Twenty-four-year-old Angela “Angie” Linden is starting to think happily-ever-after just isn’t in the cards. After a bad breakup followed by a string of truly disastrous dates—and a well-meaning grandmother determined to play matchmaker—Angie’s love life feels more like a recipe for chaos than romance.

When handsome firefighter Henry Brant arrives in town, Angie can’t help but feel a spark—until she realizes he’s carrying baggage of his own and isn’t ready to risk his heart again.

As tensions rise at her family’s beloved bakery and outside forces threaten everything she holds dear, Angie must decide if love is worth the risk... or if some chances are better left untaken.

Can Angie turn her love life around, or is she truly doomed to be unlucky in love?

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Release Date: June 15, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Firefighter Romace

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Excerpt

Chapter One

“I don’t think this is working out.”

I looked up from my meal, glancing at my date across the table. “What, the lemon pepper salmon? I think it’s amazing.”

He sighed. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about, Ang. I meant us. We aren’t working out.”

Oh no. This wasn’t the romantic three-month anniversary dinner I had planned. No, Adrian had brought me here to break up with me. He could’ve told me that before I shaved my legs, curled my hair, and put on my sexiest black dress. What a waste.

“Oh,” I said, setting down my fork. “That...that sucks.”

That was all I could think to say. Sadness tugged at my heart, my lip trembling. Adrian continued staring at me from across the red cloth-covered table.

Some of the diners eating around us glanced over, hearing the end of our conversation. I sank in my seat as my cheeks blazed hot. Estelle’s was the fanciest restaurant in the small town of New Harbor, Massachusetts, and I knew news of our break-up would make its way around town soon. Gossip here spread like wildfire.

“Yeah,” Adrian said, reaching for my hand. I tried not to recoil. “I’m really sorry, Ang. It’s just…things are busy with work, and I’m not really in the right space to be in a committed relationship right now. But it’s been fun. I really enjoyed our time together.”

Now that he’s had his fun, he wants out. Typical.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, yeah—I agree. Well, thanks for not breaking up with me over text, at least.”

“Of course. I figured you deserved the news in person.” He rose to his feet, removing his wallet from the pocket of his blue dress pants, the color a perfect match for his eyes. Then he placed a wad of cash on the table. “Here—dinner’s on me. It’s the least I can do. Stay as long as you’d like and enjoy your meal. Seriously, try to have a good night, Angie. See you around.”

I nodded as he gave me one final smile, then reached for his jacket off his chair and headed for the door. As I sat at the table alone, eating my romantic dinner for one in front of candles and a bottle of wine, I didn’t even cry. I was so used to getting my heart broken that it didn’t sting anymore.

And if I had to be honest, there was a part of me that was glad Adrian had broken up with me first. Deep down, I knew we weren’t right together, even if I couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was a good thing.

I raised my arm to flag down our waitress. “Excuse me? I’d like another glass of wine.”

“Coming right up,” the young woman, whose name tag read Sarah, said, scurrying toward my table. She noticed the empty seat. “So sorry to pry, but…was that man your date?”

“He was,” I said, handing her the empty wine bottle. “Why?”

“Well, before you arrived, he was totally staring at me. Then he asked for my number on the way out. I thought he was single. Sorry—didn’t realize he was in a relationship.”

I almost laughed. But I guess I didn’t have a right to be jealous or angry—not anymore.

“And, just between us,” Sarah continued, “he comes in here a lot. He had some blonde woman with him last week. It looked pretty romantic. He even ordered a bottle of our most expensive champagne for her.”

“Huh,” I said, clutching the tablecloth in anger. Adrian had never done that for me. “I...I didn’t know that. Thanks for telling me.”

“Of course. Not to get involved, but you totally deserve better. Give me a sec and I’ll be back with your wine.”

I nodded, watching Sarah walk off to the kitchen as I thought about her words. Did I deserve better? And if I did, where was my Mr. Right?

I sighed, then blew out the candle in front of me. It just didn’t seem like true love was something I would ever have.

Sarah returned a few minutes later, filling up my wine glass. I stayed for a while and finished my meal and the bottle. Feeling tipsy, I got up to pay, realizing Adrian hadn’t left any money for a tip. Not surprising.

Scoffing, I left Sarah twenty percent—figuring she earned it after telling me that little tidbit—and walked out of the restaurant with my to-go bag. I walked down the street through the darkness, stumbling. I shouldn’t have worn my best heels and drank all that wine. That was a bad combination.

