Their first date wasn't a candlelit dinner designed to impress, but a long walk through the Prior Park Landscape Garden. They didn't hide their flaws. Julian talked about his stubborn knee; Elena talked about the daughter in London who didn't call often enough. They traded vulnerabilities like rare coins.

He was cataloging a first-edition Byron when the bell above the door chimed. In walked Elena. She wasn’t a whirlwind; she was a steady tide. At fifty-five, she carried herself with the kind of grace that only comes from surviving a few storms.

Julian smiled, leaning against the mahogany counter. "A mature request. Most people come here looking for the fireworks. They forget about the hearth."