Winner of the 2015 Golden Leaf Award for Romantic SuspenseGold Medal Winner: Military Writers Society of AmericaReaders' Favorite International Award WinnerIt started as a chance encounter on the beach, and ended 24 hours later when they parted to go their separate ways.Or so they thought.WHEN LAUREN CANTRELL said goodbye to the guy she had just met on the beach, she had no way of knowing their paths would ever cross again. But fate had another unexpected meeting in store for them—this time in a place where danger was part of the culture and the stakes were life and death.THE LAST PERSON in the world Michael "Rad" Radcliff expected to see at a special ops briefing in Afghanistan is the girl he met at the beach two weeks ago—the one he can’t stop thinking about.From the sundrenched beaches of Ocean City, Md. to the snowcapped mountains of Afghanistan, this thrilling tale of espionage and intrigue takes readers on a spellbinding journey into the secret lives of our nation’s quiet heroes—and answers the question:What do you do when the person you most want to protect is the one risking everything to make sure you survive?MEANT TO BE recounts the dedication of our military, the honor and sacrifice of our soldiers, and a relationship that is tested and sustained by the powerful forces of love, courage and resolve."Sweetly sentimental and moving. An endearing page-turner offering a unique view of military life." – Publishers Weekly"A tapestry of emotion deeply set inside the bravest of Americans: the soldier." — Military Writers Society of America