The Ties That Bind — J.A. Bouma

If money makes the world go 'round, then relationships are the currency of small towns. They're the ties that bind a community together, the grease that makes the pistons turn. Mill Creek Junction is a small fictional Midwest town filled with relationships of all shapes and sizes—brought to you in a collection of five original, heartwarming short stories. From a chance-encounter meet-cute between two people from opposite sides of the tracks on New Years Eve leading to a connection that leads to something more. To a night on the countryside between friends that leads to a rollicking adventure only conjured by small-town living. Then there's the small-town law firm of three partners struggling to make ends meet, and a revelation about what matters most. The baton-passing between one pastor and another, one generation to another, and all the thoughts and feelings about that. Ending with a group of friends celebrating a holiday that reminds them they've got all they need: each other. So, here's to relationships of all sorts. Here's to what brings us together and holds us together—in any number of ways. Here's to the ties that bind.