Lawson Baker has moved home and taken over his deceased grandparent's home and business. Losing his wife, Sue , to another man has caused Law to give his sons a change of venue, moving from Hollywood where she is a movie star surrounded by vicious rumors. With both boys in tow, Law takes over Antiques in Flight (AIF), the family museum, in Pilot's Point, Iowa. Brandon, a genius 15 year old, and loveable 10 year old Evan, are learning to adjust from the horrendous publicity surrounding the divorce, their mother's pregnancy and their "second" mother's disastrous part in it all. Sue has what Katie Potter desires most, children.
Katie has hurt those she loves the most by losing her pain in booze and conducting salacious interviews on tabloid TV shows with the most critical confidences which are constantly on the internet for Brandon to watch. Sue's affair was with Katie's husband, Justin. Katie, Sue, Law and the children had always been a "family" until Sue became famous. Aside from the fact that Law had to marry Sue and became a father at 16, he has tried to be the best parent and husband, even though he was never in love with Sue. Katie is the one who was always there for them all and the one he secretly had feelings for.
Life is showing some improvement until Katie shows up to assist her Aunt Mary who has cancer and works for Law. Convincing Law to let Katie fill in for her during the surgery is a bitter feat. Beginning to see light as they work through their bitter hurt, everything turns upside down when Sue shows up for Brandon's birthday, along with her baby girl reminding Katie she is barren and will never have what she has ......children.
Nicole Helm has created a very emotional story of lost love and the desire to right the wrongs of the past. Your heart will go out for not only Katie, but the two boys and their father that have had to endure so much pain and ridicule. The story is well written and definitely keeps the readers' interest to the very last page. This is the very first book I have read by this author, but will be an author whose stories I will search out again and again.
Some second chances are hard to swallow.
Antiques in Flight, Book 2
Lawson Baker hoped moving back home would give his kids some
semblance of normal after a spectacular divorce from his
very-famous wife. The kids are settled in and, finally, his
life is his own.
Then Katie Potter walks through the door of Antiques in
Flight. She was his closest friend until her husband cheated
on her with Lawsonβs wife. And Katieβs revengeβgoing to the
tabloidsβgave Lawsonβs kids front row seats to a host of
dirty little secrets.
When Katie is offered a temporary job as AIFβs secretary,
she jumps at it. She returned to Pilotβs Point hoping to
come clean about the things that accelerated her slide into
self-destruction. Sheβs not about to pass up this chance to
make things right.
As they work side by side, day by day, the attraction Lawson
never let himself feel for a then-married woman is pushed to
the surface by the growing heat between them. But their
pasts filled with pain and betrayalβand a recalcitrant
teenagerβcould make charting a course to love impossible.
Warning: A woman bent on forgiveness, a man bent on
normalcy, and a love that will give them everything they
need.
And then Lawson and Katie were alone.
βWell, that was fun. Never a dull moment around here.β
Lawson tried to smile, but it came out more of a grimace.
βI still canβt quite get over Callie being engaged. She was
always...rough around the edges.β
βPeople change.β
Silence practically echoed in the wake of that comment.
Lawson Baker, Conversation Killer. Might as well make up
business cards.
βI meantββ
She put her hand on his arm, effectively cutting off not
just what he was going to say but the ability to say it.
There was a weird electricity in her touch, something that
shrank his lungs and made his skin where she touched warmer
than the sun blazing against his cheek.
βYou donβt have to walk on eggshells. That wasnβt what
talking it through was supposed to do. We can say things
that remind us of what happened. I wonβt break, and neither
will you.β
She slipped her hand back into her lap, her gaze drifting
there. βDo you think time will make this easier? Or is this
it? You feel too weird around me to have a normal
conversation?β
βI...donβt know.β
She nodded, her expression softening into sadness and it
made his heart ache. He didnβt want to make her sad. Theyβd
both had their fill of sad.
βItβll get better,β he offered, not sure he believed it. But
heβd try. Really. Maybe after the screwed up world theyβd
lived in, they both deserved something more than heβd been
willing to try for. Friendship again. Normalcy again.
That could happen. Right?
She looked back over at him. Her smile wasnβt totally
convincing, but her gaze held his.
She reached out, touched the ends of his hair. He might have
flinched away at the surprise touch, but it felt too good to
move away from. Something jittery and exciting and new.
βYou need a haircut,β she said in a low voice.
He had to clear his throat to speak past the blockage there.
βYeah, I guess I do.β
She pulled her hand back, then trailed her fingertips across
the palm of her other
hand. The hand that hadnβt touched him. If he studied her
expression, he might see something akin to what he was
feeling.
He looked away and stood. βWell, I should get back to it.
See you later.β Even though the word coward echoed through
his head, he had to step away. Get some clarity and some
brainpower pumping through him again.
Because he knew what all the weird feelings and sensations
were. Heβd recognize that stirring warmth anywhere, even if
it had been a long, long time since heβd felt it.
And it wasnβt anything he had any business feeling toward
Katie. Not now. Not ever.
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