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Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman Series
Love Gilmore Girls?
You’ll adore this Southern small-town romance series full of charm, heartfelt friendships, and slow-burn love stories.
Think Lorelai and Sookie’s bond, Lorelai and Luke’s romance, and the emotional depth of healing family — all wrapped in sweet tea and second chances.
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The Inn on Harmony Island Synopsis
After I returned to my small hometown six months ago to attend my estranged grandmother's funeral, I swore I would never go back. That is, until my grandmother's lawyer calls me up. If I don't return to Harmony Island and fulfill my grandmother's stipulations, the generationally owned family inn will be turned over to the state and sold off to the highest bidder--my grandmother's rival and mother to the man who broke my heart, Missy Willis.
I'm not sure I'm strong enough to return home, but I also know, I can't let Miss Willis win. So I pack up my belongings and head for North Carolina.
I'm determined to stay distant, living in the small cottage next to the inn, and keep my head down. But in a small town where everyone knows your name, that becomes difficult. Soon, my past catches up with me and I'm faced with the history I've buried for so long. Just when I reach my breaking point, Miles, the single dad living at the inn, swoops in to my life to rescue me. He was my protector in my childhood, my enemy in my teenage years, and now?
Now, I'm not so sure. Especially when his love for his daughter is contagious, or the way he looks at me when he doesn't know I see him. I'm so confused and I want to run away like I did in the past, but I can't. And when Miles touches me like that...I don't want to.
Luckily, I find a friend in Abigail, the local bookstore owner. She's one of the only residents who doesn't know about my past and seems to be looking for the same thing I am, a place to belong.
This story is told through 3 different points of view. Shelby, Abigail, and Miles. It's a story of romance and friendships between women. If you liked the Netflix show, Sweet Magnolias, you'll love this series!
The Inn on Harmony Island is chock full of romance, redemption, and forgiveness. If you're looking for your next summer read, grab your copy today! It is the first book in the Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman series and ends on a cliff hanger.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
Shelby
I’d never noticed the way rain looked as it fell into puddles. The tiny splashes each drop made caused smaller drops to spray around it. The ripples would go for only a moment until another drop would fall, and the effect would happen all over again.
A low murmur of amens drew my focus away from the puddles. I wrapped my black shawl tighter around my shoulders as I turned to the pastor who was standing behind my grandmother’s coffin. He was speaking, but in all honesty, I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My stomach was a bundle of nerves since I drove the rental car into my small hometown, and I couldn’t sort out anyone’s words.I’d left this place 10 years ago, never to return. That was, until Gran up and passed away. I couldn’t very well not go to her funeral. So, I packed my carry-on and flew down from New York to face the past that I’d tried so hard to forget.
And here I was, staring my history straight in the face.
I sighed as I ducked my head down. Miles’s body tightened next to me when our arms brushed. I glanced over at him to see his jaw muscles flex, but his gaze never wavered from the pastor’s face.
Was it strange that my ex-stepbrother was more broken up about my grandmother’s passing than me?
I pursed my lips and turned my attention to my lap.
Yes, that was strange. And sad. And pathetic.
Even though I wanted to console my ego and convince myself that it was okay that Miles had cried more times than I had during the funeral planning. That the funeral director handed him the box of tissues and never offered them to me. Nothing I could say to myself would fix the cold, hard heart my past had left me with.
I wanted to cry. I really did. But it was as if my tears were dried up. There was nothing left. I’d cried so much in the past that it was as if my body was completely incapable of producing tears. I was broken, and this was proof that I was never going to be fixed.
My body turned numb as I watched the cemetery owner lower the coffin into the ground. Even though it was raining, the early spring heat surrounded us. Mr. Jorgenson, the town’s mayor, wiped his forehead with his handkerchief before stuffing it back into his suit coat. Most of the other guests were leaving, sprinting to their cars with their hands or purses over their heads. The women were slowed by their heels digging into the soft ground.
I glanced down at the dark oak coffin in the ground, wondering for a moment if Gran would have been disappointed with what we’d chosen. Even though it had been years since we’d spoken, I still wanted to please her. To settle her into her final resting place in comfort.
Movement next to me drew my attention over. Miles was standing a few yards off, shaking hands with the pastor who then nodded and turned to hurry through the rain to his car.
We were now officially alone.
Miles hesitated; his gaze focused on something in front of him. But then, as if he could feel my gaze, he turned.
I knew I should look away. Facing Miles—facing Harmony Island—was the last thing I wanted to do. But I couldn’t drop my gaze. The familiarity in his stormy blue eyes as they peered into my soul paralyzed me. Miles had been my protector when we were kids, but then our parents divorced and something in him changed in high school. Our relationship was never the same. Especially now, when he seemed closer to my grandmother than I could ever be. That stung as bad as the wasps from the nest we knocked down as kids.
I shivered and focused on the hole in front of me. I was done thinking about Miles. I was finished thinking about our past. But as soon as I saw Miles approach me from the corner of my eye, I sucked in my breath.
I cursed myself. Why had I allowed our gazes to meet? I’d spent most of my three days here giving short answers and keeping to myself in the only motel in town. The other lodging options, Harmony Island Inn and the Apple Blossom B&B, were places I swore I would never go.
Too many bad memories roamed the halls.
“You okay?” Miles’s voice was low and rumbly. I wasn’t sure if it was because of our history or the situation we were in.
I nodded, tightening my grip on my upper arms. “I’m just glad it’s over. I’m ready to get out of here.” Miles remained quiet. I peeked over at him, worried that I’d said the wrong thing. “I mean—”
“I know what you mean.” Miles slipped off his suit coat, folded it in half, and rested it on the chair behind him. Then he yanked at his tie and loosened the top two buttons of his white shirt. After ruffling his gelled hair, he began to unbutton his cuffs and roll up his sleeves. “She never wanted you to stay away, but she understood why you left.”
His words were like poison to my soul. It was easier to believe that my grandmother hated me than to think she’d spent her life waiting for me to return. When I was in New York, I could pretend that we had a mutual understanding. Our family was toxic. A broken mix of flawed people that fate stupidly threw together. My grandmother, my mother, and me.
We were the opposite of the three musketeers. We were a mixture of oil, water, and alcohol. Three pieces of a puzzle that would never fit together. Now, they were both gone. My senior year of high school, Mom ran away with her yoga instructor and died in a car crash.
With Gran in the ground, I was the only one alive.
I was the only one left carrying the burden of the failure that was our small, dysfunctional family.
“I doubt that,” I whispered as I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear that the cool ocean breeze had managed to free from the tight bun at the nape of my neck.
Miles finished rolling his sleeve and glanced over at me. I could see that he was fighting his response, and the truth was, I didn’t want to hear it. It was easier when I didn’t think anyone cared.
“So, are you leaving us for good then?” His question caught me off guard. Leaving us. I hated that he’d moved into my life, my hometown, and my past like this. If I had my way, we would sell Harmony Island Inn and never look back.
“Yes,” I responded, nodding my head.
“And the will? Are you going to come back for the reading?”
I took in a deep breath and tipped my head back, closing my eyes. “We both know that she didn’t leave me anything.”
“We do?”
I opened my eyes, looking up at the white canopy that protected us from the rain. “Despite what you say, she wrote me out of her life a long time ago. There’s no point in pretending otherwise.”
“Shelby—”
“Miles, I’m tired.” I pulled my phone out of my purse and opened my rideshare app.
Miles stepped forward with his hand extended. For a moment, I caught what looked like desperation in his gaze before it disappeared. “Why don’t I give you a ride? I mean, the church organized a dinner and everything.” His half smile was weak and did little to dissuade me from what I’d already decided. “The town…misses you.”
I snorted as I looked up at him. Then I shook my head and returned to filling out my information and sending in the request. “I seriously doubt that.” I sighed. “I’m going to go back to my hotel room and jump in the shower. My flight is early in the morning, and I can’t be late.”
“Oh.”
I hated that he seemed disappointed. But I needed him to move on. Returning to my one-bedroom apartment in New York where I could bury my memories until they were good and dead was the only thing holding me together.
“Listen, I know my grandmother meant a lot to you, but let’s not pretend that there’s anything left for me here. Our family is finished.” My voice cracked at the last word, which threw me off guard.
I hoped Miles didn’t hear my last sentence, but after seeing the small quirk of his eyebrow, regret filled my chest.
He’d heard.
I cleared my throat. “Thank you for taking care of my grandmother in the last moments of her life.” I brushed my hands down my black dress, desperate for something to do. The mixture of my grandmother’s coffin in front of me and the way Miles was studying me, tugged at the fraying strands that were barely holding my life together.
But I knew if I didn’t thank him, the pressure to acknowledge that he was the better grandchild would gnaw at me until I would eventually buy another plane ticket to come down here and confess it. I wanted this to be the last trip I made to my godforsaken hometown. I needed to make sure I tied up all my loose ends with a pretty little bow.
“Of course,” Miles said. “She helped me a lot.” His voice deepened as he turned to face the hole where my grandmother now lay. His shoulders slumped, and I suddenly felt sorry.
I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry for my grandmother. And I felt sorry for me.
No one had it perfect. We’d messed up so bad that, sometimes, the best thing to do was to call a foul and walk away.
And that was what I was determined to do.
My phone dinged, startling us both. I lifted it up so I could see the screen.
“My ride’s here,” I whispered.
Miles pushed his hands through his hair once more and nodded. “Yeah, okay.” Then he paused.I could see in his body language that he wanted to say something more, and I had a sinking suspicion as to what that was. Problem was, there was no way I was ready to hear any of it.
“It’s been nice knowing you,” I said. And before I could stop myself, I reached out and rested my hand on his arm. His warm skin shocked my fingertips, and I blinked and pulled my hand back, cursing myself for doing that.What was wrong with me?
Miles’s gaze dropped down to the spot I had touched before he brought his gaze up to meet mine. His dark blue eyes had turned stormy, which caused my stomach to flip-flop.
My phone chimed again, pulling me from my thoughts. I pushed my purse strap higher up onto my shoulder and then gave him a weak smile.“Goodbye, Miles,” I said as I stepped around him.He didn’t say anything as I passed by. It wasn’t until I’d stepped out into the rain, raising my purse up over my head that I heard his response.
“Goodbye, Shelby.”
Like a dam breaking inside of me, the tears began to flow. I was grateful for the rain now more than ever. My tears mixed with the water running down my face as I crossed the cemetery lawn and pulled open the door of the black SUV.
The man asked for my name, and I managed to get that out. He didn’t say much else as he put the car into drive and took off down the small, one-lane road that led to Main Street.
Thankfully, he didn’t ask me what was wrong. Being picked up at a cemetery seemed to be all he needed to know. Hiding under that excuse, I allowed the tears that had refused to fall all of this time to flow. I was hurt. I was broken. And for this moment, I was going to allow myself to be weak.
As soon as I got back to New York, I’d forget. But for now, I didn’t have the strength.
The Red Stiletto Book Club Series
Set on the sun-soaked island of Magnolia, this heartwarming series follows a group of women in their thirties as they rediscover friendship, rebuild what was broken, and fall for the kind of men who love deeply and stay.
Emotional, uplifting, and full of second chances at love.
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The Magnolia Inn Synopsis
If my mother thought that restoring the run down family inn would break me, she was wrong.The hardest part of falling in love with the small town of Magnolia and my grumpy handyman is knowing at some point, I'm going to have to sell the inn and leave.
Maggie
My ex-husband left me for my best friend. I’m 36, unemployed, and about to be evicted. My only option is to ask my estranged mother for help. She offers me a deal: fix up the run down family inn on the small island of Magnolia and any of the proceeds I can make off the sale, will be mine to invest.
Determined to start believing in myself, I roll into town with an unhealthy amount of optimism. The only person who is going to stop me, is me. That is, until I meet my grumpy handyman. He has more walls built up around his heart than the three story inn I’m restoring, but I’m determined to break them down. Even if he’s determined to stop me.
Clementine
I meant to leave Magnolia at some point in my life. With a full ride scholarship to Juilliard, my dream was to dance. But Dad got sick and I needed to stay to run the local hardware store. Plus, there’s no way I can rely on my older brother, Archer, who can’t outrun the ghosts of his past.
When Maggie blows into town, I can’t help but feel inspired by her desire to reinvent herself and when she asks for the local handyman, it becomes the perfect opportunity to provide Archer with purpose and perhaps, a little bit of sunshine.
As our friendship grows, I realize just how much I needed a sisterhood. And when I catch Archer smiling, I realize that he needed Maggie as well. I just hope that when the time comes to sell the inn, Maggie fights to stay, because I’m not sure we could handle the heartbreak if she leaves.
The Magnolia Inn will capture you from page one. It is a story chock full of friendship, laughter, and swoon-worthy romance.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
And there it was.
Eye level and taped on all four corners.
Whoever had put it there meant business and wanted me to see it. And they’d succeeded.
The notice was smaller than I’d expected. And oranger.
I snorted.
I’d never had an eviction notice cemented to my door before, so what did I know? I’d also never been divorced and had my entire bank account drained by the man who’d sworn to love me forever.
Apparently my thirty-sixth year was the year fate decided to land all the blows it could. I was divorced, penniless, and now—homeless.
I cursed under my breath as I fought the tears that stung my eyes. In my slow descent into madness, I didn’t notice Mrs. Jacamo, my nosy and judgy neighbor, until she stepped around me. She tsked, lowered her head, and scurried by. She was carrying her dog, Baby, in a bag that was tucked under her armpit. I could see his black eyes stare at me as she retreated.
I thought for a moment that Baby had it worse than me. Living in her owner’s armpit had to be bad—but with one more look at the note taped to my door, I dropped that thought.
I had it worse.
I grabbed the piece of paper, crumpled it in my hand, and shoved my key into the lock. I fought back the tears as I turned the handle and slipped into my apartment.
It had started out as our apartment, Sean’s and mine, but ever since Sean packed up his belongings and left with Tracy—my now ex-friend—it had become my apartment.
In a few short weeks it wouldn’t even be that.
I threw my purse and computer bag on the table and pulled out my phone. I sent a quick SOS text to Brielle, my best friend and designated cheerleader. She texted a thumbs-up and then an ETA of five minutes.
I set my phone on the charger and busied myself with making some coffee. Since I couldn’t afford fresh coffee grounds, I had to resort to buying the instant crap that tasted bitter and chalky.
By the time Brielle banged on my door, the coffee had cooled to a sippable temperature. I held my mug in my hand as I walked over to the door and pulled it open. Brielle’s face peeked up over two brown bags packed full of Cheng’s to-die-for Chinese.
“Bri, you didn’t have to bring food,” I said as I took the six-pack of wine coolers that dangled from her fingers.
She shrugged as she followed me into the kitchen and set the bags down on the counter. “They’d just dropped it off when you texted.” She began to open the bags and took out the small white containers.
The smell of sweet and sour chicken and fried rice had my mouth watering.
“Besides, I ordered too much. Brent was going to come over for dinner, but he got held up at work.” She finished unloading the bag and blew her dark-brown curls from her face. “So I figured you could use some sustenance.”
I reached out and pulled Brielle into a hug. She always seemed to know just what I needed. “Thanks,” I said as my control on my emotions slipped, causing my voice to come out in a whisper.
She chuckled as she pointed to the cupboard. “Plates,” she said.
I nodded and fished them out. One was a pale yellow and the other had flowers painted on one side. They were the perfect representation of my current status: disjointed and mismatched.
I swallowed as I focused on grabbing two plastic forks from a drawer and handing one over to Brielle. There was no way I was going to look at the status of my dishware like a Rorschach test. I didn’t need an inkblot to tell me what I already knew.
My life was one giant failure that I couldn’t get out from underneath. No matter how hard I tried.
Once our plates were overflowing with food, I grabbed a wine cooler and made my way over to the faded floral couch in the far corner. I settled down on it as Brielle followed and did the same.
We ate in silence for a few minutes before Brielle sighed and turned toward me. I could see the questions she had for me. They were written in her gaze.
Knowing I couldn’t go the entire evening without an explanation for the SOS, I tucked my straight blonde hair behind my ear and faced her.
“I got a note today,” I said after I swallowed the bit of sweet and sour chicken I’d been chewing.
Brielle raised her eyebrows and got a mischievous look on her face. “A sexy note?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Ew, no. Who would write me anything like that?” The ink on my divorce papers wasn’t even dry. Six months was way too soon to start testing the waters once more.
In fact, I doubted that I would want to dip my toe into the dating pool ever again. When you are nearing forty, that water is black and murky with all kinds of ungodly things swimming around in it.
My one experience with online dating had ended horribly. My date had shown up drunk, with his earlier date on his arm. It ended with me calling a ride and slipping out through the bathroom window.
From then on, I swore that I would never let Brielle convince me to join any sort of dating app. Ever.
“Margaret Brown, you are a sexy, available girl. You shouldn’t let one bad date turn you off from a lifetime of fun.” She speared her mushroom chicken with her fork and slipped it into her mouth. She raised her eyebrows as she studied me.
