Captured Love by Juliana Haygery
publisher:
Release Date: November 10th 2014
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
It’s been four years since twenty-year-old Jessica Hayes has been home, but when she discovers her father is dying, she must return to her hometown in South Carolina and face her past. Jessica thought patching up her relationship with her father would be her biggest challenge, but when she runs into Ryan Dawson—the catalyst of all her problems—she wonders if coming home was a mistake.
Ryan knows he screwed up. Hell, he paid the price…with interest. But when he runs into his best friend’s little sister, Jessica, he’s reminded that his debt will never truly be paid. He may have turned his life around, but he can’t undo the damage. So, he does what he should have done all those years ago. He stays away from Jessica, and all the other personal demons that still haunt him.
Jessica thought she wanted nothing to with Ryan, but something is different about him and she needs to know why. When she discovers the truth behind his change, she puts her troubles aside and tries to help him. But is putting her heart back in the line of fire worth disrupting her stable life back in Ohio, or will the past repeat itself, leaving her brokenhearted once again?
It’s been four years since twenty-year-old Jessica Hayes has been home, but when she discovers her father is dying, she must return to her hometown in South Carolina and face her past. Jessica thought patching up her relationship with her father would be her biggest challenge, but when she runs into Ryan Dawson—the catalyst of all her problems—she wonders if coming home was a mistake.
Ryan knows he screwed up. Hell, he paid the price…with interest. But when he runs into his best friend’s little sister, Jessica, he’s reminded that his debt will never truly be paid. He may have turned his life around, but he can’t undo the damage. So, he does what he should have done all those years ago. He stays away from Jessica, and all the other personal demons that still haunt him.
Jessica thought she wanted nothing to with Ryan, but something is different about him and she needs to know why. When she discovers the truth behind his change, she puts her troubles aside and tries to help him. But is putting her heart back in the line of fire worth disrupting her stable life back in Ohio, or will the past repeat itself, leaving her brokenhearted once again?
Excerpt 1:
Ryan
As Luke and Jason chatted about the next race, I leaned against the rail, looking at the
stars. After that night under the stars with Jessica, the night she told me I could be anything I
wanted to be, I never looked at the night sky the same way. It was like the stars and I shared a
secret, as if the night sky knew something about me that no one else did.
Jason leaned on the rail beside me. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Where’s Luke?”
“He went to the car to grab a bottle of whiskey.”
“Oh.” Maybe it was time for me to leave. Seeing the guys drinking whiskey while I had
to hold back was probably a bad idea.
I looked around, trying to remember where I had parked my car.
“She didn’t come,” Jason said. He must have misinterpreted me and thought I was
looking for his sister. “Rachel and Sophie stopped by the house and tried to convince her to
come, but since you told her about your past, she’s been quiet. Well, quieter.”
I frowned. “Why?” He shrugged. “I didn’t tell her so she would feel bad about it. I told
her because I realized she would find out one way or other. Better if it came from me.”
Jason nodded. “I know.” He tilted his head at me. “Are you okay?”
I chuckled—a sarcastic sound. “Never been better.”
With a hint of pity in his eyes, he placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “You
know I’m here for you, man. Whatever the problem is.”
“I know, J-man.” I sighed. However, there was nothing to be done. My problem was with
the past, and unfortunately, I couldn’t change it. Neither could I let it go.
Luke showed up with the whiskey bottle. “Dude, it took me a few minutes to find it. I
thought I had forgotten it.”
I glanced at the bottle, then at Jason. Comprehension spread across his face.
“Luke, maybe we shouldn’t drink that tonight,” Jason said.
Luke’s face fell, but a second later, he nodded. “Right. Of course.”
“Nah, it’s okay.” I pushed against the rail. “I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I’m
gonna go. But you guys should drink that whiskey and have a good time.”
“Ryan, you don’t need to go,” Jason started.
