Excerpt from MORE THAN FRIENDS by Denise Hunter:
Chapter 1
When Jenna Greene’s boyfriend got down on bended knee in the middle of their favorite upscale restaurant, she frowned in confusion. “Jason . . .” Wow, so many ways to finish that sentence.
Didn’t we talk about this?
Please don’t do this.
Everyone is watching.
Because yes, as luck would have it, every table at The Bradley was full. The ambient noise of muted chatter and clanking silverware was outdone only by Frank Sinatra, who crooned “Fly Me to the Moon.” Which incidentally sounded like a lovely idea right now.
The clamor hushed as their audience caught onto the moment. Jason gazed up at Jenna, his hazel eyes gleaming behind clear-framed glasses. “Jenna, when you first walked in the door at Fleming Orthodontics I knew you were the one—and not just for the office position.”
Jenna’s heart threatened to burst from her chest. As he continued talking, her thoughts spun like a top. She should’ve seen this coming! It was the second anniversary of their first date. It was Valentine’s Day. And hadn’t he just brought up marriage (again) last week?
But why was he proposing when she’d told him (again) she wasn’t ready for that? Well, maybe not told, but certainly intimated! She was in no hurry. She was only twenty-seven. They had the rest of their lives to take the next step.
Jason continued regaling her with what she could only assume were romantic sentiments. Her smile felt plastic as her gaze darted around the room. Yep, every eye was locked on them, hopeful anticipation animating each face. Women were practically swooning over the grand gesture. Jenna was practically swooning too, if you went by the literal definition.
She put her fingers to her spinning head. She had to say yes, didn’t she? It was pretty much a prerequisite of a public proposal. Besides which, friends of his family were likely present. Alexandria, Virginia wasn’t exactly a metropolis, and the Flemings were well-known since his mother was the mayor.
If Jenna said no, word would quickly spread and Jason would be humiliated. His family would hate her. There would be no way for him to save face if she rejected him so publicly.
Maybe that was the whole point.
She shook away the unproductive thought as the rich scent of hot fudge wafted to her nose. The double-chocolate brownie now sat in her stomach like a lead brick. Her cloth dinner napkin slipped from the table, and the room was so quiet she actually heard it hit the wooden floor.
Then Jason reached into his pocket and produced a ring: a shiny gold band set with a flashy oval diamond. So very lovely—if not exactly her style. But what did one expect when one avoided ring shopping with one’s boyfriend?
He bought a ring.
She definitely had to say yes. Then once they were alone, she’d gently walk back her answer. It was the kind thing to do—wasn’t it?
Or maybe she’d just go along with it. Sure, she’d wanted to wait awhile longer. Till she was ready. But she loved Jason. And it had been two years. Maybe she should just bite the bullet.
She winced at the unromantic thought. But really, she did love the guy. He was a kind man. Great with kids. Handsome in that John Krasinski way. She loved everything about him. Except that he rooted for the Nationals. And, okay, the way he didn’t quite hear her sometimes. (Case in point.) Also, that teensy problem with his holding grudges. But nobody was perfect!
So she would say yes. Maybe she wouldn’t even take it back later. Or maybe she would. She’d have to postpone that decision because Jason was taking a breath, the anticipated question hovering on his lips, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Jenna Mae Greene . . . will you marry me?” Jason’s sparkling eyes cheered her on. His lips curved in that about-to-win smirk she saw regularly just before his final checkmate.
It was her turn to talk. But the abrupt silence was like a black hole. A vacuum, sucking every thought from her head. Literally, everything she’d been thinking . . . gone. Lost. Vanished.
Say something!
How about yes!
Just say yes!
She opened her mouth. But her thick tongue was cemented to the roof of her mouth.
Jason gave a nervous chuckle. “Jenna?”
“I—” she croaked. Then her throat constricted as if she’d suddenly developed a severe allergy to chocolate—or sudden, unwanted proposals.
Say yes, dummy! Then joy would transform his expression, he’d slip that ring on her finger, and kiss her like she’d just made him the happiest man alive. The entire restaurant would explode with approval, the server would offer their best bottle of champagne, and they would toast to the rest of their lives.
But.
A yes would also be the biggest, meanest lie she ever told. Because the cold fingers of dread clamping around her heart told her everything she needed to know.
“Jenna . . .?” His eyes searched hers, the sparkle extinguishing even as the smile wilted from his lips.
Robbed of her ability to speak, she gave her head a miniscule shake.
His neck mottled with color as his eyes turned hard. Harder than she’d ever seen them. “Are you serious right now?” he whispered. Or maybe it was a hiss.
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
His nostrils flared and a shadow flickered in his jaw as it clenched.
The jewelry box’s loud, sharp snap made her jump.
