Soldier

Nobody warned me what it’s like to look back with regret. To be left wondering, What if…? I’ve never been that guy. The one who questioned his choices. Who didn’t have a purpose. If I wanted something, I worked harder than everyone else and made it happen. I had my life planned out until Carys Murphy changed the game. She was my best friend’s little sister long before she became my stepsister. Loving her was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But not all love stories have happy endings. With the risks higher than ever, and the flames rising around us, can we find our way back? Or will we crash and burn?

Not all love stories have happy endings. Some are destined to crash and burn. Growing up, I was the youngest member of my family. Sheltered and protected by my older brother and his friends. Always on the outside looking in. College was supposed to be my chance for a fresh start. My opportunity to figure out who I am and what I want. I thought I knew what I wanted until he charged back into my life and changed the game. Cooper Sinclair was my brother’s best friend long before he became my stepbrother. A navy SEAL who’s owned my heart since the day we met. Loving him was easy. But time was never on our side, and stolen moments only last so long. Are we worth the risk, or will we both go down in flames?

I’ve seen every square inch of Violet Eaton’s delectable body and she has no idea who I am. Until now. What happened between us online, in our chats, was meant to stay anonymous and in the past. Until it didn’t. It’s a small world, but Ruby Creek is even smaller. When I move to the tiny town, the grumpy facade I’ve created slips when we’re forced to live under the same roof. Every flush of her cheeks, every time her eyes flare with heat, every time she begs me not to stop, the ice I’ve encased myself in melts. She has me wanting things I can’t want. Things I’ve been dreaming about since I first laid eyes on her two years ago—things I don’t deserve. But my invisible wounds have the power to ruin us both. As a former soldier, I should have the discipline to walk away, but the more I open up to Violet, the more I want to keep her. I came back from the war a different man, but my scars are older and deeper than anyone knows—and I planned to keep it that way. I planned to keep my secrets hidden. Until her.

Sometimes the worst wounds can’t be seen. Lucas Everett knows that firsthand. It's why he and his former Navy SEAL brothers created the Resting Warrior Ranch. They aren’t doctors, but they can offer the healing freedom of their Montana range. And they specialize in training service and emotional support animals to help sooth even the worst emotional scars. Usually, soldiers show up at their door. But this time it's Evelyn Taylor—a soldier in a very different kind of war. She's as skittish as one of the horses Lucas gentles. But he’s learned how to be patient with animals, and he’s more than happy to be patient with this quiet beauty too. When Evelyn’s past nightmares show up in Montana, she thinks she has to run again, but Lucas isn’t going to let that happen. He’s protected his country against the worst types of threats, and he’ll protect her too. She’s met the rancher, but now she’s about to meet the SEAL.

Kill first, ask questions later. It’s the instinct former-SEAL Jude Williams must fight every time someone touches him. His six months being tortured in an enemy prison camp may be long over, but he’s got scars—all over his body and mind—keeping that time at the forefront of his psyche. So how could he even consider giving in to the desire he has for the town’s coffeehouse owner? Lena Mitchell has big gray eyes and a bigger smile—she’s full of life, right down to her purple and teal streaked hair. There are so many reasons Jude should stay away from her. So many ways he’s bad for her. But when danger shows up on Lena’s door, keeping his distance is no longer an option. He’ll protect her from any threat. But who will protect her from him?

Kaleb I was always the bad boy. The kid from the broken home and the wrong side of the tracks. But in her eyes, I hung the moon. The girl from my summers who I thought I’d never see again. Finding her now right before I’m due to deploy is like a gift, one I’m not going to waste. She was always meant to be mine and I’m going to make it official. My silly girl is now my spirited wife, giving me someone to come home to. Little do I know I won’t be coming home – at least not as the same man. Luna I never thought of myself as a good girl… but he does. The boy I used to see every summer has grown into a brave soldier that I now get to call my husband. Getting married so quickly was supposed to be a way to protect us both and keep us together for good. But we both take on demons while he’s away, and when he comes home, it’s his that try to tear us apart. Someone has to fight for us while he’s weary and wounded. And now it’s my turn to go into battle. From the author of the Turn it Up Series, comes an all new standalone about young love, and two people's harrowing journey to save it -as well as each other.