The Second Chance Groom Read online

  The Second Chance Groom

  Texas Titan Romances

  Taylor Hart

  Contents

  Copyright

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Also by Taylor Hart

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Second Epilogue—Why not:)

  Free Book

  Also by Taylor Hart

  About the Author

  Copyright

  All rights reserved.

  © 2018 ArchStone Ink

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. The reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form whether electronic, mechanical or other means, known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written consent of the publisher and/or author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This edition is published by ArchStone Ink LLC.

  First eBook Edition: 2015

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the creation of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Foreword

  Dear readers

  If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of fast-paced, clean romances! There’s something immensely satisfying in cuddling up with a book that focuses on the emotional journey between the characters – all their trials, challenges, mistakes and ultimately triumphs!

  You’re sure to adore this collection featuring four tough and rugged NFL players looking for just the right women to claim victory over their hearts. Don’t miss these tender and touching stories!

  The Miracle Groom by Lucy McConnell: Cedar was only supposed to be a nanny for two months; but, Teo Parata will do everything in his power to convince Cedar that his love is real and that even a nanny can see a miracle.

  The Ghost Groom by Jennifer Youngblood: After a long, painful search that involved legions of duds, Ariana Sanchez finally meets Rennen Bradley, the perfect guy … until she learns that Rennen is the celebrated rookie who’s taking her brother’s position as starting running back for the Titans. Will Ariana choose her family or will her heart win out in the end?

  The Trustworthy Groom by Cami Checketts: Hailey Knight agrees to a fake marriage to cornerback, Brady Giles to protect them both from stalkers. When she falls in love with her husband, she knows it’s time to run, but Brady has never given up on an impossible battle.

  All best,

  RaeAnne Thayne

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

  Check out the latest book in Haven Point, SUGAR PINE TRAIL, available now. http://amzn.to/2CYQCWm

  Introduction

  I’ve been privileged to know Taylor Hart, Cami Checketts, Jennifer Youngblood, and Lucy McConnell for a few years. We even get together to have author lunch dates where we talk about how much fun we’re having writing our sweet romances. We get all excited as we talk about our characters and what’s happening to them. You would think these were real people we were talking about. Maybe because to us they are real people.

  To make it even more fun, the heroes in our stories are NFL football players--hot, athletic men who are driven to succeed despite their flaws. These stories wouldn’t be complete without our strong heroines who see past the flaws of these men to fall in love with them. I’ve enjoyed exploring these types of relationships in my own football romance series, the Fair Catch Sports Romance Series.

  Now, enjoy this exciting and romantic story about the players of the Texas Titans football team!

  Christine Kersey

  Author of the Fair Catch Sports Romance Series

  Also by Taylor Hart

  Bachelor Billionaire Romances

  The Country Groom

  The Unfinished Groom

  The Barefoot Groom

  The Masquerading Groom

  The Christmas Groom

  Rescue Me: Park City Firefighter Romance (A Bachelor Billionaire Companion)

  The Lost Groom

  The Undercover Groom

  The Last Play Series

  Last Play

  The Rookie

  Just Play

  A Player for Christmas

  Second String

  End Zone

  Hail Mary

  Snow Valley Series

  A Christmas in Snow Valley: The Christmas Eve Kiss

  Summer in Snow Valley: First Love

  Spring in Snow Valley: The Bet

  Prologue

  Would he show up tonight?

  It’d been the worst day. Cassidy’s best friend, Anthony Kincaid, had lost his mother to cancer and it was now only a matter of hours after the funeral.

  She’d stood next to her father at the graveside service and watched Anthony crumble into sobs. They were only sixteen, but Anthony had always seemed more stoic than any sixteen-year-old she knew. He’d always been the one to calm her over her own family problems.

  Nervously, she flicked on her flashlight and opened the book in front of her. It wouldn’t do to worry over Anthony. When she and her father left the Kincaid house after paying their respects to the family earlier that day, Anthony had taken her hand, squeezed it, his eyes glassy and said, "I’ll be there tonight."

  All of her wanted nothing more than to hold him. Wanted to take his pain. Wanted to be there for him. They’d known each other for two years. She’d met Anthony when she’d accidentally crossed into Kincaid-land without knowing it and he’d suddenly shown up and threatened to boot her off his property.

  She’d been thinking he was for real, until she’d seen the joke in his eyes. It was hard to explain it, once she’d first stared into those chocolate, amber eyes she’d known everything about him…or that’s how it’d felt.

