Second Chance Love: Left Hand Justice

By Anne Beck

Dean had only two dreamsthe first was going in the navy. The second was to marry the only woman that had his heart. Fate, on the other hand, had other plans for him. When his first dream was about to come true, the second was falling apart in front of his eyes.

Nicole dreamed of the day she would be Deans wife and the future they had planned. Nicole begged Dean to stay here with her. She knew that Dean dreamed of going in the navythey had talked about it for years. The secret she carried changed all that, and for the life of her, she couldnt tell him.

Now ten years later both are back in their hometown. Fate had put them on a direct course. Will her secret be more than he can take, or will the threat to her kill that love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: May 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982202873

Anne Beck

ANNE BECK is the mother of three children. She is a grandmother of two grandchildren. She refers to herself as a hopeless romantic. She lives in Salem, Oregon. She enjoys the great Pacific Northwest hiking and trips to the beach. By taking life problems and finding ways to cope with them and still remain true to ones self. She believes we all have an inner strength that when tested can only show you just how strong you can be. She wants the heroines and heroes to have flaws just like the rest of us.

Book preview

Second Chance Love

Left Hand Justice

ANNE BECK

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Copyright © 2018 ANNE BECK.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0288-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0287-3 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 05/01/2018

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 Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Dedication

To the things in my life that I have been able to use to bring forth these stories of love, pain, and joy. To my family that has been there for me. For my friends that have asked me to continue to share my stories. May I continue to be able to bring stories that keep you turning the pages.

I would like to dedicate this book to all the people that have loved and lost only to find and love each other again. May your journey be filled with enlightenment and know that fate has plans for you. Trust that you are where you need to be when you need to be. May you have the strength to stand for justice and truth.

May you always love without regard and learn that love is one of the strongest forces. There is nothing like loving someone and feeling that love back. It is the strength that gets us through the tough times and gives us hope. It is the desire to be a better person for the ones you love and to have a connection that only you know.

To an amazing person that without her help and time to help me shape this story. I want to thank you for the time and energy that you have given me to help with this book. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, when you took on the pain to correct my words and make it the story it is. Lynda without your gift with editing I would have been lost thank you for your help and understanding. To Michelle without your second set of eyes to make sure it is correct thank you also. I truly value your help, and the time it took. It has been my pleasure to work with you both and to acknowledge here to all those that read this book you both had a large part in shaping this book.

Acknowledgment

To the readers, please leave a review and tell me what you like or didn’t like about it. Remember to look for the next book that has Sam and Liz in Sweet Forbidden Love. How love can never be wrong. Look for the last book that continues with the story of Al and Sherry. If you have not had a chance, read the story that started the whole thing start with

• Shattered the Story of Tess and Logan

• Safe Surrender, of Nick and Beth a story that will have you on the edge of your seat to see if love will save or will it end.

Thank you for reading Second Chance Love you can always find me on https://anne-beck.wixsite.com/mysite.

Chapter One

Dean and Nicole were high school sweethearts. They fell in love and were an item all through high school. No matter what was going on, they were always together. Nicole was right there, cheering Dean on in football.

They made plans for their future after graduation. When Dean was out of boot camp, they would plan a wedding and be together forever. Or so they thought; until fate stepped in to shatter their hopes and dreams.

Days before Dean left for boot camp Nicole asked him to stay. She couldn’t explain why; only that she wanted him to stay with her. The Navy was Dean’s dream. It was the only thing he wanted to do with his life. They fought about it for several days. Nicole wanted him to choose her and not go. In the heat of the moment, she told him if the Navy was more important to him than she was, then he shouldn’t bother to come back for her.

With that, Dean left with a heavy heart. They had talked about this for years. She knew how important this was to him. He didn’t know why Nicole was acting like this. He went to Nicole’s house to try and talk to her one last time before he left, but she wouldn’t even come to the door to talk to him. Dean told her mother that he promised to write as soon as he reached camp. He asked her mom to tell Nicole that he loved her, and he would come back to her.

Dean spent all his spare time each day writing letters after letters to Nicole telling her all about boot camp. He told her how much he missed her. He waited for a letter from Nicole, but never received one. Days turned into weeks, then months.

Immediately after Dean completed boot camp, his Commanding Officer asked him to come into the office and gave him the news that he would be a great candidate for the SEAL program and should try for it. He wrote a letter to tell Nicole to tell her he wouldn’t be coming home for a few more months and that he would let her know as soon as he could.

****

Nicole knew she was pregnant before Dean left. She was scared to tell him or even her parents. She needed him here with her. She wanted him to choose her over the Navy. She didn’t know why she told him not to bother coming back for her.

She cried every day and wished she could take it back. She knew that she screwed up and was scared she had lost him. She kept hoping that he would write like he told her mom, but still she had not received a single letter from him.

