C.A Harms

Nothing comes easy. Nothing is given but must always be earned. The problem is I'm too tainted and broken to have anything good. That was a lesson I was taught early. A lesson I carried throughout my life, and into every relationship I had.

Mason Creek, Montana, is my home. It always has been and truth is, there is no place like it. I can hide away in a big city, pretend as if I'm not drowning. I can ignore the sadness inside my heart that is begging for a change. But if I'm being honest, my sense of belonging has disappeared....

I've never been the kind of girl to take the easy way out. Happy endings never came to people like me. The tarnished ones.

Life doesn't always go according to plan, a lesson I learned the hard way during my divorce. My first love returns home just in time to watch me pick up the pieces, and the moment I lay eyes on him every memory rushes back.

Tyler Collins has always been the object of my affection. I've spent years admiring him, fantasizing about him, but never once making a move. That is until I see him across the room, already a few beers in and drunkenly decide to press my lips to his.

She was supposed to be my forever . . . I'll never forget the first time I saw her. She wore overalls two sizes too big and a pair of gloves that were also too large for her little hands. But that didn't faze her one bit, and we clicked instantly.

Eyes so blue I swear it's like looking at the turquoise waters of the Greek Isles. Those are the first memories I have of Kyra. For years I stood on the sidelines, watching and waiting for my perfect chance. Wanting her so badly, consumes my every thought.

Never did I think a girl like Gretchen Hawthorne would be the woman of my dreams. She is stubborn, irritating, and can p--s me off at the drop of a hat. But she is also sweet and has a vulnerability about her that she doesn't allow many to see.

On the outside, I was nothing more than the fun-loving guy that made everyone laugh. But on the inside, there was more hate than I knew how to control. No one knew the life I'd led; I hid my demons well.

I was the ultimate bachelor. I enjoyed my wild life, the late nights, and the fact that I had no commitments. My job and my freedom were all I needed. Or so I thought.

I should have run in the opposite direction from the first moment I met him. I should have turned around and walked away. I've never been the kind of girl to take the easy road, though.

Maddison used to be one of the guys, but that was definitely not the case anymore . . She had changed and damn if it didn't make my heart race. With each passing second, she began to consume me. Her smile made my knees weak and the way she looked at me took my breath away.