Leaving Liberty

by Virginia Carmichael

  “Morning, Lane.” Nita turned and headed up the steps as if a man in full police uniform was the obvious answer to their problems.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Daisy looked up at him, noting the cap pulled low on his brow, narrowing her eyes against his too-handsome face. Hero complex all the way. He probably would have had nightmares if he’d been forced to walk on by a woman in ‘need’. Well, newsflash, she was perfectly okay with carrying her own bag, even if it did weigh about forty pounds.

  “You want it back?” His voice was deeper than she remembered. One side of that perfect mouth was lifting up, eyebrows raised.

  “Yes, actually.”

  But he didn’t hand it back. Lane stood there, head tilted to one side, both totes balanced easily. “Why?”

  “Because you don’t think I should be here. You don’t want the library to stay open. This,” she pointed at the tote, “might be against your principles.” She couldn’t help the edge in her voice. It still niggled that he’d wanted to deny her that cabin.

  Sammy nudged her leg with his big golden body, as if to say she should get over it so they could all be best friends. She lowered a hand and scratched his head, unable to resist his dog friendliness. Resisting his owner was no problem.

  “True, I don’t think we should prolong the process, but I can certainly carry a bag of books without an attack of conscience.”

  “Huh.” Daisy crossed her arms over her chest. Maybe she was pushing her luck. If she really wanted him to stay out of her business, to not give her any help at all, that would apply to the pretty little place she’d just signed papers on for the summer. He could cancel the lease, make her life harder than it already was. But somehow she knew Lane wasn’t that type of guy.

  “You’re stubborn.”

  “Why, thank you.” She didn’t budge.

  He lowered the tote to her level, waiting for her to grab hold, keeping Nita’s on his other shoulder. He touched the brim of his hat, not moving it much, more of a reflexive gesture than an adjustment. “So where do we draw the line? Does this mean I can’t check out any books?”

  “I would never do that.” Daisy looked up quickly, ready to launch into a description of how much she believed in libraries, but caught the flash of laughter in his eyes. He thought this was all just a joke and she was the punch line. Irritation bloomed in her chest. “But how about we skip the hot-cop-rescues-stranger-in-town part and just get on with our lives.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth she wanted to snatch them back. Geez. If this wasn’t her life in Liberty in a nutshell.

  His eyebrows rose and he looked like he was searching for something to say. “Hot cop?”

  “Sorry. Inappropriate. I’m not getting a lot of sleep. Rhonda’s basset hound barks from the moment the sun comes up. He’s like the dog version of a rooster.”

  “When are you moving to the cabin? Do you need any help?” He looked genuinely concerned.

  Again with the helpfulness. “Thanks, but I don’t really have anything. I think I’ll return the rental and buy a bike to get to the library and back. My clothes will be shipped from home soon.”

  He nodded, still looking thoughtful. “Well, let me know if you need anything.”

  Daisy hefted the bag one more time and headed up the stairs. Sammy trotted by her side, and Lane followed behind. “I will.”

  “Liar.” He didn’t even both to say it under his breath.

  She turned, pushed past the point of politeness. Two steps above him and they were eye to eye. The expression on his face was mischievous, teasing, heart-stopping. She’d sucked in a breath to give a snappy retort, but whatever she’d meant to say evaporated into thin air. His half smile turned to a full-on grin at her angry expression.

  He seemed to be waiting for her to say something. One part of her wanted to lean forward and inhale that scent of soap and pine, to put out a hand to see if his lips were as soft as they looked. Fortunately, there was another part of her ready with a large stick to beat back the crazy impulse.

  “Lane, let’s be honest.” She watched his smile slip, a little satisfaction for the way he’d chased the thoughts right out of her head.

  “Again? Once a week is my limit.”

  Daisy couldn’t bite back a surprised laugh. “That’s a bad trait for a cop.”

  “Agreed.” He shifted the bag on his shoulder. “But I know what you’re going to say.”

