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  recTitle and Copyright Page

  Title: Another Chance

  Subtitle: Stepbrother and BBW Romance

  Author: Claudia Dewitt

  © Copyright 2018 by Claudia Dewitt. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  From the Author:

  Thank you for purchasing this book.

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  Table of Contents

  Title and Copyright Page

  Another Chance

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Another Chance

  Description

  She smells like trouble. Well everyone smells like trouble to Kathy. There's even a bigger surprise. She has a stepbrother who relocated and is also moving in temporarily till he settles down. He's a handsome playboy that reminds her of her past. Kathy decides to stay away from him by all means, but she can't help it. But when circumstances bring them together, will they be able to start a new or will she leave him again? How will she be able to cope with him?

  Chapter 1

  She stood up from her bed and undressed slowly and reluctantly in front of the mirror as though she were forced. She was exhausted and the one thing she felt like doing at the moment was to sleep. But no she couldn't. Not until she has completed the presentation she was working on for a new post. It was due in two days, and she couldn't take any chances since she wanted to show perfection.

  She paused for a moment and assessed herself in front of the full bedroom mirror. Then she turned, one side facing the mirror, she smiled. Her body looked a whole younger than her age. She moved a bit closer, this time to study her face. She rubbed her palm against her soft silky skin. She felt a bump which made her frown. I need new skincare this weekend, Katherine thought while widening her eyes and starring back at her reflection. She had intelligent and soulful blue eyes, which gave her a sort of attractiveness.

  Katherine Cooper was a beautiful woman in her late thirties with nicely curved body shape and edges. Of course, she looked younger than her age, which was one good feature she inherited from her mother and she would always thank her for it. She had a tint of elegance which always gave her away as a famous person, well she was, and she’d ever been. She could remember her life in high school as the vice president of the student board. She was always focused, having a 4.0 GPA, a perfect recommendation from her principal for her dream college and a fortunate family. She had it all: a bright future, a perfect life until she met him, her worse nightmare.

  She sighed, trying to fight the thoughts. She hated to think about him even though it has been so long. Thank God I was able to get back on my feet again, she thought, as she loosened her hair which was tightly packed into a knot. Her golden brown hair fell sharply to her shoulders. She ran her hands through it, causing it to look like a beautiful mess. She bent down, picked up the clothes on the floor and threw them into a laundry basket by the bathroom door. Then she walked away from the mirror, into her bathroom. She gently turned on the shower and felt the cool water upon her skin. It was refreshing. Not long after, she was done. She placed a white cotton robe on her body and knotted it and wrapped her wet hair in a white towel, then made for the kitchen. She was starving. She opened the fridge; it was more or less empty. It had just a bottle of jam, soy sauce, a soda, and ketchup. She frowned. You have to start taking things like this seriously Kathy. You are not getting any younger; she could imagine her father voice, nagging at her. Oh no, not again! She thought as she closed the door. Then the opened the upper door, slowly while peeping in and hoping for a miracle. She saw a burger pie sitting right at the center of the freezer. Her heart leaped for joy. She quickly removed it and placed it on the microwave while she waited for it to get warm. If only she knew it would become her life-saving pie, she would have accepted more from Ashley, her friend and co-worker at work. She remembered she was supposed to be doing something else. Then she turned on the coffee maker and waited. Five minutes later, everything was ready. She placed them on the table and sat down to eat. She quickly shoved everything down her throat. "I need to go grocery shopping," she said with a mouthful of food, making it her fifth time of saying that. But she knew she needed to. The person that would always remind her to do that was on vacation. Then suddenly her eyes widened. She searched around for the calendar. Her father was returning the following day. How could she have forgotten? She picked up her phone which she had put in the pocket of her robe and dialed his number. She waited for it to ring, while sipping from her cup.

  "I thought you had forgotten about your old man already," a husky male voice said from other ends.

  "Hey, dad!" She quickly said, dropping the cup on the table. She continued, "How could I forget the only man in my life? I just wanted to know if there has been any change in your flight and arrival time so I could plan my day tomorrow."

  "Oh no, of course not. The time is still the same" he replied assuredly.

  "I was also going to call you anyway. I have a huge surprise for you," he added happily. You could hear it from his voice.

  "Okayy...I'm listening," Kathy said, now focusing on the call. There was a long pause.

  "When I get back!"

  "Typical you! Not like I was expecting you to say it anyway. But really why did you bother to tell me about it when you were not going to say anything?" She asked. She already knew the answer

  "So you won't sleep on it!" They both chorused while laughing. There was another pause.

  "I know you miss me already, seeing how you're still on this call."

  "Nooo...i don't. Don't get ahead of yourself old man. I was making sure of my schedule," she replied jokingly. They both laughed hard.

  "Did you eat?" He asked.

  "I'm not a kid anymore dad."