I waved away her comment. It wasn’t just one bad date. It was one messy divorce followed by one bad date. I doubted I should test my luck again. Apparently fate was still pissed off at me for something, even if I wasn’t sure what it was. I figured I’d take my time to ease back into her good graces.
I’d already told Brielle these theories, but she’d responded by telling me I was crazy and that there was no such thing as fate. If there was, fate would be holding seances against Sean, not me. He had his day coming where karma would catch up to him. It was only a matter of time.
Then she would end with telling me how beautiful I was and how any guy would be lucky to have me.
Ten years ago, that might have been true. But age and a dysfunctional marriage had taken its toll on my body—namely my hips. They got rounder and wider with each passing year.
“Thanks, but no, that wasn’t the kind of note I got.” Glancing around, I found the crumpled-up notice that I’d chucked into the corner. It was nestled in the jumbled mess of cords beside the side table. I set my plate down on the floor and walked over to pick up the paper.
I opened it and smoothed it out on my leg. Then I handed it to Brielle.
She took it, and a moment later, she gasped. I could feel her blue eyes as they stared at me. Not wanting to verify what I already knew—that I was, in fact, a loser—I settled back on the couch, with my plate balanced on my thighs, and stared at my remaining food.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
I shrugged as I continued eating. “I need to find a job that actually pays.” Working as an intern at Jacobson’s Designs was my dream, but without a paycheck, it was becoming a nightmare. Even so, I seemed physically incapable of letting it go. In my stubbornness after the divorce, I’d figured I’d be able to make it work. But apparently, I’d been foolish. The funds in my bank account never increased past the double digits, and I couldn’t bring myself to admit that Sean had stolen this last bit of my happiness from me. Forcing me to give up my dream because of him. Again.
My throat felt tight with each swallow, and I couldn’t stop the hopelessness that was slowly suffocating me. I felt empty inside, and maybe I was hoping the food would fill it up. I guess there are worse things to bury myself in.
“Do you need to live with me?” Brielle asked. Her eyes were wide, and I could see her concern etched on her features.
I appreciated her gesture, but it wasn’t even possible. She was already sharing her studio apartment with Jasmine, the granola foodie who didn’t believe in showers or washing her clothes. There was no way I could fit in there as well. It was the curse of living in New York. Affordable real estate was hard to come by.
I shook my head as I tucked my feet underneath me and set my plate on my knees. “You don’t have the room.”
Brielle paused before she nodded and glanced around. “What about your mom?”
I almost swallowed my tongue at the mention of my mother. Penny Brown didn’t take handouts—not like she needed them—and she certainly didn’t give them. She believed everyone needed to earn their way in the world. Even her only daughter.
“That’s a big fat no,” I said, shoveling more food into my mouth. I hated that my emotions spiked at the mention of my estranged mother. It sucked.
“But she’s your mom. She owes you.”
I shook my head more fervently this time. I didn’t want to talk about her. I didn’t want to entertain the thought of asking her to help. What if I did and she turned me down?
There was a reason why I’d chosen to live with my dad when they divorced. He was warm and cuddly. Penny was cold and distant. There were times I wondered if she held my choice to stay with Dad against me. And in my booze-filled moments, I wondered what our relationship would have been like if she actually liked me.
My stomach ached, so I stopped eating and set my plate down on the floor next to me. I grabbed a nearby throw pillow and curled up with it. I laid my head on the back of the couch and peered over at Brielle.
She was poking around at her food, not really eating any of it. I could tell she was mulling things over. She wanted to find a solution. It was sweet, but she needed to face the truth just like I did.
There was no solution.
“I hear the Branson House is nice,” I mumbled.
Brielle’s gaze snapped over at me. “No. Nope. Nuh-uh. There is no way my best friend is staying in a shelter.” She leaned into me as she shook her finger in my direction. “You are one of New York’s best interior designers. You had so much potential until that loser Sean convinced you otherwise.”
She stood and began to pace in front of me. “You can’t give up that dream. Maybe working for Jacobson’s Designs is dumb, but there has to be something more.”
I sighed as I reached down and collected my plate and then Brielle’s. I brought them into the kitchen, where I began to spray them off. “It’s not going to happen, Brielle. I just need to find something that pays.” I stared at the food as it slipped off the plate and down the drain.
It’s a sad day when you find yourself relating to food as it’s discarded.
“But that’s the thing. What if you found both?”
I blinked as I glanced over to see Brielle standing next to me. She had both hands pressed onto the counter in front of her and she was leaning toward me with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry, what? In what universe does something like that exist?”
Brielle leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. “Listen, I write grant proposals all the time. I can help you write a proposal.”
I studied her. “Who would I be writing a proposal to? And for what?”
She studied me. I could see the excitement that she was trying to hold back. She knew me so well. I was risk averse. Especially after Sean.
She paused as she stared at me, tapping her fingers on her forearm. “A proposal for your design company.” She said each word slowly. Her eyebrows rose as she waited for me to respond.
I turned off the water and then faced her. “Are you talking about Studio Red? Bri, come on. That was a ridiculous dream I had years ago.”
Brielle raised her finger up to silence me and then turned and marched down the hallway. I scrambled to catch up with her. I knew where she was going. I knew what binder she was looking for.
But nothing I did stopped her. She marched right into my room and located that ridiculous dream binder I’d created years ago. Back when I felt like the world was my oyster. Back when I was happy.
“This isn’t a ridiculous dream. If it was, you wouldn’t have kept this for so long.” She settled down on my bed and flipped it open. She began to read the business proposal I’d written. It was complete with yearly projections and a business motto.
“I want to design beautiful living at affordable prices,” she read as she pointed her finger at the page and tapped it a few times. “Maggie, you loved this dream until Sean stole it from you. He’s a loser who’s out of your life. Maybe dreaming big is what you should do now.”
She closed the binder and set it on my nightstand. “This is your do-over. How are you going to change things? The world is open to you.” She stood and rested her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t let fear keep you down. That’s what it’s done for the last ten years.” She met my gaze and held it.
I wanted to tease her and tell her she sounded like those ridiculous motivational posters people buy, but I couldn’t. Tears were brimming my eyelids as I stared at her. She was right. I’d been living in fear for way too long. Fear that I’d disappoint Sean. Fear that I would succeed where he’d failed. Fear that I would never be good enough for him or for myself.
Fear was a dark and sticky world. Once you got there, it was hard to leave. It clung to you and didn’t let you go.
I broke her hold on me as I flopped down on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling and blew out my breath. Brielle did the same, her elbow resting next to mine.
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to imagine what my life would be like if I said yes. What if I didn’t go back to Jacobson’s Designs? And what if I didn’t take a job at the local grocery store that seemed to always shove a Now Hiring flyer into my hand every time I left?
“Can you see it?” she asked.
I peeked over at her and then shrugged. “What am I supposed to see?”
“Maggie,” she groaned as she grabbed a pillow and whacked me with it. “You’re impossible.”
I shielded my face from any further attacks. Thankfully, my sadness had erupted into giggles. I’d cried so much over Sean, I didn’t think I could do it again.
Brielle must have grown tired of me and scooted to lean against my headboard. I rolled onto my side and propped my head up with my hand as I drew circles on the comforter in front of me.
I glanced up at her. “Okay. Tell me your plan, and I’ll tell you if you’re crazy or not.”
A slow smile began to spread across her lips as she leaned forward and rubbed her hands together.
I knew I should have taken her excitement as a warning sign. A big, blinking neon-red sign that said Run Now. But I didn’t.
After all, what other plan did I have?
I’d already messed up my life so much, what was another few years traveling down the wrong path? At least this time, it would only be me.
This time, I wouldn’t have a deadweight named Sean around my neck telling me I wasn’t good enough for anything.
I was starting my new life with someone who was telling me I could do it, and that was heads above where I’d been before. If Brielle was excited and confident, I’d lean on that for a while.
I was desperate. So, for right now, I’d play along.
The Braxton Brothers Series
When the siblings of the Braxton family return home—some chasing healing, others running from heartbreak—they find more than they bargained for. With small-town charm, rekindled dreams, and the kind of love that sneaks up on you, each sibling discovers that sometimes… going back is the beginning of everything.
Just-kisses, heartwarming, and impossible to put down—this series is perfect for fans of small towns, strong families, and slow-burn romance.
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Coming Home to
Honey Grove Synopsis
Honey Grove Synopsis
A sweet romance that follows the first son of the Braxton family who's come home to the small South Carolina town of Honey Grove.
Joshua is back in Honey Grove. As a divorced, single dad, he’s decided that love is the last thing he needs.
Beth is back in Honey Grove after losing her job and getting dumped.
When Josh’s mother, the town’s busy body, arranges for Beth to be his nanny, Josh decides to go along with the plan.
Even though Beth is no longer the lanky girl next door, Josh isn’t looking for a relationship anyway. He can keep her at a distance. Right?
Everything seems to be working out until their relationship deepens and their arrangement isn’t enough anymore.
Too bad her feelings for Josh isn’t Beth’s only secret.
If you love a one-of-a-kind romance with swoon-worthy heroes and toe-curling kisses, you’ll love Coming Home to Honey Grove.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
Josh Braxton pulled into the driveway of his childhood home and turned off the engine of his truck. Humiliation, frustration, and pain clung to his chest like a cold he couldn’t kick as he stared at the familiar two-story house with red shutters and a porch that wrapped all the way around the first floor.
This was his new life. Everything he’d ever done had led up to this moment.
Seriously?
Leaving this house at eighteen only to be back here fourteen years later hadn’t been his dream. But neither had being left by his now ex-wife.
It’s funny how your life can change its course without first consulting you.
“Are we here?” Jordan asked from the back seat.
Josh winced at his five-year-old’s idea of an inside voice.
“Headphones, JP,” Josh said, turning and pointing to his ears.
Jordan pulled his headphones off and glanced around. His nose wrinkled. “This is where we are living?”
Josh swallowed and took in a deep breath. Even his son knew how pathetic it was that he had to move back in with his parents.
“Yep. Aren’t you excited to stay with Nana and Papa?” Josh forced a smile.
Jordan shrugged. “They have good cookies.”
Josh snorted. That was true. His mother had won her share of blue first-place ribbons for her baking here in Honey Grove, SC. Which was a good thing. With five boys to feed, she’d needed to cook. A lot.
Josh pulled open his door and stepped out, stretching in the warm sun. He loved South Carolina in the summer. It reminded him of popsicles and trips to the beach. And, if he were honest, he was ready to share this life with his son.
Jordan slammed the door as he got out of the car. “It’s hot,” he said, squinting up at Josh.
“Get used to it, buddy. It won’t cool down for another few months.”
This was definitely different than the picturesque Colorado home he’d given up in the divorce. Josh’s ex-wife, Cindy, had decided that she wanted nothing to do with either of them and had moved her new husband into their mountain home.
Those were her terms for giving him sole custody. She’d given up her son and husband for his twenty-five-year-old partner. Man, he was such an idiot.
Heat pricked at the back of Josh’s neck, and it wasn’t from the weather. It was a feeling he got every time he thought about Cindy. How could any mother just give up on her son like that?
Staring down at Jordan’s shaggy hair and big, missing-his-front-teeth grin, Josh knew there was nothing in the world that would keep him away from his son.
Nothing.
“My baby’s home!” Sondra Braxton shouted from the front porch. Her greying black hair was pulled up into a messy bun and dark-red glasses perched on her nose. She was rounder than he remembered. Her flour-covered apron, wrapped around her five-foot-four frame, strained against her stomach.
“Hey, Ma,” Josh said as he slammed his door and walked across the grass.
He had to dip down to wrap his arms around her. He was six-foot-two, the tallest of the five Braxton boys. His mom wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him one of her signature I’m going to squeeze you like a snake hugs.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” she said, pulling back and wiping away a tear.
“Woman, stop your blubbering,” Jimmy Braxton said with a grin.
Josh smiled up at his dad, who’d appeared from around the house. He was wiping his hands on a rag as he approached.
“Jordan!” Sondra rushed to go smother her grandson with hugs and kisses.
Josh and his dad shook hands for a moment before embracing. After their quick hug, Jimmy pulled back.
“Everything is set for you. The guys are excited to have a Braxton boy working with them again.”
Josh pushed his hands through his curly brown hair and nodded. After the divorce, he’d decided to take a sabbatical from practicing law. The man his wife had left him for was his business partner, and, right now, his heart just wasn’t in the work that used to consume him from sunup to sundown.
“Great. Can’t wait to start,” Josh said, hoping his fake enthusiasm was good enough to fool his father.
Jimmy paused and squinted over at Josh. Josh could see that his dad wanted to ask another question.
“Just spit it out, Dad.”
Jimmy cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, you’ve always been more into the books. Are you going to be satisfied in construction?”
Josh flexed his muscles. He had the itch to move—his pent up frustration didn’t go well with sitting behind a desk. “Physical labor might be just what I need.”
Jimmy nodded. “Okay. Well, you know you can leave anytime you want. I mean, you’re not obligated to stay. Whenever you’re ready to go back to lawyering, I won’t be hurt.”
Josh reached out and clapped his hand on his dad’s shoulder. “I appreciate that.”
“Stop trying to push my son out of my house. I just got him back,” Sondra said, walking up to them.
Jimmy raised his hands. “I warned you. Once you’re back in her nest, this momma bird isn’t going to let you go that easily.”
Josh laughed. “Heard you loud and clear.”
“I’ve got to pee,” Jordan announced, so Jimmy excused himself to show Jordan to the bathroom.
Josh turned his attention to his mom. She was smiling up at him.
“What?” he asked, moving back across the lawn to his truck. He pulled the tailgate open and started unloading boxes.
“I’m just glad you’re home, that’s all. It’s been too quiet since y’all left.”
Josh nodded. Growing up with five siblings made every day pretty eventful—never a dull moment. But they were all grown up now and were doing different things. At least, everyone else was. Josh was coming home. Starting back at the beginning.
But his mom looked so happy that he was home, he didn’t want to crush her spirits. So he gave her a smile as he pulled a box labeled Jordan’s Toys out of the back.
“Have you heard from any of them?” he asked, wanting to take the attention off himself. He was pretty close to cracking, but breaking down in front of his mom was the last thing he should do if he wanted to maintain his sanity.
Sondra sighed as she leaned against the truck. “Well, Jonathan is still in Pittsburgh. I think he’s planning on coming home before the season starts up again. James is as elusive as ever. I thought getting out of the military would finally bring him home.” She grew quiet and Josh looked over to see the sadness in her eyes.
“Ma, you know James. That’s just his personality. We could never tie him down.”
Sondra patted her cheeks. “I know, I know. I just worry about him.”
Josh nodded. That was something he hadn’t understood until he had a son of his own. The constant worry of a parent.
“I talked to Jackson last week. He’s buying an apartment in New York.” Sondra continued.
Jackson Braxton—also known as the rich Braxton brother. Josh smiled. “Why am I not surprised?”
Sondra chuckled. “And Dean is here. He’s coming for dinner tonight. The charity he set up in his mom’s name has really taken off. It’s keeping him busy.”
Dean Diego, the foster boy his parents took in to finish his senior year in Honey Grove. Even though he wasn’t blood, he was still a Braxton and a brother.
“What about Jenna?” Josh asked, his chest swelled with concern for his little sister. She was the youngest Braxton and the only girl.
Sondra’s lips tipped up into a smile. “She’s doing well. Finishing her internship in Seattle. I think she’s planning on coming back if the county doesn’t give her a job.”
Josh lowered the last box to the ground. He missed his little sister. Even though they were eight years apart, he’d always taken it upon himself to protect her and look out for her.
A yellow bug drove by and slowed as it pulled into the Johnson’s driveway across the street. Intrigued with who was driving, Josh straightened and squinted. The parking lights turned off and the driver door opened.
“Oh, and I didn’t tell you. Beth is back.”
Josh’s ears pricked at the name of the girl who’d grown up across the street. The one who had once proclaimed her love to him. He chuckled.
“Beth’s back?” Last he’d heard, she was dating some business man and had moved to Philadelphia.
Sondra nodded. “And single.”
Josh shot his mom an exasperated look. “I’m not—why does that matter?”
Sondra shrugged and they both turned to see Beth step out of her car.
Josh’s heart picked up speed as she flicked her long, blonde hair off her shoulder and shouldered her purse.
She was wearing a pair of cutoffs, and Josh was trying really hard not to notice how long and tan her legs had gotten. Or the fact that her white tank was filled out quite nicely.
She was definitely not the short, thin girl he remembered.
“Beth,” Sondra yelled, raising her hand.
“Ma,” Josh said under his breath. This was the last thing he needed—his mom meddling in his love life.
Startled, Beth glanced up, and Josh thought that he saw her cheeks redden when her gaze fell on him. But, when he blinked, she looked much more relaxed.
