Forgetting You

She left to chase a dream. He stayed afraid to lose his. Neither expected their hearts to still be waiting.

Brynn thought leaving her small town—and her best friend Mic—was the only way to find the life she was meant for. Six years, two countries, and one heartbreak later, she’s back in Eureka Springs for a funeral, not a reunion. Especially not with the boy who used to be her whole world.

Mic hasn’t forgotten a thing about Brynn. Not her laugh. Not the way she left. And definitely not the night she broke his heart. Now she’s back. Not just back, but digging her heels in and pulling him into a project that has them shoulder-to-shoulder, heart-to-heart, whether he likes it or not. When sparks ignite and memories resurface, so do the glances, the almost-touches, and the way she still makes his world tilt off its axis.

But Brynn’s hiding something—something that could tear apart what little trust they’ve managed to salvage. Unfortunately, deciding if love is something worth holding onto is harder than forgiving. And in a town that remembers everything, the hardest part is learning to forget.

Forgetting You is a sweet, emotional, and charming small-town romance about healing, second chances, and the kind of love that never really lets go.

Brynn tugged at the big glass door. Locked. Of course. She glanced at her phone. Not quite ten o’clock.
The chilly air was more persistent now that she stood in the shadow of the large building. She lifted her hand to knock, stopping at the last moment. Kerri and Eric stood near the back wall, wrapped in each other’s arms. Frank was nowhere in sight.
Did Kerri realize how lucky she was? She had a handsome man balancing success and her every desire in his capable hands. Brynn stood outside, alone and freezing her toes off. The couple leaned into each other, oblivious to the world around them.
A little sigh escaped Brynn’s lips, fogging the window. She tipped forward and with a loud smack, her head hit the glass. She cried out, startling the intimate couple. Brynn scowled and reached up to massage the sore spot.
Kerri laughed out loud and opened the door when she saw Brynn. It was understandable. She was still holding her face, praying it wasn’t already pink or bruised.
“Get in here! I’m not gonna stand around bracing myself till you stop primping. Aren’t you cold?”
Kerri had recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and was particularly sensitive to the weather. She caught hold of Brynn’s elbow and pulled her inside.
“I’m fine, people-watching has just gotten more dangerous than it used to be.” She indicated her likely swollen forehead. “You busy today?”
Kerri shook her full head of dark curls. “Not really.
I’m helping Mic with some pictures in a little bit, but
that’s all.”
Eric wrapped an arm around Kerri, supporting without her having to ask. Brynn tried not to notice.
“How about tonight?” She let a slow grin tease the corner of her mouth, like she was moving through a decrescendo. She was going for mysterious. Maybe a little intrigue.
Kerri stepped closer to Eric, eyes narrowed. She was apparently going for suspicious. “Not yet. Why?”
“Good,” Brynn said, perking back up a tempo and holding out the white box. “I need your help.”
“What’s this?” Kerri took the box, recognition lighting her eyes as she lifted the lid. “Oh, you are speakin’ my language.”
Brynn relaxed. Chocolate was Brynn’s golden ticket when it came to Kerri. “I thought you’d like that. Now, I need you to help Jaya.”
“What do you need?” Kerri placed a chunk of white chocolate-flecked fudge in her mouth.
“I want her to come to the Blacklight Ball.”
Kerri’s smile waned, and she swallowed hard. “The Blacklight Ball? Tonight? Have you talked to her about it?”
“No.” She’d known this would be a sticking point, but she had a plan. “I wanted you to help me with that.” Brynn pulled the tickets from her purse. Five tickets. She’d gotten them as a surprise for Jaya’s bachelorette party. After the night of Aiden’s death, things had been so crazy she’d forgotten about them. Jaya had fallen into a depression, every day declining further into herself. Coming across the tickets the day before had felt like a lifeline.
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Kerri closed up the box of chocolate and held it out to her. It looked like torture.
