Chaplain Discovering Love Again

By Lynn Hammond

She was my one.

Malcom Sparks didn't expect to lose his one and only true love. He thought love was supposed to last forever, but when Darcy dies after childbirth, Malcom is not sure he can get past the tragic accident.

As he struggles to balance a life with two children and a race car driver, Nova, who shows up out of the blue on his doorstep, he tries to keep his distance.

Nova English, best woman race car driver in America, has everything she's ever wanted, that is until her wedding day gets ruined. She's done with men. Except as Malcom shows up in her life, she is mesmerized by those bright blue eyes.

Can two people who have been crushed find their way back to happiness? Or will they let their chance go?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynn Hammond
• Release date: Nov 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386971917

Book preview

Acknowledgments

I want to thank everyone who has read and corrected my paper. Each person has truly been very helpful. I cannot express enough thanks for my editor, Monica Bogza of Trusted Accomplice. I was given her information by another author to help me on my new journey of becoming a writer. I am grateful for her friendship, advice, and late nights where we talk about my books. Thank you for your dedication and hard work. To my family, who has supported me in this decision to start writing. I work a full-time job then come home and write until bed time. My husband and kids have shown so much support; they even sit on the couch with me while I type. To Bella Management Media for making my cover amazing. Thank you Randy and Michelle Sewell with RLS Images Photography for the awesome image of Logan Weeks. A big Thank you to Jamie Watts Photography for the cutest kids for the back of my cover. Thank you Kathy Grobusky, Toni Clinton and Ashely Watson, for the countless hours of reading and for encouraging me. Thank you to my mother-in-law, Jackie Rivers, who also took time to read, and pushed me to start this series because she had to know about the other characters. To all my author friends who took time out of their work to help me with mine. You all welcomed me with open arms, and I am so thankful. To all my readers who enjoy this book.

1

Malcom

6 months after Darcy’s death

I kick the covers off. Beckham is screaming in his crib. Since the day I brought him home from the hospital, all he does is cry. Doctors tell me babies get colic all the time, and Beckham has been through every baby formula known to mankind.

I have tried swaddling him, the swing, and drove around for hours with him in the car. I have been taking classes for single parents, and I am the only single dad. A single mother told me that he probably needs his mother. I didn’t want to get into why his mother is not here to help.

Sophia sometimes takes Beckham and when she cradles him in her arms, he turns his head to her nipple, trying to latch onto her covered boob. He seems to calm down when she holds him.

One of the mothers in the first baby class I took to learn what to do with a newborn, offered some breast milk for Beckham. It really helped with his colic so, every week in class, she brings several bags of breast milk in a lunch box cooler. I really wish Darcy could be here and see how much he has grown.

Linkin and Sophia are still at the house. Of course, I love having them here. Emma needs stability; she still doesn’t understand why her mother’s not coming home.

I’m trying to wrap my own mind around Darcy being really gone. It was like watching a falling star in the sky. In the blink of an eye, it’s gone.

Death sucks.

I have joint custody of Emma. Even though she’s not my biological daughter, the lawyer says I’m the only father she knows. In my heart, she is mine.

Malcom! Emma hollers through my closed door.

I climb out of bed, walk over, and open it. She’s standing there with Beckham’s bottle in her hand. Linkin’s dog, Max, is lying at her feet, and his tail is flapping on the carpet. Since they have moved in, this dog follows Emma around everywhere. I even had to take him with her to the doctor and let him sit in the car.

B’s hungry. She hands me the bottle.

Sophia must have heated it up.

Swooping Emma up, I kiss her on the forehead, and she giggles. Let’s go see Bubba.

I crack the door and find Beckham sitting up. He looks up and just gives me a big smile. He looks so much like Darcy.

Hey, sweet boy. You ready to get up? I walk over and lift him in my other arm.

Emma reaches out and ruffles his blond hair. He lets out a big belly laugh.

In two days, Nova, Sophia’s client and famous race car driver, gets married. She constantly stops by to talk about her dress and how she can’t wait to marry her handsome prince. Sophia and Zip have both worked hard on her wedding dress. Emma is the flower girl. I told her she really didn’t know my daughter enough to just throw her in the wedding, but Emma seems very fond of Nova. Since the day she walked in the house, looking for Sophia, they have been attached to the hip. It really irks me that everyone is falling for Nova’s spunkiness, but I won’t be fooled by it.

We fly out to Daytona today for Nova’s wedding rehearsal and big racing event tomorrow. It’s the five-hundred-miles-long Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series motor race.

I’m not usually someone who gets all giddy about trips, but I love NASCAR.

Malcom, hurry up! We have to be at the airport in an hour, Sophia hollers from downstairs. Max’s floppy ears spring up, and he turns to run down the stairs with Emma climbing backwards after him.

Feeding Beckham. Be down in thirty, I holler back.

After twenty minutes of feeding, I dress him and grab his diaper bag. Emma walks over to the wall and grabs her Mickey rolling bag. I forgot Darcy had ordered the bag for our Disney trip.

It was a surprise trip for our little girl, but that all changed after we lost Darcy. Linkin called and canceled the reservations. I offered to handle it, but when the travel agent contacted me, I froze. I couldn’t speak. Darcy’s information was on the whole package, and everything she had planned was perfect.

I was not strong enough to cancel it.

Mal, come on. Let’s see waves, Emma says, clapping.

We pull up at Charlotte Douglas airport. Nova has rented out an entire plane just for us. This woman is rolling in dough, but you wouldn’t know it. She doesn’t flaunt her money around. The guy she’s about to marry, Holden, is only with her for the money. I could tell right away, but that is none of my business.

I confronted Linkin about it since he’s been counseling them before marriage. He said the guy is a flake, but Nova seems to love him. The guy acts like a horny teenager, constantly rubbing her inner thigh or kissing her neck. I finally expressed my feelings about his behavior. I have kids, and Emma doesn’t need to see that kind of stuff.

Shit. Just thinking about him makes my blood boil. I tighten my hand around Beckam’s car seat and continue down the ramp to board the plane. I’ve been trying to figure out why it even bothers me. She’s not my sister or friend, but I know she’s making a huge mistake, marrying that jackass. But it’s her life; let her make the mistake.

Once both kids are asleep on the plane, I recline back and take a nap.

Heading into the kitchen to grab Beckham’s milk, I turn and see Darcy sitting at the table, drinking her coffee. She’s singing a song that I’ve never heard before. I walk closer to her, and she looks up with her bright blue eyes shining like a clear blue ocean. She’s talking to me, but I can’t hear what she’s saying. I slouch down beside her and cover her hand with mine. She tenses. I didn’t expect that from her.

I can finally make out what she’s saying. I can’t believe you are cheating on me!

I pull away. I would never cheat on you, Darcy. Where the hell are you getting that from?

I open my eyes and look around for Darcy. I see Sophia sitting across from me on the plane. I’m drenched in sweat. A bad dream. Just a bad dream.

Here, Malcom. Sophia hands me some baby wipes.

I wash off my face and neck.

Do you want to talk about it? she asks.

No. I hate feeling like the world is about to crash on me at any moment.

The dream felt so real. I wonder what she meant when she