“This guy is here to shut down the shelter.”

  “No, I’m not. If I could speak for myself...” Blake shot Charlie a pointed look before turning back to Rachel.

  “Oh...” The shelter manager’s gaze darted between the two of them, then her eyes lit up. “Ohh.”

  “No way.” Charlie waved her hand erratically at Rachel. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

  Now he was the one confused. “Ladies?”

  “Can you please focus on the fact that this man is trying to shut down Paradise Paws? At Christmas?” Charlie’s ire returned—this time directed back at Blake.

  “I’m not shutting down the shelter.” He held up both hands. “There’s a very generous offer on the table, one that, in my opinion, Paradise Paws would be wise to take.”

  “That’s just it.” Charlie twisted in her seat to face him. “No one asked for your opinion.”

  “I think that’s up to Ms. Rose to decide.” The sooner he landed this deal, the sooner he could switch gears and further pursue the real reason he was here.

  To get to know his niece.

  Betsy St. Amant is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in North Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs and one furry schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a BA in communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for www.ibelieve.com, a devotional site for women.

  Books by Betsy St. Amant

  Love Inspired

  Return to Love

  A Valentine’s Wish

  Rodeo Sweetheart

  The Gingerbread Season

  Fireman Dad

  Her Family Wish

  The Rancher Next Door

  The Rancher’s Secret Son

  Second Chance Christmas

  Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com for more titles.

  SECOND CHANCE CHRISTMAS

  Betsy St. Amant

  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

  —Isaiah 1:17

  To my daddy—thanks for jump-starting my love of dogs by coming home with two puppies tucked under your denim jacket.

  Acknowledgments

  No author is an island! I’m so grateful to get to repeatedly work with my agent of nearly fifteen years, Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency, who blesses me with her professional insight and wisdom. And I’m incredibly blessed to have editor Emily Rodmell on my team, who always knows just what the story needs to take it to the next level.

  Special thanks to Phil Martinez for answering my endless questions about the CASA program and enduring my frequent exclamations of “Oh! And then what if...”; and to CASA program coordinator Patricia Anderson-Alicea, for providing so much quality information through Phil. Any errors in expression are mine alone.

  As always, any time I write a novel, there are those inevitable days of Looming Deadline, where my family must scavenge for food and endure a slightly more uptight version of Wife/Mom. Thanks, family, for liking frozen pizza. You guys are the best.

  A big thank-you to the family dog, Cooper—our own miniature schnauzer, who demanded a cameo in this story—for being ridiculously cute and so generous with his “shuggies” and “woobies.”

  To all my friends who pray for me through each contract, writing session, revision and deadline, and who ask how it’s going and are truly interested in the answer—thank you. You know who you are.

  And to all my readers who buy my books and send encouraging emails—you guys are amazing! I couldn’t do this whole writing gig without you.

  Last but never least, I’m so grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ for allowing me in His sovereignty to do what I love—share His goodness through the written word.

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from An Amish Proposal for Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

  Chapter One

  Charlie Bussey might not have a lot of men fighting over her, but after this last batch of peanut butter cake balls, a bunch of dogs sure would be.

  She pulled the baking sheet from the oven of the community kitchen where she created all her unique concoctions for Flour Power and fanned an oven mitt over the little Santa hat–shaped dog treats. “Perfect.” This time, she’d added enough flour to keep the consistency firmer. The last batch had ended up in the trash, much to the dismay of her adopted miniature schnauzer, Cooper.

  “Do you ever taste them?” Nadia, a teenager from the group foster home who was taking her turn shadowing Charlie’s pop-up business, pulled her dark braid over her shoulder as she stepped out of the way of the hot tray.

  “Of course.” Charlie set the tray on the rack and reached for a nearby spatula.

  Barely masked judgment clouded Nadia’s expression.

  Charlie waved the oven mitt at her and rolled her eyes. “It’s mostly peanut butter—not actual dog food.”

  “Right...”

  “Very funny.” She scooped one up and offered it to the aloof teenager. “Try it.”

  “No, thanks. I had kibble for lunch.”

  “Okay, that was funny.” Charlie lowered the spatula. “You know, Tori always helps me taste test.” Tori, the newest teen in the group home, had been catching up on a math lesson with the house mother when they left, or she’d have tagged along. If anyone had the patience to deal with both teenagers and math tutoring, it was Gretchen Jolie. She planned to drop Tori by the kitchen to meet up with Charlie before they left to make their deliveries.

