Second Chance Cowboy Read Online Free PDF Page A

a special hand. He too thinks we need to be careful. If
those painful memories come crashing in at the same time—” His
shoulders slumped. “She could drift into depression
again.”
    Chance eyed him in bewilderment.
“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”
    “ Dead serious.” There was
no hint of uncertainty in his seasoned face. “We can find a gentle
way to tell her the truth. Maybe throw in bits and pieces to help
her adjust. Once Maxwell clears her physically, we’ll bring the
truth to light if her memory hasn’t come back yet. But what I do
know is, my daughter wants to be with you. I believe this is fate’s
way of a second chance at happiness for my girl.”
    “ What am I supposed to do?
Pick up where we left off and pretend nothing has happened?” Chance
knew the other man had no qualms, but he certainly did. Pulling the
wool over Carly’s eyes held a depth of risk. If her memory came
back and she realized what they’d done, there would be hell to pay.
But again, a good argument might jar her memory.
    Chance wanted to help her and take
care of her.
    “ Exactly, Chance, but this
time, if you don’t mind my advice, don’t let your stubborn pride
keep you from telling her how you feel.” He smiled. “A real man
isn’t afraid to grovel when it’s important enough.”
    Chance didn’t say a word.
    “ Now, why don’t you explain
to me what happened two nights ago between you and my lovely
daughter?” Harry got up and headed for his desk.
    “ Good try, but it ain’t
happening. My lips are sealed.”
    Harry lifted a brow. “Shall I ask
Carly?”
    “ You’d have to wait until
she got her memory back,” Chance replied with a cocky tilt of his
chin.
    “ You’re right.” He shrugged
it off. “I’ll forget by then. Anyway, we need to make a mental list
of the preparations necessary to make this work for Carly. Then you
will be ready, Chance.”
    “ Ready?”
    “ Ready to go upstairs and
greet your wife.”
     
     

Chapter Three
     
    CHANCE CHECKED THE missed call on his
cell and dropped the phone into his shirt pocket. He should never
have agreed to this scheme. He’d spent the last hour preparing to
make the plot seem true.
    Sadly, the mess him and Carly had made
of their relationship would take longer than an hour to clean
up.
    The longer he planned the less real
the ruse became. Everything needed to be right. Any blips in the
plot and hell, he could lose her again. He loved Carly and he
wanted this to work. If he could help her memories come back in a
safe way, he would try. He’d made a call to Thelma, his
housekeeper, who’d been with the Taylor family for twenty-five
years, to inform her of the strange situation. After screaming
hallelujah, Thelma had burst into tears.
    Harry took clothes, beauty products
and favorite personal items of Carly’s to the Swift Wind. He had
snuck them out of her room while she zonked on pain meds. They
should be okay on that aspect. Would she even remember what her
favorite things were?
    Everything in the house remained
unchanged. The furniture, pictures on the wall, down to the rugs
and the throw pillows on the couch. He didn’t give a rat’s ass
about domestic things, he never had. It wasn’t like he spent much
time inside the house anyway.
    Carly had worked hard on the house to
make it a home for them.
    Home sweet home. At least he
hoped.
    With that thought, he marched up the
staircase, feeling his shoulders tighten. Each step carrying him
closer to Carly’s bedroom was more like a stake being driven in his
heart.
    He wanted her and he cared for her
well-being, but he didn’t like feeling that he was on the wings of
a losing situation.
    Hell, what was the alternative? He did
have choices, didn’t he?
    He could go into Carly’s bedroom and
tell her the truth. He could lay it all out. He could explain they
were divorced and she hated him. He’d be doing her a favor,
wouldn’t he?
    Chance could only imagine that
conversation. “ And by