Allie Everhart's Blog, page 2

New Small Town Romance Series

February 10th

I’m excited to announcing the start of an all-new small town romance series! The Kanfield Brothers is a spinoff to my Wheeler Brothers series. The Kanfield brothers are the Wheeler’s cousins. If you loved the Wheeler guys, you’ll see them again in the Kanfield Brothers. Be With Me, book one, comes out February 10th! Here’s the summary.

A small town friends-to-lovers romance about former high school classmates who reconnect on a visit to their hometown.

Nick Kanfield was the high school valedictorian, my math tutor, and the oldest Kanfield brother, which makes him a celebrity in Haydon Falls, home to the famous Kanfield Orchards. I always liked Nick, but only as a friend. My teenage heart was drawn to bad boys. I even married one.

Fifteen years later, I’m newly divorced and back in Haydon Falls for a visit when I run into Nick at the airport. I can’t believe how much he’s changed. Grown-up Nick is hot, with muscles, a chiseled jaw, and a sexy smile that has me stumbling on my words.

He asks me to dinner, then drinks, and soon we find ourselves spending the weekend together. I feel like we’re dating, especially when he surprises me with a scorching hot kiss. 

When the weekend ends, I’m disappointed when Nick insists we’re just friends. I thought we were becoming so much more. I assume whatever we had together is over until Nick shows up for our high school reunion and asks me to be his date. I’m shocked, but even more shocked when he tells me his news. Just wait till he finds out mine!

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Holiday E-Book Gift List

Need a last-minute gift? How about an ebook? They’re super easy to gift and give the recipient hours of entertainment! To make gifting even easier, I’ve compiled a list of my books sorted by who they would appeal to. Happy holidays!

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New Book! Searching for Nova

Nova
We met in foster care.
Easton’s parents died. Mine didn’t want me.

Easton got adopted by rich people who gave him everything.
I got stuck with a man who only wanted me for the monthly check.

Twelve years went by. I thought I’d never see Easton again.
When I do, he isn’t the sweet boy I knew in foster care.
He’s a rich snob with friends who treat me like dirt.

He says he wants to help me.
I don’t need his help.
He left me behind.
I’m not letting him back in my life only to have him leave me again.

Easton
I’ve been searching for Nova for 12 years.
When I finally find her, she wants nothing to do with me.

She says I’m someone else now.
And I am, but not when I’m with her.
She reminds me of who I used to be, the part of me I lost.

I didn’t ask to be rich.
The fancy cars? The prep school?
It’s not me.

Why can’t you see that, Nova?
The boy you knew is still here. I’m just older now, and I love you.
And I promise, I’ll never leave you again.

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Better If He Stays is now LIVE!

Buy Now at Amazon!

Now available! The final book in the Always Us Duet Series! A new adult romance with all the feels!

Riley
From the moment I met Brad, he made me believe my life could be better. And it was … until he left.

He asked me to go with him but I couldn’t. I wanted him to follow his dreams. And I knew he wouldn’t do that if he found out what I was hiding.

Brad
I tried to get over her, even got engaged to someone else. But I couldn’t get Riley out of my head.

Then one day I get a phone call. It’s her, saying she needs to see me.

I take the next flight, and within hours, I’m with the girl I haven’t stopped thinking about since we said goodbye four years ago.

But now I need answers. Why did she end it? And why did she call me? Why now?

The post Better If He Stays is now LIVE! first appeared on Allie Everhart.

Better If He Goes (Always You, Book One)

Riley
Nate is my best friend. So when he tells me he loves me, it breaks my heart to tell him I don’t feel the same way.
What’s even worse? I’ve fallen for his cousin, Brad, who’s staying with Nate for the summer. I thought we’d all be friends, until I realized Brad and I were so much more.
If Nate found out about I’m dating Brad, he’d never forgive me. I don’t want to lose my best friend, but I also don’t want to lose Brad. 