“You don’t have to give it back.” Brynn pushed the box and Kerri’s hands away. “I just need your help.”
“The Blacklight Ball seems a little out of her league right now.” Kerri’s brows were pulled together and she tumbled the little box in her hands before finally passing it to Eric.
Brynn bit the inside of her lip, trying to piece together answers she didn’t have. “This is Jaya. She’s been going to the Blacklight Ball since she was old enough to wear a bra.”
“That’s the same for all of us,” Kerri retorted, her mouth twitching when Eric laughed.
Brynn waved the little papers in front of Kerri while the memories worked their magic. “I have tickets for all of us. Even Eric.”
Brynn hoped Kerri remembered the years they had escaped reality at the ball, slathered in glow-in-the-dark paints and as many neons as they could dig out. They’d danced for hours with no worries except who they were bumping into. “Jaya needs to escape a little reality . . . I think we can help her do it.”
“I’m not sure if I can.”
“I get that it’s kind of big, but she wouldn’t want to miss it. Besides, you haven’t seen how barricaded she’s become since everyone left. It’s not healthy. She needs to do something that will get her moving in a positive direction.”
“I don’t know, Brynn. Are you sure? It hasn’t been very long since the funeral.”
Brynn flinched at the mention of Aiden’s death. She thought about it often enough, but she never spoke about it. Neither did Jaya. The funeral had been terrible, dragging Brynn’s guilt to a breaking point. She’d started having nightmares right along with Jaya after that.
Brynn side-stepped Kerri’s question. “I just want her to come and relax. She’s so sad all the time.”
“Her fiancé died.” Frustration flared in Kerri’s voice, and Brynn’s anxiety rose.
“That’s exactly the point!” If Kerri brought up Aiden’s death one more time, Brynn was going to hyperventilate.
Kerri turned away fidgeting uncomfortably with Eric’s lapels, his hands resting on hers without managing to still them.
Before Kerri could come up with another excuse, Brynn spoke again. “I’m not making a difference by myself. Having us all together was so good for her before. She needs us.”
The bell on the door jingled, and Kerri looked over Brynn’s shoulder, smiling at the newcomer.
Brynn would have to make this quick. “I need you to help me. Please.”
“Aw, you don’t have to beg.”
The masculine voice that spoke from the front of the store was as familiar to her as a scale in C major. Brynn caught her breath and whipped around, consumed by memories and regrets. “Mic?”
It was all she could say. Surprise caught everything else in her throat.
“Brynn?” Mic Ryvre stood in silhouetted in the doorway. His blond hair glowing a warmer gold than her pale curls. Confusion shifted his posture from wide-legged confidence to his hand rubbing the back of his neck and his gaze darting past every person in the room. As if someone would explain how they’d ended up here.
He cleared his throat and nodded at her. “Hi, um, I thought you were . . . What are you doing here?”
“I came to see Kerri.” She glanced down and coughed. He sported a long-sleeved T-shirt and . . . nothing else. “You—” she coughed again and shook her head. “Sorry, you—what are you doing here?”
His legs were completely bare except for some kind of short-shorts hiding under the hem of his T-shirt.
She looked closer and swallowed, hard. There was a good chance those were boxer briefs. She blinked and dropped her gaze to the floor. It’s not like she wanted to stare awkwardly at his toes, but this was mic and those were definitely underwear.
Was she blushing?
“Hey, blondie, my eyes are up here,” Mic cut her off in a breath, and her gaze shot to his face.
Her blush deepened.
His smile was back. A real—genuine—Mic smile. While she probably looked like a pomegranate. Jealousy surged through her tensing muscles. This was so much easier for him.
Of course it was. Everything is easier when you don’t care about anything.
“What’s that . . . umm—” She fought with the uncooperative words. “Is—where . . .Where are your pants?”

★★★★★ Book Nerd, Book Reviewer - I am not a reader of romantic fiction, but this little book caught my eye at an author event. Yes, the ending is predictable, but love is about the beautiful journey. My favorite part is the story about the marbles...you'll have to read it to find out what I mean.