Romance Through the Ages

by Amy Harmon

  Luke really hadn’t changed. Ten years and he was the same old, unreliable, undependable Luke. Out of sight, out of mind. That was his mantra. If only Taycee could adopt it as her own and stop thinking about him.

  She sighed and turned her phone to vibrate before walking in the back door of the crowded town hall. Wow. Were all town meetings as packed as this one? There wasn’t an empty chair in sight.

  “Why, Taycee,” said Lexie, her crochet needles pausing, “how nice to see you here, supporting the town. I can’t remember you ever coming before.”

  Probably because Taycee had always avoided town meetings. Long, depressing discussions about the town’s troubles wasn’t her type of thing. In fact, she wouldn’t be here now if Jessa would just call her back. “Hey, have you seen Jessa anywhere?”

  Lexie’s finger pointed toward the front of the room. Sure enough, on the second row in an aisle seat sat Jessa. Even in the florescent lighting, her gorgeous highlights shone. Was it possible for Jessa to have a bad hair day? So unfair. Taycee grabbed a folding metal chair from the back and carted it up the aisle, setting it up beside her friend. “Hey, Jess.”

  Startled blue eyes glanced Taycee’s way. “What are you doing here? You never come to the town meetings. And you can’t sit there.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because that’s the aisle.”

  Taycee plopped down in the chair and gestured toward the space between her and the next chair. “There’s still room for people to get around me.”

  “What are you doing here anyway? You hate town meetings.”

  “You left a message saying you needed a couple bouquets made for something tomorrow night, but you didn’t give me any details. Since you never called me back, I couldn’t put in the order. Now I have to drive to Colorado Springs in the morning to pick up whatever it is you need. Which is what, by the way?” Jessa was notorious for doing stuff like this. She seemed to think Taycee was a mind reader and would know exactly what to create based on “I need two bouquets for a town function tomorrow night. You don’t mind, do you? Thanks, you’re the best!” End call.

  “I would have given you more details if it mattered,” Jessa said. “It’s only the mayor’s annual appreciation dinner. No big deal. Throw some blue daisies in a vase and call it good. Simple.”

  “There’s nothing simple about blue daisies, Jess. They need to be dyed.”

  Jessa rolled her eyes. “Then throw some white daisies in a vase.”

  White daisies? Was she serious? Those were something you’d give to a teacher or a friend in the hospital, not something you’d use to accent the mayor’s annual appreciation dinner. “Are you sure that’s what you want? White daisies?”

  “I’m saying I don’t care,” Jessa hissed. “Do whatever you want.”

  “Fine. How big do I need to make them?”

  “I’ll say this one more time. I. Don’t. Care.”

  Taycee settled back in her chair and folded her arms against the chilly air coming through the a/c vent. “Sheesh, someone’s a little testy tonight.”

  “Sorry, I’ve just got more important stuff to worry about than a couple of flower bouquets.”

  “Like what?”

  The mayor stood and started the meeting. Instead of answering, Jessa bit her lip and fingers tapped staccato-like on her knees. Wow, she really was anxious about something. Taycee was about to ask what when the mayor called out Jessa’s name and said the floor was hers.

  Ah, Taycee should have known. Jessa hated presenting because of all the opinionated people in Shelter who had no problem voicing their thoughts. For the past five months, ever since Jessa had started working for the town, Taycee had heard all about it. Meetings that dragged on and on and on and made Taycee even more determined to stay away from them.

  Jessa faced the crowd and clasped her fingers together before clearing her throat. “Several months ago, I introduced the idea of forming a co-op and starting a small chain of farmers markets. Many of you were opposed at first because of the risk and investment involved, but after several weeks of debates, the majority of you all agreed to give it a try if we were able to come up with the $50,000 needed. I’m here tonight to tell you that I think I’ve found a way.”

