Her Second-Chance Family

Good can come out of bad

If it wasn’t for the tragic accident ten years earlier, Audrey Smith might never have taken in the three foster kids she loves so dearly. And if it wasn’t for the new addition to her home—a troubled teenage thief—she wouldn’t be fantasizing about Sawyer Williams.

Make no mistake—Sawyer’s the victim here. He’s the one who was robbed by Audrey’s daughter. But teaching the teen a lesson rather than punishing her makes Sawyer a superhero in Audrey’s eyes. Someone who can forgive and forget... That is until another break-in rocks their community, threatening Audrey’s family and her future with Sawyer.

“You intrigue me. You’re all I can think about.”

Audrey shook her head. “That might be why you want to kiss me, but why would I want to kiss you, Sawyer?”

“Because I’m totally endearing and charming. Because I make you laugh. But mainly because you can’t resist me and my multitude of charms.”

She laughed, which had been Sawyer’s intent. “Maybe I should say no to the kiss just to prove I can resist you.”

“Come on, Audrey. You know you want to,” he teased.

She smiled, stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Just a peck on his cheek.

“Really, you call that a kiss?”

“I call it the perfect kiss after a coffee date.”

“What kind of kiss is appropriate after a lunch date?” he asked.

“We’ll have to see how good the lunch is.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Dear Reader,

In March of 2000, a young editor at Mills & Boon’s Toronto office called me and said the magic words I’d been dreaming of, “We’d like to buy I Waxed My Legs for This?” It was such an odd title. And to be honest, someone might make the case that a romance that opens with the hero removing hair from the heroine’s legs might not be romantic (my grandmother was aghast), but I maintain, fifteen years later, that a real hero would definitely do just that!

That first sale led to more. I sold straight-up romantic comedies, sweet romances and later, emotional family dramas. But in every one of the thirty books I’ve written for Mills & Boon since, there has been one abiding theme...love. Romantic love and love of a family. I’ll confess, many of my books ask the question: What is a family? In Her Second-Chance Family I answer that question quite clearly. A person is family when you know they have your back. When they love you, warts and all. And when you mess up, family will forgive you and give you a second chance, and a third, and...

That’s what Audrey and Sawyer discover. A family is by its very definition—well, at least by my definition—always willing to give you another chance. And both of them have to decide if they can take the biggest chance of all...a chance on love. I hope you enjoy their story.

Holly

Her Second-Chance Family

Holly Jacobs

www.millsandboon.co.uk

In 2000, HOLLY JACOBS sold her first book to Mills & Boon Books. She’s since sold more than twenty-five novels to the publisher. Her romances have won numerous awards and made the Waldenbooks bestseller list. In 2005, Holly won a prestigious Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. In her nonwriting life, Holly is married to a police captain, and together they have four children. Visit Holly at hollyjacobs.com, or you can snail-mail her at PO Box 11102, Erie, PA 16514-1102.

For everyone at Mills & Boon.

I’ve been so fortunate to work with all of you.

And most especially for

Kathryn Lye...for everything.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

PROLOGUE

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

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

MAY IN WESTERN Pennsylvania could be a roller-coaster month. The weather fluctuated constantly. Hot. Cold. Dry. Wet.

Audrey watched as the raindrops formed ever-changing patterns on the car’s window. Tonight it was obvious that April’s showers weren’t ready to give way to May’s flowers.

As she had the thought, she realized that the showers had given way to a full-on thunderstorm.

Merrill’s boyfriend, Jude, had shown a rare streak of gallantry. He’d not only offered to give them all a ride home, but pulled the car up to the school’s front door so they didn’t get wet.

He had got soaked when he’d run to get the car, though. But that didn’t seem to bother Merrill. She kept reaching across the front seat and running her fingers through his long, wet hair.

Audrey found their touchy-feely moments embarrassing. She generally tried to keep her distance when they got like that, but right now she was sitting behind Jude in the car, so there was nowhere to escape. Even watching the rain splattering against the window didn’t help, so she turned toward Ava instead.

Ava Parker and Merrill Cooper were her best friends. Audrey couldn’t imagine her life without them.

“Graduation. I can’t believe we’re done tomorrow,” Ava repeated for about the twentieth time in the past five minutes. She let out a long, loud squeal and her poker-straight black hair swung wildly. “I can’t believe we’re adults! I almost cried when we practiced moving our tassels over.”