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She was my kind of woman.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” her warm voice rang out. “My name is Lolly, and I’ll be hosting the event for y’all tonight. Who’s excited?”

A light cheer rippled through the crowd.

Lolly planted a hand on her hip and cocked her head, giving them a stern look that could bring even the shyest person to their feet. She raised the mic again, lazy and playful.

“Oh, come on. You can do better than that.” She sashayed across the stage. “I said…good evening, ladies and gentlemen!”

This time the response was a roar—loud, enthusiastic, electric. Lolly spun back around with a satisfied grin.

“That’s more like it.”

She dove into sharing the lineup, one I was genuinely proud of. The act I was most excited for? The trained dog-and-owner duo set to steal the entire show. Though, I was thrilled to see how Colton and Cooper handled the spotlight, too.

“All the money from tonight’s event,” Lolly continued, “will go to an organization that works tirelessly against animal cruelty, advocating for those that don’t have a voice.”

Another round of applause filled the space, this time warm and approving.

“And now, without further ado…” Lolly paused, milking the suspense. “Let’s get this show started! First up, we have Doreen and her husband, Hank, performing a rendition of their favorite country love song, ‘I Cross My Heart’ by George Strait!”

I tucked my clipboard under my arm and joined the applause as the sweet older couple made their way onstage.

Matching jeans, bright red shirts, Doreen’s wild rag knotted neatly, Hank’s cowboy hat sitting proud—they looked like a living postcard of old-school country love.

Hand in hand, they reached the microphones.

The first soft notes drifted through the speakers, wrapping the room in warmth and nostalgia.

Excitement bubbled inside me, it was time for the show to begin.

WHO KNEW SO many people had these kinds of talents?

So far, we’d seen singing, dancing, juggling, and even a magician. Events like these had a way of surprising you, of revealing things about people you never would’ve guessed.

Did I think a seventy-seven-year-old man could pull off an acrobatic routine to “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira?

Nope. Not one bit.

Yet, here I was, standing offstage, still processing all that while trying to find Lolly so she could get up there and continue what I’d hired her to do.

I checked my watch again—less than a minute until she was supposed to be onstage, and there was still no sign of her.

“Tawnie,” I called, trying to catch her attention from the front row. She’d been strategically planted there to capture up-close moments for social media. “Tawnie!”

She glanced up, and I motioned her over. She stood and jogged up the steps toward me.

“What’s going on?”

“I can’t find Lolly.”

“You can’t find Lolly?” she echoed, her eyes went wide as panic flickered in them.

“No. And I need you to stay here. Tracy and Chuck should be ready any second. Lolly should’ve been on onstage right about—” I looked back down at my watch, heart picking up speed. “Now. She should be introducing them now.”

Tawnie grabbed the lineup sheet and my clipboard. “What should I do? Do we just…let the audience wait?”

I nodded, even though tension was climbing up the back of my neck. “A few minutes won’t hurt, but I have to find her. Fast.”