Baylee moved to Tennessee in 2018 and started working at Smoky Mountain Knife Works, where she met Diane Ebbs, “Granny” to Garrett, who introduced them. One day, Baylee spotted Garrett reading in the break room. As a fellow book lover, she struck up a conversation and offered him one of her favorites. That simple exchange turned into more conversations, and soon they discovered they shared similar hobbies and interests. With a little help from a shared coworker playing secret wingman to both of them, Baylee finally asked Garrett out and he said, “Yeah.” For their first date, Garrett suggested a hike to Gregory’s Bald after Baylee had confidently talked up her new hiking skills. Fourteen miles later, reality set in: Baylee hadn’t packed enough water and struggled on the way up, while Garrett paid the price on the way down after sharing his. Despite the challenge (and some breathless, one-sided conversation), the views, and the connection, made it unforgettable. Seven years later, they’ve navigated long distance, built a life together across different places, traveled side by side, and now share a home, fittingly, the very home of the one that brought them together in the first place. Some stories start with a spark, ours started with a book and just kept getting better.