Lane felt like sliding through the floor. He’d never thought about whether she would want company. He had always been so focused on their disagreement over the library and the tangle of emotions that happened when she was around. His glance shot to his dad, who cocked an eyebrow. Lane knew what he was thinking; anybody can let the new girl in town rent his cabin. It takes a real man to offer hospitality, friendship, welcome, and invitation to the church community.
“Wonderful. We usually go out to Jamie’s for lunch afterward. She and Tom live on the river so bring some sensible shoes.” With that last bit of bossiness, Angela turned to Lane. “I found a really nice book for you. Come on in here.”
Maybe Daisy didn’t want to be left alone in his parents’ kitchen to talk over the lack of Liberty nightlife with his dad, but she didn’t give any sign. She threw him a bright smile that should have made his day, but only layered on the guilt.
He didn’t have much choice but to follow his mom into the living room and admire an ancient book of Chopin piano music. “Very nice. Not even moldy.”
“Play one for me, Laney.” She didn’t wait for an answer but started to rifle through the pages.
“We’re just staying for a minute. She needs to get back.”
“She’s a pretty girl.”
He wanted to roll his eyes. “Yes, Mom. Very pretty and very much not staying in Colorado. Not even the wrong town, this time. We’re talking about different states.”
She placed the open book on the sheet music rest. “Maybe after she settles in and meets some more people her age, she can be convinced to stay?”
Lane sat on the bench, scooting it back to accommodate his long legs. “There shouldn’t be any convincing. It should just be easy. Two people fall in love and decide to be together forever. The end. No drama, no hard work.”
His mother paused, her hand on the edge of the yellowed paper. “Who told you there wasn’t any hard work? I hope I never gave you that idea.” She sat down next to him and touched his cheek. “The hard part is what makes it great.”
Lane smiled against her hand. “You’re saying that if you have to fight for someone, it means more? I wonder what Jamie would say to that. She and Tom have never had any real bumps since they met. Just smooth sailing all the way. I don’t think that makes their marriage any less great.”
Dropping her hand to his arm, she frowned. “But he wanted to take that job with the Forestry Department and she didn’t, don’t you remember?”
“Which job?” Lane searched his memory and came up with vague bits of half-conversations.
“Right before they got married. He wanted to take that position up at the Forestry outpost near Red Feather Lakes and she hated the idea of being so isolated. That was a rough patch for them, but they got it sorted out.”
“I don’t remember hearing about that, not all of it.” He frowned at the music in front of him, unsettled at the idea of Jamie and Tom balanced on the edge of breaking their engagement. He hadn’t even known. Their family was strong, vibrant, rooted deep in their love for each other. Josh and Travis were wildly secure in the center of that little universe. But the path toward bliss wasn’t always smooth, apparently.
“Don’t be looking for the least complicated route to happily ever after, because there isn’t any. At least, none thatare worth your time.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and moved away so he could play without interference.
Lane rested his fingers on the keys, lost in thought. He’d been so sure the love of his life would fit right in with Liberty, his family, and his idea of the future. Maybe he’d been wrong. Blinking away his confusion, he started the slow Chopin prelude, letting the melody wrap and wind its way through the snarl of his emotions.
Chapter Fifteen
“You should bring Daisy back for lunch sometime.” His mom tucked the Chopin book onto a shelf.
He wanted to grin, but shook his head instead. “Let it go, Mom. I know she’s totally your type of daughter-in-law, but it’s not going to happen.”
She turned, pretending surprise. “Don’t leap to conclusions. I was just suggesting a simple lunch.”
She worked at keeping her mouth a firm line, but the longer Lane waited, the harder it was. Chuckling, she shrugged. “Fine, you’re right. She’s exactly the kind of girl I would pick out for you. Smart, determined, faithful. What’s not to like? Really, Lane, she’s a fifth grade teacher. Those ladies are tough. You can’t ask for anything better.”