Brad
All I wanted was to kick back and relax before starting med school. Hang out with Nate. Lifeguard at the pool. I never expected to fall in love with the one girl who was off limits.
I’d already fallen for Riley when I found out Nate loved her. Riley and I felt a connection the moment we met, the kind she never felt with Nate. 
Now I’m not sure what to do. I’m not giving up Riley, but I can’t keep lying to my cousin. How do I tell Nate I’m dating the girl he’s always wanted?

The post Better If He Goes (Always You, Book One) first appeared on Allie Everhart.

Better If He Goes Release Date

Releasing May 4th!

Coming soon! Book one of a brand new duet series! Always You is a 2-book new adult romance about three friends, two of whom fall for each other.

Nate and Riley have been friends forever but Nate wants more. He has feelings for Riley and is finally going to tell her. But then Nate's cousin comes to town and Riley instantly falls for him. What will Nate do when he finds out his cousin took the girl of his dreams?

Click here to pre-order Better If He Goes

The post Better If He Goes Release Date first appeared on Allie Everhart.

Chapter 1 – Do What I Say

Do What I Say is book one of an all-new series by Kai Juniper. Here’s Chapter One!

“Here’s to another day in hell,” I say, grabbing my waffle from the toaster and shoving it in my mouth as I hurry to the fridge to get my lunch.

My dad comes up beside me, putting his arm around me. “You can do this, kiddo. You’re on the home stretch.”

He makes it sound so easy. He has no idea what it’s like. He went to a normal high school back when people around here had normal jobs and made normal wages, before the tech boom came and turned everyone into billionaires. Everyone except us. My dad does landscaping for a living. He makes the billionaires’ lawns look pretty, ensuring that each blade of grass is cut to the perfect length. Some of the billionaires’ kids go to my school, making my life at Devonshore High even more miserable.

I go out to the driveway and get in the rusty pickup I inherited from my dad when he got his new truck. I always park it in the very back of the school parking lot, far away from the Porsches and BMWs, but everyone knows it’s there, and they know it’s mine.

As I pull out onto the street, I look back at my house. From the front, it looks like a double wide-trailer. The air conditioner unit hangs out the front window and there’s a carport on the side where my dad keeps his truck. The green paint on the house is peeling and the wood fence that goes around back is falling down. The house used to be considered nice for this area until the houses that were like it were torn down and replaced with mega mansions.

I’m passing one now. You can only see the second level because the property is surrounded by a tall, iron, privacy fence. This entire road is lined with mansions looming behind tall, iron gates.

When I get to school I drive straight past the back row. “Fuck it,” I say as I race past a Mercedes convertible and take a spot in the second row. “New semester. New rules.”

I’m sick of parking in the back and having a ten-minute walk to the building. It’s my last semester at this hellhole. I’m just going to own my trailer trash label and stop being ashamed of it.

The door squeaks when I open it to get out, exhaust fumes filling the air. A girl in a white sundress with long, blond hair stares at me as I shut the squeaky door. She must be new. I’ve never seen her before.

“Ella Quinn,” Kendra says with disgust to the girl, loud enough for me to hear.

“Good to see you too, Kendra!” I say with a fake smile.

She ignores me and says to the girl, “She’s the one I told you about. You should see her house. It’s even worse than the truck.”

Not quite, but almost. My dad doesn’t care about making the house look nice. To him, it’s just a place to eat and sleep. I’ve tried to make it look better by putting curtains over the fake wood blinds and getting colorful pillows to put on the drab, gray leather couch, but there’s only so much I can do.

“Watch it!” I yell as a silver Porsche flies past me, nearly hitting me as it pulls in a space.

The Porsche is owned by Parker Sterling, number one asshole at Devonshore High. His dad owns a venture capital firm that invests in tech start-ups that end up making billions. That’s not uncommon here in the Bay Area, the tech start-up capital of the world. It’s why everyone here is dripping with money.

“Did you see that, babe?” Parker says to his girlfriend Scarlett as she gets out of the Porsche. “I almost hit the trash.”

Scarlett glances back at me as she flings her long, black hair over her shoulder, meeting up with Parker in front of the Porsche. “I still smell it.”

