Bridges and Bitters

People always like me. It's kind of my thing. All the employees at my tech startup think I'm the best boss, and the community partners and investors I woo not only trust, but adore me. Everyone likes me, except him. I may have been caught off guard when I accidentally insulted AJ Trachtenberg, but I'm pulling out all the stops trying to make it up to him…and it’s not working. Offering his students a swanky field trip doesn't win him over—it only seems to make him grumpier.

On paper, I've got it all…an amazing group of friends, a rabid fan base for my romance novels, and a sweetheart of a husband. Except, these days, his heart doesn’t seem so sweet. He also doesn’t seem to understand my career…or maybe me at all. Teddy didn’t start out as a stuffy suit. It just sort of happened, somewhere between his MBA and his big promotion and our failed attempts at starting a family. From the time we met on the soccer field, Teddy and I have been inseparable. Only Teddy hasn’t kicked a goal in a long time and he doesn't really not unhappy.

My life revolves around just one thing: my daughter. I don’t have the time or energy for anything else—not my foolish dream of an acting career and definitely not the annoying woman who opened a gym in the warehouse behind my garage. Piper’s a menace to society, between her loud music, hurling weights around like a shot putter, and her building that is definitely not up to code. Unfortunately, my kid thinks she’s the best thing since unlimited screen-time. It’s getting harder to avoid Piper when my daughter keeps going over there to ask about hair braids and sports teams.

It was just supposed to be a marriage on paper. Koa needed a path to citizenship and I needed the money to open Bridges and Bitters. All I've ever wanted is to take care of my sisters and run my own bar, my way. What did I care if I had a technical husband? A husband with too many dimples and more charm than he should have… So when he rolled into town after five years to deal with some paperwork, he's turned everything upside-down. Sure, Koa is charismatic and fun, but he's also a nomad. I don't have time for vacations and I don't know how to play games.