Second Chance Reunion

by Merrillee Whren

  “I’m sorry, too, about the way I reacted the other day. You saved my life. I was on a path to ruin. If not for what you did, I might have died of an overdose. Losing Kara and Spencer was a turning point for me. I had to get help. Forgive me again?” Annie held her breath.

  “I should’ve told you from the beginning.” Ian shook his head. “But I never thought we’d come to a point where we wanted to be together again. Where do we go from here?”

  Her heart thudding, Annie finally breathed. “I don’t want to waste any more time being apart. I love you, Ian Montgomery. Kara told me you said you’d marry me and be a daddy to my kids if I asked you. So I’m asking. Will you marry me again?”

  Ian stood there, stunned, his mouth hanging open again. She had beaten him to the proposal. Bless little Kara.

  “I’m sorry if Kara put words in your mouth. I’m sorry if I put you on the spot with my proposal.” Annie dropped her gaze to the floor.

  Ian went down on one knee in front of Annie. He looked up into her face. “You didn’t put me on the spot. You just beat me to it. I love you, and I love your kids. I want to start over, too. I’ll marry you and be a daddy to your children.” He fished in his pocket for the ring case. He pulled it out and popped it open. “I bought this for you.”

  Annie put her hands over her mouth and cried and laughed at the same time as Ian stood up and pulled her into his arms. When he let her go, she stepped back and held out her left hand. Ian placed the ring on her finger. Standing on her tiptoes, she flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you for loving me and my kids. I don’t deserve you, but I’m glad God saw fit to bring us back together.”

  “Let’s get Kara and Spencer so we can tell them they get to have a new daddy.”

  “Good idea, but one thing before we go.” Ian took Annie in his arms and kissed her, then kissed her again. He held her close. “With God in our lives, we’ll make it work this time.”

  When their embrace ended, Annie smiled up at him. “God has certainly taken a lot of bad stuff and turned it into something good.”

  “Amen to that.” Ian took Annie’s hand in his. “We’re living proof.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from LAKESIDE REDEMPTION by Lisa Jordan.

  Dear Reader

  Thank you for choosing to read Second Chance Reunion. This is the first in a series of books set in my imaginary multifaceted ministry for those in need, The Village of Hope. In Matthew 25:39–40, Jesus gives us an example of caring for those in need. James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

  I hope you enjoyed Annie’s journey to restore her family and Ian’s journey to forgive. Both of them learned how God can take our mistakes and turn them into something good. This story of two flawed people reminds us that God makes everything new when we accept His grace. We can also know that God uses imperfect people to accomplish His tasks here on earth. Please look for future books in The Village of Hope series.

  I enjoy hearing from readers. You can reach me through my website: www.merrilleewhren.com. Or you can write to me through the Harlequin Readers Service.

  Questions for Discussion

  At the beginning of the story Annie wonders whether The Village of Hope will be a good place for her. Why do you think she has this question? Discuss a time when you went to a place or event that caused you some anxiety.

  When Annie and Ian meet again, the situation is awkward. Discuss how you think each of them was feeling. Have you ever encountered someone with whom you’ve had a disagreement? Discuss how this made you feel.

  Annie finds a friend in Cora. Why do you think Annie is drawn to the older woman? Discuss how different generations can be a help to each other.

  Ian and his father don’t agree on some subjects. Do you think Ian did the right thing when he avoided discussing these subjects? Why or why not? Do you think it is better to avoid discussing things that people don’t agree on? Why or why not?

  Why do you think both Annie and Ian had problems forgetting their past mistakes? Are there mistakes you have made that you constantly remember? If so, how do you handle it? Is it important to put the past behind you? Why or why not?

  Annie’s parents weren’t very involved in her life while she was growing up. Although her brother grew up under the same circumstances, he did not rebel. Why do you think children in the same family don’t always behave in the same way?

  Do you think Ian should have felt guilty for reporting Annie to DFCS? Why or why not?

  Forgiveness is a big theme in this story. What part does forgiveness play in reconciliation?

  Chapter One

  What was Caleb Sullivan doing in Shelby Lake?

  Although Zoe hadn’t seen Sully in ten years—not since the day he graduated from Bartlett University and headed off to the police academy—she would have recognized his smile anywhere.

  Zoe pulled her pink Canine Companions baseball cap lower on her forehead and slipped her sunglasses back on her face.

  Hopefully he wouldn’t recognize her.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him. She just didn’t want him to see what she’d become. She fingered the blue-and-silver butterfly pendant hanging around her neck.

  Holding hands with two little girls—his daughters, maybe—Caleb approached the Canine Companions booth centered in the middle of the park for Shelby Lake’s annual Paws in the Park event.

  Leona, her boss and owner of Canine Companions, had chosen the worst possible time to take a break from manning the booth and promoting her business while Zoe tried to stay in the background by overseeing the puppies. She hated being in the public eye, on display for everyone’s personal scrutiny.

  With the late-August afternoon sunshine at their backs, they stopped in front of Harper, her black-and-white border collie, who was sitting at her feet and watching the park activity. Her brother, Ian, and sister-in-law, Agnes, had given her Harper for her birthday last year.

