A.C. Arthur: Second Chance, Baby

Her body was instantly on fire, her tongue reluctantly anticipating the silky feel of his. “This doesn’t solve our problems.”

“No,” he answered, then used his tongue to stroke fire into her mouth, pulling out the moment she was about to give in. “But it’s a damn good start to our reconciliation.”

He wasn’t lying about that, Felicia thought, and then leaned her body against his. His arms wrapped quickly around her, locking her in place. “You’re not playing fair,” she gasped, then nibbled on his bottom lip, loving the brush of his low-trimmed goatee against her face.

“All’s fair in love and war.”

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was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school, and she hasn’t stopped since.

Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, racy characters and fresh dialogue—thus keeping readers on their toes! Visit her Web site at www.acarthur.net.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Special thanks and acknowledgment to A.C. Arthur for her contribution to The Braddocks: Secret Son miniseries.

Dear Reader,

Bringing Tyson and Felicia to life was a wonderful experience. I believe these two are the epitome of what makes a marriage work: love, prayer and compromise. The Braddocks are like any normal family struggling with the grief process, except they have the added pain of trying to figure out exactly what happened to their loved one.

A baby will be the second chance that Ty and Felicia need, but the legacy of Harmon Braddock will be the grounding force to keep them going.

I hope you enjoy this installment of the Braddocks!

A.C.

In Loving Memory of Minister Shelton L. Moore,

1952–2007

You will always have a very special place in my heart.

To Bernadette E. Moore

Love. Hope. Faith. May they all see you through.

Acknowledgments

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

A very special thanks to Adrianne Byrd for all the brainstorming and chitchats about the Braddocks.

To Mavis Allen for recruiting me to be on this very special project and to Kelli Martin for stepping in and making this a great continuity.

He couldn’t get her out of his mind.

Tyson Braddock walked along the busy street without paying a bit of attention to his surroundings. He’d lived in Houston all his life, so he wasn’t amazed by the sights. Besides, his mind was usually too preoccupied with business to take in the scenery. Today, however, it wasn’t business that plagued him.

Anyone who knew Ty would be surprised by that fact alone.

At this moment there was just too much going on in his life. It was early October. The year was quickly coming to an end and Ty couldn’t tell if he was glad or sad about it. It was natural to lean more toward sad since in the last nine months he’d had his wife walk out on him, his father die, his wife come back to him and then leave him again.

His dad’s death…Ty was just beyond devastated.

Harmon Braddock had not only been an influential politician but a devoted husband and a family man. Except for the months leading up to his death, when his father had seemed preoccupied with something bigger than politics and his family combined. Ty hadn’t paid that much attention, although he now admitted he should have.

Congressman Harmon Braddock had been a pillar of the community, a successful district attorney turned politician who had gained the adoration and respect of the majority of the town’s citizens. The Braddock name was as close as you could get to royalty in Houston. So it was understandable that Harmon’s accident and death would be newsworthy. Though Ty doubted the press knew of the inconsistencies.

Ty, Malcolm and Shondra had picked up on those inconsistencies and were now wondering what it all meant. Was their father killed? Was he involved in some type of political conspiracy? And if so, how were the three of them going to uncover the truth and seek justice for their father?

The Braddock children were determined to do just that.

Ty was the middle of three children. His older brother was Malcolm, the one his parents clearly expected to walk in Harmon’s footsteps. His younger sister, Shondra, was beautiful and respected for her intelligence in her profession as a high-powered, successful management and compliance officer. Ty, true to middle-child syndrome, felt loved but burdened with the need to over-achieve just to earn a distinct place in his family. He’d been born with money but felt compelled to make his mark in business on his own. So he’d spent his entire adult life focused on success in business. In that quest he was relentless.

Continuing his walk, Ty turned the corner, vaguely noticing people going in and out of the shops that lined the street. It was a crisp fall day and he deeply inhaled the fresh air. With his hands thrust in his pockets, Ty let himself remember one of the most painful nights of his life. The night he’d found out Harmon was dead.

Shondra, whom he and Malcolm still called by her childhood nickname, “Shawnie,” had been the one to call him well after midnight. He had just gotten into bed after working on a proposal for Christopher Brentwood of Brentwood Holdings. Shawnie hadn’t given him much information except that their father’s car had gone speeding out of control, flipping over and over before careening down an embankment. And that he needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. By the time he’d arrived, his father was gone.

For days he’d functioned on sheer autopilot. His condo in the downtown area of Houston seemed even bigger and emptier. Almost like a tomb. And only six months before, his wife of five years had moved out.

Felicia taught first grade at the local elementary school. She loved it and so Ty tried not to press the issue about her staying home, no matter how much he wished she would. One evening he’d come home from work to find she was packed and gone. He’d talked to her a week later and she’d been adamant about the separation. Ty had been flabbergasted. They’d been so happy one day, then she was yelling and crying the next.

One thing he was absolutely certain of—he and Felicia were meant to be together. If she needed a few months to get over whatever it was she was going through, he was willing to give her that.

Except he hadn’t anticipated his father’s death or the strange feelings and yearnings that would come as a result.

Felicia Turner Braddock was compassionate and loyal. On the day of the funeral, when she had come walking back into his family home after six months of being away, he’d felt a soothing calm wash over him. Very little shock. It was like his body and soul had just been patiently waiting for her. She’d embraced him immediately, and Ty had known without a doubt that with her here he could make it through this day, and the next.