A Second Chance at Love Ch. 02

"Feel like eating?" Clint asked as Lauren made her way into the kitchen.

"I do," she answered. "It's funny, but you were right. Getting my tooth fixed made me aware of the pain in my nose! The good news is I can eat without pain again. The bad news is my head is throbbing and I'm starved!"

"I heard you stirring so I started making pancakes. Yours are ready."

Clint handed her two medium-sized golden cakes which Lauren took to the table where butter, syrup, and fresh, cold milk was waiting.

"Thank you, Mr. Pierce," Lauren said quietly.

"You're welcome. And please call me Clint," he said cheerfully.

Lauren didn't respond. As Clint was mixing the batter for his own pancakes he noticed a tear fall from the side of Lauren's face. He sat down the mixing bowl and took the seat next to hers. "Are you okay?" he asked tenderly.

The tears were flowing now as Lauren sobbed. The loss of his wife and daughter had turned Clint into someone he no longer recognized. His emotions were always just under the surface and he was now able to empathize with people. Before the death of "his girls" he could sympathize to some degree but empathy was always beyond his range of emotions. He'd understood the concept but never actually experienced before. As he watched Lauren sob, he was so moved he couldn't help but reach out a gentle hand and brush away her tears and the hair that had fallen down over her eyes. "It's all right, sweetheart. You're safe here."

Without looking up, let alone at Clint, Lauren managed to find the self-control to say, "No one has ever been this kind to me. No one. Ever. Why are you being so good to me, Mr. Pierce?"

He didn't bother reminding her she could call him by his first name. His heart hurt with hers. "Why wouldn't I be nice to you, Lauren? You're a beautiful young woman who's been through more in 20 years than most people go through in 60. If we don't look out for another, what kind of world would we live in? I want to help. I enjoy helping you. Helping you does as much for me as it does for you, so..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Lauren reached out sending her fork flying and threw her arms around Clint. He pulled her close to himself and she came up and out of her own chair and right onto his lap. She held him as though she was afraid to let go for fear he'd leave her the way everyone else she'd ever loved had left her. Lauren buried her face in between his wide neck and the huge trap muscles that sat atop his shoulder. "Thank you...Clint," she whispered through the last of her sobs.

Lauren sat there for another minute just clinging to this man who had befriended her in her time of greatest need. She was in too much emotional pain to understand how deep her feelings for him already were. All she really knew was she felt safe and secure and that this man was the source of her new-found sense of comfort.

Clint held her back just as tightly. He hadn't held another woman in his arms since he hugged his daughter after graduation over two years ago. It felt so good to have human contact and warmth again. And not just any contact but with someone whom he...he couldn't bring himself to use the word 'love' yet but 'cared about' came to mind and those words fit perfectly—or at least they would do for now.

As she clung to him, he could feel the warmth of her breath on his neck and he became aware of the stirring down below. As his member grew, he felt conflicted. He didn't care for Lauren in that way. He couldn't. He'd just met her and she was younger than his late daughter, Kara. He was mildly embarrassed about the partial erection and yet in some odd way, it seemed...right. As he tried to sort out all of these new, pleasant, and confusing emotions, he thought he felt Lauren press her bottom against him and although he wasn't sure, he also thought he heard the softest of moans.

Not sure of himself, he released his hold on her and she in turn, let go of him. "Hey, those pancakes are getting cold, young lady. Better get to 'em," he said. Clint smiled warmly at her and he was taken by the warmth in her eyes and then in her smile. He hardly noticed how badly she was in need of more dental work because the genuineness in her emotions overwhelmed him.

Lauren sat there for another two or three seconds as they stared into one another's eyes. Both of them were smiling broadly until Lauren managed a laugh. "I can't believe I found you, Mr...I mean, Clint. Thank you for everything—including the pancakes."

"I believe I found you, Lauren. And that makes me the lucky one."

Lauren hugged him again briefly before standing up and going back to her own seat. She ate slowly savoring every bite. Still, she was nearly done by the time Clint sat down next to her. "Were they okay?" he asked.

"They were delicious!" she said with enthusiasm. "I can't remember the last time I had something that good. Or the last time eating didn't hurt." Again that smile. This time, Lauren brought up her hand to cover her mouth. Clint realized she was aware of her smile and felt self-conscious about it.

"Don't cover your smile, Lauren. It's beautiful."

Lauren kept her hand over her mouth even after the smile faded. She was so taken aback by his comment that she was briefly in shock. Lauren knew how bad her front teeth were and she'd been embarrassed for as long as she could remember. No one had ever told her she had a nice smile let alone that it was beautiful.

"It isn't beautiful. It's awful. I just can't help smiling when I'm with you. I'm sorry I'm not pretty." She paused for a moment. "I want to be pretty...for you." Another tear fell from her eye.

"Hey. Enough of that. You are pretty. You have beautiful eyes and a..."

"You can stop right there," she interrupted. "I know how the rest goes after my eyes. I'm plain, skinny, flat-chested, and...homely."

Clint tried to reach out to her again as he began to speak but this time she recoiled from his touch. "It's okay," Lauren said to reassure him she wasn't upset with him. "You don't have to pretend. A really nice guy like you can't help being nice. It's just part of who you are. I really do appreciate it—a lot—but there's no way a handsome man like you would ever think a girl like me is—pretty. So..."

"Lauren. Stop right there," Clint said firmly but with compassion as he cut her off mid-sentence. "You are not 'homely' and I don't ever want to hear you say that word again. Okay? You are a beautiful young woman and any man would proud to be with you. Even an old man like me."

