“You’re welcome, Mrs. Whitton. My parents always told me to be polite even when others were rude. So I’ll leave these books for you to stamp or whatever. When I’m teaching at Orange Grove Elementary or Skyline Middle or Pink Pearl High School, I’ll teach my students what my parents taught me. Kill them with kindness.” She plopped the ruined book on the counter along with the padded envelope. “Have a great day,” Emma said before she left.

  As soon as she was in her car, she thought about what she’d said to Marlena. Some people weren’t friendly, no matter how nice you were. Mrs. Whitton was probably one of them. Emma had at least done what she’d set out to do.

  When she returned home, Emma didn’t have anything on her schedule. She cleaned up the kitchen and wiped down the counters. She felt lost, not having a proper job for the first time since she’d graduated from law school. Not one to watch much television, she touched the TV app on her phone to catch up with the world news. After five minutes, she’d had enough. Swiping the screen on her phone, she downloaded a book from a website she used and took a can of Coke out to the lanai.

  She’d just gotten into her book when she heard her name.

  “Emma.”

  Looking up at the lanai across from hers, she waved. “Nash.”

  “You want to see the puppies?” he asked. “I brought them home this morning.”

  She closed the app on her phone. “Of course I do. Give me a minute,” she called. Inside, she left her cell on the charger and raked a hand through her hair. She didn’t bother locking the door because she could see her place from Nash’s.

  Before she had a chance to knock, Nash swung his door open. “Come in. You look great, Emma,” he said.

  She widened her eyes. “Thanks, Nash. You look . . .” She paused. “Tired.”

  “Yeah, that’s what my mom said when we were at the clinic earlier. I had a tough time sleeping last night.”

  Emma didn’t want to bring up the previous evening’s craziness, but if it bothered Nash enough to keep him up all night, it must be more important to him than she’d guessed. “You want to talk about it?”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Sure. I’m a good listener if you want to talk.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll scare you off if I tell you what kept me awake half the night.”

  Emma’s heart dropped. Were all the thoughts she’d had about him wrong? She’d been sure he’d felt the spark between them.

  “Hey, Emma,” he said. “I’m sorry. What did I do?”

  He seemed genuinely confused. Maybe it was she who was confused.

  She gave a half-hearted laugh. “Nothing, not a thing. So, how are the dogs?”

  “They’re sleeping. I just checked on them right before I saw you on the lanai. I wanted to see you. I felt I owe you an apology for last night. I shouldn’t have let Tiffany get the best of me so that I lost my temper in front of you. I feel like a real piece of garbage.”

  Is that what kept him awake? Emma thought. “I’ve witnessed far worse, Nash. I’m an attorney and I lived in Miami. I’m not naive. Last night wasn’t a big deal.” And it wasn’t. At least not in the way he thought.

  He crammed his hands in his pockets. He wore faded jeans and a black T-shirt. Emma thought he looked exceptionally sexy. His hair was messy and he hadn’t shaved. He wore this look well. Very well.

  “Want to sit out on the lanai? I’ll get us a drink,” Nash said.

  “Sure,” Emma told him. This wasn’t the man she’d gone to dinner with last night. This was a serious Nash, maybe even a troubled one.

  She sat in an old wicker rocker while he got their drinks. She hadn’t paid much attention to his patio furniture before because she’d been focused on him. Now she took in the rocker, the other chair, and the small table between them. Antiques, she guessed.

  “Here you go.” Nash placed a glass of ice and a can of Sprite on the table between them.

  “Thanks.”

  He took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the other chair. “I don’t know how to say what I need to say.”

  Emma cringed as her heart lurched. But she had said she would listen, so she waited for him to get whatever was bothering him off his chest.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “The beginning is usually the best place,” Emma told Nash, unsure if she wanted to hear what he had to say.

  Nash opened the soda, pouring it into her glass, the ice tinkling as the carbonated drink fizzled to the top of the glass.