  “Really?” She tried to sound interested and it came out closer to skeptical.

  “Really. You want me to stay out of your way while you run the library for the summer. Because we disagree, you don’t want to accept any help at all.”

  “That’s about it.”

  “Sorry, not possible.” He stepped to the side and continued up the steps, Sammy trotting alongside.

  “Excuse me?” It wasn’t easy to keep up with him and Daisy felt her shoulder muscles complain under the strain.

  Lane motioned her inside. “Since you’re determined to stay, there’s nothing I can do to change your mind. But I can’t ignore the fact you’re here in town, or that you might need help once in a while. I won’t pretend you’re not here.”

  She didn’t want him to ignore her. Not at all. The thought of him walking by her without a glance made her feel a little sick to her stomach. He wasn’t quite a friend, but whatever he was, she didn’t want to be invisible.

  He pointed to a point just inside the door and said, “Stay”. Sammy took up his post with only a hint of disappointment. He probably would love to run through the library, smelling all the books he could reach.

  “Fine.” She wanted to be stubborn, not moving on until they’d hashed out their differences but common sense and the threat of a sore shoulder made her settle for a glare as she swept on past. Another set of steps, this time much more slowly. She really needed to get some steady exercise.

  “Thanks, Lane, dear. I have your books all checked out.” Nita was at the desk, stamping due date stickers. She pushed a pile of hardback mysteries to the corner.

  “My books.” He repeated her words slowly, wondering. “Marie must have ordered these from the main library in Denver after I said I liked this author.” It was almost as if he was talking to himself.

  “Did she do that a lot?”

  He lifted the tote to the counter and started to unpack the books before he answered. “She did for me. I’m not sure about anybody else.”

  Nita nodded, already scanning barcodes to check the books in to the system. Her eyes were sad but her tone was light. “She sure enjoyed finding books for people. It was like she was ordained to by God to place the right books in the right hands.”

  For the first time, Daisy wondered if the hardest part about her summer plans wasn’t going to be convincing the town to save the library, but trying to fill Marie’s shoes.

  Lane stacked the last of the returns on the counter and tucked his books under one arm. “Have a good morning, you two.” He half-turned to the stairs and paused, flashing that mega-watt grin at Daisy one last time. “And be sure to let me know if you need any help.”

  She watched him all the way down the foyer landing, motion to the big golden lab, and head out the door before any coherent responses came to mind. None of them were very nice.

  Life in this town was always painfully complicated, never went smoothly, and occasionally drove her to tears. But Lane Bennett was a whole new side to Liberty. He made her angry in a way she hadn’t felt before. It was a good sort of angry that ended in laughter. Then there was the way he brought out her determination to keep going, no matter what he thought of her plans. Daisy couldn’t deny the blatant curiosity she felt about this small town, run-of-the-mill police officer. He was more than a walking, talking portrait of Liberty. That quick wit, easy generosity and the way he kept a respectful distance spoke volumes about the man inside. He wasn’t some pushy gossip, ready to slap a sign on her back that told the world what he thought of her.

 
Standing there, watching him walk down the library’s front walk and head toward the station with his hands stuffed in his pockets, Daisy felt a shift somewhere near her heart. The picture of a handsome cop and his loyal dog would have made her roll her eyes just a few days ago. Like a Norman Rockwell painting, except life never really imitated art. There were secrets and gossip and hard feelings. But Lane seemed to be just what he said he was, a policeman determined to serve his home town.

  Maybe this town wasn’t all bad. Maybe there was more value here than just the kids and the library. Lane was definitely the exception to her rule about this town, and if there was one, there just might be more.

  Chapter Eight

  Lane left the library with a smile on his face. Bright sun, damp earth, and a blue sky that announced a perfect early summer day. Life didn’t get any better. He inhaled deeply and said a quick prayer of thanks. The sound of Sammy’s light panting punctuated his contented thoughts. Snapping the leash on his collar, he wrapped the leather around one fist, just in case his pal decided to chase a semi or two. He was growing out of the impetuous puppy stage but Sammy still had his moments.

