The Shore Thing — A.R. Barley

Sunburned Delaware native Dale Seward spends his summers wrangling lifeguards and cracking crabs. His winters are a whole lot colder.

Nico Travelli's never even seen the ocean, but when his family's plans for him get derailed, he realizes his future in their upscale Italian restaurants might be over, and it's time for something new. He's hypnotized by his first look at the Atlantic -- until a wave takes him out. Luckily, Dale's there to pull him to safety.

Dale knows better than to fall for a summer person, but that doesn't mean he can't show Nico a good time. Between the ice cream cones and the put-put golf, these two lonely hearts soon find themselves in over their heads.

But when Nico is tempted by a second chance at the life he always thought he wanted, will he be brave enough to give it up for the possibility of true love with Dale? And what does the sexy lifeguard do during the winter? In a state as small as Delaware, secrets are bound to come out.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.