Love. Sucks. I don’t know where I went wrong. Whether it was letting a man convince me that suddenly, the things I’ve never wanted are right for me, or if simply believing the best in the person who I wasted three years of my life on was what lead me here. To Cherry Peak. A small town nestled in the heart of Alberta, Canada. The hometown of rising country star, Brody Steele. It only takes one brief encounter to mark him as a broody jerk. An all\-knowing, arrogant celebrity with a complex I don’t have the energy for. But if I truly dislike him the way I’ve convinced myself I do, then why am I always looking for him in crowded rooms? Why are his surprisingly thoughtful gestures melting the wall of ice I’ve stuck between us? Cherry Peak was supposed to be my fresh start, a place to heal and rebuild. Yet, just as I begin piecing my life back together, Brody’s preparing to leave, as if he hasn’t become a vital part of that journey. The thought of losing him keeps me up at night. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to find our footing, or if we were just stringing each other along the whole time.

When Garrison Beckett stumbles into Cherry Peak, it isn’t by choice. As the CEO of Swift Edge Records, his presence here is like a storm cloud in our clear blue sky. They say he’s here for the next two months to grow as a person while waiting for the dust to clear back home, but he sees his stay as a punishment wrapped in small\-town charm. He’s everything I’ve always avoided in men: rude, conceited, and utterly infuriating. Yet, while the spark between us is impossible to ignore, it’s also a giant pain in my ass. We fall into a simple arrangement. Friends with benefits. No strings, just the thrill of the moment and undeniable sexual chemistry. It was supposed to be easy. I wasn’t supposed to fall for him. As the end of his two month exile approaches, the reality of our situation sinks in. Garrison’s life is in Toronto, and my roots are buried deep in Cherry Peak. We’re worlds apart, but surely I can’t just let him walk away…right? Is our love enough to bridge the distance between two entirely different worlds? Or are we destined to be just another Cherry Peak legend?

I came to Cherry Peak to find answers. Ones that could change the entire trajectory of my life forever. The idea of searching for the sister I never knew existed was simple enough, but I should have known better than to expect something with such high stakes to go according to plan. It only took one night of dancing between tables in a small town bar for all of said plans to turn to ash. I wasn’t here to fall into the arms of a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and a grin on his all\-too handsome face, yet there’s something about Johnny that keeps tugging me closer. He claims it’s a sign from the universe. I say he’s too big of a dreamer. I’m caught between seeking the answers I need to move on with my life and spending every spare moment I have learning more about the man who considers me his. The tangled vines of my family tree seem to drape over every corner of Cherry Peak. Once I cut one, two more grow in its place. What was supposed to be a quick trip of discovery has turned into something that has me considering staying forever. I’ve been chasing a home for so long, but do I really fit in this small town, or have I just grown too blind to see a life without it?

Daisy and Bryce's story. A grumpy sunshine, fake dating sapphic romance. Cherry Peak \#4