out.
“No. This needs to be in person, Carson.”
“Be right there.”
He hung up without protesting, wondering what his principal might want. Grabbing his cell, he texted Angie that he would be a few minutes late to the car because Joel needed to see him.