I shook my head. “No, I do.” I wasn’t kidding about waking up early. After all, I had to
be at the Habitat for Humanity site at eight sharp. As much as I wanted to stay and
drink—Coke—with them, I knew my mood wasn’t great for company. “See you guys soon.”
Jason and Luke smacked my shoulder as I walked past them. The party went on as I
walked by. I smiled, but inwardly, I envied them. I still had a wild night here and there, but if I
could help it, they happened rarely. Meanwhile, these people could drink and stay out all night
long. They could have fun; they could enjoy themselves, guiltlessly. With a long exhale, I slipped into my Mustang and pulled away before I gave in to temptation
and joined them.
Excerpts 2:
As Luke and Jason chatted about the next race, I leaned against the rail, looking at the
stars. After that night under the stars with Jessica, the night she told me I could be anything I
wanted to be, I never looked at the night sky the same way. It was like the stars and I shared a
secret, as if the night sky knew something about me that no one else did.
Jason leaned on the rail beside me. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Where’s Luke?”
“He went to the car to grab a bottle of whiskey.”
“Oh.” Maybe it was time for me to leave. Seeing the guys drinking whiskey while I had
to hold back was probably a bad idea.
I looked around, trying to remember where I had parked my car.
“She didn’t come,” Jason said. He must have misinterpreted me and thought I was
looking for his sister. “Rachel and Sophie stopped by the house and tried to convince her to
come, but since you told her about your past, she’s been quiet. Well, quieter.”
I frowned. “Why?” He shrugged. “I didn’t tell her so she would feel bad about it. I told
her because I realized she would find out one way or other. Better if it came from me.”
Jason nodded. “I know.” He tilted his head at me. “Are you okay?”
I chuckled—a sarcastic sound. “Never been better.”
With a hint of pity in his eyes, he placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “You
know I’m here for you, man. Whatever the problem is.”
“I know, J-man.” I sighed. However, there was nothing to be done. My problem was with
the past, and unfortunately, I couldn’t change it. Neither could I let it go.
Luke showed up with the whiskey bottle. “Dude, it took me a few minutes to find it. I
thought I had forgotten it.”
I glanced at the bottle, then at Jason. Comprehension spread across his face.
“Luke, maybe we shouldn’t drink that tonight,” Jason said.
Luke’s face fell, but a second later, he nodded. “Right. Of course.”
“Nah, it’s okay.” I pushed against the rail. “I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I’m
gonna go. But you guys should drink that whiskey and have a good time.”
“Ryan, you don’t need to go,” Jason started.
I shook my head. “No, I do.” I wasn’t kidding about waking up early. After all, I had to
be at the Habitat for Humanity site at eight sharp. As much as I wanted to stay and
drink—Coke—with them, I knew my mood wasn’t great for company. “See you guys soon.”
Jason and Luke smacked my shoulder as I walked past them. The party went on as I
walked by. I smiled, but inwardly, I envied them. I still had a wild night here and there, but if I
could help it, they happened rarely. Meanwhile, these people could drink and stay out all night
long. They could have fun; they could enjoy themselves, guiltlessly. With a long exhale, I slipped into my Mustang and pulled away before I gave in to temptation
and joined them.
Jessica
The girls stayed until four in the morning, and they only left because, according to our
neighbors, we were making too much noise, which was true. We made chocolate popcorn,
watched a tearjerker movie, and then sat on the back porch and talked—and laughed and
yelled—for a long, long time.
“Thank goodness, Ryan told you about what happened,” Sophie said.
“Poor guy,” Rachel said. “He hasn’t been the same since you left.”
Slimy, thick guilt took over my heart. It hadn’t left me by Sunday evening or Monday
morning, and it was because of that guilt that I called Mama in the afternoon and asked her to
bake a special Devil’s Food cake. After work, I stopped by the house to retrieve it, and then
drove back downtown.
I parked the truck behind the Mustang. As I expected, the garage was open and Ryan was
leaning over the Harley in the same fashion he was a week ago. Damp hair, bare back, jeans, and
boots.
