second chance | single mom | widower | small town romance
A standalone Steamy Romance set in Coastal Delaware.
In a small town on the Delaware Bay, Claire is a single mom starting over. Brian is a young widower who moved to town to escape his loss and grow his career. They’re both on a mission to save threatened wildlife.
Will they be united by shared passion or divided by fear?
Fall in love with Claire & Brian in FOR THE BIRDS.
from chapter 1
Two hours later, when the ceremony had ended, and Claire was reunited with her family, she was still shaking. Adrenaline, she thought. Holding Teddy soothed her fragile nerves as she accepted praise and congratulations from her parents, friends, professors, and complete strangers. It was both overwhelming and comforting. On the one hand, Claire felt like her old self—comfortable in a crowd. In another sense, she felt vulnerable, exposed, exhausted, and eager to get away. That’s when he appeared at her side.
“Strong words, Ms. Dessalines!” His voice reverberated through her body. She recognized him immediately, the guy she’d seen at the beach that morning and in the audience leaning against the tree.
“Umm. Thank you,” she said, moving closer to her parents.
“You probably don’t remember me. We ran into each other this morning.”
“At the beach, yes. What are you doing here?”
“I teach here.”
She raised an eyebrow. It was a small school; she’d never seen him on campus. Plus, all the professors had been on stage with her, in their graduation gowns and poufy hats.
“Well, I’ll start teaching here in the fall,” he said, his mouth curved into a smile. “Intro to Environmental Science.”
“Huh. Really.” Alarm bells were starting to ring in Claire’s head. She was safe now, with her parents right there and hundreds of people around, but—
“Brian Melodus,” he said, jutting out his hand. “I also work for Flora and Fauna.”
Claire could feel her lips sliding into a disbelieving sneer. “Don’t you people normally wear badges or something?”
“Uh…”
This man was way too friendly.
“Helloooo, Brian! What are you doing here?” Her father’s deep voice boomed.
“You know each other?”
“Claire Bear, this is the guy I was telling you about. The one I helped rent Jake’s place.”
Claire Bear. Thanks, Dad. Claire scowled at her father, but he winked at her, his tanned face brightened by his smile and extra white teeth.
She forced a response, “Aha.”
“I tell you what, Brian, this beautiful young woman is all work and no play. She needs to get out of the house if you know what I—”
Claire cleared her throat, felt her cheeks burn. “Okay, Dad. I can arrange my own social life, thank you.”
Claire Dessalines is a single mom in a small coastal Delaware town. She’s taking a second chance at life, starting a career in the world of wildlife biology. When widower Brian Melodus moves to town and tries to connect with her, it looks like she’ll have a second chance at love, too, not that she wants it. She’s cynical about romance, and sure she can’t trust him. Just because he’s running some of the State’s most important wildlife rehabilitation programs doesn’t mean he’s relationship material. But when tragedy strikes and Brian is the only person available to help her, Claire has no choice but to rely on him. Circumstances and their shared passion for environmental issues keep bringing them together, and if Claire truly wants to heal, she’ll have to try letting someone into her heart.
Tara L. Roí author 