Distant Spring

Sometimes the hardest person to leave behind is the one you already know you shouldn’t go back to.

Lottie Stephens is trying to rebuild her life after the collapse of her marriage when an obnoxious driver, an awkward encounter at the dentist, and one spectacularly ill-timed middle finger introduce her to Grant Ryan.

Then she discovers he’s the new teacher at her school.

Grant is kind, funny, and nothing like the husband Lottie can’t quite seem to let go of. As friendship begins turning into something more, Lottie finds herself caught between the familiar life she’s spent years trying to save and the possibility of a love that doesn’t have to be earned.

But moving forward means finally believing she deserves something better—and finding the courage to stop looking backward.

The heart of that positioning is very much in the manuscript: Lottie eventually recognizes that with David she was constantly trying to prove she belonged, while with Grant she simply feels that she does.