  He was glad he’d left his cruiser at the station and walked to Rocky’s for the morning doughnut delivery. Trees were fully robed in leaves and sidewalks edged in thick grass. Stately homes sat side by side with turn of the century brick buildings that housed local businesses. He picked up the pace, feeling the strength in his body as a blessing. The walk was good for him, a run would be better, for both man and dog. Maybe after his shift he’d put in a few miles before he stopped by Jamie’s for dinner.

  Minutes later he walked up his own front steps and led Sammy around the back to the fence. Giant brown golden retriever eyes spoke of his absolute need to stay in the wide world, but Lane ignored him. Jerking his head to the side, he opened the gate. “Go on, buddy. Catch you later. No chasing the squirrels. No barking.” One last rub down, double check on the fence latch and he headed back toward the station.

  Poplar Street was quiet, sleepy, nothing like what he was feeling inside. Irrationally optimistic would be a good description. He tugged on the brim of his hat and felt a huge smile crease his face. Hot cop. No wonder Marie had loved Daisy so much. You couldn’t help but like her, the way she looked you in the eye and spoke her mind. Half the world was stuck to their smartphones, answering texts mid-conversation. She was so present, so real.

  Daisy’s stay in Liberty would come to good things. Rocky was ready to make amends and had the support to gather his courage enough to talk to her. He just needed a little positive press.

  Lane almost missed a step. As Rocky’s friend his job was to gently mention a possible reunion. But he hadn’t. Not a word. He felt the smile slide from his face. Was he so easily distracted by a pretty girl? A clash of opinion, a slip-of-the-tongue compliment and a whole lot of sparks had been all it took to chase Rocky’s problem right out of his head.

  His jaw went tight. He had never felt so shallow and he hated shallow. From now on, business only. She was leaving at the end of summer, whether she saved the library or not, so Rocky’s chance at a reconciliation was now. Whatever indescribable pull Lane felt was second to that.

  Plus, there was a very real chance he’d just go and get his heart broken if he chased after Daisy. He’d been down that road before. He was stubborn, yes. A born romantic, sure. But no one had ever said Lane was a slow learner. One broken engagement was enough.

  ***

  “Such a nice boy,” Nita said, without looking up from her stack of books on the counter.

  “Not a boy.” Daisy mumbled it under her breath, leaving off the rest of her thought. And not so nice. She should just shake off that teasing grin and focus on the day’s tasks.

  “Too young for me.”

  Daisy choked back a laugh. And here it comes, the town’s obsession with match-making.

  “I’m sure you think we’d be perfect together, just because we’re both single and about the same age. But I hate to tell you-”

  “Oh, no, dear.” Nita interrupted smoothly, scanning the last book in her pile. “I can see that would never work. Our Lane is the type of man who needs a sweet girl to raise his babies, cook big dinners for the officers, and keep the home fires burning while he works long hours protecting Liberty.”

  Her mouth fell open a bit. She was sweet, she loved babies, could cook big dinners and make a happy home. It’s not that she couldn’t be that type of woman, she just didn’t want to be. At least, not in Liberty.

  Nita went on. “I knew Tara wasn’t the girl for him, but he wouldn’t listen.”

  She wouldn’t be sucked into this conversation, she refused. Daisy piled books on the counter and said nothing. Nita would tell her the story whether she asked or not. The silence stretched on.

  At least, she was fairly sure Nita would.

  Minutes passed.

  Fine, she’d bite. “How did you know?”

  “She sure was a pretty girl. Real nice figure, too. But with Lane, family always comes first and Tara wasn’t interested in Sunday dinner at his sister’s or the fireman’s ball or even the auction to help Stan Foreman when he ended up in the hospital.”

  Daisy was getting a clear picture of this girl, real nice figure and all. “Sounds like she was busy.”

  Nita let out snort. “As busy as a hairdresser can be.”