  Jessa lifted a poster from behind the desk and set it on an easel. It pictured Main Street with the words, “Help Save Shelter!” blazoned across the clear blue sky. “Now, many of you know how popular The Bachelor and The Bachelorette shows are on TV right now, so I figured we’d capitalize on that fame. What I’ve proposed to the council is this: That we create our own show, similar in nature, called Shelter’s Bachelorette.”

  Whispered voices seemed to surround Taycee as she sat in her aisle seat apart from everyone else. Not quite seeing Jessa’s vision, Taycee bit her lip as she rubbed at a non-existent spot on her khaki capris. Of all the fundraising ideas out there, this is what Jessa had come up with? A bachelorette show? How in the world was that supposed to raise $50,000?

  Jessa forged on, speaking above the murmurs. “Believe it or not, it’s already proven to be successful. I came up with this idea months ago, and it’s already in the works. A website has been launched, prominent newspapers have advertised it in their papers across the country, and hundreds of bachelors have already emailed us application videos. We even have them narrowed down to the final twenty.”

  Jessa held out a staying hand to the growing voices. “Please keep in mind that these bachelors understand this is a charity event. They will pay their way here and will cover all expenses related to their dates with the bachelorette. Although we hope the bachelorette will find true love, this show is about funding a co-op to help save the farming community in Shelter.”

  “How’s a stupid polygamist show going to fund anything?” A deep voice boomed from the back of the room, voicing the thoughts of probably everyone present. Taycee included. The question opened the floodgates of even more questions because it suddenly seemed like everyone had something to say. Taycee kept her thoughts to herself, more interested in hearing how it had already proven to be successful.

  The mayor’s gavel struck his desk a few times, restoring order. “Zip it, folks. I’m going to ask you to please listen to the rest of Miss McCray’s presentation before shooting anymore questions her way. I think you’ll find she’ll answer most of them if you’ll just listen.”

  The room quieted, but the murmuring continued on a more subdued level. Taycee wasn’t sure what to think about it all. As much as she wanted to support Jessa, who would be interested in watching a dating show set in Shelter Springs, Colorado?

  Her head held high, Jessa continued, “We set up a donation account on our site a few months back and have already received some donation money. In addition, because our website is getting a lot of traffic, we’re also bringing in some advertising revenue. So far we’ve made a couple thousand dollars, and the show hasn’t even officially started.”

  “Are you jerkin’ my chain?” a man called out. “There’s people out there donatin’ to our town?”

  “That’s right,” Jessa said. “And as the word continues to get out, more people will contribute, I’m sure of it. I’ve interviewed my aunt and uncle, in addition to a couple of others in this room and have posted those interviews on the site. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there who don’t want to see the independent farms go under. In addition, the local viewers that we draw to the show will also be potential customers. So this is not only a fundraising opportunity, but a great way to get the word out about the market you will open in a couple months.”

  More murmurs swept through the room as Taycee shifted in her seat. Although Jessa had made some good points and had obviously put a lot of thought and planning into this, Taycee still wasn’t sold on the idea. A few thousand in advertising revenue and donations wouldn’t make a dent in the amount of money that needed to be raised.

  Jessa lifted another poster and placed it on the easel. The schedule. “As you can see, t
he show will run for six weeks. We’ll be doing things a little differently than the real show. In Shelter’s Bachelorette, our bachelorette won’t be choosing the bachelors. That will be up to the viewers, who will vote at the end of each round of dating. I like to think of it as The Bachelorette meets American Idol.”

  “Polygamy and matchmaking?” a man said from the back. “What century are we living in anyway?”

  Laughter sounded throughout the room, Taycee’s included, only she muffled hers behind her hand. If every town meeting was this entertaining, she’d have to come more often. No wonder Jessa wasn’t a fan. She hated being challenged.

  Jessa leveled a look at the man. “You’re missing the point. By giving the viewers the power to choose, we’re giving them what they really want—control over which bachelor wins. Plus, we’ll be able to charge them a dollar a vote and potentially earn way more than we ever could through advertising and donations.”

  That seemed to quiet everyone. Or at least shock them into momentary silence.