  “Right. So, I don’t know much about you and vice versa.” Nash appeared to struggle for the right words. “But I noticed you right away.”

  Maybe this wasn’t the conversation Emma had been expecting.

  Nash took a sip of her soda. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “It’s fine.” After all, they’d kissed and swapped germs already.

  “I’m having a hard time here. I hope you won’t think I’m off my rocker, but what the heck, I’m just going to go for it.” He took another drink of soda. “Emma, I think I’m falling in love.”

  This definitely wasn’t what she expected to hear. How did he want her to respond? She’d never been in this situation—a guy she had a thing for telling her he was falling in love.

  “Okay.” She swallowed, her throat dry. She took a sip from the glass.

  “And?” Nash prompted.

  Emma felt like she was drowning in emotions and couldn’t come up for air. Nash probably didn’t realize his words cut into her like a sharp knife. “Maybe I’m not the one you should tell this to, Nash.”

  Dumbstruck, his face turned a deep red. “Damn. Emma, I thought you and I had a connection. I’m sorry.”

  “Wait! Say that again.”

  “I thought we had a connection.”

  “So, this love thing . . .” Her throat was so dry, she had to take another drink. “Are you saying it’s me?”

  “Of course. Who else would I . . . Emma, I’ve messed this up.” Nash shook his head. “Let me start over. I didn’t sleep much last night because I thought about you most of the night. Us, the entire evening. At least the good parts. I’ve never said this to any woman before, but I believe I’m falling for you. In love, Emma.”

  “Oh,” she said. “I see.”

  “Are you going to move? Call me a jerk? Please don’t keep me in suspense, Emma. If I’m wrong about this connection, please tell me now.”

  She stood up, walked the short distance over to Nash’s chair, and stood in front of him. “Stand up.”

  Nash did.

  “Now kiss me.”

  He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. Nash looked at her as if she were the first woman he’d ever kissed. Their kiss was so slow and intimate that when his lips touched hers, their bodies melded into one. Nash traced his hand down the slope of her back, resting on her hip. She raised her arms, placing them around his neck, just barely able to reach him. She toyed with the ends of his hair.

  A loud howling forced them apart.

  “Penny,” Nash said.

  Emma followed him into the condo’s spare room. Poor little Penny’s front paw was caught on the edge of the entrance to her whelping box. “Hey there.” Nash spoke softly as he removed her paw. “It’s okay.” She waddled back to her corner, where the pups slept on a blanket.

  “My gosh, they’re so tiny,” Emma observed. She wanted to pet them, but knew now wasn’t the time. “Have you named them yet?”

  Nash sat down beside the dogs. “No. I didn’t think I would be keeping them. I was going to let the new pet parents make that decision.”

  “So you are going to keep all four?” Emma asked, a grin a mile wide on her face.

  “Yeah, I think I will. Unless you want one?”

  “I would love a puppy, but I don’t want to take one. If you keep them, I’ll help you care for them.”

  “I’d like that,” Nash said. “You want to help me name them?”

  “Sure.” She scooted closer to their whelping box. Inside, the puppies rested on top of a flowered blanket. “They look like little flower petals.”

  “Flower girls,” Nash mused. “I like that.”

  “How about Daisy, Rosie, Lily, and Ivy? All flowery names.”

  “And how will I know which is which?”

  “When they’re a little bigger, how about collars that match the color of the flower?”

  “Good idea.”

  “Nash, just for the record, I knew we had a connection that morning at Vittles. When we shook hands.”

  “Yeah, I did too. You made me reconsider everything I ever believed concerning love.”

  Emma nodded, still a bit unsure of all this. “How?”

  “I was one of those guys who never believed in love at first sight, that sort of stuff. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I don’t want to start our relationship without being totally honest. I spoke with my mom this morning. She picked up on my lack of sleep. She told me that when I met someone special, I would know. She didn’t mention how, just that I would know.”

