Life's Second Journey

Book excerpt: Melanie Holmes lived the majority of her childhood in foster homes leaving her with anxiety that she fights even in adulthood. Working her way up from teller to bank vice president gave her confidence, purpose, and independence, everything she’s always wanted. Everything except a family—a real gather ’round the kitchen, spend holidays with, get on your nerves, never let you down kind of family. And while her work might keep her financially secure, position and prestige make for a lonely existence. When her job is threatened, Melanie’s world falls apart causing her anxiety to come back with a vengeance. But who do you turn to when you have no one? Acquisitions VP, James Samuels wonders where his life is headed. He’s a workaholic and has just ended his engagement with his longtime fiancée. Lost and unsure, he hates to admit it, but he envies his sisters’ lives filled with love and children. James is less than pleased when he must work with the hard-nosed, aloof Melanie on a merger, but the more he learns about her, the more he realizes she’s not what she seems. Melanie’s befriended by James’ mother and slowly begins to realize what a true family is all about. James knows he wants her in his life; however, he has no idea how to show her he can be trusted. He believes she’s hiding something from him, but what? Can James persuade Melanie to let her guard down enough to trust in the possibility of love, and convince her to take a chance on them? Life’s Second Journey is the fourth book in Anne Stone’s The Show Me series.