Josh gave her a small wave and he cursed himself for thinking she’d had any reaction to him. It must have been his imagination. But then he felt even more like an idiot. Why was Beth blushing something he would imagine? Why did he care?
He was rusty at this whole needing to interpret what women were thinking bit. It’d been years since he even needed to think about flirting. And if his past experience with love was any indication of his future, he should just throw in the towel now. Love wasn’t worth that kind of pain.
“Hey, Mrs. B,” Beth said, raising her hand and waving. “Josh.”
“Come over here, sweetheart. Look who’s come back home.”
Josh shot his mom an annoyed look, but if she noticed, she didn’t care.
Beth glanced down at her watch and then back up at them. “I’m—I should really—”
“Nonsense. I’m sure whatever you have going on isn’t as important as greeting an old friend.”
Josh parted his lips to come to Beth’s rescue, but closed his mouth when he saw her nod and make her way toward them. After crossing the street, she walked up, pausing a few feet away.
“Did you know that Josh is back to stay?” his mom asked, peering up at Beth.
Beth turned her gaze up to Josh and nodded. Her blue eyes were as bright as ever, but there was something about them. Age had made her more beautiful than he remembered. Or, perhaps, it was the light dusting of freckles across her nose or her full, red lips…
“
"Josh, say hi to Beth.”
Realizing that he was just standing there, staring, Josh took a deep breath and extended his hand. He needed to get a grip. “Right.” He gave her a smile. “Hi, Beth.”
She chuckled, and the sound of her laugh did strange things to his insides. “Hi, Josh.” She pinched her lips together as she glanced up at him. “It’s nice to have you back.”
He wasn’t sure if she meant it or if that was something she said to everyone, but from the way his stomach lightened, he couldn’t help but hope that she meant it.
“It’s good to be back,” he said. For the first time in a long time, hope grew in his chest. Being home might not be so bad after all.
When he realized that he was still holding her hand, he dropped it and gave her an apologetic smile. Her lips were tipped up at the corners as she glanced at Sondra.
“I should really get going,” Beth said apologetically.
Sondra nodded. “Of course. You promise you’ll come over for our celebratory dinner?”
Beth’s lips parted, and she looked as if she were searching for a polite way to reject his mom’s offer.
“Ma, she probably has plans,” Josh said, giving her a sympathetic smile.
“Nonsense. She has nothing to do that’s more important than my pot roast. Come. It will be fun to catch up. You two have lots to talk about, I’m sure,” Sondra said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Beth studied her for a moment, her eyebrows knit together. “I’ll try to come.” Then her gaze rose to meet his. There was a shy hint to her expression. “It might be nice to catch up.”
Josh swallowed from the unexpected heat that flushed his skin. Instead, he tried to focus on his mom as she told Beth the time and extended the invitation to her parents as well.
Beth thanked her, shot one last look at Josh, and headed back across the street.
Turning, Josh glared at his mom. “What was that?” he asked as he heaved a box up onto his shoulder and headed for the apartment over the garage. The Braxton Hotel, his mom called it.
Sondra shrugged. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
Josh turned the handle and stepped inside. “What are you trying to do? Why were you so insistent that Beth come for dinner?”
Sondra opened her mouth in mock surprise as she held her hand to her chest. “I’m choosing to ignore the fact that you think I had ulterior motives. There is nothing devious about asking an old friend to dinner.”
Josh chuckled. “Right.” He stuck his finger out at his mom. “You’ve never tried to play matchmaker for your sons?”
Sondra’s face contorted as she tried to keep a straight face. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Josh watched his mom and then sighed. “Just don’t go crazy, Ma. I’m not ready for any of that yet. Or maybe ever.”
Sondra’s expression grew serious as she crossed the room and gave him a hug. “I know, honey. I wouldn’t dream of pushing you when you’re not ready. It wouldn’t be fair to you or the girl.”
Josh wrapped one arm around his mom and nodded as he rested his chin on her head. “Thanks.”
She gave him one last squeeze and then hurried toward the door. “My cookies,” she said in a panic. Right before she disappeared down the stairs, she turned. “I’m really glad you’re home.”
Josh straightened and looked around at the familiar, dated furniture. She was right. For now, this was his home, and he was glad to be back. “Me too.”
The McKnight Family Series
Meet the prestigious McKnight siblings—a dazzling family of NFL stars, surgeons, actors, and socialites. From stadium lights to red carpets, they've lived their lives in the spotlight. But when love comes crashing into their carefully curated worlds, each sibling must face the one thing they can't control: their heart.
Secret babies. Enemies turned lovers. Forbidden attraction. And the kind of happily-ever-afters that prove love doesn’t care about status, secrets, or fame.
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His Kissing Penalty Synopsis
The one guy I never wanted to see again...just moved in across the hall. To make things worse, he doesn’t even remember the moment our lips touched and stars exploded.
Misunderstandings collide when the tabloids mistake me for his secret girlfriend. They love me because I’m an all-American girl, and he’s a football star. Plus, we sort of grew up together. Hometown romance sells.
We were made to be together, right? Not according to my overprotective family. To them, my brother’s best friend has always been forbidden.
I thought I could handle a fake relationship with Jaxson.
I was wrong.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
“You know what, Katie?” I swiped a piece of hair off my face and then tucked it behind my ear. “Dusting is not fun.”
“No fwun,” Katie repeated. The adorable little munchkin added extra sounds to her words, like language wasn’t exciting enough without them. Watching my niece while I sent out resumes and did light housework for my parents hadn’t been my goal upon graduation, but sometimes you just have to roll with life.
I wasn’t too upset about having some time with Katie, though. I’d missed her while at school. What I did have a problem with, was being the only one of my siblings unemployed and without prospects.
Seriously, I had some major overachievers to live up to. Case in point, we were throwing a party for my older brother who had just graduated med school. The guy was a doctor, for Pete’s sake—he’d had two graduation parties already. On top of that, he already worked at the local hospital…and I was cleaning my parents’ house.
I had high hopes, though. One day, I’d prove I had the McKnight drive to succeed thrumming through my veins.
Today? I was a tickle monster.
I shook the dust rag at Katie and growled. She squealed and ran from the room as if a puppy nipped at her heels. The game was on. I laughed and chased after her, ready to tickle and play instead of dust. My parents never passed on a chance to throw a party. Entertaining was their life. The house was always open to friends and extended family. If any group of people lived the more-the-merrier philosophy, it was the McKnights.
And when it came to their kids, my parents were even more inviting. I knew it was a little cliché, but Mom had been begging for more of her kids to come home. So when I couldn’t seem to land a job in New York—the state that literally held all the jobs—I told her I was moving in.
I think my hearing was still damaged from the squeal that Mom let out when I walked into the family mansion two months ago. Daddy gave me a “Welcome home, kiddo” complete with his one-armed hug and cursory pat on the back. Penelope, my older sister, was smiling as she proclaimed me her nanny. “Until you get your feet under you.” Which I was okay with. I mean, Katie was adorable. And sweet. And way more fun than any stuffy businessmen I would have been working with had I taken an office job at Dad’s commercial construction company.
Katie disappeared around the corner leading into the family room, her skirt kicking up behind her and her squeals filling the otherwise empty house. Just as I was about to grab her, the doorbell rang. I swung wide, brushing my fingertips over her back. She danced out of reach, and I shook my finger at her. “You’ve been saved by the bell, little one.”
Katie skipped around the couch. “I get the dwoor.”
“No, I get the dwoor.” I raced her to the front entryway, pulling back at the last second to let Katie win.
She grunted as she tugged and tugged on the iron handle. Finally I reached over the top of her and pushed down the latch. The sun streamed through the open door and into the foyer, making me squint. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, and when they did, I about swallowed my tongue.
Standing on our doorstep in all his six-foot-three glory, was none other than the handsome and way-too-sexy-for-his-own-good Jaxson Jagger.
My pulse did a double take and then took off at a sprint. I didn’t know he was coming here, and the surprise knocked rational thought out of my head. A warning would have been nice—from anyone! Not that there was enough positive mental focus or meditation to ever prepare me to see him again; not after what had happened between us.
Jaxson’s jeans hung on his hips, and he wore a pair of aviator sunglasses that gave him that bad-boy look. I tried not to roll my eyes. I knew Jaxson Jagger, quarterback. He wasn’t the suave guy that he allowed women or the press to think he was. He was a softy, even if he wanted people to believe otherwise.
But I still winced as I glanced down at my cleaning clothes—a pair of skinny jeans and an oversized Wolves football tee shirt I’d stolen from my brother three years ago. I had a hole in the knee of my left pant leg, and my hair was up in a topknot and wrapped in a blue bandana. Too late, I realized I should have put on mascara this morning. But who wears mascara to tend their niece and clean house?
“Hey.” Jaxson pulled off his sunglasses, revealing his emerald-green eyes. The effect was like revealing a feast to a pauper, and I stupidly drank in the sight. Apparently, I’d forgotten to take my come-down-to-earth pills this morning. Ogling Jaxson was one of the dumber things I allowed myself to do. He was practically my brother. And since my actual brother, Liam, was his best friend, I was off-limits. It was the same with any of Liam’s football bros.
But as a woman, I knew a good-looking guy when I saw one. And Jaxson was good looking. His dirty blonde hair was lighter at the tips from hours in the sun. Though his fans thought he spent time in the salon, I knew better. He’d had those tips when he played high school football and lived across the hall for six months. Not that he'd ever noticed his best friend's little sister during that time of his life. I was quiet back then, even in my own home, and awed by his looks. Oh yeah, I’d noticed him and those rock-hard abs. And then there was that kiss…
I shoved the thought out of my head even as my cheeks warmed with embarrassment. Eight years had passed, and the first thing I thought of when I saw him was simultaneously the best and the worst moment of my life. No kiss since then even compared, but that didn’t mean I thought about it every day. Which I didn’t. I was down to once or twice a week—and that was without therapy.
Why couldn’t I leave it in the past? It was a kiss. A stolen moment in time. It wasn’t like my existence had started then. Although, his lips had awakened a part of me I hadn’t known existed. Still. It was just a kiss. And, if he hadn’t… Nope! Not going to go there.
Jaxson tucked his sunglasses into the neck of his way-too-tight tee. Leave a little something to the imagination. On second thought—my eyes roamed over his tight abs and the new muscles along his chest, shoulders, and arms—maybe not. You go right ahead and broadcast your gym time all you want, big guy. I could use a little more eye candy in my life. The guys I’d dated lately were not quite so…defined. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed the sculpted physique. Of course, Jaxson had one of the best bodies in football. He’d won Hot Bod in Football Inc. Magazine two years in a row—not that I’d voted for him or anything.
“I’m here for the McKnight party.” He glanced at his phone.
The party? I exchanged a look with Katie, who snuggled up to my leg. The party wasn’t due to start for six hours. The staff wouldn’t arrive for another three. We were not ready to entertain, and I really wanted to shower before letting guests inside. He could go to his hotel and chill for a while. “You’re a little early.”
“I was hoping you’d have my room ready.” He picked up a duffle bag at his feet and gave me an expectant look.
“Your room?” My voice went up three octaves. It had been bad enough living across the hall from Evergreen Hollow High’s most eligible football player when I had braces and bed head. I wasn’t sure I could handle it now. Now that we were adults and I was…legal. Though the braces had done their job and I had decent skills with a flat iron, Jaxson had an effect on me. It was like his cologne turned my brain to mush, and I had the uncontrollable urge to giggle.
“Nantie?” asked Katie in a soft voice. She’s added an “N” to auntie ages ago, and I couldn’t bring myself to correct her. I’d be Nantie until she had a kid of her own. I picked her up and held her close while giving Jaxson a questioning look.
He wasted no time filling me in. “I’ll be staying in the guest bedroom for a while. I’m sure Mrs. McKnight told you I was coming.”
Since when did he call Mom, Mrs. McKnight? She was Brenda to everyone she’d ever fed, and she’d spent a lot of time beefing up this beefcake. But maybe he felt that, now he was an adult, he needed to be more formal, or something. So sure, I’d play along with it. “She didn’t mention it.”
“I can wait in the family room while you change sheets or whatever.” He pushed past me and marched right in, leaving a trail of his spicy scent for me to follow. I breathed through my mouth in an effort to keep my wits about me. I could not spend my afternoon entertaining Jaxson.
Irked that he’d missed my not-so-subtle signals to stay outside, I went after him. He stopped at the stone covered archway that separated the family room from the entry and looked around. His eyes glazed over, like he was reliving a host of fond memories.
“Listen, I’m a little busy at the moment.” I hitched Katie up on my hip to emphasize my point.
“Oh!” His eyes widened. “Is this Katie?” He reached for her, and she turned her face into my neck.
You go girl. Don’t fall for those dreamy green eyes or his strong jaw line—this guy’s a heartbreaker. My niece had better judgement when it came to men than I did. My eyes dropped once again to his chest and traced over his shoulders.
“Liam’s got pictures of her all over his phone. She’s his princess.”
I melted a little to hear that my older brother bragged about our niece. Penny normally worked nights at the hospital, but she’d taken a few day shifts at my insistence. Being a single mother was hard enough on a regular sleep cycle, and working nights as a nurse was hard on her. But the McKnight family loved the munchkin so much that we were happy to help out however needed. Katie never lacked for love or attention even if her father’s identity remained a mystery.
“She’s the resident princess around here.” I hitched her up again. “Can you say hi to Jaxson?”
“You know my name.” He nodded his head like he’d just scored a woman’s phone number.
I rolled my eyes and pointed at my tee shirt. Hello? Did he think I didn’t follow my brother’s team?
“You’re a fan?”
“The biggest.” Even when my brother Liam was Mr. Popular in high school and could have easily overlooked his shy little sister, he made time for me. We’d grown up close, only eighteen months apart and one year in school. But where Liam was bold and loud and brassy, I was shy, quiet, and, as my mom would put it, tender hearted.
“You’re in for a real treat, then.”
“I am?”
“Yeah, it’s not just me coming back for the off-season, Liam McKnight will be here, too. He got hung up in town, so I came ahead. But he should be here soon. Then you’ll get to know two of the guys on the team.”
I pulled my eyebrows together. He talked as if I wasn’t part of the family. As if I hadn’t seen Liam shave off his eyebrow on a dare or break his arm trying to jump the fence on his ten-speed.
Holy crap! He doesn’t recognize me.
My face burned. A man should recognize a girl he once kissed. Especially when it was the girl’s first kiss. “Who do you think I am?” I managed a steady voice even though I seethed inside.
He smiled, gently tugging on one of Katie’s curls. “The nanny. And I can tell you’re excellent at your job, she obviously loves you.”
Katie sat up and patted my cheeks. “Nantie.”
Oh.
My niece's creativity with the English language may have confused him. Still, I didn’t look that different, and I certainly had the McKnight heart-shaped face and my mother’s smile.
My heart plummeted, and I was suddenly the invisible sixteen-year-old with a massive crush on my older brother’s best friend. He hadn’t seen me back then, and he didn’t see me now. I may not be a doctor like Carter, or a professional athlete like Liam, or a sheriff like Mason, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t amazing in my own right. If people could just see past my hugely successful siblings…
I gritted my teeth. All my life I’d been the baby of the family, the caboose, the one they protected and treated like a kid. Well, I wasn’t a kid anymore. I was a twenty-four-year-old college graduate who didn’t have to stand here and be overlooked—again.
“Come with me.” I turned on my heel and marched up the stairs. Jaxson’s heavy footfalls sounded behind me.
My hair flopped in my face, and I shoved it back behind my ear with a grunt. No one walked into my house and treated me like the hired help. At the top of the stairs, I made my way down the long hallway and stopped at the linen closet at the end. “Sheets, blankets, and pillowcases are in here. I’m sure you’re aware that in the McKnight house we value independence. You want a bed made, you make it yourself.
“Be sure to post a before and after picture on your Insta. I’m sure your female fans will just die when they find out you do housework too.” I fanned my face dramatically.
He scowled. “Did I say something wrong, miss?”
“You said everything wrong.” I glared before tromping back down the stairs. “Katie, I need a cookie.”
“Yay! Cookie-num-nums.” Katie wiggled down from my hip and raced to the kitchen. I didn’t chase after her this time. I was too busy working out a plan. I had a little red dress hanging in my closet—one I hadn’t dared pull out yet. Tonight was the night that dress was going to make its debut. Tonight, I’d be unforgettable.
I couldn’t wait to see Jaxson Jagger’s face when he realized his mistake.
The Fake Relationship Series
From cowboy bars to royal castles, these swoony standalones all have one thing in common: the relationship is fake... until it's definitely not.Whether it's to protect a secret, dodge the press, or make an ex jealous, these couples are playing pretend with hearts on the line.
Featuring a broody cowboy, mistaken identity with a billionaire, a trapped prince, a high-profile football star, a best friend’s brother, and even an ex with unfinished business—this series is full of chemistry, chaos, and all the slow-burn, just-kisses romance you crave.
