But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal. Only one thing might break the protective wall she's built around her emotions-the truth about Frank Anderson's death. With beautiful descriptions of the American South, relatable characters, and an emotional storyline, The Sweet Gum Tree is a must-read for anyone who loves a good second-chance love story. Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. The Sweet Gum Tree By Katherine Allred, From the list on second-chance romance. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she's content if not happy-until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. But finally, she's starting to get her life back together. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick's abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. Suddenly, Nick is gone-leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer. Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love.

Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.

But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Sweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans-everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family.

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred