The Way They Were (That Second Chance #2)

He hasn’t spoken her name in fourteen years. She keeps a journal hidden in the back of her closet and permits herself to write about him once a year—on the anniversary of the first and only time they made love. They promised to love one another forever, but tragedy tore them apart. Now, destiny may just bring them back together.

At eighteen, Rourke Flannigan and Kate Redmond thought they’d spend the rest of their lives together—until a family tragedy tore them apart. Fourteen years have passed and they’ve both carved out separate lives hundreds of miles apart—hers as a wife and mother, his as a successful, driven businessman. But once a year, on the anniversary of her daughter’s birth, Kate pulls out a red velvet journal and writes a letter, which she’ll never send, to the man who still owns her heart. Once a year, on the anniversary of the first and only time they made love, Rourke permits himself to read the annual investigative report detailing an ordinary day in Kate’s life.

When a subcontractor at one of Rourke’s holding companies is killed, Rourke decides to pay the widow a visit and offer condolences, never dreaming the widow will be Kate. As they embark on a cautious journey of rediscovery, one far greater than they could have imagined, secrets and lies threaten to destroy their new-found closeness—forever.

From the Author
As with all of my books, THE WAY THEY WERE underwent several revisions. I clipped and tweaked, added on, deleted, and pretty much drove myself crazy trying to get just the right feel, tone, and words for this story. When I finished, I happened to read some of the earlier versions and thought readers might like to glimpse deleted passages. I've included sections from Kate's journal and Rourke's file at the end of the book. You can also take a peek at that night at the lake when Kate and Rourke were eighteen and blissfully planning their future together. Then morning came and tragedy tore them apart...