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Lucky Charm Synopsis
“When we’re dating, you are mine. Even if it’s fake.”
I thought my luck was about to change when my best friend found me an apartment to sublet in the heart of Nashville, TN. As an aspiring singer, this is where I need to be in order to finally get discovered. I’m ready to start my new life until I discover my new neighbor is none other than Stone Walker.
Super Bowl winning, NFL receiver.
Stone cold fox.
My high school crush.
And my brother’s ex-best friend—emphasis on the ex.
I know I should probably tuck tail and run, but I don’t. If Stone can handle this new living arrangement then so can I. Besides, neighbors don’t have to talk to each other. Until my best friend comes up with a plan. I should fake date Stone. After all, I have the talent, the drive, and the music. All I need is the visibility.
And Stone has that in spades.
I thought he would reject the plan, but he’s surprisingly on board. Now he’s showing up at my gigs with flowers and kisses me until my head spins and my knees go weak. And when he scores a touchdown and dances just for me? I want this relationship to be real. But falling in love wasn’t part of the agreement. Stone walked way from our family once and I don’t think I’m strong enough for him to do it again.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
Senior Year
Stone
My face stung as the cool evening air whipped around me. I made a sharp left and sped down Jordan Lane on my way to Cayden’s house. The only place in this town that I actually felt safe. I flicked my gaze toward the review mirror and took in the handiwork my dad just left on my face.
He was in a rage tonight. I was used to my dad being drunk, but tonight he was destructive. Half the kitchen dishes lay shattered on the ground when I finally approached him to get him to stop. That was the wrong move. He threw me against the wall, and I collapsed on the ground. Before I could get up, he pinned me down and punched me in the face until I almost blacked out.
I managed to get him off me long enough to grab my keys and hurry out the back door. He didn’t follow after me, and as I pulled out of the driveway, I could make out his shadow as he stalked into the living room. I didn’t have to be there to know he was seconds away from passing out face-first on the couch like he did every time he drank.
I shook my head, wincing as my head pounded, and turned my attention to the road. Dad was an asshole, and I was finished with him. Cayden’s mom always told me that if I needed it, I could live with them. I used to just smile and nod at her offer, but tonight I was done. I was on my way to the Kings’ house to take them up on the offer.
Cayden and I had been friends since middle school. We played ball together. We even started a podcast last year for fun. He was like my brother. He was there for me when my mom died and helped me plan for my future outside of this small town.
All I needed was to get an offer to play ball at college—any college—and I would be on the first flight out of this godforsaken town. I would never look back. Not even if I got drafted to the NFL and the man I had to call “dad” came crawling back. I was done.
The Kings’ familiar blue house came into view. I pulled up along the sidewalk and turned off the engine before pulling the key out of the ignition. I grabbed the packed duffle bag I kept in the back of my car for an occasion like this and opened the driver’s door.
I pulled the strap further up onto my shoulder as I made my way up their driveway and over to their front door. I knocked a few times and waited. Finally, the door opened and Emerson, Cayden’s younger sister, stood there. Her smile slowly faded, and her eyes widened.
She looked so beautiful while I was sure I looked like a monster. Her blonde hair was shoulder-length, and it fell in waves around her face. Her glasses were perched on her nose, hiding her green eyes that I got lost in every time I allowed myself to linger.
Without knowing it, my gaze drifted down her yellow sundress to her legs and then her white slippers. If Cayden didn’t have the ridiculous rule that none of his football buddies could date his little sister, I would have already made a move on Emerson.
She was perfect.
“Stone,” she whispered as she took a step closer to me, drawing my focus back to why I was here. I turned my face, not wanting her to see what my dad had done. But she caught my chin with her hand and tipped my face so she could get a better look. “What happened?” she asked.
The smell of her perfume and the feel of her fingertips against my skin had my heart pounding. I wanted to step back. I needed to stop allowing myself to have feelings for my best friend’s little sister. Cayden was clear that he’d pummel any of his friends if they even looked at her wrong. I needed to stop these thoughts. Right. Now.
“Cayden home?” I asked as I pulled back and glanced behind her so I could see into the house.
Emerson turned to follow my gaze before she glanced back at me and shook her head. “He left with my parents to go talk to a scout.”
Jealousy churned in my gut. Cayden was a football scholarship shoo-in. Two universities were showing interest in him. I was not so lucky. It felt like everything was three times harder for me than it was for anyone else.
“Wanna come in?” Emerson asked. Her voice was soft as she stepped away from the door. She pushed her black glasses up a bit further on her nose, and her gaze was soft as she stared at me. “I can help you clean that up.” Her gaze lifted to my eyebrow, and she nodded toward it.
I reached up and gingerly touched my brow. A sharp pain radiated through my head. And even though I knew I should tell her that I was fine, I just nodded. “Okay.”
I stepped into the house as Emerson shut the door behind me. I set my duffel bag down on the ground and kicked off my shoes.
“Come with me.” Emerson walked past me, leaving me in a cloud of her scent as she motioned for me to follow her up the stairs.
All rational thoughts left my mind as she led me up the stairs, down the hall, and to her room. I paused, standing in the doorway, not sure if I should go in. She was halfway through her room when she turned and looked surprised that I hadn’t followed her. Her gaze met mine before she smiled.
“The first-aid stuff is in my bathroom,” she said, motioning to the door on the far wall. “I promise I won’t bite.”
I flicked my gaze toward the door and then glanced back down the hallway, wondering what Cayden would do if he found me not only in his sister’s bedroom, but tucked away in her bathroom.
“They won’t be home for a while.”
I turned my attention back to Emerson. She must have read my mind. Her smile was soft and understanding. In that moment, I threw caution out the window and walked into her room. My gaze landed on her bed. Her guitar had been hastily perched against it, and papers were strewn all over her comforter. I didn’t know a lot about music, but it looked like she’d been writing notes with a pencil.
“How’s that going?” I asked, nodding toward her guitar as I walked around her bed and followed her into the bathroom.
She motioned for me to sit on the toilet. I obeyed. “It’s going fine,” she said as she stepped closer to me. She grasped my chin between her thumb and forefinger before bending down so she could inspect my face.
I tried not to, but I couldn’t help but stare at her. With her this close, I could see the different shades of green in her eyes. Her eyelashes were dark and long. She had a splash of freckles across her nose. She chewed her bottom lip, drawing my attention to her mouth. Her cupid’s bow was perfectly formed and kissable…
I cleared my throat as I straightened, breaking the connection between us. Emerson seemed unaffected as she turned to the bathroom cabinet and pulled out a red case with a white plus sign on the top. She flipped open the lid and started rifling around inside.
She grabbed some gauze and turned toward the sink, resting her hand on the faucet while her fingers dangled in the water, and she waited for the water to heat up. She looked over at me and met my gaze before she moved her attention to my face.
“Are you nervous for Friday’s game?” she asked as she wiped her hand on a towel and dipped the gauze underneath the warm water.
I shrugged. “Kind of. I mean, I want to get an offer, but I don’t think I will.” I sighed as I stretched my legs out in front of me. “Some people just have all the luck.” I knew I sounded bitter, and my meaning wasn’t lost on her. I loved my best friend, but sometimes I wished I had just a little sliver of the luck that he seemed to have in spades.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I dropped my gaze to my hand that was resting on my lap. I didn’t want to drag Emerson into my disappointing life.
“It’s okay. I get it.” She turned off the faucet and focused on me. She leaned closer as she grasped my chin once more and tipped my face up. Then she began to dab my eyebrow with the gauze.
I sucked in my breath, causing her gaze to drop to mine, but I just smiled with the hopes that she would keep going.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
She nodded, but I could feel her hesitation as her hand lingered next to my face without actually touching it. I reached up and engulfed her hand with mine before bringing the gauze to my skin.
Her body seemed to be frozen. I knew I should let go of her hand, but I didn’t want to. The closer she got to me, the more I wanted…
I wanted everything.
But Cayden and his threats rolled through my mind. If I didn’t have the Kings, I would have nothing in this small town. I needed to focus on moving on, or I would end up like my dad. A drunken loser.
Distracting myself with girls wasn’t in my plan.
I dropped my hand back down onto my lap, pulled my gaze from hers, and focused on the yellow tile at my feet. That seemed to be what Emerson needed as well, because in no time, she had my skin cleaned up and a butterfly bandage affixed to my brow where my skin had split.
I helped her clean up the bathroom, all the while forcing myself not to think about how close she was to me. I waited in her room as she turned off her bathroom light and shut the door. I was staring at her when she turned to face me. Her gaze lingered with mine. She folded her arms and leaned against her dresser. Her smile was soft, and I wondered if she wanted me to stay as much as I didn’t want to leave.
“Thanks,” I said, my voice lower than I’d intended. Crap. My resolve to keep my distance was dissolving. I needed to get out of here before I did something stupid.
Her lips tipped up into a smile. “Of course.”
I hesitated and then forced myself to start walking out of the room.
“Stone?”
I paused and glanced back at her. “Yeah?”
Her expression was hard to read. She glanced around her room before her gaze landed on her nightstand.
She crossed the space in a few strides and pulled open the drawer. After rifling around, she emerged with something gold grasped in her hand. She walked over and extended her hand as if she wanted to give it to me.
“What is this?” I asked as I opened my hand.
"This is for luck,” she whispered.
Her hand looked tiny against mine as she dropped the cold metal item onto my palm. When she pulled back, I saw that she’d given me a gold four-leaf clover keychain.
“What is this?” I asked as I brought it closer to inspect. There was an inscription in a language that I couldn’t read.
“It’s the keychain my grandfather bought the day he met my grandmother in Ireland. They were married for sixty years before they passed away in each other’s arms. He told me that it would bring luck to anyone who had it.” She smiled up at me. “I figured you could use a bit of luck.”
My fingers curled around it as I brought my gaze up to hers. “Thanks, Emerson.”
She shrugged before folding her arms. “Of course.” She chewed her bottom lip. “You deserve good things, Stone Walker.”
I clenched my jaw in an effort to stop myself from saying what I wanted to say. After what felt like an eternity, I met her gaze. “You do, too.”
She smiled before nodding. “Thanks.”
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, staring at each other, but I realized that if I didn’t leave right then, I wasn’t sure I was ever going to. I slipped the keychain into my pocket and made my way out of her bedroom. Just as I stepped out into the hallway, I glanced back at her. She hadn’t moved. Instead, she stood there, watching me walk away.
* * *
One Week Later
“I don’t know what’s wrong with Cayden King tonight but thank goodness for Stone Walker. If he wasn’t on the receiving end of those throws, the Panthers would have lost tonight.” The announcer wasn’t shy in his assessment as his voice boomed through the stadium.
I glanced over at Cayden as I squeezed the water bottle, spraying a stream of water through my face mask and into my mouth. Cayden’s shoulders were tight as he stood there, listening to coach shout at him. Something was up with him tonight. This wasn’t the same quarterback that had carried our team to the semi-finals.
I handed the water bottle back to the water girl and made my way toward Cayden, lingering as I waited for coach to finish yelling. Cayden nodded, and Coach turned and focused on another player, so I took that break to walk up to Cayden.
“Hey, man,” I said as I laid my hand on his shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” Cayden said as he shrugged off my hand and walked away.
I watched him retreat, wondering if I should follow him, but then I shook my head. Cayden needed to get his head in the game, and me talking to him wasn’t going to help. He’d turn it around. He always did.
Cayden only got worse as the game progressed. I nearly threw out my shoulder trying to leap to the side to catch his throw. My body was sore by the time the final horn sounded and a cheer erupted in the stands. The Panthers won 21 to 14. Coach clapped me on the back as I made my way to the sidelines. Through my helmet, I heard his words of praise, and the team surrounded me to lift me up on their shoulders.
I could see Cayden standing in the distance. His helmet covered his face, but his body language told me that he was pissed. I just hoped he wasn’t pissed at me.
After Coach talked to the team, we ran off the field and into the locker room. The chatter was loud as we changed out of our football gear and into street clothes. There was a party tonight, and invites were being thrown around. I nodded when Spencer asked me if I was going. He then turned his attention to Cayden, who hadn’t said a word as he changed.
When Cayden didn’t answer, I shot Spencer an apologetic smile. Spencer just shrugged and wandered off to talk to someone else. The silence between Cayden and I was deafening even though the noise around me made my ears ring.
“Everything, okay?” I asked as I sat down to pull on my tennis shoes.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Cayden said as he straightened and slammed his locker shut.
“Dude, we all have off nights. It’s not that big of a deal.”
His gaze whipped to mine. There was a fire in his eyes that I’d never seen. “This was the game I was supposed to dominate. All the scouts were here tonight.” He mumbled under his breath, “Not a big deal…”
“They can’t judge your ability from one off night.”
He scoffed as he shoved his feet into his shoes. “Yeah, right.”
“Stone!” Coach’s voice cut through the noise. I turned to see him standing in the doorway of his office next to a man in a Polo shirt. I’d seen this man before. He was the scout from the University of Texas.
I glanced at Cayden, whose jaw clenched when he glanced in Coach’s direction.
“Cayden…” I started, but I didn’t know what to say.
He grabbed his backpack and slipped his arm through one strap. “Go, Stone. I’m not surprised he wants to talk to you. You played amazing tonight.” He turned and walked away from me.
I thought about calling after him, but there was no point. He was mad, and there was nothing I could do to change that. I raised my hand to Coach to let him know I heard and quickly finished tying my shoes. Then I stood and hurried over to join him and the scout from Texas—Cayden’s number-one school pick.
I left the locker room that night with an offer to play for Texas. It came with a full-ride scholarship and a living stipend.
I drove to the Kings’ in a daze. Never had I thought I would get noticed, much less scouted. I pressed my foot down on the gas, my excitement getting the best of me as I drove. I couldn’t wait to share this news with the only people on the planet who seemed to care about me.
I pulled into the spot that Mr. King had told me I could park in and climbed out of the car. I stuffed my keys into my front pocket as I crossed the yard and jogged up the front steps. I moved to open the door just as Mrs. King pulled it open. I startled and stepped back, confused as to why she was greeting me at the door.
“Stone, come on in,” she said, her voice monotone.
“Um, thanks,” I said. I studied her as I stepped into the foyer and kicked off my shoes.
Mrs. King closed the front door and then turned to face me. “We should talk in the kitchen.”
My stomach was doing flips. All I could do was nod as I followed her. Mr. King was leaning against the countertop with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face.
This wasn’t good.
“Hey, Mr. King,” I said, my voice coming out hesitant and unsure.
“Stone,” he said. He nodded to me and watched as I sat down on the barstool Mrs. King motioned for me to sit on.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He looked at Mrs. King before turning his attention to me. “Well, Stone. You should probably know that none of the scouts have any interest in Cayden.”
My face fell. I frowned. “What?”
“All of the scouts. They’re done with Cayden.”
“Oh my gosh.”
Mr. King picked up the coffee mug next to him and took a sip. “Trent from Texas told me that he gave Cayden’s spot to…you.” The way his voice lingered on the last word and the way he was staring at me made my skin crawl.
There was an expectation in his voice that I didn’t like. “So…” I didn’t want to accuse Mr. King of asking me to give up my spot for his son. I worked my ass off tonight. I deserved this chance.
“You know how hard Cayden has worked to play for Texas. That’s his dream team. One night shouldn’t define his future.”
“Mr. King, are you asking me to turn down the offer?” I was done dancing around this topic. He needed to fess up to what he was asking.
His eyes widened before he shrugged. “I just think you should remember what this family has done for you. Where your loyalties lie. If you are a true friend to Cayden, you would do what is right.”
My blood began to boil. He wanted me to walk away from my future because Cayden was more deserving of the offer. His words felt like a sucker punch to the stomach. I expected my dad to beat me because that was who he was. I never expected Mr. King to do the same.
“I worked hard for that spot, Mr. King. If Texas saw something in me that they didn’t see in Cayden, that’s on them.” I pushed my hand through my hair as my anger boiled hotter and hotter. “I’m not giving up my future. If Texas wants me to play for them, then that’s where I’m going.”
Mr. King’s face had turned a deep red. He looked as if he were about to explode. No longer wanting to stand here and listen to his words, I headed down the hall to their guest room.
“Get out!” Mr. King’s voice reverberated off the walls.
I stuffed my clothes into my duffle bag and then shoved the strap up onto my shoulder, not caring that I couldn’t zip the bag closed. “Way ahead of you,” I mumbled as I walked past him to the front door. I grabbed my shoes on the way out.
I didn’t stop until I was in my car. I slammed the car into reverse and spun my wheels in the gravel as I backed up. I drove until I could no longer see our small town. Then I pulled over and punched the steering wheel as Mr. King’s words kept playing through my mind.
I rested my forehead on the steering wheel and closed my eyes. Adults sucked. People sucked. Family sucked. Everyone eventually left me.