“It reeks.” Parker watches me walk by. “Fucking trash needs to be taken out.”

“Go to hell,” I mutter under my breath as I continue to the door.

Parker and his friends have been bullying me for so long I’m used to it. Fighting them is a waste of time. I have better things to do, like graduate at the top of my class, claim the title of valedictorian, and get the hell out of here.

The only good thing about going to this school is that I don’t have much competition when it comes to grades. The people here don’t have to worry about grades because their parents’ money and connections will get them into any college they want. I, on the other hand, need perfect grades and the stars to align to even be considered for admission into schools like Harvard, Yale, or Stanford. I applied to all three. Typically a girl like me wouldn’t have a chance at those schools. Good grades aren’t enough to get me in. But attending Devonshore High shoots me to the top of the admission consideration list.

Devonshore is one of the wealthiest public schools in the nation. When the tech boom happened, the old high school was torn down and replaced by a school that cost a gazillion dollars. It’s high up on a hill, surrounded by trees. The school was modeled after an English boarding school with an all-gray stone exterior, tall windows, and massive, dark wood doors at the entrance. The outside looks like it’s hundreds of years old but the inside is equipped with state-of-the-art technology developed by the tech geniuses that live around here. Devonshore is better than most private schools so having it listed as my high school on my college applications gives me an instant advantage.

“Move the fuck out of the way,” a deep voice yells, bumping me as I go through the door, his musky cologne leaving a trail behind him as he stalks past me into the school. 

Briggs Chadwick III is the number two asshole at Devonshore High, or number one, depending on the day. He comes from old money, as if it wasn’t obvious from the name. Old money people always seem to have roman numerals after their name, or at least the guys do. His father, Briggs Chadwick II, owns an investment firm that’s been around for almost a hundred years, started by the first Briggs Chadwick. 

Briggs runs his hand through his short, dark hair and smiles as Aubrey, his tall, blond girlfriend, comes up to him, planting her mouth on his and running her hand down his chest.

Aubrey used to be head cheerleader until her modeling career got in the way of practice. Her constant posting of herself looking perfect on social media got the attention of modeling scouts and landed her a contract worth millions. She comes from money so the last thing she needed was more, but that’s how it works around here. The rich get richer.

“Hey, babe.” Briggs smacks her ass, then takes her hand as they go down the hall.

I hate Briggs. He thinks he’s king of the school, which he is to most people here, but to me he’s just a spoiled rich guy with a name that gets him whatever he wants. 

I hate Briggs even more than Parker. And Finn. I haven’t seen Finn today. Knowing him, he’s still outside, making out with some girl, or maybe they’ve already had sex. Parker is always looking to get some, which is true for most guys his age, but for him, it’s his sole purpose in life. He’s been with at least half the girls at school. He even tried to get with me by cornering me outside the gym one day and grabbing my boob. That was his big move. To grab my boob. As if that would make me weak at the knees and have me begging him to shove his cock in me.

He’s such a jerk. After he grabbed my boob, he tried to kiss me. I bit his lip so hard it bled all down his bright white shirt. He shoved me away and looked at me with so much rage I thought he was going to hit me, but then we heard voices in the hall and Finn took off.

It was after school and only the teachers were around. I could’ve gone to the admin office and reported Finn but it wouldn’t have done any good. Finn’s dad is the CEO of one of the biggest tech companies in the world and his mom is president of a bank. They donate a ton of money to the school. There’s no way the school’s going to punish Finn for assaulting me and risk giving up his parents’ money. 

Finn Kingsley is asshole number three at Devonshore High. He lives to drink, party, and have sex. He’s the wildest of the three assholes, or three A’s, as I like to call them. Truthfully, almost every guy here is an asshole, but Finn, Parker, and Briggs are the worst. They get power from picking on the weak, or anyone they deem not good enough to go here. I fall into the latter category. They know I’m not weak—or at least Finn does after having to get his lip stitched up after I bit it, which I’m sure he told the other A’s—but my financial status, in their puny minds, deems me unworthy of even walking the halls of Devonshore High.

