The House Across the River by Tracey Humphrey

She is fighting to save the house her grandmother loved. He is the architect hired to decide whether it should stand. Ruthie Bell has spent her life feeding Bellwether Bend and refusing to let anyone tell her what cannot be saved. When River House - the crumbling mansion tied to her grandmother's past - faces a court-ordered sale, she is determined to protect it. Caleb Hart trusts measurements, reports and carefully planned exits. As the conservation architect assigned to assess River House, he expects hidden damage - not disputed deeds, secret rooms, or a spirited baker who makes him question every rule he lives by. Forced to work together, Ruthie and Caleb uncover a forgotten promise that could return the house to the town. But saving River House will require more than money. It will demand that Ruthie risk the life she has built - and that Caleb decide whether some places are worth staying for. Some houses hold a town's history. River House might just give two guarded hearts a future.