When the Silence Binds Us - Amber Everly

Lila has a fortress for a heart, and it's guarded by more than just her quick wit and sarcastic humor. A lifetime of never truly belonging, of being the one left behind, has taught her that the only person she can trust is herself. She's a professional nomad, traveling the world to photograph landscapes and monuments, but the truth is, she's searching for something she's never had: a place to call home.

She finds it in the most unlikely of places: a misty glen in the Scottish Highlands, where the air hums with the eerie, beautiful music of a piping competition. There she meets Mackenzie, a man with a wild heart, a soulful gaze, and a fierce dedication to his family and his homeland. His easy smile, his deep-rooted sense of place, and his quiet persistence are a stark contrast to her transient existence.

He sees the girl who has always been on the outside looking in, and he doesn't try to break down her walls. Instead, he invites her to simply stand beside him. But as the competition heats up and the inevitable goodbyes loom, Lila is faced with a terrifying choice. Can she trust a man who is the very embodiment of permanence, when she has spent her entire life running? And can she ever truly find a home, not in a place, but in another person?