Tress: Single Dads of Gaynor Beach

By Michele Shriver

After losing his police officer husband in a line of duty shooting, Tress Covey-Fox fled the big city for a quieter life in the seaside community of Gaynor Beach. It's the perfect place to raise their daughter and grow his real estate business… if only a certain sexy engineer would stop showing up at his job sites. As tempting as Logan's blue eyes might be, Tress has no interest in ever risking his heart again. But when Delaney's biological mother shows up in town threatening to shatter the life he's built, Tress will do anything to keep his family together, no matter how ridiculous the idea sounds.

Civil engineer Logan Gentry always knew he wanted to settle in Gaynor Beach once he discharged from the Navy, and that was before he met the new developer in town. Although Tress insists he doesn't do relationships anymore, when his attorney suggests a two-parent household would look better to the court, Logan is more than happy to play along, because he knows the spark between them is real even if the relationship isn't.

Tress is a slow burn, fake it 'til you make it MM romance with moderate angst and is part of the Single Dads of Gaynor Beach series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SMC Publishing
• Release date: Jul 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223388302

Michele Shriver

Michele Shriver grew up in Texas and now lives in the Midwest, where she has a general law practice. In her free time, she enjoys bicycling, Zumba fitness and watching sports on TV. She is working on her second novel, a spin-off of After Ten.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

TRESS

And the award for the best new business in Gaynor Beach goes to Fox Development Group, led by owner and developer Tress Covey-Fox.

I hear the mayor’s announcement, and even though I’m expecting the news, it’s still hard to take in. I had no idea what I was getting into when I moved here six months ago and launched the business. I just knew I had to get away from San Diego and I thought a quiet, seaside town would be a good fit for me and for Delaney as well.

Congratulations, Shyloh says from her seat next to me. But you realize you have to make a speech now, right?

Yeah, yeah. I stand, adjust my tie, and make my way over to the podium to accept the plaque from the mayor.

I clutch it in my right hand as I step up to the microphone and look out at the crowd. I hate public speaking, but Shyloh’s right. After winning this award, I’m kind of obligated to say a few words. It won’t be a lot of them, though.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor and thank you to the citizens of Gaynor Beach, I begin. I look down at the plaque, which is honestly not that impressive. Heck, it’s smaller than the trophy my daughter’s soccer team brought home a couple months ago. Delaney is seven and already bringing home bigger awards than her dad. Good for her.

Small though it is, though, this award is special to me.

When I moved here six months ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew I needed a change. A quieter community to settle down in and raise my daughter. I came to Gaynor Beach as a widow and a single dad, still scarred from my loss, and launched a new business. And right away, I encountered skepticism and sometimes a little hostility, too.

I look at Liz Campbell-Wait, sitting at a table with her wife, Heather. Liz was used to being the hot shot realtor in town and didn’t exactly welcome me and my fledgling development company with open arms when I arrived. We sparred a few times, but now we’ve both figured out that there is room for two real estate brokers in Gaynor Beach and a little healthy competition isn’t a bad thing. These days, we consider ourselves friends. Liz and Heather’s son sometimes even babysits for Delaney.

Ultimately, though, this community welcomed me, and supported me and my business, and allowed it to grow and thrive, I continue. I’ve got big plans for the Fox Development Group and I think you’ll be excited to learn about the new projects we have planned for this town. I look forward to sharing more details about those in the coming weeks.

For now, though, I’m ready to get away from the podium. I pause and scan the crowd again. Probably time to wrap it up. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. They’ve already given me an award. I don’t want to talk them to death.

Thanks again for bestowing this tremendous honor upon me. On behalf of Fox Development, I am happy to accept it, I say. And I am even happier that Delaney and I get to call Gaynor Beach home. Thank you for welcoming us to your community.

I linger for another few seconds, taking in the applause, before turning to exit stage left, the award in my hand. As much as I hate crowds and making speeches, I don’t think this went too badly.

And I meant every word, especially about being happy to have made Gaynor Beach the home for my company, as well as for Delaney and me. If it has to be this way, just the two of us, then this is a good place to be.

Even if it still hurts like fucking hell that it has to be this way. I still wonder every day why the world is so cruel. It’s not supposed to be me raising Delaney on my own. Caleb was supposed to be with us. Caleb was always the strong one, the one we could always count on. Eight months later, I’m still trying to figure out if I have what it takes raise Delaney on my own.

As I’m walking back to my table, I spot a man standing at the back of the room. in the crowd. He’s of average height, with a stocky build and a short, military style haircut, and right away I’m a little bit wary. Not that I have anything against military men, but I’ve already been advised that some aren’t going like my new condo development because of how close it is to the Conway military base. I know my property line isn’t infringing on the military property—my own engineers and surveyors have double and triple checked that—but I still know I’m going to have the Naval Engineers showing up at my job site to make sure.