  Although Taycee still couldn’t imagine this becoming popular enough to bring in that kind of money, Jessa’s confidence made her believe in the possibility. Besides, it was better than sitting around and doing nothing.

  “Burt and Megan, who recently returned home for the summer, have agreed to volunteer their time and talents to film and edit the show. They have a lot of experience and will do a great job,” Jessa said. “Each date will be filmed, rapidly edited, and then posted on our site. The voting will open for two days and the winners announced at a rose ceremony similar to what they do on the real show. Only in ours, the bachelorette will be just as surprised as the bachelors. Granted, this won’t be nearly as professional as NBC’s show, but it will be good and the viewers are going to eat it up.”

  “You’re sayin’ we can watch it on our computer?” a woman spoke up.

  “If you have an internet, then yes.” Jessa drew in a deep breath and scanned the crowd. “I can only imagine what you all must be thinking, but I want to reiterate that this is about saving our town. I’m sick of seeing farms go under and good people being forced to leave Shelter. Starting right now, we’re going to put a stop to that. We’re going to earn enough money, we’re going to start that co-op, and we’re going to keep you all in business. And if, for whatever reason, this doesn’t work, then I’ll think of something else.”

  Jessa’s hand slapped the podium beside her. “I refuse to give up.”

  A hush fell over the crowd, and Taycee swallowed, feeling suddenly close to tears. Jessa’s words seemed to open up people’s minds and pave the way to acceptance. No one had anymore arguments—at least none they verbalized.

  “Who’s the bachelorette?” a girl from the front row asked.

  Jessa smiled—her first real smile all night. “If you want to know that, you can check out our site tonight when you get home. Increased traffic looks good to potential advertisers, so this is my way of forcing you to get on our site and drive up that traffic.”

  “What’s the URL?” A man held up his phone. “I’ll look it up right now.”

  “Sorry, but you’ll have to wait until the end of the meeting for that info. For now, rest assured that we’ve found the perfect bachelorette. She’s ready and excited to do this.”

  Taycee glanced around the room, wondering who it could be. Marie? Stephanie? Or—heaven forbid—Liza? Whoever it was, at least they were excited about it. Taycee certainly wouldn’t be.

  A woman raised her voice above the noise of the crowd. “Is one of the bachelors from Shelter?”

  “No,” said Jessa. “We’ve kept everything quiet around town until we got the ball rolling, so before tonight only a few people even knew about it. Besides, it would be an unfair advantage to have a bachelor from the same town as the bachelorette, don’t you think? All the finalists are from various states around the country.”

  A woman’s voice called out above the chatter. “I think it’s only fittin’ to have a representative from Shelter be one of the bachelors. This is a charity event for us, after all.”

  A murmur of approval swept through the room, and Jessa nodded slowly, as if considering it. Finally, she shrugged. “All right, if that’s what it takes to make you happy, let’s do it. We can always start off with twenty-one bachelors instead. Any suggestions?”

  “What about Mike?”

  “James would be good.”

  “Stan gets my vote!”

  Jessa laughed. “Remember the bachelorette is under thirty. Let’s not rob the cradle, people.”

  A collective chuckle filled the room.

  Taycee smiled and folded her arms. Too bad no one suggested Luke. He’d be perfect. In fact—more than perfect. Taycee’s smile widened as she pictured him having to compete with twenty other guys for the attention of one girl. It would serve him right. A covert glance around the room, and Taycee assured herself that Luke was absent.

  “I vote Luke Carney,” Taycee blurted before she lost her nerve.

  “Oh yes, Luke would be perfect!” someone agreed.

  “If Luke’s a bachelor, can I be the bachelorette?” an older woman asked, making everyone laugh.

  “Oooh, me too!” another woman called out.

  From the back of the room, a deep voice cut through the noise of the crowd. “Don’t you think I should be the one to decide whether or not I participate?”

  Chapter Five

  Luke stepped from the shadows. His dark eyes captured Taycee’s for a moment before they shifted to Jessa.

