Rain drummed against the dusty windows of Sea Breeze Café, the small seaside shop tucked away at the edge of Port Sable. It was the kind of afternoon that invited people to linger — warm, heavy air outside, the scent of roasted coffee and fresh coconut cake inside.
Lena Morris sat in her usual corner booth, laptop open, her hair pulled up in a loose bun that never quite held all her curls. She had been coming here every Thursday for months, ever since she moved back to the quiet Jamaican coastal town to care for her grandmother. The café's soft chatter and clinking cups were the only soundtrack she could tolerate while struggling through her latest freelance editing project.
She had been so focused on fixing a stubborn sentence that she almost didn't notice him walk in.
Almost.
He was tall, with a quiet confidence that seemed to fill the small café as easily as the scent of fresh coffee. His hair, dark and damp from the rain, fell over his forehead in unruly waves. He scanned the room, his eyes landing briefly on Lena before he headed to the counter.
Lena's heartbeat did a small, inexplicable skip.
"That's new," she muttered under her breath, watching him order. She prided herself on being unmoved by strangers — especially after what happened last time she let herself get swept up in someone's charm. But something about the way he smiled at the barista — genuine, warm, like the sun breaking through storm clouds — unsettled her in a way she couldn't quite explain.
When he turned, coffee in hand, the only available seat left was… across from her.
"Mind if I sit?" His voice was deep, with a smooth, lilting island accent that wrapped around the words.
Lena hesitated, then gestured to the empty chair. "Sure."
As he settled in, the rain outside grew heavier, cocooning them inside the warm café.
"I'm Daniel," he said, extending his hand.
"Lena." She shook it — and was surprised at the warmth that lingered after.
Neither of them knew it yet, but that rainy Thursday afternoon would become the first chapter in a story neither of them had been looking for — and neither would be able to walk away from.