Gabe O'Neil was a top Army Ranger until an explosion left him partially deaf. Medically discharged, he went home to Colorado, unsure of his next move. It took time, but he's finally reconnected with the world, his old friends, and the larger hearing-impaired community through learning sign language. Gabe is still wary of being judged but that doesn't stop him from regularly visiting Riversong Coffee House for a cup of joe -- and to admire the shy, pretty brunette who looks up from her book and smiles at him every time. When she offers to buy him coffee, he takes a chance and finds she's as sweet as she is lovely. Soon, he realizes he's falling hard and fast.