I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes before I sighed and put my car into drive and made a U-turn. I had my ticket out of this town, I just needed to focus on keeping it.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into my dad’s driveway and turned off my car. I grabbed my bag and got out. Dad wasn’t home when I scouted out the house, which I took as a blessing. I showered and climbed into bed.
One thing was for certain, I’d rather be here with my dad’s fists than at the King’s house with their passive-aggressive manipulation. I flipped to my side and grabbed my phone off my nightstand. The screen lit up as I swiped it on. I found Emerson’s name in my contacts, and my thumbs hovered over the keyboard as I contemplated what I would say to her.
And then I shook my head. I wasn’t going to say anything to her. The truth was, I was messed up in more ways than one. It would be best if I just disappeared from her life like the Kings wanted me to.
I turned my phone off and set it back down on the nightstand. I needed to forget about them—about her.
It was the only way I was going to be able to walk away come graduation.
It was the only way I was going to be able to move on.
The Billionaire Romance Series
Fall for a new billionaire in every standalone book of this feel-good, just kisses romance series. Whether he’s a real estate mogul, CEO, or a billionaire searching for redemption, each hero is used to getting what he wants—until she walks in.
Sweet, swoony, and totally binge-worthy—this series is perfect for readers who love billionaire romance without the steam.
PLUS, Loving the Beast, a small town romance between a new move in and the town's grumpy sheriff.
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Forgetting the Billionaire Synopsis
Charlie had no intention of falling in love. In fact, it was the last thing on her mind. Running her grandmother’s retirement home seems like the safest place for her.
Mitchell has finally located his grandmother. He leaves his multi-billion-dollar real estate company and flies to Sitka, Alaska to reunite with her.
Brought together by Mitchell’s grandmother, Charlie can’t help but feel a connection to Mitchell. Just when she finds herself opening up to him, his fiancée shows up.
Now asked to help with the wedding, Charlie’s convinced it’s for the best.
Besides, falling in love is the last thing she needs.
So why does it feel so right?
Chapter 1 Look Inside
Just Charlie’s luck— she was late again. Standing outside the diner, she took a deep breath. Maybe Jorge wouldn’t notice this time. Maybe.
If only she hadn’t slept in past her alarm. But she had been so tired from the night before. Francis had disappeared again, and Charlie had searched all night just to find the ninety-five year-old woman hiding in the pantry eating cookies. By the time Charlie had fallen asleep, all she got were three hours of restless slumber. When she finally woke up, she had realized she must have hit the snooze button one too many times, and her shift had already started.
The familiar clang of dishes and silverware greeted her as she pulled open the back door to Jorge’s Diner and stepped into the bustling kitchen. The smell of french fries and hamburgers wafted around her.
“Girl, what happened to you?” Priscilla asked as she passed by holding a plate of steaming meat slathered in gravy.
Charlie ran her fingers through her dark brown hair and pulled it up into a bun. Hopefully that helped make her look a bit more presentable. “I was up all night,” she said, following after Priscilla who paused at the swinging door.
“Nice,” Priscilla said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Charlie rolled her eyes. Leave it to her best friend to turn everything dirty. “It wasn’t like that. One of the ladies went missing last night, and I had to search half of Sitka to find her.” She leaned against the door frame.
“I told you to sell that place. Why you live with all those old people is beyond me. You’re twenty-five. Get a better job.” Priscilla sighed as she pushed through the door.
Charlie straightened and opened her mouth to remind Priscilla that she stayed there because it was her grandmother’s and she was fighting to keep it from going under, but Priscilla was already out of earshot. The door swung shut, leaving Charlie alone. It’s not like she’d never thought about leaving the place, but every time she did a familiar pain of losing something that was her grandmothers shot through her chest. No. She couldn’t just leave. As crazy as some of the residents were, they needed people in their lives, and she’d be that person.
“You’re late,” A deep, Spanish accent drawled behind her.
Charlie sucked in her breath and turned.
Jorge stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his forefinger drumming his tanned arm.
“Jorge, I’m so sorry—”
He raised a finger. “Charlie, you promised me three times already that you wouldn’t be late anymore.” He narrowed his eyes which caused his bushy black eyebrows to squish together. “This is your final warning.”
“Yes.” She lowered her voice and nodded. There was no way she could afford to lose this job. She was already behind on the mortgage for the retirement home. Not wanting him to change his mind about letting her have another chance, she dashed to the back wall where the rusty lockers were located and pulled out her apron. Tying the strings around her waist, she pushed through the swinging door.
The dining room was in full lunch swing. All the metal tables were filled with locals and fishermen that were in Sitka to take advantage of the King Salmon that filled the waters. Priscilla was chatting with a few of them as Charlie approached her. She giggled and swatted the arm of a beefy fisherman. Charlie rolled her eyes. Always the flirt.
“Which tables haven’t you covered?” she asked.
Priscilla waved her hand toward the back wall and continued her obvious flirting.
Charlie followed her gesture. Sitting with his back toward her was a man in a dark suit with his head down. He stuck out like a sore thumb in this room full of baseball caps and plaid button-ups. She grabbed the pad out of her pocket and walked up, forcing a smile as she approached. “Hi. Welcome to Jorge’s Diner. What can I get for you today?”
The man was consumed with his phone. His finger scrolled the screen. He sighed and glanced over at her, and his sky-blue eyes narrowed. “It’s about time,” he said.
He only looked a few years older than her. His blond hair was tousled, but in an intentional way. His gaze ran over her, instantly making her feel self-conscious. She didn’t recognize him which meant he was a tourist. In and out. That was life on an island.
Taken aback by his coldness, Charlie swallowed. “I’m sorry?”
The man tucked his phone into his suit coat and waved to the table. “I haven’t even gotten a menu yet. I’d leave, but this seems to be one of the only places to eat in this forsaken city.”
He was rude. She fought the urge to tell him off. Instead, she brushed off his comment with an awkward laugh. Sitka was small, but beautiful. “I’m sorry. I just started my shift. Let me get you a menu.” She shoved the pad back into her apron pocket and nodded toward the cash register. She would’ve told him what she thought, but she was already skating on thin ice with Jorge as it was.
The muscles in the man’s jaw flexed as his gaze swept over her. “Thanks.”
She hurried over to the counter and grabbed a menu. Silently, she prayed that this one didn’t have gravy on it. She gave it a quick once over before handing it to him. He took it between two fingers and opened it up.
Like an idiot, she waited for a thank you, but it never came. She turned to leave, but he raised his hand and brushed her arm. A shiver raced across her skin. Anger and excitement flitted through her stomach. Instantly, she stopped, frustrated with what his touch did to her.
“Miss, I’m ready.”
“Charlie,” she said. It was an instinct. She hated being called “miss”.
“What?”
“The name. It’s Charlie.” Brushing her apron down, she glanced over to him.
The man widened his eyes as he studied her. “Okay, Charlie. I’ll get the burger with fries.”
She jotted down his order. “Did you want it slathered?”
His nose crinkled. “Slathered?”
Her cheeks heated. “Means you want it with all the fixings. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo—”
He nodded his head. “Sure,” he said with annoyance in his voice. He raised the menu to her.
“Okay.” She pinched her lips to stop herself from saying anything more and took the menu from him. Back in the kitchen, she leaned against the wall as the door swung closed, separating her from the mysterious man. She rested her head back as she took a deep breath.
What was with her today? It seemed everyone was upset with her. She had managed to tick off every guy she had come across. She could understand Jorge being upset with her, but this customer? What was his problem?
The door swung open nearly hitting her. Priscilla’s high-pitched laugh rang in her ears. Heat pricked her neck. She needed to get it together.
“Charlie, what’re you doing back there?” Priscilla asked as the door closed.
Charlie took a few deep breaths. She needed to get her emotions under control before she lost it. “Sorry. The guy you saved for me is a real piece of work.”
Priscilla handed the order over to Samuel who was camped out at the grill and turned. “I kind of kept the table of hotties for myself. Sorry.”
Charlie shrugged. She wasn’t even up for small talk, much less flirting right now. “It’s okay.” She handed her order over to Samuel who grunted and took it.
She followed Priscilla over to the fountain drinks and filled up a glass with ice water for the mysterious and rude man.
“Who is he?” Priscilla asked as she peeked through the circular window on the swinging door.
Charlie shrugged. “Never met him. Tourist most likely.”
A wide smile spread across Priscilla’s lips. “Ooo, that’s the best. No attachments. It’s perfect for you. Maybe you can finally forget…” She raised her eyebrows as if that was the new name for Charlie’s ex-boyfriend.
Frustrated at the mention of him, Charlie ripped the bottom of the straw wrapper off with a bit more gusto than normal. “Alex. You can say his name. It’s Alex.”
Priscilla raised her hands. “I wasn’t sure. For a while it was synonymous with Voldemort.”
“It was a year ago, and I’m over it.” Charlie’s voice came out higher than intended. She slammed her lips shut. That was not the sound of someone who’d gotten over her three-year relationship.
Priscilla noticed, and sympathy filled her gaze.
“I’m over him.” Charlie narrowed her eyes, but Priscilla’s expression didn’t change. Groaning, she grabbed the water and stomped out of the kitchen.
What did Priscilla know? Charlie left Alex after she caught him making out with another girl. She bit her lower lip. She was better off without him. Right?
“Ahh!” A yell pulled Charlie from her thoughts. The red face of the rude man shot into her line of vision.
“Wha—”
“You dumped that water in my lap,” he growled as he swiped at his now soaked pants.
Charlie’s face heated as she stared at the large water spot. Somehow she’d managed to miss the table and dumped the entire glass of ice water onto him. Mortified, she grabbed a nearby napkin and leaned in to start dabbing. “I’m so—”
“Excuse me!” He reached down and pulled the napkin from her hand.
Her skin burned as she realized just what part of him she had zoned in on to dab. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry.” She avoided his gaze which she was sure was raging by now.
“This suit was from Italy! Do you know how much it cost me?”
His anger rang in her ears as she searched for more napkins. After unrolling a few bundles of silverware, she handed them over. “Really. I’m so sorry.” She met his gaze. His blue eyes had turned stony as he took the napkins from her and continued to dab.
“I’m so sorry, sir. What happened?” Jorge asked from behind her.
Charlie’s stomach sank. She turned to meet his angry gaze.
“She dumped water on my lap,” the man said. Charlie could feel him stare at her.
“I apologize. That is not how we do things. Charlie, you are excused from helping this man. Go back to the kitchen.”
Tears pricked at her eyes as she nodded. She didn’t want to cry in front of this man or Jorge. Why did she even get out of bed? She should have stayed under her covers for the rest of her life. From the look on Jorge’s face, he wasn’t going to be very forgiving this time. She pushed through the kitchen door and stood in the corner, biting her lip.
A few minutes ticked by, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the door swung open, and Jorge entered.
“Charlie,” he started as he glanced over at her.
"Jorge, I’m so sorry. It was an accident. I promise it will never happen again. Please, you have to believe me,” she stammered.
He raised his hand causing Charlie to pinch her lips shut. This was never good.
“I just think you’ve been extremely distracted lately. It might be time for us to reevaluate your position here. Perhaps, it would be better if you took some time off.” Jorge studied her.
With each word, Charlie’s stomach sank further and further. The retirement home depended on her income to stay afloat. If she was fired, what would she do? What would the residents do?
“Jorge, I promise that will never happen again.” She was desperate. She debated getting on her knees and begging, and she’d do it if she thought it would change his decree.
He shook his head. “I’ve already made the decision. Your final check will be available in a week.” He folded his arms over his chest. His signature this conversation is done move.
Anger and frustration boiled up inside of her, but all she could do was nod. Her job here was finished. She handed over her apron, walked over to her locker, and pulled open the door. Grabbing her purse and odds and ends, she slammed the door and turned. The kitchen had been silent for their conversation, but the noise had resumed.
Not wanting to stay in this horrible place any longer, Charlie pushed open the back door and stepped out. It had started drizzling. Yet another gloomy day, and she welcomed the grey sky. Rounding the corner, she slammed right into someone who was tucked under the building’s awning. He turned, pulling a phone from his ear.
“Ah, not you,” she muttered when she realized it was the rude man from inside. For once, she was thankful that she was drenched in rain. He wouldn’t be able to see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
He glanced at her as he reached up and ran his fingers through his damp hair. “That wasn’t my intention.”
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She was too exhausted to try and figure out what he meant. “What?”
He nodded toward the diner. “To get you fired. That wasn’t my intention.”
Anger boiled up inside. “Well you should have thought about that before you acted like a complete jerk.” He was no longer her customer. She didn’t have to be nice to him. Two could play at this game. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.
He leaned back, almost as if he were surprised she had said that to him. She scoffed. There had to have been other people who talked to him like that. Or maybe she just brought out the loser in every guy she met.
“You could have told him it was an accident. I needed that job. Did you even think of that?” She was on a roll now. Plus, he was silent. She glared at him as she stepped around him. “Next time, act like a human and have some decency. Who raised you?” Too scared to look back, Charlie kept walking. Her final words lingered in the air.
The farther she got away from him, the better she felt. Served him right. After what he did, she was proud of herself for telling him how she felt. She was done getting walked over. As she made her way down the familiar streets, she couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to finally say what was on her mind. Even if it was to a man she’d never see again, it was a start.
The Christmas Romance Series
Welcome to a world of snowy towns, twinkle lights, and just-kisses romance that feels like curling up with your favorite Christmas movie. Each book in this magical holiday series brings a brand-new couple, a heartwarming love story, and all the festive charm you love—and Christmasland was even turned into a Hallmark movie in 2024!
While most of the books can be read as standalone stories, two are connected by returning characters and a shared setting, making the full series a true holiday treat.
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Christmasland Synopsis
Welcome to Christmasland
A Town Where All Your Christmas Dreams Come True
When Emilia told me she won an all inclusive trip to Christmasland, I laughed. Outloud.
Surely a place like that didn't exist.
Boy, was I wrong.
Now I'm stuck on holiday repeat where everywhere I turn there's Christmas carols, sledding, cookie decorating, and holiday cheer. All of which, I'm told, is part of the "experience" of Christmasland. But I can't believe that. A whole town dedicated to recreating a Christmas movie for all of its guests? You've got to be joking.
Until I start checking off the list of events.
Rescued by a Handsome Stranger who's Back Home from the Big City ✓
A Overzealous Town Busybody who seems Determined to Change my Grinchy Spirit ✓
A Baking Competition I Couldn't Possibly Win ✓
A Montage of Feel Good Christmas Events ✓
An Interrupted First Kiss... ✓
Now I don't know what is real and what is fake. I know I have feelings for the grumpy Hero, but I can't tell if he returns them.
In a place that peddles in fake realities, this is the first experience I wish was real.
I want to believe in a Christmas miracle, but my holiday history has told me, Christmas comes with nothing but disappointment.
I've never gotten a happily ever after and I doubt that will change now.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
Just Charlie’s luck— she was late again. Standing outside the diner, she took a deep breath. Maybe Jorge wouldn’t notice this time. Maybe.
If only she hadn’t slept in past her alarm. But she had been so tired from the night before. Francis had disappeared again, and Charlie had searched all night just to find the ninety-five year-old woman hiding in the pantry eating cookies. By the time Charlie had fallen asleep, all she got were three hours of restless slumber. When she finally woke up, she had realized she must have hit the snooze button one too many times, and her shift had already started.
The familiar clang of dishes and silverware greeted her as she pulled open the back door to Jorge’s Diner and stepped into the bustling kitchen. The smell of french fries and hamburgers wafted around her.
“Girl, what happened to you?” Priscilla asked as she passed by holding a plate of steaming meat slathered in gravy.
Charlie ran her fingers through her dark brown hair and pulled it up into a bun. Hopefully that helped make her look a bit more presentable. “I was up all night,” she said, following after Priscilla who paused at the swinging door.
“Nice,” Priscilla said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Charlie rolled her eyes. Leave it to her best friend to turn everything dirty. “It wasn’t like that. One of the ladies went missing last night, and I had to search half of Sitka to find her.” She leaned against the door frame.
“I told you to sell that place. Why you live with all those old people is beyond me. You’re twenty-five. Get a better job.” Priscilla sighed as she pushed through the door.
Charlie straightened and opened her mouth to remind Priscilla that she stayed there because it was her grandmother’s and she was fighting to keep it from going under, but Priscilla was already out of earshot. The door swung shut, leaving Charlie alone. It’s not like she’d never thought about leaving the place, but every time she did a familiar pain of losing something that was her grandmothers shot through her chest. No. She couldn’t just leave. As crazy as some of the residents were, they needed people in their lives, and she’d be that person.
“You’re late,” A deep, Spanish accent drawled behind her.
Charlie sucked in her breath and turned.
Jorge stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his forefinger drumming his tanned arm.
“Jorge, I’m so sorry—”
He raised a finger. “Charlie, you promised me three times already that you wouldn’t be late anymore.” He narrowed his eyes which caused his bushy black eyebrows to squish together. “This is your final warning.”
