Second Rate Chances

SECOND RATE CHANCES

Second Rate Chances

SECOND RATE CHANCES

Copyright 2013 by Holly Stephens

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Edited by Fallon Clark at Snow Editing
Cover Designed by Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations

ISBN- 13:
978-1481880138

SECOND RATE CHANCES

SECOND RATE CHANCES

CONTENTS

SECOND RATE CHANCES

SECOND RATE CHANCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My name might be the one on the cover, but there should a ton of other people listed there as well.

Kathryn Scott. Where do I begin? You’ve been with me
from the very beginning
. You’re the only person who has seen the ugly, rough draft right after Nano of 2011. The fact that you’ve stuck with me through that to what it has become makes me love you all the more. And I can’t believe we did it! After so many years and different manuscripts, we did it.

Heidi McLaughlin. My dear sweet Heidi. I’m not even sure I know where to begin. If anyone’s name belongs on the cover alongside mine, it’s yours. The texts, the phone calls, the emails; you helped shape this from one story to a whole other. I would not be where I am today without your guidance and friendship. A fun little story brought upon an amazing friendship that I simply cherish. You’re my biggest cheerleader, my partner when I need to vent, and most of all, an amazing friend. Thank you for everything. If it weren’t for you I’d probably still be looking at an ugly rough draft on my laptop.

Fallon Clark. When I was handed lemons, you helped me make the most amazing lemonade. You helped me turn this thing from something that was too much to something that was just right. Thank you for your editing and guidance, your wonderful friendship and for being there when I needed you. I can’t wait to see where the future takes us.

Beth Suit. If it weren’t for Heidi I wouldn’t have found you. You pushed me harder than anyone else. You wanted to make this happen; you wanted to make this story great. And because of you, I did just that (I hope). Thank you for calling me out on things and making me think outside the box. This story wouldn’t be what it is without you and your very scary red pen. Thank you for everything.

Sarah Hansen. Wow. There are no other words for what you created for me. The beautiful cover has brought Sam and Lil to life and to you I’ll be forever grateful. Thank you for bringing my story to life.

Jannie Lund. We’ve stuck together through all the ups and downs and even though a big time difference separates us, you’re still there when I need you. Your encouraging words and your friendship are the most beautiful things I could have asked for when starting this venture. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Liz Fong. You feed my reading addiction, you’re there when I need to talk, and you’ve become one of my best friends even though we live so far apart. I’m not sure what I’d ever do without you but I can tell you I don’t want to find out. Of course when in doubt I think, we’ll always have NOLA. (And I hope you, Becci, and Heather caught the reference to our weekend away)

Carrie Gray. When I need another set of eyes, you never let me down. Thank you for always being up for the challenge and for being such a wonderful friend.

To my husband, Stephen, who is more than just my life partner. He’s my best friend. Thank you for putting up with me when I tuned you out to focus on the story. Thank you for believing in me and reminding me that I can do this. Thank you for being my anchor that keeps me grounded when I feel like things are going to fall apart. And thank you most of all for giving me the one thing in this world that makes me the
happiest; our beautiful baby boy.

To my parents; Mama, Daddy, and Debbie. Well…I did it! After talking about it for so long, my name is on the cover of a book. Your love and acceptance in pushing me to do what I love means so much. Thank you for always making me believe that I could do anything if I set my mind to it.

And last but not least, to my special friend, Kristina Hatfield.
She’s my friend first and the lady who signs my paycheck second. Thank you for being the Oats to my Hall. Thank you for not yelling when I used company time to write a couple of pages. Thank you for being so awesome that I can spend eight hours a day sharing a desk with you. You make work fun. You make selling plumbing fun!

And if I’ve left you out, I’m truly sorry. There are so many people who have stuck by me since I wrote the first three words to my very first story. You know who you are. Just because you’re name isn’t listed doesn’t mean I don’t thank you.

PROLOGUE

They stood in front of their house, arms wrapped tightly around one another. Today was a dream. They had signed their names on all of the dotted lines. Neither was certain what each piece of paper meant, but they knew one thing; they now owned a house.

             
             
Together.

             
             
The craftsman-style home, barely twelve hundred square feet, sat on a shaded lot, in part because of the large oak tree that sat in the front. Its limbs hung freely, the mossy green of the stucco matched the ferns planted around the porch. White gardenias mixed with purple freesia added a spark of color to the yard. The idea to add a swing for lazy afternoons clouded her mind. She could imagine a witch and her broom sticking out of the tree for Halloween. Bright white lights wrapped around the trunk at Christmas. She smiled at the ideas forming in her head. He didn't have to see her face to see the light in her eyes; it radiated all around her.

             
             
With their fingers intertwined, he pointed to the porch where her thoughts had just been.

             
             
“I see a swing there,” he said.

             
             
Her smile grew even bigger. “Me too.”

             
             
“Can you believe it?” he asked. She shook her head no. “We own a house. You and me.”

             
             
“Yup, you and me.”

             
             
“You know what this means?”

             
             
She turned so that they were face to face, studying the man before her. Since the first moment she had seen him, his eyes drew her in. His big brown pools always looked at things with so much wonder. Like it was a puzzle he was trying to work out. What she loved was that he looked at her that way too. She hoped that he always would. There were always surprises for the two of them, always that realm of intrigue that kept them drawn to one another. She smiled and ran her fingers through his shaggy hair.

             
             
“What’s this mean?” she asked.

             
             
He pulled her closer, nearly crushing her to his chest. His words were a whisper against her lips. “You’re stuck with me now.”

             
             
“I can’t be stuck with someone I have no intention of ever letting go.”

             
             
He buried his head deep into the crook of her neck. With a feather-light touch, he kissed the spot under her ear that made her shiver, then moved his kisses across her cheek, down her jaw, and finally onto her lips.

“I love you.”

”I love you too,” she said.

             
             
“Nothing can come between us.”

             
             
“Nothing.”

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