Second Chance Christmas

By Nicki Edwards

Australian celebrity chef Jack Carter is determined to convince his estranged wife he's not the smooth-talking workaholic she married six years ago. Olivia has invited him to Canada for Christmas, not for herself but for the sake of their daughter Scarlett. Jack willingly agreed, hoping this is the second chance he's been looking for.

Olivia has been hurt too many times by her soon-to-be-ex-husband and she doesn't trust him anymore. But she has to deal with him for Scarlett's sake, because her child deserves to grow up with both parents.

But when Jack joins them in Niagara-on-the-Lake for Christmas and asks Olivia to reconsider the divorce, she is shocked. And more than a little worried that a part of her wants to say yes.

Jack promises he'll give up everything for her and Scarlett, but Olivia is not convinced. Can he really turn his back on his high-flying television career in Australia and the lifestyle that comes with it?

Will ten days over Christmas be enough time for Jack and Olivia to mend their broken hearts, or will it take Jack's career or an unexpected accident to rip them apart again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicki Edwards
• Release date: Nov 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393431961

Nicki Edwards

Nicki Edwards : AUTHOR OF CONTEMPORARY, HEARTWARMING ROMANCE : Sweet stories set in small towns, filled with life, love and medical dramas. Nicki Edwards is a city girl with a country heart. Growing up on a small family acreage outside Geelong, she spent her formative years riding horses, hand rearing lambs and pretending the neighbour’s farm was her own. After spending three years in a regional city in New South Wales in her 20’s, her love of small country towns and rural life was further developed. ​For years Nicki dreamed of one day escaping to the country with her husband Tim where they would live on land surrounded by horses, dogs, cows and sheep. Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen, so instead Nicki continues to live vicariously through the lives of the characters in the books she loves to read and write. Nicki also dreams of living in Canada, but as that's also unlikely, she keeps visiting and setting some of her books in the country that stole her heart 30 years ago. A voracious reader, Nicki always wanted to be an author. After returning to university as a mature aged student in her mid-30’s to study nursing, she juggled full time study, part time work and raising four small children to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse in 2011. But her other dream - the dream to write - never left. In January 2014 Nicki wrote her first book and was published by Momentum, the digital imprint of Pan Macmillan Australia. Nicki now divides her time between working as a Critical Care Nurse in the Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit at Epworth Hospital in Geelong or in a busy local General Practice where she works as a Practice Nurse. These are the places where many of Nicki’s stories and characters are imagined. Nicki and her husband Tim live in Geelong, Victoria. They have four young adult children, two spoiled border collies and a Burmese cat. Life is always busy, always fun and definitely exhausting, but Nicki wouldn’t change it for anything. Nicki loves to hear from readers and can be contacted via her website www.nickiedwardsauthor.com

Book preview

To Haylee Nash. For taking a chance on me.

Second Chance Christmas

Australian celebrity chef Jack Carter is determined to convince his estranged wife he’s not the smooth-talking workaholic she married six years ago. Olivia has invited him to Canada for Christmas, not for herself but for the sake of their three-year-old daughter Scarlett. Jack willingly agreed, hoping this is the second chance he’s been looking for.

Olivia has been hurt too many times by her soon-to-be-ex-husband and she doesn't trust him anymore. But she has to deal with him for Scarlett's sake, because her child deserves to grow up with both parents.

But when Jack joins them in Niagara-on-the-Lake for Christmas and asks Olivia to reconsider the divorce, she is shocked. And more than a little worried that a part of her wants to say yes.

Jack promises he’ll give up everything for her and Scarlett, but Olivia is not convinced. Can he really turn his back on his high-flying television career in Australia, and the lifestyle that comes with it?

Will ten days over Christmas be enough time for Jack and Olivia to mend their broken hearts? Or will it take Jack’s career or an unexpected accident, to rip them apart again?

Chapter 1

Olivia Carter was trying to keep herself busy in a desperate attempt to stop her mind from racing. The wait was giving her heartburn. After dropping her daughter, Scarlett, at the child care centre, she drove to Common Grounds.

She’d usually drop Scarlett, then run ten kilometres along the Niagara Parkway and follow it up with a takeaway coffee from her favourite café before heading home for an hour or so before collecting Scarlett at the end of her program. But today she had too much to do, so she’d ditched her normal routine, including the run.