  The past two years they’d gotten closer and closer, riding together, then just hanging out. Often she would watch him play the piano. She loved him. Fiercely. The past year they’d been there a lot with his mother, someone who Cassidy could say she loved, too.

  If Cassidy would have had a mother, she would have wanted her to be like Ellen Kincaid—pure kindness. They’d played board games and eaten snacks with her all year as she’d battled the cancer. Ellen had insisted on bringing a dance instructor in and Cassidy had been Anthony’s partner. Once again, Cassidy’s heart clutched and she wondered if Anthony would come tonight.

  Of course, she wouldn’t be mad at him for not coming. It was just what they did on Friday nights—sat in the makeshift tree house that had been on the property when her father had bought the place. Usually, they would watch a show together on his phone or talk. Sometimes they would hold hands, but
they’d never kissed before. Not because she hadn’t thought about it.

  For a few months now she’d been obsessed with kissing him. What would it feel like? He had a baby face other than just a thin line of facial hair growing in. She’d wanted to touch his face, but never had. She told him all the stories rolling around inside her head that she wanted to write down. He’d been the first person she’d ever considered calling a best friend.

  Her father had moved her…a lot. Cassidy had never been close to many people, just books. Anthony only seemed to have a couple of football friends and his brother, Kade.

  Kade had been kind to her, but at times offish. Anthony told her that Kade was taking the fact their mother was dying hard, who wouldn’t? Kade felt more pressure from his father. Again, as the older brother, who wouldn’t? Still, there seemed to be something else that she couldn’t put her finger on.

  A week ago her father had mentioned it was time to move again, and they’d gotten into a huge fight. She hated moving. He’d agreed they could stay until after the fall formal that Anthony had already asked her to. She was still mad about it enough that she’d slept in the tree house on the sleeping bag she kept out here. When she’d woken in the morning, Anthony had been there…staring at her. It would have been creepy, except the look on his face was like sunshine. "You didn’t answer your texts,” he’d said.

  Immediately, she’d gotten up, smoothed her hair and climbed out of the tree house. "I left my phone in my room when I rushed out," she’d told him, halfway embarrassed she hadn’t brushed her teeth or anything. Not too embarrassed, though. Not with Anthony.

  It was the first time he’d told her, "I’m glad you’re fighting to stay. I want you to stay.”

  At that moment, she had fallen in love with him. Maybe it was stupid, silly, and right out of a book, but she didn’t care.

  Now here she sat, outside of that very tree house, with her flashlight and her book, waiting. She would wait. So what if he was late? She would wait. If he didn’t come, he didn’t come, she told herself trying to focus on the story.

  Cassidy loved stories that had a strong love triangle in them. Anthony unceasingly made fun of her over this, telling her it was evident she wanted two guys fighting over her. She wanted to tell him…I just want you.

  How could she do that? They hadn’t even kissed yet.

  Nervous butterflies thrummed into her gut. Guilt assaulted her. She shouldn’t be thinking of kissing him tonight. Not tonight. He’d been at his mother’s funeral.

  Cassidy’s mother had died in childbirth, so she had no idea how hard it would be to have someone as wonderful as Ellen and then lose her. She could only imagine.

  She stared at the pages of text she’d just read in her book, without really reading them. Her mind was still spinning and she checked her phone. Anthony was forty minutes late now.

  Nothing.

  Unease rippled through her. Should she text him? She didn’t want to wake him if he had fallen asleep exhausted. She imagined him doing a face dive into his bed after all the company and sleeping to oblivion. How many times had she done exactly that after moving to a new place?

  That was the closest thing to dying she could imagine—knowing no one. Not having anyone.

  She heard the sound of a horse and then…he was there. Still in black pants and a white shirt, but his tie and suit coat were gone. Still glassy eyed, she noted in the moonlight.

  Before she knew it the book tumbled from her fingers as she stood. Then he was there, in front of her, looking raw and vulnerable and dangerous.

  He hesitated, sucking in a breath.

  Carefully, like she would approach one of her father’s new horses, she reached out, softly putting a hand on Anthony’s face. “Hey, Boss,” she said softly. It was the nickname she’d given him since he’d tried to kick her off the property.

  His body tensed and he closed his eyes for a moment before flashing them open and taking her hand. “Hey, Poe.” She’d forced him to listen to Edgar Allan Poe poems and the name had stuck.

  Anthony’s eyes moved to her lips, then back to her eyes. He leaned in, seeming to question if he could kiss her.

  Not waiting, she leaned forward, meeting him in the middle.

  Their lips touched and everything exploded inside of her, like tender butterfly wings, her heart raced and she knew she would never be the same.

