Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

optimistic girl I’d dubbed “Sunshine.” In her place was a sad and lonely girl. And it only got worse. That’s when I knew I had to see her. I had to see with my own two eyes that she was okay.
    The decision to go to California was a spur of the moment one and not easy to arrange, but with the help of my brother, Mac, I’d made it here. Trying to find her at Stanford would have been like trying to find a needle in a haystack, so I did some Facebook recon and managed to find out where she worked. After spending three evenings parked in the lot across from her restaurant, I finally saw her. And she looked…good. She wasn’t the bubbly, happy teenager I remembered, but she looked healthy, and I caught a smile as she said goodnight to her co-workers. She looked older—in a good way—and more mature. She looked really good.
    I guess in my head I’d conjured up this image of Kate needing me and, for once, I wanted to be the piece that made someone whole again. But it didn’t seem like Kate needed my help at all. Still doesn’t. From the few words we’ve exchanged tonight, it seems like she’s strong and confident…not the girl from the letters. She’d been right about that.
    I watch as she kicks her legs and swings higher and higher, seeing a glimpse of that girl from long ago. I wish her long blonde hair was down so I could watch it blow in the breeze like it did that day on the highway.
    Hell, if I really had a wish, I wish I could go back in time and meet Kate months before my life fell apart instead of just days. Long before I made the biggest mistake of my life, one that will follow me around forever. If I had known her sooner, maybe I would have been in a different place that night. Maybe I would have been with her instead of at that gas station.
    I get up from the table and walk over to where she’s swinging. She slows down as I approach. “I know you probably don’t believe me, but I am sorry. I’m sorry I stopped reading the letters, and I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you when you came to see me. You didn’t deserve that.”
    “You’re right, I didn’t.” I let out a sigh. She’s not going to make this easy, not that I’d expect her to. “Why tonight?” she asks.
    “Hm?”
    “Why tonight? You’ve been here for what? Six months? Why’d you wait until now?”
    I take a seat in the swing next to hers and kick at the woodchips below. “I don’t have a good answer for that. I got here in September. I…uh…saw you back then.”
    She turns her head quickly to me. “You’ve been…what? Following me?”
    “Not really.” Kind of . “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. When I read the letters I freaked out. I needed to see you.”
    “How did you find me? And how long have you been stalking me?”
    Why didn’t I think this through? Now I’m coming off as a complete creeper. “I found you through Facebook, and I swear I’m not stalking you. I saw you for the first time back in September, and I’ve just sort of checked up on you a couple times since. To make sure you were still okay. God, I know this sounds creepy as fuck,” I say, running my hands down my face. “I swear I had your best interests at heart.” I raise my hands in a sign of surrender, hoping she won’t scream or call the cops on me.
    “I should probably run for the hills, knowing your history.” Ouch. “At the very least call the cops.” I sigh and look back down at the mulch, nodding my head. She absolutely should do those things. “But I believe you.” I look back up at her, and she has a small smile on her face.
    “You’re putting a lot of faith into someone you barely know.”
    “And you’re not helping your case,” she says with a frown, stopping her swing.
    “Right,” I smile shyly.
    “So what made you take the leap tonight and finally make contact? Stalkers usually have catalysts for that type of thing, don’t they? Is it an anniversary I don’t know about?” she teases.
    I glare at