Perfecting the Proposal (A Wedding Town Romance #5)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

A my Marchant added the final touches to her newspaper article, another one about weddings. But that subject wasn’t a surprise in wedding-crazed Two Hearts, Tennessee.

This time, she’d interviewed Bella Walker, the owner of Bella’s Brides, the wedding dress store. In the final version of the week’s newspaper— her newspaper—that same page would include a farm report, a photo of last Saturday’s celebrity wedding, and the mayor’s weekly update.

The Two Hearts Times covered everything that mattered to this town and the surrounding countryside. With one more article tomorrow, she’d put this edition to bed and print it. Then she’d add some of the articles to her new website.

Amy pushed back from the tiny kitchen table in the equally tiny kitchen she used as a desk and office during her off hours. She had little privacy in the small house her younger brother Dexter rented and that she had shared with him since she’d come back home to Two Hearts a few months ago. A door divided it from the living room, where her brother watched a game, an activity he and the rest of her family loved. But to her, men and women who threw balls and swatted at pucks did so for no good reason.

Growing up, she’d rarely get to choose what she wanted to watch when a game was on. Both her parents and her four siblings—two brothers and two sisters—loved sports.

It was a welcome break when her phone rang with a call from her new friend Cassie.

Cassie started talking the second after Amy said, “Hello.”

“Is there any way— any way at all —that you can help me tomorrow?” The panicked note in Cassie’s usually calm voice surprised her. Before Amy could reply, Cassie continued. “My best wedding assistant helped with her sister’s wedding last weekend and is now stuck in Miami because of flight issues. Two of my usual assistants won’t be there, either.”

“I’d love to, but I have to finish up the newspaper tomorrow.”

A sound between a low scream and a groan made Amy cringe. Then the phone went silent. Cassie must be mentally sifting through everyone else she knew for possible aid.

If Amy finished the paper tonight, she’d be able to take tomorrow off. The bride article was the last piece. A couple of months ago, she’d been flipping through old newspapers in the archive that had been sold along with the business and had come upon a story about a 1937 wedding with a photo of the bride. Amy had scanned the photo and written an article to accompany it.

That had been the biggest hit with readers since she’d restarted the paper. A town that loved weddings as much as Two Hearts, Tennessee, loved everything wedding-related, so it shouldn’t have surprised her. She’d done one of those articles every week since then. With more than sixty-five years of newspapers, she wouldn’t run out of material anytime soon.

A late trip back to her office and a couple of hours of work would be all it’d take. “I’ll rearrange my schedule so I can help you.”

“Thank you! I was so desperate that, for a moment, I even considered calling my mother.”

Amy laughed. She’d heard stories about Cassie’s domineering mother.

“I’ll text you the details. Your job will be assisting the bride. Oh, and please wear black.” With that, Cassie ended the call.

Amy stared at her phone. She should have known she’d be pulled into the wedding industry when she moved back home to Two Hearts. She glanced over her shoulder at the door to the living room. To get her purse with her car keys, she’d have to pass through there to a table beside the front door. Her overprotective brother would no doubt then deliver a lecture about walking and working alone at night. He’d probably insist on taking her himself.

It was 7:30 p.m. and barely dark. She’d be perfectly safe in this town. Other than occasional celebrity weddings, nothing unusual happened in Two Hearts.

She scrounged around in the kitchen drawer that held everything from scissors to twine, finally finding the key to her building she kept there for Dexter. He usually worked from home but occasionally needed an office to do an in-person interview, so she let him use her place of business when she wasn’t there.

With her laptop tucked under her arm, Amy started toward the back door. A three-block walk would do her good after sitting so long. It was a warm late May evening, so she didn’t even need a jacket. After flipping on the outside light beside the door to light the way when she came home, she stepped out the back door and looked down.

Bunny ears immediately caught her eye—pink ones, followed by an embroidered pink nose and black eyes. Her mother’s sense of humor had been in full force when she’d bought these slippers last Christmas.

Her shoes were neatly placed beside the front door. These slippers would have to do. Besides, it was dark out, so even if she did come upon a late evening dog walker, they wouldn’t notice her footwear.

She hoped.

As the newspaper publisher, she tried not to draw attention to herself. She wanted to appear professional and to have all eyes on her newspaper. Hopefully, she wouldn’t run into anyone.

The last week hadn’t gone as Scott had expected.

First, his sister had called him in the middle of the night, frantic because a tree had fallen on their house during the storm that had still been howling outside his window. He’d hurried over to see how he could help and found his brother-in-law trying to remove belongings from their home before they got soggy from the rain that had, thankfully, slowed to a trickle.

As dawn broke, he’d borrowed a friend’s truck and had helped them haul everything to a storage facility. Then he’d invited everyone to stay at his house.

“Scott. Hello?” His friend Greg Brantley waved his hand in front of Scott’s face. “I asked what made you take me up on my suggestion that you visit Two Hearts.”

