I first came face-to-face with PTSD when visiting my boyfriend’s house as a teenager. His father was a Vietnam veteran. When something made a loud noise, he dived under the nearest table. My next encounter was much later, in a restaurant. I’d inadvertently triggered it one of the other diners. Next thing I know, he’s standing beside my booth, his hand shaped like a gun, his index finger about an inch from my nose. If he’d held a real weapon, I might not be here today. Luckily, he snapped out of it, and a healthy discussion followed.

PTSD is real and it’s serious. In World War II, unfortunately, no one knew much about it. People swept it under the rug and struggled to regain their “normal” lives. At the most, it was called “shell shock” and soldiers were often sent back to the field after a few days of rest. After researching the basics, I read a firsthand account of a Navy SEAL’s experience in Afghanistan. That really helped me understand the impact of PTSD on veterans and their families.

In my story, Jean-Luc and Letty wrestle with it, a challenge that will either make or break their relationship.

Oyster Harbor ~ where passion and race collide

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Her past peppered with losses, showgirl Letty St. Claire only wants to finish her sentence so she can reunite with her newfound family. When Jean-Luc O’Neill, the fun-loving chef from her hometown, faithfully visits her every week, friendship grows into love.

With WW II raging, Jean-Luc’s first priority is bravery. Upon his enlistment, he and Letty plan their happily ever after, but the war has other plans. While the British Channel confronts him with the terrors of death, Letty wrestles with her own demons on Oyster Harbor’s tumultuous home front.

Then, when the Pacific destroys his mind and soul, Letty and his family struggle to pick up the pieces. Jean-Luc has become a stranger. Their happily ever after, shattered. Can they build something new from the losses, or will their love be another casualty of war?

Playlist:

Let’s Stay Together – Tina Turner
https://youtu.be/4rFB4nj_GRc

Make Believe – Toto
https://youtu.be/3WlRcAGbkpw?si=XmvqUU5RSswME_pb

In the Mood – Panama Francis & the Savoy Sultans
https://youtu.be/a3FRSRuxVPo?si=7QHVpZwldcePlue9

Excerpt (explicit)…

Letty’s Ever After – Copyright © Afton Locke, 2025

She stopped at her door, hoping it would look familiar to him.

“I’ll say good night here,” he told her. “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to kiss me.”

“Come in, just for a moment. Please.” She opened the door, led him in, and closed it behind her.

He studied the room with interest, his gaze lingering on the bed, but no remembrance flickered in his eyes.

“And you’re wrong,” she said.

“About what?”

“About wanting to kiss you.” She stroked his cheek. “Because I do.”

She looped her arms around him, forcing herself to go slow. Savoring the fit of his body against hers.

“You feel nice,” he whispered.

Not as good as you.

As soon as she attached her mouth to his, she forgot all about how fragile he was. She didn’t care. The need in her body sure didn’t. She’d been without this man for way too long, and they had a lot of lost time to make up for.

At first, she reveled in the familiar feel of his lips. They’d always been a little rough cut, like a man’s. His service in brutal terrain had made them more so. She studied each new fissure and rough spot with her tongue, getting to know him all over again.

But, eventually, the passion faded. He’d responded at first, but there must not be enough fuel on his end to keep the fire burning. She was doing all the work. Until, the passion in her died, too.

It stood to reason. While she kissed someone she loved deeply and missed even more, to him, she was merely an attractive stranger.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember you,” he said. “I can see in your eyes how much it hurts you.”

She traced the sun damage and a new tiny line on his cheek. As if she needed a physical reminder of what he’d been through.

“It’s okay,” she said. “If you’re meant to remember me, someday you will. I can wait.”

He kissed her again, rubbing his pelvis against hers. “I still want you, though.”

His hardness made her breasts swell, filling the soft cones of her brassiere. Other parts of her steamed up her panties. Oh, how she’d craved this man for so many long, lonely months. She eyed her bed, itching to tumble into it with him. Have him fill her, again and again until they both found joy again.

But inserting himself inside her wouldn’t fill her up. Not completely. Not the part that needed him most.

She dropped her hands and took a step back. “I think we’d better say good night.”

He gave her a light kiss. “Thank you, Letty. Tonight was like…heaven.”

She didn’t agree, but the fact that he said it touched her heart. It also gave her an idea of how awful the battlefield had been for him. They’d begun their relationship when she was in prison. Then the war had gotten in the way. Maybe they just needed some normalcy.

Their next date would be smoother. A new relationship with Jean-Luc would be better than none at all. So why did she curl up on her bed and cry after he left?

Because, no matter what she told herself, her heart still ached for the man who’d walked out several months—not minutes—ago.

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Afton Locke is a USA Today Bestselling Author who prefers romantic fantasies to everyday reality. Fantasies take her to different times, races, places, and beyond. She lives with her husband, several unnamed dust bunnies, and a black cat that can be scary or cuddly, depending on the current book. When she’s not writing, Afton enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, and watching retro T.V.