The Pilot

Sparks fly when a former bully moves in with her former victim in New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker's tantalizing third foray into Alpha Cove, a spicy military romance steeped in emotion.

Ex-fighter pilot Lincoln "Linc" Young is a survivor, masking his PTSD and nightmares behind a calm exterior. When his father's death brings him back to Maine to help his mom, he never expects to cross paths with his former high school tormentor. But the woman who once made his life hell now stirs completely different emotions in Linc, and when he finds Harper in need, he impulsively offers her and her young son a place to stay.

Harper Bates thought she'd hit rock bottom after returning to her childhood home in Rockville, Maine. Then her father begins judging her every move--and worse, her son Kash, when they discover he's being bullied at school. The last person she expects help from is Linc, the boy Harper herself had bullied years ago. Now a commanding presence who makes her and Kash feel safe, Linc inspires both a growing attraction...and lingering shame over her past actions.

Temporary cohabitation quickly turns into something more as Harper and Linc reveal intimate secrets that put them both on a path to healing. But they're unaware someone else has a secret. And it's about to impact the one person the couple can't live without--Kash.

(c) 2026 by Susan Stoker, all rights reserved.

Susan Stoker is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose series include Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, SEAL of Protection, and Delta Force Heroes. Married to a retired noncommissioned army officer, Stoker has lived all over the country--from California and Colorado to Texas, Missouri, and Tennessee--and currently lives in the beautiful wilds of Maine. A true believer in happily ever after, Stoker enjoys writing novels in which romance turns to love. To learn more about the author and her work, visit her website at www.stokeraces.com, or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorsusanstoker.