Book excerpt: Cleo, a city-dweller and successful beauty entrepreneur, finds herself at a crossroads when life pulls her back to Maplewood Grove, the hometown she vowed to leave behind. Returning to care for her father with early-onset dementia, she confronts the life and love she missed in the hustle of the city. York, with his feet firmly planted in the soil of his farm, lives a life of simple pleasures, yet yearns for a connection that's eluded him. When Cleo walks back into town, it's as if a missing piece of his world snaps into place. Her beauty is evident, but it's her resilience, intelligence, and compassion that captivate him completely. Together, Cleo and York discover a shared longing for something more, something deeper. As they navigate the tender, sometimes turbulent waters of their growing love, they find themselves facing the complexities of life at a mature age—family pressures, grief, career ambitions, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. Will Cleo and York seize their chance at happiness, embracing the love they've found against all odds? Or will the realities of life dim the flame that burns between them?