Sweet Hearts Start Somewhere: 0.5 (Wild Hearts of Copper Creek)

She inherited a café and a mountain of debt. He's just passing through.

Jessie Martinez never planned to come back to Copper Creek. But when her grandmother leaves her Rosie's Café-along with a failing business and a second mortgage-she has no choice but to trade her Houston marketing career for small-town Texas and a deep fryer.

Miguel Reyes is a traveling chef with no roots and no plans to grow any. He's in Copper Creek for one reason: to buy his late mentor's secret recipes from the café's new owner. One transaction, and he's gone.

But Rosie's Café is more than a business. It's the heart of Copper Creek-the place where ranchers share gossip, first dates turn into forever, and everyone knows your name. When Miguel sees Jessie struggling to keep her grandmother's legacy alive, he offers to help. Just until the café is back on its feet. Just until she doesn't need him anymore.

Except Jessie is starting to need him in ways that have nothing to do with the restaurant. And Miguel is discovering that sometimes the best things in life aren't on any map.

Sweet Hearts Start Somewhere is a prequel novella to the Wild Hearts of Copper Creek series. It can be read as a standalone or as an introduction to the beloved town and characters of Copper Creek, Texas.