  “Of course Tori helps.” Nadia rolled her eyes. “She’s thirteen and a giant—”

  “Careful,” Charlie warned, gentling the admonition with a smile. She plated the dog cookies and dumped the baking sheet in the industrial sink. Tori and Nadia’s big sis/little sis dynamic was still developing, but the roots were there. Sixteen-year-old Nadia had been in the group home under the care of Art and Gretchen Jolie for over a year, while Tori had transitioned from a temporary-placement foster home just four months ago—hence the need for her to have a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Charlie had jumped at the opportunity to represent the sweet girl in court and be a voice for her well-being while she was in the system. And though there seemed to be an initial element of jealousy over the attention Tori got for being younger, Charlie knew the protective instincts Nadia attempted to hide under the guise of annoyance ran deep.

  Charlie moved past Nadia to the stainless-steel refrigerator. Her time volunteering at the group foster home never left Charlie bored—maybe left her with a few extra stress wrinkles in her forehead, but never bored. When Nadia first arrived, she’d refused to give Charlie the time of day—until Charlie presented the angsty teen with a dual pack of high-quality nail polish. One lip liner and an eyelash curler later, they’d eased into a genuine relationship of mentor/mentee.

  Tori, however, had taken to Charlie from the moment she’d arrived. Much less hardened, Tori was as eager for love as Nadia was to distrust it.

  Charlie clicked off the oven. “Hand me that bakery box, will you? Our hour is almost up.”

  She could only afford brief sessions in the community kitchen, even though it was already discounted in rental fees because of her being a local small business. Which worked perfectly for Charlie—she hated handouts. Ever since her dad had abandoned their family when she was only four, and her substance-abusing mom decided about six years later that raising a kid alone cramped her lifestyle, Charlie had become all too familiar with pity. She’d gotten word from her prior caseworker that her parents had both passed away sometime during Charlie’s teen years. Now she was twenty-nine, with her own business. Thanks to her foster parents, Art and Gretchen, she’d overcome all the odds.

  And those odds were the ones she was determined to help Nadia, Tori and the other girls hurdle right on over, too. One Santa hat–shaped peanut butter dog treat at a time, if it came to it.

  The kitchen door swung open, and thirteen-year-old Tori strode inside, her long honey-blond ponytail dangling beneath a winter hat. “Finally! Math is done.”

  Charlie stepped over and waved to Gretchen from the door before the house mother pulled away in her van. “I bet Mama Gretchen feels the exact same relief.”

  Tori sniffed the air, much like Charlie’s dog, Cooper. “I smell peanut butter. Are these cookies people-friendly, too?”

  “Depends on who you ask.” Nadia shot Charlie a pointed look.

  “These are safe
to taste test, but you probably don’t want to chow down as a snack.” Charlie grinned. “Now, let’s get these ready to go.”

  Together, the three of them began loading the freshly baked treats into the bakery box. “Where are you selling these this week?” Nadia asked.

  Charlie gently laid a sheet of parchment paper on top of the first layer of peanut butter hats before starting to stack the second. “I’m taking one batch to the animal shelter.”

  “Duh,” Nadia and Tori said at the same time.

  Charlie scooted two treats closer together to make room for the last one. “You know, if I could adopt all the dogs there myself, I would.”

  Nadia wadded up the scraps of parchment paper they hadn’t used. “Why don’t you?”

  “My apartment only lets me have one dog at a time. Plus, dogs need shots and food and vet checks... It adds up quick.”

  Nadia tossed the paper into the nearby wastebasket. “You could always marry rich.”

  Charlie winced. “Twenty-nine and single. Don’t remind me.”

  “Was your ex-boyfriend rich?” Nadia crossed her slim arms over her middle.

  Charlie slowly folded over the lid of the box, avoiding the teen’s knowing gaze. “What ex-boyfriend?” Her heart thudded so loudly she was sure it’d give her away.

  “Oh, you have an ex?” Tori snatched a peanut butter cookie from the box before Charlie could finish closing the lid and nibbled the end of the dog treat.

  Nadia rolled her eyes at Tori before turning back to Charlie. “The guy who broke your heart, the one who got away—whatever you want to call him.”

  Oh, there were plenty of things she could call Blake, but none quite appropriate for teen ears.

  “You used to talk about him a lot, especially to Mama Gretchen when you didn’t think we were listening,” Nadia pressed. “You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”

  “More like you guys are sneakier than I thought you were.” Charlie snorted.

  “This sounds like a romance novel.” Tori leaned in across the counter, eyes wide with interest.

  “Wait a second. How do you know about romance novels?” Charlie arched her eyebrow at the younger teen.

  “My old foster mom liked to read them. They were always lying all over the house.” Tori shrugged. “I got bored.”

  “Who cares? Tell us more about the guy,” Nadia pressed.

  “He was...” Charlie inhaled sharply, then just as abruptly released her breath. Blake was impossible to describe. But one fact hovered over the last eight years, and it escaped unbidden from her lips. “Actually, we never dated.”

  Nadia’s eyes narrowed. “Not fair. You’re always harping on us not to lie.”

