The Barrel House Books
In a split second, life can steal a last breath ... and derail all future plans. While flying home after a phone call that left me heartbroken, a row to myself would have been ideal. Instead, I was unknowingly sitting shoulder to shoulder with a strikingly attractive single dad and ex-Marine. I could have pretended not to notice the man, but there was something familiar about him. It didn’t take long before I pieced together where I knew him from or why he was back in my life.With chaos holding me hostage, I wanted to hide but couldn’t avoid Brett Pearson, our old family friend, and my teenage crush, because he kindly offered to help out with my family’s business—The Barrel House. Handling my father’s distillery would be a distraction from my brutal reality. Except, I never paid close attention to the art of making bourbon, unlike Brett, who was full of bourbon knowledge. He offered to teach me a thing or two, but all I could focus on was the way his lips moved when he spoke to me.I needed to grieve, and my head was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but my heart was splitting at the seams. Bourbon was spilled, drinks were shared, but could passion ignite from a dying last wish?
Life isn’t a game. Life isn’t an empty bottle of bourbon spinning on a warehouse floor as I hold my breath. I feel weak when others perceive me as strong. I’m passionate though I appear to hate the world around me. I see beauty in all ugly things. I feel pain when I laugh. My truth remained mine alone, veiled behind smiles and the intricate art of bourbon-making that runs through my veins, a legacy as much a part of me as my own soul. Until Brody Pearson. The man with eyes that see right through me, whose connection to our family distillery brings him back into my life, stirring emotions I vowed to bury. His presence challenges everything I thought I knew about strength, passion, and the beauty in our scars. As our paths entwine, revealing secrets and awakening desires, I’m left to wonder if a second chance at love is possible in a world where heartbreak is just a part of the landscape. Can I let go of my past promises to embrace a future with Brody? Or will our story dissolve like a forgotten dream in the aging rooms of our bourbon legacy?
One kiss ... and her lips forever lingered on mine. Melody Quinn's name eternally etched on my heart. Through high school, my love for her was a silent yearning. Ironically, it was just as I was about to step into the rigors of boot camp that she revealed her heart mirrored mine. That kiss, a promise carved into our destinies. Years of training, deployments, and unforeseen sorrows couldn't erase her from my soul. Now, as fate guides me back to where it all began, the question of rekindling our love looms large. The man I've become bears scars she might find too deep. Yet, the mere sight of her reignites a spark, undeniable and magnetic. Our timing couldn't be worse, yet the urge to leap is irresistible. Melody needs to understand, through the tempest of our Bourbon Nights, walking away is no longer in my stars. But, will she stay?
We may be like oil and water, but I revel in fighting for her... Teen years should be light, free of the heavy responsibilities that life sometimes thrusts upon us. Yet, I embraced the role of caretaker early on, drawn to those whose eyes mirrored pain I hoped to alleviate with laughter and light. This instinct is what drew me to Journey—her resilience, her fiercely guarded heart, a challenge I couldn’t resist. Despite our differences, my resolve only strengthens. Journey, with her fiery spirit and hesitance towards vulnerability, becomes my beacon. She’s hesitant to commit, yet in her, I see a future filled with hope. I’m in it for the long haul, determined to prove that together, we can weather any storm. But the question remains—can I persuade her that our futures are intertwined, or will I be the one left concealing my own sorrows?