The Long Way Home. Firsts & Forevers, #7

After a quiet divorce and a life that stopped feeling like his own, forty-year-old Ethan retreats to a seaside town hoping to find peace-or at least silence. What he doesn't expect is Leo, the young café owner with paint on his apron, sunlight in his hair, and a knack for seeing right through him. What begins as conversation over coffee turns into something neither of them can name-a pull that feels dangerous, tender, and alive.
For Leo, it's the spark of connection he thought he'd lost. For Ethan, it's an awakening years in the making-a first time that comes late, but hits harder than anything before. As their worlds intertwine under the slow rhythm of the tide, what starts as one night of reckless desire becomes a story of healing, trust, and the courage to stop running from yourself. Steamy, sincere, and unflinchingly human, The Long Way Home is a romance about second chances, first times, and the unexpected beauty of finding love when you finally stop looking.