  “She must be a wise woman,” Emma said.

  “Very. She raised me, after all.” He laughed. “Dad passed away my first year of college. It was hard for her. First I left, then Dad. She’s a tough cookie. I want you to meet her, if you want to.”

  “Of course. I’d like that, Nash. I don’t have any family.” She told him how her parents had died, something she rarely spoke about with others. It had been so tragic. Both had been riding their bicycles. They’d been home in Miami for two days, and Emma had planned to spend a little time with them before they left on their next business trip. Sadly, both of her parents were hit by a van. They didn’t suffer, but the shock of their loss lingered for years.

  “That’s terrible, Emma. I’m so sorry for you,” Nash told her when she was done. Then his cell phone rang.

  “Answer it,” Emma insisted.

  Nash went into the hallway, returning a few minutes later with a big grin on his face. “That was Naomi from the vet clinic. She says Tiffany has voluntarily entered Willow House. It’s a mental health facility.”

  “That’s great to hear. I’m happy for her.”

  “According to Naomi, Tiffany’s father insisted, and she agreed. Sad, but she’s needed help for as long as I can remember. I think having you here in Pink Pearl Cove is changing many lives for the better. Especially mine.”

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Six months into their relationship, Nash asked Emma to marry him. She wasted no time in accepting. They then had six months to plan a wedding, sell their condominiums, and buy a home together.

  Because the puppies had brought them together, Emma thought it only right that they take part in the wedding. For three months, Nash, Lori, Naomi, and she spent hours teaching the pups to walk side by side, to sit, stay, and stand on command.

  Emma and Nash were married on the beach, with most of the Cove’s residents attending. Lisa and Marlena acted as Emma’s bridesmaids, along with Daisy, Rosie, Lily, and Ivy. Each dachshund wore a dress made specifically for her in the flower color she represented. With tiny bonnets on their heads, they received more attention than Emma. She loved them so much that she understood why Nash hadn’t wanted to give them up. Henry and Penny and their girls were part of her family now.

  “I can’t believe how well-behaved they were,” Emma Kendrick said to her new mother-in-law. “Perfect little flower girls.”

  Lori laughed. “I think you and Nash had a big hand in that.”

  “We loved every minute of teaching them.”

  Harris showed up at the last minute. He’d been working on a case that was in the headlines, so when Emma saw him at the wedding, her happiness was complete. Lydia had even made the trip, telling her that she wouldn’t have missed Emma’s special day for a million bucks.

  That was six weeks ago. With both of their condos now sold, Lori had invited the newlyweds to stay with her while Jack Alan and a construction crew from Miami built Emma and Nash’s dream home.

  Emma now had a full-time teaching position at Orange Grove Elementary. She adored her first-grade class. Nash continued to teach high school math.

  Emma pondered all of her good fortune while she waited for Nash. He’d started a girls’ baseball team and coached three nights a week. She heard his truck pull up in the long drive that led to Lori’s house. Lori had started working two days a week at the vet clinic again. Emma and Nash knew Dr. Mellow and Lori were an item, but they’d decided to leave them alone to do their own thing. When they were ready, they could tell the folks they loved.

  “You’re dusty tonight,” Emma said to Nash when he returned from practice.

  “Yeah, I took a few turns batting myself. You’ll never guess who my best pitcher is.”

  “Tell me,” Emma said.

  “Amanda Morris. Her mom owns the candy store.”

  “Yes, I know her. I worried about her for a long time. I’m glad she’s found a sport she’s interested in. She seemed so lost and sad.” Emma remembered the first time she saw Amanda at the candy store. She and Lisa continued to work with the three charities that Amanda’s family unknowingly benefitted from.

  “She sure as heck isn’t lost or sad now. Half the guys in my math class have the hots for her.”

  Emma laughed. “That’s a surprise. She was so . . . bashful when I met her.”

  “She just needed time to grow up a bit. Some kids take a little longer to mature than others. She’s a good girl. Smart too.”