As I walked down the street, cars passing me, my anger at Adrian and this whole situation grew stronger. Who did Adrian think he was, with his stupid perfect hair and stunning blue eyes? Leading me on and then breaking up with me when things were getting serious? Douchebag.

I cut through the residential street, noticing Adrian’s house down the block. The curtains were closed in his living room, but I saw a light on. He was inside, and so was someone else. A curvy silhouette that looked a lot like a woman.

“That two-timing son of a…” I stopped on the sidewalk, staring down at my takeout bag with a mischievous idea. “Oh, I’ll show him.”

I had been to Adrian’s house a few times and knew he didn’t have any security cameras. He was far too cheap for that. So I snuck over to the bush in front of his house, then opened my takeout bag and reached in. I pulled out a scoop of my leftover salmon and mushed it in my hands.

“This is for being a cheating scumbag,” I grumbled. “And for making me shave for nothing!”

I flung the leftover salmon at the front door, watching as it smeared across the wood. Some of the smaller pieces of salmon flung off and sprayed across my dress. It made a loud thump, and I saw the silhouettes in the living room turn around. Not wanting to get caught, I spun on my heels and ran off as quickly as I could.

With my heart pounding as I raced away through the dark, I started to laugh. Somehow, throwing food at his house was a lot more exciting than any date Adrian had taken me on. And we were finally even. I cut through a few back alleys, heading to my house in the distance. I walked up our brick pathway, kicking my heels off my aching feet. I removed my keys from my pocket, then unlocked the door and entered the foyer. A light was still on in the living room as I carried my heels in and locked the door behind me.

When I turned around, entering the living room, I spotted Grandma sitting in her rocking chair. She was watching some old black and white movie on the television while doing a crossword puzzle in her blue satin pajamas. She looked up from her book, smiling and lowering her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. Her hair was as white as snow, her wrinkled, blue eyes shimmering. Despite nearly being eighty, she still had a youthful playfulness.

“There you are, dear. I didn’t want to go to bed until I knew you were back home, safe and sound,” she began, setting the crossword puzzle on the coffee table in front of her. “So? How did the three-month anniversary dinner go?”

“Just great,” I grumbled, putting the takeout bag down on the dining room table. “Adrian broke up with me.”

Her face fell. “Oh, sweetie…I’m so sorry. But it’s his loss, you know. Not yours.”

“Yeah,” I said, breathing out. “At least I’ve had practice before. Getting dumped is a pastime of mine.”

“Hey, we’ve all been there,” she said, slowly rising to her feet. “Your grandpa wasn’t the first man I dated. I had to kiss a lot of frogs to find him.”

When my parents divorced when I was ten years old, I decided to live with my grandparents. I had lived with them until my grandpa died last year. I always got a little choked up when thinking about him. Now, it was just me and my grandmother, and I dreaded the day I’d lose her too. She was my best and longest-lasting relationship.

I snorted. “I think Adrian was more of a snake than a frog. Found out he was flirting with and seeing other women.”

Grandma shook her head. “See? You’re much better off. It seems he did you a favor.”

“Maybe,” I said, unzipping my dress in the back. “Or maybe...this is a sign I should stop dating. I haven’t had much luck.”

“Oh, you can’t give up,” Grandma urged as she stepped forward. “So, you’ve met a few bad apples. But there’s still a whole orchard out there! Trust me, a beautiful young woman like yourself will find her dream man. I believe that.”

“I’m glad someone does,” I murmured. “I’m going to go change. Get out of this uncomfortable dress. It’s got pieces of salmon all over it.”

Grandma raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“Oh. I...kinda threw it at Adrian’s house on the way home. Smeared it all over his front door. Some of it got on me too. An unfortunate blowback incident.”

I expected Grandma to get angry at that—to chastise me. But then she started laughing. And I had to admit, it made me crack a smile too.

“Well, that’s one way to show a cheater,” she began. “Good for you.”

“You aren’t mad?”

“No, of course not. And…maybe one day I’ll tell you what I did to my best friend’s husband for cheating on her while she was pregnant. Let’s just say...his truck never started properly again.”

I shook my head, walking toward the stairs. “Good to know what you’re capable of, Grandma.”

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” she called out.

I laughed, heading up the stairs to my bedroom. Grandma’s very old orange cat, Nutmeg, meowed at me as I passed. She was sleeping on Grandma’s bed and was half-blind and half-deaf. Nearly twenty years old, that cat was determined to get the most out of her nine lives. Grandma joked Nutmeg would outlive us all.

