The Second Chance Hero Read Online Free

brain fogged. Damn, he was in big trouble. “I don’t mind. Just tell me how to get to their house.”
    “It’s a bit out of the way. They’re in Oyster Bay. Are you sure?”
    “Not a problem.” She stood there, staring at him, so goddamn cute. Smiling. Playing with her hair. Smiling some more. Why was she doing that? Shit. Was she trying to get him to stroke out?
    “Are you ready?” he asked.
    Her eyes widened. “Oh! Of course. Yes.” She grabbed her denim jacket and bag, and he indicated that they should leave through the front door, leading the way until they got to the street and settled into a steady pace, side by side.
    “It’s going to be fun today,” she said, her voice silvery, light. Different than what he remembered. “I really appreciate being included in everything.”
    “From the sound of it you’re like a member of the family.”
    “I hope so.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, bit her lip.
Was she nervous?
“I love Anna, and Harper has been a wonderful friend to me.”
    He took the key fob out of his pocket and opened the passenger door of his big black SUV. She smiled shyly as she climbed in the truck, and Owen wondered what he’d done right.
    He didn’t know why he was so happy to see Kim Torres again. Maybe it was that they had a shared history. Maybe it was the physical attraction, but Owen felt there might have been something more. He was a smart man, a practical man. He didn’t jump to conclusions. He’d been to war; he’d built a business. Yet, he had no doubt that this pint-size woman could take him out at the knees. Normally that would be a red flag for Owen. He didn’t date seriously, and avoided emotional entanglements.
    He had a feeling that was about to change.
    ***
    Once Owen closed the door, Kim allowed herself to take a breath. “Holy hell,” she whispered. Never in a million years did she think she’d be so affected by a man. She had worked in a military field hospital. She’d been engaged to a marine. Yet there was Owen Kent, tall, broad, gorgeous, and Kim had lost her breath. Literally lost her breath.
    His eyes were electric blue, bright, and with a spark she’d never seen, and his dark hair was short, sprinkled with a little gray at the temples. But it wasn’t just the looks.
    No, Owen Kent was a lot more than an average hot guy.
    Harper told her he’d just gotten home from a yearlong tour in Afghanistan, and not much else. But Kim could see it. Owen carried himself like a man who had put his life on the line. Bravery and service weren’t just words for someone like him, but part of who he was.
    They rode in silence except for the music he’d put on the stereo, and her giving directions. And while she might have felt comfortable with him, there was a charge in the air, something between them that she couldn’t yet understand.
    “So,” she said. “How have you been since getting home?”
    Owen grinned. “Better than many, I’m guessing. I’m okay, but it was a rough year.”
    “True enough.” She knew a lot of guys who came home without limbs or the ability to function in society. For some, war was just too much. “What will you do now?”
    “I’ll go back to Reliance. If they still have my job for me.”
    He worked for Reliance? She couldn’t imagine Jason, Nate, and Harper not giving a veteran his job back. Not in a million years—she knew they were hiring more vets than ever. “I’m sure they will. They’re such good people.”
    He chuckled. “I’m not worried. If Jason says no, I’ll just kick his ass. Think I can take him?”
    She was sure he could. The man was a marine officer. That made him a lethal weapon. “I, uh . . .”
    “Don’t worry. I won’t leave any visible marks. I worked Intelligence for a few years.” He winked. “We’re good at keeping things under the radar.”
    Kim wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, and because of that, she decided she shouldn’t say anything else. But every time he looked