Brides of Beaufort Series

As a Marine who jumps out of perfectly good airplanes for fun, you could say I'm fine with taking risks. But not when it comes to Shelby. For years, I've been firmly in the friend zone, right where she wants me. And since I won't risk our friendship, that's where I'll stay. But I can't pine over her forever. When I propose to my girlfriend and get rejected in front of the whole town, the joke's on me. Turns out proposing to the wrong woman because you can't have the right one is a bad idea. Shelby's always had my heart. Can I convince her to trust me with hers?

I'm a master at hiding my true feelings for Aria Bristol. Well, except for that one time. That one kiss. She almost figured me out then, and I vowed to never let it happen again. The fact that we were separated by thousands of miles helped a lot. But now that I'm back, all I can think about is re-creating that kiss from high school. And that's bad, because if I know anything, I know she deserves so much better than me. But she's fierce. Feisty. And she knows me better than anyone. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this act. And the scariest part of all? I'm not sure I want to.

Three years ago, I left South Carolina and the woman I love without looking back. Okay, that's a lie. I've spent a fair amount of time imagining myself lounging under that Spanish moss with her. Back then, we didn't have a care in the world. It was simple. Easy. Right. In fact, I'd been about to propose. Then I found out I had a kid I didn't know about, and just like that, everything changed.