“You made this town sound like a great place. I decided I needed a vacation from Chicago’s big city chaos.”

Greg’s unwavering gaze as he gave his next comment told Scott that his friend made a great sheriff. “Sure. The offer I’ve made every month or two for the last couple of years. And today—without any notice—you suddenly show up.”

Scott rubbed his hand over his face. He’d wanted to keep his confusion to himself, but he’d been Greg’s friend long enough that he knew he would get the answer out of him soon, anyway.

“Melinda and her kids were driving me crazy.”

Confusion swept over his friend’s face. “Your sister’s children? How are they doing that when they live twenty or thirty minutes from your house?”

“They’re in my house. A tree landed on their place, and they needed somewhere to go.”

Greg nodded slowly. “I see. So you have your sister, her husband, and four kids under six?—”

“Under five. A set of twins in the middle managed to make it even more chaotic. And they have two sheepdogs. My three-bedroom house was perfect for me alone and maybe an occasional out-of-town guest, but . . .”

Greg chuckled. “So you ran?”

“I wanted to be far enough away to escape the chaos. I told them it was perfect timing because I’d planned a getaway. And you keep telling me I need to visit, after all.”

“Had you planned a getaway?”

Scott rubbed his hand over his face. “Every day. The commute is a beast. That day, I talked to the Captain about time off.”

“He agreed to let you take some?” Greg’s incredulous tone made Scott smile. Scott’s boss was infamous in the department for refusing to grant time off.

“I had the leave accrued. But I’m on call if he needs me. If he does, I guess I’ll be working from your mother’s living room.” He’d put his duffel bag and laptop on the coffee table in front of the comfortable, light green checked couch he now sat on. Scott had to admit it wouldn’t be a hardship to stay here, but he was alone right now and not sharing the space with its owner.

“That’s what you get when you arrive on a busy wedding weekend.”

“It’s a small town. Why would I have thought the one motel would be full? And what’s the deal with weddings?”

“We’re becoming known as the wedding town. Even celebrities want to get married in Two Hearts.” Greg stretched out in his chair.

Scott gestured toward the room around them. “Are you sure your mother won’t mind my staying here?”

Greg laughed. “Are you kidding? My mother knows you, and she loves company.”

“But she’s out of town. I just barged in here.”

“I asked her before I offered. She and her new husband—that’s still a little odd for me to say—are on an island off of Florida for a couple of days. He’s a wedding photographer. He keeps declaring he’s retiring, but I think he enjoys weddings in exotic locations far too much to completely let go. Mom is happy to tag along.”

Scott felt tension easing out of his shoulders as he leaned back into the sofa cushion. “The slower pace of a small town is just what I need. No rush hour.” He sat upright. “There is a slower pace, right?”

Greg laughed again. “Definitely. I don’t miss Chicago’s busyness. But it does become more hectic around weddings. The sheriff’s office provides security. The worst we ever get, though, is a guest who’s had too much champagne.” Greg cleared his throat. “There’s a wedding tomorrow.”

Why was he being told what he already knew? That had been made clear the second he’d tried to book a room at the motel. Then it hit him. Greg needed more people for security.

When Scott didn’t say anything, his friend added, “I know you moved from beat cop to computer techie, but we can always use the help.”

Greg’s phone rang. Before he could do more than identify himself to the caller, he asked that person to hold while he answered a second call.

“Yes, Edna. I understand. I’ll check it out. Thank you for reporting it.” Then he switched back to the first and listened to the situation. “Square or round? Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Greg put his phone back in his shirt pocket. “I spoke too soon about the calm. A farmer’s trailer loaded with hay had a tire blowout, and half a load of hay bales slid out onto the highway. The farmer’s trying to gather the bales and fix the tire without a car hitting him in the dark. I’m the only one on duty tonight, and the caller is in danger, so I’ll have to go on that call first.”

Scott got to his feet. There was no point in sitting here if Greg needed him. “And the other one?”

“That may be nothing. One of our nosier residents noticed a light on in the newspaper office.”

Scott frowned. “Does the owner work at night?”

“Not usually. That’s the main reason I should drive by.”

Scott reached for his jacket. “Do I need the car, or can I walk there?”

Greg raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You’re here to relax.”

“I’m here to have a break from my normal life. This qualifies. Text me the address, and I’ll check it out. I’ll stop and get a bite to eat for us on the way back.”

Greg laughed as they walked toward the door. “Dinah’s Place and the grocery store are closed. You’re in a small town that rolls up the sidewalks before dark. But don’t worry. My mother left meals in the freezer, and she makes enough for a crowd.”

Scott decided to take his car. He checked the address he’d been sent and started on his way. Considering everything Greg had told him about Two Hearts in the years he’d known him—first as memories of his hometown when he was in Chicago and then updates after he’d moved back—Scott was fairly certain he’d find a man his father’s age or older working late to get tomorrow’s edition out.

This should be easy.