Chasing Second Chances by Shelly Logan Page A

decided to start with something easy, something that was fun so things wouldn’t turn too serious too quickly like they did last time. “When is the longest you’ve gone without taking a bath?”
    He quirked a brow at her. “What?”
    “Just answer it.”
    He paused to think. “Three days, I guess.”
    “Three days?” Her eyes grew wide.
    “Do I have to explain why?”
    “Yes, please.”
    “My friends and I were backpacking in Australia. We decided not having a bath was part of the adventure, especially since we didn’t really know how to get one. We ended up splashing a lot in the ocean before our trip was over, though.”
    “I pity the other swimmers who were there with you.”
    He chuckled. “Now, it’s my turn to ask you a question.”
    “All right.”
    “What’s your bedroom fantasy?”
    She grinned. “I should’ve known you’d ask a naughty question.”
    “Is that not allowed?” He tipped his bottle of beer up to take a sip.
    “I guess it is. Let’s see.” She scratched her chin, looking up at the skies where the first few stars were beginning to make an appearance. “I guess I’d want to watch you…playing with yourself.” She blushed as she said the last words then quickly looked away.
    “Really?” He set down his bottle. “Can I ask why?”
    “Nope, you can’t.”
    He frowned. “That’s not fair.”
    She ignored him. “My turn.” She decided to think of a more serious question this time, one that would make him just as uncomfortable as he had made her without offending him. “When was the last time you lied?”
    “Not getting back at me with a naughty question, huh?” he teased. “Now, let me think.” He paused. “I think a while ago when you asked me if the buffalo wings were spicy enough and I said yes. Frankly, I’d like them hotter. Sorry about that.”
    “Oh. Well, that’s okay.” She could not help but feel disappointed at his answer, or the fact that he did not even blush at her question but let it go. “Your turn.”
    “Okay. Aside from leaving the kids behind, which I know you regret, what’s the biggest regret weighing on your mind right now?”
    “None really,” she answered. “For a time, I regretted stopping to work to take care of the kids but they really are more important and spending time with them was really worth it. If anything, I regret that I did not spend even more time with them, do more fun things with them, discover new things with them.”
    He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Well, I’m sure you’ll still have your chance.”
    “I hope so,” she said, looking at him. Then, she suddenly pouted.
    “What?”
    “First, you make me blush, and now, you almost made me cry.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “For that, I’m going to ask you a difficult question this time.”
    “Shoot.”
    “What fear keeps you up at night?”
    “That’s easy,” he said to her dismay. “The fear of losing you.”
    “Aww.” She placed her arms around him, flattered by his answer. Still, she could not help but feel disappointed, somehow still feeling that she was answering the wrong questions.
    “I’ll ask you an easy question this time. If you could trade one of your talents with another, what would it be and what would you trade it with?”
    She gave him a look of disbelief. “You call that easy?”
    He said nothing.
    “Very well. I’ll trade my talent for cooking with mind reading.”
    He gave a nod of approval. “Not bad.”
    “It’s my turn again.” She turned towards him so that their gazes met, so that she could search his eyes as she asked what she hoped would be the right question. “If I really had the power to read minds, what would you be afraid for me to discover?”
    She spoke the question slowly and cautiously so as not to trouble him, and yet his expression still turned to a troubled one, though she supposed that was a good sign.
    Come on, tell me, Bryan. What do I need to know?
    “There would be a lot of things, I