Love's first bloom

the long version

Life changes drastically for Ruth the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her under an assumed name to a small village in New Jersey, where she dutifully awaits Reverend Livingstone's acquittal. When tragic events transpire, Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of Toms River. It is here she meets Jake Spencer, who both frustrates and intrigues her. Ruth knows she must maintain her identity as Widow Malloy. Can the tenuous affection between Ruth and Jake withstand the secrets that separate them?