Free Glad Tidings by Debbie Macomber

aisle.
    Emma followed her, and leaned against the cubicle wall with her arms folded. “I’m not sure whether I should thank you or yell at you for getting me this assignment.”
    “I did not,” Phoebe insisted righteously. “I just felt Walt should know that if he didn’t do something quick, he was going to lose you, so I…I told him what you said about quitting.”
    “That’s practically blackmail!” Emma said in a horrified voice. “What if he’d fired me because you told him I threatened to quit?”
    “Don’t worry about that. I wouldn’t have let it happen,” Phoebe said calmly. “But you deserve a shot at something other than obituaries. I knew Walt couldn’t afford to let you go—and he knows it, too.”
    “Okay, at least you used your power for good,” Emma murmured. She was thankful that Phoebe had spoken to Walt on her behalf; still, she’d rather stand on her own merit. “Oliver said that when he asked about me, you sang like a canary. And that’s a quote.”
    Phoebe laughed out loud. “Yeah, right, and if you believe that, then you don’t know me at all.”
    “I thought he was exaggerating.” Just then the phone on her desk rang. Reaching across the aisle, Emma picked up the receiver. It was Walt, wanting to see her. Now.
    Phoebe’s eyes widened in speculation when Emma hung up the phone.
    “Wish me luck,” she mouthed to her friend. Grabbing a pad and pen, she walked up the stairs. When she got to his office, her boss was on the phone, but he motioned her inside. He grinned in her direction, which boded well. She had no idea who he was talking to or about what—although the word “no” featured prominently—but after another moment he ended the conversation.
    Emma sat in the chair on the other side of his desk.
    “So. You’re back.”
    She nodded, but resisted mentioning the motel bill.
    “I understand you and Oliver Hamilton had a bit of an adventure.”
    She couldn’t help wondering how much Walt knew about what had happened in Yakima. “You could say that.” She mulled over how to tell him she refused to fly with Oliver again.
    “The interview with Earleen Williams went well?”
    She nodded. “Earleen was wonderful. She was flattered by the attention and excited about the article. Her recipe’s terrific—I had a taste and, believe it or not, I loved it. By the way, she’s already signed the legal documentation so we can print her recipe in The Examiner. ” If nothing else, Walt should be pleased by that.
    He inclined his head slightly in apparent approval. “I’d like the article about Earleen on my desk this afternoon.”
    Emma’s mouth fell open. “This afternoon? As in today?”
    Walt raised his eyebrows as if she’d contravened some kind of reporters’ code by daring to ask such a question.
    Swallowing hard, she offered him an apologetic smile. “It’ll be there.”
    “Good.” His eyebrows started to return to their usual position. “And be ready to leave for Colville first thing tomorrow.”
    So soon? She wanted to tell him she needed time to regroup after the flight from Yakima. Yes, it had gone fairly well. Other than the fact that she’d nearly vomited. The best part was that she’d survived without drugs. Her employer simply had no idea what she’d gone through just to get to the other town and home again in one piece. Then there was the problem of no transportation when they’d landed in Yakima. Not only had she risked her life for this interview, but she’d encountered germs besides.
    Now all she had to do was find a way to tell Walt that she preferred to drive to her next interview. “If you have a moment, I’d like to talk to you about Sophie McKay.”
    Walt gave her a questioning look.
    “As you know, I ended up spending the night in Yakima. In a motel room. A cheap one.”
    He sat back in his chair. “Hamilton said that was unavoidable.”
    So Walt had already spoken to Oliver. “There’s no guarantee it won’t happen