“Yes.” She lowered her voice and nodded. There was no way she could afford to lose this job. She was already behind on the mortgage for the retirement home. Not wanting him to change his mind about letting her have another chance, she dashed to the back wall where the rusty lockers were located and pulled out her apron. Tying the strings around her waist, she pushed through the swinging door.
The dining room was in full lunch swing. All the metal tables were filled with locals and fishermen that were in Sitka to take advantage of the King Salmon that filled the waters. Priscilla was chatting with a few of them as Charlie approached her. She giggled and swatted the arm of a beefy fisherman. Charlie rolled her eyes. Always the flirt.
“Which tables haven’t you covered?” she asked.
Priscilla waved her hand toward the back wall and continued her obvious flirting.
Charlie followed her gesture. Sitting with his back toward her was a man in a dark suit with his head down. He stuck out like a sore thumb in this room full of baseball caps and plaid button-ups. She grabbed the pad out of her pocket and walked up, forcing a smile as she approached. “Hi. Welcome to Jorge’s Diner. What can I get for you today?”
The man was consumed with his phone. His finger scrolled the screen. He sighed and glanced over at her, and his sky-blue eyes narrowed. “It’s about time,” he said.
He only looked a few years older than her. His blond hair was tousled, but in an intentional way. His gaze ran over her, instantly making her feel self-conscious. She didn’t recognize him which meant he was a tourist. In and out. That was life on an island.
Taken aback by his coldness, Charlie swallowed. “I’m sorry?”
The man tucked his phone into his suit coat and waved to the table. “I haven’t even gotten a menu yet. I’d leave, but this seems to be one of the only places to eat in this forsaken city.”
He was rude. She fought the urge to tell him off. Instead, she brushed off his comment with an awkward laugh. Sitka was small, but beautiful. “I’m sorry. I just started my shift. Let me get you a menu.” She shoved the pad back into her apron pocket and nodded toward the cash register. She would’ve told him what she thought, but she was already skating on thin ice with Jorge as it was.
The muscles in the man’s jaw flexed as his gaze swept over her. “Thanks.”
She hurried over to the counter and grabbed a menu. Silently, she prayed that this one didn’t have gravy on it. She gave it a quick once over before handing it to him. He took it between two fingers and opened it up.
Like an idiot, she waited for a thank you, but it never came. She turned to leave, but he raised his hand and brushed her arm. A shiver raced across her skin. Anger and excitement flitted through her stomach. Instantly, she stopped, frustrated with what his touch did to her.
“Miss, I’m ready.”
“Charlie,” she said. It was an instinct. She hated being called “miss”.
“What?”
“The name. It’s Charlie.” Brushing her apron down, she glanced over to him.
The man widened his eyes as he studied her. “Okay, Charlie. I’ll get the burger with fries.”
She jotted down his order. “Did you want it slathered?”
His nose crinkled. “Slathered?”
Her cheeks heated. “Means you want it with all the fixings. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo—”
He nodded his head. “Sure,” he said with annoyance in his voice. He raised the menu to her.
“Okay.” She pinched her lips to stop herself from saying anything more and took the menu from him. Back in the kitchen, she leaned against the wall as the door swung closed, separating her from the mysterious man. She rested her head back as she took a deep breath.
What was with her today? It seemed everyone was upset with her. She had managed to tick off every guy she had come across. She could understand Jorge being upset with her, but this customer? What was his problem?
The door swung open nearly hitting her. Priscilla’s high-pitched laugh rang in her ears. Heat pricked her neck. She needed to get it together.
“Charlie, what’re you doing back there?” Priscilla asked as the door closed.
Charlie took a few deep breaths. She needed to get her emotions under control before she lost it. “Sorry. The guy you saved for me is a real piece of work.”
Priscilla handed the order over to Samuel who was camped out at the grill and turned. “I kind of kept the table of hotties for myself. Sorry.”
Charlie shrugged. She wasn’t even up for small talk, much less flirting right now. “It’s okay.” She handed her order over to Samuel who grunted and took it.
She followed Priscilla over to the fountain drinks and filled up a glass with ice water for the mysterious and rude man.
“Who is he?” Priscilla asked as she peeked through the circular window on the swinging door.
Charlie shrugged. “Never met him. Tourist most likely.”
A wide smile spread across Priscilla’s lips. “Ooo, that’s the best. No attachments. It’s perfect for you. Maybe you can finally forget…” She raised her eyebrows as if that was the new name for Charlie’s ex-boyfriend.
Frustrated at the mention of him, Charlie ripped the bottom of the straw wrapper off with a bit more gusto than normal. “Alex. You can say his name. It’s Alex.”
Priscilla raised her hands. “I wasn’t sure. For a while it was synonymous with Voldemort.”
“It was a year ago, and I’m over it.” Charlie’s voice came out higher than intended. She slammed her lips shut. That was not the sound of someone who’d gotten over her three-year relationship.
Priscilla noticed, and sympathy filled her gaze.
“I’m over him.” Charlie narrowed her eyes, but Priscilla’s expression didn’t change. Groaning, she grabbed the water and stomped out of the kitchen.
What did Priscilla know? Charlie left Alex after she caught him making out with another girl. She bit her lower lip. She was better off without him. Right?
“Ahh!” A yell pulled Charlie from her thoughts. The red face of the rude man shot into her line of vision.
“Wha—”
“You dumped that water in my lap,” he growled as he swiped at his now soaked pants.
Charlie’s face heated as she stared at the large water spot. Somehow she’d managed to miss the table and dumped the entire glass of ice water onto him. Mortified, she grabbed a nearby napkin and leaned in to start dabbing. “I’m so—”
“Excuse me!” He reached down and pulled the napkin from her hand.
Her skin burned as she realized just what part of him she had zoned in on to dab. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry.” She avoided his gaze which she was sure was raging by now.
“This suit was from Italy! Do you know how much it cost me?”
His anger rang in her ears as she searched for more napkins. After unrolling a few bundles of silverware, she handed them over. “Really. I’m so sorry.” She met his gaze. His blue eyes had turned stony as he took the napkins from her and continued to dab.
“I’m so sorry, sir. What happened?” Jorge asked from behind her.
Charlie’s stomach sank. She turned to meet his angry gaze.
“She dumped water on my lap,” the man said. Charlie could feel him stare at her.
“I apologize. That is not how we do things. Charlie, you are excused from helping this man. Go back to the kitchen.”
Tears pricked at her eyes as she nodded. She didn’t want to cry in front of this man or Jorge. Why did she even get out of bed? She should have stayed under her covers for the rest of her life. From the look on Jorge’s face, he wasn’t going to be very forgiving this time. She pushed through the kitchen door and stood in the corner, biting her lip.
A few minutes ticked by, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the door swung open, and Jorge entered.
“Charlie,” he started as he glanced over at her.
"Jorge, I’m so sorry. It was an accident. I promise it will never happen again. Please, you have to believe me,” she stammered.
He raised his hand causing Charlie to pinch her lips shut. This was never good.
“I just think you’ve been extremely distracted lately. It might be time for us to reevaluate your position here. Perhaps, it would be better if you took some time off.” Jorge studied her.
With each word, Charlie’s stomach sank further and further. The retirement home depended on her income to stay afloat. If she was fired, what would she do? What would the residents do?
“Jorge, I promise that will never happen again.” She was desperate. She debated getting on her knees and begging, and she’d do it if she thought it would change his decree.
He shook his head. “I’ve already made the decision. Your final check will be available in a week.” He folded his arms over his chest. His signature this conversation is done move.
Anger and frustration boiled up inside of her, but all she could do was nod. Her job here was finished. She handed over her apron, walked over to her locker, and pulled open the door. Grabbing her purse and odds and ends, she slammed the door and turned. The kitchen had been silent for their conversation, but the noise had resumed.
Not wanting to stay in this horrible place any longer, Charlie pushed open the back door and stepped out. It had started drizzling. Yet another gloomy day, and she welcomed the grey sky. Rounding the corner, she slammed right into someone who was tucked under the building’s awning. He turned, pulling a phone from his ear.
“Ah, not you,” she muttered when she realized it was the rude man from inside. For once, she was thankful that she was drenched in rain. He wouldn’t be able to see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
He glanced at her as he reached up and ran his fingers through his damp hair. “That wasn’t my intention.”
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She was too exhausted to try and figure out what he meant. “What?”
He nodded toward the diner. “To get you fired. That wasn’t my intention.”
Anger boiled up inside. “Well you should have thought about that before you acted like a complete jerk.” He was no longer her customer. She didn’t have to be nice to him. Two could play at this game. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.
He leaned back, almost as if he were surprised she had said that to him. She scoffed. There had to have been other people who talked to him like that. Or maybe she just brought out the loser in every guy she met.
“You could have told him it was an accident. I needed that job. Did you even think of that?” She was on a roll now. Plus, he was silent. She glared at him as she stepped around him. “Next time, act like a human and have some decency. Who raised you?” Too scared to look back, Charlie kept walking. Her final words lingered in the air.
The farther she got away from him, the better she felt. Served him right. After what he did, she was proud of herself for telling him how she felt. She was done getting walked over. As she made her way down the familiar streets, she couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to finally say what was on her mind. Even if it was to a man she’d never see again, it was a start.
The Rules of Love Series
This binge-worthy sweet romance series includes 11 standalone novels, each filled with just-kisses chemistry, swoony cinnamon roll heroes, and the tropes we all adore—enemies to lovers, fake dating, forbidden romance, friends to more, and brother’s best friend.
Perfect for mood readers and hopeless romantics alike, this limited-time bundle is your next bookish obsession.
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1000+ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review!
Rule #1 Synopsis
My dad has forbidden his entire football team from speaking to me, but the quarterback needs a tutor.
The entire football team at my high school lives by one rule, they're not allowed to date the coach's daughter. Lucky for me, I'm the coach's daughter. If the players ever come close to flirting with me, Dad makes them run laps until they puke.
What Dad doesn't know, is that I spend every last second of practice staring at Tyson Blake. He's six foot three, incredibly tones, smells good even when he sweats.
So when Tyson asks me to tutor him, I can't turn him down. After all, what Dad doesn't know won't hurt him. But the more I get to know Tyson, the more I realize there's something deeper. And I can't walk away. Even if what we are doing breaks every single one of Dad's rules.
If only my heart understood the rules, I wouldn’t have fallen for Tyson Blake. Stupid heart.
Some rules are meant to be broken.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
The California heat beat down on me as I stood next to the table. Five minutes left and then football practice was done for the day. That meant I only had five minutes to stand there and pretend that I wasn’t staring at Tyson Blake.
But how could I not? He was the epitome of perfection in his six-foot-two, incredibly toned, smells-good-even-when-he-sweats, senior body. And he was off limits. If dad even got a hint that I liked Tyson, I’d be sent off to Catholic school, where I’d be forced to become a nun.
Nope. I had to be discreet. Which I had gotten pretty good at. I’d spent years convincing Dad that boys were the last thing on my mind.
Ha.
“Hey, Tiny.”
I jumped at the sound of Dad’s voice. Tiny. The lovely nickname given to me by my father that has carried over to the entire football team. Nothing like being reminded everyday just how short you really are.
I whipped my gaze over to find Dad staring at me. I’d been filling the last-minute water cups. Nerves raced through my stomach. Had he been reading my mind? Did he know that I was thinking about Tyson?
I shrugged, trying to look inconspicuous. “What?” I called out.
“You’re watering the grass.”
I glanced down at the cup I had been filling. Apparently, I was terrible at multi-tasking. I’d been too fixated on Tyson as he jogged across the field with his helmet off and his damp hair clinging to his forehead. The water had sloshed over the side and all over my Converses.
“Sorry,” I yelled back, raising the cup to show that everything was good. I set it down on the table and sighed. What was the matter with me? First day of school and I was already slipping up. Thankfully, I’d convinced my dad that I didn’t have to go to all the summer football camps with him, trading in my water-girl apron for one at In–N-Out.
It was really an act of self-preservation. Dad needed to think that I didn’t like boys. And going to a camp where they only wore football pants and strutted around with their shirts off? Nope. I only had so much self-control.
Keeping him believing that I wasn’t interested was really the only option. It kept his overprotective tendencies from spiraling out of control.
I set the last cup down on the table and straightened. Heat crept up my neck, so I reached up and pulled my long and—most of the time—frizzy brown hair into a bun.
“That’s brutal, Tiny. Having your dad around all the time,” a deep, joking voice said from behind me.
I squeaked and turned. I knew that voice. Tyson Blake was standing inches away from me. My gaze met his brilliant blue eyes, turning me speechless. Now I knew what it was like to be a deer in headlights. My brain screeched to a halt.
“I—um—da—” I slammed my mouth shut before I let more nonsensical sounds escape my lips.
Tyson raised his eyebrows as he leaned toward me. My heart hammered in my chest. What was happening? Was he going to kiss me like I’d played out so many times in my head? Was he going to hug me? Do I hug him back?
Before I could stop myself, I raised my arms. There was no way I wasn’t going to give Mr. Popularity a hug when offered one. Just as I began to close my arms around him, he stopped and straightened.
A water cup came into view. Heat raced across my skin, and I pulled my elbows in tight, praying that he hadn’t seen my humiliating blunder. Thankfully, all he did was glance down at me as he drained the cup, crumpled it, and threw it—swish—into the trashcan behind me.
“Thanks, water girl,” he said as he gave me a wink and turned away.
That’s when I realized that my dad, the head coach, was standing behind him with a very unpleasant expression.
“Boss,” Tyson said, nodding toward my dad.
My mind swirled. Even though Tyson hadn’t seen my aborted hug, my dad had. And he was not happy about it.
“Mr. Blake, what’s taking so long?” he asked, straightening. Even at his tallest, he was dwarfed by Tyson.
Tyson smiled at him and then flicked his gaze over at me. I shot him an I-don’t-know-why-my-dad-is-acting-crazy look.
“I was just getting some water,” he scoffed as he motioned toward the table.
My dad did not look convinced. He snapped his gaze over to me. “This true?” he asked me.
“Why would I lie about that?” Tyson stepped forward.
“It’s true,” I blurted out, praying that my dad wouldn’t ask me why I’d just tried to hug the star quarterback.
He must have sensed my plea, since he turned his attention back to Tyson. He held up a finger. “What is the number one rule?”
Tyson glanced over at me and then back to my dad. “Never hit on or try to date the coach’s daughter,” he said, holding up his hands.
Dad stepped forward. “And don’t forget that.”
Tyson laughed. “Trust me, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Then he took off, jogging over to where his minions stood, waiting for him so they could head back to the school.
Once Tyson was gone, I turned to my dad, who gave me a satisfied nod and then made his way over to Xavier, the assistant coach. Dad picked up his clipboard, and they bent their heads together.
I glared at him. I couldn’t believe that he’d completely embarrassed me in front of Tyson like that. I was never going to forgive him.
“Thanks a lot,” I muttered as I started handing out cups to the football players who had jogged over. Tyson was never going to be able to look at me without seeing my huffing, angry father. I was a social pariah. I might as well call in sick for the rest of the year.
Once the entire team was hydrated, I lifted the jug and set it on the grass. Then I turned back to the table and started folding it up.
“How’d practice go?”
I glanced over to see Rebecca, my best friend, walking up to me. Her cheeks were pink, and she was sweating. She was cheer co-captain and my best friend since we were in diapers. How she stayed with me through my frizzy, short hair and braces boggled my mind. We were literally Beauty and the Beast.
I groaned in frustration as I slammed down hard on the brace of the table leg and it folded in. “Terrible. I almost hugged Tyson, and my dad was here to make sure he knew that I was off limits.”
I slammed the other leg down and yelped as I caught my thumb in the folding bracket. I lifted my hand to my mouth, wincing as the pain shot through my thumb.
“Oh, no. Man, your dad isn’t going to let off this year, huh?” Rebecca asked. She finished folding the table for me and turned it on its side so she could grab the handle.
I grabbed the bag of cups and the now-empty jug and followed after her. “Nope, doesn’t look like it. First day back with the team, and he’s already on high alert. I don’t get it. It’s like he blames me for my mom leaving. He’s convinced that a boy is going to woo me and lead me down the path of, I don’t know, whoredom?”
Mom dropped a bomb three years ago when she announced that she was leaving my dad to live in Cancún with her massage therapist, Pedro. Ever since then, when it came to me and guys, Dad was less than thrilled. He—on many occasions—has declared that he would rather experience a root canal with no anesthesia than see me date a high school boy. Or any boy. Ever.
And since he was the gym teacher and head football coach, he made it his life’s mission to make sure that romance and I never collided.
“It’s not that bad, Destiny. At least your dad cares enough to watch out for you. My dad? He couldn’t be bothered to pick up the phone to wish me a happy birthday. Instead, he calls to tell me the twins are now a yellow belt in karate, which means they can poop rainbows or something.” She rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Bec.” I sighed, blowing a loose strand of hair from my face. “Dads suck sometimes.”
