by Rich Bullock
Irene from Bibs’ Beauty Barn took photos with her cell phone. Skyy had gotten her hair and nails done there this morning.
Sheriff Cabot and his wife stood next to Doc Arnold, and there were many others she recognized from stores and around town.
But Skyy’s attention was on the front of the chapel.
Canon Truax stood with his brother, Martin, both dressed in black tuxes. On the opposite side, Bailey and Olivia wore pale yellow bridesmaids’ dresses that matched Ember’s.
“Don’t forget to smile,” Ember whispered as the professional photographer preceded them down the aisle, snapping picture after picture. When they reached the front, Ember handed Skyy off to Canon and joined Bailey and Olivia.
Canon’s surgery was healed, and the tux fit him perfectly from his broad shoulders to his trim waist.
“Wow,” she said, running her fingers down the jacket lapel. “You are so definitely a cop hottie.”
Martin coughed a laugh, and Canon grinned as he leaned close to her ear. “And you’re the most beautiful disc jockey I know, Skyy Delaney.”
The minister, Pastor McFarr, stepped forward, interrupting their semi-private moment. Bibs from the Beauty Barn stood beside him and spoke first.
“Well, well, well. Would you look at these two beautiful people,” she said. She managed to dwarf the much taller man beside her. While Pastor McFarr wore a black suit, Bibs was draped in a tent-sized lavender robe adorned with red roses. Somehow the outfit worked with her silver and purple-tipped spiky black hair.
As owner of the chapel building, a site of frequent weddings, Bibs was newly and officially licensed by an online ministerial school. She swore it was completely legal before God and everybody, but agreed to an assistant position today since it was her first ceremony. That didn’t prevent her from nearly taking over.
“We are gonna have fun today!”
Pastor McFarr welcomed everyone and began speaking about the importance of marriage. But Skyy’s focus was on the man beside her. Storm Lake was a long way from Tucson, and that first mile driving out of town in search of Cop Hottie had been a huge risk.
As if reading Skyy’s thoughts, Bibs said, “Our deepest desire is to love and be loved in a way that risks everything.”
Someone in the audience laughed, and Skyy turned to look. Mark was glancing sideways at Old Mike, who had his head lowered and a big smile on his face. Had it been him?
She didn’t have opportunity to dwell on it, because at that moment the minister called on them to recite their vows and trade rings.
They repeated those familiar words spoken at millions of ceremonies each year. But to Skyy they held meaning forged through experience, and they reminded her of the tenuous link to those things that mattered most.
For better or worse;
For richer or poorer;
In sickness and in health;
Until death do us part.
Life was filled with danger, both physical and emotional, and there was no time to waste.
“We now pronounce you husband and wife,” Bibs and Pastor McFarr pronounced together. “Canon Truax,” Bibs said, “you may kiss this beautiful bride of yours! And, Skyy, you kiss your handsome man right back!”
Skyy leaned in, wrapping her arms around Canon’s neck as they kissed.
For a long time.
Long enough for people to start laughing and whistling.
Olivia thrust her bouquet in the air and shouted, “Woo-hoo!” which brought even more laughter and applause.
“I couldn’t have said it better, Mr. Truax,” she said, smiling against his lips.
“Are you ready to begin this crazy adventure, Mrs. Truax?”
Skyy was more than ready.
As they faced the crowd, she gathered her three girls to her side. It would take months of lawyers and court hearings and paperwork, and probably counseling and arguments and teenage angst. But, for better or worse, Bailey and Olivia would be hers.
No…theirs. Hers and Canon’s.
Their family of five stood before friends and family while the photographer worked and cell phones clicked.
Then they walked down the aisle side by side.
Yes, Skyy Delaney Truax was ready.
Ready to risk everything.
Night Thoughts
When people come into our lives—even good people—they are inconvenient and disruptive to our routine. Yet they can bring refreshment, opportunity, change, and love — if we’re open.
V.M. Narrano
Note to Readers
Thanks for reading Night Thoughts!
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The Idea Behind Night Skyy
Did you ever stay up late at night and listen to midnight radio? (Your hours may have varied) Wolfman Jack broadcast on XERB as “The Mighty 1090” out of Hollywood, and Delilah (self-proclaimed “Queen of Sappy Love Songs” — with a weekly audience of 9 million!) still listens to callers’ often sad stories of love and relationship and responds with a virtual back rub and maybe some sympathetic advice.
John Tesh’s Intelligence for Your Life program intersperses music with fascinating facts about everything from how many germs are in each sneeze, to how to sleep with a partner who snores. However, its daytime broadcast slot isn’t nearly as cool as those nighttime shows.
I first listened to the Wolfman with a small, 1950s crystal radio shaped like a rocket ship where the nose cone was the tuning mechanism. Poor reception, a bulky earpiece, and finicky tuning, but deliciously clandestine when huddled under a blanket long past my bedtime listening to a disembodied voice far away.
And so was born the concept for Skyy D’s Night Thoughts show. Gone are the days of crystal radio receivers and almost broadcast radio itself, though Sirius lives on.
The shows now are more varied than ever on smartphones and the Internet, but I suspect listeners haven’t changed all that much. Those up late at night are still looking for a community to belong to, a forum to share thoughts, and a caring, sympathetic friend who won’t hold back telling them what’s best.
And a sexy alto voice doesn’t hurt.
Books by Rich Bullock
Perilous Safety Series
Perilous Cove
Storm Song
Desperation Falls
Glass & Stone Series
Shattered Glass
Glass Revenge
Lake Effect Series
Night Skyy
You’ll find some overlapping characters in my books and, of course, the settings of Storm Lake and Perilous Cove.
Acknowledgments
Robert Henslin delivered another stellar cover. Rob’s design is often the push I need to finish a book. www.rhdcreative.com
My beta reading team: Nancy Bailey, Patricia Bossman, Carol Dickerson, Sis Hammack, Jennifer Haynie, Nita McCoubrey, Linda Murphy, Hannah Prewett, and Cathi Wofford. Their feedback and suggestions are invaluable.
And my wife, Sheryl, who puts up with long absences as I lose myself in my characters and their stories.
Book Club Discussion Questions
Do you listen to radio hosts like Delilah or John Tesh Intelligence For Your Life? Or—back in the day—did you listen to Wolfman Jack? What is (or was) the appeal of these programs?
Perhaps you know someone like Ember who aged out of the foster system. What was it like for them being on his or her own at such a young age?
Is there a program in your city, county, or state that provides transition housing and trai
ning in preparation for their adult life?
How important is chocolate on Valentine’s Day?
Which character(s) did you like most? Least?
If Night Skyy were made into a movie, who would you cast in the roles?
What themes did you detect as the story unfolded?
Do you know cops with a sense of humor?
While reading, did you search for the bands and songs Skyy played on Night Thoughts?
Could you picture Deer Cove and Storm Lake?
Did you google V.M. Narrano’s writings?
Where do you think Skyy and Canon will live full-time?
What future do you imagine for Ember, Bailey, and Olivia?
How did you feel about the ending?
Are there questions and topics you hope Skyy will discuss on future Night Thoughts shows?
The author would love to hear your answers and is available for live calls to book clubs.
Contact Rich Bullock - [email protected]
About the Author
Rich Bullock writes stories of ordinary people put in perilous situations, where lives are changed forever.
Fortunate to grow up in small-town San Luis Obispo, California, he developed an eye for settings that remind people of home. He lives and writes in Redding, California, where on most days he sees Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta.
www.perilousfiction.com