Lauren laughed out loud again. "All right. You win. I'm not 'homely.' I'm just—plain. Is that okay, 'old man' Pierce? Can I call myself 'plain?'" she teased emphasizing the word 'plain' each time she said it.

"You can but it's not true," Clint said with playful indignation. "You just don't see what I see, that's all."

"Ha! That's funny. I look at you and I see the nicest, most handsome man I've ever met and you think you're old. I know I'm not pretty but you try and tell me I am. One of us is delusional here and it isn't me, Mr. Old Guy!" Lauren said trying desperately not to smile again.

Clint reached out and put his right hand on her left. She responded by squeezing his hand and then he hers. "Lauren. I can't change how you see yourself. Only you can do that. But I can help you change what you don't like." He paused for a moment as she relaxed her grip on his hand. He could see a puzzled look on her face. "I don't think you need to change anything about yourself. You're young, kind, caring, and yes—pretty. But if your smile bothers you that much, we can change that."

"Change it? How could I afford to do that when I can't even pay rent? I have no money. Everything I own fits in two small bags. How can I possibly change my smile when I can even buy groceries?"

Clint looked down and then back at her directly. "The dentist who fixed your chipped tooth told me he would be glad to give you a new smile." Lauren started to interrupt but Clint went on talking. "You see, I helped him get through dental school a few years back. When he was in high school, he did all kinds of odd jobs for us around the house. He became like a son to me. He made it through college on a full academic scholarship. When he got accepted to dental school, I helped with his tuition. He offered to pay me back but I refused. He's a good man, Lauren. He just wants to help you by giving back. Please allow him to do that."

Lauren seemed hurt. "So I'm a charity case? Is that what you mean? He wants to 'fix' me because you told him I'm broken? Is that what happened?" She pulled her hand away and turned her face down toward the table.

"No. Not at all. It wasn't like that. I promise. It's just that he was, well—moved by what I told him. I didn't mean to betray any confidence, Lauren. I was just talking with him on the way out while you were in the lobby waiting. I was just sharing how much we had in common because of all of the emotional pain we've been through. Look, it's just an offer," Clint said softly. "I meant it when I said you don't need to change anything and I still do."

Lauren had been independent for as long as she could remember. No one had ever cared about her since her mom died. Her dad had tried, but his addiction soon took over his life and Lauren was effectively on her own. She was roiling in inner turmoil. She felt like this was a case of pity for the ugly girl and at the same time she somehow knew Clint really did care about her. She blinked back another tear then softly said, "That's really nice of you. Maybe I'll think about it for a while first, okay?"

"Sure. Of course it's okay. It's your call completely. The offer is on the table. Just let me know if you'd like to go back for a consult. No obligation. Just talk things over with him. He said you only need four new veneers and he could do the work in just a couple of hours—if you decide you want it done. Your teeth are still white so this wouldn't be all that big a deal."

"If I say yes, then I will pay him back. Every dime. You understand? No charity for me, okay?" Lauren was adamant.

Clint knew that would be next to impossible for her to do, but he humored her and said, "Of course. I understand and I respect your independence. Maybe we should try and find you a job first, though. It might easier that way. It's kind of hard to pay someone back when you're not making any money." He smiled at her as he said that last line.

Lauren couldn't help herself. She not only smiled but burst out laughing. "I have no earthly idea what I might do. I don't have any skills. I've never had a real job. I didn't even finish high school."

"No worries," Clint assured her. "I have friends who are always looking for help. Finding a job won't be an issue." He didn't feel like telling her he'd owned several print shops in the area. There'd be time for that discussion later.

"Just one more thing," he added. "We're going to need to get you some nicer clothes to wear that you can interview in and some more casual things to wear to work." Lauren started to protest but before she could speak Clint held up his hands and said, "And before you can say it, yes, you can pay me back after you start earning your own money."

Lauren squealed with delight. "New clothes? A job? Really??? YES, YES, YES!! Oh, Clint, I am SO happy."

Lauren pushed her chair back, literally jumped back into his lap, and threw her arms around his neck again. "I'm going to get a job of my own! I'm gonna make you SO proud of me! I am SO excited! Thank you, Clint! I love you SO much!" In her excitement, she sat back and before he could react, she kissed him full on the lips.

Clint sat there stunned by the kiss itself not to mention what he'd just heard her say. Well, at least he thought he'd heard her say she loved him.

"Are you okay?" Lauren said as she grabbed his face and looked at him with feigned concern over his stunned appearance. "Hello? Earth to Clint? Anyone home?"

"Ah, yes. Sure. I'm fine. Great in fact. So, uh, I guess we have some work to do today. I've gotta warn you, I'm not very good at shopping, but I do know where the mall is. How about we go do some looking and see what we can find for you this morning before it gets crazy busy?"

Lauren's eyes were moist with tears again. "Thank you, Clint. I don't really believe in God, but I've been thanking Him for you since you first asked me to come with you. Let me brush my teeth and I'll be ready to go. Okay?"

Now, he wanted to kiss her this time but didn't. He was sure this was just a passing feeling and he wasn't going to potentially destroy a good thing by doing something foolish just because he'd been lonely so long. After all, 'I love you' could mean so many different things. There was no reason to assume love meant love. "Get a grip, old man," he told himself.

"Sounds perfect," said out loud to her. "I'll change clothes and be ready in just a couple of minutes myself."

Lauren allowed herself to smile without covering her mouth. "If I had something else to change into, I'd do that, too," she said playfully. Clint smiled warmly back at her and to his surprise, she bent down and kissed him softly on the cheek. Their hands touched as she stood and their fingers caressed each other's briefly before she turned and walked away.

No other words were spoken, but as she left the kitchen Clint heard himself say very quietly, "I love you too, Lauren."