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EMERY

“Hey.” Rex peeked in her office, pointing at his watch. “You’d better go get ready. The reception is in three hours.”

“How much primping do you think I need?” After meeting with Kadasha and sitting in Murph’s chair for an updo, Emery returned to the paper, checking and double-checking the layout and banked stories, even running a test to the press to ensure the ads appeared.

“You’re starting to get worry lines.” Rex held up his hand, fingers crossed. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

“Elliot will have my job otherwise.” She’d charged premium prices for ad space in the collector’s royal edition. “The press run has to be perfect.”

“Tomorrow we’ll pick the best of Kadasha’s pictures, flow them onto the page, zip it all up, and send it to the press.” Rex gently shoved her toward the door. “Floyd will run the Sunday Royal Gazette ahead of the other jobs in case of a problem.”

“And if there is, how do we fix it?”

“Prayer. Bye, go meet royal people.”

Note to self—give Rex a raise.

A t Cottage 7, she tried on several dresses before going with the obvious choice: the royal-blue-and-white print Tommy Bahama tasseled maxi dress, with the white and brown leather sandals Joanna sent.

I saw this while shopping and thought of you immediately. The dress said, “Casual day with a royal couple.” No worry if you choose not to wear it. I also found these cool shoes. Love, Jo

Emery was a little more than moved that Joanna thought of her amid all the wedding preparation. Dad texted a few weeks ago saying she was starting to wear thin.

Joanna brought a sense of style to the Quinn closets. Dad’s style improved from dotty professor to sophisticated academic. Joanna sent Emery off to Ohio State with a suitcase full of “college girl” clothes—which Emery never really acknowledged. Thank you , thank you , Joanna.

Of all her mom’s amazing qualities, a fashion sense was not one of them. She was a banker who wore banker’s clothes—dark suits and white blouses, heels. For a wedding or dinner party, she borrowed outfits from friends. But Mom had the pearls, which added class to everything.

At four forty-five, Delilah knocked on Emery’s door. “I thought we could walk up together. I’m a bit nervous.”

She wore a lovely pair of white slacks with a pink blouse, and white sandals.

Her short silver hair was always neat, but Murph had insisted on running a curling iron through the top.

At eighty-seven, she still had the leanness of her younger years, with high cheeks supporting her dark, all-seeing eyes.

“You’ve met royals before, haven’t you?” Emery said. “Didn’t you have an audience with Prince John’s grandfather?”

“Many, many years ago. I’m out of practice.”

“ Princess Gemma is eager to meet you.”

“Stay with me when I curtsy so I don’t fall.”

“We don’t have to curtsy,” Emery said, setting her phone, cottage key, and lip gloss in a small clutch.

“You say that now, but when you meet them, you will.”

Walking up Avenue C under a fiery red, gold, and orange sunset, Delilah gripped Emery’s hand as they rounded the old haberdashery and entered Sea Blue Way.

“Goodness.” Delilah slowed. “It’s a wonderland. Everything looks born again.”

The banners flapped softly in the breeze, almost in rhythm with the murmuring voices. The glow of the shop windows spread a golden carpet over the red bricks. Even the vacant shops had light in the windows.

The high school quartet played Pachelbel, and the security teams, dressed in black, faded into the background.

“It seems like the East End has woken up from a long sleep,” Emery said. “The whole place is glowing.”

As they made their way under the string of crisscrossing lights, Emery began her article in her head, trying to find another word besides magical . Glorious?

The street was like a scene from a swoony movie where the hero finally scoops the girl into his arms and dances with her under the stars to her favorite song.

Somewhere in the gathering crowd, Emery hoped Kadasha captured the feel with her camera as much as the sights.

Down the center of the street, round high-top spool tables were decorated with lights and small bouquets of flowers. In short order, East End food vendors would bring out their specialties.

“Emery, over here.” Simon beckoned from the small huddle of town council members. “I want you front and center. Delilah, you’re next to Emery. The princess is a fan.”

“ Seems impossible, but all right.” Delilah was so delightfully humble. “I haven’t been on the music scene for over forty years.”

Emery had just taken her place when she noticed Caleb in a deep conversation with Duke.

Suddenly he turned, as if she’d called his name.

His attention landed on her. And when he smiled, he challenged the brightness of every twinkling light.

His presence wrapped around her, head to toe.

Caleb Ransom , you are making me love you.

After a moment, he broke away from Duke and came over to her. “You know you’re not supposed to upstage the princess.”

“Very funny.” Yet the glint in his eye said he meant it. “I couldn’t show her up if I tried.”

“Caleb, here, you tuck in next to your girl,” Delilah said, pulling him into the line.

“No, no, I’ll go on the other side of Simon,” he said.

“Nonsense, you two need to stand together. You’re the future of this town.”

“Are we?” Emery said. What did Delilah know, or see, that she didn’t?