“Are you saying Tara wasn’t wife material? She was a sweet girl.” It didn’t hurt to say her name anymore. Strange.
“She was sweet. And pretty.” His mother paused, as if she’d run out of nice things to say. “She spent her days chatting about trends in wedding up-do’s but didn’t want to hear anything about your day because it was boring or scary. I just couldn’t see her as a police officer’s wife. You’ve got to be made of sterner stuff.”
He had to agree with her there. Everything in Tara’s universe was sparkly and cute. He’d sort of enjoyed the change of pace. After a long shift in the salon, her biggest complaint was that the nail dryer had gone out and the manicures had taken forever. On his side, after a long shift at the station he wondered if the human race was going to die out from sheer ignorance and unchecked aggression.
She went on. “I don’t want to talk down on anybody but she also seemed a little… preoccupied with her image.”
Nodding, he had to admit that was true, too. It wasn’t a bad thing to care what everyone thought of you. He had to be careful with his image, too.
“Now, this girl…” She jerked her chin toward the kitchen area. “She’s not the type to leave town if your career hits a bump.”
“Mom, it was more than a bump. I let the town drunk steal my squad car and run it into a pole.”
She waved a hand. “A bump. Everything worked out okay. Nobody got hurt. Rocky’s sober now, so God His reasons for letting it happen. What I’m saying is that you need someone who’s going to stick with you through all the ups and downs.”
“Even if she is exactly the type of woman that could fit in with my job, and our town, and this crazy family… she’s not staying. So I’m not going to think about it.” It was like his mother’s full time hobby to find her surviving son a wife. He thought when Jamie had kids it would take the heat off him, but it only made it worse. Now he was the last man standing on the field of matrimony and it wasn’t a position he particularly wanted. He certainly wasn’t avoiding marriage, but he wasn’t going to rush into anything either. He was happy and that was a lot more than most married people could say.
His gaze wandered toward the kitchen, where Daisy was chatting with his dad. Tara never chatted with anyone. She came to barbeques but she was glued to his hip and it was always a conversation of three or more.
“It’s not going to happen. I know you want me to be happy but…
“That’s true, so let me say one thing.” Her eyes were serious. “You can’t help who you fall in love with but you can help who you spend all your time with.”
He thought of the drive to Denver, the way he opened up to her, the way he wanted to know everything that went on behind those green eyes. “I know.”
“Good. Now just play one more.” She leaned against him, squeezing his hand. “For me.”
Of course he would. He never was very good at saying no to his parents, and it was almost impossible now. They treasured the time they had together but he also felt a healthy dose of guilt, wanting to make her happy after so much grief.
He rested his fingers back on the keys and tried to push down the unease that crept through him. Falling in love with Daisy wasn’t in his plans at all, but life had a way of throwing you for a curve. The less time he spent around her, the better. Starting as soon as they got back to Liberty.
****
“The Carnegie Association should be getting back to us any day now on whether the old library is eligible for funding. I hope the basement-” D
aisy broke off in the middle of her sentence and cocked her head. “Your wife is a wonderfully talented woman, Mr. Bennett.”
Jerry smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yes, she is. But I didn’t live with those two under the same roof for twenty years without learning to tell them apart. That’s Lane.”
She swallowed back her surprise. Of course a piano teacher’s son would take lessons but she had never imagined he could actually play.
“He doesn’t really like Chopin, but she does, so he plays for her. Funny how that woman always gets her way.” He shook his head, but his expression was all love.
Daisy listened in silence, letting the truth of this family soak into her skin. A family touched by tragedy but not destroyed. They had secrets, but they were fun, endearing. A son let his father take the title of best cook, a man who doesn’t mention the irritating smell of the coffee his wife loves, a son who plays his mother’s favorite music. She thought of Jamie decorating the cabin in her repurposed furniture and thrift store finds, how Lane had smiled about the décor as if he didn’t get it at all. It was more than ‘live and let live’. It was about happiness.
