When Ethan Winters returns to his hometown as the new fifth-grade teacher, he expects familiar streets and forgotten memories. What he doesn’t expect is Claire Dawson his childhood best friend and the woman he walked away from a decade ago standing just down the hall from Room 12.
Claire has worked hard to build a quiet life rooted in the community she loves. But Ethan’s return threatens to upend the careful balance she’s created. As they reconnect over dusty chalkboards, old library corners, and unexpected schoolyard laughter, long-buried emotions surface and with them, the promises they once made as kids under the old oak tree.
But trust doesn’t rebuild overnight. When Ethan is offered the career opportunity of a lifetime, Claire must confront the fear of being left behind again. And Ethan must choose between the future he always thought he wanted and the one that’s been waiting for him all along.
Can a promise made in youth still hold true after everything life has rewritten?
Or will the lesson they both need most come from the heart?
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Part of the sweet romance series “Forever by Your Side,” where every friendship blossoms into a timeless love story.
In Forever by Your Side, friendship becomes the foundation for love in stories that celebrate everyday heroes. Each standalone romance follows two people who have known each other for years—neighbors, classmates, childhood companions—only to discover that their bond has always been more than friendship. Set in warm communities filled with trust and belonging, the series highlights teachers, nurses, firefighters, soldiers, and others whose quiet courage inspires hope. With gentle chemistry, heartfelt moments, and happily-ever-afters, these wholesome tales show that true love often begins with the one who has stood beside us all along: a best friend turned forever love.
