Summer with the Marine by Ellie Hall

He’s a marine figuring out how to be a dad. She’s out of work and moves in with her mom. A surprise reunion brings the old friends together. Will a dare turn them into something more?
Eisley Higgins is laid off and needs a fresh start. Her mother offers her the loft space at her new beach cottage. The last thing she wants to do is move to a retirement community in coastal Florida. Once there, her priority is to find a new job. She’s hired at a local restaurant and her coworkers insist she follow through with the new-employee ritual to go on a date with her first customer. She’s shocked when it turns out to be her childhood best friend.
Ford Armstrong spent over ten years in the military serving his country. During that time, he married, but the relationship and his hope for a family quickly fizzled. After what felt like a failure, he fully turned his focus to the Marine Corps, but then received two life-changing pieces of news. He’s a father and his grandfather died, leaving him an estate in Florida. Upon arriving in town, he runs into the girl who got away. Only, the first thing out of her mouth is the last thing he expects to hear.
Over a decade of friendship. Then over a decade apart. Can they overcome their hardships, get past secrets, and come together to create a future?