***
“Let me take over for a second,” Daisy said, nudging Ana out of the cotton candy booth. “You look like you need to get some lemonade.”
“And you look like you need a hug.” Ana cocked an eyebrow at her best friend.
Daisy shook her head. “Nope. Everything is fine. Going exactly as planned. Perfect day.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s nothing. I just talked to Lane a bit and thanked him for everything he’s done.”
“And that makes you look like your world is falling to pieces?”
Falling to pieces. That’s what she felt like inside. A crumbling pile of dreams and hopes for this place. It was all wrapped up in a heavy blanket of regret.
“Probably won’t be seeing him too much before I leave.” That was all she could say about it and she blinked a few times, willing herself to stay strong.
Ana shook her head. “I just don’t get it. Why is it so important for you to live in Fresno? What’s so awesome about that place? I mean, besides me? What’s so great that you would pass up someone like Lane?”
“You mean other than my teaching contract and my friends and my apartment?” Daisy knew she sounded snappy but couldn’t help it. As if she could just walk away, just drop everything and move to tiny Liberty.
“Yes, other than that.” Ana folder her arms over her chest and waited. The sounds of the kids popping balloons at the dart booth echoed behind them.
She looked down at her hands. “I’ve always hated this town.”
“And now?”
“Not so much anymore.” She actually… sort of loved the place. “I just never saw myself as a small town girl.”
Ana threw back her head and laughed. “Well, then you didn’t have the right mirror. We all knew it!”
“I may talk a bit slower, but I don’t have--”
“It’s not the talking. It’s the doing. You wave at everybody. You bring your new neighbors cookies. You treat everybody like a friend.”
“That’s just being nice.”
“That’s being small town. It’s like niceness is a rule.” Ana smiled. “That’s what I love about you. And you’ll be small town wherever you live. The town doesn’t define you, Daisy. You are what you are, wherever you live.”
She looked out at the festival, at the people she’d come to see as friends, almost family. Jasmine and Breezy were getting hotdogs at the little stand and she could see Kayla, Warrior Princess tucked under Jasmine’s arm. Jamie and her boys sat under the big tree, sharing some curly fries while Tom tried to win them a goldfish. Her dad, familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, chatted with a few older men on the sidewalk as he manned the book sale. Marie’s boxes of books from the supply closet were lined up on a long table for sale.
Her throat went tight as she looked around her. This town was her past. Could it be her future, too?
***
Monday mornings were never great, but rainy Monday mornings spent in a library scheduled to close must be the most depressing ever. She’d spent the evening packing and her few possessions were stashed in boxes. The quilt had come down the very last, folded gently, wrapped in tissue. She would bring it in her carry-on to make sure it wasn’t lost by the airline.
Daisy leaned forward in Marie’s chair and grabbed a thick envelope from the stack on her desk. Probably more bills. City Manager Lindo had made it very clear that no more city funds would be funneled toward the library. Electricity, water, sewer, garbage and everything else was firmly on her head. At least they’d made enough at the festival to cover the last month, but she wished that the history of this beautiful building didn’t have to end with a dunk tank and a cotton candy booth.
She opened the envelope and scanned the letter. “Nita!” Her voice came out strangled and high. She bolted up from the desk and rushed to the front counter.
“You look terrible. What is it? Is it your leg?” Nita grabbed her by both arms and scanned her up and down, looking for the cause of the shriek.
“Look!” Daisy could hardly breathe, nerves jangling through her entire body. She waved the paper at Nita. “We got the grants! Both of the biggest! One for the building and one for the staff salary. We did it!”
Nita stared down at the paper, mouth open in disbelief. And then burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around Daisy, crushing the paper between them.
They hugged and laughed and cried a lot. Nita leaned back, wiping her face. “I never got such good news on a Monday. Never in my whole life.”
