Everyone is clapping and cheering.
I’m still staring at my future. My mouth won’t form words.
He smiles and leans forward. “This is when you’re supposed to say yes.”
“Yes,” I finally blurt now that I’ve been prompted.
He starts to open the box. “Here’s the thing, I have no idea what you might want in an engagement ring. This was our grandmother's. We discovered her jewelry when we were going through her belongings. I picked this out from her box earlier today. It reminded me of you. It’s yours now, but we’ll go to the city and get you a real engagement ring in the next few days. This is just a placeholder.”
I’m still crying as I nod.
Brody opens the box, and I gasp. It’s spectacular. A stunning emerald surrounded by several smaller diamonds. “Oh, Brody…”
He takes it out and reaches for me. I’m trembling as he slides it onto my ring finger. It fits perfectly. I hold my hand up to look at it. “I love it so much.”
Everyone jumps up and down, cheering as I fling myself at my man and kiss him.
He stands, lifting me off my feet to swing me around. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” We kiss several more times while the rest of our family whoops and cheers.
Finally, we face everyone. They’re all waiting expectantly. It takes me a moment to remember why. “Oh, fuck. The book!” I bend down to pick up the paper bag where I dropped it on the floor in my surprise.
When I slide the book out and hold it up, the four women in the room scream. They rush at me, nearly knocking me on my ass. I can’t understand what any of them are saying, but it’s obvious they’re pleased and beyond fucking excited.
My heart is full. If no one else in town supports me, at least my new family does.
I’ve never been so nervous as I am standing next to the stage in the high school gymnasium where Brody is tapping the microphone to get everyone’s attention. The room is jammed full. Apparently, even with only a few hours’ notice, the people of Wilde can and will show up when they’re expecting some good-quality gossip.
I take several deep breaths as he makes a few announcements before turning to me. “Now for the main reason I’ve called you all here tonight. As many of you know, one of our citizens, Melody Thorne, has been the victim of vandalism at her home. She has also been subjected to threats of blackmail.”
A collective gasp fills the room.
“What you also may or may not know is that Melody is very important to me. In fact, just a few hours ago, she agreed to marry me.”
The gasps switch to hooting and whistling, which is a good sign. I feel their waves of love.
Brody holds up a hand. “Thank you for congratulating us. I’m certain there’s no one in our town who doesn’t know that Melody is an author. She has spent years protecting her privacy, preferring to stay out of the limelight. But one of our citizens has decided that Melody is not a suitable member of society.”
The townsfolk gasp yet again and look at each other.
He leans in closer to the mic and smirks. “Apparently, someone prefers to read her romance novels in the closet.”
The audience laughs.
“The thing is I love this woman with my whole heart, and it hurts me when she’s hurting. Someone among us believes she is the gold moral standard we should all live by and that she has the right to steal Melody’s mail and blackmail her. Given few options, Melody has decided to out herself to the community.” He sets his hand over his heart as if this physically causes him pain, and I have no doubt it does. It’s written all over his face. He’s still trying to come up with a way to keep this from happening.
It’s like toothpaste, though. There’s no way to put it back in the tube. This is happening. Now. I’m ready. No matter what happens, I know who I am and what my values are. I’m not going to let one crazy bitch ruin my life.
“It weighs heavily on my heart that my fiancée has been pushed into a corner, but here we are. She will not be chased out of town by anyone, especially not the self-appointed chief of the morality police. Even though I came to Wilde intending to stay only a few months to help with the renovation efforts, I’ve had a change of heart. The love of my life is happy here. You are her people. She does not want to leave Wilde. So, we are staying. We will join the rest of our family to make Wilde a better place and once again put it on the map.”
The townsfolk jump to their feet, clapping and cheering. It’s overwhelming. Their support means the world to me, and I haven’t revealed my name yet.
Once they calm down, someone in the audience yells, “Keep your pen name to yourself, Melody. We don’t need to know who you are.”
“Yes, Melody. She’s right. You should not feel forced to share something so private,” someone else shouts.
“That’s the truth,” cries out yet another citizen. “We love you. Whoever is blackmailing you should be ashamed of themselves.”
