“There is one thing you should know, though,” Sally added, “for when you make the introductions to Mr. Jackson.”
“What's that?” Willard asked.
Sally grinned, hoping his reaction would be at least somewhat positive.
“I'm his mail order bride.”
“Well my goodness!” Willard exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically. “This does deserve a special welcome!”
“No, no, please,” Sally said. “The last thing I need is a fuss made on my account.”
“Won't be a fuss at all,” he said. “Just give me a minute or two and I'll set the whole thing up.”
Before Sally could stop him, Willard headed toward the front of the platform. She did manage to protest slightly, but Willard was remarkably light on his feet, and just like that he was gone.
“Oh dear,” Sally said. “What have I done?”
“You've arranged for an introduction to your future husband,” Lisa said, watching his speed with amusement. “Indirectly, anyway.”
“This wasn't what I had in mind at all.”
“I know,” Lisa replied, grinning. “But it does seem to be the way things are going to play out. At least for the moment.”
“Indeed,” Sally said, scanning the crowd for Willard's balding pate. “And you seem quite taken with him, by the way.”
“Moi?” Lisa said, batting her eyes. “I was just being friendly.”
Sally smiled. “Remember who you're talking to. I've seen you with the legislators, and you're nowhere near this friendly.”
“Just trying to fit in with the natives,” Lisa said, shrugging, even though Sally was absolutely right about her curiosity. “Although there is something different about him. He has a charming way about him, I think.”
“Hmm.” Sally tilted her head, more than a little surprised by Lisa's sudden interest. “Well, I'll have to keep my eye on that for sure.”
Before she could get another word out, they saw some commotion taking place on the platform. Suddenly Willard Jameson appeared on stage, next to Carson Jackson.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” he announced, turning far more outgoing. “I would like to announce a very special occasion!”
“Oh dear!” Sally muttered from her spot in the crowd. “What on earth is he doing?”
Lisa just grinned at her. “I believe he's about to introduce you to your intended,” she observed.
“He can't!” Sally exclaimed, looking for a way to get to the platform in time to stop him.
“It does seem that this matter is out of your control entirely,” Lisa observed, enjoying the irony of the situation.
Once the crowd quieted down, Willard took a step forward to the edge of the platform and made his announcement.
“I should like to introduce the mail order bride of the new mayor of Last Chance!” he said enthusiastically. “Her name is Sally Galvin, and I've asked the band to play a special song for her by Mr. John Philip Sousa.
It's called 'My Sweet Sweetheart!'”
The band kicked into the song, and Willard began motioning to Sally to join him and Carson Jackson on the stage. The crowd began to clear a path for her, and in spite of her protests she moved toward the stage, spurred on by Lisa's hand in the small of her back.
Willard helped her up onto the stage, and she took her place next to Carson. Finally, Sally's sense of political theater kicked in—she'd been in plenty of situations before where her father had shown her off without letting her know what he was going to do in advance.
This was somewhat different, obviously, but Sally's intuition told her to go with it. If she was going to have a public life with Carson Jackson, scenes like this were definitely going to be a part of it, so she might as well play along and hope for the best.
Carson was definitely all in on what was happening. As the music took over, he looped his arm around Sally's waist, then leaned in to buss her affectionately on the cheek, drawing a large cheer from the crowd.
“You're every bit as beautiful as I'd imagined,” he whispered, making sure it was loud enough for Sally to hear it over the music. Then he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you,” Sally said, certain that she was as red as a beet from the blush that was spreading through her entire body. “You're quite handsome as well.”
She grinned and waved at the crowd, squeezing his hand. “And this certainly is an intriguing way to meet!”
They waved once more together, and Lisa watched, quite amused by the whole thing. Willard was watching the scene with some satisfaction, although Lisa noticed that he did make an effort to catch her eye as well as he smiled at the proceedings.
The band charged through the finale of the Sousa march, and as they did Carson leaned in again and whispered in her ear.
“We have much to discuss,” he said, and Sally began to feel quite comfortable with the feeling of his arm around her.
“Indeed!” she agreed. “And I hope we get the opportunity to do that quite soon!”
Carson had already given his speech, and when the band was done the rally began winding down. The crowd slowly dispersed, and both Sally and Lisa wondered what the results of the rally had been and what effect it would have on the upcoming election.
Willard summarized the proceedings for them once the crowd was gone, providing them both with considerable food for thought.
Both the candidate and the incumbent had delivered stirring speeches, with Owen Standard focusing on keeping Last Chance the way it was, as a peaceful town full of innovative folks doing intriguing things.
Carson, though, represented change. He'd seen much of the corruption that had overtaken Denver as the serious building began, turning it into a boom town where lawlessness had become a serious issue.
He wanted Last Chance to grow, but in a completely different way. Carson saw Last Chance becoming a destination town that would rival Denver as pioneers continued to pour into the west, and he definitely wore his ambition on his sleeve.
