“The stage is ready for you.”
Stage?Sloane had been there on live music nights a few times, and though she’d seen Emmitt in action before, singing at The Homestead’s weekend events, she’d never imagined him stepping onto the one at the steakhouse. Especially without telling her in advance.
Once at the small stage in the far corner of the restaurant, Emmitt helped Sloane up the few short steps and walked over to the standing mic. He motioned for her to join him with a few head nods as he brought the mic to his lips.
“Good evening,” Emmitt said in that low voice of his.
Sloane shuffled over while scanning the crowded tables and bar. It was then she noticed a familiar face. Wait, make that alotof familiar faces. There, moving in closer from the bar, was Emmitt’s family. All of them, even Betty. Memphis lifted a phone and pointed to the screen with an outstretched arm.
Sloane squinted to take in the face on the screen and gasped when she saw it was Gabe there, on a video call from his current investigation in Hawaii. Her nerves nearly vanished as she gave Gabe an enthusiastic wave from the stage.
“Maverick has someone joining as well,” Emmitt said over the mic.
Sloane glanced about the group until she spotted Maverick holding a phone of his own. She could hardly believe her eyes—there, on the screen, was her mother and Elroy waving with grins at their lips. Her heart felt as if it might explode with joy. She waved back at them as well, nearly forgetting that she was on some stage in front of not only Emmitt’s family, but a bunch of strangers too.
“A big thanks goes out to the management team here at Lincoln’s Steakhouse. Thanks for letting an amateur grace the stage. Folks, yourrealentertainment will be out shortly.”
He turned to face Sloane, lips still close to the mic. “For now, I’ve got something to ask this beautiful woman by my side.” He strummed the guitar.
Someone from the crowd whistled out a long cat call.
“Thank you,” he said with a grin. He strummed his guitar again, licked his lips, and broke into a soft, rhythmic melody.
We’ve all heard of love at first sight.
Our story’s close to the same.
Except ours was like love at firstfight,
But soon I was shifting my game.
Cuz there was something in your eyes, that made me realize,
I was ready for change.
Talk aboutswooning. Sloane felt she might faint from the first verse alone.
The song continued, each line a new portrait of their tale. By the chorus, patrons were rocking and swaying to the beat. Sloane caught herself doing the same, relishing the feels that sprouted deep in her chest.
By the time she sensed the song was coming to an end, Sloane was wiping happy tears from the corners of her eyes.
They say that some come, and some go.
And while I knew that was true,
There was nothing like the low
My life would have been without you.
Cuz there was something in your grin, that made me want you at the Inn…
For the rest of my life.
He strummed a few final chords, slower now, before placing his palm over the strings at the end. With that, Emmitt shrugged out of the guitar strap, rested it beside the mic, and reached into his pocket once more.
He lowered himself onto one knee then and set his brown eyes on her.
“Sloane Bardo,” he said. “I love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Say you want that too.” He cracked open the box in his hand and presented a gorgeous diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”