She nodded. Then an excited smile spread across her lips. “You’ll never believe who I have in my pre-calc class.” She wiggled her eyebrows. A look only reserved for Sam Wilson.
“Really? That’s lucky,” I said, shifting the bag and jug to one arm so I could pull open the door that led to the gymnasium.
“I’d say. And, I get to sit next to him because Mr. Dawson is all, ‘everyone sit according to the alphabet.’ Wilson. Williams.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Bless that strange, OCD man.”
I smiled at her as we walked to the door in the far wall. Just on the other side was my dad’s office. And just beyond that. The boy’s locker room.
Where Tyson was.
Showering.
I cleared my throat as I forced all the thoughts that would have my dad boiling mad at me from my head. “Well, I hope you guys finally talk.” I gave her a serious expression. “It’s time.”
Rebecca walked through the door that I held open. Once we were in the small hallway, I stopped in front of my dad’s office, grabbed the key from my pocket, and unlocked the door.
“Baby steps, little one,” she said leaning the table against a wall in the office.
“Well, don’t wait too long. He’s headed for college next year.” I set the bag of cups on the shelf and the water jug underneath it. I never understood why she was so nervous around guys. She was tall and blonde. And she’s had curves since middle school. When she walked down the hall, boys had to pick their jaws up off the floor. I was sure she could walk up to Sam, demand that he let her wax his legs, and he would lay down in submission. “Besides, he’d be an idiot not to date you.”
Her cheeks hinted pink as she studied her nails. If I didn’t love her as much as I did, I’d hate her. She was like a Disney princess. When she sang, wildlife collected around her feet.
“I just want it to be right,” she said.
“Okay,” I said nodding to her. Truth was. I had no idea. She had more experience in the guy department. She’d even kissed a guy before. Me? Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Well, unless you count Porter Jones in the second grade. But that was more of a bite, on his part, than an actual kiss. I’m pretty sure that kissing involves lips colliding, not teeth. Porter didn’t seem to have gotten that memo.
She glanced down at her watch. “I gotta go. I have homework, and then my dad’s picking me up because I have to see the twins do…something. I really don’t know. I stop listening when he mentions those brats.”
“Thanks for helping me, Bec.”
She gave me a quick hug and sprinted from my dad’s office.
Now alone, I glanced around. Dad was still a half hour from leaving, and even though I’ve had my license since last summer, he insisted on driving me home.
I sighed and made my way over to the wall of team photos. There was one for every year that my dad had been coach of the football team, tacked up with tape.
Somehow—I don’t know how—my gaze found Tyson in last year’s photo. His hair was shorter then. And he looked skinnier. But he was as handsome as ever. I leaned in closer, studying his lips and his perfect nose.
“You okay?”
For the second time that day, Tyson’s voice filled my ears. I yelped and turned to see him leaning against the doorway. He had his eyebrows raised and a hint of a smile on his lips. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that hugged his chest. I could smell his soap. It had a woodsy hint to it.
“Yeah. Um-hum,” I said. Finally, coherent words. Sort of.
“I was looking for the Boss, but I’m guessing he’s not in yet.” He scanned the office.
“You guessed right, sir,” I said, saluting him. Then heat rushed across my skin. What was I saying? What was wrong with me? I pinched my lips together to cut off any other ridiculous reactions.
He studied me for a moment and then glanced down the hall. “Bummer.” He sighed. “Can you let him know I need to talk to him?”
I nodded.
Tyson studied me for a second longer before he turned. He took a step forward and then held his hand up. “Could you just tell him that I talked to you with other people around? I don’t want him knowing that we spoke alone in his office.” He grimaced. “I really hate running laps.”
My stomach sank. It was confirmed. No boy was ever going to talk to me. Ever.
My name, Destiny “Tiny” Davis, was synonymous with pain and vomit. Well done, Dad. Well done.
“Sure,” I said. My voice came out in a whisper as a defeated feeling settled in my chest.
There went any chance I would ever have to show Tyson that I was a cool person—that he was crazy not to get to know me. All he saw when he looked at me was the large, neon red sign my dad had placed above my head that said DO NOT TOUCH. In large capital letters.
“Thanks.” He smiled and then disappeared around the corner. And probably out of my life forever.
I sank down onto one of the stained chairs in my dad’s office and blew out my breath. This was going to be my life. My big, fat, sucky, junior year life. I might as well get used to it.
The Ballerina Academy Series
This swoony sweet romance series follows football players and ballerinas as they clash, connect, and fall for each other—featuring favorite tropes like enemies to lovers, fake dating, forbidden romance, and more.
Each story is clean and cozy, with just kisses and all the feels.
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The Quarterback Synopsis
He thought he knew what he wanted.
Turns out, all he wanted was her.
Collette
I’d kill to be the kind of dancer my mom wants me to be, but it’s just not in the cards. I’m sick of dieting. I'll never fit into the perfect ballerina mold and I’m tired of wishing that I could.
I’m over it. I’m done trying.
I’m perfectly content to dance alone in the dark while the rest of the school is sleeping.
Ethan
Coach says our football team needs discipline. That dancing alongside a bunch of prissy prima donnas is how we’ll learn our lesson.
Only problem?
I don’t have time for ballet. Not when I’m busting my butt to be the star quarterback, the dutiful son, and the perfect student…all so I can achieve my father’s dream.
When I meet Collette, I can’t help but take notice. She’s a vision of grace and beauty all wrapped up in snark and sass. And she helps me see that my own dreams aren’t so stupid after all.
I just wish she could see that in herself. But when I try to bring her out into the light, I can feel her slipping away. Her walls are built up so high, I fear they’ll never come down. I want to love her like she deserves—but that’s just the problem.
She doesn’t believe she deserves it.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
When Coach Reynolds told me what he’d planned as punishment for my teammates, I’d thought he was joking. The entire starting lineup for the Oakwood High football team taking ballet lessons? He couldn’t be serious.
I stared up at the tall gray building that took up half a block in the nice area of town, my buddies piling out of the cars that had pulled up behind me. Academie de Ballet was etched in big, bold letters over the arched entryway at the top of a set of stairs.
Coach had not been kidding. I probably should have known he was serious. In the three years I’d been playing for him, the old grouch had never once cracked a joke. Still, I’d thought he’d calm down. I figured he’d come to see reason…
“Dude, the old man has lost it.” Cooper Jenkins, our wide receiver, came up to stand beside me. At six feet he was the same height as me, but he was roughly twice the width and that was all muscle. The guy lived and breathed the weight room. Watching Cooper prance around on tiptoe amidst a bunch of petite girls was the one thing that might make this punishment almost seem bearable.
Almost.
“Can’t you talk to him?” Cooper said. “The old man loves you.”
“Yeah, Ethan,” Ryan said from behind me. “You’re Coach’s favorite little pet. If anyone can make him see reason, it’s you.” Despite his mockery, Ryan was one of my best friends. He came to stand on my other side, crossing his arms as he too took in the sight of our prison for the next three months.
Until the end of the semester, that’s what Coach had said when he’d spelled out our punishment in the locker room.
Cooper turned his glare from the building to me. “Talk to him, Ethan.”
“I tried,” I said for the millionth time. They’d been pestering me in the halls all day today, seeing if I could get our coach to change his mind. For the record, they came to me because I was the captain, not because I was coach’s ‘little pet’—whatever that meant.
“Try harder.” Cooper’s voice was as forbidding as his giant body, but I’d been playing ball with him since middle school so I knew better. Underneath all that muscle, he wasn’t all that scary. I mean, he was a little scary, but not out of control. If the coach said dance, the big guy would totally dance.
“Come on, dude,” Ryan said. “You’re the quarterback. You’ve got to have some sway over the old man. Just…threaten to quit the team or something.”
Unlike Cooper, Ryan actually was something of a wild card. He took nothing seriously, least of all football. Good thing he had mad skills as a running back or he’d have been off the team years ago. As it was, Coach threatened to cut him at least once a week.
“I’m not quitting the team.”
“Why not? You don’t need the scholarship money.” And that right there summed up Ryan’s life philosophy to a tee. He didn’t understand why anyone would do anything unless there was some sort of financial gain—or a chance to score with girls. Money and girls, that was pretty much all he seemed to care about. And maybe music, I supposed. He did have a band. But again, I was pretty sure playing guitar and forming a band were just another way to get the money and girls.
Music was really the only thing we had in common—we both played guitar. Sometimes we jammed together, and the rest of the time he just tried his best to annoy the crap out of me.
The rest of the guys were out of their cars and starting to gather around me. For a bunch of alpha jocks, none of them seemed eager to lead at this particular moment. Myself included. I eyed the entrance warily. I’d never been to the ballet, I’d never dated a girl who was into ballet, and I sure as heck never danced ballet myself. I had no idea what the coach had gotten us into. He’d been light on the details, just telling us to show up here after practice today.
Everyone was looking to me to lead the way.
“What would he do if we bailed?” That came from Alex, a linebacker. “I mean, it’s not like Coach can bench all the starters right?”
I shot Alex a sidelong look that made him squirm. “He can and he would if he thought we were blatantly undermining his authority.”
“The guy’s a freakin’ dictator,” Cooper said.
More like a former marine who ran this team like his own personal brigade, but he wasn’t too far off base.
“The guy lives to make us miserable,” Alex said. “It’s like he’s just looking for an excuse to ruin our lives.”
I turned to face Alex. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you threw a party the night before our first game.”
Alex scratched at the back of his head. “It wasn’t supposed to be a rager, it just sort of…got out of control.”
“
Yeah, well, that tends to happen when you invite every person in our school to a house party with no parents and a full keg.”
“Okay, Mom,” Ryan said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “What’s done is done, right?”
I shrugged him off. “Right.” I tried not to be resentful, I really did. But this was not the first time I found myself thinking how unfair it was that I was paying for their mistake. I’d been the only guy on the team with enough foresight to leave before things got crazy.
The others? They’d been caught when the cops showed up, and while the cops let them off with a warning, our coach…well, he’d sent us here.
To our very own personal hell.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said.
“That’s the spirit,” Ryan said as I led the way up the stairs to the front doors, the rest of the guys dragging their feet behind me.
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” I added. “I mean, some pro players take ballet classes, right?”
“It’s supposed to be good for flexibility,” Cooper said.
“See? There you go,” I said. “Maybe it’ll be good for us.”
“Couldn’t we have just watched some YouTube videos or something?” Alex said from behind. “Do we really have to take classes?”
Ryan shook his head. “Have I taught you fools nothing?” He turned at the top of the steps to face the others, like he was about to make a speech. “Ballet classes are usually filled with girls, right? The way I see it, the coach did us a favor sending us here. Think of it like a field trip to hottie heaven.”
I stared at him until he looked over. “What?”
I shook my head and opened the glass door leading to a sterile foyer. It smelled like cleaning products and I had to blink as my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. I heard distant music and looked to my right to see a glass-lined wall so anyone in the entranceway could watch the dance class in action on the other side. The guys kept filing in behind me but I paused for a second at the sight of ten leotard-clad girls bending and stretching and—
Oof!
I’d taken a step forward to get out of the doorway and ended up tripping over something in my path. “Hey, watch it!” a girl’s voice shouted.
No, not something.
Someone.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I disentangled my arms and legs from the girl who was now sprawled out on the ground. I got a flash of an oversized black hoodie and long brown curls as I reached out to help her up. She turned to face me.
Ouch! She smacked my hands away as I tried to reach for her to help her up.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled.
“Way to go, Ethan, taking out one of the dancers before we’ve even begun,” one of the guys joked.
When we were both standing, she turned to face me with her hands on her hips and I fought the urge to grin. She was just so…little. And cute. Especially with that fierce scowl she wore like she was a little warrior about to do battle. “Can I help you?” she asked, though there was nothing hospitable about her tone.
“Yeah, uh sorry,” I said, gesturing to the ground where we’d tumbled. “I didn’t see you there.”
She stared at me.
“I’m sorry,” I tried again. “I really didn’t see you.”
“Nah, it was my bad,” she said evenly, looking down at her hoodie and T-shirt. I followed her gaze and felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. It took all of my will power not to leer at the sight of her obvious yet hidden curves and rounded hips. “I must have forgotten to take off my cloak of invisibility,” she finished.
Ryan choked on a laugh next to me as I dragged my gaze back up to see her watching me steadily, her eyes fathomless and unreadable.
I couldn’t tell if she was teasing or really annoyed so I opted to ignore that comment altogether. “We’re here for a, uh…ballet lesson?” Oh man, that sounded even lamer when I said it aloud. I looked around, distinctly uncomfortable under her watchful stare. “Is this the right place?”
She stared at me for another heartbeat, her lips twitching a bit before that placid, unreadable mask was back in place. “For ballet lessons?” She moved her head slowly and pointedly to the left where the dance class was still in session. Then she looked up at a large sign above a bulletin board announcing the ballet class schedule. When she looked back at me her big blue eyes were wide with feigned innocence. “Nope, no dance classes here. This is the post office.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”
Ryan was the only one to laugh. “Ethan, I think I love this girl.”
‘This girl’ glanced over at Ryan and I could have sworn I saw a little smile.
What the…? So Ryan got a smile, and all I got was mocked? I tried not to feel jealous. I mean, obviously I wasn’t jealous. Why would I be jealous? I didn’t even know this weird little girl.
“Look, if you could just tell us where we’re supposed to be—”
The door to the classroom opened behind me. “What are these guys doing here?” a girl’s voice asked. Suddenly our little band of brothers was surrounded by the leotard-clad girls we’d been watching through the glass. They were eyeing us with curiosity as they headed over to the girl in the hoodie, whose gaze hadn’t veered away from me.
“I don’t know,” hoodie girl said. “They say they’re here for a class.”
“We are,” I said, not loving the way she said ‘they say’ like we were suspect or something.
“Really.” A pretty, tall blonde stopped beside the tiny warrior in the hoodie, turning in our direction with a sniff. “The most prestigious ballet academy in the Northeast, and we’re now opening enrollment to…these people?” Her gaze moved over the lot of us and she pursed her lips when her gaze landed on Ryan beside me with his too-long hair and ripped jeans.
“These people,” Ryan repeated softly. Turning to me, he said louder, “You were right. Ballet dancers are a bunch of stuck-up—”
“I didn’t say that,” I interrupted, my eyes seeking out the little brunette. “I never said that.”
“Why not?” the brunette said. “It’s true.”
Ryan laughed and I couldn’t stop a grin, especially when the snooty blonde rolled her eyes in irritation. “Ugh, Collette.” The blonde turned to her with a sigh. “Don’t encourage them.”
So mystery girl’s name was Collette. I mentally filed that away.
One of the other girls, shorter but no less skinny than the rail-thin blonde, stood on the other side of Collette, partially hiding behind her as she eyed us. Her eyes lit on Cooper and her plain features turned pretty when she smiled. “Hi, Cooper.”
We all turned to Cooper, whose expression hadn’t changed. It rarely did. He was glowering at the timid, petite girl with the bun that looked painfully tight.
“You know him, Eve?” Collette asked.
Before Eve could respond the blonde turned to Collette. “Better question, how do you know them and why did you let them in?”
I took a step forward, ready to stand up for Collette, but I should have known she didn’t need my help. “I didn’t let them in. They walked in. This isn’t a high-security fortress, it’s a school. And as for how I know them…” She shot me a look. “I don’t. One of them just ran me over.”
I let out a huff of exasperated amusement. “I told you, I didn’t see you there.”
She opened her mouth to respond but the blonde beat her to it. “How could you miss her?”
As if her taunting tone weren’t enough of a clue, I heard some of the girls beside us giggle. I looked over to see Collette hugging the hoodie tighter around herself, a splash of color in her cheeks.
“What are you guys doing here?” The question came from one of the girls to my left.
Before I got a chance to explain, a woman’s voice came from behind us. “I invited them.”
Smoky Hills Academy Series
For all the Team Jacob girls who never moved on… this one’s for you.
This complete wolf shifter romance series follows a group of football players who just happen to turn into wolves—and the human girls who steal their hearts.
Filled with swoony, protective heroes, fated love, and just-kisses heat, it's the perfect blend of small-town romance and supernatural tension.
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The Quarterback Alpha Synopsis
#1 in Football #1 in Wolf Shifters
Cora
Mom and I just needed a place to start over. Somewhere to move on from the past that haunts us.Smoky Hills, Tennessee seemed to be exactly what we needed.Here, I could be invisible.
That is, until quarterback Liam Bronson decides I’m important.
Even though there are plenty of girls who would love his attention, he doesn’t seem to care. The way he stares at me is like I’m the only one that matters, even in a room full of people.
Like he chose me.
Then I discover his secret. The animal that lives inside of him. He tells me to leave. That it’s not safe for a human.
