She cuts hair to heal. He hides behind success. One quiet salon will change both of their lives. Kate Evans believes in scissors, silence, and second chances. After years of cutting hair from the back of a van scented with rosemary and lemon, she's finally offered a chance to open her own salon-thanks to a surprising investor with a guarded heart. Marcus Hale is a high-powered philanthropist known for sleek buildings and distant smiles. But when he steps into Kate's world of soft towels, old jazz, and tender rituals, something begins to shift. Slowly. Quietly. Beautifully. Together, they build Beloved, a sanctuary where clients rediscover themselves and where love begins not with sparks, but with presence. But when past wounds and public expectations threaten their fragile connection, Kate must decide if she can truly trust someone to stay. And Marcus must choose between the story he's always told-and the life he wants to live. A tender, uplifting romance about healing, hope, and the quiet ways we come home to each other. Perfect for fans of slow-burn love stories, clean romance, and emotionally rich women's fiction.