HERE WITH ME by
Heidi McLaughlin
October 2014
Contemporary Romance
BOOK SUMMARY:
Ryley Clarke has grown up with the military in her blood, with both
parents serving their country. Ryley knows the risks of being married to the
military. But when the unthinkable happens, and her future husband is killed in
action, Ryley can barely survive... until Evan's twin brother, Nate, helps her
pick up the pieces.
After serving on a special mission with the military for six years, Evan
Archer returns home to find the unthinkable - the love of his life, Ryley
Clarke - engaged to his brother, Nate. With Nate on deployment, Evan
needs to figure out what happened in his absence, and more importantly, how to
win Ryley back from the man he once considered his best friend, but now thinks
of as his rival.
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18948703-here-with-me
Author
Information
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling
author.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives
in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space
in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.
During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about
Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release
or sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:
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HERE WITH ME by Heidi
McLaughlin
EXCERPT
I turn and face her. She
looks poised and ready for whatever I’m about to throw at her. “I never doubted
Ryley’s love for me when we were younger. Hell not even while I was away. I
trusted her. That was the one thing I could take with me when I deployed. She
loved me, supported me and I knew she’d be waiting for me when I stepped off
that plane to come home. When Nate was home I knew they spent time together,
but now I question everything. What were they doing? How long has this been
going on? I leave and come back to nothing. My life – the one I was counting on
being there waiting for me with open arms – is in the arms of my brother. The
one man who I was relying on has taken my family away from me. He was supposed
to protect what’s mine, not covet it. I never thought in a million years he’d
make a move on Ryley.”
I walk over to the water
cooler and fill a paper cup. I have to do this repeatedly to quench my thirst.
She offered me a mug when I walked in, but I don’t know how well it’s been
cleaned. I crunch the cup in my hand and toss it in the wastebasket before
returning to my chair.
“I feel angry and betrayed,”
I say, finally answering her question. “I feel as if my whole life with Ryley
has one big lie and I’m not sure if I can ever shake that feeling.”
“But you trust her?”
My head moves slowly up and
down, as if it’s unsure of my answer. “I do trust her, more than anything, but
I can’t wrap my head around why she’d go to Nate.”
“Evan, sometimes love has an
odd way of working around pain.”
I lean forward and look her
square in the eye. “What about my pain? What about my agony? Who’s going to
nurse my heartbreak? How come these weren’t thoughts going through either of
their heads when they started betraying me like this? How come he wasn’t
scouring the ends of the earth looking for me? Someone knew we were alive out
there and no one came.” She picks up her pen and scribbles on her notepad. I
don’t even care what she’s writing. I just want to be done so I can go drown my
sorrows at Magoo’s. At least my favorite bartender is still working, Slick
Rick. Thank God some things never change.
“Do you feel like Ryley
betrayed you?”
“Yes.” My words sting, but
they’re the truth.
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