RECENT BOOKS
WATCH OVER HER
ONLY HER, BOOK 1
Watch Over Her
When her first love abandons her, and a heart-wrenching accident takes her parents too soon, Raina decides it's time for a fresh start. In a brand new town, with walls planted firmly around her heart, Raina has given up on her happily ever after, deciding it's easier to be alone than to risk losing it all. For a second time.
When she meets Zane, the new bartender in the small North Carolina town she now calls home, the foundation of those walls begins to crumble. Broody, irritable, and incredibly sexy, there's something about him she just can't shake.
As they begin to forge a connection together, Zane's tumultuous past catches up with him and threatens to destroy any potential future they may have, leaving Raina to question all the decisions she's made.
Watching over Raina is the hardest promise Zane has ever had to make. Sometimes love doesn't heal all wounds and not all happy endings are meant to be. But perhaps two tortured souls can find the peace they deserve, together.
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PROLOGUE
Raina
It would be helpful, considerate really, if life would let you know ahead of time when you were about to experience one of those life-altering events. One of those moments that would irrevocably change your world in the blink of an eye. Sort of give you a heads up, or a small glimpse into your day, if you will, so you could be mentally and emotionally prepared for what was about to happen.
Life isn’t that kind.
Donning my best black dress, I sit here in my dad’s favorite chair, attempting to drink a glass of wine, and contemplate my decision. My heart swells with a sea of tears. Do I remain here and drink away my reality, or drive myself to my parents’ funeral?
The funeral.
My life-altering event.
The one I had no idea was coming.
Blindsided.
I think a breakdown would be perfectly acceptable considering the circumstances I’m faced with right now. At twenty-two, burying both of my parents after they were killed in a car accident constitutes a bit of a mental lapse, don’t you think? I mean, who would really blame me?
After a few more minutes of nothingness pass, I sluggishly drag myself out of Dad’s chair. I have to do this. I’ll do it for them. To be the respectful young lady they taught me to be.
I reach the sink, pouring out the contents of my glass. My stomach remains empty from days without nourishment. The wine glass slips out of my shaking hands and crashes to the floor, shattering. Just like my heart.
Making my way to the front door, I catch a glimpse of my image in the mirror above the small stand near the doorway where I keep my keys. Vacant, red, and swollen eyes stare back at me. Empty. Desolate. Hopeless.
I will struggle through this day, one second, one minute, one hour at a time. And then I will come home and succumb to the emptiness that permeates not only this house but also my soul.
I am alone.
HOLD ON TO HER
ONLY HER, BOOK 2
Hold on to Her
Sarah…
There’s armor around my heart for a reason. Men are idiots. I was burned by my ex in the worst kind of way, so opening myself up to another man is out of the question. Not on your life. No husband, no babies anywhere in my future. No commitments. My head knows this, but somehow when I’m around him, my heart has a tendency to forget. Why does Liam Reynolds seem to have this hold on me?
Liam…
My heart is an open book for a reason. There’s this woman. She is all kinds of wonderful, and I can see my future with her in it as my wife and the mother of my children. My heart knows she is perfect for me, but somehow when I’m around her, my head seems to forget she is a no commitment kind of girl. I’m convinced, though, that I’ll eventually wear her down. Why is Sarah Witten so dead set on pushing me away when all I want to do is hold on to her?
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Sarah
Blood.
There isn’t supposed to be this much blood.
Pain.
There isn’t supposed to be this much pain.
Within seconds, I’m doubled over with cramps so intense, so dizzying, the thought of dying is at the forefront of my mind. It’s a pain like no other. Like a vice tightening around my middle.
My arms rest on the edge of the toilet seat, holding me up before the next wave of nausea hits. More dry heaves.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
My eyes close again, the image of a beautiful baby girl surfacing. She’s stunning with pale skin and shiny, green eyes.
I love you.
“Oh my God, Sarah! What’s wrong? Jesus, you’re bleeding, sweetheart.” Mother’s scream jars me awake. Her footsteps are hurried as she makes her way to me, dropping to her knees. She cradles me like an infant, rocking me back and forth. I won’t get to hold my baby like this.
“It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. You’re gonna be okay. I’m going to get the phone to call for an ambulance, okay?”
“I’m losing my baby.” Four words whispered and many tears shed. Four simple words and endless tears that will, no doubt, change me forever. “Please help me.”
So much blood. So tired.
I’ve lost Daniel. I’m losing my baby.
It’s my last thought before the darkness consumes me.
NEVER LET HER GO,
ONLY HER, BOOK 3
Samantha
Focused. Driven. Responsible.
That all might translate to boring to you, but I've got dreams I'm determined to reach. I don't need interference from anyone along the way - I've had enough of that in my lifetime. That includes guys like Cole.