The skies were a vivid blue and the sun was shining bright, but an icy breeze had picked up, coming straight off Lake Ontario. Olivia huddled deeper into her coat. It hadn’t snowed yet, but the air was tinged with the promise of snow, and with temperatures set to plummet over the next twenty-four hours, with any luck they might get a white Christmas after all. Scarlett would be so excited. She was old enough now to understand what Christmas was about, and had been begging Santa to bring her snow ever since the first frost back in November. Olivia was looking forward to her first white Christmas in years too.

Pushing the door open, she entered the toasty warm café and inhaled the heady aroma of freshly-brewed beans.

Niagara-on-the-Lake had all the usual major coffeehouse chains, but Common Grounds prided itself on being different. Independently owned and operated, it offered fair trade coffee and local, organic products. With its array of yummy baked goods, a great location and a friendly atmosphere, it reminded Olivia of the cafés back in Australia. As well as great coffee, she also loved the quirky floor tiles and their ginger cookies.

‘Not running this morning?’ Connor greeted her with his usual trademark grin.

Like all good baristas he set about making her order—a double shot latte—without being asked.

Slipping off her gloves, Olivia stuffed them in the pockets of her jacket and unwound her scarf. ‘No. I have a busy day.’ She glanced around the uncharacteristically quiet café. The only other people in the café were a young couple at a table in the corner. ‘Unlike you by the look of it.’

‘Yeah, it’s been like this all morning. I guess everyone’s doing last-minute shopping.’

Barely drawing breath, Connor launched into a conversation about the weather that would make a meteorologist proud, as he placed the metal milk jug under the steam jet. Olivia listened with half an ear and watched the clock. She didn’t want to appear rude, but she didn’t have time to chat with Connor today. She had a long list of items to tick off, and she didn’t want to linger.

Oblivious to anyone else, the couple in the corner shared a long, passionate kiss. Remembering what it used to feel to be in love like that, Olivia hastily looked away, turning her attention back to Connor.

She and Connor were around the same age and both had broken marriages behind them, but that was where the similarities ended. At first, she’d found everything about him easy-going, but once or twice over the past month he’d hinted he’d like them to be more than casual acquaintances. Olivia wasn’t interested in starting anything with anyone, no matter how casual. So far, she’d managed to deflect his attention, but she had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he asked her out on a date.

‘Not working today?’ he asked.

‘No. I have two weeks off.’ She didn’t elaborate, though it was obvious he was itching for details.

Connor saw her every day at the café, but he only knew what she wanted him to see—the public aspects of who she was. He knew little about her former life in Australia and even less about her ex-husband, and she was happy to keep it that way.

‘Ready for Christmas?’

‘Almost. You?’

‘Yeah, all good. Wrapped the last present last night.’

She smiled. ‘I’ll bet you didn’t wrap your own presents.’

He laughed. ‘You’re right. I got my sister to do it.’ He eased the plastic lid onto her coffee and handed the cup to her, refusing to let her pay. ‘Consider it my Christmas present to you.’

She gave him a quick smile. ‘Thanks, Connor. That’s too kind of you.’

‘My pleasure, eh.’ He winked. ‘Least I can do to keep my favourite customer coming back every morning.’

‘Thanks.’ She dipped her head and took a sip of her coffee. As usual, it was very good. No doubt about it, Connor was an excellent barista.

Resting one arm on top of the coffee machine he flicked a tea towel over his shoulder. ‘Hey. I was wondering if you have anything planned for New Year’s Eve. I thought we could hang out together and go to the Falls Festival.’

And here it was. The dreaded date invitation. Olivia hastily swallowed her mouthful, scalding her mouth and throat in the process. ‘Oh, well, um. Actually, I . . .  er . . .  I have plans already,’ she said. ‘I have someone coming to stay.’

He cocked his head to one side and grinned. ‘You don’t have to lie. No need to invent an imaginary friend. You could have just said you’re not interested.’

Connor was attractive in a Canadian lumberjack kind of way, but even if she wasn’t still technically married, plunging headfirst into the dating pool again was not on her agenda. Not today, or any day soon. She had far too much going on in her life already between work, caring for her grandmother, and raising Scarlett, and did not need the complication of a man in her life.

She re-wrapped her scarf around her neck. ‘I’m not lying.’

‘But you’re not interested in going out with me.’

She shook her head. ‘No. Sorry.’

‘Shame.’ Connor grinned again. ‘I thought we were more than friends.’

Definitely not.

An image of herself with Connor flashed through Olivia’s mind and she shuddered and pushed the thought right out of her head. There’d only ever been one man in her life, and she was over him. Fresh remorse seeped into her bones, but she ignored the feeling. She was not the one to blame for her failed marriage.