  "You are always going to be one in my eyes, Kathy. Maybe till you give me little ones."

  She was expecting that next. Most of their conversations always ended with that most times. But she couldn't blame him. Kathy figured it was probably because he was getting old. But then it's not that she didn't want to have children of her own, it was that she couldn't.

  "Am I supposed to hijack just any man from the streets and make him impregnate me?" She would always tell her father anytime he raised the marriage or childbearing topic.

  "That too is not a bad idea," he would reply jokingly. Then they would both laugh about it. But behind the joke, Katherine always knew there was some sincerity from him. He was lonely. They had lost her mother three years ago to a terminal illness. And ever since then, even though he didn't show it most times and tried to act strong, she knew how lonely he had felt. She also had to move in with him about a year after to make sure he was okay.

  She had forced him to at least go on functions or dates, and he would shove it off. When he had told her that he started dating, she was so relieved. She even began to notice him glow. It wasn't even hard for her old father to fall in love again, yet it was so hard for her no matter how much she tried, she had thought. But it was all good. Her father's happiness mattered more at least.

  He was the only person that mattered to her the most was and no one else. If only there were a man like him, she though
t right from when she was a kid even till when she was fully grown, her father had always come through for her, given all she wanted and loved her more than anybody in the world. She was the only child. Though her parents had tried to have more children after while she was younger none of the processes had worked out. So it was just her while growing up, and she got used to it; used to being alone.

  "I have got a hectic day tomorrow, so I'm gonna have to go now. Call you again tomorrow. Stay safe," she replied, trying to ignore what he had said.

  "Okay honey, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Susan says hi," he added quickly.

  "Oh, say me hi too," she replied. There was no response. All she heard was giggles from the background.

  "Stop... no, it tickles..hahaha.." she could hear Susan's voice.

  "Ugh," she groaned and ended the call. Her father seemed to be enjoying himself with his girlfriend. As much as she hated to admit it, Susan made him happy. They had been dating for about eight months, and she had only met her once. "She seems like trouble," she had once told her dad. "But I'll try to like her cause you do," she assured him.

  In Katherine's eyes, everyone seemed like trouble. She didn't open up because she was simply scared of being weak, even though she didn't admit it. Ever since the heartbreak she suffered, she had only built her walls so high that nobody, no feelings, could penetrate. Most people called her hard-hearted, but it didn't matter to her. They wouldn't know what she had gone through.

  All these thoughts wandered through her mind. This was what happens most times when her father was away, and she was idle. She would reminisce about her past and give herself mood swings. "I am happy with my life; I'm not lonely, I'm a hardworking and successful woman who has everything she needs," she chanted to herself as she would always do anytime she felt helpless.

  She hurriedly took a last bite of the pie, picked up the coffee and made way for her room. She picked up her laptop and sank into her bed. She opened it and pressed a few keys then it brought an unfinished page of work. She started working. An idle mind was the devil's workshop, she thought. She didn't have any time to be idle.

  After struggling for hours to fight the sleep in her eyes, Katherine was finally done with her work. All that remained were some finishing touches, and that was all. Now she can finally be at peace. She removed her reading glasses and lied her back down. It was aching her badly. She stretched a bit to put off the bedside lamp and fell back to her bed. She yawned loudly while scrubbing her eyes. She closed her eyes, opened them again, trying to picture how her day would go like she always did. It is going to be a long day, she thought. She organized her schedule in her head, her thoughts wandering, then she gradually closed her eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 2

  It was 5:30 am in the morning; the alarm clock rang loudly that it sent Katherine jumping up from her bed. She looked around, half awake, still trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Then she came to her senses. It was coming from the alarm clock by her bedside. She angrily hit the button that was on the top with so much strength and fell back onto her bed. Just a little more sleep, she thought as she closed her eyes, enjoying the peace that moment brought. Then she drifted off again.

  Katherine jumped on her feet all of a sudden, her heart pounding fast against her chest. Lights shone into the room. It was daybreak. "Oh no no no... oh my God, I'm going to be so late," Katherine said, yanking off the blanket that was on her body. She looked at the wall clock. 7:18! She held her face in her hands in disbelief, shaking her head helplessly. "I just closed my eyes a little; it was just a little sleep. How could you do this to me?" She mumbled to herself, without expecting an answer. She quickly yanked off her clothes and ran into the bathroom. She took a quick shower, and in five minutes, she was done. She went into her closet, droplets of water still dripping off her body and hurriedly searched for her stack of clothes. She picked them and dropped them on the bed: a nude pantyhose, a short and fitted black gown, and really sophisticated heels to go with it.

