Second Chance Girl

A touching modern fairy tale that won’t let go of your heart, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances!

Mathias Mitchell’s easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California—the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his “no promises, no pain” lifestyle. Yet he can’t stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.

Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she’s not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising—and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she’ll always come first in his heart?

No One Does Romance Like Susan Mallery!

“Mallery excels at creating protagonists who grow individually as well as together on the way to their destined happy ending. A colorful cast of secondary characters with riveting background stories provide a great setup for future stories.”

—Publishers Weekly on You Say It First

“[Secrets of the Tulip Sisters] blends the friend-and-family relationships and self-actualization focus common to women’s fiction with the racy love scenes and happy ending of a contemporary romance, making this an excellent summer read for fans of both genres.”

—Booklist

“Susan Mallery is one of my favorites.”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

“Touching and hilarious... This insightful, laughter-laced story fairly crackles with sexual tension and has a lot to say about friendship, love, and relationships. Heartwarming and memorable.”

—Library Journal, starred review, on Best of My Love

“If you love your romance with plenty of family dynamics and drama, you’re going to adore this book!”

—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick!, on Daughters of the Bride

“Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.”

—Booklist

“Mallery infuses her story with eccentricity, gentle humor, and small-town shenanigans.”

—Publishers Weekly on Summer Days

Second Chance Girl

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Being the “mom” of two gorgeous cats and a new tiny puppy, I know the joy that pets can bring to our lives. Animal welfare is a cause I have long supported. For me that means giving to Seattle Humane. At their 2016 Tuxes and Tails fund-raiser, I offered “Your pet in a romance novel” as an auction item.

In this book you will meet a funny, sweet and slightly naughty beagle named Sophie. She was a superstar in a previous book, Thrill Me, and her human parents once again gave generously so she could be immortalized in all her glorious Sophie-ness in this book. I adored writing about Sophie and was delighted to give her many adventures. From romping with a giraffe to being a doggy bridesmaid, Sophie will steal your heart.

One of the things that makes writing special is interacting in different ways with people. Some I talk to for research. Some are readers who want to talk characters and story lines, and some are fabulous pet parents. Sophie’s family adores her and she brings hours of pleasure to them.

My thanks to Sophie’s family, to Sophie herself and to the wonderful people at Seattle Humane (www.seattlehumane.org). Because every pet deserves a loving family.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise

Title Page

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

GETTING KICKED IN the stomach by a gazelle was never pleasant, but at one thirty in the morning, it was especially hard to take. Carol Lund glared at Bronwen and the gazelle glared right back.

“You don’t get to have attitude, young lady,” Carol told her. “I’m not the one who insisted on going out by the rocks. I’m not the one who got scraped up, yet here I am, in the middle of the night, checking on your leg to make sure you don’t have an infection.”

Bronwen was notably unimpressed by Carol’s presence and dedication. She stomped her front hooves and turned away.

“You say that now,” Carol grumbled. “But just wait until feeding time. Suddenly I’m your best friend. You’re incredibly fickle.”

Carol packed up her supplies. Bronwen’s leg seemed to be healing nicely. With luck she wouldn’t require a second night’s visit tomorrow and Carol could catch up on the sleep she was missing.

She left the gazelle barn and started for her Jeep. The night was clear and cool and there were a million stars in the sky. While Carol would have preferred that Bronwen hadn’t been injured and that they’d both been able to sleep through the night, she had to admit that staring at the perfect sky was a very cool compensation. If she didn’t look at the horizon, or try to pick out individual constellations, she could be anywhere in the world—literally. Because the night sky was a constant.