“Parker, wait up!” a voice yells from behind me.

Finn races past me as I stand at my locker. His blond hair is longer than it was before winter break, almost to his shoulders, and he has a dark tan. He must’ve gone somewhere for the holiday. His family probably has their own tropical island.

I watch as Finn and Parker meet up and go down the hall. Parker’s tall, like Finn, but wider and more muscular. Finn is long and lanky. Parker has an athlete’s body. He’s on the school’s rugby team, which around here is a sport equivalent to football in most other high schools. I’ve been told rugby is actually a type of football but I really don’t care. I’m not into sports. But at Devonshore, rugby rules. The guys on the team are treated like gods. It’s so annoying. I refuse to go to their stupid games and support those jerks.

Parker is one of our best players, and the attention he gets because of it makes him even more obnoxious. With his money, looks, and athletic talent, he could have any girl he wants but he’s dated Scarlett for almost a year. I’m sure he cheats on her. There’s no way a guy like him would be with only one girl for that long. 

“What are you looking at?” Charlotte says, startling me.

I turn and see her leaning against the locker next to mine. “Nothing. I was just distracted.”

“By what? A1 and A2?” she says, rolling her eyes. 

She and I are the only ones who call them that. They’re our code names so we can talk about them without people knowing. Around here, you don’t dare talk bad about Finn, Parker, and Briggs. They’re the golden boys who can do no wrong. You talk shit about them, you become the enemy, and I don’t need more enemies.

“I don’t know why you let those guys get to you,” Charlotte says, opening the book she was holding. It’s a murder mystery, which is all she ever reads. She wants to work in a crime lab someday.

“I don’t let them get to me,” I insist, even though I admit those guys get under my skin, especially Briggs. He bullied me so bad sophomore year that I almost transferred to a different school. But then I decided to just ignore his harassment instead of getting upset, which made him lose interest. Bullies only have power if you give it to them, a little tip I didn’t figure out until the end of that year.

Charlotte glances behind me. “A2’s coming toward us. I gotta go.” She scurries off.

Charlotte’s afraid of Briggs, but I don’t know why she ran off like that. It’s not like Briggs is going to stop and chat. He doesn’t talk to Charlotte and me unless he’s insulting us, and that only happens when he has an audience, which he doesn’t now because everyone’s in class. The bell’s about to go off.

I grab my books from my locker, and as I close it I feel a hand covering mine.

My breath catches in my throat as I’m shoved against the locker, my face slamming against the cold metal.

“Guess you’re smarter than I thought,” he says in his deep voice, pressing his body against mine. Invading my personal space is one of the many techniques Briggs uses to try to intimidate me. He hasn’t done it all year so I don’t know why he’s doing it now but I need to remain calm and pretend it doesn’t bother me.

“What do you want, Briggs?”

“I heard you’re in the running for valedictorian.”

Who told him that? And why the hell does he care?

I try to push away from him but all my effort doesn’t even move him. The guy is strong. He spends hours at the gym and has a body to prove it. If I didn’t hate him so much, I’d be drooling over that body. Those broad shoulders. Arms lined with muscles. The guy manages to have a tan year-round and it doesn’t look fake. As if that wasn’t enough, his face is perfect too—chiseled and manly, his jaw lined with stubble. He got the best of the best from the gene pool, which I find really annoying, because on top of all that, he’s filthy rich. 

“Let me go,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Is it true?”

“Why do you care?” I turn my head and look back at his eyes. That was a mistake. I lose focus when I look at his eyes. They’re this royal blue shade I’ve never seen on anyone but Briggs. At first I thought he was wearing colored contacts but royal blue is the actual color of his eyes. It’s fitting, given that he thinks he’s royalty around here.

His six-foot-two frame leans down to my face. “I didn’t work my ass off all these years to hand over what’s mine to some piece of trailer trash.”

Is he serious? He thought he was going to be valedictorian? There’s no way his grades are that good. Or are they?