  Katherine was a bit of a fashionista. She cared about her look even right from when she was a kid. Her mom once told her that she liked to pick her clothes by herself and if anyone had them picked for her instead, she would cry so hard until they finally gave in. Even in high school, she was one of the best dressed in school, always following the trend. Once, she was best-dressed female in school, but that didn't stop her from doing well in school. Now, even after so many years, she still maintained that lifestyle and her work even encouraged that the more. "How you dress is how you would be addressed," she would always say.

  Katherine glanced at her watch; she was surprised she could dress up that fast. She took her bag in one hand and laptop in the other. She didn't even care about breakfast; she would grab a cup of coffee on her way or something. She took a last glance at her room; it was a mess. She locked the door and kept the keys in the bag. She couldn't let it be seen in that state cause her father would nag at her. She walked hurriedly into the garage, slid into her car, turned it on and adjusted a few things before driving out of the garage.

  A few minutes later, she was driving in a deserted street, really fast, trying to beat time. She knew there was going to be traffic if she had passed the usual way. Her phone rang, it was Ashley, her best friend, and only friend.

  She and Ashley had been friends for over ten years. They met in college, sophomore year and started as sworn enemies. But a mutual enemy had brought them together, and you know what they say, "my enemy's enemy is my friend," and that was how they became friends. They did most things together and even worked at the same T.V. station as news anchors. Ashley was the only person asides her father that knew Katherine inside out and understood her. She was like her chief whip and would stand up for her to the extent that she personalized her enemies. They had so much in common, and Katherine wouldn't have wished for someone else as her best friend. Ashely was married with two kids, but that didn't stop her from making time for her.

  "Where the hell are you?" Ashley asked, sounding worried.

  "I'm on my way. I don't know how I overslept. I'll explain when I come."

  "Alright." She was about to drop the call when she heard, "Wait, You didn't possibly forget about the presentation you have today right?"

  Of course, she did. Her mouth dropped. All these while she had thought it was the following day and with that in mind, she took her time.

  The presentation was just a formality for choosing a new anchor for a huge breakfast show at CNS. The former anchor had retired and left a great legacy with a substantial percentage of viewer’s ratings. The president needed someone capable of filling that spot and Katherine had been nominated. Now she had to show them what she's got.

  "Wait, is it today? Oh shit. I forgot. Has the old man arrived yet?" She asked curiously.

  "No, not yet. And even if he does, I can stall him for you. You still have like an hour," she assured her.

  Katherine's mind was at rest. She's my soulmate, she thought.

  She was still on the call when she turned sharply into an alley and heard a loud bang. She pressed the brakes quickly, her eyes tightly shut, while her car jerked backward with the tires making a screech. She knew she had hit something, she didn't know what it was, and she was so scared to look.

  "What was that sound, Are you okay?" Ashley called out from the other end of the phone.

  Katherine raised her head slowly, trying to see what it was. It was smoky at first, with white fume obstructing her vision, then it cleared off. However, she had just bumped into another car.

  "I think I just killed someone," she replied, half shaky, half calm. "I'll call you back."

  She removed her seat belt, pushed the door open and stepped out of the car. She strolled towards the other car, first to observe the damage that had been done and to see if the person was okay. Luckily, it was just a minor scratch. She bent a bit and knocked at the car windows, her heart beating fast.

  "Hello, are you okay?" S
he called out from behind the windows. The doors opened, and a man stepped out of the car, holding his forehead in this hand. She looked up to him because he was taller. He was six feet two inches tall with dark brown eyes and sandy hair. His beards were cleanly shaved, but she could still see his pores. Katherine stood still for a moment, forgetting about the accident and just admiring his face. He is good looking, she thought. She was flushed.

  "What the hell do you drive with, your ears?" The man snapped, bringing back Katherine's consciousness. What? She wasn't sure she had heard him right. So she asked again to be sure.

  "What? Excuse-" she couldn't finish before he cut in.

  "I'm pretty sure it wasn't your eyes. Because if it were, you would have seen there was an oncoming vehicle before making that sharp turn or better still showed the signal. You almost got me killed!" He exclaimed, assuring her that she heard clearly.

  "Well, I guess not everyone can drive anyway. Even a 16-year old would do better than this."

  Katherine just stood there speechless. She felt like she had just been given a huge blow. She felt so angry at herself for admiring that kind of person in the first place. She quickly got her wits together. She was Katherine Cooper. Who the hell did he think he was to talk to her that way. Did he know who she was?

  "Excuse me?" She scoffed. "What did hell did you just say?"

  "I said even a sixteen-year-old-"

  "No I heard you quite good," Katherine interrupted.

  "I just don't know what gave you the right to think you could speak to me in such manner." She adjusted her posture before she continued.

  "This incident is clearly from both of us so it would make no sense for you to try to blame me for i-it."

  She was almost stammering and boiling at the same time. She felt like if she didn't say more, she was going to explode.

  At first, she was going to apologize and try to make a settlement since she was the one that collided with him, but then she changed her mind. He was not worth it, and she did not have it.