Beneath the Surface

A grumpy former firefighter. A hopeful artist with a messy heart. One mural that just might bring them back to life.

Avery Quinn isn't looking for love-just a steady hand to help finish the town's new mural before the Willow Creek Fall Festival. But when her handyman bails, she's left with one reluctant option: Cole Dawson. Quiet, broody, and impossible to read, Cole is the last person she expects to say yes.

Cole doesn't do small talk. Or small towns. After a tragic loss ended his firefighting career, he came to Willow Creek to disappear-not to get dragged into painting autumn leaves and swapping stories with a too-cheerful artist.

But as they work side by side beneath the fading light of fall, something begins to shift. In the mural. In the town. In each other.

What starts as a simple favor turns into slow afternoons, stolen glances, and an unexpected connection too real to ignore. But when old fears resurface, Cole must decide if he's ready to stop running-and Avery has to choose whether to risk her heart again.

Beneath the Surface is a tender, heartwarming small-town romance about healing, hope, and finding your way home-perfect for fans of grumpy-sunshine pairs, emotional slow burns, and stories that leave you smiling through tears.