Unable to think of a single thing to say, she forced a laugh, brought her cup back to her lips and took another sip.

Connor gave her a wry smile. ‘And here I was, thinking my charm and personality had made an impression on you.’ He shook his head ruefully. ‘Olivia Carter, you’ve severely dented my ego.’

She smiled back. He had thicker skin than she’d given him credit for. ‘I’m sure it will quickly recover.’

‘Gotta give a guy points for trying.’

‘Indeed.’

Another customer entered, bringing a gust of icy air into the café.

‘Don’t give it another thought, Olivia,’ he said. ‘I’ll be fine.’

‘I’m sure you will,’ she said.

‘Morning, Molly. How’s my favourite customer today?’ Connor beamed at the woman who had just entered, as if he’d already forgotten Olivia was still there.

‘I’d better get going,’ Olivia said, but Connor’s attention was elsewhere. He’d probably invite Molly to the Falls festival the minute Olivia was out of earshot.

She had her hand on the doorknob when Connor called out ‘See you at dinner, Olivia.’

She spun around, wondering for a second what he was talking about, before remembering. ‘Yes. The dinner. Of course. I’ll see you then.’

She opened the door and Sally Simpson walked in.

‘Olivia!’

Stepping into her arms, Olivia hugged the woman who was like her second mother to her.

‘Do you have time to stop for a coffee?’ Sally asked.

Olivia held up her takeaway cup. ‘I haven’t even finished this one, but I’m more than happy to sit for a bit while you have one.’ Suddenly her long list of things to do didn’t seem as important.

She took a seat near the window and waited for Sally to place her order with Connor and bring her coffee and a cookie back to the table.

‘You look like you’ve left all your Christmas shopping to the last minute,’ Olivia said, indicating the bulging bags Sally had deposited at her feet. ‘Did you leave anything in the shops for anyone else?’

Sally laughed.

‘What have you been buying? More gifts for that grandbaby of yours?’

‘The grandbaby who isn’t due for another three months.’ Sally giggled. ‘Les thinks I’m mad buying presents already, but that little bubba is already so loved.’

‘How’s Aimee doing?’ Les and Sally’s only daughter was pregnant with their first grandchild.

‘Great. It’s been a dream pregnancy.’

‘When are you heading up to see her?’

‘We’ll drive up early on Boxing Day and stay for the week. What about you? Do you have many more gifts to buy?’ Sally asked.

Olivia held up a finger and smiled. ‘One more. A toboggan. I think Scarlett’s old enough this year.’

‘I’m sure she is.’

‘I hope it snows in time for Christmas.’

‘For Scarlett’s sake, I hope so too. It’s cold enough out there, that’s for sure. You’re not working today?’ Sally asked.

‘I’ve got two weeks off.’

Sally shook her head. ‘With two weeks off, I don’t know why you’re hanging around here. Heck, if I had holidays when I was your age, I would have been on the first plane out of here to some place warm. I hate the winter.’

Olivia smiled at Sally and her constant complaints about the weather. Her friend sang that particular song from October to May. ‘No one’s stopping you and Les from moving somewhere warmer.’

‘You’d miss me. Besides, we’re too old to change towns.’

Olivia laughed. ‘Since when is sixty too old?’

‘Pfft. Spoken like someone still in their thirties.’

‘Is everything ready for Sunday night?’ Olivia asked, changing the subject.

‘Just about.’

Sally and Les owned and operated Harbourside, a small restaurant and hotel on the lakefront. Each year on Christmas Eve they closed the restaurant to patrons and served a free meal to the less fortunate in the community. Most of the locals pitched in to help however they could. She’d volunteered every year since she was in her teens. This was her first Christmas back home since moving to Australia to live six years earlier. She couldn’t wait to see how much the community dinner had grown and changed in that time.

Olivia had zero confidence when it came to cooking. She could cook but only the basics, therefore she preferred to stay clear of the kitchen. In past years, she’d always helped set up the restaurant, serve meals or wash dishes instead.

‘Nan said you’re expecting almost two hundred people this year.’

‘Crazy, isn’t it?’

‘She’s gutted she can’t help this year.’ Olivia’s grandmother was one of the founding organisers of the dinner, but her recent vision loss meant she could no longer get involved the way she had every other year.

Sally’s smile faded. ‘It’s been tough on her, hasn’t it?’

Olivia nodded. ‘Really tough. For someone so independent, this has been the worst.’

