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Broken vows and broken dreams.
All Sara Parker ever wanted was to marry the love of her life. A love that completed her and would provide her with years of laughter and happy memories. That all changed the night she walked in on her spineless, cheating husband. As her dreams crumble before her eyes, she takes the last shred of hope and moves three states away. With nothing but her wounded past and the keys to her grandparents’ house on Lake St. James, she slowly begins the process of starting over.
Taking a waitressing job at Hooters is a short-term solution to her long list of financial needs. Just when she fears that her past failures will haunt her forever, she winds up drawing the short straw on an already long shift. But it’s the shift of a lifetime when Matt Hamilton looks her way.
Broken heart and broken hopes.
Growing up in a loving family, Lieutenant Matthew Hamilton knew the meaning of commitment. When he met that special someone, he recognized it and went all in, exposing every inch of his big heart. But that someone drove a nail in his chest when she walked out, shattering his hope and everything he believed about love.
Returning from Afghanistan should have been a time for healing instead of sorting through the wreckage of his life. When nothing softened the jagged edges of his heart, Matt turned to yet another meaningless hookup for the only relief he could trust. Then Sara stepped up to his table and everything changed.
Excerpt:
After
a grueling weekend of emergency preparedness exercises, Matt was
exhausted and hungry. Planning to grab some carry out, he drove by
Hooters like a fool. She had made it clear that she wasn’t
available for a relationship, but he couldn’t keep himself from
fist pumping in the air when he spotted her truck.
Taking
a step inside, Matt discretely scanned the room and found Sara in
seconds. She was taking an order from an overly friendly pair of
wannabe hipsters. He could see the intimidation in her stance as she
leaned away from the table. Oh, hell no. Reacting on
testosterone and possession, Matt stalked over to protect her.
Friends look out for each other, right?
In a
few long strides, he was standing behind her, reaching around her
waist and pressing his body against hers. “Hey, baby.”
Startled,
Sara gasped. Before she could say anything, Matt dipped his head to
place his warm lips against her neck. Tilting her head slightly, Sara
couldn’t stop the spontaneous response of pleasure escaping her
throat.
Damn,
was that a purr? Whatever it was, it felt like warm whiskey.
Without
letting go, Matt reached one hand out, offering a handshake to the
shocked customer. “You don’t mind if I borrow your waitress for a
minute, do you?”
One
long look at Matt’s uniform and his greedy hold on Sara and the man
returned the handshake. “Not at all.”
As
quickly as possible, Matt grabbed Sara’s hand before she could
protest and guided her to the small hallway near the restrooms.
Breathless
and shaken, Sara turned to face Matt with both hands on her hips in
defiance. “What are you doing?”
Damn,
she’s cute when she’s feisty. “I didn’t like the way he
was looking at you. And it was quicker and easier than asking him to
step outside.”
“But,
why did you do that? Why would you make him think we’re together?”
“Sara,
I like you. Okay? Surely you can tell by now.”
“No.
No, Matt, you can’t. We can’t be more than friends.”
Taking
a step closer, Matt refused to let her ignore the way she had melted
against him moments ago. He placed one hand on her waist and watched
her lips part as she pulled in a shallow breath. “Don’t tell me
you don’t feel that, Sara. I’m over here trying to show you every
well-bred manner I have, and all I can think about is how badly I
need to taste your lips again.”
Refusing
to meet his eyes, Sara lifted her hands to his chest, holding him
away. “Matt, please don’t.” As she pushed lightly on his chest,
he backed up. “I…. I have tables to wait on.”
Releasing
his grip, Matt stepped back and looked at her with dark hooded eyes.
“Fine. But this discussion isn’t over.”
After
finishing her shift, Sara walked to her truck, unable to shake Matt,
his touch, or his words from her mind. They did need to talk this
out. He was clearly willing to pursue whatever it was they had, but
she wasn’t ready to trust her heart again. They needed to find a
middle ground.
As
she sat in in her truck, waiting for it to warm up, Sara sent a text.
Sara:
Can we talk? Grab a pizza?
Matt:
Come to my place. I’ll order delivery.
Telling
herself she could handle being in his space was harder than she
thought. Pulling up to his complex, Sara could see lights spilling
out of the apartment as well as the garage below. When she stepped
inside the garage, Matt was head down, power sanding a piece of
furniture just a few steps away. She walked closer and spoke his name
to get his attention.
Glancing
up, Matt took a moment to marshal his thoughts to keep his eyes from
drinking her in from head to toe. She was still in her Hooters
uniform, but thankfully, she was also wearing a long cardigan. As he
stood, sawdust hung to his shirt and hair. “Hi. Pizza arrived a few
minutes ago. I took it upstairs.”
Leading
the way, he opened the door to his apartment. It was set up in the
traditional shotgun style. Living and dining area, behind which were
a kitchen, bath, and bedroom at the back. “I have beer or water.
Sorry, no tea.”
“I’ll
have a beer.” I might need it.
After
opening two bottles, Matt looked down at his sawdust covered shirt.
“Give me a minute to change.”
Sara
removed her sweater and wandered over to the sliding door that opened
to the balcony. In the reflection, she could see down the hallway.
She watched as Matt’s strong back and shoulders came into view as
he tugged his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. When he turned,
her eyes were drawn to his chest and arm tattoo, wishing she were
close enough to see the detail. He caught her eye just before pulling
on a clean shirt. A moment later, he disappeared behind the wall and
reappeared carrying a hooded Air Force sweatshirt.
Approaching
her, he held it out. “Put this on. If you want to talk, I can’t
concentrate with you in that tank top.”
Surprised
by his honesty, Sara pulled the hoodie on and laughed at how it hung
long enough to cover her shorts too. “Better?”
With
a sweeping scan of her legs, Matt shook his head. No. “Are
you hungry?”
Holding
her beer, Sara took a step toward the couch. “Can we talk first?”
“You
were right.”
Matt
lifted an eyebrow in response. “About?”
“I
do feel it. And I did like the way you kissed me. And held me. And
everything else about you.”
Shit.
Standing
up, Matt retreated to the kitchen where he quickly busied himself
filling their plates and placing them on the counter separating him
from the living room. Space. He just needed space and a few minutes
for the semi in his jeans to remember the conversation about her
being married.
Taking
a long pull on his beer, Matt leveled his gaze on her as she followed
his moves carefully. “I’m not going to lie to you, Sara. I don’t
know if you being here and confessing that is a good idea. I’ve
fantasized about you in my bed since the night I met you.”
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