by Tari Faris
Who was he kidding? He’d buried himself in work for the past two weeks, and it hadn’t done much good. He’d finally given in to the impulse to go see her yesterday, only to have her disappear without much of an explanation.
Her car had been in her driveway all day. He’d stopped by both houses, but she hadn’t answered either door when he knocked.
Austin ran a box cutter across the length of the linoleum and then pulled at the exposed edge. A popping filled the air as the glue released. He rolled up the worn material, lifted it to his shoulder, and carried it out on the porch. A large dumpster had been dropped off yesterday. It took up half of his front yard and was quite the eyesore, but it made the demolition easier.
Nate’s church van was backed up in Libby’s driveway with the back doors open. Libby walked out of the house, and Austin stepped back into the shadows. No reason to look like he’d been waiting for her. Then again, if she did spot him here, he just looked like a creeper. Maybe he should see if she needed help.
Her blonde hair was in a loose knot at the back of her head. She had on the same fitted jeans she’d been wearing at the library yesterday, but now with an oversize sweatshirt that said “Canton Football.” The muscle in Austin’s jaw tightened. There was only one other person in this town who had been on his alma mater’s football team.
Nate exited the house, pulled a box from the van, and handed it to Libby before shutting the van door. She disappeared inside and then returned and stood with Nate on the porch.
Austin’s stomach churned. He couldn’t hear what they said, but Libby reached up and offered a hug to Nate. Awesome.
He stepped out of the shadows. “It must have been some emergency.” The words were out of his mouth before he could debate the wisdom of them.
Libby and Nate spun toward him. Libby’s eyes widened when they landed on him. Hadn’t she said she barely knew his brother? Didn’t look that way to him.
Nate was off the porch first. “Austin, I just got back. I called, but—”
“It’s handled. The building’s all moved.” He pointed to the new addition across the street. “And Dad’s crisis is averted without you. Again. Besides, I can see you were busy. Don’t let me interrupt.” Austin dropped the linoleum in the dumpster with a bang and turned back toward the house.
“Hey.” Nate stormed across the grass. “Nothing is going on here. I helped her move in. End of story. And we don’t appreciate you insinuating otherwise.”
Libby, her face crimson, caught up to Nate and placed her hand on his arm. She leaned toward him and again said something Austin couldn’t hear. So, she did prefer his brother. Just like everyone else. Not a big surprise.
“—an apology.” Nate’s words broke into his thoughts.
He hadn’t caught them all, but he could guess. Maybe what he said was harsh, but her and Nate? Really? Couldn’t she be interested in someone else? Anyone else?
“Sorry.” He locked eyes with Libby when he said it. He wasn’t that sorry to Nate. “When you get back to doing that job of yours, I need to get back in that room. The agricultural journal from a farmer in 1894, although fascinating, didn’t help.”
He’d meant the last line in humor, but his tone fell flat. Guess this new little development was still too raw.
“Sure thing.” Her words were tight, but they softened as she turned to Nate. “Thanks again for everything. I’ll wash this and get it back to you.”
As soon as she disappeared into her house, Nate rounded on him. “Leave her alone, Austin, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
“What if I don’t want to leave her alone?”
Where had that come from? His whole plan had been to leave her alone. Leave everyone alone, do his job, and get out.
The scar above Nate’s left eyebrow reddened. “No. She’s off-limits. I’m serious.”
“What?”
Nate crossed his arms and lifted his chin. “I told her brother I’d watch out for her until he got back, and this is me watching out for her.”
A silver Toyota pulled into the driveway next to the van, and Libby’s friend from the library got out. What was her name again? When she rounded the car and caught sight of Nate, the temperature cooled about ten degrees. “What are you doing here?”
The anger drained from Nate’s face. “I was helping Libby move in.”
“Of course you were.” Hurt flashed in her face before she disappeared into the house.
Whoa. She seemed to be angrier at his brother than he was. He liked her better already.
“Olivia is off-limits too.” Nate’s words came out like a slap.
“Did you promise her brother too?” He crossed his arms, mimicking his brother’s stance. “Who made you the guardian of this town? I’m pretty sure I remember a day that I had to warn girls away from you.”
“Things are different.” A muscle twitched in Nate’s jaw.
“Yeah, well . . .” Austin nodded toward the girls’ house. “It appears some things aren’t. How many girls do you need following after you, Nate?”
Nate’s face reddened as his hands clenched into fists.
Austin took a step toward him, spreading his arms out. “Go ahead, Pastor Nate. Punch me. Let the town see who you are.”
Nate’s eyes closed a minute before he let out a deep breath through his nose. “I’m not that guy anymore, Austin.” With that, he stomped toward his van.
Austin’s phone rang and he grabbed it up without bothering to look at the display. “Hello?”
“Don’t you sound friendly.” Grant’s voice carried over the line.
Austin cast a final look toward Libby’s house before returning to his. “It’s been a day, that’s for sure.”
“Let me guess. It has something to do with Nate, a library move, and a cute blonde who lives next door.”