Daisy shook her head, filled with gratitude and excitement. She had so many people to tell. She needed to call Lane. No, she’d call Ana first, in Fresno. And then go to city hall. And then call Lane. Even thinking of breaking the news filled her with a potent mix of excitement and anxiety.
She’d saved the library, so why did she feel she feel such a swirl of conflicting emotions? Maybe because there was no reason for her to leave. Maybe because she’d never wanted to leave at all.
She shook the thought from her head. First things first. “I’m going to take these over to city hall.” She grabbed her raincoat from the peg.
Nita beamed at her. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Daisy texted Ana, then pushed open the library door. Stepping into the pouring rain, Daisy couldn’t stop smiling. Not even the pounding on the hood of her raincoat could keep her from skipping down the steps. She couldn’t wait to show City Manager Lindo the grants.
Minutes later, soaked to the knees and not caring a bit, she started up the city hall steps. The sound of yelling and pounding feet sounded in the distance and she swiveled around. To the side of city hall, the fire engines were idling, men running every which way.
The front door opened and the mayor rushed out. “Watch out,” he yelled as he barreled down the steps.
“What’s going on?”
“The dam’s been breached. We’re gonna be underwater. I’m headed up the hill to my house where it’ll be dry.” He muscled past her and trotted to his car.
Daisy’s mouth went dry. All the rain and the flood zone insurance and the high South Platte river had been worrisome one at a time. Now they were in the middle of a disaster.
She stood, undecided, on the steps when Butch rushed out. “Daisy! We’re heading to the armory to gather sandbags. We can try to keep the water from getting the library.”
Nodding numbly, she turned around and ran down the block, thankful she’d worn tennis shoes and not flats. As she neared the corner, she saw a brown river spreading down the street. It looked so gentle, like a tide that never went back, only forward, covering everything in its path. Her heart froze in her chest and she stumbled, trying to make her feet work right. As soon as she reached the library, the water was already lapping against the front steps.
“Nita!” Her call this time was shrill with fear.
She came running, and stopped dead at the sight of the water. “Dear Lord, help us” she whispered and clasped her hands.
“Butch has gone to the armory with some of the officers. They’re getting sandbags.”
Nita shook her head, very slowly. “That might help some other places.”
“What do you mean? It will help us, right now!”
Her tone snapped Nita into movement. “The basement will already be taking on water. All we can do is try to stop it from coming in, then work up here.”
Daisy turned and fled down the stairs, the sound of trickling water reaching her ears before she caught sight of it. Water poured in rivulets through the basement windows. It spread under the heavy door that led to the outside basement steps. Daisy raised a hand to her mouth. All the books. There was no time to move all of them. Not even half of them.
“Ok, let’s grab the lowest books.” Nita was right there, pulling armfuls of books from the shelves that sat on the carpet and stacking them onto the top of the chest high ranges. Daisy joined in, working furiously. The water spread to the middle of the floor and started to rise.
She felt it suck at her shoes, at her ankles.
The last lower shelf was emptied and she started on the next one higher. Her hands ached, one of her fingernails was torn and bleeding, and still the water came.
“You two down there?” Butch called down when the water had reached her calves, ice cold and murky.
“We’re here!” Daisy’s voice was rough with exhaustion. Hundreds and hundreds of books, pulled and tossed and stacked. Her shoulders and arms ached. Now it was time for the sandbags.
“Let’s get this started.” Butch led them up the steps to the outside, where a group was already forming a line around the library. A man in military fatigues directed them near the basement steps and the windows, hoping to cut off the worst leaks as quickly as possible.
“Where’s Lane?” Butch called over, passing a sandbag.
“I don’t know.” Daisy frowned at him, lifting another bag off the stack. Her back was protesting but she wouldn’t stop, not now.
“He said he was coming to help you. He rushed out of the station as soon as he heard.”
Daisy and Nita exchanged looks. He hadn’t made it to the library. It was only a few blocks.
