LIKE A WILDFLOWER by SAMM WILDE

What happens when the reserved wallflower meets the free-spirited wildflower?

Joey

I’ve always been the “too much” girl. Too expressive, too forgetful, too overwhelming. My life is a whirlwind of new adventures and endless roads. Now that I’m back home on a three-month work assignment, I’m stuck under one roof with a quiet, tattooed stranger. Enter Beckett, my new roommate. On paper, we’re complete opposites. But beneath the surface, we’re not so different. Somewhere between the late-night conversations and the chaos that turned into cherished memories—I realize we’re different versions of the same story. Because with Beckett, he shows me that being “too much” can be the perfect amount for the right person.

Beckett

The open road always calls to me. I’ve spent years collecting highway miles instead of human connections. With my cat in tow, I move from city to city across the country as a travel nurse, only staying as long as needed. As a result, building relationships doesn’t come easily. Especially when my social anxiety gets in the way. So when I find myself sharing a cottage for three months with a free-spirited woman who understands me better than I do, I learn some detours are destinations in disguise. When Joey speaks, the universe pauses to listen. Yet every time our eyes meet, it’s as if she can hear all my quiet thoughts. With her by my side, the tightness in my chest eases—grounding me more than anything or anyone else ever could.

Without warning, our lives intertwine, gradually reshaping around each other. And suddenly, three months in Hemlock doesn’t sound long enough.