  The image in her head morphed into a manicured girl with perfect hair. Another stack of books was pushed to the side and Daisy folded up both large canvas tote bags. With Lane, family comes first. The words echoed around in her head. That was one thing she couldn’t say was true about herself. Rocky was the only family she had left and he was dead last on her list of important people.

  “Well, I’m sure he’ll find someone new.” Probably already had and Nita was just a bit behind the current gossip.

  She nodded. “Only a matter of time.” She started to arrange the books on the cart, spines up. Her tall frame hovered over the line while she deftly arranged them by call number.

  Daisy tugged a large stack of children’s picture books into her arms. “I’ll shelve these.”

  She didn’t wait for an answer, but headed for the children’s section. The sun was streaming through the long, multi-paned windows, highlighting the space where the quilt used to hang on the wall. Her throat constricted at the sight and Daisy fought back a wave of grief. You were made to love and be loved.

  She tucked the brightly colored books into the top shelves, facing outward, blinking back hot tears. So what if Nita thought she wasn’t the type of girl to make a happy home? That was nothing new in this town. Nobody would ever forget that her mother had left them without a backward glance and her dad was a drunk. She was damaged goods in their eyes.

  A steadying breath brought her back in focus. Her emotions were a mess because she’d lost Marie, end of story. She’d moved past all those issues of her childhood long ago, was a successful teacher, made friends. It didn’t matter what anyone thought or who Lane found to take Tara’s place. More to the point, the library came first.

  She needed to work hard to get the summer program on track before the kids showed up next week. And then there was that small problem of raising tens of thousands of dollars to save the building.

  Daisy straightened her shoulders. The Lord is my strength. She was tougher than gossip or a city manager who was only worried about money. She just needed to remember that.

  ***

  “But dear, you can’t ride a bicycle all summer.” Rhonda crossed her arms over her wide middle swathed in flowered blue material and frowned down at Daisy as she packed. “It’s been raining every other day. You’ll catch cold.”

  Daisy blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and straightened up. There was nothing like packing all your belongings in front of your nosy landlady. She’d only stayed at Rhonda’s bed and breakfast for a few weeks but she felt like she’d been there for months. “It’ll be good exercise. I’ll get a backpack to c
arry my books, a better raincoat, maybe some boots.”

  “Books? What about groceries? You can’t eat books!” Rhonda’s slightly pink face turned a darker shade. “Why don’t you stay here? I can drop the price of the room to whatever you’re paying Lane Bennett. It’s just not a good idea for you to be living so far out of town.”

  Shifting so her knees were on the thick oriental carpet and not the polished wood floor, Daisy took a moment to form her response. She wanted to say that living out of town was the best part about the cabin. There was also fact that the large basset hound presently snoozing on her bed slept all afternoon and barked from the moment the sun came up. Daisy yearned for a little breathing room and a whole lot of quiet.

  “Rhonda, I think it will be just fine. I love the little garden and the creek behind the cabin. Fresno is a zoo with all the traffic and the apartments packed in together. I’m looking forward to the change of pace.”

  The older woman frowned, deep lines between her dark brown eyes. “Well, I suppose Lane will be out there to take care of the place. You won’t be all alone, all the time.”

  Hopefully not. Lane can just take care of things while she was in town.

  Daisy flashed her a bright smile and got to her feet. “I’m going to bring my suitcase out to the cabin, then turn in the rental car. Thank you for everything.” She tried to exude perky positivity, as if she was thrilled to be stuck in Liberty for another two months.

  “Of course, dear. And you come over for dinner any time. I know Russell will miss you.” She bent over the aged hound and ruffled his fur. “Won’t you? Won’t Russell miss Daisy? Yes he will! Yes he will!” Rhonda had lapsed into baby talk as she furiously rubbed Russell’s ears. Daisy felt her eyes go wide as there wasn’t a twitch or a flicker of response. Maybe the hound had expired right there on the bed. But in the next moment he pried open one large eye and gave Rhonda a look that plainly told her to leave him be.