First Kiss #27

A 14-year-old who looks and acts older resolves to hide her true age when her family moves to Elmdale, hoping for a fresh start where she can finally fit in with kids her own age. When she meets the charming Steve Grey at a party, she falls for him—but as their relationship deepens, the weight of her secret threatens to pull them apart. Carol must decide whether keeping up the deception is worth losing something real.

After two years working as social directors at Grayarlin, Kit and Barry Mason have built a steady, comfortable love—but when a flirtatious guest and a moment of doubt make Kit question whether their relationship has truly deepened or simply cooled, she finds herself caught between the passion of youth and the quiet certainty of time. As misunderstandings pile up and jealousy flares around her, Kit must reckon with what her heart actually wants and what love really means to her.

Raised by her protective aunt and kept sheltered from men her entire life, Regina finds herself a lonely twenty-one-year-old with no romantic experience—until a chance encounter with an old neighbor and a frank conversation with her school principal make her question whether she's destined to become a bitter spinster. When she finally decides to break free from her aunt's control and embrace life on her own terms, she discovers what genuine connection with a man might actually feel like.

When an insurance investigator arrives accusing her uncle of faking a disability claim, Laura Millard finds herself caught between family loyalty and the troubling truth of his situation—especially as the investigator's dogged pursuit forces her to confront uncomfortable questions about what her uncle really needs. As John Poole's investigation deepens and an unexpected crisis at the shore forces uncle and investigator into an unguarded moment, Laura discovers that sometimes the person trying to prove you wrong might actually be trying to help.

George Washington rose from teenage surveyor to military officer, commanding forces in the French and Indian War and earning acclaim—but the young soldier's true conviction lay elsewhere, already envisioning a future independent from British rule. This biographical tale traces how Washington's early years of service shaped his lifelong dedication to his country, long before he would become the general Americans remember.