  She loved hearing about Nash’s students and their accomplishments. It was so much better than arguing on behalf of multimillion-dollar corporations. Emma had no regrets about leaving her law practice. She would always keep her legal license up to date, just as she had her teaching certificate. That was just her way. She’d spent most of her teenage years in school and college. She wanted to be reminded of all the long, hard days and nights she’d spent earning both degrees. She owed it to herself to keep them current.

  “Mom at the clinic tonight?” Nash asked.

  “Yes. She took an extra night for some reason. Not sure why,” Emma said.

  “Well, Mrs. Kendrick, you know what that means?” Nash teased her.

  “No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me.”

  “Nope, I don’t like to tattle. How about I show you?” Nash picked her up and carried her to their temporary bedroom.

  * * *

  Later, Nash and Emma lay snuggled together. The windows were open and a breeze from the Gulf lifted the gauzy curtains. The moon filled the room with a soft glow.

  “I like this. Just you and me, alone. Nothing else seems important. I think this is what my mom was trying to tell me when I asked her how I would know when I was in love,” Nash said.

  “Mm,” Emma said, content to let him talk.

  “I knew I would marry you the night I took you to dinner. Remember the Cove’s Fish Camp? Our first date?”

  She smiled. “A first date I’ll never forget.”

  “Any regrets?” Nash asked.

  “It’s a little too late for that, don’t you think?” she teased. “And no, I have no regrets. None. Zilch.”

  “Good. Because if you did, I’d say tough. You’re stuck with me.”

  “Nash, you are such a romantic. I never pegged you for one when I used to spy on you.”

  “You spied on me? You’re telling me this now? I married a stalker?” he said in mock horror. She’d told Nash this before, and he’d laughed because he’d been doing the same thing.

  “Yes, and don’t forget, a book offender. That was the book I used to hide my face when I spied on you.”

  “You’ve got quite the wicked past. It looks good on you. Have I mentioned that before? I saw you from behind. I liked what I saw, though I remember thinking you could be toothless or just plain old ugly up close. That’s why I had to make it my business to see your face.”

  Emma leaned up on her elbows. “You’ve never told me that before. Is that true, or are you teasing?”

  “True. Scout’s honor.”

  “When you saw my face, I guess I passed your inspection?” She didn’t care one way or another. She loved him with all she had to give, and she knew his love for her was true and would last until they were old and feeble.

  “Beyond my wildest dreams. You know that. Every morning when I wake up and see you lying next to me, I figure I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I go to sleep with a smile and I wake up with a smile. And I smile in between. So, Em, you’ve passed my inspection beyond the moon and back.”

  “That’s nice to know.”

  “Seriously, I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I owe you for that.”

  “I understand. I feel the same as you. Now, we need to stop talking like we’re two lovesick teenagers. We need to remember we’re adults.”

  “I do that all day. It’s fun, but even more fun when we’re acting like a couple of kids. I like you when you’re being silly.”

  “I never had much of a sense of humor in my youth. Too much time studying. I’m making up for lost time. Seriously, Nash—are you as happy as you say?”

  He rolled onto his side and touched her cheek. “Of course I am. I can’t think of anything that would make me any happier than I am right now.”

  “I’m excited about the house. I can’t wait until we make it our own. I’ve already got a few fabric samples from Lisa.”

  “Another shoe room?” Nash teased.

  “I’ll always have a shoe room, maybe not as large as Lisa’s, not even as large as the room I had converted in the condo. But I do love shoes, so you will have to get used to that.”

  “You can have as many rooms of shoes as you want. As long as you’re around to wear them, I’m happy.”

  “Nash, what about tiny shoes? For tiny feet? I’m talking tiny, tiny feet. Like newborn baby feet.” Emma couldn’t keep her secret any longer.

  “Are you trying to tell me what I think you’re trying to tell me? Emma?” He gazed at her, love shining in his eyes.