Only with You: A Second Chance Widower Small Town Romance (Annapolis Harbor Book 1)

Only with You
Copyright © 2020 by Lea Meyer
All Rights Reserved.
This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect is greatly appreciated.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Editing by Evident Ink
Editing by Heart Full of Ink
Proofreading by Virginia Carey
Cover Design by Okay Creations
Photography by Wander Aguiar


Table of Contents
Books by Lea Coll
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Books by Lea Coll
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Excerpt from Choose Me


Books by Lea Coll
All I Want Series
Choose Me
Be with Me
Burn for Me
Trust in Me
Stay with Me
Take a Chance on Me
Annapolis Harbor Series
Only with You
Lost without You
Perfect for You
Boudreaux Universe Novel
Easy Moves
Download a free novella, Swept Away, when you sign up for her newsletter.
To learn more about her books, please visit her website.


To my husband, whose childhood story about breaking his arm is finally memorialized in writing.


Chapter One


Hadley
I set my empty champagne glass on an empty table, tired of being at the Belles and Beaus Charity Ball. I turned to Layton to tell him it was time to leave, finding him on one knee. My face heated as the conversation around us quieted. A few people backed up to give us space.
“Layton, what are you doing?” I hissed.
“Hadley, we’ve only been together for a short time, but I’ve always wanted you in my life. Will you marry me?” His face was tilted up to mine, he grabbed my hand tightly, as if holding me in place, anchoring me to the moment.
I tried to draw in a breath around the tightness in my chest.
Our few dates flashed through my mind—outings with friends, charity events, and business dinners. We were rarely alone. We hadn’t even had sex. We didn’t love each other. Staring down at his face, the one filled with expectation, I wasn’t sure I even liked him.
I tugged on the hand Layton held, hoping he’d stand so we could speak privately. I needed to get him away from the crowd of spectators, but he didn’t budge. How could I tell him no in front of everyone? These people who pretended to be our friends were more interested in what we could do for them, whether it was status or money.
Layton’s eyes narrowed as if he sensed my hesitation. I sucked in a breath. He’d planned this. He wanted to put me on the spot so I couldn’t say no.
“Layton, we’ve only been dating for three months.” I smiled tightly keeping my voice low so no one could overhear.
Layton stood, tightened his grip on my right hand, lowering his mouth to my ear. “Say yes, Hadley.”
I was used to giving in to pressure from my father in situations like this. I wanted to please those I loved, but I didn’t love Layton. I couldn’t say yes to save him from the embarrassment of public rejection. I was irritated he’d put me in this situation, to begin with. I closed my eyes against the curious stares and the heavy expectation. “I didn’t put us in this situation.”
“Don’t embarrass me.” His voice was low and threatening. One thing I did know about him was that he hated not getting what he wanted. I’d seen him lash out at his employees if they didn’t do what he demanded. I never thought I’d be the recipient. If anything, he’d treated me with cold indifference. This public display was confusing.
The crowd around us began to shift. I’d been silent too long. Even if I said yes, the damage was done.
Layton cupped the back of my head, forcing me to look up at him. “Smile, sweetheart.” A muscle in his jaw clenched and his eyes held a warning—don’t make a scene.
I shook my head subtly, trying to communicate without words that we needed privacy for this conversation.
Layton turned away from me, raising our joined hands in the air. “She said, yes!”
My heart sank. How would I fix this? I didn’t like public spectacles or manipulation.
Shouts and claps erupted as relief swept through the room. Our parents and friends offered congratulations and hugs, but I didn’t take my eyes from Layton’s. His eyes warned me not to disagree with him. The one thing I’d been taught since I could remember was never make a scene. Reputation was everything, but this was different.
“I didn’t say yes, and you know it,” I said when most of the crowd dissipated. I also didn’t say no. The thought caused a trickle of panic down my spine.
“You didn’t have to. You’re mine.” He lifted my hand, slipping an enormous diamond ring on my finger.
A sick feeling filled my stomach. Layton never saw me. He only saw a woman who looked a certain way, who held an advanced degree, and whose father was friends and business associates with his father.
I didn’t want to embarrass Layton, but I wanted to be clear about what I wanted. I tugged my hand away, slipped the ring off, and held it out for him. “No. You don’t ask someone you’ve dated for three months to marry you in front of a room full of strangers. I don’t love you.”
“Who said anything about love?” He crossed his arms, refusing to take the ring.
I sighed, disgusted that I’d gone out with him to keep my father happy.