Tiny Blessings

by Fern Michaels, Carolyn Brown, Stacy Finz

Genres: Friendship; Family Life

Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels—one of the most beloved storytellers of our time—is joined by bestselling authors Carolyn Brown and Stacy Finz in a life-affirming, uplifting anthology of sweetly romantic stories about family, love, new beginnings, and the everyday blessings that bring delight to life.

It’s the little things—a small kindness, a chance meeting, a rediscovered connection—that bring lasting joy in this heartwarming anthology featuring three New York Times bestselling authors.

Tiny Blessings by Fern Michaels
Substitute teacher Emma Swan is making a new life for herself in charming Pink Pearl Cove, and maybe her handsome neighbor Nash Kendrick will be part of it. But who could anticipate the chaos brought by four darling dachshund puppies or the joy of love at first sight?
 
Dogwood Season by Carolyn Brown
No matter how different Clara Delaney and her twin Sophia may be, they’re both loyal to the beloved grandmother who raised them at her Dogwood Inn in Palestine, Texas. For Mama Lizzy’s sake, they’ve each agreed to a double wedding at the Inn. But as the day draws near amid squabbles and surprises, they may discover how deep the bonds of sisterhood go.
 
Cowboy True by Stacey Finz
Just when Jace Dalton has the life he’s always wanted—a thriving family and a successful ranch—his ex shows up demanding joint custody of their boys. Jace’s wife is the only mother his sons have known. But maybe there’s a way forward through the turmoil, if they can hold fast to love and forgiveness.

Release date: April 23, 2024

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 368

Sample

Emma Swan grinned as she poured the remains of her coffee into the shiny white farmhouse sink. Her new condominium, a “smart” condo, had every flashy gadget on the market. She’d immediately downloaded the required apps to her smartphone the day she arrived. With a swipe of her finger, she now controlled the lighting, music, room temperature, security, and smoke detection. A touch screen on her refrigerator told her when her lettuce expired or if she needed milk. She was satisfied that no one could come to her door without her seeing and hearing them first, so the condo was worth every penny she’d paid for it. Not that Emma expected a visitor. She’d only moved in three weeks ago.

Right out of law school, she’d purchased her first condo, which was twenty years old. The bonus: It was on the beach. At the time it was expensive, but worth it for her view of the white sand and water. She hadn’t had a dishwasher in her old condo, so now, out of habit, she washed her cup, dried it, and returned it to its hook next to her bright red coffee maker.

Four years ago, when she made her final mortgage payment, her intention was a total condo makeover. But work had gotten in the way—as usual—and it never happened. Nearing thirty-two, Emma knew she didn’t want to continue to practice law; no more hustling or working twenty-four-seven. After graduating high school early, she’d gotten a head start on college. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education before law school and kept her teaching certificate current. After practicing corporate law in Miami for almost ten years, she now yearned for a slower-paced lifestyle. Harris, her law partner, always teased her about that.

Before Harris could convince her to stay, she’d sold her original condo, hired her replacement, and bought the home she now occupied. The day she placed her condo on the market, she also sent her résumé to several schools in Conch County, where she now lived.

The week before, she’d been called to substitute for a kindergarten class at Orange Grove Elementary. Emma knew she’d made the right decision because she’d smiled all day at the children and their silly questions. The innocence in their pink-cheeked, wide-eyed little grins made her happier than corporate law ever had. She was content to substitute until a full-time position became available, and she made each free day special, taking the opportunity to explore Pink Pearl Cove. Though she hadn’t confessed it to anyone, one of the many reasons she’d chosen this small beach town on an island off the Gulf Coast was its name. Low crime and great schools were a bonus.

Her parents had been in their late forties when Emma entered their lives, unplanned. Both attorneys, they’d left her mostly in the care of Lydia, her nanny, who treated her as though she were her daughter. When Emma did spend time with her mom and dad, they doted on her, but only for what seemed like seconds. Then she was returned to Lydia for the remainder of whatever time her parents were at their luxurious home in South Miami Beach. They had spent more time away from her than with her. Sadly, both were now gone, but she did have happy memories of them.

