Tides of Trust

A man who’s lost himself in work. A woman learning how to heal. A love that asks them both to trust again.

Kylie Mayfield was once the golden girl of Driftwood Bay—the first in her family to go to college and the first to believe she’d escaped small-town limits. Now she’s also the first to divorce. After her husband abandons her following the birth of their special needs daughter, Kylie is pushed to her breaking point by devastating loss. Returning home is not a failure—it’s survival. Working for her family’s charter business offers comfort, stability, and a chance to begin again.

Zane Wagner has sworn off love. Scarred by a brief, painful marriage and consumed by his career, he returns to Driftwood Bay to oversee the grand opening of Tidewater, the newest Wagner Enterprises resort. Summers spent here as a child once brought him joy—but adulthood has taught him to keep his heart firmly guarded.

When Zane and Kylie cross paths, their attraction is immediate. A business arrangement to transport Tidewater guests soon turns into something more complicated. Zane proposes a temporary, no-strings affair during his time in Texas—and to her own surprise, Kylie agrees. What begins as uncomplicated passion slowly becomes something deeper, as Zane chips away at Kylie’s carefully built defenses and helps her rediscover confidence, laughter, and hope.

But when Zane makes it clear he plans to return to New York alone, old wounds reopen.

As Zane’s own walls begin to crumble, he’s forced to confront a truth he’s long avoided: some risks are worth taking. But trust doesn’t come easily to hearts that have already been broken.

Will fear and past pain wash away their chance at lasting happiness—or will Zane and Kylie find the courage to trust in love one final time?

Meet the men and women of Driftwood Bay, a Texas coastal town where neighbors know your name and couples discover a second chance at life—and love. Emotionally resonant and deeply heartfelt, Alexa Aston brings the Coastal Dreams series to a powerful close with a story about grief, trust, and the courage it takes to love again. Tides of Trust is perfect for readers who cherish small-town settings, second chances, and romances that heal as they unfold.