I talk for a living. Wellington exists in the silences.

As a local news anchor, I'm paid to say all the right words. But the moment I step into Pour Decisions and see Wellington behind the bar, I'm tongue-tied. For years, I've been broadcasting my interest in him, but the man is a vault. He doesn't flirt, he doesn't date, and he doesn't hesitate to step up when someone is in need.

Which is exactly how I end up behind his bar after hours.

When Wellington organizes a benefit, I'm first in line to volunteer for the assignment. The community shows up in force, leaving Wellington in need of extra hands. I trade my microphone for a cocktail shaker and pitch in.

Suddenly, the man of few words is forced to speak to me. Between the late-night cleanup and the leftover whiskey, I discover that his silence isn't just a personality trait...it's a shield. Wellington didn't just move to Amethyst Bay, he escaped to it. Now, I have to decide what matters more: the exclusive of a lifetime, or protecting the man who finally found his peace in the one place I never expected...beside me.