Laura Lopez knew exactly what she wanted in life. The American dream: a husband, two kids (at least), and a white picket fence. She handled the white picket fence on her own; the hubby and kiddos were proving to be more difficult. The problem was that the alpha-holes she attracted were not marriage material. At thirty-five, the curvy beauty was done wasting her time with men who weren’t ready or willing to make a commitment. Nothing was going to distract her from building the life she wanted. Not even a six-foot-four, tattooed, retired Navy SEAL with dimples so deep she wanted to lick chocolate out of them. Knox Savage knew exactly what he wanted in life. The freedom to live on his terms—no commitments, no responsibilities, no worries for the rest of his days. He was ready to live out his best Hakuna Matata life. After serving his country for twenty years, the retired Navy SEAL was footloose and fancy-free. He wanted to travel and reconnect with family. One of his first stops was to spend the summer visiting his brother and cousin. Three months in Whisper Lake, and then he’d be on to his next adventure. Nothing was going to derail his plans. Not even a stunning, smart, sarcastic Sofia Vergara look-alike who made him want things he’d never wanted before. Author’s Note: Had to Be You is a lust-at-first-sight, small town, secret expirationship romance. This tale of happily ever after follows two headstrong, stubborn thirty-somethings who both think they have their lives figured out. Spoiler alert: they don’t. Their road to HEA is windy and filled with a late-night cat rescue, sperm bank date, supportive and meddling friends and family, three geriatric mafiosa matchmakers, a stolen car, and much, much more.