“How is old Nita? I haven’t seen her for months.” Jerry was leaning against the counter, looking so much like Lane that Daisy blinked.
“She’s great. I would be lost without her. Certainly keeps the library running smoothly.”
He nodded. “It took a while for me to warm up to Nita. I thought she was bossy, frankly.”
She couldn’t resist a smile. Nita definitely wasn’t the shy and quiet type.
“Then I figured out how she uses her reverse psychology on people. All those comments about me never retiring suddenly made sense.”
“Reverse psychology?”
He had the same deep dimples on either side of his smile, just like Lane. “She likes to give you a little push in the right direction. If she thinks you’re the stubborn type, like myself, she tells you to do just the opposite. Nita was sure I’d have a great time if I retired. I was sure I’d be bored to death.”
Daisy wrapped her hands around her mug, feeling the heat seep into her fingers. There was more to Nita than met the eye. Just like everyone in Liberty, it seemed.
He went on. “So she told me that I’d better hang on to my job as a senior engineer as long as I was able. There would be plenty of time to go fishing or travel when my back started hurting, or my knees needed replacing and I couldn’t sit at a desk any longer.”
She snorted. That was an advertisement for seizing the day if she’d ever heard one. “That sounds a bit like her. When I first came back to Liberty, she told me that I wasn’t the type to...” Her voice trailed off and she froze mid-sentence. Lane needs a sweet girl to raise his babies. At the time, she’d felt the sting of the comment.
Jerry raised his eyebrows. “Let me guess. She told you that we needed to let the old library go, which made you decide to stay and fight for it?”
Daisy forced a smile. “No, no. More that I wasn’t the type of girl who would ever be happy in Liberty.” Her cheeks grew warm. It wasn’t quite what Nita had said. The gist of her comment was about Lane and the type of woman he needed, but she sure wasn’t going to tell Lane’s dad about it.
The last notes of the Chopin prelude faded away. “We’ll see if Angela can bribe him into another sonata,” Jerry said.
The little kitchen exuded warmth and comfort. Daisy didn’t really mind if Lane played through the entire book. With the bright sunlight in the window, the beautiful music floating in from the living room, the hot cup of coffee in her hand, the easy companionship with Jerry, she felt more at home than she’d felt in weeks. They waited in comfortable silence for a moment, but no more music came from down the hallway.
“I suppose we should get back to Liberty.” She didn’t really want to go. “Thank you for the coffee.”
“Anytime. We’re so happy that someone is stepping up to help the library. Mrs. Lindo is short-sighted and only worried about the cost, but we need that place. Anything we can do to help, let us know.” He set his mug on the counter. “We’ll see you in a few weeks but remember you’re always welcome to come back and visit us when you get bored. I’ll share my famous BBQ ribs recipe.”
It was such a simple comment and maybe it was something he said to everyone but she couldn’t ignore the sincerity in his expression. “That’s very nice of you. I’m not sure how Lane would feel if I hung around here, trying to weasel the super-secret recipe out of you. He might want to fight me for it.”
“Something tells me he wouldn’t mind you hanging around.” Jerry gave her a wink and picked up the packet of ribs from the counter. He motioned her toward the hallway. “Let’s go see what they’re up to.”
Daisy turned, hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt. She knew what Jerry was implying, and he was wrong. She also couldn’t deny there was a part of her wished it was just a little bit true. As they walked to the living room, she took a deep breath. It was natural to want to belong, to want the handsomest guy in town to think she was girlfriend material.
The library was the reason she’d given up her whole summer. It was fine to spend her days filling out paperwork and shepherding little kids through finger painting crafts, and even better if she got to enjoy the amazing scenery at the old cabin. She couldn’t lose her focus. Marie’s legacy depended on her keeping her head in the game and her heart under control.