Out of the three A’s, Briggs is definitely the smartest one. He takes all AP classes, like me, but I assumed he was barely passing, or that his grades were artificially raised because his rich daddy made a large donation to the school. At the very least, I assumed the teachers bumped up his grades because he’s an athlete. Did I mention Briggs plays rugby? He’s our best player—even better than Parker. He’s also team captain. That makes him king of the school in the eyes of not only the students but the teachers. I know he gets special treatment because of it.

“My grades are none of your damn business.”

“You really think I’m letting you have this?” He grabs me, whipping me around and shoving me back against the locker.

“Let me go.” I push against his chest, a solid wall of muscle. “I’m going to be late for class.”

He grabs my wrists in his giant hands and slams them against the locker so I’m splayed out like a V. I look behind him for anyone who could help but the hallways are cleared out.

“We need to talk. After school. Meet me by the stadium.”

“Yeah, right,” I say, staring back at him. “Like I’m really going to trust you? I’d show up and you’d rape me, or gang rape me with your disgusting friends.”

He laughs a little. “You really think I want you that way?”

His words slice through me, leaving behind a burn in my chest. Why does hearing him say that hurt so much? I don’t care that Briggs doesn’t find me attractive, or that when he said that just now, he looked like the thought of being with me repulsed him. I hate the guy. Why would I care what he thinks of me?

I wouldn’t have sex with him either, even if he does happen to be the hottest guy in school. He’s staring down at me with those royal blue eyes and I force myself to look away, my eyes wandering down to his full lips, and that sharp jaw.

“Three o’clock,” he says. “Be there or else.”

“Or else what?” I snap.

He backs away. “Guess you’ll have to show up to find out.”

I watch as he turns and goes down the hall.

One semester. I only have to make it through one semester. I thought it’d be easy. I’d just keep to myself and nobody would bother me. But on my first day back, I’m being threatened by Briggs Chadwick, who I’ve just deemed the newly crowned number one asshole of Devonshore High.

***

Do What I Say is available now at Amazon!

The post Chapter 1 - Do What I Say first appeared on Allie Everhart.

Falling for Aiden Chapter Reveal

My new release, Falling for Aiden, is a fall romance full of pumpkins, autumn leaves, and plenty of drama and angst! Want a sneak peek? Here’s Chapter One!

Sophie

“The Abbot wedding is all set,” Bianca says. I can barely hear her above all the street noise. “But the Canton Investment banquet is way behind. We’ll need to meet as soon as you get back.”

“On Sunday?” I slow down as I drive around a tight curve, surrounded on both sides by trees that are just starting to show hints of fall color.

“You were planning to leave in the morning, right?” Bianca asks.

Actually I wasn’t. This is the first weekend I’ve had off since starting my job in New York. I knew I’d work weekends as an event planner but I didn’t think it’d be every weekend, in addition to ten hour days during the week. I’ve been doing this for a year now so I should be used to it, and for the most part I am, but I need a break.

That’s what this weekend was supposed to be. A break from the grind. An escape from the city. A girls’ weekend with my best friend, Macie, from back home. She’s flying here all the way from the other Manhattan, the one in Kansas.

We’ve been planning this trip for months. I booked us a room at The Maple Farm Inn, a country inn in Vermont. I fell in love with the place last summer when Darren, the guy I was dating, took me there for his friend’s wedding. It ended up never happening. The bride panicked and called it off. Darren and I broke up a week later. He’s now a distant memory but I never forgot that beautiful inn nestled among the trees in a quaint little Vermont town.

“Sophie, did you hear me?” Bianca says in a curt tone. She’s a type A perfectionist, and all business, all the time. It’s tough working for her but I’ve learned a ton so I can’t really complain. I just wish she could be more of a friend sometimes and less of a boss. We’re almost the same age and the few times I’ve gone out with her we’ve had fun, but then back at the office she turns into a drill sergeant. 

“Sorry, I was paying attention to the roads,” I tell her. “This guy is on my bumper.”

