BETWEEN FIRE AND HOPE
Sypnopsis
Between Fire and Hope is a heartwarming
yet intense small-town romance novel about love, betrayal, and resilience.
When Aliza Morgan returns home to Maplewood to
save her family's farm, she uncovers a ruthless scheme by developer Garrison
Holt to seize the land and destroy the community. Facing mounting threats and
divided loyalties, Aliza finds an unexpected ally in Erick, a fiercely loyal
man whose love challenges her guarded heart.
As Aliza and Erick race to expose Garrison's
corruption, their fight becomes not just about land, but about reclaiming trust
and building a future. But with danger closing in, Aliza must confront painful
truths from her past and decide if hope is worth risking everything
Between Fire and Hope blends emotional
depth with passion and suspense — perfect for readers of small-town romance and
dramatic love stories.
Chapter
One
The air in Maplewood still smelled like pine and
old stories. Aliza Hart rolled down her car window as she passed the faded
wooden sign at the town limits:
Welcome to Maplewood – Population 2,346.
It hadn't changed in ten years. Maybe nothing had.
She hadn't planned to come back. Not really. But
when her mother's voice cracked over the phone two weeks ago, saying "We
could use you here, sweetheart," Aliza knew it was time. Her job in the
city was going nowhere, her apartment lease was up, and her heart… well, it had
been in pieces for a long time anyway.
She turned onto Main Street, where the sidewalks
were cracked but clean, the lampposts still wore hanging flower baskets, and
the bakery's sign creaked in the breeze. It was early fall—leaves tumbled
lazily across the road, golden and red like the pages of an old love letter.
Parking in front of the house she once called
home, she sat for a moment, hands gripping the steering wheel. Her heart
thudded loud and unsure. Home wasn't just a place. It was memories. Some
beautiful. Some painful. Some she hadn't dared touch in years.
Especially not the ones with Erick Walker
in them.
She hadn't seen him since the night everything
fell apart. The night she left.
The front door opened, and her mother stepped onto
the porch, wrapped in a cardigan, holding a mug like it was the only thing
keeping her steady. A smile broke across her face, soft and tired.
Aliza opened the car door, the gravel crunching
beneath her boots, and took the first step back into her past.
Chapter One (continued)
Inside the house, everything felt smaller.
Aliza ran her hand along the edge of the kitchen
table where she and her brother used to do homework, where she once cried after
failing her driver's test, where she whispered dreams of escape to her best
friend under the cover of midnight snacks.
Her mom chatted softly, making tea, filling the
room with warmth and cinnamon. But Aliza's mind drifted—toward the town, toward
the people she had left behind. Toward him.
"Ran into Erick last week," her mother said,
almost casually. "He fixed the truck—same old dependable thing. He asked about
you."
Aliza stilled. "Oh."
"Didn't say much. Just… asked how you were."
Of course he did. Erick Walker, the boy with
storm-colored eyes and a silence that used to make her feel seen. The boy who
kissed her like the world might end. The man she never really stopped thinking
about.
She hadn't expected to see him on her first day
back. And yet, fate rarely cared what she expected.
The bell above the hardware store door jingled as
Erick stepped out, wiping grease from his hands with a rag. The crisp breeze
carried the scent of oil, sawdust, and dry leaves. Maplewood was quiet
today—too quiet, until a silver car rolled down Main Street and pulled into the
corner lot near the florist.
He knew that car. Or at least, he knew her.
Aliza Hart.
His chest tightened. Ten years wasn't long enough,
apparently. Not to forget. Not to heal.
He hadn't heard her voice yet, but the sight of
her stepping out of that car stirred up everything he'd tried to bury. Same
walk. Same eyes. Different woman.
She looked stronger. And sadder.
He dropped the rag into the bin and turned back
toward the shop. She hadn't seen him. Not yet. And he wasn't ready.
But something inside him whispered: You'll
have to be. She's home now.