Reclaimed Hearts

Never gonna happen. Xavier swore he'd never move back to the flyspeck of a town he'd grown up in and he kept that promise for over twenty years. Now, he's back for good. Vincent never left. After college, he stayed in town to be close to his elderly parents. These days he's the single dad of a fifteen-year-old daughter and working two jobs. He's perfectly happy with his life. Right? Xavier's new mission is to breathe life back into Cooper Springs, but his stodgy, straight-laced, rule-following neighbor, Vincent Barone-is getting in the way. Vincent doesn't have time to date. And he certainly wouldn't date his flashy, arrogant, neighbor whom he absolutely did not have a crush on back in high school. Can two lifelong enemies move from hate to something more? Then there's the matter of the grisly discovery in the woods-murder is bad for business. Contains mature themes.

Martin quits his job, sells his house, and buys a set of fixer-upper cabins on the coast. There's just one teensy problem. Along with the property comes a very angry man. Nicholas Waugh had his own scare. With no home to call his own, he finagles a security gig keeping an eye on a set of vacant cabins. The deal comes with a free one-year lease–and he's not leaving a day sooner. Fifteen years of teaching, and patience is second nature to Martin. But Nick is giving Martin a run for his money. If that wasn't enough, Martin finds himself fighting an inappropriate and ridiculous attraction to the much younger man. Everyone in Cooper Springs thinks Nick is crying wolf, but creepy stuff is going on around town. When human remains are found in the forest, and a body is dumped on the property he's in charge of, Nick is on high alert. Martin wants to get started on the remodel. Instead, he's fighting with Nick over things that go bump in the night and losing sleep worrying he's made a disastrously wrong decision. Failure is not an option. What will it take for Nick to let his guard down? What will it take for Martin to admit that age is just a number and Nick is more than man enough for him? Contains mature themes.

He isn't looking for love, there's a killer on the loose. The last person Andre expected to see in Cooper Springs was Dante Castone. He left Dante and the rest of his old life behind him when he moved to Washington State and what he thought would be a quiet job in a small town by the ocean. Dante Brown went into WITSEC for his sister's kid-sort of. In reality, Dante's DIYing it; he isn't the trusting sort. Daniella was the only witness to her mom's brutal murder and needs both protection and anonymity-plus as normal a life as possible. It's just a bonus that Cooper Springs has Andre Dear too. He and Andre have a history, and Dante wants to see if they might have a future. Someone is gunning for Andre and, like it or not, Dante is going to protect him. And yeah, feed him too. Does the man never eat? Andre needs Dante's help even if he doesn't want to accept it. Dante's ready to settle down but he's going to have to prove himself before Andre lets him in again. Together, they need to catch a killer and maybe find each other in the process. Contains mature themes.

Trust is a thing of the past. All that matters is the truth. Forrest Cooper: Cooper Springs' resident lavender farmer has a short list of people he trusts. A newcomer to town is not making his list. Ever. Especially not one who is first on the scene of a murder. Nero Vik: Recently laid off and once again single, the ex-investigative reporter is digging into the sordid history of Cooper Springs. He's not in town to make friends, he's there to solve an old mystery and maybe bring closure to those who need it. But when he discovers a local man murdered, all eyes are on him. Once Nero starts investigating, he has questions, most of them for Forrest Cooper. Forrest is not giving the new guy an inch, much less discussing his sordid family history. His past is not up for debate on some nickel-and-dime podcast hosted by a hack writer. One man has dedicated himself to putting his past where it belongs-behind him. The other is determined to expose the truth-no matter how painful it is. The perfect storm brings them together. Will they make it through to the other side? Contains mature themes.