Carly Atwood always remembered the man that used to live in the loft above the barn when she was a little girl. John was her childhood crush, he was the guy she wrote about in her diary, and when he left her in his army greens, he was the first man she ever cried for. Nine years later, Carly isn't the eleven year-old girl John left behind. She grew up and moved on with her life, taking over the Atwood Ranch following her father's death. John isn't the man he used to be either; physically and emotionally scarred following his last deployment in Afghanistan, John is returning to the only place he ever called home, back to the loft above the barn and to the pretty blonde girl that's been holding onto his dog tags for all these years. ----- Title inspired by the song of the same name by Tim McGraw.

|| Featured FREE story with exclusive paid chapters - previously a paid story || When Haley discovers the truth behind Xavier, whose silence holds a deeper meaning, she sets her mind on making his life better one small step at a time. ***** Haley Rosamond is happy with her simple life, content under the wing of her father. Well-protected, she has no idea of the darkness surrounding Xavier Hunt, with his all-black attire and infrequent presence in school-accompanied by his bruises and scars. That is, until Haley catches a glimpse of Xavier's reality and is made to question everything she knows about family and life in general. The truth, she realizes, couldn't be more different from everything she has heard. Supported by her father, Haley sets her mind on helping Xavier any way she can, and what begins with tutoring sessions, free food, and random acts of kindness blooms into friendship and something a little more. But when Haley's admission into her dream college and another tragedy in Xavier's life threaten to undo everything she has worked for, Haley needs to decide if she'll stick by Xavier or simply be another person in his life that disappears. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston

In which I fall in love with my brother's best friend. ***** "Don't pretend like you don't feel anything." His voice is low, sending shivers down my spine. "What do you mean?" "You know damn well what I mean." "I don't know what you're talking about." I pretend to ignore him, flipping some pages in my book. "Come on. I have all these assignments waiting. Aren't you supposed to teach me tonight?" "It depends on what you want me to teach." He smirks, his voice sounding even more dangerous. ***** I thought that my brother was the most popular guy in school, but as soon as I step into my university life, I realize how wrong I was. Meet Vaughn Cooper, his best friend. The guy is the epitome of every girl's dream. Godlike handsome. The quarterback. He's got the looks, and he's got the brain. Come on, he's got the scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, while I have just barely passed the entrance examination after long years of struggle during high school. How could a guy who worked that hard and deserves nothing more but adoration be labeled as a bad boy? Yeah, the answer is simple. The moment we lock eyes, I realize something as I stare into those piercing, amber eyes. He's not every girl's dream. He's every girl's nightmare. In my case, MY nightmare. Calm down, heart. Our story hasn't even started. ***** THE SPENCERS SERIES BOOK #1 © 2020 Anya Jayvyn. All Rights Reserved. (Content warning: This book has descriptive sexual content, explicit language, and triggering themes)