I need a nanny, but I may need her more. I know about my reputation as Never Harbor’s secluded single dad. But I have everything I need: my imaginative son, my dog, and our remodeled cottage by the sea. That is, until my nanny quits. My brother’s ex\-fiancée, Wendy Darling, is an elementary school teacher with a free summer. The last thing I need is to get tangled in his mess, but my family thinks she’s a perfect fit for the job. Turns out, she fits in better than I could have imagined. Wendy is nothing like I expected. She’s kind and adventurous, with a beautiful laugh that washes my worst nightmares away. She pushes past my silence and sees more of my true self than anyone has in years. And my six\-year\-old son is falling for her just as quickly. Being with Wendy can never happen. Not when my younger brother is her ex\-fiancé. Not when she’s so close to our family. Not when our small coastal town gossips the way that it does. But after so long in the dark, Wendy makes me feel something. Falling for her feels a lot like flying instead. I know happy endings only belong in fairy tales, but I’m close to stealing one for myself.

This isn’t her idea of home, but she’s quickly becoming mine. I’m Never Harbor’s neighborhood best friend. Along with being the middle child in a loud family of seven, I’m accustomed to being everything to everyone. But after moving into my new townhouse by the sea, my world has suddenly grown too quiet. But then she moves back to town. Marina Starkey is my landlord’s daughter with nowhere to go. She needs a place to stay for the summer, and thankfully I’m just the kind of guy to offer. Hello there, new roommate. She’s gorgeous and cheeky with a stubbornness that matches my own. (Don’t get me started on the shared bed situation.) Summer days pass in soft touches and afternoon swims, and my heart sinks deeper with every stroke. I’m not a temporary fling kind of guy, and Marina has no intention of staying past the summer. She doesn’t want to fall in love with her hometown, and I’m basically Mr. Never Harbor himself. But my home is quickly becoming wherever I’m with her.

𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓’𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔. I’ve loved Rafe Cohen since I knew unavailable artists with piercing amber eyes and reckless tattoos sparked my young, inexperienced heart. If only the man knew who I was. But, as it turns out, I can be reckless too. That’s how I end up in Rafe’s print shop with my legs around his waist and my innocence in his talented hands. He insists our one night stand is just that: one night. He’s not a relationship guy. But when he needs a new employee, and I’ve gotten one too many art internship rejections, we’re spending the summer closer than either of us expected. I want to learn everything, and lessons on painting techniques quickly turn into lessons of a very different kind. I’m a good girl going bad, sneaking around our small town with the one man I shouldn’t, learning how art and intimacy intertwines in the most delicious ways. I can be casual and still protect my heart. Sort of. Maybe. I just hope I don’t learn my lesson the hard way.

Milo and Lulu’s book.