Aiden Cole had lived alone for years, guarding the coast and hiding from the world. Tall, quiet, and enigmatic, he was known in Havenbay as a recluse. He rarely came into town, except for groceries or the occasional walk through the quiet pine trails. Yet something about the new woman in the cottage caught his attention. Her laughter carried on the wind one evening as she sat on the beach sketching.
He watched her from a distance at first, trying not to feel the pull. But when their paths finally crossed one dusky evening on the shoreline, he couldn't help but speak. They talked about the sea, about how strange it felt to be alone but not lonely. An exchange of glances, then words. Simple, but electric. And neither of them knew just how much that moment would mean.