Now it was time for her to make her own memories.

Emma planned to spend a few hours by the pool reading the book she’d picked up at the library. Who am I kidding? she asked herself. In the past three weeks, she’d become fascinated by the guy in the condo directly across from hers. So far, she hadn’t seen another female enter his apartment. He also defined tall, dark, and handsome, so she’d amused herself by watching him.

“Stalking is more like it,” she whispered to no one. It was Saturday, so Emma guessed her neighbor might spend the afternoon at the pool. It was one of the upsides of living in Florida. The pools were heated and the weather warm enough so she could swim throughout the year, even in March.

In the bedroom, she changed into a kelly-green, one-piece swimsuit. It was her favorite color and complemented her olive complexion. Emma tied her dark brown hair in a loose topknot and glanced at herself in the mirror. She was the spitting image of her father, especially her brown, almond-shaped eyes. At five foot nine, she wasn’t as tall as his six foot four, but tall enough to want to bring a pair of flats on the few blind dates Harris had managed to finagle her into. Being taller than her dates always bothered her. She thought of her neighbor. He appeared to be as tall as her father had been, maybe taller.

“Come on, Em,” she again said to no one. She needed a social life now that she had time. Grabbing her book, beach towel, and sunscreen, she located her keys on the new dolphin-shaped key ring holder she’d hung up near the door just last night. Pink Pearl Cove had dozens of shops she wanted to explore; the key ring holder had been her first purchase at Susie’s Sea Stuff. Her cell phone buzzed, reminding her to bring it with her too.

“Hello,” she said, using her shoulder to hold the phone to her ear. Closing the door with her foot, she headed to the pool. “I’m fine, Harris. You don’t have to call me every day.” Her former partner was twenty years her senior. He’d always teased her and treated her like one of his daughters. He had five of them, so what was one more, he would say.

“I’m just checking in—wanted to see how life’s treating you in Pinkville,” Harris said.

Emma laughed, “It’s Pink Pearl Cove. It was the right decision for me. I taught a bunch of five-year-olds the other day. I hated for the day to end. You know I’m subbing right now.” He did know that, but she mentioned it anyway. “It’s fun work.”

“Yep, I’m sure it is. You sound happy, kid. So on that note, behave yourself. I’ll check in soon.” He hung up just as Emma located a lounge chair by the pool’s deep end.

Unwrapping the towel from her waist, she wished she’d remembered to wear her cover-up. But it was too late now. Arranging the towel on the chaise, she sat down, applied sunscreen, then focused on the book she’d been waiting to read. Emma flipped through the pages of her novel for the next half hour, captivated by the characters trapped in a department store during a tornado.

“Mind if I sit here?” a deep male voice asked.

Emma slammed her book shut, holding it in front of her chest and briefly closing her eyes. It must be him.

“Uh . . . no,” she sputtered, feeling like a teenager.

She dared a glance at the body next to her. His tanned legs were long and muscular, but no way was he the neighbor she’d had her eye on. He didn’t appear tall enough. Should she ask him his name? No, she decided. Even in this age of online dating, with eHarmony, Tinder, and Zoosk—none of which she’d ever used—she wasn’t the type to make the first move.

Emma returned to her novel but couldn’t focus on the storyline with the stranger lounging beside her. She was hot, but didn’t want to draw attention to herself. But if she were going to live here, she’d have to make friends. She might as well start by making a big splash. Literally.

Growing up in Miami, she’d spent hours in the pool and on a diving board. Standing at the edge of the pool, Emma concentrated on her dive. Her toes lifted away from the pool’s coping, and she sliced through the aquamarine water like a pro. She swam to the shallow end and back before coming up for air. Wiping the water out of her eyes, Emma lifted herself out of the pool and returned to her chair. Using her towel, she blotted her wet skin. Glancing at the chaise beside her, she saw the guy appeared to be sleeping. Doing her best not to attract attention, she returned to her novel. Again, she became so involved with the story that she forgot about the man in the lounge chair.

