....
The scent of lavender and fresh-cut roses drifted through the air as Sophie Carter leaned over a bouquet, tucking in a sprig of baby's breath with practiced care. Her fingers moved on instinct, but her mind was elsewhere — on the letter that had arrived that morning, the one she hadn't opened yet.
Outside the window of her flower shop, the sleepy seaside town stirred to life. The sound of gulls echoed above the crashing waves, and the sun painted the cobblestone streets with golden light. Sophie glanced up absently as the bell above her door jingled, only to realize it was just the wind. She let out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding.
She turned back to her flowers — only to pause when she caught a figure in the reflection of the glass.
He was standing across the street, tall and still, like he belonged to another world. A man in a navy coat with dark hair slightly tousled by the sea breeze, a rolled blueprint under his arm, and a look of quiet contemplation on his face. Sophie blinked, startled by the sudden twist in her chest.
He seemed to sense her gaze. For a moment, their eyes met — his a deep gray that reminded her of the ocean just before a storm. And then, with a polite nod, he turned and walked down the street, disappearing around the corner.
Sophie's heart gave a curious flutter. She shook her head with a soft laugh. You're imagining things, she told herself, pushing the moment away like petals from a wilting bloom.
The door opened, and this time it wasn't the wind.
"Morning, Sophie!" called Emma, her best friend and the town's café owner, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. "You won't believe who I just met — the architect working on the lighthouse renovation. He's new in town. Tall, quiet, and, oh, a little broody. Right up your alley."
Sophie raised an eyebrow. "I don't have an alley."
Emma smirked, handing her a coffee. "Sure you don't."
As Emma chatted away about the project, Sophie found her gaze drifting back to the street. She wondered if she would see him again — and immediately scolded herself for it. She didn't have time for distractions, certainly not the kind wrapped in mystery and handsome smiles.
But some part of her, the part she thought had gone quiet long ago, stirred awake — as if the flowers weren't the only things in her life beginning to bloom again.
Outside, the waves rolled in, whispering promises only the sea knew how to keep