Three weeks later...
JACK HAD NEVER been to New York City, let alone sat in the front row of the audience of a national celebrity talk show. But here he was, watching the love of his life chat with one of America’s most talked-about TV hosts. For a self-professed small-town girl, Emily was a natural. She’d had a brief episode of nerves in the dressing room, but on stage she was so poised and professional, so beautiful she took his breath away. She wanted to be a writer—she was a writer, and a brilliant one, too—but she could as easily have been a television personality.
The interview had opened with questions about her blog, why she started it and how long she’d been blogging. The next question surprised him but Emily took it in stride.
“The title of your blog is Small Town, Big Hearts. Can you tell us, Emily, why you decided to create a blog about life in a small town. I mean, it’s not exactly exciting.”
She bestowed a megawatt smile on the live audience, paused briefly for the camera, then turned to the host to answer his question. “There’s an honesty and a sense of realism in small towns that you don’t find in big cities. No pretense. Most people have known each other all their lives. They might not always see eye to eye but when push comes to shove, everyone rallies around to help and give support.”
The host waited for the applause to quiet down before posing another question.
“Tell us about your recent series of posts. I think you called it ‘The Great Garden Gnome Caper.’” A photograph of a gnome-inhabited garden filled the big screens on either side of the stage.
If Emily was bothered by the wave of laughter that rolled through the audience, it didn’t show. Instead, she gave a brief but animated summary of the puzzling disappearances and how her readership had gradually increased as she wrote about them.
“In one of your final posts, you mentioned that a certain Mrs. P. and her dog were at the center of this so-called caper.”
“That’s right. I didn’t want to identify her, although most people in Riverton know who she is. She was alone and elderly and kept the dog for company, but I’m happy to say she’s no longer on her own. Her daughter is moving back to town to live with her. They’ve given me permission to share their story because they want the world to know that people in small towns really do have big hearts.”
And, Jack thought, because everyone liked to be part of a huge success story like Emily’s. He sure was proud to be part of it.
“Now that the country’s buzzing about Small Town, Big Hearts, you’re being compared to a new generation’s Garrison Keillor. How do you feel about that?”
Jack connected with Emily’s brief gaze, felt the warmth of her smile. “He’s an amazing writer, so I couldn’t be more honored, or flattered. I try to write stories that have a broad appeal to young and old alike, and if I’ve accomplished that in some small measure, then mission accomplished.”
There were times Jack wanted her to flaunt her accomplishments to the world, but it wasn’t her style. The audience’s vigorous applause showed they appreciated her humility as genuine rather than the false modesty of so many celebrities.
“So,” the host continued, “what’s next for Emily Finnegan?”
Jack watched the excitement light up her beautiful brown eyes.
“Thanks to my readers, the last post in my garden gnome series actually went viral. Somehow it caught the attention of an editor at a New York publishing house. She contacted me and offered a book deal.”
Jack would always remember the day she burst into his office, barely coherent and excitedly waving an email printout.
“Impressive,” the host said, speaking over the applause this time. “Can you tell us about the story that went viral?”
Emily’s blush was visible in spite of a heavy layer of stage makeup. To the audience’s surprise and delight, she described how she wanted to save Mrs. P from the embarrassment of admitting her dog was the thief, so she had set out under cover of darkness to return the stolen items. Instead she ended up being the suspect and locked in a cell at the local police station.
Jack glanced over his shoulder. The audience was eating this up.
There had been a time when he’d been sure that digging in his heels and insisting Emily move to Chicago was the right thing for both of them. Finally he’d come around to seeing that he was the one who needed to compromise. But from where he sat right now, he could see he hadn’t sacrificed anything. Not a single thing. His career had taken a giant leap forward, he was going to be a father, and this talented and beautiful woman had agreed to marry him.
“Emily, what would you like the audience to know about the man who had you arrested?”
“His name is Jack Evans and he is Riverton’s Chief of Police. After I was released,” she said, playing along with the embellished arrest, “he asked me to marry him.” She flashed another smile at the camera, then at the audience. “I said yes.”
The applause was thunderous.
“I believe Chief Evans is here with you tonight.”
Jack’s pulse sped up when Emily made eye contact. “Right there in the front row.”
His image appeared on the monitors as he mouthed the words I love you, and then the cameras panned to Emily as she blew him a kiss and whispered, “You, too.”
The talk-show host beamed as though he alone was responsible for the wild hand clapping, wolf whistles and catcalls. “Remind us, Emily,” he finally interjected, “what the title of your blog post was.”
“I called it ‘How to Catch a Wife.’”
That brought the house down.
Watching her laugh with the audience, Jack knew he’d caught more than a wife. He’d captured a life.
* * * * *
Be sure to look for the next book in Lee McKenzie’s THE FINNEGAN SISTERS trilogy, coming soon.
Keep reading for an excerpt from THROUGH THE STORM by Rula Sinara.