Austin shut the door behind him and froze. Nate driving him crazy was an easy guess, but he hadn’t told Grant about the library or anything about Libby.
When Grant’s chuckle carried over the line, Austin dropped into his recliner, letting his head fall back. “Spill.”
“We met her at the hospital today.”
“Hospital?” Austin’s heart sped up as the volume in his voice rose.
“Relax, dude. It was Luke and Hannah, Caroline’s friends, your other neighbors. Anyway, they were having a baby and ended up in emergency C-section, but all is fine now.”
That was why she’d sprinted out of the library yesterday. And why Nate was with her tonight.
Austin ran his fingers through his hair. He was a jerk.
It didn’t matter. He’d seen the look on Libby’s face—a look he’d seen on many people’s faces. She’d succumbed to Nate’s charms. Now in her eyes, Austin would always be the lesser brother.
“Caroline wants to know if you’re going to ask her out.”
“Ask out Libby?” She had to be kidding.
“Yes, Libby.”
“Absolutely not.” He’d be lucky if she’d still work with him. Besides, it was probably only a matter of days before she was dating his brother.
What she wouldn’t give to be home curled up on the couch, watching Netflix. Olivia stirred her pop with her straw, scanned the Pine Top Lounge for potential dates, and sighed. Who was she kidding? She’d rather be getting a tooth pulled than be here speed dating.
But instead, she was here researching an article she didn’t care about to get print time in a paper she didn’t read. All with the slim hope they’d give her another shot at the job in Phoenix.
Could she really live that far away? Olivia shook her head and tried to realign her thoughts. Of course she could. In Phoenix, she’d have a job at a real paper and could write articles that might change the world. Maybe this article wouldn’t change the world. But it’d open the door to one that would. And give her the needed space to get over Nate.
“Earth to Olivia.” Libby nudged her shoulder. “You got me into this. No daydreaming in la-la land and leaving m
e to deal with Mr. Toupee and the creepy leer guy by myself.”
“Sorry.” Olivia shook Nate out of her mind and focused on the here and now. From what she could tell, the guys appeared put together. Nicely dressed—most of them. A few almost cute. Then again, the lights were pretty dim.
Shifting positions on the black bar stool, Olivia leaned toward Libby. “It looks like they do karaoke on Thursdays. We should come.”
Libby’s freckled nose twisted. “Absolutely not.”
“What?” Olivia tapped the table. “I’ve heard you sing in the shower. You’d be great.”
“One, I don’t do the stage. Two, I don’t sing in public. And three, I’ll never do karaoke.” Libby raised a finger with each point she made.
A man paused at their table and looked them up and down with dark, hooded eyes. He leaned on the table with his elbow, drawing attention to the chest hair that escaped his shirt where the top three buttons were undone. “Evening, ladies. Are you here for the speed dating?”
A shiver crawled up Olivia’s spine. “Yes.”
“I look forward to getting to know you and your hot selves in a few minutes.” He offered a weird pointing gesture and then moved on to the next table.
Libby held up a fourth finger. “I’ll never do speed dating again.”
“Agreed. Sorry.” Olivia finished the last of her Coke and searched for a waiter, but not one was around. She eyed her watch. They still had a few minutes.
Libby stabbed the remaining ice in her glass with her straw. “Have you read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom?”
“In high school. My youth group read it together.” Olivia gave up on finding a waiter and pushed the empty glass aside. “Why?”
“I’m reading it. I’m not quite halfway through.” Libby tapped at the empty glass with her nails. “So far it isn’t what I expected.”
“How’s that?”
“Everyone talks about Corrie’s great faith, but it seems to me it was her sister Betsie who had the great faith. Corrie seems so . . .”
“Normal?”
“Yes.”
Olivia searched her memory for the details of the story. “I think when she—”
Libby held up her hand. “No spoilers. They just started hiding Jews. Don’t get me wrong. That’s brave, but it’s her sister whose faith never seems to waver.”
“Maybe that’s why so many people are inspired by her story. More people can identify with a faith that isn’t perfect.” Her mind floated to Nate. How could he think she was looking for a perfect guy?
Before Olivia could say more, a lady approached a microphone and began directing people to their tables. Olivia found her table with a bold number fourteen on it and took her seat. Luckily, Libby was at table number fifteen, so at least they both had backup. She sent her friend an encouraging smile. She was here for research, but maybe they’d each find someone special tonight.
Her heart hammered as a man wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt with a blue tie took the seat opposite her. His dark hair was combed to the left, and his square glasses appeared too large for his face. “Hello, my name is Peter. I live in my parents’ basement. My favorite thing to do is role-play Lord of the Rings with my friends.”
Then again, maybe this was going to be a very long night.
After the first hour and a half, she’d met a gambler, an over-the-top Red Wings fan, and a guy who had her reaching for the hand sanitizer. There had been a few possibilities in the mix, but none measured up to Nate.
Ugh. She chastised herself for making the comparison.
She made a few notes for the article as the chair squeaked when the next guy took his seat. She fixed a practiced smile on her face and lifted her head. Nate.