Irritating. Immature. Ridiculously hot. Did I mention irritating?
He's trouble, waiting to happen.
Trouble that I most certainly don't have time for.
Cole
Focused. Driven. Responsible. And gorgeous.
All words I'd use to describe Sammy. My Sammy.
And all the more reason she needs to loosen up and have a little fun.
Who better to help her with that than me? I’m perfect for the job.
Except, she's the one girl in this small town that doesn't fall at my feet because I'm Cole Patterson.
She's the one girl, that when I finally catch her, I may never let her go.
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PROLOGUE
Samantha
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence…”
The pastor’s voice fades out slowly as I take a moment to look around at all the people who are gathered here.
I don’t belong. I seriously don’t belong here at all. Just because I work for Liam at Sam’s Pub shouldn’t constitute an automatic invitation to his wedding. Seeing people here that he’s been friends with forever only solidifies that observation. I mean…I’m an employee. That’s all. And even though his beautiful bride Sarah has become a friend of mine, I still don’t feel like I belong.
Not that it’s any different from how I’ve felt most of my life, but still. Being more of an introvert, the quiet and shy type, doesn’t lend itself well to making a ton of friends, which was fine in high school. It kept me from spending too many nights away from home, away from my sister and grandmother who needed me more. Spending most evenings at home was also a good way to keep my grades up. It gave me plenty of time to study because without some academic scholarships, there was no way college was in the cards for me.
I have to laugh at myself because two years of college was all I got through before I had to drop out. Working full time to help pay the bills and put food on the table became much more important. I had to stay focused, level-headed and under control.
Don’t get me wrong. My grandmother, who was raising my sister and me at the time, did her best. Eventually, medical bills and the exorbitant cost of her prescription medications began to eat away at her meager savings, and Social Security didn’t cut it. There was really no other choice.
So, I did what I had to do. With mom out of the picture, who was off living life on the road with some truck driver, I had to step up and fill the void. Kinda tough at only twenty years old.
Now, four years later, here I am, at a friend’s wedding, feeling like an intruder, fiercely missing my grandmother, and worried sick about my sister Julie who has a deadbeat husband to look after as if he’s some kind of toddler.
I’m an outsider looking in at someone else’s fairy tale…their dream life. The kind of life I once dreamed of for me.
Cole
She’s stunning. My God, look at her. Here I thought Sammy was pretty in basic jeans and a tee. As a matter of fact, my buddies, Liam and Zane, still harass me about calling her just pretty. Apparently, my vocabulary isn’t as extensive as theirs. Although, extensive is a pretty big word for me.
Liam, Zane and I own Sam’s Pub together, and we were thrilled when Sammy came on board as a bartender. Took her a little while to come out of her shell and really learn the ins and outs of bartending, but she overcame her shyness and has been a perfect asset to the pub. Did I mention she has a perfect ass? Did I also mention I’d like to see a little more of that ass someday?
But, here’s the thing. I’ve never, and I seriously mean freakin’ ever, looked at a woman beyond the physical. It was always knowing the end game, which usually played out in the bedroom. Or the couch, or the counter, or maybe even the kitchen table. Don’t judge. It was a bucket list thing. Checked it off the list many times over.
But, this girl right here? I don’t think she could be a one-night stand for me. I don’t know what the hell she’s doing to me, but all I can focus on is her, sitting there, a few rays of sun shining through those dark curls, lighting up her almond-shaped, chocolate brown eyes. She seems distracted, nervous even. She’s gorgeous.
Ever since she started working at Sam’s Pub as a bartender and now the bar manager, we’ve been dancing around each other. Not literally. I mean, I can’t dance. Well, I can, it’s just that my dancing resembles the bumbling movements of an injured moose. But she and I don’t seem to hit it off or some shit. She glares at me. I think she’s ready to shoot daggers through my balls every time I’m standing with other women.
The weird thing is, for the first time in my life, there’s a chance I might want something more with a woman. A woman who seems to maybe not like me too well. How the hell’s that for irony?
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Slow that relationship bus way down, Cole. But for some reason, I can’t. Don’t even think I want to try.
What I do want is a date, a chance to really get to know her. It seems, there’s a story behind those eyes, and I’m itching to find out what it is. She seems so ambitious. There’s something driving her to stay focused. I’d like to see her relax and chill a little more, to not take life so seriously. And who better to help her with that? You guessed it. I’m the guy for the job.
So, how difficult is it gonna be to get her to even consider going out with me, you ask? About as tough as hammering a tenpenny nail with the bristle end of a toothbrush. She’s closed up tight. Gives very little away. I know I’ll have to work for this because she acts like she hates me. Thing is, I’ve never shied away from a challenge before. No sense in starting now, right?