“Probably a New Yorker. We have no patience for those country roads. Why’d you insist on going up there? There are plenty of spas in New York for a girls’ weekend.”

“I needed to get out of the city. Get some fresh air. Besides, Macie wouldn’t like New York. She’s a small town girl.”

“So are you, and you like the city.”

I used to, but now? Not so much. Manhattan, New York is nothing like Manhattan, Kansas. The noise, the pollution, the crowds. I love the energy the city has, and the great restaurants and museums, but living there is exhausting and not at all like the dream I imagined it’d be growing up. I used to tell everyone that someday I’d live in the other Manhattan, the big one, but now that I’m there, I’m finding it’s not living up to the dream.

“I’m sending you the spreadsheet to look over,” Bianca says. “Check to see that I got everything. If even the tiniest thing goes wrong during this banquet, we’ll never get Mr. Canton’s business again.”

“I’ll look at it as soon as I get back.”

She laughs. “You’re kidding, right? Sophie, you need to look at it as soon as you get to your room. This can’t wait.”

I quietly sigh. “Bianca, you promised me I could have this weekend. I haven’t had a day off all year.”

“It’ll take twenty minutes, max. Just look it over and get back to me.” She pauses. “You want that promotion, right?”

There she goes again, dangling the promotion in my face. She’s been doing it for weeks now, every time I ask for time off. Last week she did it when I tried to leave for lunch. I ended up staying and working because I desperately need that promotion. I’m living paycheck to paycheck. When I moved to New York, I didn’t realize how much it’d cost for an apartment that’s basically the size of a closet. 

As Bianca rattles on with more details about the banquet, I roll down my window to get some fresh air. Before she called I was starting to relax, but now I’m feeling stressed again. I take some deep breaths and pick up my bottle of water.

The town with the inn is just up ahead. I smile as I see the white steepled church. Just behind it is the quaint little downtown, lined with local shops and restaurants. Macie is going to love this place. There’s just something about it that feels like home.

Aiden

“Roger, I’m telling you, these places don’t like the hard sell.” I grab my coffee and swig down the last of it. It tastes terrible but I needed the caffeine. I couldn’t find a coffee shop so I had to settle for coffee from the one and only gas station I passed since crossing the Vermont state line.

“Tell him that story about your grandfather and that hotel he had,” Roger says, a smile in his voice. “The old guy will eat that shit up.”

“It wasn’t a hotel,” I say, annoyed he can’t remember. I’ve told him the story at least three times, including last week when I requested this assignment during our meeting. “It was an inn, just like this one.”

“Even better. I have a good feeling about this. We’ll get the place for cheap, renovate it, and make a fortune.”

“We don’t even know if he’s willing to sell,” I point out, slowing down as I approach the town.

“He’ll know when you’re done with him.”

“I’m not sure this is going to happen by Sunday.” I roll down my window to get some fresh air. It’s something I don’t get in the city. I breathe it in as I take in the view in front of me. There are trees everywhere, sugar maples that are starting to show hints of red, orange, and yellow. A white steepled church is just up ahead and beyond that is what looks like a tiny downtown with old brick buildings. It’s a beautiful town. It looks like a painting, or like one of the puzzles my grandparents did with me when I was a kid.

“Make sure to talk me through the details before you write up the deal,” Roger says. “When did you say it was built?”

“Not sure. Hold on, I’ll check.” I reach over to the passenger seat to my messenger bag. I pull out the research I did, setting the stack of papers on the dash. I stop at a red light and rifle through the papers, searching for the inn’s historical records. Someone honks and I look up and see the light turned green. I take off and the papers on the dash go flying out the window.

“Shit!” I look in the rear view mirror and see the papers flying around behind my car.

“What is it?” Roger says. “What happened?”

I sigh. “My research just flew out the car. I’ll look up the date when I get to my room. It won’t be long. I’m almost there.”

“Just email it to me.”

“Yeah, I will. Talk to you soon.”