***
Something had happened in the kitchen, Lane was sure of it. Daisy’s expression was closed, polite. The laughter from the trip down to Denver was gone and in its place was small talk about the weather, the library basement, the new Ransom Fielding book on the Civil War. It wasn’t uncomfortable but he felt something had changed.
Lane wished he was brave enough to ask her what his father had said, but frankly, he didn’t want to know. His mother’s words ran on a constant loop in his head. You can’t help who you fall in love with. Emotions were weird that way. You couldn’t tell yourself to feel one way or the other but he could sure limit his time with Daisy and that’s what he planned to do.
So, no matter what his father had shared with her that made her retreat into her own thoughts, he welcomed it. It made his own decision that much easier. Being distant was the only way to make sure he didn’t make a mess of his life with the wrong woman, again.
Chapter Sixteen
Daisy could feel a bead of sweat trail down her back and tried to keep calm. Her silk top was sticking to her skin and she longed to rip off her nice jacket and flap her arms for some air circulation. Her skirt was wrinkled and the new light blue heels that were so cute and playful had morphed into torture devices. Every toe ached independently and the class was only half over. It was the second week of the summer program and she had thought the first two classes had just been crazy because they were settling in. Apparently, it was going to be an all-the-time kind of crazy. Who knew directing a room packed with preschoolers would be so hard?
“Nita, can you hand me the bucket of crayons?”
Nita handed over a small plastic bucket and grinned. After the first class, she’d mentioned having some sort of snack for the kids, maybe those little goldfish crackers and some juice, but Daisy hadn’t seen the need. It was just an hour and it would fly by. Read a few books, color some sheets, catch up on the reading forms and hand out toys. Not hard.
It was twenty minutes into the hour and the basement room rocked with excited chatter. Kids were up and down, papers fluttered to the carpet at several second intervals and Daisy had developed a twitch in her right eye.
“Do you want me to take over for a second?” Nita whispered her question but didn’t really need to. No one could hear anything but shrieks and clatters.
Daisy wanted to say no. She was a teacher, after all. She had a master’s degree in early education but this was not like a science class of fifth graders. This was like Armageddon run by very small people. “Sure. I need to run up to the office for the instruc
tions on the puppet craft.”
Nita clapped her hands for attention and called out for quiet. In seconds, the kids were seated and coloring, a few whispers and giggles the only noise. Daisy trudged out of the basement and up the stairs. This summer reading program was kicking her rear. It was a few hours a week but it took five times as long to plan and the clean-up was a nightmare. The very first day she’d used glitter, even though Nita had warned her. Sure enough, that glitter was never coming out of the carpet. She could vacuum until the world stopped turning and there would still be glints and sparkles of leftover craft glitter in the rough weave.
She made it to the landing and took a deep breath. The air was cooler up here and the noise faded to nothing. Daisy stood for a moment, letting the tension ease out of her shoulders. The loaner bicycle from Nita was the best bike she’d ever owned but commuting took some getting used to. The twinge in her back told her a teacher’s life wasn’t the most active. She’d always been a bit of a string bean an wished she had more curves but even strings beans needed to move, to stretch.
Reaching up high, she wiggled her fingertips along the dark wood frame of the doorway leading to the main floor. Her eyes fell closed and she concentrated on the muscles along her arms and shoulders. A few more seconds and she let her hands swing down, down to the floor, eyes shut tight. She could feel the sun through the glass entryway on her back and focused on the steady warmth against her skin. Again she lifted her arms to the doorframe, as high as she could reach. She bent her knees, feeling the burn in the muscles of her calves and thighs.
Finally, she straightened up. Rolling her neck a few times she heard the slightest sound behind her and whirled toward the front door. A small shriek of surprise escaped her when she registered Lane standing immobile on the top step, framed perfectly in the full-length, beveled glass panel. He was in full uniform with his cap pulled low, his expression half confusion and half amusement.
Leaving Liberty Page 13
