In Gauthier, love isn't just found. It's forever. Leslie Kirkland is surviving, not living. Between raising two daughters, singing in the church choir, and dodging well-meaning matchmakers determined to find her a man, she barely has time to breathe. The last thing she needs is to notice Gabriel Franklin, the new teacher turned assistant principal who looks at her like she's the answer to a question he's been asking all his life. Gabriel came to Gauthier to build a future far from the troubled kid he used to be. When he meets the recently widowed single mother who volunteers at his school, he sees everything he never knew he was searching for. But Leslie's heart is carefully guarded, and breaking through those walls means proving he's worth the risk. As their connection deepens against the backdrop of science fairs and community expectations, Gabriel must convince Leslie that love doesn't have to mean losing yourself. Sometimes it means finding the person who's been waiting to help you live again.