Sally and Lisa took it all in as Willard explained it to them, wondering what would happen next. As the crowd thinned, Carson turned to them and proposed that the two ladies join them for dinner.
“You simply must!” he insisted. “I have a dinner scheduled at the hotel, and I'm sure they will make accommodations for a pair of charming young ladies.
Especially since one of them is my mail order bride!”
“What do you think, Lisa?” Sally asked, grinning cheekily at her friend. “Shall we take the gentleman up on his offer?”
“I don't know about you, but I'm starving,” Lisa said, focusing on Willard. “Will you be joining us, Mr. Jameson?”
“Absolutely!” he replied, smiling especially at Lisa. “I've been helping both candidates organize things behind the scenes, and this would be a welcome break from those duties.”
Sally turned to Carson. “Well, it looks like you've got yourself a trio of dinner guests, sir,” she said brightly. “Although we would like to get settled in at the hotel when things are over, of course.”
“I can take care of all that,” Carson said. “I've been staying there myself, although I occasionally travel back to Denver to fulfill my remaining obligations there. But I have gotten to know the owner of the Lazy Layabout quite well in the last few weeks, and I can say with certainty that he's more than capable of handling all this.”
They made their way to the hotel, and Sally and Lisa quickly realized that they were running on pure adrenaline. The day had been exciting but quite long, and they knew that fatigue would overcome them quickly once dinner was done.
Fortunately, the innkeeper, Harlan Courtwright, was something of an expert at handling this sort of thing, having had much practice in dealing with sudden changes in plans and accommodations.
“Mr. Jackson!” he said, greeting Carson as soon as they walked in. “I was present at the rally when your lovely bride-to-be arrived. I do have to say that I was quite impressed!”
“Well,
thank you, Harlan,” Carson said, although Sally cringed slightly when she heard that the innkeeper had the same first name as her father.
Carson made the introductions quickly and efficiently, and Sally immediately felt reassured by the friendliness of everyone they'd met thus far.
“We have a section of our restaurant set up for your dinner,” Harlan said. “Hopefully everything will be to your satisfaction.”
“I'm sure it will be,” Carson replied. “Everything you've done for us so far has been first-rate and then some.”
He escorted them to the hotel dining room, where the waiter seated everyone. Sally sat next to Carson, with Lisa next to her. They were flanked by Willard Jameson, who seemed quite eager for the chance to spend more time getting to know Lisa.
“So. . .,” Carson said once they were settled in. “I'd like to officially welcome you ladies to Last Chance.”
Sally returned his smile. “Thank you,” she said, looking around and taking in her surroundings. “It certainly has been a whirlwind.”
He rolled his eyes. “Welcome to my life,” Carson said. “This is sort of how it's been ever since I left Denver.”
“And how has that been for you?” Sally asked, curious about his ambition, which seemed quite formidable. “You seem to be having some success.”
Carson's confidence seemed to waver slightly for the first time since they'd met. “I know it looks that way,” he explained. “And I've definitely made progress. But I still face a long, uphill battle.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa asked.
“I'm the new kid on the block,” he said with some chagrin. “Mayor Standard is very popular, and quite entrenched as well. I've made a bit of a name for myself, but beyond that I'm not really sure how much I've accomplished.”
Sally tilted her head, considering his explanation. “Well, it's difficult for us to tell after just a couple of hours in town,” she commented. Then she grinned. “But I certainly was impressed with how you handled things.”
“Good!” he said, reaching over to take her hand. “That was the most important thing of all, to assure that your arrival was comfortable.”
“So what are your chances?” Lisa asked.
Carson paused as he considered her question. “Well, I'd have to say I'm cautiously optimistic,” he replied. “The mayor will be difficult to defeat in an election, but the people here do seem to like me.”
“That much seemed apparent,” Lisa agreed. “When is the election?”
“Two weeks,” Carson replied. “The first week in November, on the sixth.
“That's not much time at all,” Sally said. “Lisa and I have both been through this before, and we know how quickly time seems to pass before voters take to the booth.”
“Yes,” Carson acknowledged. “I have to say, your respective backgrounds are quite impressive.”
“As is yours,” Sally replied, becoming more and more impressed by the integrity of Carson's efforts. “And you know how much I want the best for you.”
“I do,” he said, nodding. “And I will certainly need all the help you can provide.”
With that, though, there was an interruption. At first they thought it was the waiter, but then the door opened to reveal none other than the incumbent mayor of Last Chance, Owen Standard.
Carson immediately began to rise to greet him, but the mayor quickly waved him back into his seat.
“No need to make a fuss, Carson,” he said, flashing a friendly grin. “I just wanted to pop in and say hello.”
“Mr. Mayor,” Carson said, rising anyway and extending his hand in greeting. “Thank you for stopping by.”
Owen gave his opponent a hearty handshake. “I'm just the welcome wagon,” he explained. “I thought I might make an appearance and properly greet the ladies.”
Sally and Lisa both rose slightly from their chairs. “We've heard good things about you, Mr. Mayor,” Sally said. “And we're honored to make your acquaintance.”
