Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Wounded Heroes
Grabbing my coffee, I strode toward a nearby table at the same time someone new walked out from the back.
She carried a plate of cinnamon rolls, eyes down, brow creased with concentration.
Her chestnut-brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail with a few loose strands framing her heart-shaped face. A navy-blue cardigan hung open over a white tee, mostly covered by a faded pink Beaumont Bakery apron smudged with flour and something that looked like frosting. Flour marked her cheek like she’d swiped at it without noticing.
She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and froze like a deer in headlights.
My brain short-circuited.
She blinked, startled, and the plate tipped. Three cinnamon rolls, that appeared to be freshly frosted, tumbled off the plate, down my shirt, and onto the floor.
Jessica, according to her name tag, looked horrified.
“Oh my god—oh no—” she stammered, depositing the now-empty plate on a table and grabbing a handful of napkins that she used to swipe at my shirt. “I’m so sorry!”
Her cheeks flushed pink.
I just stared, completely blank. Which, for me, was saying something.
She was pretty in that quiet, doesn’t-know-it way that sneaks up on you.
Her hand trembled when she grabbed more napkins and reiterated, “I’m so sorry.” She glanced at Lainey, and it seemed like she was talking to her when she continued, “I promise I’m not usually this clumsy.”
Finally, my brain started working, and I took the napkins from her to wipe my shirt myself while assuring her, “That’s what washing machines are for.”
“I can—I can wash it for you,” she blurted out.
The offer, like her, was adorable. I wanted to pull her into a warm hug. Instead, I went with, “It’s fine. Seriously.”
She bit her bottom lip and nervously nodded her head before whispering, “Thank you for being so nice.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, though it came out rougher than I meant.
She looked up then, and I swear the whole room tilted.
And just like that, Haven Springs got complicated.
She called him the most infuriating patient she’d ever had. He heard “handsome”.
ER nurse Jade Beaumont has zero patience for cocky cops who think rules don’t apply to them—especially Sergeant Brian O’Shaughnessy. He’s smug, stubborn, and far too good at getting under her skin.
Then he takes a bullet saving her sister, and suddenly he’s her patient. He doesn’t want her help. She doesn’t want his attitude. But proximity has a way of blurring lines, and what starts as verbal sparring turns into something hotter than either of them saw coming.
When a leaked photo turns their private connection into small-town gossip, Jade’s career and Brian’s reputation are suddenly on the line.
He’d risk his life for anyone.
But will he risk his heart for her?
A promise to a fallen brother-in-arms. A baby he never expected. The one woman he shouldn’t want. And a threat he can’t ignore.
When I stepped off the bus in Haven Springs, I was determined to keep a promise I’d made to my fellow Marine, Shawn O’Brien: deliver the engagement ring he’d bought for Lainey Beaumont.
The firefight that killed Shawn left me with permanent injuries and scars—and the guilt of surviving weighs heavy on me. Romance was the last thing on my mind. Then I met Lainey. She’s strong, beautiful, and determined to build a life for herself and her baby—Shawn’s baby he never even knew about. Every time I feel that spark of attraction, the guilt hits me like a punch to the gut—like I’m betraying my best friend.
As I help Lainey navigate the challenges of single motherhood, I realize there’s more to Haven Springs than meets the eye. A threatening letter hints at secrets someone wants to keep buried—and my protective instincts flare as danger creeps closer.
In a town where everyone knows your name—and your past—I find myself drawn to Lainey in ways I never expected. But can I overcome the guilt and embrace the future, or will the ghosts of the past keep us apart forever?