The Sheriff's Second Chance. Leandra Logan

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      Ethan was determined to walk Kelsey to her door and make one more attempt to steal that kiss he was aching for

      He never had liked her mother’s front stoop, a concrete block with two steps cut into it. There was nowhere to hide up there under the porch light. Grasping Kelsey’s arm before she could take that first step, he firmly yanked her behind the closest azalea bush.

      Kelsey gasped, her eyes dancing in the shadows. “What’s all this? Are we doing the old hide-and-seek thing?”

      “The adult version, where nobody hides.” He cupped her chin and locked his mouth to hers for a bold, hot taste. She didn’t resist at all.

      The impossible dream was beginning to unfold. It just wasn’t supposed to happen behind a bush. In the end it was the sound of his own car horn, in the care of the two teens, that brought Ethan back to his senses. “Guess this is good-night,” he said, halfheartedly.

      “Yes, Ethan.” With a sweet smile she urged him out from behind the shrub. “Thanks a lot. I had so much fun.”

      The car horn honked again, making him scowl. “I better go.” He backed away, pointing a finger at her. “To be continued.”

      Dear Reader,

      The signpost ahead reads Maple Junction, Wisconsin. You’re arriving just in time to make the trip with hometown girl Kelsey Graham. She’s been away for ten years and is very unsure what to expect, even from trusty boy-next-door Ethan Taggert. Along the path to maturity they’d played off one another in fits of pleasure, frustration and disappointment, never quite clicking to make a lasting love match. Despite the fact that they’d parted on a note of disappointment, Ethan is determined to finally make that love connection happen.

      Readers often wonder what inspires my writing. This particular story originated with a brief article about a prom couple’s fatal accident along a rural road. The idea that such a euphoric event could turn so devastating deeply touched me. I quickly began to formulate a story through a series of questions. What if a passenger in the car survived? What if her small town blamed her for the crash? What if a memory loss prevented her from knowing the truth herself? Could faith, forgiveness and a little detective work finally make things better?

      Kelsey soon came into being, followed by the boy who’d loved her, lost her and lived to regret it. I hope you enjoy the result.

      Warm regards as always,

      The Sheriff’s Second Chance

      Leandra Logan

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Leandra Logan is an award-winning author with over thirty books to her credit. She lives in the historic Minnesota town of Stillwater with her husband. Her interests include boating, golfing, gardening and spending time with children and friends.

      Books by Leandra Logan

      HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

      559—SECRET AGENT DAD

      601—THE LAST BRIDESMAID

      732—FATHER FIGURE

      880—FAMILY: THE SECRET INGREDIENT

      960—WEDDING ROULETTE

      1016—FLIRTING WITH TROUBLE

      1108—SUGARTOWN

      Contents

       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 One

      It was the end of another school year.

      Kelsey Graham sat at her broad oak desk at the front of the classroom, sorting through the homemade cards and gifts from her twenty-three first graders. They were technically second graders now, which some of the cards made clear with large numeral twos carefully traced atop heads on stick bodies, and houses with small roofs and giant chimneys.

      The seven-year-old mind, so full of imagination and hope, never ceased to fascinate and amaze her. Forget television. Give a kid some paper and a box of crayons….

      It was easy for anyone to dream on such a beautiful day. To gaze beyond the long open windows facing the school courtyard, let the mind wander on the warm breezes scented with peonies and freshly cut grass.

      Spring into summer plans! she’d quipped to her students this afternoon over homemade cookies and lemonade. Many of the youngsters had announced trips to Disney World, Cape Cod, Hawaii. No surprise in this affluent Philadelphia neighborhood.

      The most important thing, she’d insisted, as they’d crowded round for a farewell hug, was to enjoy their moms and dads, brothers and sisters. To laugh and play and tell stories, just as they had in the classroom. To take a few photographs to enjoy later on…

      Kelsey’s