“Likewise,” he said, then grinned. “We have a very successful history with mail order brides in Last Chance, as you may have heard.”
“We're being filled in as we go,” Lisa smiled. “Sally is the official mail order bride here, but I think I can speak for her when I say that it's been an intriguing experience.”
“Indeed,” Sally said. “As I was just saying to Carson, a veritable whirlwind.”
“Well, things will slow down soon enough, I'm sure,” the mayor said. “That's generally the way things are here in Last Chance.”
“So we've been told,” Sally replied. “It's definitely intriguing to walk in on an election campaign.”
“A friendly one, though,” Owen replied. “Carson and I have the utmost respect for one another. We just happen to have different visions for the future of Last Chance.”
“Agreed,” Carson said. “My plans are focused a bit more on expansion.”
“While I favor slow growth and the status quo,” the mayor countered. “But the debate has been good for the town, and I've been revitalized by the election. It's good to voice ideas and opinions, and touch base with everyone in the process.”
Then the mayor turned his attention back to the ladies. “And I understand that you both have some experience in the political arena,” he said.
“Back in Maryland,” Lisa explained. “Sally worked for her father, who was a state representative, and I worked for one of his colleagues.”
“Ah!” the mayor said. “Harlan Galvin?”
“You know my father?” Sally asked.
“I know of him,” Owen said. “His reputation has a considerable reach.”
Sally immediately wondered what the mayor knew about him. “In a good way, I hope,” she said, smiling sweetly.
“He's a powerful man,” the mayor said, as if he knew more but was reluctant to speak of it. “I'm sure you'll bring a great deal of valuable experience to the campaign.”
“She's brilliant!” Lisa exclaimed. “I happen to have firsthand experience with that. Trust me, Mr. Mayor, Carson has landed himself a serious catch.”
“Oh, I'm well aware of that, to be sure,” Carson said, grinning as he took her hand. “And this is about far more than a campaign.”
“Yes, I can see that,” the mayor said, noticing how happy they seemed with each other, especially for two people who had just met.
“Well, I just wanted to stop by and welcome you. I wish you all the luck that Last Chance can bring. . .it certainly does seem to have brought happiness to many of our new arrivals.”
“We both thank you,” Sally said. “The town is wonderful, and we're very impressed with what you've done here.”
“And we're looking forward very much to the remainder of the campaign, as well as the election,” Lisa added. “It should be very interesting.”
“Indeed,” the mayor said. “I am happy to have met you both.”
Then he glanced at Carson and nodded.
“And may the best man win!”
The dinner conversation was lively and engaging, and Sally and Carson spent much of it learning about one another. Afterwards they settled in at the hotel, with Sally and Lisa in one room and Carson ensconced close by. During the days that followed Sally and Carson began spending time together and planning his election strategy.
The progress of their love was swift and sure. Carson was quickly won over by the combination of Sally's beauty and her intelligence, and her assistance as a political strategist immediately proved invaluable.
As for Sally, she was equally impressed by Carson's character and ambition, along with the dynamic drive that defined his personality.
She enjoyed spending time with him, and she especially relished knowing that his integrity was impeccable. It was a genuine joy to be with a handsome, dashing man whose character was beyond question.
Moreover, there was considerable chemistry at work between them. Carson loved gazing at Sally's silky, honey-blond hair, which she wore shoulder length.
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br /> And Carson himself was quite athletic. He certainly did cut an impressive figure out on the campaign trail, whether he was engaged in speech-making or one-on-one persuasion of the voters.
Lisa helped out initially with the campaign efforts, but she was soon drawn into a love interest of her own. She'd made a deep connection with Willard Jameson, and Sally recognized instantly that it would be unfair to Lisa to deprive her of the necessary time to develop her relationship with Willard.
As for the election itself, Carson made considerable progress, winning over many of the denizens of Last Chance with his promise to grow the town into a prairie metropolis whose sophistication would eventually rival and surpass that of Denver.
But the more time they spent out and about among the voters, the more Sally and Carson realized that the numbers simply wouldn't add up to a victory. Carson's speeches were stirring, and his work ethic was beyond tireless. But too many citizens in Last Chance were comfortable with the tenure of Owen Carson, and they had no reason to initiate a leadership change.
All the rallies and meetings won them numerous new supporters, but Carson simply couldn't find the tipping point that would sway the election his way. The election was just days away, and Carson and Sally knew they needed to formulate a new strategy that would turn the tide in their favor.
“We need to try something different,” Sally said, looking down at the sheet of paper in front of them.
She and Carson had taken over the hotel meeting room, using it often to plan and execute election strategy. They had a list of residents in front of them, and as they went through the names they tried to think of ways to sway voters to abandon Owen Standard and give them their vote.
“Radically different,” Carson said, taking Sally's hand gently. “We've tried every kind of technique we can think of between us, but we keep coming up short.”
“I know,” Sally said. “I've been giving it a great deal of thought.”
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