Another Chance with You

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Her former husband was the love of her life—

  Except he isn’t her ex!

  Retired Secret Service agent Landon Trent stuns Jadin DuGrandpre with the announcement that they’re still married. Even as passion reignites, winning back Jadin’s trust won’t be easy—especially when a trial pits the two Charleston attorneys on opposite sides. But Landon isn’t giving up on their future. Can they recapture what they once shared or will they lose this second chance?

  Stunned, she looked to Landon, who smiled and said, “Hello, Jadin.”

  She felt a jolt. It was like the fizzle of electricity from a faulty switch—the same jolt that had passed between them on their first meeting eight years ago. Hot slivers of lightning heated Jadin to the bone, bringing a flush to her cheeks and a tingle to certain parts of her anatomy that no other glance had reached—not even with Michael.

  What on earth is the matter with me? she wondered.

  As calmly as she could manage, Jadin walked up to him, ignoring the beautiful bouquet of red roses he offered. At six foot three, Landon towered over her. “What exactly did you hope to gain by coming here? We both agreed that the marriage was a mistake, which is why we had it dissolved.”

  “That is precisely why I came,” he responded. “Jadin, we’re still married. The divorce never happened.”

  Landon appeared to be enjoying her struggle to capture her composure. “I don’t believe you.” She could feel the electric heat coursing through her as if his sensual energy was powering up hers.

  Not now, she told herself. I can’t think of him in that way.

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever made an impulsive decision, and once you thought about it, you realized that it might have been a mistake? In Another Chance with You, Jadin DuGrandpre does just that. However, that decision comes back to haunt her five years later when Landon Trent comes to Charleston, South Carolina.

  Just when Jadin thinks she has found the perfect man to spend the rest of her life with, Landon is back with the announcement that they are still married. He proposes that they live as man and wife for a year before finalizing their divorce.

  I hope you will enjoy this fourth installment of the DuGrandpres of Charleston series. I really had a lot of fun writing this story about soul mates who are destined to be together and live happily-ever-after.

  As always, thank you for reading my stories. I appreciate your support and I thank you for twenty-one years and seventy-seven books. I could not have done it without you—my readers!

  Best regards,

  Jacquelin Thomas

  Another Chance with You

  Jacquelin Thomas

  Jacquelin Thomas is an award-winning, bestselling author with more than fifty-five books in print. When not writing, she is busy catching up on her reading, attending sporting events and spoiling her grandchildren. Jacquelin and her family live in North Carolina.

  Books by Jacquelin Thomas

  Harlequin Kimani Romance

  Five Star Attraction

  Five Star Temptation

  Legal Attraction

  Five Star Romance

  Five Star Seduction

  Styles of Seduction

  Wrangling Wes

  Five Star Desire

  Forever My Baby

  Only for You

  Return to Me

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

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  Contents

  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

  Excerpt from Her Mistletoe Bachelor by Carolyn Hector

  Chapter 1

  Jadin DuGrandpre glanced at the dazzling diamond engagement ring on her left hand. She and Michael had been dating for three years, with the last two being long-distance. Although she was twenty-nine years old, she hoped her parents would be supportive of her relocating to California to be with the man she planned to marry.

  Whenever she thought of leaving Charleston, her home, her family, Jadin felt a sharp ache in her heart. She would never tell Michael, but she had mixed feelings about moving so far away.

  Her twin sister, Jordin, was having twins in a couple of months, and her brother, Austin, was also expecting a baby—Jadin really did not want to miss these family milestones.

  She pulled into the driveway of her parents’ home, eager to show off her engagement ring.

  Jordin parked behind her and got out.

  “I didn’t know that was you,” Jadin said, eyeing the SUV. “New car?”

  Placing her hand on her swollen belly, Jordin responded, “Yeah. Ethan read that Volvo was rated one of the safest automobiles, so he bought me one.”

  “That’s so wonderful. He wants to keep you and the babies safe.” Jadin loved that her brother-in-law was so protective of Jordin and his children. It was very sweet. She wondered briefly if Michael would be like that when they started a family.

  “I appreciate it, but at times, I feel like he’s smothering me,” Jordin confessed. “When we found out that I was carrying twins...girl, he hardly let me out of his sight.”

  Jadin laughed. “He wouldn’t even let you drive to work for almost a week.”

  “He got over that real quick,” Jordin responded with a chuckle. “I made him drive me all over town.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m glad I’m ten weeks from delivering. I love being pregnant, but I’m ready to see and hold my babies.”

  “I can’t wait to meet my nieces or nephews...or niece and nephew...”

  “I wanted to know what we’re having, but Ethan wanted to be surprised. Bree and Ashton are having a gender-reveal party next month. I hope they’re having a little girl, because Emery has been asking for a sister.”

