When We Weren't Looking

Two broken hearts. One unexpected recipe for love.
Maya Bennett had it all-or so it seemed. A rising star in Portland's culinary world, her career came to a screeching halt the night she received the call that changed her life. Her younger brother was gone, and with him, so was her appetite for ambition. Trading Michelin stars for worn-out menus, Maya returns home to Seabright Bay to help run her family's old diner-and avoid the pain she can't seem to outrun.
Eli Hayes was once America's golden boy-a pro baseball pitcher with a fast track to fame. But after a devastating injury and a very public unraveling, he quietly retreated to the town he once swore he'd never return to. Now, he spends his days coaching high school ball, volunteering at the local community center, and relying on his loyal golden retriever, Olive, to make it through the bad days.
When a meddling neighbor ropes them into co-hosting a community cooking class fundraiser, sparks fly-though not the romantic kind at first. Maya has no patience for egos, and Eli has no interest in anyone who pities him. But the more time they spend together, the more they begin to see what's hiding beneath the surface: guilt, grief, laughter, longing... and a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, love isn't off the table after all.
As secrets unravel and walls begin to fall, Maya and Eli must ask themselves one terrifying question: Can two people still healing from the past risk building a future together?
Tender, witty, and filled with emotional depth, When We Weren't Looking is a powerful story of loss, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to fall in love when your heart still carries scars.