“What are you doing here?” And how had she not seen him before now? That’s what she got for being at the end. The rotation came from across the room. “You’re speed dating now?”
His head dipped as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
She motioned to the rows of couples. “This isn’t a good time.”
“It’s never a good time for you. But I’ve got three minutes.” He pointed to the digital countdown at the front.
Olivia crossed her arms. “My name is Olivia. I write for the Grand Rapids Gazette, and I recently had an article published on chickens.”
Nate drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “I read that article. It was . . . interesting.”
“Liar.” Olivia took a drink of her water and tried to ignore the fact that Nate had taken the time to look up her article. It meant nothing.
“No, I’m even considering getting some free-range chickens of my own.” Nate’s eyes sparkled with a touch of laughter.
She released a humorless laugh. “In the parsonage’s tiny backyard, or do you have a farm I don’t know about?”
“Fine, I’m not getting chickens.” Nate shook his head and picked at the table. “I miss how we were, Olivia. You’re . . .”
“A great asset to the church?” She pointed at the time. “You told me. One minute left.”
“Don’t shut me out, Olivia. I know you want more, and I’m sorry I just . . . can’t give you that. But I never thought you’d be one to pout—”
“You think I’m pouting?” A cold sensation ran over her.
“What else do you call this? You won’t talk to me, you stopped going to the shelter, you—”
“Because it hurts too much.” She finally locked eyes with him. “Seeing you hurts. Watching the other single girls at church flirt with you hurts.”
“They don’t flirt with me.”
The guy was clueless.
The silence stretched thin between them. She sighed. “Why do you care? You made it clear that I meant nothing more to you than anyone else at church.”
“I lied.” He mumbled the words as he leaned forward. “You do mean more to me. You’ve become my friend. My . . . best friend. I just . . . can’t allow more.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
Nate closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, red tinged the edges. He sent her a quick nod as the bell announced the end of that round.
His face brightened as he moved to the next table. Libby’s table. With a real smile and everything.
“Hello.”
Olivia turned her attention to the man across from her. He had piercing blue eyes and a strong jaw, and he gave her a smile that she didn’t doubt had captured many hearts over the years.
He leaned forward on his elbows. “What does a pretty girl like you need a dating service like this for?”
“I could say the same about you.” Her attempt at flirting came out flat, but the guy didn’t seem to care. Instead, he launched into a long list of his finer qualities.
Somewhere between how much he could bench press and the number of countries he’d been to, Libby’s laugh bubbled up from the next table. Nate was grinning and laughing himself. Why didn’t he smile like that for her anymore?
“Excuse me, that guy already had his three minutes with you. This is my time.” The guy tried to make it sound like a joke, but there was an edge to his words. Then again, he’d been following Nate in the rotation all night. She probably wasn’t the first one whose eyes had wandered to Nate as this guy droned on.
“Hello?” At the guy’s elevated voice, Nate peeked at Olivia, only to catch her staring at him. Awesome.
Olivia shot a glare at the guy across the table. “I think I’ve heard enough about you to make up my mind.”
The guy’s expression darkened, and they sat in silence for the remaining time. Olivia sipped her water while Mr. Bench Press glared into space. Oh yes, speed dating was wonderful.
Today she’d start feeling like a librarian, because today she had a library. Libby stood at the top of the steps and ran her hand over the rough wood of the front door. It still had the history that she’d seen that first day, but now it appeared less tired and more welcoming. She pulled the shiny brass
key out of the envelope Nate had given her and ran her finger over the metal.
“Libby!” Austin’s voice carried from across the street.
Her hand tightened on the key as he ran toward her. Deep breath. She’d been avoiding him since the encounter with Nate. But she wasn’t sure if that was because she was mad at him or because when she’d told the story to Olivia, her roommate said Austin was jealous.
Austin jealous? Of what, that Nate got to carry her stuff?
Austin stopped at the bottom of the library steps. His white polo shirt fit tight at his shoulders and was tucked into tan cargo shorts that hung on his hips. His hair was still wet from a shower and his face was shaved clean. How dare he show up here looking all attractive when she still wanted to pelt him with books. Big books. “Hey, Libby, I’m . . . I, uh . . . What are you doing?”
“Trying out my new key.” She lifted the key for display before inserting it click by click into the new lock.
“I’ve never seen someone take so long to open a door.” Austin took the few steps up until he was standing next to her. “You’ve been in there a hundred times. Why is today so monumental?”
“Today I have my own key, and today I’m not here to give opinions on paint samples or light placement. Today I am the librarian.” Libby turned the knob and pushed open the door, letting the squeak of the hinge settle into her soul.
“You’re going to spend your day in an empty library?”
“It’s not empty.” Libby walked in, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. The afternoon sun cast the room in a soft glow that highlighted the refinished dark wooden floor. They had been able to keep the original windows and trim, but three panes of glass had to be replaced. Austin had been so particular about the glass that there was no way Libby could guess which ones.
He flipped a light switch, flooding the space with fluorescent light. “Where did these boxes come from?”
“These are the books for the library. Olivia’s brother and his friends moved them over yesterday for me.”