Suddenly, a giant wave of pool water hit her book, soaking it. Before she could say anything, a young woman around her age approached the pool’s edge. “Hey, I didn’t mean to splash you. My nephew double-dared me to do a cannonball. It looks like I win the dare and owe you a book.” The woman pushed herself out of the pool. “I’m Marlena. I live here with my husband, Walter. We’re babysitting for my sister-in-law today.” She motioned to a young boy, who appeared to be eight or nine, splashing in the pool.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Emma Swan, in Four-C.” Emma smiled.

“I know,” said Marlena. “When there’s a new homeowner, everyone knows. We’re like a nosy little community among ourselves.”

Emma tucked that tidbit of information away for later. “So, tell me about this nosy little community. Anything special I should know?” She sounded teasing—but she wasn’t.

“Provided the weather is cooperative, we have a cookout here at the pool the first Saturday of every month. We have a food fund. Walter and I own Vittles, the local market, so we pick up the food. It’s a good time, a get-to-know-your-neighbors kind of thing. Nothing fancy. You should come next month.”

“I will.”

“So let me know about the book. I’ll get you a new, dry one.”

“It’s a library book,” Emma said, lifting her brows and grinning.

Marlena nodded. “I’ll buy three copies, then.”

Emma laughed. “One is enough. I’m sure the library will understand.”

“You don’t know Mrs. Whitton. She epitomizes all the negative images of a librarian drilled into me as a kid. She’s been around since we moved here. I think she was the town’s first librarian.”

“Surely a damaged book isn’t . . .” Emma searched for the right word. “. . . that big a deal?”

“It’s not to most folks, but Mrs. Whitton is very serious about her books and their care. I’m surprised you got a library card so soon.”

A whiny, high-pitched voice interrupted them. “Aunt Marlena! Are you going to play with me? I’ll tell Mommy if you don’t hurry up.”

“I’m coming, Jeffrey.” Marlena rolled her eyes and mouthed to Emma, He is such a brat.

“Go on, and I’ll let you know Mrs. Whitton’s reaction.”

“Please do,” Marlena called over her shoulder, then made a second giant splash in the pool.

Emma knew she would be friends with this feisty woman. Deciding she’d had enough sun for one day, she scooped up her towel and book, then wrapped her damp towel around her waist.

As she returned to her condo, she planned a cool shower and a salad for dinner while she waited for her book to dry out on the balcony. Plus, she might catch a glimpse of her neighbor across the way. Who knew?

Nash Kendrick stood on his balcony observing the woman in the green swimsuit. She must be the new resident in the condo directly across from his. Not wanting to spy on her but doing it anyway, he stared at her as she entered her condo. Her drapes were open; she put something on her patio table, then went inside. While he couldn’t discern her facial features, he decided that if they matched with the rest of her, she must be a knockout.

He stepped away from the window, a grin on his face. He wondered if Penny would approve of their new neighbor. Probably not, because she was extremely possessive.

Nash had allowed himself to get behind on grading last week’s math tests. He planned to spend the remainder of the weekend catching up. He enjoyed teaching math more than he’d thought he would. Numbers came naturally to him. He never imagined he would be teaching math to high school seniors, but he’d also never thought the investment firm he’d spent most of his adult life working at would go bankrupt. After all the lockdowns, New York City became a ghost town. He’d hung around for a few months—he’d never been a quitter—but a year without work sent him to Florida, his home state. Now, two years later, when all the pandemic hoopla had died down, he was glad he’d decided to return to the Cove. He enjoyed his new job way more than he’d thought he would, and he’d learned last week that he’d been accepted as a chaperone for the senior class’s spring break trip to Miami Beach. His students didn’t give him any trouble for the most part. Though he would wait to form an opinion of how they behaved in Miami.