  As they neared the steps leading to the porch, Jordin asked her sister, “I’m kind of surprised to see you here. Michael’s in town, right?”

  Jadin nodded. “He got in last night.”

  “Is he still pressuring you to move to California?”

  “Yeah, he wants me to move out there. This time he gave a very convincing argument for why I should.” Jadin waved her fingers. “Notice anything different?”

  Jordin’s mouth dropped open. “You’re engaged... Oh, wow... I’m... I agree... That’s a very persuasive reason to relocate.”

  “I think Mom will be happy for me, but I’m not so sure about Daddy. Marrying Michael means I’ll be leaving the firm.” Jadin had remained awake most of the night, thinking about what accepting Michael’s proposal meant for her. When she graduated law school, she was fine with being away from her family. But now she felt conflicted. She enjoyed the family gatherings, spending time with her nieces and nephews. She wanted to watch them grow up. All that would change when she and Micha
el got married.

  “This is your life, sis,” Jordin said. “If for some reason Ethan decided to leave Charleston—I’m not going to give it a second thought. As much as I’d miss everyone, my home is with him.”

  “I don’t think that Ethan would ever ask you to leave, though. He knows how close we are as a family.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Austin suggested that I propose opening a second law office in California to Daddy.”

  “I actually think it’s a great idea—if that’s what you want to do. For now, just focus on your engagement. Planning a wedding can be overwhelming.” She scanned her sister’s face. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes.” Jadin gave a nervous chuckle. “The first hurdle will be telling the parents.”

  “Well, there’s no time like right now—that sparkly ring’s gonna give it away as soon as we walk into the house.”

  * * *

  Landon Trent sat inside his car, air-conditioning blowing to ward off the May heat for what seemed like hours, although it was only more like fifteen minutes. This was his first time coming to the DuGrandpre estate. He’d heard so much about it when he and Jadin dated in law school, but the opportunity to visit never materialized.

  One Christmas, Landon was supposed to join Jadin and her family for the holidays, but he lost his mother that year. A sharp pain sliced through his heart, where grief still existed.

  He never would have finished law school if it had not been for his uncle Tim and Jadin’s love and support. Landon glanced down at the wedding band on his left hand. He had come to Charleston to reclaim his wife. He and Jadin had eloped while in Las Vegas to celebrate their graduation.

  The Secret Service had recruited him his last year in law school, a decision Jadin had initially supported, but then she’d blindsided Landon by asking for a divorce.

  He had agreed with her that they had rushed into the marriage without much forethought, but the more Landon considered ending the marriage, the more his heart ached at the thought of losing Jadin.

  Her cousin had just lost her husband and Jadin was afraid of losing him in the same way. However, Landon was committed to the Secret Service and that was not going to change, so Jadin went home to Charleston and he left for FLETC, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia.

  He spent his first two years investigating computer and telecommunications fraud and other violations. Then he was presented an opportunity for protective detail. As time went on, Landon did not see any benefits from the endless overtime travel and continuing from one assignment to another without a break—his marriage never would’ve survived the disruptions that would have come with his job. Landon could have gone back to investigation detail but had chosen to fight for his marriage instead. He’d secured a job as the deputy prosecutor in Charleston.

  He glanced up at the house. Several cars were parked in the driveway. Landon considered that the DuGrandpres were entertaining guests, but he refused to let that deter him. Not reaching out to Jadin had been hard, but Landon did not want to give her any advance notice. He wanted the world to know that Jadin DuGrandpre was still his wife.

  This was not the way he’d initially planned to confront her, but last night changed everything. He had been at a restaurant having dinner, when Jadin walked in with her date.

  It was clear she only had eyes for the man she was with. Consumed with jealousy, Landon had briefly considered interrupting their romantic evening, but then her date pulled out a ring and proposed.

  He’d followed them back to her place. It had been pure torture knowing that she wanted to spend her life with another man. Landon swallowed the feelings of betrayal he felt—he had no right to feel this way. Jadin was the innocent one in this situation, he reminded himself. She had no idea what was coming for her—that he was coming for her.

  Landon had stayed in surveillance mode, finally leaving after 2:00 a.m. and returning at the break of dawn. He’d followed Jadin to her parents’ house, leaving to pick up flowers from a nearby florist on Sullivan’s Island before returning to the estate.

  It was time for him to reclaim his wife.

  * * *

  Jadin stuck her hand in her pocket, her fingers toying with the engagement ring. She could hardly wait to share the news that she was marrying Michael. She had asked him to come with her to break the news, but he refused, saying that it was something she should do alone. Jadin did not understand his logic, but that was just Michael.

