Second Chance Love (Heaven Hill Book 6) Read Online Free Page A

immediate life who had found love and were making relationships happen, but she didn’t think it would ever happen for herself.
    She was okay with that. At least she had been up until five minutes ago when Brandon Hancock kissed her like he was dying and she was the air he needed to breathe. Years of emotions that had lain dormant were back, and Roni wasn’t sure that she’d ever be prepared to deal with them.

Chapter Four

    T he next morning, Roni pulled into Walker’s Wheels and took an excited breath when she realized she was the first person there. She could get so much more accomplished without the guys milling around asking her questions. The previous bookkeeper had been a good one, but the cancer diagnosis for her husband had thrown her for a loop. Roni could see without anyone telling her when he’d been diagnosed. The work had become sloppy and then Liam had taken over. She’d walked into a total shit fest, but that was okay, because that was what she always did. Cleaned up everyone else’s mess. It’s what she’d done since Liam and Rooster had cleaned up hers. Her life had been dedicated at that point to helping either one of them at any time. Guilt had eaten at her, it still ate at her. She wasn’t sure she would ever forgive herself, but that was her cross to bear, not theirs.
    Walking into the office, she turned on the lights and shut off the alarm. It was quiet here, almost unnerving compared to what she was used to, but she enjoyed the work. Regardless of what had gone on between her and her dad, she loved being around her family. She loved getting to watch Liam grow and blossom into the man he was now. It was one of the greatest joys of her life. It had been just the two of them for so long, she, in some ways, felt like his mother.
    There was a soft knock at the door before someone came in.
    “Morning.” She smiled as Liam came in. He sat across from her and handed her a cup of coffee. “Thank you, I didn’t see your truck when I got here,” she told him as she blew at some of the steam that was rolling off.
    “Just got here,” he yawned. “I had to drop Drew off at a friend’s house. Figured I’d come in and talk to you. We haven’t had a chat in a while.”
    They hadn’t, and that had been one of the things she’d loved most about him. He was easy to talk to and he never judged, but it was like once he’d gotten his own family, she felt uncomfortable. Not because of him, but because of herself. “You’re right, we haven’t.”
    “Seriously Roni, how’s it going? I’m not liking the way you’re lookin’ lately.”
    How did she explain to him that no one could help her? No one could give her what she wanted except for the one man that she didn’t want to be around. “I’m good, tired, but good.”
    “That’s horse shit and you know it. I’m worried about you. Please let me help with whatever it is,” he begged her, running his hand through his hair. “Is it Rooster? He and I are good now. He and Tyler have even been hangin’ out. I’m planning on bringing him in on some stuff, so you better tell me now if it’s him.”
    “I will not ruin your friendship with him again,” she told him, taking a drink of her coffee.
    “Fuck that, Roni. You didn’t ruin anything. We were kids, but we knew exactly what we were doing when we told those cops that we took care of that guy. There was no doubt in either of our minds that we were going to take care of you. It was our decision to make. You can’t hide behind it for the rest of your life.”
    “You think I hide behind it?” Tears were pooling and her breath was coming faster. He was onto what her security blanket was. He had figured out that she hid behind it like it was a shield.
    “Yes, and I’m telling you now, you are thirty six years old, I want nothing more for you than for you to live your life. I don’t know for sure what William made you do when we were younger, but I have a good idea. I’m here to tell you