And the bulk of his life revolves around raising his precious daughter. Only, after growing up under constant scrutiny as a preacher’s kid, Pete’s ways are a bit more unconventional. But how can she keep her heart hidden when a kind man with a genuine smile makes her want a fresh start?Ĭharter fishing pays the bills for widower Pete Thompson and his little girl, but like his father, a pastor, Pete can’t help but fish for men. When she returns to Dauphin Island, Alabama, for a temporary manatee migration study, her dark past is much too close. These days, she pours her heart into protecting nature’s sea creatures. After her mother’s suicide, she left Alabama and never looked back. People can’t be trusted, but she’s forced to take a chance.Īnimals always made more sense than humans did to marine biologist Skye Youngblood. Dauphin Island is a cute Southern small town, and I really enjoyed learning about it.

I’m not a fisherman, anyway, but I did include it in my novel since both my characters would be involved.

I love touring old forts! There’s a huge fishing rodeo every summer, but I didn’t get to go. Oh, a historical fort is located on the east end of the island.

If you time it right, you can catch the butterflies migrating as well. The DI Sea Lab offers a small aquarium for the public and some excursions that I enjoyed, plus there are birding trails to observe the birds migrating across the Gulf of Mexico. They call themselves the Sunset Capital of Alabama, and I have to agree. You arrive there by only one long bridge, a boat, or the ferry from Fort Morgan, unless you have a small plane. The town of Dauphin Island is low-key and still fairly non-commercialized with only a few local shops and restaurants.

Small-Town Moms by Janet Tronstad