Sophie

“I can’t see!” I yell, getting my wipers going to clear away the paper that just flew onto my windshield. The wipers only make it worse. The papers stick to them, making them slow to a stop and leaving my windshield covered right where I need to see. “I can’t see the road!”

“What’s going on?” Bianca asks.

I slam on the brakes, making the car behind me honk. The guy goes around me, rolling down his window and yelling at me as he passes.

“I have to go,” I tell Bianca. “Some idiot let all this paper fly out of his car and it’s stuck to my windshield.”

“Paper? What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you later. I have to go.”

I’m in the middle of the street so I pull off to the side so people can pass. I get out of my car and start yanking the paper from my wipers.

“I can’t believe this,” I mutter to myself. “Of all the crazy things that could happen.”

“Excuse me, ma’am?”

I look up and see a police officer walking toward me.

“Oh, sorry,” I tell him. “I just need to clear my windshield and then I’ll go. I couldn’t see to drive.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” he says, “although I do need you to move your vehicle.”

Does he not see that I’m trying? I’m yanking off the ripped pieces of paper as fast as I can.

“Ma’am, I need you to move your car,” the officer says.

Why does he keep calling me ma’am? I’m 29. I’m not old enough to be a ma’am. I scrunch the paper into a ball and look around for a garbage.

“I hope you’re not thinking about tossing that,” the officer says, pointing to the wadded up paper in my hand.

“No, of course not,” I say, offended he’d think I’d litter. I open the back door of the rental car and toss the paper on the floor.

“Pull up over there,” the officer says, pointing to a silver Audi that’s parked farther up on the side of the road. It’s the car the papers flew out of. The cop must’ve seen what happened and now the driver’s in trouble and I’m the witness.

“Officer, can we just forget this?” I ask. “What he did was dangerous but I’m sure it was just an accident. And as you can see, my car is fine so there’s really no need to fill out paperwork.”

His brows draw together. “Ma’am, I don’t think you’re getting the point here. This isn’t about your car.”

“Then what’s it about?”

“Pull your vehicle up, please,” he says, walking off.

What is going on here? If this isn’t about the paper hitting my car, then what’s it about? I get in the car and pull up behind the shiny silver Audi with New York plates.

As I turn my car off, the officer goes up to the Audi. A guy gets out. He’s probably in his early thirties, tall, with dark hair, wearing a black suit that looks very expensive. I bet he’s some rich Wall Street guy driving up here for a weekend getaway that his girlfriend set up. Or maybe he’s here for a wedding, maybe his own. I don’t know why else he’d be in this tiny town.

“What’s this about?” I ask, going up to the officer. I ignore the guy from the Audi but feel him staring at me. 

The officer is holding what looks like a pad of tickets. “We take littering very seriously in this state. Hopefully next time you’ll think twice before tossing your trash out the window. I’ll need licenses from both of you, please.”

“Trash?” I stare at him, completely confused as I take my wallet from my purse. “What trash? I didn’t throw anything out the window.”

He points back to the road. My plastic water bottle is on the side of it, resting next to the trunk of a large maple tree.

“Officer, as I told you before,” Audi guy says, “I didn’t intentionally toss the paper from my car. It blew out the window.”

“And you didn’t go back and pick it up.” The officer takes the guy’s license. “That counts as littering.” He looks at me. “License?”

I hand it to him. “Officer, I didn’t throw that bottle out. I don’t even know how it got there. The paper from HIS car,” I say, pointing at Audi guy, “flew at my windshield, blocking my view of the road.”

“It was an accident,” the guy says, giving me a slight smile.

Why is he smiling? Does he think this is funny?

“Is this all a joke to you?” I say, glaring at the guy.

“Not at all,” he says, cool and collected, not the least bit worried there’s a police officer standing between us, writing who knows what on that little pad of his. “I’m Aiden, by the way.” He extends his hand to me.

Ignoring his gesture, I fold my arms over my chest. “Your so-called accident is getting me arrested.”

“Not arrested,” the officer says. “Just a citation.” He hands the guy and me our tickets, along with our licenses.

“What does this mean?” I look over the ticket. “I have to pay a fine?”