‘Joan’s lucky to have you back home helping her.’

Olivia put a hand to her heart. ‘I’m lucky to have her. And you. Without both of you looking out for me when I was growing up, who knows where I’d be.’

She touched Olivia’s cheek tenderly. ‘You know you’re like another daughter to me.’ Sally smiled sadly. ‘I wish that beautiful smile of yours would come back.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s a shame about your marriage. What you two had was very special, you know.’

‘Yeah, I guess so.’

But he blew it.

Olivia glanced at her watch. ‘Sorry, Sally, I have to keep moving. I still need to get that present for Scarlett and I promised Nan I’d be home to help her do some baking.’

Olivia had promised nothing of the sort, but she needed an excuse to escape before Sally launched into another lecture. She loved Sally dearly but, like Nan, Sally seemed to believe everyone deserved a second chance.

She stood and gave Sally another hug. ‘I’d better keep moving but I’ll see you at dinner on Sunday night. Call me before then if you need a hand with anything.’

’Will do. Now give your little princess a kiss from her Aunty Sally.’

‘Of course.’

With a wave, Olivia left the café, pushing thoughts of her almost-ex out of her mind and going through the list of all the things she still had to do. Head down against the wind, she strode purposefully up the main street.

After buying a toboggan she needed to get home and get the spare room ready. She checked her watch and her chest tightened. Nine-thirty already. Jack’s flight would land in Toronto in less than two hours and he’d be here in less than four. Her stomach twisted as emotions warred within her. Had she made a stupid mistake asking her estranged husband to come for Christmas?

Chapter 2

As the plane touched down on the tarmac with a shudder and lurch, Jack tipped his head back, closed his eyes and let out his breath. The window-seat passenger nudged him with an elbow. Jack removed his headphones and glanced over at him.

‘Not a fan of flying?’ the guy asked with a grin.

‘Just glad to be here,’ Jack replied.

The flight had been delayed leaving Vancouver and he was now two hours behind schedule. Olivia hated his ability to be perpetually late. Not that he had any control over time, but if he did, he’d turn back the clock eighteen months. And he’d never be late again.

‘Where are you from?’

‘Australia.’

The man’s eyes bulged. ‘That’s a long way, eh?’

‘Sure is,’ Jack agreed.

He’d taken off from Brisbane twenty-eight hours earlier, excited but nervous. Twelve months was too long. He wasn’t worried about whether Scarlett would remember him, but he was anxious about seeing Olivia. Last year was a disaster and he didn’t want a repeat of that.

‘Hope you like the cold.’

Jack glanced past him through the tiny oval window at blue, cloudless skies. ‘Looks okay out there. I expected snow to be honest.’

‘Still two days. Plenty of time for it to snow before Christmas.’

‘That’s good.’

A white Christmas would be nice, but that wasn't why he'd flown halfway around the world. He’d come all this way to see his wife and daughter, and they were his priority. His stomach re-knotted itself, as it had done since Olivia’s invitation. A lack of snow was the least of his worries.

The guy was still making small talk, going on about the weather. Jack tuned back in.

‘It’s summer in Australia, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah.’

The guy shook his head. ‘Dunno why you’d come all this way in the middle of winter. Must be mad, eh? Where’re you headed?’

‘Niagara-on-the-Lake.’

‘Nice one,’ he drawled. ‘Got friends there? Family?’

The knot tightened. ‘Family.’ My wife. My daughter.

Missing Scarlett was a constant hum in the background, no matter how busy or chaotic his life was. And no amount of Facetime would ever compensate for holding her in his arms.

‘Nothing better than spending Christmas with family,’ the guy said, putting a hand to his heart and tapping his chest with a closed fist. A wedding ring shone. ‘Home. The best place on earth.’

‘Yeah, nothing better.’ Jack tried to smile but his face felt stiff and heavy.

When the flight attendant announced they could disembark, Jack quickly stood and retrieved his carry-on case from the overhead locker to avoid further conversation.

‘Merry Christmas.’

‘Yeah, Merry Christmas to you, too, mate.’

Having already passed through customs in Vancouver, all Jack needed to do was pick up his suitcase and find the car hire company and get on the road.

While walking to the carousel, he inserted the Canadian SIM card into his phone and switched it back on. Within seconds, it pinged with dozens of messages and missed calls. His mouth went dry as he quickly scrolled through them, terrified there’d be a message from Olivia saying she’d changed her mind. But there was nothing from her. All the messages were from Maddie, his business manager. He debated ignoring them—ignoring her—but it wasn’t worth the grief. She was persistent and would keep trying until she got hold of him. He wished he could see her face when she found out he was in Canada.