Then Nita gasped, hand to her mouth. “You don’t usually come in on Mondays.”
That was all she said, but Daisy understood. Lane thought she was at the cabin. He’d rushed over to help her as the river flooded.
Butch straightened up. “That’s bad. The bridge isn’t that much higher than the river.”
Daisy passed a sandbag and felt her stomach lurch. The bridge, the same bridge where Colt had died. “I have to go out there.”
He shook his head. “Too dangerous. Stay here in town. Lane will make it back okay.”
She turned to Nita and to her relief, Nita was already leaving her spot in the line. She met her gaze and nodded. She understood that Daisy would walk there if she had to, just to make sure he was safe. “Let me get my keys.”
“That’s a really bad idea,” Butch said.
“We’ll be careful.” Daisy grabbed a sandbag and passed it along, her stomach knotted with terror. Please, Lord, please keep him safe.
***
Lane drove his pick up as close as he dared to the bridge. He still disliked the place, but he’d learned to see it as one more link in the chain of his life. Colt’s death had happened here, but it was also the way to one of the best places on earth.
The rain poured down, he wondered about bringing Sammy along. He would have been safe in the house, probably. Then again, he couldn’t open the door and get on the roof. Better to stick together. “Come on, boy. Sorry about the weather.”
The retriever gave him a baleful look and stared out of the cab. As they crossed over the bridge, Lane could feel the roar of the water under the truck. “Just a little farther to the cabin. Daisy won’t be able to get out on her bike in this weather.”
Sammy raised his head at the sound of Daisy’s name, then dropped it again, squinting against the rain.
The cabin appeared after the turn in the road. Lane could see the water lapping at the deck and the front porch. He parked as close as he dared and jumped the steps. Pounding on the door, he waited for Daisy to swing it wide. There was no answer. He pounded again, gazing around at the spreading lake of river water. Sammy whined from the truck, nose pressed against the window.
“Daisy!” He put his ear to the door, but heard nothing but the sound of his own beating heart. Taking out his key, he put it in the lock and turned, calling out one more time as he came inside.
The cabin was quiet, echoing back his words. One glance and he knew she wasn’t here. Just as he went to shut the door, he looked at the boxes stacked near the table. On the top was a tissue-wrapped square, with a hint of fabric peeking through.
Lane hesitated. If he brought the quilt, it would get wet. If he left it, it might be washed away. He glanced out the front door and his heart jumped to his throat. The river water had reached the top step of the porch. There was at least two feet of water in every direction, and it was getting higher. He grabbed the quilt and walked out, locking the door behind him.
“Come on, boy. She’s not here.” He tried to make his voice light, but Lane’s heart was pounding. Had she tried to make it to Liberty? On the corner of the porch, her bicycle leaned against the old wooden wall. He whispered a prayer of thanka. Wherever she was, Daisy wasn’t walking or riding.
He turned the truck back toward the bridge, feeling the pull of the water on the undercarriage. It was a tall truck, but at this rate, they might have to get in a tree. For a moment, he considered staying at the cabin, finding a place to perch. But it wasn’t a big place, no tall peaks or high beams. He needed to get out of the area as fast as he could.
At the bridge, the water lapped at the boards, splashing up from below. Lane drove the bridge and there was an ominous shriek of twisting metal. He gunned the engine and floored the gas pedal, speeding for the other side. They reached the end just as the far posts came unmoored and swung into the swirling river.
Lane stopped, looking back at the bridge. His heart pounded in his chest and he fought to catch his breath. The thought of him meeting his end on the same bridge as his brother made sick to his stomach. Sammy whined and laid his head on Lane’s thigh.
He glanced down at the sodden mess of wrapping tissue and quilt. He sure hoped he’d done the right thing. Too late to make a different choice now. “Let’s get out of here, buddy.”
Several miles later, he’d cleared the gravel road and was turning onto the main road when Nita’s red compact appeared. He pulled over and she stopped right in front of him, rain pounding on the windshield so he wasn’t sure who was driving.