“The judge will decide that. You’ll need to appear in court.”

“Are you serious?” I turn to the cop. “You don’t understand. I live in New York. I don’t have a car, and I work like 90 hours a week. I can’t get back here. There’s no way.”

“Sorry, ma’am, but you’ll just have to figure it out.”

“I can give you a ride,” Audi guy says. “I also live in New York. I assume you mean Manhattan?”

I glance at the guy, furious at him and this whole situation. This was supposed to be a relaxing weekend and now this happens.

“Here.” The guy holds out his business card. “Give me a call when you get the court date.”

“I’m not riding with you,” I say, not taking his card. “I’ll rent a car like I did today.”

“Suit yourself.” He holds up the card. “You sure you don’t want it? In case you change your mind?”

“Trust me. I won’t,” I say, noticing his annoyingly beautiful blue eyes and the perfectly groomed stubble covering his extremely handsome face. He also has a really sexy smile. I hate that he’s smiling right now. It’s only a slight smile but still, why isn’t he getting upset about this?

Forcing my eyes away from him, I turn back to the officer. “Can I just pay the fine and be done?”

As I say it, I realize I don’t have money for a fine. I could charge it, but I’m not sure that’s allowed.

“Sorry, ma’am but that’s not how it works. You’ll need to show up in court and let the judge decide.”

“Decide what? Isn’t there a standard fine for littering? What if I go back right now and pick up the bottle?”

“You’ll need to appear in court,” he says, which I guess means picking up the bottle won’t help me. “Any other questions?”

“I think we’re good,” Audi guy says, his eyes on me, that slight smile still on his face. I’m angry he answered for both of us and feel like I should ask another question just to prove to the guy I wasn’t finished, but I can’t think of anything to say.

“Have a nice day.” The officer turns and walks back down the road, picking up the remaining pieces of paper and heading toward the water bottle that I know I didn’t toss out the window. It must’ve fallen from my hand when I grabbed the steering wheel in an attempt to stay on the road after the paper flew on my windshield.

“Sorry about that,” Audi guy says. “I was on a call with my boss and the papers were on the dash and next thing I knew they were—”

“I have to go,” I say, walking back to my car.

“Anything I can do?” he yells from behind me.

“You’ve done enough!” I yell back.

I get in the car and immediately roll up the window so nothing else flies out. This is so ridiculous. Why couldn’t I just go pick up the bottle? If I’d known it was there, I would have. I never litter. I always toss out my trash. I even toss out trash that’s not mine. I’m the last person anyone would ever call a litterbug, and now here I am, getting ticketed for littering.

It’s all because of that stupid guy. I know he said it was an accident but that doesn’t mean I can’t be angry about it. Or angry at him.

So much for a relaxing weekend. Maybe I’ll feel better when I get to the inn. 

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The Path to You Release Day

A Double Romance!

Just in time for summer reading! The Path to You is a DOUBLE romance, which I've never done before! The story is set in a beautiful small town that's ripe for romance with its gorgeous sunsets, star-lit nights, and kisses on farmhouse porch swings. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and passion ignites between two generations destined to find love. Grab your copy now!

Cover Reveal for The Path to You

Releasing in June!
 
I hadn’t even unpacked my things before my prim and proper grandmother issued me a warning: “Stay away from the neighbor!” 

 
So of course, I raced over to meet him.
 
Tyler’s the typical bad boy—hot as sin and not the least bit friendly—but I think I can win him over. We could at least be friends, although I wouldn’t be opposed to more. After breaking up with my cheating fiancé, a short fling with a bad boy is just what I need.
 
Unfortunately, Tyler’s not looking for that. He’s only here to visit his grandfather, who my grandmother can’t stand. To say she doesn’t like the Hooster men is an understatement.
 
But there’s something about Tyler that makes it hard to stay away. He keeps telling me he’ll break my heart, but it can’t be broken if I don’t fall in love. 
 
So that’s my plan. I’ll be with Tyler but keep my heart out of it.
 
If only it were that simple.