She was getting worried about him. She thought he didn’t love her as much as he had told her. Nicole felt all alone and scared. How was she going to have this beautiful baby and raise it without Dean beside her? All she wanted was to be married to him and be the mother of his children. They had talked about it over and over, and now she felt as if she messed it up. She didn’t know what to do to fix it or even where to start. But Nicole was strong, and she knew that the first thing she needed to do was push past the emotions.

Nicole went out to his parent’s house to ask them if they had heard from him. She drove up, parked, and stepped out of the truck her dad let her use. She had always loved this house. It was big and had a large, wraparound front porch. His mom always had plants and flowers everywhere.

She climbed the stairs, knocked, and waited. Dean’s mom Heather opened the door and stepped out with a smile on her face. Heather wiped her hands on a towel and the sweet fragrance of something baking wafted out the door from the kitchen. Heather always loved Nicole and hoped one day that Nicole would become part of her family. She would be the daughter she never had. She only had boys and missed having a daughter.

Nicole, what a pleasure to see you! How have you been? Heather asked. Giving Nicole a hug, she moved aside to let her in and they both walked to the kitchen. It was a very large kitchen with a table that could seat ten. Heather told her to take a seat as she opened the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of lemonade. Heather picked up two glasses and sat them on the table. Dean’s mom was what every girl wanted to be. She was warm, caring, and took great pride in her home and the way Heather took care of the men in her life. She poured the lemonade and handed a glass to Nicole. Nicole wasn’t sure if it would stay down, but she didn’t want to hurt Heather’s feelings, so she just sipped.

What brings you out here? Heather asked.

Nicole took a breath, but she couldn’t seem to speak. She opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to get the words out to ask if Dean was okay and if they had heard from him. She took a deep breath, looked up into Heather’s eyes and asked.

Have you heard from Dean? I mean… I haven’t received one letter. I’m getting worried about him. Her voice cracked a few times and tears formed in her eyes.

Heather looked at her with complete confusion and bewilderment.

Yes, dear. We hear from him all the time. In fact, he’s called a few times. This is strange that he hasn’t been writing to you. Heather looked confused.

After hearing what Heather said, Nicole knew that it was over, and Dean was never going to come back. They were never going to get married and start a family or be together. She closed her eyes as the pain washed over her. She knew that this was her problem now. Heather watched as a single tear slipped down her face.

Nicole was confused. She stood up, thanked Dean’s mom for the lemonade, and started for the door.

Nicole, sweetheart, are you okay? Nicole only nodded. She continued walking toward the truck. She didn’t know how she was going to drive home; she felt numb all over.

She walked out to the truck, started it, and drove away. Her eyes filled up with tears and she had to wipe them off to see the road. When they were falling faster than she could wipe, she pulled over and leaned her head on the wheel. She cried as her heart was splitting and broken with the news.

She must have sat there for hours. When she finally looked up, it was dark. She turned the truck on and drove home, not knowing what to do.

****

At the same time, Dean was getting ready to go into SEAL training and all contact had stopped. He wouldn’t be able to contact his parents or Nicole. Dean was upset and disappointed about not hearing from Nicole. He tried to call a few times, but each time he tried, she wasn’t there.

He couldn’t give them a number for her to call back. After placing the phone down, he felt it was over and she didn’t want him in her life. All the time they had spent together and all the plans they made now meant nothing to her.

Dean replayed the last time they were together, when she begged him to stay, telling him that she didn’t believe he loved her as much as he said. Was he missing something? Nicole would tell him over and over how proud she was that he wanted to serve.

She was looking forward to hearing about all the places he would be going. Nicole would ask if she would be able to go with him to some of those places, too. The last time he saw her, they were sitting in the café where they had met for years. It was their spot. After the fight, he left and never returned.

He could still remember looking back to see the tears falling, and the look of pain across her face. He wanted to walk back, pull her close and tell her he would stay. At that moment, he did, but he had dreamed of this adventure for his whole life.

He just couldn’t give it up, not even for the woman he loved. Dean turned and walked away. That was the last time he saw her. He could feel his heart breaking and wished he could help her understand that he loved her; that this dream of his was just something he couldn’t give up, even for her.

****

Nicole called her aunt to ask if she could come to stay with her. She needed someone to talk to and couldn’t talk to her parents. She packed her bags and waited for her aunt to pick her up and take her home to Olympia, Washington. It didn’t take her aunt long to understand why Nicole wanted to spend time with her.

Her Aunt promised not to tell a soul and agreed to let Nicole stay there until the birth. She was welcome to stay for as long as she wanted or needed before going back. She cried at night for the loss of her love, and for the child she carried that would never know his/her father.

