Heartwood and Hardware

Where Code Connects & Hearts Take Root

Riley Bennett: A brilliant coder whose quick wit and curvy confidence shine online, but who always feels like a glitch in the real world.
Dean Evans: A rugged chainsaw carver with hands built for creation and a heart that’s quietly longing for connection.

When a comic-con panel and a flying spray of sawdust cross their paths, Riley’s sharp mind meets Dean’s steady strength in a collision of opposites that feels anything but accidental. She’s more at home behind a keyboard than in a crowd; he’d rather talk to trees than people. Yet, together, they discover sparks in every awkward moment and comfort in every shared silence.

As their connection deepens amidst comic books, wood shavings, and late-night confessions, Riley’s old insecurities threaten to reboot her defenses. And when she learns their “chance” meeting was engineered by a matchmaking agency, Riley must decide: retreat to her safe, solitary world, or risk letting someone see her—quirks, code, and all.

Because sometimes, the strongest love stories are the ones you never saw coming—and the truest home is the one you build together, bit by bit.