Elena finds it difficult to be around other people. She buries herself in her work and hobbies that let her stay in that solitude. As she gathers leaves on the mountain, pressing them right there in the field for later processing, she hears footsteps. They are ahead of her, so she presses another leaf. But the person is still ahead, so she rounds the corner and sees a man, shirtless, in jeans and boots, sweating from exertion. Then she notices he is building a boardwalk over a large stretch of mud on the trail. Neither of them say a word, just stand there looking at each other. There is no way to go around him because that whole section of the trail is mud and standing water. But he puts a fresh section down so she can cross. Mumbling her thanks, she feels his eyes on her as she walks across.
Later as he is returning to the parking lot, the wind has picked up and a gust carried a paper past him. He grabbed it and saw a leaf pressing. When he got to the parking lot, there were many scattered everywhere and the woman he met frantically gathering them. He helped and as she looked at him, she asked if they had gone to high school together. She was only there one year, homeschooled the rest of the time. But he managed to tell her his name and ask for hers as she got into the car and drove away. His roommate, Harrison, asked about the trails and saw the leaf pressing. He describes Elena and Harrison said she waitressed at May’s, the only bar in town. So he heads over to May’s after work, still in his fire department uniform, and they see each other right away. He brought her what turned out to be her favorite flower, and invited her to lunch. Then he helped put the flower in her hair, which kept her smiling for the rest of the day. Every encounter seemed to draw them closer as they instinctively seemed to know what the other needed to be comfortable. Will they eventually be able to find the HEA that could bring them the complete trust and happiness they never thought they would find?
Both Elena and Asher are not conversationalists. They are quiet and introverted, but recognizing that in the other, there is a quiet contentment and acceptance. As their relationship gets stronger, their confidence grows, even in so simple an act as Elena’s taking his hand as they walk together. She trusts him. They learn what makes each other smile. Grab your copy and watch as their relationship unfolds like a flower in the sun. Do they have the courage to take a chance on love and begin a life together?