Free Second Chance at Love (Love Conquers All) by Victoria Wells Page A

and two years later Kyle came along.” Letting out a deep breath, she placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. “After the kids were born we started drifting apart. I felt it, tried to talk to him about it, but he just denied everything. Long story short, after Gregory’s death I found out he had called out from work and was on his way to meet some chick he met on the internet.”
     
    “Dayum,” Dom mumbled under his breath. “I’m so sorry baby. How did you find out?”
     
    “I was cleaning out his email account and came across several emails. They hadn’t had a physical relationship yet. But I’m sure if they had met it would have eventually gone there. The thing that really pissed me off was that he had confided in this woman that he felt smothered being a husband and father.”
     
    “Dayuuuum.”
     
    Karen laughed and threw her napkin at Dom. “Can you say anything else but ‘dayuuuum?’ I’m pouring my heart out to you here. My sister and mother don’t even know any of this stuff.”
     
    Catching the napkin, Dom chuckled. “I’m just saying, dude was a trip.”
     
    Karen rolled her eyes. “You telling me. I don’t even want to get into how his parents totally disowned my babies after the funeral.”
     
    Now that bit of information had Dom sitting straight up in his seat. “Why the hell did they do that?”
     
    The harsh tone of Dom’s voice touched Karen. He really did care about her babies. Shrugging slender shoulders she said, “They never really wanted us to get married. They told us we were making a mistake. After Gregory died they pretty much told me they didn’t want to be bothered with me or my children. Gregory’s older sister had three children, two girls and a boy. They had no problem telling me those were the only grandchildren they were claiming.”
     
    Dom reached across the table and took Karen’s hand in his. “It’s their loss. Ashley and Kyle are beautiful, smart, lovable, and caring kids.” Leaning across the table, Dom placed a tender kiss on Karen’s lips. “Just like their mother.”
     
    She couldn’t keep the blush from creeping up her neck and fanning out across her face. “Thanks, Dom. That’s so sweet of you to say.”
     
    “It’s the truth.” Standing, he put on his leather jacket. Karen followed suit, putting on her coat. Holding out his hand, she put hers in his as he walked her to her car.
     
    Pulling out her keys from her purse, she smiled up at Dom. “Aren’t we a crazy pair?”
     
    Chuckling, Dom pulled her close, giving her a deep, thorough kiss. “Nah, baby, we’re a perfect match.”
     

Chapter 13
     
     
     
    Ring…Ring…Ring
     
    “I’ll get it, sugar!” Patrick yelled out as he picked up the telephone on the kitchen wall. “Hello.”
     
    “Hey, Poppa Patrick. How are you?” Karen greeted her stepfather, Patrick Wahl.
     
    Karen and Starr learned almost two years ago that their mother, Donna, had not only been involved with, but living with Patrick while still married to her estranged husband. The relationship was exposed when Harold Avery came crawling out from whatever rock he’d been under for the past ten years demanding his daughters convince Donna to give their dead marriage another chance. Harold had been a holdout on signing the divorce papers until Patrick offered him an undisclosed amount of money to sign the papers. The following month, Patrick and Donna were married in a small, private ceremony.
     
    Hearing his stepdaughter’s voiced caused his blue eyes to crinkle in the corners. “Hey lil’ sugar!” Patrick’s voice boomed. “How are you and the grandbabies doing?”
     
    Karen laughed. She got a kick out of Patrick’s nicknames for her and Starr. Starr was Sugar Number Two since she had met him first and she was Lil’ Sugar. “We’re doing fine. Getting ready for the holidays. I can’t believe Christmas is less than a week away. Are you and Mommy still coming for