  His hands gripped her waist, pulling her into him. "Cassidy,” he murmured through the kisses, soft and light.

  Pulling back she said, “We shouldn’t…I shouldn’t kiss you tonight.”

  Gently, he took her chin in his hand and traced her lips with his thumb. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day I met you.” Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed her again.

  She let him, giving in to him.

  He pulled back, his desperate eyes met hers, and a tear trickled down his cheek. “She’s gone, Cassidy, she’s really gone,” he sobbed. Pulling himself closer to her, his pain radiated out, penetrating her heart. At this moment she knew…she would never let him go.

  She wanted to hold on to him forever.

  Chapter 1

  10 Years Later

  Anthony Kincaid sat in his truck in front of Titan stadium, hesitant to go in for this publicity stunt today. As much as he liked the idea of helping at-risk kids, he was just a bit nervous to face the press. Between his injury last year and recently being picked up as second-string quarterback by the Titans, the press wanted the full story on him. He’d refused because the story wasn’t about him this year. He was determined everything would be focused on his brother, Kade.

  Anthony thought of Kade. Their relationship was close, tighter than ever. Their relationship with their father was close, too. Since Anthony’s accident, Kade’s marriage, and the upcoming baby, their father seemed kinder, lighter, more the father he remembered from his youth before his mother died.

  With a sigh, Anthony stepped out of the truck and walked toward the stadium, falling into step with his brother, who was chatting with Xavier Newton. Ace Sanchez was out with an injury, so technically the triple threat was no longer a thing, but Kade and Xavier were still media darlings. He was happy for them, most of the time. He was. It’d been such a great experience for Anthony to move to Dallas, live with his bro for a while, then buy a house in the Reserves next to Kade and Felicity. He really did like the redheaded, feisty woman.

  “Hey, Kade, Xavier, Anthony, over here!”

  Anthony saw James Knight, owner of the Titans, waving them over. He stood with Rennen Bradley, the guy who took Ace’s position, and Brady Giles, the new cornerback transfer from New England. A lot of testosterone in such small proximity, Anthony thought.

  Mr. Knight shook all of their hands, but focused on Anthony, plastering on a smile befitting the rugged businessman. “Just the second-chance quarterback I was looking for.”

  Anthony tried not to roll his eyes at the reference. He didn’t want to be a second-chance anything; he just wanted to play the game.

  James Knight’s eyes swept over all of them. “I was just telling everyone there’s a freelance sports reporter with the Dallas Star who will be doing interviews today. She’s just looking for a quote.” Pointedly, he gestured to Anthony. “Of course everyone is anticipating what is to come for you this season, so if you wouldn’t mind doing an interview with her later, that would be great.”

  A jolt of adrenaline shot through him. He wasn’t ready for the piranhas to uncover the secret he’d been hiding. Only his agent and, of course, his brother and father knew at this point. “I’ll give a quote, but I’m not up for a detailed interview.”

  Kade coughed. His eyes flicked toward Anthony in a look of disapproval.

  It’d been a bit tricky. Kade thought he got a say in everything in Anthony’s life, which wasn’t too outrageous since he’d been the one to convince James Knight to bring him onto the Titans. It’d been a win for the salary cap on Draft Day, because Anthony didn’t care if he only made the leag
ue minimum—not when he had the chance of drawing closer to his family, getting back on a roster, and being given a year to prove himself.

  “Just the quote,” Anthony said again, meeting James Knight’s gaze.

  Mr. Knight’s lip curled up a bit.

  Anthony hesitated, not wanting to tick off the owner, but he wasn’t going to give in, either. He wouldn’t risk everyone in Dallas finding out. Not this year. This was his brother’s year. This was the Titans’ year to win it all and they needed hometown support. If the press got a whiff of the thing he was trying to cover, it would create a crap storm for the Kincaids. A crap storm that would be his fault. “Not today,” he repeated firmly.

  Kade coughed again. “Should we go over what we want to teach the kids?” He gestured to the field.

  It was an out Anthony wouldn’t pass up. “Okay.” He turned to Mr. Knight, waiting to be dismissed.

  Mr. Knight frowned. “Fine, but I want an exclusive done on you soon.”

  “Sure.” Anthony took care to keep as casual as possible while he and Kade strode away from Mr. Knight, walking with his brother into the stadium and then out into the beautiful arena. He figured he’d been shielded from Mr. Knight thanks to Kade and his father getting along with him, but he could see how the older gentleman could be vicious. Didn’t owners of pro teams have to be?