Last Second Chance

Chapter One

Stella Jo Chandler had just lifted her steaming caramel macchiato to her lips when she heard the steady buzzing of her phone vibrating in her purse. She didn’t even have to look to know it was one of two numbers calling.

It was either her mom calling again to ask whether or not she was moving back home after graduation next week, or Dr. Juan Ramirez, the Director of the Second Chance Ranch calling to see if she had decided to accept his job offer. She knew this because the only two other people who called her—her roommate Tess Bradley and her ex-boyfriend Nash Douglas—were here. Together. Naturally. Because, of all of the Starbucks locations near campus, of course they would pick this one.

It wasn’t like they were sneaking around. And she was the one who’d broken it off with Nash more than a month ago. She just hadn’t expected him to ask her roommate out so soon after. She damn sure hadn’t expected Tess to want to go out with him. And yet, here they were.

When Tess had asked if Stella would be okay with them going out, she’d said that it was fine. Because what right did she have to keep them from hooking up if they wanted to? No right whatsoever. And she didn’t actually miss him exactly. The twinge of hurt and sadness that stabbed her every time she saw them came more from missing being with someone—or at least being wanted by someone. He hadn’t even looked upset when she’d broken it off. More like relieved.

Even though Tess had been discreet about her new relationship with Stella’s ex, it didn’t stop the seemingly mandatory awkward run-ins that occurred from time to time. Fate could be such a conniving bitch.

After tossing the happy couple an obligatory wave and the biggest smile she could manage, Stella leaned down to pull her new iPhone from her designer bag. Both had been given to her as bribes from her mother. Not that they were going to get Candace Chandler what she wanted necessarily, but Stella was a broke college student about to be up to her eyeballs in loan debt. No sense in turning down free goods. She was nothing if not practical.

“Hey, Mama,” she answered.

The woman on the other end responded in kind with a practiced cheerfulness Stella was familiar with. “Well, Estella Josephine Chandler, I’m surprised you could be bothered to answer. How are finals going?”

Stella sipped her tongue-scorching drink. She nodded at her roommate and Nash when they waved to her on their way out, wondering if she was the reason they were taking their coffees to go.

“They’re going. Two down, two to go. I was just settling in to study.” Double majoring in psychology and business at Texas A&M was a heavy load, and Stella was exhausted. Probably wouldn’t have been as tough if she weren’t a perfectionist dead set on graduating magna cum laude.

“Okay, well I won’t keep you,” her mom said evenly. “Just wanted to check in and wish you luck.”

Now there was a bold-faced lie if ever she’d heard one.

“Thanks, Mama. And no, I haven’t made a decision yet. I’m going to Dallas next weekend to meet with Dr. Ramirez and then I’ll let you know something.”

The truth was that she had pretty much made up her mind that—unless the Second Chance Ranch was a disgusting hellhole—she was most likely taking the job. Even after four years away from her family home, she still wasn’t ready to go back. Kind of funny that, whichever option she decided on, both would put her right smack in the middle of a horse ranch. Really wasn’t that surprising since Stella loved horses, she just had no desire to get back on one.

Her mother cleared her throat. “I wasn’t calling to pressure you. Your dad and I love you no matter what you decide. You know that.”

Right, except her mom had clearly just suggested that their love was part of the equation. And her father showed emotion about as well as the broad side of a barn.

Stella sipped her coffee and stared at her open accounting textbook. “Okay. Well, I really need to get back to studying. But, um, is Dad coming to my graduation next weekend?”

The long pause on the other end answered her question. “Stella Jo, you know he’s a busy man. There’s just always so much to do at the ranch and—”

“It’s fine, Mama. I was just wondering.” Stella swallowed more coffee in hopes it would ease the lump going down.

“Love you, hon,” her mother said abruptly. “See you at graduation.”

“Love you, too,” Stella Jo said to the dead air. She set her phone on the table and rubbed her temples.

She could practically see her mom stamping her foot in frustration as she told Stella’s dad that his daughter still hadn’t made up her mind.

That’s how it had always been. If Stella did something good, she was Mama’s girl. But one screw-up and she was her father’s daughter, like he’d passed on some defective DNA. She’d been her father’s daughter a whole lot since giving up riding.

Staring at the numbers in her meticulously organized notes, Stella’s mind wandered. For some reason, Nash had never taken her for coffee. In fact, the only places he’d ever taken her were his messy apartment and a few parties his fraternity brothers had thrown.

Whatever. It didn’t matter now.

After working a few review problems and realizing her drink had gone cold, Stella heard her phone buzzing again. It shimmied across the table before she picked it up. The familiar 817 number flashed on the screen, and she clicked accept.

“Hi, Dr. Ramirez.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Chandler. You’re a hard woman to get ahold of.”

This was true. In more ways than one. “Sorry about that. I’ve just been swamped with finals this week.”

The doctor chuckled. “Oh, how I don’t miss those days. My condolences. But actually, I’m just calling to discuss the opportunity here at SCR. As I mentioned previously, the Board was extremely impressed with your credentials, both your experience growing up on your family’s ranch and your scholastic achievements.”

“Thank you,” Stella said, even though being raised on a horse ranch wasn’t anything she had done on purpose, just luck of the draw when it came to the family she’d been born into. She hadn’t decided yet if it was good luck or bad luck.

The man on the other end of the line cleared his throat. “Yes, well, we’re hoping that when you come for a tour this weekend, you’ll accept our offer and begin work immediately. We have some high-profile clients coming in at the same time, and I believe your skills could be quite beneficial.”

She sipped her now cold coffee. “Um, okay. That’s certainly something to think about. But I don’t have an apartment in Dallas or anything yet. I’m still exploring my options.”

“That’s not a problem, Miss Chandler. We have on-site housing available for our staff. Speaking of your options, I also wanted to discuss with you the stipend provided should you choose to further your education.”

Way to dangle the bait.

Dr. Ramirez almost had her completely hooked. Stella wanted nothing more than to get her master’s degree in either drug or family counseling. Or maybe both, crazy overachiever that she was. But her parents wouldn’t support that career path and she had no idea how she’d afford graduate school on her own.

“I look forward to discussing all of that with you next weekend, Dr. Ramirez. I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Yes, of course. I look forward to it as well. Best of luck on your exams, Miss Chandler.”

Stella thanked him and ended the call. Checking the clock on her phone, she realized it was almost time for her second-to-last final exam. Not even graduated yet and the real world was pulling her in two different directions.

The thing about Second Chance was that it was a dream job in so many ways—working with animals and people who needed her on a sprawling ranch that would have all the comforts of home minus the insane pressure her mom put on her or the cold lack of affection from her daddy. It was just that, after applying for the job of client care coordinator and getting the offer, Stella had done some research. Research she should’ve done before sending in her résumé.

The patients at SCR were referred to as “clients” for a reason. They weren’t regular folks who’d fallen down into a pit of addiction involving drugs or alcohol and were digging their way out. Those were the kinds of people she wanted to help. The Second Chance Ranch referred to patients as clients because it was primarily a celebrity rehab facility known for high-profile residents who checked in because they were suffering from “exhaustion” or some other nonsense and desired the anonymity of a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Because being famous was just so damn tiring. Poor babies.

Stella had no fucks to give about those types. And she damn sure didn’t work her ass off to be some spoiled celebrity’s beck-and-call girl.

But up against going home, where her mom would begin the relentless campaign of getting Stella back on the horse—literally—while her daddy tried to pretend she didn’t exist, it sounded kind of like a dream come true. Or at the very least, a miraculous escape route, regardless of the clientele.