When faced with a life-changing decision, Jake Duval takes the road less traveled. In the face of uncertainty, he stands firm in his beliefs and decides to raise his daughter, Rylee, on his own.

Through perseverance, dedication, and holding onto a dream, he struggles to better himself and give his daughter the world.

Despite his love for his daughter, Jake is disillusioned by love and bitter from betrayal after Rylee’s mother abandons them.

That is, until the moment he sees her—Faith Castellano—and everything seems to fall into place. He begins to believe in crazy things, such as “love at first sight.”

As Faith sweeps him off his feet, they live life, make promises to each other, and experience the beautifulness of love and adventure, Jake comes to discover that nothing is as it seems and sometimes your dreams are the reason those promises you make are broken.



One, one thousand.

Two, one thousand.

Three, one thousand.

Four, one thousand . . .

My body jerks as my parachute opens, and it is time to maneuver myself to my landing destination.

Soon, I’ll hit the ground and the real ‘fun’ will begin. No problems are expected, but there is always the chance that something may go wrong.

In the seconds prior to landing, a whole lot of things go through your mind. Because you know that once your feet hit the ground, there isn’t a guarantee you’ll go home alive. You may never see your children grow or hold your wife’s hand as it wrinkles next to yours. So many things you never did and should have done go through your mind, and you have to push them back because you have to focus on what’s to come.

It’s times like these you become a praying man. You pray the mission goes well and you can get your men out alive. That even if you go home with a bullet in you, at least you go home alive.

You remember why you carry a gun and fight this fight. Not for yourself, but for something greater. You fight for your country, for your loved ones and their safety, and for honor. For something more than yourself.

Because nothing makes a man greater than what he’s willing to do and sacrifice for the betterment of those he loves.

Despite all my praying, something tells me that this time will be different than the times before. I am not afraid to die, per say, but I am afraid to die without telling my wife and daughter I love them one last time.
  A proud Texan, ML Rodriguez is the author of the La Flor Series and the upcoming Men of Phoenix Series. She writes contemporary romance with a touch of supernatural and emphasizes the importance of family and friendship. ML currently lives in Bavaria, Germany with her husband and two children. She’s a lover of all things coffee, chocolate, and buffalo chicken dip. When she’s not writing, she loves to drive her husband crazy, laugh at the hilarious things her children come up with, or enjoys curling up on her couch with her Kindle.

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