  Taycee twisted forward and sunk low in her seat—the seat that was smack dab in the middle of the aisle. Oh joy. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut? Seriously, was she the only one who never came to these meetings? How did Luke even know about it?

  “Consider it a welcome home gift, Luke,” Jessa said, smiling. “I think it’s a great suggestion, especially since you only just moved back to town. That way, no one can accuse you of having the advantage. Let’s put it to vote. Who thinks Luke should be the bachelor to represent Shelter?”

  Dozens of hands flew into the air, along with squeals and cheers.

  “I don’t think so,” Luke’s voice rose above the noise. “I’ve got a lot going on right now and don’t have the time.”

  Taycee rolled her eyes. No shocker there. Especially since he couldn’t even take the time to make a promised phone call.

  “You’ll be letting down a lot of people if you don’t say yes,” Jessa said. “A lot of potential customers.” Heads bobbed up and down.

  “Tell me who the bachelorette is, and I’ll consider it,” said Luke.

  Taycee’s mouth dropped open. Of all the self-absorbed, cocky, egotistical—she twisted around to face him. “Oh c’mon, Luke, where’s your sense of adventure?”

  Calls of, “You’ll be great, Luke!” “You’re the perfect choice!” and “Do Shelter proud and win that contest!” were heard throughout the room.

  Luke leveled a look at Taycee before he shrugged. “You’re right. Fine, count me in.”

  Taycee turned back, a satisfied smile on her face. Revenge complete. She couldn’t wait to pop a large batch of popcorn and watch it all play out.

  “Fabulous,” said Jessa. “It looks like we’ll now have twenty-one bachelors at the opening event. What will our bachelorette say to that, I wonder?”

  When the meeting dispersed, people flocked to the door, anxiously grabbing flyers on their way out. Taycee lingered in her seat, waiting for Jessa to finish answering a few last questions.

  Two brown shoes stepped around her feet, and Luke planted his tall, muscular frame in the seat next to her. Taycee reached for her purse, ready to make a run for it, but Luke’s hand on her arm kept her in her seat.

  “I don’t think so,” he said.

  “But aren’t you anxious to get home and see who you’ll be dating in a few weeks?”

  “It’ll wait.” Luke withdrew his hand and crossed his arms. “I couldn’t leave without thanking
you for the nomination. Really, how thoughtful of you to think of me.”

  “I only meant it as a joke,” Taycee defended, not about to explain why she’d really done it. “And it’s not like you had to agree to it.”

  He watched her. “I’d like to see you say no when over a hundred faces are waiting for you to say yes—especially when you’re being accused of having no sense of adventure.” He shot her a pointed look. “I couldn’t stand by and take that.”

  “I didn’t think peer pressure worked on people after high school.”

  “Apparently I haven’t matured as much as you.”

  “Apparently.” Again, Taycee wished she’d kept her mouth shut. It was only a matter of time before someone else had suggested Luke’s name anyway. Why did she have to be the one to do it?

  Luke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Seriously, what did I ever do to you? Was bringing you lunch the wrong thing to do? Do you like soggy sandwiches or something?”

  No, what she didn’t like was being stood up—not that Taycee was about to remind him of that. Or of any of the other reasons she’d done it. Her flip flops tap-danced against the hard, wooden floor as she tried not to squirm.

  “I don’t know,” she said finally. “There aren’t many guys in this town under thirty. Besides, you never know, maybe I just matched you up with your future bride. You should be thanking me.”

  “Let’s hope not. I’m not ready to get married.”

  “You can make it a really long engagement.”

  Luke’s lips twitched as he slouched back, resting his arm casually on the back of Taycee’s chair. An unwanted shiver ran down her back.

  “It’s really not a big deal,” he said. “I’ll just be as uncharming as possible and get voted off right away. One opening social and I’m out.”

  Taycee frowned. It better not be that easy. “Um, yeah, great plan.”

  Luke smiled and leaned close, his arm brushing up against her. “I know it’s been ten years, but you should still know me well enough to know that I will get you back for this, Taycee Lynne.” With a wink, he stood and left.