When I was a kid playing ball at recess, everyone in the schoolyard wanted to walk away with a victory. We all wanted to win the game. But when someone missed a turn or someone else stepped out of bounds, they were allowed another chance. We called that a “do-over.”
There have been so many times since then that I’ve wished I could have a do-over:
The day I snapped at my husband because I was distracted and worrying about something completely unrelated to him. The night I opened my mouth at a party and nerves made me say the wrong thing. The time I forgot to look at my calendar and missed the most important appointment of the week.
Luckily, those were all relatively minor problems. I rescheduled the appointment. My friends at the party laughed off my comment knowing it came from nerves. Yes, my husband even accepted my apology. And yet I still wanted to rewind the clock and have the chance to do those things all over again without messing them up.
But what if any of my minor problems had been something much worse?
What if someone made a huge mistake that completely changed the course of his or her life, and there was no do-over, no chance to apologize, no hope of making things right?
That was the what-if that turned into my current book.
I knew Jason and Layne were teenaged sweethearts, that they had gotten married and she became pregnant, that he left her before their baby was born, and that they’d gone through a divorce. I also knew Layne had later married someone else. After those bare bones of story, everything else was up for grabs…except the fact that Jason returns home.
He wants to see his son. He wants to accept the responsibility he’d once walked away from. And if the heroine doesn’t agree, their story will never have a happy ending.
What do you think she’ll do?
If you were the heroine, would you let the hero have a do-over?
Excerpt
“What happened between you and your ex?” He hadn’t meant to ask, but now the question hung there, he realized how much he wanted to know.
“That’s not any of your business. And I told you, he’s out of the picture.”
“All the more reason for me to man up and take responsibility.”
“I don’t need your money. I do fine.”
“Mommy.”
Scott’s voice startled them both. They turned toward the door to the hall. The boy stood framed in the doorway, rubbing his eyes just the way he’d done the past couple of nights after Jason settled him in bed.
Tucking his son in at night and reading him a bedtime story—two things he’d never thought he would get the chance to do.
Two things he’d probably never do again if Layne insisted on going back to work and kicking him out of her life.
“The sheriff is coming?” Scott asked.
“No, honey,” Layne said. “That siren you heard was on television.”
“Oh.” He crossed the room and climbed up onto the edge of the couch. Layne still sat back with the pillow against the arm of the chair. Scott leaned against her side.
Jason eyed the boy, then looked at Layne again and said quietly, “I’m not buying into your doing fine, either. Not when you wake up in a sickbed and the first thoughts you have—after your kids—are about the bills you need to pay.”
“Everybody’s got bills.”
“Right. Responsibilities they take care of. So let me take care of mine.”
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Single mom Layne Slater thought she’d seen the last of Jason McAndry when he chose the rodeo over her and their unborn son. Now Jason’s back in Cowboy Creek and just as handsome as ever. But Layne can’t give in to those feelings again. She has to protect her children…and her heart.
Jason wants to try to make up for the pain he caused when he left. The least he can do is help Layne while he’s home. Before long, Jason realizes he’s finally ready to be the husband, father and man his family deserves. But can Jason prove to Layne that this time, their love is forever?
Find the book:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Charge-Hitching-Post-Hotel/dp/0373756283
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cowboy-in-charge-barbara-white-daille/1123353803
Books-A-Million
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Cowboy-Charge/Barbara-White-Daille/9780373756285
Harlequin
https://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=65377
IndieBound
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373756285
Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/cowboy-in-charge
About the Author
Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom.
Cowboy in Charge is the latest book in The Hitching Post Hotel series. Other books in the series will follow. And at the end of 2016, she begins a new sweet romance series for Entangled Bliss.
You can find more info about Barbara and her books at the following locations:
Website https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Blog https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/blog
Newsletter https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
Twitter https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
Amazon author page https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ
Harlequin author page https://www.harlequin.com/author.html?authorid=1244
Goodreads author page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529361.Barbara_White_Daille
Comment
Delilah – thanks so much for hosting me today!
Readers – I’ll be around if you have a question or comment or feel inclined to weigh in on the subjects of forgiveness and second chances.
Comment
And here’s my second chance: I forgot to say Happy Friday, and thanks for dropping in! 😉
Comment
Happy Friday! 😀 Second chances… I think it would be great to have do overs or forgiveness for certain things, but there are definitely some things that can not be forgotten or forgiven. People do make mistakes… all depends on how bad they are and the circumstances.
Comment
Hi, Colleen – happy Friday to you, too!
That’s definitely true about there being some things we just can’t forgive. Every situation is different. So are the consequences, which has to play a big part in whether we decide to forgive or walk away.
Thanks for swinging by to visit!