Buffy Andrews - A Year of Second Chances

One wish list, a whole new future!

When Scarlett comes across a box containing her most precious items from her teenage years, she’s forced to confront the adult she has become. As a divorced mother of two twentysomethings, Scarlett has to admit her life has ground to a halt! Whatever happened to that girl whose hopes and dreams were so naively displayed in a wish list for her life?

So, armed with the list, Scarlett sets about checking off each and every item possible, determined to fulfil her promises to her younger self. Some are easy. Dancing in the rain? Bring on the next thunderstorm! Marrying her high-school sweetheart? Not so easy when married Jake lives clear across the country!

But what started out as a challenge to herself quickly takes on a life of its own, catapulting Scarlett out of her slump and into a life even her younger self could never have dreamed of!

Also by Buffy Andrews Book List Title Page Author Bio Acknowledgements Dedication 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 Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Epilogue Excerpt Copyright

The Christmas Violin

The Moment Keeper

It’s in the Stars

Our Fragile Hearts

A Year of Second Chances

Buffy Andrews

ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

Contents

Cover

Blurb One wish list, a whole new future! When Scarlett comes across a box containing her most precious items from her teenage years, she’s forced to confront the adult she has become. As a divorced mother of two twentysomethings, Scarlett has to admit her life has ground to a halt! Whatever happened to that girl whose hopes and dreams were so naively displayed in a wish list for her life? So, armed with the list, Scarlett sets about checking off each and every item possible, determined to fulfil her promises to her younger self. Some are easy. Dancing in the rain? Bring on the next thunderstorm! Marrying her high-school sweetheart? Not so easy when married Jake lives clear across the country! But what started out as a challenge to herself quickly takes on a life of its own, catapulting Scarlett out of her slump and into a life even her younger self could never have dreamed of!

Book List Also by Buffy Andrews Book List Title Page Author Bio Acknowledgements Dedication 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 Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Epilogue Excerpt Copyright The Christmas Violin The Moment Keeper It’s in the Stars Our Fragile Hearts

Title Page A Year of Second Chances Buffy Andrews ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

Author Bio BUFFY ANDREWS lives in south central Pennsylvania with her husband, Tom, and wheaten cairn terrier, Kakita. By day, she works for USA Today Network as its Regional Engagement Manager for the Northeast. By night, she writes middle-grade, young adult and women's fiction. Some of her fiction ideas pop into her head at the most inopportune times, such as during a sermon or in the shower or when she’s supposed to be listening in a meeting. She’s written all over church bulletins, jumped out of the shower more than once to write down an idea and turned meeting handouts into storyboards. If you see her out and about, don’t be surprised if you see her pull out the notebook she keeps in her purse. She’s forever taking notes she’ll use later. After all, life is full of wonderful details to capture.

Acknowledgements I thank God for walking with me each and every day, for giving me the strength and courage to push forward despite whatever obstacles I might face. I thank my husband, Tom, and sons, Zach and Micah, for their endless support and encouragement. I love you guys more than you’ll ever know. I thank my friends and family who have cheered me on and have always been there when I needed an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or arms for a warm hug. I love you all so very much! Lastly, I thank my editor Victoria Oundjian who has pushed and challenged me to make this book the best it could be. Thank you for your unwavering support and for helping to bring this book to the world. Blessings to each and every one of you, Buffy

Dedication To Tom, The love of my life

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

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Epilogue

Excerpt

Copyright

BUFFY ANDREWS

lives in south central Pennsylvania with her husband, Tom, and wheaten cairn terrier, Kakita.

By day, she works for USA Today Network as its Regional Engagement Manager for the Northeast.

By night, she writes middle-grade, young adult and women's fiction.

Some of her fiction ideas pop into her head at the most inopportune times, such as during a sermon or in the shower or when she’s supposed to be listening in a meeting. She’s written all over church bulletins, jumped out of the shower more than once to write down an idea and turned meeting handouts into storyboards.

If you see her out and about, don’t be surprised if you see her pull out the notebook she keeps in her purse. She’s forever taking notes she’ll use later. After all, life is full of wonderful details to capture.

I thank God for walking with me each and every day, for giving me the strength and courage to push forward despite whatever obstacles I might face.

I thank my husband, Tom, and sons, Zach and Micah, for their endless support and encouragement. I love you guys more than you’ll ever know.

I thank my friends and family who have cheered me on and have always been there when I needed an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or arms for a warm hug. I love you all so very much!

Lastly, I thank my editor Victoria Oundjian who has pushed and challenged me to make this book the best it could be. Thank you for your unwavering support and for helping to bring this book to the world.

Blessings to each and every one of you, Buffy

To Tom,

The love of my life

Chapter 1

I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to die, that the radiologist simply wanted to double-check my right breast to make sure it was as benign as the left. Nothing more than a big ball of size 36C fat. But the C word kept popping up like that irritating “unexpected item in the bagging area” message I always seem to get after scanning every third item at self-checkout.