He shot to his feet, dug out his wallet, and flung some bills onto the table. Without another glance he strode away from her and disappeared around the corner.
She had to go after him. Explain. Comfort him.
The room had somehow gotten even quieter, every eyeball fixed on her like hot lasers. The palpable hatred spurred her into action.
She stood, grabbed her purse from the chair, but it caught. Her hands trembled as she freed it. Then she followed in Jason’s wake, not quite impervious to the glares aimed her way.
When she exited the restaurant she spotted him under a streetlight, heading toward his car. “Jason!” Oh, sure, now her voice worked. “Jason, wait.” She quickened her steps, wobbly in her four-inch heels.
He slowed but only because he neared his car. The lights flashed as he unlocked the door with his key fob.
She caught up to him as he reached for the handle. “Please, Jason, let’s go somewhere and talk.”
“Oh, now you want to talk.”
The scene in the restaurant flashed in her brain and she winced. “I’m so sorry. I meant to say yes.”
“You meant to say yes? What’s that supposed to mean?”
She grimaced. “Well, what did you expect? You caught me off guard. You put me on the spot. We just talked about this. You knew I wasn’t ready.”
He waved away her words. “You always say that.”
“Because that’s how I feel! I like things the way they are. Why did you have to do that—ask me like that in front of everyone?”
“I thought you could use a little push.”
A little push? As if she were a child who didn’t know her own mind? “What I could use is a little more time.”
He gave a bitter laugh. “It’s been two years, Jenna. How much time do you need?” His frosty gaze never left her as he shook his head, the moment lengthening. “What was I thinking? You’ll never settle down.”
That wasn’t true. Was it? “You’re wrong.”
“Really? You’re twenty-seven, and this isn’t exactly your first serious relationship. In case you haven’t noticed, they all seem to end the same way—just like this one.”
End? This one? Her chest tightened as she took his hand. “Jason. Come on. Just because I don’t want to get married today doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. I love you. I see a future with you. This doesn’t have to change anything.”
His expression tightened as he withdrew his hand. “It changes everything. I’m not wasting any more time with someone who’s not interested in a commitment.”
“I am committed to you!”
“I want marriage, Jenna. And kids. I’m tired of waiting around for you to be ready.” He sneered the word.
He was breaking up with her? But things had been fine! Why did he have to go and ruin everything?
A shiver swept over her. The sleeveless dress was no match for the February chill, and she’d left her wrap inside—where it would stay because no way was she going back in there.
“And thank you for the public humiliation. That was a real treat. I’m sure you can manage an Uber.” He reached for the handle and yanked open the door.
She jumped from harm’s way. He was leaving her here? She tried to process his atypical behavior even while her head swam with tonight’s chain of events.
He turned just before he slipped into the car and aimed an icy stare her way. “Oh, and you’re fired.”
With that his door shut, then he started the car and pulled from the curb, leaving her alone on the sidewalk.
MORE THAN FRIENDS. Copyright © 2026 by Denise Hunter. All rights reserved.
MORE THAN FRIENDS by Denise Hunter
Narrator: Kim Churchill
A Novel
Who knew that returning home after a broken engagement could be the best decision you ever made? Denise Hunter is back with another heartwarming contemporary romance with a sweet friends-to- more story that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night.
Jenna Greene just ended things with her boyfriend . . . which also ended her career. (That’s the risk a girl takes when her boyfriend doubles as her boss.) With no income and no job prospects in sight, Jenna is forced to return to her mother’s house on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, to figure out what’s next. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Jenna’s widowed mother has just returned from a cruise–with a brand-new boyfriend in tow. But there’s something off about the guy. His story doesn’t quite add up, and he keeps sneaking off to make suspicious phone calls and borrowing money from her too-trusting mother.
In search of some investigative help, Jenna turns to her childhood BFF, Tyson Parker, who lives and works in town. Still reeling from his wife’s infidelity, Tyson is doing his best to heal from the pain of divorce. He’s made a name for himself on the island as a volunteer firefighter and one of the much-admired saltwater cowboys who looks after Chincoteague’s wild ponies. Oh, and he turned out to be more than a tiny bit attractive–besides being almost-too-good-to-be-true sweet and caring.
Growing up, the uber-competitive Jenna was always accepted as one of the guys. But things have changed between her and Tyson, and he’s now looking at her through new eyes. Jenna suddenly feels like a leading lady on a movie set– only with way less composure.
But Jenna also has old wounds that make these new feelings seem fraught with peril. Is she willing to open her heart and see where love might lead? Or will she let her hesitant heart hold her back?
Romance Contemporary [ Thomas Nelson, On Sale: April 14, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781400348732 / eISBN: 9781400348756 ]
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About Denise Hunter
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 40 novels, three of which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on The 700 Club and been featured in Woman’s Day and Southern Living.
Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.
In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.
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