  “Aunt Rochelle, I didn’t know you’d be here,” Jordin said as she sank down into an overstuffed chair in the family room.

  Jadin had hoped to tell Jordin, Austin and their parents first. She loved her aunt dearly, but the woman would be blabbing about the engagement before Jadin had a chance to make it home.

  “I just came by to go over the details for the Heart Association fund-raiser. Eleanor and I are cochairing the event this year.”

  Jadin stole a peek at her mother’s face, bit back a smile and sent up a silent prayer. She was about to take a seat beside her sister when she heard a familiar voice in the foyer.

  She gasped in surprise. “It can’t be...”

  “Jadin, what is this man talking about?” her father asked, bursting into the room with a younger man following behind. “He says that he’s your husband.”

  “What’s wrong, Etienne?” Eleanor looked at her daughter. “Husband?”

  “Mom...I can explain everything.”

  Stunned, she looked to Landon, who smiled and said, “Hello, Jadin.”

  She felt a jolt. It was like the fizzle of electricity from a faulty switch—the same jolt that had passed between them on their first meeting eight years ago. Hot slivers of lightning heated Jadin to the bone, bringing a flush to her cheeks and a tingle to certain parts of her anatomy that no other glance had reached—not even with Michael.

  What on earth is the matter with me? she wondered.

  As calmly as she could manage, Jadin walked up to him, ignoring the beautiful bouquet of red roses he offered. At six foot three, Landon towered over her. “What exactly did you hope to gain by coming here? We both agreed that the marriage was a mistake, which is why we had it dissolved.”

  “That is precisely why I came,” he responded. “Jadin, we’re still married. The divorce never happened.”

  Landon appeared to be enjoying her struggle to capture her composure. “I don’t believe you.” She could feel the electric heat coursing through her as if his sensual energy was powering up hers.

  Not now, she told herself. I can’t think of him in that way.

  Jadin took in his beautiful brown eyes, close-cropped hair, his perfectly etched lips and muscular frame in a grey suit. His smooth cocoa-tinted complexion was free of hair. She glanced down at his shoes...shiny, black leather ones, without a smudge of dirt or a blemish. She was close enough to smell the citrusy scent of his aftershave.

  Landon gave a slight shrug. “It’s the truth. I never signed the papers and I didn’t file them.”

  “Did you ever receive a copy of the final divorce decree?” Jordin asked her sister.

  Jadin searched her memory. “Now that I think about it...no, I didn’t.”

  “How could you get married and not tell your family?” Eleanor wanted to know.

  “I knew about it,” Jordin confessed. “I didn’t say anything, because it was over so quickly, and I didn’t feel like it was my place to tell anyone.”

  Etienne’s voice sounded like thunder in the silence. “How could you be so reckless, Jadin? What were you thinking?”

  “Daddy, I was in love with Landon,” Jadin responded. “That’s why I married him, but then Giselle’s husband was killed—seeing what she went through... I realized that I couldn’t live with Landon’s decision to be a Secret Service agent.” She had witnessed the anguish her cousin suffered when her p
olice officer husband was struck down in the line of duty. Giselle was so heartbroken with grief that Jadin had decided she did not ever want to experience that kind of pain.

  “I can’t believe this,” her father uttered.

  “I’m not the first person to elope.” Jadin sent a sharp glare in Landon’s direction. She couldn’t believe he would ever do something like this to her. It was just plain mean.

  “You’re so much smarter than this,” her mother countered.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. If Landon and I had stayed married—I never would’ve kept the marriage a secret.”

  “It would’ve been nice to know that my daughter was getting married, period.”

  Her mother’s teary eyes caused a stir of emotion inside Jadin. “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Now what are you going to do?” her father inquired. “You’ve been a married woman all this time and you’ve been living like you were single.”

  She knew he was referring to her relationship with Michael.

  Jadin looked at Landon. “Why did you let me believe you would sign the divorce papers? I’m involved with someone—someone I care deeply about.” Jadin paused for a moment, then said, “He asked me to marry him last night and I said yes. I was going to announce my engagement during dinner.”

  Eleanor slumped down into a nearby chair, shaking her head. Rochelle rushed to her side, murmuring words of comfort.

  This is such a mess.

  “Jadin, I don’t take marriage lightly,” Landon said, drawing her attention back to him. “We rushed into it, but I didn’t want to end it in haste, as well. It’s not like I didn’t try to talk to you about my decision. I tried calling you several times, but you would never return any of my calls.”

  It was true. He had called her for months after she left, but Jadin thought it was best for her to disconnect from him completely. “You could’ve left that message on voice mail.”

  “No, I couldn’t,” he responded. “This was something we needed to discuss.”

  “We did discuss it, Landon.”

  “You discussed it, then ran off before I could have my say.”