Patty Froese lives in central Canada where the winters are long and cold--giving her excellent excuse to stay in and write without guilt. She's a tea drinker, a novel writer, an adoring wife and mom, and she's pretty sure she's a British person born in a shivering, Canadian body. She loves rain, royalty, pretty knick knacks and three square meals a day. No dieting here! Legally Wed is her ninth novel to be released.
Shirley: I see your book is about marriage, Patty. If that was the inspiration to your new book, we'd love to hear about it. The cover and blurb is already exciting.
1.
I would plan none of it.
2.
I would arrive appropriately dressed and that
would be the only thing required of me.
3.
We would have 8 guests. Period.
The day of my wedding, my husband and I picked up our rental
car, picked up a couple of guests, and headed towards my parents' house where the
wedding would take place. I had no idea what to expect. All I cared about were
the vows and some "I do's." Anything after that was pure detail.
My mother put together a beautiful wedding. She took all the
furniture out of her living room and turned it into a chapel. She had finger
foods arranged on the dining room table. She had flowers everywhere. It was
gorgeous!
The minister arrived. My mother put some lipstick on me. I
looked at my husband-to-be...
"Are you ready?" they asked.
We nodded.
Then my mother moaned. She'd remembered everything to finest
detail... except the wedding march music. (I was to walk from the kitchen to
the living room.)
It was like the idea occurred to all of them at once--every
single person in the room started to hum "Here Comes the Bride."
I walked down the "aisle" to the hummed music,
music made by the people who loved me. They teared up as we stopped in front of
the minister, and as we were joined in marriage, I remember feeling so loved,
so protected... by my husband and by our friends and family who gathered close,
humming their contribution to our special day. That is my most treasured memory
(besides the "I do's") of my wedding.
I learned something that day that I've applied to my
marriage: the biggest mistakes can end up being the most treasured memories.
Marriage is complicated, but it's also amazing. No one knows
exactly what to expect when they take those vows, but the journey together is
the exciting part!
Legally Wed is a story about marriage--two marriages, to be exact.
One marriage is supposed to be over. The other marriage is supposed to be
perfect. Neither couple gets what they expect! Marriage is hard work,
complicated and downright confusing sometimes, but when you're legally wed,
you've just sarted the ride of your life.
LEGALLY WED
When Rich McConaughey comes back to town, divorce papers in hand, he’s
in for more than he bargained for. Lisa Young, the woman he was married to for
six months, hasn’t changed a bit. His mother has though… she’s gone from
matronly to meow, and his father has taken off with the secretary. Does
anything last anymore?
Lisa Young feels chained to the hardware store her family has run for
generations. How can she tell her father that she hates the family business?
When Rich walks back into her store asking her to finalize a divorce she
thought was behind her, she thinks that the answer is to sign on the dotted
line and move on. Except, Rich isn’t making it so easy… and God has other
plans.
For better or for worse, when you’re legally wed, things can get
complicated.
Excerpt:
"What do you mean we're still married?" She
hurried to match his pace."And for crying out loud, slow down."
He slowed his steps to a leisurely stroll and glanced down at her. She only came up to his shoulder, and she resented having to tip her chin to look him in the face. Young Hardware stood on Main Street, one of the first stores built on this street before the town sprung up around a crossroads with a gas station, a diner and a church to serve the farms in that area. Now it joined many businesses flanking Main Street, and she couldn't help but feel like every single of one of them watched.
"We used my Uncle Neil to finalize the divorce, remember?" Rich asked.
"Yes, that sounds right." As she hurried Ricky past Whirlwind Realty, the business next door to the hardware store, she felt a rush of relief that Jane, the head realtor for the place, stood with her back to them. One less person to give her the third degree later.
"Well, as it turns out, Uncle Neil was having trouble with alcohol at the time and..."
"And?"
"And never filed it. It sort of slipped through the cracks."
"Sort of?" What on earth are you talking about?" Lisa heard her voice rising in pitch. "He never filed the papers?"
"Looks that way."
"And how did you figure this out?"
"When the IRS audited me. My accountant thought I'd had my identity stolen. The IRS thought I was fraudulent."
"Ouch." For the first time, a pang of pity replaced irritation for the man. She stopped at the street corner and looked across the intersection at the coffee shop. A couple of people visible in the window ordered their drinks. She glanced back at Rich. "So you came out here to get me to sign?"
He squinted in the bright sunlight and pressed his lips together. Finally, he gave a slow shrug. "That was the plan."
She turned her attention to the envelope in her hands. It had been a long time since she'd held divorce papers, and they still felt ominous and weighty. She nodded.
"Okay. Well, I'll take a look at these then."
"Look, I'm sorry about this." Rich put his hands into his pockets and looked down at his shoes. He raised his gaze to meet hers. "I know this is a surprise."
"You could say that."
He gave her one of those lopsided smiles of his and for just a moment she could see the boy with the spontaneous grin and cajoling eyes she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. Why could Ricky always speed up her heart, even when every logical bone in her body knew he wasn't in her best interest?
"Well." She cleared her throat. "Thank you. I'll see you around, I'm sure."
"You bet."
Lisa raised her hand in an awkward wave and turned back towards the hardware store.
Married. Her body moved like wet clay, and when she fumbled about inside for her feelings she discovered -- nothing. Not yet. Later. Time enough for a meltdown in privacy.
He slowed his steps to a leisurely stroll and glanced down at her. She only came up to his shoulder, and she resented having to tip her chin to look him in the face. Young Hardware stood on Main Street, one of the first stores built on this street before the town sprung up around a crossroads with a gas station, a diner and a church to serve the farms in that area. Now it joined many businesses flanking Main Street, and she couldn't help but feel like every single of one of them watched.
"We used my Uncle Neil to finalize the divorce, remember?" Rich asked.
"Yes, that sounds right." As she hurried Ricky past Whirlwind Realty, the business next door to the hardware store, she felt a rush of relief that Jane, the head realtor for the place, stood with her back to them. One less person to give her the third degree later.
"Well, as it turns out, Uncle Neil was having trouble with alcohol at the time and..."
"And?"
"And never filed it. It sort of slipped through the cracks."
"Sort of?" What on earth are you talking about?" Lisa heard her voice rising in pitch. "He never filed the papers?"
"Looks that way."
"And how did you figure this out?"
"When the IRS audited me. My accountant thought I'd had my identity stolen. The IRS thought I was fraudulent."
"Ouch." For the first time, a pang of pity replaced irritation for the man. She stopped at the street corner and looked across the intersection at the coffee shop. A couple of people visible in the window ordered their drinks. She glanced back at Rich. "So you came out here to get me to sign?"
He squinted in the bright sunlight and pressed his lips together. Finally, he gave a slow shrug. "That was the plan."
She turned her attention to the envelope in her hands. It had been a long time since she'd held divorce papers, and they still felt ominous and weighty. She nodded.
"Okay. Well, I'll take a look at these then."
"Look, I'm sorry about this." Rich put his hands into his pockets and looked down at his shoes. He raised his gaze to meet hers. "I know this is a surprise."
"You could say that."
He gave her one of those lopsided smiles of his and for just a moment she could see the boy with the spontaneous grin and cajoling eyes she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. Why could Ricky always speed up her heart, even when every logical bone in her body knew he wasn't in her best interest?
"Well." She cleared her throat. "Thank you. I'll see you around, I'm sure."
"You bet."
Lisa raised her hand in an awkward wave and turned back towards the hardware store.
Married. Her body moved like wet clay, and when she fumbled about inside for her feelings she discovered -- nothing. Not yet. Later. Time enough for a meltdown in privacy.
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