I swallowed. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to come over after all. Before I could
chicken out, Ryan turned around and saw me. His eyes widened at first, then narrowed into thin
slits. He stood from his crouch as I opened the truck’s door and walked inside the garage.
“Hi,” I said, feeling incredibly lame.
“Hey.” He grabbed a towel from one of his toolboxes and wiped his hands.
“I-I brought you this.” I extended the cake toward him.
His eyebrows shot up. “Devil’s Food cake.”
“Yes. It used to be your favorite.”
“It still is.”
“Good.” Seeing as he wouldn’t take it from me, I stepped to the side, and left the cake on
one of the worktables.
Ryan stared at me, his hazel eyes completely lost, and I returned the stare. I wasn’t sure
what I was doing, but I wouldn’t back down. I would be here for him, even if he didn’t want me to.
I sat down on a stool next to his bike. “So, why haven’t you finished this one yet?”
He picked up the black shirt over one of the toolboxes, hiding his incredible physique,
then crouched between the bike and me. “I did spend quite some time away.”
Damn, couldn’t I have touched a lighter subject? “Sorry,” I whispered.
Ignoring my apology, he continued, “Besides, I like working on it. If I finish too fast, I’ll
have to find another one to play with.” My gaze shifted to the other bike, to his racing bike,
destroyed against the wall. “I didn’t fix that one after the accident. It’s a good reminder of how
stupid I can be.”
“Sorry,” I said again.
He shot me a hard stare. “Stop apologizing, Jessica.”
Author Bio:
The girls stayed until four in the morning, and they only left because, according to our
neighbors, we were making too much noise, which was true. We made chocolate popcorn,
watched a tearjerker movie, and then sat on the back porch and talked—and laughed and
yelled—for a long, long time.
“Thank goodness, Ryan told you about what happened,” Sophie said.
“Poor guy,” Rachel said. “He hasn’t been the same since you left.”
Slimy, thick guilt took over my heart. It hadn’t left me by Sunday evening or Monday
morning, and it was because of that guilt that I called Mama in the afternoon and asked her to
bake a special Devil’s Food cake. After work, I stopped by the house to retrieve it, and then
drove back downtown.
I parked the truck behind the Mustang. As I expected, the garage was open and Ryan was
leaning over the Harley in the same fashion he was a week ago. Damp hair, bare back, jeans, and
boots.
I swallowed. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to come over after all. Before I could
chicken out, Ryan turned around and saw me. His eyes widened at first, then narrowed into thin
slits. He stood from his crouch as I opened the truck’s door and walked inside the garage.
“Hi,” I said, feeling incredibly lame.
“Hey.” He grabbed a towel from one of his toolboxes and wiped his hands.
“I-I brought you this.” I extended the cake toward him.
His eyebrows shot up. “Devil’s Food cake.”
“Yes. It used to be your favorite.”
“It still is.”
“Good.” Seeing as he wouldn’t take it from me, I stepped to the side, and left the cake on
one of the worktables.
Ryan stared at me, his hazel eyes completely lost, and I returned the stare. I wasn’t sure
what I was doing, but I wouldn’t back down. I would be here for him, even if he didn’t want me to.
I sat down on a stool next to his bike. “So, why haven’t you finished this one yet?”
He picked up the black shirt over one of the toolboxes, hiding his incredible physique,
then crouched between the bike and me. “I did spend quite some time away.”
Damn, couldn’t I have touched a lighter subject? “Sorry,” I whispered.
Ignoring my apology, he continued, “Besides, I like working on it. If I finish too fast, I’ll
have to find another one to play with.” My gaze shifted to the other bike, to his racing bike,
destroyed against the wall. “I didn’t fix that one after the accident. It’s a good reminder of how
stupid I can be.”
“Sorry,” I said again.
He shot me a hard stare. “Stop apologizing, Jessica.”
Author Bio:
Co-founder and contributor at NA Alley @ www.naalley.com.
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