  Caleb glanced at her, then held out his hand and allowed Harper to sniff it before petting the dog’s head. The older child did the same, but the younger one clung to his leg.

  Zoe studied his dark hair threaded with silver, his hazel eyes and the shadow of a beard that did little to disguise his strong jaw. His navy V-neck T-shirt hugged his chest and displayed muscled biceps. Wearing faded jeans and a pair of running shoes, he bore a slight resemblance to the lanky guy she palled around with in college. The furrows above his brows and etched lines around his eyes and mouth showed this man had experienced life.

  The older girl, who appeared to be about five, chattered like a hyperactive chipmunk. Dressed in an ice cream–stained yellow T-shirt, purple tutu and lime-green rain boots, with her blond hair pulled into a ponytail, she skipped over to the makeshift play yard where the puppies jumped and tumbled over one another.

  Carrying the younger girl, Sully followed her and then knelt on the ground, a grimace tightening his face as he rubbed his right thigh. He wrapped his other arm around the smaller child wearing a denim skirt and multicolored flowered shirt while they watched the puppies.

  The older child pulled on his arm. “Daddy, we need a dog. Avie thinks so, too. Right, Avie?”

  Ava nodded.

  “A dog?” He scratched his chin. “They need to be fed and played with and walked, Ella. I won’t be able to do it all by myself.”

  “We could help you. Right, Avie?”

  Ava nodded again.

  Ella twirled and clapped her hands together. “Yay, Daddy. We can pick out a puppy today. Right, Avie?”

  A look Zoe could only describe as fear crossed over the child’s face. Her eyes ricocheted off Sully to the pu
ppies. She buried her face in his shoulder.

  He ran a finger over her cheek. “Hey, baby girl, maybe the nice lady will let you hold one of the puppies. Want me to go ask?”

  She peeked out at the puppies, then at Zoe, but her older sister held no reservations. “Oh, yes, Daddy, please ask her.”

  Sully laughed, a rich, mellow sound that transported her back in time to a decade ago, when life held fewer complications.

  His gaze locked with Zoe’s. “Would it be possible for my daughters to hold one of the puppies?”

  “Of course.” Zoe smiled and stepped through the gate. She scooped up Riley, a caramel-colored, curly-haired cockapoo with a white patch around his left eye, and carried him outside the play yard to where Sully sat with his daughters.

  Riley wriggled to be free and licked her cheek with his tongue, knocking her sunglasses at an odd angle. She laughed, trying to keep the wiggling puppy from jumping out of her arms. Her hat fell off her head but caught on her ponytail. She pulled off her hat and sunglasses and dropped them on the grass as she sat cross-legged in front of the girls.

  Trying not to let Sully’s penetrating stare get to her, Zoe focused on the girls and patted the grass next to her. “Want to sit by me? I’ll show you how to hold Riley.”

  Ava glanced at Caleb. He nodded. “Go ahead, sweetie.”

  She clung to him for a moment, then crept over to sit next to Zoe.

  “Hold your hand like this.” Zoe held her hand, palm side down, in a loose fist in front of Riley’s nose. He sniffed, then licked the backs of her fingers. “Riley will smell your scent and get to know you.”

  Ava mimicked Zoe’s gesture with her tiny hand. Riley sniffed her fingers, then stroked them with his tongue. She giggled and wiped her hand on her shirt.

  Zoe placed the puppy on Ava’s lap and positioned her small arms around Riley so she could hold him without hurting herself or the puppy. A smile lit up Ava’s face.

  Ella plopped down next to her sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You’re doing great, Avie. You like him?”

  Ava nodded, but remained quiet.

  Sully pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the girls. Then he looked at Zoe. “Is Riley available for adoption?”

  “Riley is a recent addition to our shelter.” She reached behind her to grab a brochure off the booth and handed it to him. “This talks about our adoption policy, Mr....?”

  Of course she knew his name, but since he didn’t seem to recognize her, she wasn’t going to let on she knew who he was.

  “Sorry.” He held out a hand. “Sullivan. Caleb Sullivan.” His gaze zeroed in on her butterfly necklace. “That necklace...I’ve seen it before.” Still holding her hand, his eyes searched her face as if shuffling through his memory bank for some sense of recognition. Then a slow smile spread across his face, revealing even, white teeth. “Zoe. Zoe James. It’s been a long time.”

  Pulling her hand out of his warm, firm grip, she nodded, then focused her attention on the girls. She patted the grass beside her, feeling for her sunglasses and hat.

  Did Sully know what she had become? Where she’d been? If he did, he hadn’t let on. If he didn’t, she was sure he’d want nothing to do with her once he learned about her past.

  Apparently their friendship had meant a lot more to her than it had him. After his graduation from Bartlett University, he had packed his dinged Toyota, hugged her goodbye and never looked back. Not a single letter or email.

  She’d heard through the grapevine he had married Valerie Fergus, who had graduated with him. What Caleb ever saw in that woman, Zoe would never know. From the moment Caleb started tutoring Zoe in algebra, Valerie had gone out of her way to give Zoe a hard time.

  Were they still married?