His grumbling stomach sent him to the kitchen. A salad from Vittles, which was just on the verge of spoiling, was part of his meal for the night. He could’ve ordered a pizza, but he wasn’t one to waste food, so he dug into the salad and added extra dressing to mask the soggy lettuce. He took out a frozen lasagna and put it in the microwave. A few minutes later, he removed the lasagna, took a tentative bite, and decided it wasn’t all that bad.

He cleaned up, then took a can of beer from the refrigerator and the stack of math tests out to the lanai. The weather was perfect, and if he just happened to glimpse his new neighbor, he might wave at her. But no—he couldn’t do that. She’d think he was a stalker or something. Men had to be very careful around women in today’s world. One small mistake could be misconstrued and there would go his career.

Nash popped the tab off his beer can and proceeded to grade the exams. When he finished, he felt a bit let down that he hadn’t seen his neighbor. But just as he had the thought, he saw her step out onto her lanai. She wore dark shorts and a green University of Miami T-shirt. He would bet green was her favorite color or that she’d attended the university—or both. He’d say odds were in his favor if he were a betting man, which he had been in his former life. Sort of.

She propped her long legs on the railing, a book in one hand, a glass in the other. She was too far away for him to see the title or what was in her glass. He continued to observe her. Taller than most women, he thought. Maybe she was a fashion model. If she wasn’t, she could’ve been. Though he hadn’t seen her up close. She might be homely, with missing teeth. He laughed aloud at his thoughts.

His laugh was loud enough to be heard. His neighbor lowered her book and looked in his direction before returning to her reading. He should probably go inside, but he didn’t see any harm in lounging a while longer. Penny wasn’t home, so he didn’t have to worry about her. He would check in later to see how she was. He hadn’t had much alone time since he’d taken responsibility for Penny, so he enjoyed this bit of freedom. He knew that when she came home, he would have his hands full. With four little ones, it would be challenging the first few weeks. He’d read several books on their care, so if he needed help, he’d refer back to those resources. Caring for four dachshund puppies and Penny would be a breeze.

He knew he couldn’t keep all the pups. Once they were weaned, he would think about finding homes for them, but Nash would deal with that when he had to. Penny’s labor had been progressing nicely when he’d left her at the clinic. He’d made all the arrangements as soon as he found out she’d had a rendezvous with Henry, his mother’s doxie. He’d told his mom he would give her one of the pups. She was so excited. Nash wondered whether she would be as enthusiastic if he ever married and had children. Again, he laughed. Of course she would. He was an only child. His dad had passed away while he was in college, so it had been just he and his mom for a while. She’d worked part-time at the local veterinarian’s office and became attached to Henry, who’d been a puppy when someone dumped him at the vet’s office. She’d volunteered to foster him. That was five years ago. After hanging around Henry, Nash had also acquired a love for the breed and adopted Penny. She was the copper color of her namesake and he adored her. He often brought her to class with him. His students loved her as much as he did. She was a good girl in the classroom. Knowing there would be many extra treats, she cozied up to the kids.

Nash was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed his neighbor was no longer on her lanai. She probably has a date, he thought as he took the stack of papers inside with him. He closed the glass door but kept the blinds open. People around the condo spent plenty of time outside. He was sure to see her again.

Deciding to put all thought of his neighbor aside, Nash called the vet clinic. Penny was still laboring and, according to Dr. Mellow, she was doing great. Relieved, he took a hot shower and settled in for the evening. Penny would be fine. The math tests were graded. Most of his students had done very well. He was proud of them, and Penny too.

He clicked the TV on and scrolled through the guide, searching for something to watch. Nothing interested him. Crime shows and reality shows about women whose lips were the size of small pillows were definitely not his thing. He turned the TV off and decided he’d go for a run. He’d been a runner his entire adult life. He was more of a trotter since he had Penny, but tonight he felt like he needed the endorphins that a good run provided.

He laced up his sneakers and grabbed his cell phone and keys. He would run on the beach. The tide was out; the sand would be packed hard enough for him to run on. With that in mind, he headed to the beach, his head once again filled with visions of the woman on the lanai.