I took a small detour to pet Nutmeg before entering my room, flicking on the light. I stripped out of my dress and threw it across the room into the hamper. I quickly put on my pajamas—baggy shorts and a tank top, the least sexy thing I owned. As I put my purse away, I heard a knock on my door.

“Sweetie?” Grandma poked her head inside the door. “I wanted to show you something. When you’re ready, meet me in my room.”

I turned around, nodding before she walked away. I wondered what she was up to.

After slipping my feet into my fuzzy slippers, I headed down the hall to her bedroom. Grandma was on her knees, pulling an old shoebox out from under her bed. She placed it on the bed beside Nutmeg. The old cat didn’t stir.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Everything your grandpa ever gave me,” she said, opening the box. “I kept everything from our first date to our wedding to our fiftieth anniversary a few years ago. Couldn’t bear to throw anything away.”

As Grandma started taking things out of the box, setting them on the bed, I took a seat beside Nutmeg and watched. Grandma was right—she really had kept everything from old movie tickets to jewelry and handmade cards.

“This one is my favorite,” Grandma said, handing me a giant card. “Your grandpa made that himself out of construction paper. Go on, open it.”

When I opened the heart-shaped card, it read: “To Esther: you’ll always have my heart, no matter where you are. I’ll love you forever, near and far. Love, Lou.”

“Wow,” I said, still staring down at the card. “He really, really loved you.”

When I looked up, Grandma’s eyes were glistening with tears. “Yes, he did. We had a lovely fifty-two years together. And I hope you have the same thing one day.”

I sighed, handing her back the card. “Grandma…I’m just not sure that kind of love exists anymore. What you and Grandpa had was beautiful, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for me. It wasn’t in the cards for Mom and Dad.”

Grandma winced, putting the heart-shaped card back in the box. “I know, dear. But you know why? They stopped communicating. They forgot that they were friends first and lovers second. That’s why your grandpa and I lasted so long. We always maintained respect, friendship, and believed in each other. Through everything, all our ups and downs.”

I stroked Nutmeg, hearing the old cat purr beneath my hand. “That’s lovely, but I’ve never found anyone willing to do that with me. Seems all the guys I’ve dated are only after a free trial before they want out.”

Grandma sat with me on the bed. “Not all, I assure you. You want to know what your grandpa told me a few months before he died?”

“What?”

“That he wanted you to find love. Someone to accept you for all that you are, cherish you, and make you feel wanted. If you give up, you’ll never find that. And both your grandfather and I will be sad.”

Grandpa really wanted that for me? I tried not to choke up. He and Grandma had both been such big comforts after Mom and Dad’s divorce. My immovable center.

I rose to my feet, pointing at the ceiling. “Well, then tell him to send someone good my way. I’ve had enough cheaters and losers to last a lifetime.”

“If only there was a direct phone line to Heaven,” Grandma joked, drying her eyes. “Anyway, I just wanted to show you all that to help you believe in love. Good men are out there, wanting something that lasts. And I hope you find someone great. But you must promise me you’ll never give up.”

I sighed, knowing I couldn’t resist my grandmother. “All right, all right—I won’t quit. But I’m going to be a lot more selective.”

“Good for you. Nothing wrong with having standards.” Grandma checked the clock. “Now, it’s terribly late and I need to get my rest. I’ll see you at the bakery bright and early tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, heading to the door. “Goodnight, Grandma. And thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

She smiled. “What are grandmothers for? Goodnight, dear.”

I nodded and headed down the hallway, shutting my door. I brushed my teeth and washed my face before getting into bed. Just as I laid down, my phone started to ring. I noticed it was my mother’s Caller ID.

“Hello? Mom?” I answered, sitting up in bed. “Do you know how late it is?”

“Sorry, hun. But I had to vent to someone.” She paused, taking a drag of her cigarette. “Did you know your father’s new girlfriend is only a few years older than you? I saw the pictures on Instagram. He took her on some trip to the Caribbean last week. He’s never even taken me there, for crying out loud!”

I sighed. “That sucks. Anyway, Mom, I have to get up early tomorrow—”

But she cut me off, just like always. I never could get a word in edgewise with her.

As Mom ranted about Dad, using me as her shoulder to cry on again, I checked the clock. I knew I wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight. And as she rambled, all I could think about was Adrian’s betrayal and how lucky Grandma was to find a good man like Grandpa.

It was luck I was sure I would never have—in this lifetime or the next.

 

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