I don’t even know this guy, but I question why he’s here, tonight, in his Naval dress uniform. It’s like he’s trying to put me on notice or something, and I don’t like it. I also don’t like Navy guy’s piercing brown eyes and the way his dress uniform fits his body. More specifically, I don’t like that I notice.

I try not to look in his direction, instead making my way back to where my ‘date’ for the evening is waiting. The expression on Shyloh’s face tells me she, too, is ready to get out of there.

She drains the last of her glass of her glass of wine, sets it down and meets my eyes. Good speech. Congrats again. Are we ready to go now?

Yeah. Good ole Shyloh. I don’t know whether anyone in town believes our act—probably not—and I don’t much care. I only want people to leave me alone, and if Shyloh is around, I can almost guarantee they will.

Yeah, but I’m not sure I’m ready to go home. I still have the babysitter for a couple more hours. I thought I’d swing by Pryde and grab a beer. The owner is a friend of mine and leases one of my waterfront properties. I like to show my support for the new business in town. I also have a fondness for craft beer.

I can drop you off at your place first, if you don’t want to go, I tell Shyloh. I picked her up for the awards. Since she’s pretending to be my date and all, it made more sense for us to arrive together.

No, I’m in. A flicker of amusement dances in her eyes. I’m sure I can find a ride home, if that’s what it comes to.

Okay, then. I can’t help but laugh because I’ve seen that look before. I call it Shyloh on the prowl. Let’s go.

No, we probably aren’t fooling anyone, but whatever. We make the short drive over to Pryde, and I hold the door open for Shyloh, allowing her to enter first. I’ll buy your drink, I say and head over to the bar.

Instead of joining me, though, Shyloh spots a cute brunette standing by one of the pool tables and makes a beeline in her direction. Yeah. She’s on the prowl, all right. Never mind, then, I mutter under my breath as the owner comes my way. Hey, Destin.

Hi, Tress. I wasn’t expecting you tonight, he says. What can I get you?

Whatever new IPA you have on draft. The beer list is one of the reasons I always enjoy visiting Pryde.

Coming up. Destin grabs a glass from underneath the counter, douses it with water, and sets it under the tap. How’s your evening going? You had the award thing tonight, right?

Yeah. It was fine, I say. It’s been a good night.

Really? Because it looks like your date’s found a new companion for the night. The voice isn’t Destin’s, but rather belongs to another guy sitting at the bar and nursing a beer.

I glance in the direction of the pool table, where it appears that Shyloh and the brunette are, indeed, hitting it off. I’m not surprised. She’s already told me she intends to find her own ride home. I set my gaze at guy at the bar, recognizing him from the award banquet. He’s still wearing his Navy dress uniform, and he still looks hot as hell in it. What’s it to you, anyway?

CHAPTER 2

LOGAN

What is it to me? I don’t know why I decide to cop an attitude, other than my surprise and delight at running into the sexy real estate developer here and not knowing how to respond. There’s something about the way he carries himself, and the confident way he walks. It was impossible not to take notice of him at the banquet when he strode up to the podium to accept his award. It doesn’t hurt that he’s tall, lean and his suit fits him perfectly. Yeah, I noticed, all right.

And to run into him here, of all places? My night is looking up.

Meanwhile, the woman he arrived here with, the one who I thought was his date, is now getting nice and cozy with the girl at the pool table. The picture is coming into focus, and I have to say I like the new clarity.

It’s nothing, I say. Just making conversation. The bartender sets his beer on the counter. I’ll get that.

No, you won’t. He tosses a ten on the bar. Thanks, Destin. Keep the change. As the bartender takes the bill and turns away, Tress looks at me. I’ll buy my own drinks. I’m not here to get picked up.

I hold up my hands in a show of surrender. Got it. Normally, once I’ve been shot down, I’ll move on to someone else. That’s the great thing about a town like Gaynor Beach. There are plenty of hot guys, and plenty of them like guys. I don’t usually have to work too hard to find one to fuck.

The uniform doesn’t hurt, either. People always say that women love a man in uniform, but around here, the men do, too. Except this one doesn’t seem too impressed by it.

Instead of moving on to someone else, though, I decide to make conversation. My buddy back at base would be proud. Congrats on the award. It’s well deserved.

Thanks, he says. Sorry if I was a little rude a second ago. I got a little uneasy when I saw you at the banquet toight. I’ve got a meeting tomorrow with one of the engineers from Conway about one of my projects.

I don’t want to tell him that meeting is with me, because I doubt that will do much to endear me to him. Besides, that’s tomorrow. It’ll come soon enough. Tonight, I’m just a guy looking for a little action.

"Interesting. I