“Does everyone remember the protocol?” Simon strode up and down the line of guests. “They’ll walk the line, greet each of you. Shake their hand but do not crowd them, ask for a selfie, or tell them your life story.” Simon turned to Ivan. “Hear me?”

“Of course I hear you, I’m not deaf. And I read the protocol. How dumb do I look to you?”

Emery smiled at him and gave a thumbs-up. He didn’t look dumb at all. Dressed in a white shirt, bolo tie, and slightly too-tight suit, he was down-home handsome. Standing next to him was Adele in a soft pink dress with a matching knitted scarf. Mercy looked pretty in pale blue.

Across the way, Caleb’s parents stood with the other guests, m any of them the volunteers who worked tirelessly on the beautification of the East End.

For this first reception, they kept it small and intimate, inviting first responders, Dr. Crane and Dr. Wheeler, who started a general practice in the sixties and seventies, and a half dozen students from the high school and middle school.

“Caleb, where’s Bentley?” Emery whispered, not seeing him among the students.

“With his mom.”

“What? Really?”

“She picked him up last night when I was with you.”

“Caleb.” She turned to him. “Are you all right? Is he all right?”

“I think so. I called this morning, and she finally answered. For about sixty seconds. Bentley yelled something about having fun. They’re on one of her adventures.”

Without a thought, she slipped her hand into his. For a moment, it was almost too much—the fragrance of his skin, the gaze of his blue eyes from under his dark hair, the strong pressure of his fingers against hers, and this moment, sharing it together.

“Look at us sixteen years later, Caleb Ransom.”

He bent to her ear. “Is it better than trashing West End High’s field?”

She laughed low. “Yeah, almost, definitely better.”

“Go time, everyone,” Simon said. “They’re coming out of the house with Bodie and Booker Nickle.”

To her right, Simon greeted the prince and princess, along with the two Nickle family members—Bodie, a lawyer, and Booker, a rancher.

“I’m nervous,” she whispered. “What if I suddenly freak out and scream?”

“Do you feel like you might freak out and scream?”

“ No, but what if?”

“Thanks a lot. Now I’m thinking about it.”

Simon walked the royals toward their side of the street. Mac Diamond stood tall and puffed-up, gripping the prince’s hand like he was making a business deal, then bowing to the princess.

“Did he just wink at her?” Emery said.

“Yep, he just winked at her.”

Simon moved quickly down the line until he was in front of Emery. “May I present Emery Quinn, the editor-in-chief of the Gazette . She’s the one who sent the request for your visit.”

“Thank you so much for inviting us.” Prince John shook her hand. She’d seen plenty of pictures of him, but he was even more impressive in person, moving with ease and confidence, seeing the world through vibrant eyes. “We felt rather silly upon reflection. Why didn’t we think of visiting?”

“We were thrilled you said yes,” Emery said.

The princess greeted her next. Delilah was right, Emery couldn’t help but curtsy. Princess Gemma was tall and beautiful, with the classic look of the girl next door. She wore a maxi dress with a pair of white sneakers, and her dark hair in a long French braid.

Emery totally felt like they could be friends.

The prince asked about Rachel Kirby and the Gazette , and how Emery got into journalism. She answered with clarity and swiftness, her nerves firing the whole time. Then Simon moved on to Caleb.

“Our hometown boy, Caleb Ransom, a talented architect who headed up the logistics for your visit.”

“I hope we didn’t cause too much work for you all. Everything you’ve done is lovely.” Prince John shook Caleb’s hand and went on to say how much he loved architecture and took courses while at uni. “Are any of the buildings in town yours?”

Caleb shook his head. “Not yet. But I’m overseeing the re construction of Alderman’s Pharmacy, which you’ll tour later in your visit.”

“Well done then. I look forward to seeing it.”

Princess Gemma greeted him, also mentioning her love for architecture.

“You have to come to Lauchtenland, see our buildings. The Blue family is grateful to you, Mayor Caster, and the whole town, really, for preserving the Blue ancestry in Sea Blue Beach. It means a lot to Her Majesty, the Queen. She’s anxious for a report from our visit.

” The princess started to move on, then stepped back, taking in Caleb and Emery together. She leaned in. “Are you two a couple?”

“They’re a couple,” Delilah interjected, not appearing nervous at all. “They just don’t know it yet. Princess Gemma, a pleasure to meet you, I’m Delilah Mead.” She held onto Caleb as she dipped into a perfect curtsy.

The princess threw her arms around the older woman, hugging her, swaying from side to side. In that moment, she wasn’t a royal princess, but a small-town girl from Tennessee.

“My grandparents played your records constantly when I was growing up. Your songs are the soundtrack of my childhood.” Then she leaned in again, whispering to Delilah, whose eyes glassed with tears, “Thank you for the music.”

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

Down the line and back up, the prince and princess greeted everyone. Then Simon released the guests to mill about, enjoy fellowship, and partake in the food and wine.

“So,” Caleb said, reaching out for Emery’s hand, “seems we have royal approval to be a couple.”

“Yes, it seems we do.”