The Day He Said Hello

A firefighter and his high school sweetheart who's returned to their beachside hometown…and doesn't want to be there. Can the day he said hello start a new relationship that will last this time?

Bennett Patterson is content with his boring firefighting job, puttering around in his wood shop, and spending evenings with his big Great Dane. At least he thinks so. He's been divorced for seven years, and at least he knows what each day is going to bring—and it's not heartache.

When he gets called out to a fire, he comes face-to-face with his high school girlfriend, Jennie Zimmerman, who swore she'd never return to Hawthorne Harbor. The kiln just sparked, she says. She doesn't need the firefighters there, she insists. But to get her art studio back up and running, she does need some recommendations—and some cash.

Thankfully, Jennie has been commissioned for several pieces at Magleby Mansion, which is undergoing a West-Wing remodel. Bennett is there, too, putting his carpentry skills to good use. Jennie is definitely not looking for love, as she's coming off being left at the altar by her fiancé only six months ago.

But as she and Bennett spend more and more time together, their old flame is rekindled. Can Bennett and Jennie make their relationship stick this time? Or will she once again choose a different path?

This is a full-length sweet/clean contemporary beach romance in the vein of your favorite Hallmark movie by USA Today best-selling author Elana Johnson.