Two different characters and situations. But in both books the end surprised me.
RJ had been so thoughtful. Marrying Sophie to fulfill a promise to her father so she would not be homeless. When she graduated college, he confirmed she still wanted to come home with him to Laughing Falls. I was stunned when he jumped to the conclusion she had boyfriends in college. His valued privacy is invaded. Not sure where the idea for Sophie going on a morning show popped into my head. And mentioning the scruffy mutt Murphy.
Hailey’s life got complicated after John graduated from college. They were supposed get together the next year. She went home and discovered she was pregnant. Her irate father destroyed her phone. There was no way to contact John. Three years later, he is shocked to see Hailey in his tiny hometown and furious he never knew about their son. They both had moments of remembering the past, but things didn’t look good.
I never expected him to rescue her mother. It was part of his plan to win her over. And it worked. Every time I think of these scenes, I still get misty.
My writing style has been described as a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants) or discovery writer (which makes me feel like an arctic explorer). I recently learned that writers are hard-wired to write this way or to use detailed outlines.
It is exciting when a story surprises me!