For all those experiencing love the second time around.
My Heavenly Father, thank You for my life. You never cease to amaze me with Your blessings!
To my husband, Lance, you continue to show me why you’ll always be my #1 hero!
To my children, family and friends, thank you for your continued support. I appreciate and love you!
A special thank-you to my son-in-law, Otis Sutton, Sr., for the crash course in Madden (this story and Places in My Heart). Love you so much!
To my Club N.E.O. sisters, I love you ladies!
A special thank-you to the readers and authors I’ve met on this journey. You continue to enrich my life.
Thank you to my editor, Patience Bloom, for your editorial guidance and support.
A very special thank-you to my agent, Sarah E. Younger. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate having you in my corner.
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“Are you out of your freaking mind?”
Lauren Emerson paused in her packing and glanced over at her best friend sitting on the other side of the bed. “What? I just think it’s time to move back home. I miss my family.” She had moved to Phoenix from LA eight years ago to complete her master’s in nutrition at Arizona State and stayed after being offered a job at the hospital where she had worked as an intern. Now she had a chance to go back to LA, and with a job that most people could only dream about.
Valencia Flores snorted. “Moving back home because ‘I miss my family’ is getting a nice job at a hospital or some other health center, not taking a job with the LA Cobras football team.” She jumped up. “This is like...like crazy.”
“Maybe so, but I can’t pass up this opportunity.”
“What do you think he’s going to say when he walks in and sees you?”
Lauren resumed folding her shirts and placing them in the open suitcase. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time, and I’m sure Malcolm has forgotten all about me.”
Valencia stared at Lauren as if she had lost her mind. “A man does not forget the woman who broke his heart. Malcolm Gray loved you and you loved him. Everybody knew it. We were all just waiting for the wedding bells.”
Lauren tossed the top in and blew out a long breath. She had been waiting for the same thing—until she made a foolish mistake. By the time she realized it, Lauren had ruined the best thing in she had going. “I’m sure there may be a few tense moments, but we’re both adults and professionals. I plan to do my job and that’s all. Not many people get the chance to be a nutritionist for a professional football team. And this will go a long way in giving me the credibility I need to write the book on nutrition for athletes.”
Valencia folded her arms and angled her head thoughtfully. “Are you sure that’s the only reason you’re going?”
“Of course.” Lauren had asked herself the same