Trying not to smirk, he rang her number, even though Australia was sixteen hours ahead and he knew his call would wake her. Maddie never put her phone on silent.

It took her longer than he expected to answer, her voice raspy with sleep. ‘Jack? What’s wrong? What time is it?’

‘I dunno. Around midday I think.’

‘Midday?’ Her voice came out as a screech and he held the phone away from his ear. ‘Where the hell are you?’

‘Canada.’ He glanced up at the large Welcome sign at the top of the escalator. ‘Pearson International Airport in Toronto to be precise.’

There was a long pause. ‘You’re going to see Olivia.’

‘Yes.’

A shorter pause. He pictured her swinging her legs out of bed, switching on the light. ‘Does she have any idea how busy you are right now?’

‘I’m sure she does but—’

Maddie didn’t let him finish. ‘Of course not. Olivia has no clue how busy you are. Your ex-wife, has never shown any interest in your career.’ She swore. ‘I cannot believe she’d ask you to go there now of all times. It’s totally unacceptable. The timing is terrible, what with the—’

This time he cut her off. ‘It’s Christmas, Mads. I’m going to see my daughter.’

He heard a click, a quick inhale, then an exhale of puffed cigarette smoke.

‘How long are you away for?’

‘I fly out on New Year’s Day. I land back in Melbourne on the second.’

There was a pause while Maddie calculated how long he'd be gone. ‘Ten days?’ She swore again and her voice rose. ‘Are you joking? We’re supposed to open on the fifteenth and with the way things are going, that doesn't seem likely. That’s why I’ve left you all those messages.’

‘Sorry.’ Not sorry. ‘I was in the air.’

‘Surely you had a stopover and could have checked your phone then.’

When he’d landed in Vancouver, he hadn’t bothered to put his SIM card into his phone nor connect to the airport Wi-Fi. Instead, he’d used the six-hour break between flights to take a quick shower and nap in the Premium Lounge before his connecting cross-country flight to Toronto.

The carousel was already moving, and a few bags had appeared. He kept his eye trained for his case.

‘What’s up, Maddie?’

‘Where do I start? Apart from the delays with the fit-out, I haven’t seen your menu yet.’

‘What delays?’

He heard her blow out another puff of smoke. ‘It’s Christmas. You know what tradies are like this time of year. Notoriously lazy. No one wants to do a bloody thing until the end of January.’ She carried on, bemoaning the fact the builders were useless.

He’d heard enough. ‘What else is wrong?’

‘You haven’t given me your menu. I should have started our marketing campaigns weeks ago, but you’ve been dragging your feet.’

‘I’ve been busy,’ he reminded her.

‘Listen, Jack. Just because Atlas was a huge success, doesn’t mean Globe will be the same. It's a cold hard fact that, sixty percent of restaurants will fail in their first year of operation.’

‘Atlas hasn’t. No reason why this one will be any different. We’re trading on my name, now, Maddie.

‘Argh,’ she growled. ‘You can be so pigheaded and full of yourself at times, Jack.’

He ignored the dig.

‘You are so frustrating,’ Maddie went on. ‘You think because anyone in Australia who watches television knows who you are, it means they’re going to rush through the doors the moment we open. It might not happen. Melbourne is a different market from Noosa. There’s no magic formula, you know.’

‘You worry too much.’

‘And you don’t worry enough.’

There was an element of truth in what Maddie said, but Jack had always been a glass-half-full kind of guy. It was Maddie’s job to worry—and she was very good at them both: her job and worrying—and it was his to build hype around any new venture. Sure, there were always teething issues with anything new, but he had full confidence that the new venture in Melbourne would lead to even bigger things.

Another sigh of exasperation came down the line. ‘What’s our selling point, Jack? And don’t tell me it’s you. People want to know what’s on the menu. Your customers need one good reason why they should come to your new restaurant and pay over three hundred a head instead of going to Dinner by Heston, Vue de Monde or Attica.’

The thing was, it was him and Maddie knew that. That’s why people come in droves. They felt like they already knew him because they’d seen him on television. When they came to his restaurant and watched him cook, and then had the opportunity to chat with him afterwards, it formed an emotional connection.

‘You know it’s me, Maddie. After they leave, they don’t remember the amazing food or the great wine or the exceptional service, they remember how I made them feel. That’s our