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Blast it, Helen. You had to bring my birthday up tonight of all nights, didn’t you?
“Genevieve!” called a guest who greeted her as she began to mingle. “The Emily is fabulous. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“I can’t believe what you’ve done here,” said another guest. “This was such a great idea. I’ve always loved this old building, but I never would have thought to try to save it.”
Genevieve was talking to one of Lake in the Cloud’s librarians when she felt a touch on her elbow. She glanced up to see Gage. He remained by her side and they worked the room as partners. It was lovely. People said such nice things; the praise was constant and genuine. Genevieve basked in the glow of it and in the approval she saw in Gage’s eyes. All too soon, it was time for the first movie to start. She joined Gage on the stage at his request because he wanted to say a few words.
“You look lovely tonight, Genevieve,” the rancher said to her as they waited for their guests to take their seats and the room to quiet down.
“Thank you. You’re looking fine yourself. How are you feeling?”
“Good. Good. Getting tired of answering that question, though.”
“Any time an ambulance has been involved, and you live in a small town, I imagine you can expect it.”
“I know. I know.”
At that point, Willow walked onto the stage carrying a wireless microphone. “I suggest you start talking, Gage. In my experience, that’s the only thing that will shut them up.”
Willow flipped the switch on and handed the microphone to him. He tapped it twice, then said, “Good evening, everyone. I want to thank you all for coming. I’d like to take just a couple minutes here before the movie starts to mention two incredible women.”
First, he made a brief but heartfelt and beautiful tribute to his late wife that brought tears to Genevieve’s eyes. Emily and Gage Throckmorton had shared a deep and abiding love, the kind of love she liked to think she and David would have enjoyed had he not been prematurely taken from her.
Gage finished by saying, “I can’t begin to explain how much it means to me to be able to honor the memory of my movie-buff wife by dedicating The Emily to her here with you all tonight. Which brings me to the second incredible woman I need to mention. My family and I owe this joyous moment tonight to Genevieve Prentice.” He looked at Genevieve and gave her an affectionate wink.
Genevieve’s heart gave a little flutter. Working with him on this project had been a pleasure. He was a good man. Not an easy man, but one who was true to his word. She respected him and admired him. And, if she was being honest, she was attracted to him, too.
But that was not for tonight. Tonight was about Emily Throckmorton and The Emily.
Gage continued. “Genevieve had the vision to suggest this project as a way to honor my late wife, and the drive and fortitude to make it happen. While officially, Genevieve and I were partners in the project, the truth is that she was the boss, and I did what she told me to do. Those who know me know that’s not how I ordinarily do business.”
“No kidding,” called his son Zach.
“Quiet in the peanut gallery,” Gage fired back with a grin. “Genevieve put an enormous amount of time, effort, and thought into this restoration, and it shows, don’t you agree?”
Pleasure at the praise washed through Genevieve as the crowd clapped enthusiastically.
Gage raised his voice to be heard over the noise. “So my hat’s off, my glass is lifted, and I offer my most sincere thanks to my theater partner and friend, Genevieve Prentice. She is a special woman.”
And Gage Throckmorton is a special man, Genevieve thought as she gazed up at his ruggedly handsome face.
“Now, for all our guests here tonight, welcome to The Emily. Make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the movies.”
Gage escorted Genevieve off the stage to applause. She said, “Gage, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. That was so sweet.”
“I meant every word I said. You gave your all for this project, and it couldn’t have turned out better. You’re a treasure, Genevieve. It was a lucky day for Lake in the Clouds when you decided to make our little town your home.”
Genevieve took her seat to watch the movie.The Maltese Falconwas one of her favorites, and she’d never seen it on a big screen before. She expected to be swept up in the story by Humphrey Bogart playing Sam Spade, private investigator. Instead, her mind wandered. Her mood plunged.
It was done. This project was over. What was she going to do now? What did she have that mattered?
The fish? Oh, she’d enjoyed the research. She’d decided to start small. After spending a lot of time investigating equipment, she’d purchased a small “practice” tank and the required accessories. Then, she’d bought her first two fish to see how long she could keep them alive.
So far, the fish experiment was going swimmingly. She found watching the tank relaxing, and when the children visited, they loved it. Genevieve was just about ready to dive into deeper water, so to speak.
And yet, as much as she enjoyed the activity, she wasn’t passionate about it. She’d been passionate about restoring The Emily, but that job was finished. Maybe she could find another building to restore, but that idea didn’t excite her, either. Been there, done that. What next?
