Take a Chance on Me

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME SEASONED ROMANCE BOOK TWO ELIZABETH KELLY EK PUBLISHING INC. CONTENTS Take A Chance On Me Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Place Your Trust in Me Excerpt The Elizabeth Kelly Newsletter About the Author Also by Elizabeth Kelly Copyright © 2023 Elizabeth Kelly Published by: EK Publishing Inc. ISBN: 978-1-77446-150-1 This book is the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed. Your support and respect for the property of this author are appreciated. This book is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Edited by: L. Nunn Editing Cover art by EK Designs TAKE A CHANCE ON ME Indie Shaw isn’t looking for love. She’s been there, done that, and has the divorce to prove it. Dating in her forties is a nightmare, and all she wants is a nice, safe man to share her bed with once or twice a week. Until Val Jensen walks into her vet clinic. With his massive body, rugged looks, and rough demeanor, he’s the polar opposite of nice and safe. It’s a damn shame her brain is begging her to bed him. Val didn’t expect to be so attracted to the smart veterinarian with the curvy body and sexy mouth. Yet there’s no denying his attraction. After a disastrous dating experience that impacted not just his life but his daughter’s as well, he vowed not to repeat the same mistake. But Indie’s gotten under his skin in a way that no woman ever has, and he can’t resist spending time with her – both in bed and out. Indie and Val grow closer with each day, but their past traumas threaten to destroy their future together. They may be falling in love but learning to trust each other could prove impossible. * * * For a FREE Elizabeth Kelly short story, as well as excerpts of upcoming books and contests and giveaways, sign up for Elizabeth’s newsletter here CHAPTER 1 “Wait, where are you going?” Sierra’s voice cut in and out, and Indie turned up the volume before merging into the far lane. “A place called Custom Rides. They do custom-built motorcycles,” Indie said. “Holy shit. Did your brother finally convince you to get a bike?” Sierra asked. “God no, I am strictly a passenger when it comes to motorcycles. But it’s his birthday in a few months, and Dad wants to get him a custom paint job for his bike. Dad found this place online and asked me to check it out since he and Mom are still in Arizona. “The store doesn’t have a website with pictures of their work?” Sierra asked. “They do, but you know Dad. He thinks everything on the internet is fake.” Indie laughed. “So, now I’m driving across town on a very snowy Tuesday evening to a store where I’ll potentially be the only woman there, and either be completely ignored or suffer through a bunch of patronizing bullshit from the store employees.” “Sound like a great time,” Sierra said. “What are you doing tonight?” Indie asked. “Same thing I do every night… sanding, painting, and questioning why I ever thought buying a fixer-upper to renovate was a good idea,” Sierra said. “Because it was your dream, and now that your asshole of an ex-husband is out of the picture, you can live that dream?” Indie said. Sierra laughed. “That is true. Hey, did you know that DIY drywalling is incredibly difficult? Like, I’m gonna have to hire a drywaller, difficult?” “Sorry, honey,” Indie said. “I know you wanted to do everything yourself with the house.” “I do, but I also know my limits, and drywalling is one of them. None of your clients at the vet clinic happen to be reliable drywallers with good reputations, do they?” Indie laughed. “I don’t think so, but I can double-check.” “Thanks, babe. Listen, I gotta go. The floor in the guest bedroom isn’t going to sand itself. Love you.” “Love you too, Sierra.” Sierra ended the call, and Indie stopped at a red light, studying the snowy landscape. She’d ask one of the clinic receptionists about the drywalling thing. She rarely focused on anything beyond the animal she examined in her client appointments. Their owner’s occupation wasn’t a topic that usually came up. You know what Val Jensen does for a living. As usual, just the thought of the big, rough-looking mechanic made her feel too warm and like she had tiny gymnasts doing backflips in her stomach. Val had come into the clinic with his daughter’s pet bunny a few weeks ago, and despite his rough appearance, he’d had an obvious affection for the rabbit. The robotic voice of her GPS told her to take the next right, and Indie flicked on her turn signal. She’d been immediately attracted to Val, and despite knowing someone like him would have no interest in someone like her, she’d made a fool of herself. She cringed as she turned right. God, the look on his face when she’d given him her cell number made her want to sink through the car floorboards, even though it’d been days since her humiliation. He’d seen right through her pretense that it was in case his rabbit fell ill again, and he hadn’t called. She sighed and drove carefully down the snowy road. She needed to stop thinking about Val Jensen and his dark eyes,