If only my heart didn’t pound when he was around. If only he wasn’t so kind. If only he wasn’t exactly what I need in my life, I could honor his wish.
Lucky for me, I’m not part of his pack.
I don’t have to obey.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
It amazed me that no matter how much we cleaned Mom’s old yellow VW bug, it always smelled like stale french fries. It was probably because we’d taken one too many trips in this car. We used to pack up and drive across the country every summer.
Back when Dad was alive. Back when things were simpler.
The wheels made this strange thumping sound against the asphalt as Mom drove down the highway, pulling me from my thoughts. A piece of the ceiling fabric tickled my face, and I swatted it away.
So many memories—good and bad—were wrapped up in this car. Even though it was falling apart, I loved this beaten-down, stuck-together-by-duck-tape vehicle.
It was ours.
It was home.
I stuck my hand out the open window and let the cool night air rush over my skin, causing the hair to stand up on my arm. The sweet smell of summer and rain wafted into the car as I stared out at the dark forest that flew by us.
We were on our way to Smoky Hills, TN.
A few weeks ago, Mom accepted the veterinary position in the small town of Smoky Hills. The founder was retiring and wanted to hand the keys to a younger, more energetic vet.
Enter Mom.
So we packed up our small apartment in Waco, TX and hit the road with everything we loved crammed into the trusty VW bug.
Mom tried to make it exciting—according to her we were starting over. A fresh start to our lives.
Ever since Dad died five years ago, we’d been living in the past. And honestly, moving away from all the pitying stares and sympathetic smiles sounded like heaven.
It was hard to move on when everything around you reminded you of the person you lost.
“It will be perfect for us,” Mom said as she reached over to turn down Neil Diamond. She was blaring “Sweet Caroline” and humming as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.
I smiled. It was like we were in sync with each other. She knew exactly what I was thinking.
Pulling my hand back into the car, I wrapped my arms around my chest and turned toward her. “Yeah, I know,” I said, drawing one knee up and hugging it.
She gave me a quick grin and then returned her gaze to the road. It was dark now, our headlights illuminating the black road ahead of us. “And Smoky Hills Academy sounds amazing. I mean, their football team is first in state,” Mom said.
I rolled my eyes as I turned my attention back out the window. Mom knew just how to get me to lose my interest—talk about sports. “Yeah. That’s what I’m excited for.”
Mom chuckled. “Hey, fresh start. Who knows? Maybe cheerleading is in your future.”
I stared at Mom. Was she serious? I was all legs and no curves. “I think you need boobs to do that,” I said, tightening my arms around my chest. Sure, they were there, but they weren’t, like, there.
Mom shot me a sympathetic smile. “You’re perfect.”
Ugh.
I needed to move the conversation forward. I wiggled in my seat until I was sitting straight. Then I curved my back, stretching my arms out. “I’m just excited to sleep in a bed tonight.” I squinted at the GPS. “How much longer?”
Mom flicked her gaze to the GPS as well. “Ten minutes.” Then she looked at me. “Think you can last?”
I nodded. But before I could speak, I was flung forward. My neck cracked as my head whipped down, narrowly missing the dash.
I groaned as I reached up and rubbed my sore muscles.
“Geez, Mom,” I said as I turned to study her. She had her gaze fixed on the windshield. Why the heck had she stopped so suddenly?
I turned to see a wolf standing in the middle of the road, staring at us.
“Cora, do you see that?” Mom’s voice was low with reverence.
“Yeah,” I said. The wolf was grey and white. It was tall. Bigger than the wolves I’d seen in local zoos. Its ears were perked up, and its head was tilted.
I met the wolf’s gaze, and a shiver raced down my back. Its dark eyes fixed on me. Like it was staring into my soul. Like, he knew he was looking at me. Studying me.
Fear rushed through me as I reached out and quickly rolled up my window. Once it was secure, I pushed my red hair behind my ear as heat flushed my skin. The wolf’s gaze penetrated mine and made me feel raw and embarrassed at the same time. I mean, who has ever felt like that when a wolf stared at them?
Me, apparently.
“It’s like, he’s watching us,” Mom whispered.
The wolf’s ears twitched like he was listening to our conversation.
“Can he hear us?” I asked.
The wolf tipped his nose in my direction. Well, that answered that question.
“Wolves have incredible hearing,” Mom said.
Feeling like my privacy was being violated, I leaned toward her. “Just drive. I’m sure it’ll move.”
Mom glanced over at me. “Cora, come on. It’s a wild animal. I’m sure it’s more scared of us then we are of it.”
Of course. The curse of living with a vet. Every animal was precious, and we were the big, bad humans invading their lands.
This was a fight I couldn’t win, so I leaned back in my seat as Mom continued to watch the wolf. It didn’t seem like it was in any hurry to move on. Instead, he leaned down and sniffed the road.
Then, he began walking toward us. He sniffed the car as he made his way around to my door. I pushed away from the window as his nose appeared. He sniffed the window and then rose up on all fours to stare at me.
I yelped, practically jumping into Mom’s seat. She, of course, thought this was glorious and had her phone out, taking pictures.
“This is amazing,” she exclaimed.
“It is not,” I hissed, trying to stare at the animal. Maybe if I looked threatening enough, he’d leave.
“It’s like he’s not even scared of you,” Mom chuckled.
“Great.” Mom didn’t think I was threatening enough to scare off an animal.
His breath shot streams of fog across my window as he stared in at me.
“How do we get it to go away?” I asked.
Mom shrugged. “He’ll leave when he wants to. Besides, when will this ever happen again? I mean, it’s a real, live animal. Enjoy this.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Mom, come on. This isn’t normal.” I raised my hand and tried to shoo it away. It just cocked its head as it continued to stare at me.
“Well, it’s not like it’s densely populated here. I’m sure it’s not used to humans.” Mom snapped another picture.
Suddenly, the wolf bared its teeth, and a deep growl sounded in his throat. It startled me, and I jumped a few inches in the air.
The wolf leaned its head back and let out a deep, throaty howl.
A few seconds later, the same deep howl sounded from the woods. Followed by two, then three.
“Mom, he’s calling more,” I whispered, reaching out to grab her arm.
But Mom wasn’t worried. Instead, she was gleefully readying her camera.
Bright yellow eyes could be seen in the foliage next to us. The wolf in the road had dropped back down to all fours and was facing the creatures that were sheltered by the forest.
He leaned his head back and howled again. Then he tore off across the road, followed by three more wolves. They were different colors. Some lighter, some darker. There was one large one, and the other two were definitely smaller.
In a matter of moments, the entire pack was gone.
I sat there, my heart hammering in my chest.
Mom was chattering on about how incredible it was and how it was exactly what she’d needed. This move was exactly the fresh start she’d been claiming it would be.
I stared at her, trying to figure out how almost getting attacked by a wolf pack was exactly what she needed. But if she saw the question in my gaze, she didn’t address it.
Instead, she pressed on the gas, and we began making our way down the highway again.
“That was amazing,” Mom said.
“Yeah. Great.” I turned my gaze out the window to stare at the trees that whipped past. What else lurked in these woods?
“I mean it, Cora. This is a once in a lifetime experience.”
I turned to shoot her an annoyed look. “I think I would have been just fine living my whole life and never having a wolf stare me down.”
Mom shrugged as the sign for Smoky Hills, population 4,000, came into view. “It wasn’t just any wolf.”
I snorted. “It is a werewolf?” I asked.
Mom laughed. “No. Werewolves don’t exist.”
Good. At least Mom hadn’t completely lost her mind.
Lights shone through the dark as we drove further into Smoky Hills. I could make out a few streetlights and buildings lining each side of the road.
My stomach growled when I saw the sign for Jordan’s Diner. Mom seemed to have the same thought as she flipped on the turn signal and pulled into the parking lot. She turned the engine off and slipped the keys from the ignition.
I moved to grab the handle, but Mom’s hand stopped me.
I turned to see her study me. She had a serious look on her face.
“I’m excited because I think…” Her voice drifted off as her gaze turned hazy.
“Mom?” I asked. She was scaring me. Why was she acting like this?
She blinked a few times and shot me a smile. She cleared her throat. “I’m excited because I think we saw the alpha.”
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Christmas Romance
Grinchland!
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What happens with the most Christmas-y kindergarten teacher moves in next door to the mayor who has forbidden Christmas?
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The Quarterback Alpha Synopsis
#1 in Football #1 in Wolf Shifters
Cora
Mom and I just needed a place to start over. Somewhere to move on from the past that haunts us.Smoky Hills, Tennessee seemed to be exactly what we needed.Here, I could be invisible.
That is, until quarterback Liam Bronson decides I’m important.
Even though there are plenty of girls who would love his attention, he doesn’t seem to care. The way he stares at me is like I’m the only one that matters, even in a room full of people.
Like he chose me.
Then I discover his secret. The animal that lives inside of him. He tells me to leave. That it’s not safe for a human.
If only my heart didn’t pound when he was around. If only he wasn’t so kind. If only he wasn’t exactly what I need in my life, I could honor his wish.
Lucky for me, I’m not part of his pack.
I don’t have to obey.
Chapter 1 Look Inside
It amazed me that no matter how much we cleaned Mom’s old yellow VW bug, it always smelled like stale french fries. It was probably because we’d taken one too many trips in this car. We used to pack up and drive across the country every summer.
Back when Dad was alive. Back when things were simpler.
The wheels made this strange thumping sound against the asphalt as Mom drove down the highway, pulling me from my thoughts. A piece of the ceiling fabric tickled my face, and I swatted it away.
So many memories—good and bad—were wrapped up in this car. Even though it was falling apart, I loved this beaten-down, stuck-together-by-duck-tape vehicle.
It was ours.
It was home.
I stuck my hand out the open window and let the cool night air rush over my skin, causing the hair to stand up on my arm. The sweet smell of summer and rain wafted into the car as I stared out at the dark forest that flew by us.
We were on our way to Smoky Hills, TN.
A few weeks ago, Mom accepted the veterinary position in the small town of Smoky Hills. The founder was retiring and wanted to hand the keys to a younger, more energetic vet.
Enter Mom.
So we packed up our small apartment in Waco, TX and hit the road with everything we loved crammed into the trusty VW bug.
Mom tried to make it exciting—according to her we were starting over. A fresh start to our lives.
Ever since Dad died five years ago, we’d been living in the past. And honestly, moving away from all the pitying stares and sympathetic smiles sounded like heaven.
It was hard to move on when everything around you reminded you of the person you lost.
“It will be perfect for us,” Mom said as she reached over to turn down Neil Diamond. She was blaring “Sweet Caroline” and humming as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.
I smiled. It was like we were in sync with each other. She knew exactly what I was thinking.
Pulling my hand back into the car, I wrapped my arms around my chest and turned toward her. “Yeah, I know,” I said, drawing one knee up and hugging it.
She gave me a quick grin and then returned her gaze to the road. It was dark now, our headlights illuminating the black road ahead of us. “And Smoky Hills Academy sounds amazing. I mean, their football team is first in state,” Mom said.
I rolled my eyes as I turned my attention back out the window. Mom knew just how to get me to lose my interest—talk about sports. “Yeah. That’s what I’m excited for.”
Mom chuckled. “Hey, fresh start. Who knows? Maybe cheerleading is in your future.”
I stared at Mom. Was she serious? I was all legs and no curves. “I think you need boobs to do that,” I said, tightening my arms around my chest. Sure, they were there, but they weren’t, like, there.
Mom shot me a sympathetic smile. “You’re perfect.”
Ugh.
I needed to move the conversation forward. I wiggled in my seat until I was sitting straight. Then I curved my back, stretching my arms out. “I’m just excited to sleep in a bed tonight.” I squinted at the GPS. “How much longer?”
Mom flicked her gaze to the GPS as well. “Ten minutes.” Then she looked at me. “Think you can last?”
I nodded. But before I could speak, I was flung forward. My neck cracked as my head whipped down, narrowly missing the dash.
I groaned as I reached up and rubbed my sore muscles.
“Geez, Mom,” I said as I turned to study her. She had her gaze fixed on the windshield. Why the heck had she stopped so suddenly?
I turned to see a wolf standing in the middle of the road, staring at us.
“Cora, do you see that?” Mom’s voice was low with reverence.
“Yeah,” I said. The wolf was grey and white. It was tall. Bigger than the wolves I’d seen in local zoos. Its ears were perked up, and its head was tilted.
I met the wolf’s gaze, and a shiver raced down my back. Its dark eyes fixed on me. Like it was staring into my soul. Like, he knew he was looking at me. Studying me.
Fear rushed through me as I reached out and quickly rolled up my window. Once it was secure, I pushed my red hair behind my ear as heat flushed my skin. The wolf’s gaze penetrated mine and made me feel raw and embarrassed at the same time. I mean, who has ever felt like that when a wolf stared at them?
Me, apparently.
“It’s like, he’s watching us,” Mom whispered.
The wolf’s ears twitched like he was listening to our conversation.
“Can he hear us?” I asked.
The wolf tipped his nose in my direction. Well, that answered that question.
“Wolves have incredible hearing,” Mom said.
Feeling like my privacy was being violated, I leaned toward her. “Just drive. I’m sure it’ll move.”
Mom glanced over at me. “Cora, come on. It’s a wild animal. I’m sure it’s more scared of us then we are of it.”
Of course. The curse of living with a vet. Every animal was precious, and we were the big, bad humans invading their lands.
This was a fight I couldn’t win, so I leaned back in my seat as Mom continued to watch the wolf. It didn’t seem like it was in any hurry to move on. Instead, he leaned down and sniffed the road.
Then, he began walking toward us. He sniffed the car as he made his way around to my door. I pushed away from the window as his nose appeared. He sniffed the window and then rose up on all fours to stare at me.
I yelped, practically jumping into Mom’s seat. She, of course, thought this was glorious and had her phone out, taking pictures.
“This is amazing,” she exclaimed.
“It is not,” I hissed, trying to stare at the animal. Maybe if I looked threatening enough, he’d leave.
“It’s like he’s not even scared of you,” Mom chuckled.
“Great.” Mom didn’t think I was threatening enough to scare off an animal.
His breath shot streams of fog across my window as he stared in at me.
“How do we get it to go away?” I asked.
Mom shrugged. “He’ll leave when he wants to. Besides, when will this ever happen again? I mean, it’s a real, live animal. Enjoy this.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Mom, come on. This isn’t normal.” I raised my hand and tried to shoo it away. It just cocked its head as it continued to stare at me.
“Well, it’s not like it’s densely populated here. I’m sure it’s not used to humans.” Mom snapped another picture.
Suddenly, the wolf bared its teeth, and a deep growl sounded in his throat. It startled me, and I jumped a few inches in the air.
The wolf leaned its head back and let out a deep, throaty howl.
A few seconds later, the same deep howl sounded from the woods. Followed by two, then three.
“Mom, he’s calling more,” I whispered, reaching out to grab her arm.
But Mom wasn’t worried. Instead, she was gleefully readying her camera.
Bright yellow eyes could be seen in the foliage next to us. The wolf in the road had dropped back down to all fours and was facing the creatures that were sheltered by the forest.
He leaned his head back and howled again. Then he tore off across the road, followed by three more wolves. They were different colors. Some lighter, some darker. There was one large one, and the other two were definitely smaller.
In a matter of moments, the entire pack was gone.
I sat there, my heart hammering in my chest.
Mom was chattering on about how incredible it was and how it was exactly what she’d needed. This move was exactly the fresh start she’d been claiming it would be.
I stared at her, trying to figure out how almost getting attacked by a wolf pack was exactly what she needed. But if she saw the question in my gaze, she didn’t address it.
Instead, she pressed on the gas, and we began making our way down the highway again.
“That was amazing,” Mom said.
“Yeah. Great.” I turned my gaze out the window to stare at the trees that whipped past. What else lurked in these woods?
“I mean it, Cora. This is a once in a lifetime experience.”
I turned to shoot her an annoyed look. “I think I would have been just fine living my whole life and never having a wolf stare me down.”
Mom shrugged as the sign for Smoky Hills, population 4,000, came into view. “It wasn’t just any wolf.”
I snorted. “It is a werewolf?” I asked.
Mom laughed. “No. Werewolves don’t exist.”
Good. At least Mom hadn’t completely lost her mind.
Lights shone through the dark as we drove further into Smoky Hills. I could make out a few streetlights and buildings lining each side of the road.
My stomach growled when I saw the sign for Jordan’s Diner. Mom seemed to have the same thought as she flipped on the turn signal and pulled into the parking lot. She turned the engine off and slipped the keys from the ignition.
I moved to grab the handle, but Mom’s hand stopped me.
I turned to see her study me. She had a serious look on her face.
“I’m excited because I think…” Her voice drifted off as her gaze turned hazy.
“Mom?” I asked. She was scaring me. Why was she acting like this?
She blinked a few times and shot me a smile. She cleared her throat. “I’m excited because I think we saw the alpha.”
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