  Charlie held up one hand in surrender. “I’m telling the truth. We were never officially together.” She’d always thought they would be one day—and supposedly Blake had, too—but their visions for that had clearly been very different.

  Blake had been a friend. Her best friend for all her high school years and into college. But he’d been so much more than that. He’d cheered at her high school graduation when she crossed the stage with a 4.0. He’d threatened to exact revenge on the guy who stood her up for her first date—she couldn’t even remember his name now. And he’d never once looked at her like she was less than because of being a foster kid.

  Until he’d stopped looking at her altogether and left without saying goodbye.

  Charlie shook off the memories before they could pull her completely under and busied herself tucking the cardboard side flaps inside the box. It’d been so long ago... She had to keep remembering that just because she hadn’t found the right guy yet didn’t mean the right guy was Blake.

  Even if they had been voted by their class “most likely to end up together.”

  “We never had our timing down, is all. No worries. It’s all water under the bridge. Besides, he was allergic to dogs.”

  “Talk about a deal breaker.” Nadia tossed the used spatula into the dishwasher and shut the door.

  “Yeah, that’s sad.” Tori threw the remaining dog cookie in the trash. “Dogs are the best. Especially Waffles.”

  “I still can’t believe you named that poor creature at the shelter Waffles.” Nadia leaned against the dishwasher and pointed at Tori. “Doesn’t he have enough obstacles in his life?”

  “That’s what Ms. Rachel gets for letting me pick a name.” Tori grinned. “Besides, it fits him. He’s blondish-brown and has a bunch of dimples in his skin—like a waffle. I just wish I could keep him with me at Tulip House. We’d have a lot of fun playing hide-and-seek there.”

  “You and those games.”

  “He’s really good. I never win.” Tori laughed.

  Nadia peered over at Charlie. “Did Mama Gretchen ever let you have a dog?”

  “Nope. That’s why I loved going to the animal shelter when I wasn’t too much older than you guys.” Charlie brushed some crumbs off the counter into her palm, then moved to dust them over the sink. “I never could have a pet until I got my own place.”

  Nadia scooted out of her way as Charlie moved back to the finished cookies. “Must be nice to be independent.”

  “It has its pros and cons.” Charlie stacked the two full boxes on top of each other. “I need to set this last batch up for sale at the college coffee shop. We can swing by now and drop these off if you guys want to help me.”

  “Yeah!” Tori beamed.

  “Sure. I guess.” Nadia’s feigned disinterest didn’t hide the spark in her eye. She loved going on campus, which was precisely why Charlie had invited her to shadow today. Nadia was bright, and if Charlie could keep her interested and out of trouble—and away from the urge to grow up too fast—maybe Nadia could get a scholarship to take community college classes just like Charlie had.

  As for Tori, so far, the younger teen seemed less hardened, more pliable. Charlie hoped to make an impact as her CASA before the window of opportunity closed. These girls needed all the advocacy they could get.

  Charlie locked up the kitchen and followed both girls to her mini-SUV, hiding a grin as she listened to them squabble over who got to ride shotgun. Maybe Charlie hadn’t ever found a true home with Blake like she’d expected. But she’d found it at Tulip House, in her volunteer work at the shelter and in her growing business. And that was enough.

  She was content.

  * * *

  Could he ever be content in such a small town?

  Blake Bryant thanked the college-aged barista as she handed him his coffee—black—and took the steaming cup to a table by the window overlooking Peach Street. December in Tulip Mound, Kansas, looked much the same after almost a decade away. Well, eight years, to be exact, but who was counting?

  The carefully tended tulip patches that normally filled the sidewalks in the spring and summer months now gave way to rich poinsettias, nestled under twinkle lights that glowed year-round. The old-fashioned general store across the street from the community college boasted a familiar, faded red-and-white-striped awning—soon to be dusted in snow if his memory served correctly—and the college campus still seemed to be the only place to get a decent cup of coffee.

  For now, anyway.

  Blake leaned back against the rickety wooden chair that scraped against the tired tiled floor, noting that, too, hadn’t changed, and checked his watch. He had about fifteen minutes to kill until his appointment at the animal shelter.

  It’d take more than a few sips of coffee to propel him through the phone appointment he had after that one—talking with a caseworker about his newly discovered niece. But he couldn’t let himself dwell on that right now or he’d never make it through his upcoming presentation. Just thinking about his niece being orphaned for years and him not even realizing it until a week ago... Well, the fact knotted his throat and clenched his stomach.

  Helping her was absolutely his top priority, but he had to go about it in a certain order. And first, he had to scope out the new location for his company, Jitter Mugs. Navigating this specific deal should be a breeze—and he desperately needed it to be so. Hopefully it’d be as simple as “sign here, initial here” and then he could get his boss off his back. With last week’s life-changing phone call, he needed job security more than ever before—and his boss had made it clear if he flubbed this deal, there’d be major consequences.