The passenger door flew open and Daisy bolted out. Her face was a mix of terror and grief. He hopped from the truck but barely had time to raise a hand in greeting before she threw herself in his arms. He could feel her shuddering sobs, her arms shaking as she gripped him, hard.
“Hey, hey. Everything’s okay. I already got it.” The quilt was a little soggy, but it would dry out okay.
She lifted her face, cheeks covered with tears. “What do you think you’re doing?” she yelled, voice tight with fear.
Lane blinked. “Saving your quilt! I mean, I came to get you, but you were already gone, so I grabbed the quilt.”
“Don’t ever do that! Ever!” Tears were flowing down her cheeks, mixing with the cold rain. He looked over at Nita, but couldn’t see her inside the vehicle.
“I’m lost. You don’t want me to try and save you?” He swept an arm toward the roadway, rushing water creeping up side streets and into buildings. “Do you want to drown?”
“Of course not.” She looked like she was a little calmer now, her breath still coming in gasps. “I mean, don’t ever risk yourself for me. If your parents lost another son and it was just to rescue some girl who couldn’t find her way off the porch…” Her voice faltered and tears leaked out of her eyes.
Lane cupped her face in his hands. “You’re not some girl. And I thought you’d be trying to save the quilt.”
“I didn’t even think of it.” The corners of her mouth went up. “Isn’t that funny? All I thought of was you.”
He held her gaze, his breath caught in his throat. “Pretty funny.”
That got a smile out of her. Rain dripped from her hair onto her nose, but her cheeks felt hot under his hands. “I came all the way to Liberty for that quilt. It meant more to me than anything in my whole life. But now…”
He waited, eyebrows raised. He wanted her to say the words, needed to hear her take the first step without anyone pushing or nudging or giving advice. No Nita or Rocky or his dad or Ana or Jamie. It had to be her decision.
“Now I all I want is to be with you. I love you, Lane Bennett. I’ll be happy wherever I am as long as you’re with me.” Her voice was steady and strong.
He let out a long breath and wiped a drop of rainwater from her nose. “That’s good to know. Because I’d re
ally like to get somewhere dry.”
“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes and tried to give him a good punch in the arm but he dodged, laughing.
Letting the smiled fade from his face, he leaned close, whispering in her ear. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you chasing me down the sidewalk. And I’m planning on telling that story to our grandkids someday.”
She leaned into him and he felt the future open in front of him, rich with infinite possibilities and blessings.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I don’t think the flood insurance will cover the cost of my new back.” Butch groaned as he yanked the soggy carpet from the wall. “This has got to be the worst volunteer job ever.”
“You’re just suffering from low blood sugar. Go grab a doughnut from upstairs and come back,” Daisy called. She was standing on a chair in the corner, scrubbing flood stains from the old walls. The grants would cover repairs but the flood repairs had to come first. It was like holding up two walls and waiting for a roof.
“Grab me one, too.” Lane wiped sweat from his eyes and reached for another soapy rag. “You know your brain needs glucose. That’s why all the smart cops eat doughnuts.”
Daisy snorted. “Um, right. Our bodies break food down into substances. Lipids, proteins and glucose. It’s true that your brains requires glucose, but refined sugars aren’t the best option here.”
He jumped off his chair. “Never try to outsmart the science teacher.” Glancing around, he sighed. “I wish you didn’t have to go back to Fresno this year. I wish you could just pretend that contract never happened.”
Daisy stepped and came close, wrapping her arms around him, breathing in his familiar scent. “I know. But a contract is a contract. I’ll be back at Christmas. I’ve got to finish out the year and then I’ll see what’s closer.”
He leaned his head back and shot her a look. “Closer? As in, Seattle?”
“As in Denver, you goof.”
“Just checking.” He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. “This will be the longest year ever.”
Leaving Liberty Page 22