Emma was sure her neighbor was watching her while she pretended to read. He had a stack of papers he kept moving back and forth. She had no clue what that meant, but it didn’t matter. She quickly went inside to refill her glass of water, and when she returned, her neighbor was nowhere in sight.

If she continued this crazy spying on her handsome neighbor, and if anyone caught on, she’d be kicked out of the community before she even had a chance to belong. Maybe she’d run into Marlena again. She would use her skills as an attorney to discover just who her sexy neighbor was. Subtlety had been her most potent skill when she’d gone up against corporate giants in the courtroom.

Deciding to get some work done, Emma unpacked the large boxes filled with her most prized artwork. For the next hour, she hung the paintings on the main living room wall. When she finished, she used her smartphone to list a few items she needed from the grocery store. She looked up Vittles’ address on a search engine, bookmarking it for tomorrow. Next on her list: She wanted to find a family doctor, just in case. Maybe Marlena could recommend one to her. Emma’s car was still under warranty, so she didn’t need a mechanic yet, but she noted it anyway. What if she had a flat tire? Emma knew she had a lot to learn about her new town. She would find a church of the faith she’d always practiced in Miami and continue here in Pink Pearl Cove. She made friends fast; what better place to make more friends? Tomorrow was Sunday. She clicked through a few websites before finding a branch of her church. She would attend the second service, as she’d done most of her life.

Emma dismantled the large boxes that had contained her artwork, placing them beside the door so she would remember to bring them to the recycling bin. Without anything further that required her attention, she returned to her book, which was now completely dry. The pages had puffed up and she knew a replacement was in order, but it wasn’t so damaged that she couldn’t read it.

Before settling back into her story, she made a cup of mint tea and took it to the living room. She sat in her favorite chair, a small table beside her, and started reading. She reread the parts she’d pretended to read earlier, while she’d watched her neighbor. She was so engrossed in her novel that she knocked over her tea when she heard the doorbell. It was odd, because no one had rung it before, or knocked on her door.

“Dang,” Emma said as she blotted the tea on her shorts with the hem of her shirt. She knew she looked untidy, but she didn’t care. This was who she was now, her true self. No longer the sleek, dressed-to-the-nines attorney.

“Coming,” Emma called a few seconds before opening the door.

“You left this at the pool,” said Marlena, holding out a bottle of sunscreen. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

For a second, Emma didn’t recognize her new friend. She had shoulder-length blond hair and a smile that lit up her hazel eyes. Emma towered over her.

“No, nothing to interrupt. Thanks for returning this.” She held up the bottle before tossing it on the counter behind her. “Do you have time for a glass of wine? I have a bottle I’ve been waiting to share with someone.” She laughed. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Wine? You bet,” Marlena said as she came inside. “I love what you’ve done with the place. Very modern.”

Emma searched through the kitchen drawers for her corkscrew. Finding it, she turned to face Marlena, who’d made herself comfortable on one of the three barstools.

“It is, but it wasn’t my doing. I bought it this way. Sight unseen. No, that’s not true. I just didn’t see it in person before I bought it. Did see photos from the real estate agent. So I had a good idea of what I was getting. I believe the previous owner was in some tech business.”

“I think so, though I never met him. He wasn’t here very long. Maybe six months?” Marlena said.

Emma uncorked the wine and poured a glass for both of them.

Marlena raised her glass. “Let’s make a toast.”

“Absolutely,” Emma agreed. “To new beginnings and new friends.”

Marlena repeated her words, and they clinked their glasses together.

“Let’s sit on the lanai; the sun is about to set,” Emma suggested to her guest.

Marlena trailed behind her. “You have one of the best views, being on this side of the condo.”

“I do?” Emma asked.

“Of course, the building opposite you has beachfront views. It’s strange, because their lanais face away from the beach. I believe the master bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling windows.”

“I guess waking up with a view of the Gulf of Mexico is appealing. I don’t mind taking a short walk to the beach. I . . .