A Long Time Coming

Prologue

Mya Stennis sat at her kitchen table with a bowl of rocky road ice cream and a glass of Cabernet—her version of a Saturday night companion. Before Izzy got married, she would have been right here with her, laughing, gossiping, and eating ice cream straight from the carton.

But Izzy had married her handsome husband a few months ago, and now she was tucked away in marital bliss. Izzy and Nicholas had weathered a rough patch, but they were stronger than ever—so in love it was almost blinding. Mya was genuinely happy for her friend, even if it reminded her how empty her own evenings felt.

She scooped another spoonful of ice cream, trying not to feel pathetic. Attractive, single, and spending the night with dairy and wine—this was not the glowing life she’d imagined. She hadn’t been on a date in ages. Not that she was avoiding men. She simply hadn’t met anyone who stirred anything real in her.

Well… there was one man. But he didn’t seem to want her.

A familiar heaviness settled over her. She’d spent far too long hoping Remy St. John would look at her the way Nicholas looked at Izzy. They ran into each other often thanks to their overlapping families, which only made things worse. She had even started skipping gatherings when she knew he’d be there. Pretending she was fine around him had become exhausting. If he hadn’t noticed her by now, he never would.

Thinking of Izzy made her smile again. Her friend was deliriously happy—radiant even. Mya wanted that same feeling—the kind that made your heart race and your world expand. Unfortunately, Izzy’s oldest brother, Remy, was the one man she couldn’t have. And the one man she couldn’t seem to forget.

Remy was the sort of man who walked into a room and drew every eye without trying—tall, dark, effortlessly handsome, with a slow, confident stride that turned the heads of women who should have known better. Mya had seen him fluster married women, and he remained blissfully unaware of the chaos he caused.

Izzy knew about Mya’s feelings. She had urged her to give Remy time. But how much time was reasonable for a man who barely acknowledged her as anything more than his sister’s friend?

Time wasn’t healing anything. If anything, it was making her hope harder to let go.

Thankfully, life had offered her a distraction in the form of Nathan Madden—Nicholas’s brother. Over the last several months, Mya and Nathan had grown close. They attended events together, laughed together, and made an oddly effective platonic pair. People often assumed they were dating, and neither of them bothered to correct the rumor. It gave Mya convenient cover while she tried to untangle herself from her feelings for Remy.

If only there were actual chemistry between her and Nathan. They had fun, shared interests, and an easy rhythm—but the spark simply wasn’t there. Still, his friendship had been a blessing.

Mya poured the last of her wine and carried her glass to the sink, rinsing out her bowl before heading upstairs. Between the bubble bath and the wine, sleep was calling her name.

Enough was enough. She was done putting her life on pause for a man who barely noticed her existence. From now on, Remington St. John could take a comfortable seat in the far back corner of her mind.
There were plenty of fish in the sea—and starting tomorrow, Mya Stennis was going fishing.