Months later she gave birth to a healthy boy. One look and you would know who the father was. Nicole stayed with her aunt and found a part time job at a restaurant. She worked the evening shift and didn’t date. Oh, there were guys that tried to get her to go out, but her heart only knew of one love, and she lost him because she couldn’t tell him about the baby.

She received a letter from her mom that her dad was very sick, and she needed her to come home. She packed up and moved back to her home town with a story that she had a boyfriend. When she told him that he was going to be a father, he turned his back and left her to raise her son alone. Her mom was happy to have a grandson. It helped to have him around to brighten up the sadness from her husband’s illness that grew worse each day.

As Nicole took care of the ranch, her mom took care of her father and her son. Lucas was now four, and a handful most of the time. She was very tired when she returned home at the end of her work day. She was glad that her mom would make dinner for the family. It took all her strength to get Lucas to eat. She would bathe him and tuck him into bed before falling asleep herself to start it all over the next day.

She dreamed of Dean most nights and what their life might have been if she had not pushed him away. She cried many nights from all the things she couldn’t control. She still loved Dean and she wanted things to be different.

Her father passed away about a year after she returned home. Her mom was lost without him. Nicole was truly worried about her mom to see her so sad. The only thing that helped was Lucas; he took part of the sadness away by just being there.

Her days were long and hard. That winter was the coldest that she could remember. She could never remember a winter like this. It was so cold that the water lines froze. She had to load up feed to drop off for the livestock and break the ice in the water trough for them to drink.

The drives to get hay to them in the dead of winter were very long and tiring. She would never ask the ranch hands to do anything she wasn’t willing to do. She worked alongside them in the bitter cold trying to keep the ranch going. At one point, she had to sell part of the acreage to pay the taxes and the ranch hands.

It gradually became clear that she wasn’t going to be able to continue taking care of everything. She sold all but a few acres. She let the ranch hands go because she couldn’t pay them anymore and put the money from the land sale into the bank.

Lucas was now six years old and starting elementary school. She found a job in town and dropped him off at school before going to work at the local restaurant. She picked him up after school, took him home for dinner, then returned to work.

A family friend owned a bar. Jerry told her she could work for him. Jerry was more like an Uncle and made sure that no one was too friendly with her. He walked her out to her truck each night when they closed at 2 am.

She would drive home, clean up the kitchen, then put a load of clothes in the washer before going to bed for a few hours to start her day all over again. Her mom did little around the house. Most of the time she simply sat by the window and looked out. Nicole noticed that her mom was losing weight and she tried to get her to eat but without much success.

When Lucas was about ten, he could ride the school bus home. One day in the early spring with snow still on the ground, he walked into the house after getting home from school. He yelled for his grandma. He was met with silence - a creepy sound of nothing, which was very strange. His grandma would always have the TV going or the radio.

He walked around the living room and then into the kitchen, but didn’t find her. When he went upstairs, he found her on the floor in the hall. Lucas yelled at her and tried to shake her, but she didn’t open her eyes. He ran downstairs, picked up the phone and called his mom at work.

Nicole drove home, too scared to think of what she might find. She had Lucas call the police to get someone there quickly, and the EMT, too. When she drove up all she saw were a several trucks with blue and red lights and a few men by the front door.

When she ran toward the house, a large man turned and stepped in front of her to block her way. She was held back by strong arms, but when she looked up into the eyes of the man, all she saw were the same hazel eyes that her son had. The same eyes as the father of her son.

Lucas came up to her and wrapped his arms around her as the man took them to the Sheriff’s car. He opened the door for them to sit down and knelt in front of them. He spoke in a quiet voice. She closed her eyes as a tear fell out. She had forgotten that Dean’s dad David was the town’s Sheriff.

A stretcher was being carried out of the house. She saw the sheet that covered her mom’s head and body. A man came up to talk to David and they had stepped away from Nicole. They were talking in very quiet tones. The other man looked up at Nicole and just shook his head.

David turned around and walked back to where she was sitting in his car. Kneeling, he took her hand in his and told her that her mom Rose had passed away.

In fact, it looked like she might have been like that for most the day as her body was cold. I’m so sorry, Nicole.

Nicole stared at him. The words didn’t make any sense and she kept shaking her head back and forth. She kept saying no over and over as the tears fell down her face. Lucas put his arms around her and hugged her.

Nicole bent down to hug him as sadness circled her heart. She could feel the cold bleed into it as it turned it to a piece of ice. She stood and took a step, but the world turned dark. She could feel herself falling but couldn’t do a thing to stop it.

David reached out and caught her before she hit the ground. Lucas was screaming at her to open her eyes just like he did with his grandma. He looked up into David’s eyes with tears and asked him to do something for her.

David looked at the boy and thought he reminded him of someone.

Please help her, please sir, the boy asked again. David took one more look at him and a light bulb came on.

Son, I’ll take care of her, and you, too, David said, picking Nicole up and walking back to the car to place her in the back