Blurb:

The past refused to let their love die.

The last thing Loretta “Lo” Inam expected to find on her new dating service was the one man who shattered her heart. Dating without seeing each other or knowing the other’s name seemed perfect. She spent seven months falling for the charming man with a deep voice and a strong personality. Connecting over their love of 80’s movies, the outdoors, and more, she’s ready to call him the one. Imagine her shock when she sees her lost love, Tomas Garcia. 

Attorney to a prestigious family law firm, Tomas Garcia is tired of hooking up with women who only want him for what he can give them. The new dating site was perfect for his needs. Meeting his mystery woman and falling in love over late-night conversations, online dates with the camera turned off, and secret sharing, he was ready to commit. A first meeting at the bar reveals her to be the one woman he always regretted letting go of. 

Did fate bring them back together, or was it an unfortunate case of coincidence?

Tomas

O’Malley’s is bustling as I step inside. People are packed into the tables, booths against the wall, and the bar. My eyes scan the room eagerly. I feel like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this one moment. Chest tightening, I step further inside, clutching the single rose between my fingers. A red bloom rests on the counter at the end of the bar furthest for me. I take in the off-the-shoulder mustard yellow dress that contrasts with smooth brown skin. A hint of cleavage teases me with the merest glimpse of plump breasts in the v cut of the dress. I follow the slender neck up and meet the stunned, wide-eyed gaze of the one woman in my past who held a candle to L.

“Loretta?” I whisper

She rises abruptly. The legs of the stool scrap the floor. “You.” Her shoulder-length curls bounce around her face as she shakes her head. “You’re, T?”

“You. You’re, L?” It makes an insane kind of sense. I didn’t mistake her as being the one. It’s been here all along. The odds of things lining up to put us both here in front of each other is mind-blowing. The one-woman etched into my very soul is in front of me a vision in yellow and indignation. Her eyes flash with anger. The familiar spunk makes me smile.

“I’m gone.” She sidesteps me, and my chest clenches. Everything in me screams no.

I grab her arm. “Don’t leave Lo. I’ve been praying for this moment for years.”

She peers at me over her shoulder. The pain in her gaze guts me. “You expect me to believe that.”

“Yes, because it’s the truth. I’ve always regretted the way I handled things—.”

Turning to face me, she shakes her head. “We’ve already tried this once, Tomas.”

“And yet here we are, against all odds.  It’s a sign.”

She exhales. “Give us a chance. Let me prove I’m not that self-centered prick with a chip on his shoulder. I can’t go back to days without hearing from my L.”

“Tomas. Sorry is nothing more than a five-letter word—.”

“That’s why I asked for the chance to prove it.”

“Dulzura.”

Her lids lower, and I know I’ve won. “How would we even do this?”

I stand up straighter. “Hello Lo, it’s nice to finally put a face with the name.”

“Just like that?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I know it’s going to be a rocky road, but you are worth it. You have to know you’ve become my everything, Dulzura.”

“Don’t say words you don’t mean.”

“I’m the same man you’ve spoken to nearly every day for the past six months. We have an unpleasant event in our past. But that’s not all we have.” I step closer. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Lo.