  She glanced at his hand. No ring, but that didn’t mean anything. She’d learned long ago not to assume, given her own circumstances.

  Sully moved next to her and stretched out his legs, blocking any attempt to stand and run. “How’s life been treating you?”

  How did she answer his polite attempt at conversation? An ache pulsed in the pit of her stomach. She fingered the butterfly pendant.

  Life treated her the way she deserved.

  “Fine.” The trite words mocked her. She was anything but fine. “You?”

  “You know...” His words trailed off as he shrugged. He picked up a fallen leaf already turning colors and twirled it between his fingers.

  “Are you still in law enforcement?”

  “No, at least not the way I was.” A vacant look hollowed out his eyes as he stared past her shoulder and rubbed his right thigh. “Took a bullet to the leg that ended my career as a beat cop.”

  “I’m sorry.” And she meant it. Becoming a police officer had meant everything to him. She understood the pain of lost dreams.

  He shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  “What brings you to Shelby Lake? Last I heard, you were living near Pittsburgh.”

  “I decided we needed a fresh start. Patrick Laughton was an old marine buddy of my dad’s, so I called to see if he had any use for a washed-up cop with a bum leg. Turns out the police department had an opening for a school liaison officer. I’ll be going to the schools in the district doing programs on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. What about you? Did you end up going to vet school?”

  “No. Change of plans.” Her gaze shifted to his daughters showering Riley with attention. “Your daughters are darling.”

  “Thanks. We’ve had a rough year—first my injury, then their mom took off.” A flicker of pain shadowed Caleb’s eyes. “I heard about Kyle. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Words clogged her throat as her heart thundered against her rib cage. “I’m sorry about your wife. What did you hear...about Kyle?”

  “He was killed by a drunk driver. I should apologize for not coming back for his funeral.” He nodded toward the daughter in the tutu. “Ella had just been born, and my wife, Val, had a hard time with postpartum depression. Between work and some...family issues, I had my hands full.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “I’m sorry. That sounded a bit insensitive.”

  “No...don’t be.” The knots in her stomach cinched tighter. She rubbed her empty ring finger.

  A man and a woman holding hands walked past them. The woman also held a toddler’s hand while the man controlled a golden retriever on a leash.

  The epitome of family.

  She wanted that...almost had it once.

  Now she had nothing but the pain of regret, broken promises, and fines as a reminder of what her choices had cost her.

  Even though she sat in the park surrounded by open spaces, the hills to the right of her seemed to be shifting and closing in. Her breathing quickened as beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

  Sully reached for her arm. “You all right?”

  She blinked several times and ran a hand over her mouth. “Yeah, I...uh...I’m fine. Probably too much sun.”

  Liar.

  She wasn’t fine. She hadn’t been fine in a long time. Not since she’d woken up in the hospital that night with a concussion and learned Kyle was dead.

  The events of the past four years had destroyed everyone and everything she loved.

  She reached up, grabbed her water bottle off the booth’s table with shaky hands and uncapped it. As she downed the lukewarm liquid, she closed her eyes and struggled to regain her composure.

  Leona wouldn’t be thrilled if she freaked out in front of a potential client. And she didn’t need to give this town anything more to gossip about.

  No, she wouldn’t be fine for a very long time...if ever again.

  But life had offered her a second chance, and she wasn’t about to waste it on pity parties.

  Now that she’d moved in
to her family’s cabin by the lake, she was determined to get her life back on track. Watching Sully with his daughters created an intense longing in her heart and resurrected her purpose: to regain custody of her own child and prove to her family—and the town that rejected her—that she could change and be the kind of mother her son deserved.

  * * *

  Caleb was going to get kicked out of the neighborhood if that fur ball didn’t stop barking.

  He threw back the covers, pulled on yesterday’s jeans and T-shirt and padded barefoot to the living room. Flicking on the lamp on the table next to the coffee-colored leather couch, he winced at the sudden brightness and shot a one-eyed glance at the clock hanging above the doorway that led into the dining room.

  4:15.

  He groaned and stretched out on the Berber carpet in front of the dog crate, which had become his new middle-of-the-night normal since bringing the little guy home a few days ago.

  Riley looked at him with large, soulful eyes and whimpered.

  “Hey, little man, some of us need to sleep.” He pushed his fingers through the metal and scratched the dog’s muzzle. Riley licked at Caleb’s hand.

  What had he been thinking? He didn’t have time for a dog. They needed exercise and companionship.

  He could handle a walk around the block, but his hiking and running days were over. Besides, he had his hands full caring for the girls. Now he had something else to take care of.

  Rubbing the heel of his hand into one eye, he released the latch on the crate. Riley bounded out, searching for freedom.

  Caleb scrambled to his feet, biting down on his bottom lip as pain shot to his right hip, and scooped up the pup.

  Carrying him to the back door, he switched on the outside light and let Riley down. He scurried across the patio and sniffed the grass for the best spot to do his business.

  Caleb dropped onto a white plastic yard chair and waited.

  Stars sparkled against the early morning sky with soft light smudging the horizon. A hint of a breeze ruffled his hair and cooled his face. The Turners’ house next to his corner lot sat in darkness.