When I Should've Stayed (Red Bridge, 2)

She thought they were divorced. He never filed the papers.
Now he’s determined to prove their love story isn’t over.

Josie: Before The Moment
There are ghosts at every corner. In the stolen kisses while I waitressed at the diner, in the town festivals in the square, in the many jokes about Betty Bagley and her pie at the Fall Farmer’s Market, and in countless nights spent watching Clay make drinks with that handsome smile of his plastered on his face while I sat on a stool at the bar.

It should all feel familiar and comforting, and yet, it makes it hard for the person I am now to breathe at all.

I wish I’d been stronger. I wish I’d been wiser. I wish I didn’t have to do this.
I wish.

Tonight will be a defining moment for the rest of my life.

I have to end it now…
…before it ends me.

Clay: After The Moment
When Josie and I said, ‘I do’, I thought it’d be us against the world forever. But I wasn’t expecting the world to be so against us.

I know I should’ve stayed that night, and I should have gone back a heck of a lot sooner.

Because I don’t know how to be here. I don’t know how to be anywhere.

Truth is, I don’t know how to be without Josie at all.

She might think we’re done, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure we’re not.

• A second-chance romance with a twist: She believed their divorce was final—he never filed the papers.

• Emotional depth set in a small town: Nostalgia, regret, and unresolved love linger in every memory-filled corner.

• Dual perspectives for a richer narrative: Follow both Josie and Clay as they navigate heartbreak, healing, and hope.

• Powerful character-driven storytelling: A woman ready to walk away for good, and a man determined to rewrite their ending.

• Themes of forgiveness and resilience: Explores the complexity of love, timing, and the courage to face the past.

• Perfect for fans of second-chance love stories: Ideal for readers who enjoy emotional, slow-burn contemporary romance.

• A defining moment changes everything: One night will decide whether their love story truly ends—or begins again.