by Dawn Kinzer
Hope glanced behind her, then turned back. “Am I imagining it, or is Rebecca happier than I’ve ever seen her?”
“I’ve noticed changes in her too.” Annie grinned. “You know...I think I almost like her.”
“That would be a switch!” Jake chuckled and stretched out on the grass.
Annie gave him a little shove in the side. “I think Rebecca has been trying to find ways to prove to people she’s not as mean and conniving as she used to be.”
“Whatever is causing the transformation, I hope it continues to work.”
“Hope and pray, Jake.” Annie laughed. “I’ll admit that Rebecca has been a great help. She’s devoted many hours to getting the library ready. The inside looks welcoming, don’t you think, Hope?” Annie looked to her cousin, who nodded. “Not all of the shelves are filled with books, but we have a good start.”
Hope passed the container filled with cookies to Ben. “There’s a good mix of nonfiction and fiction for adults, and one corner of the back room has been designated for children’s books.”
“I want to make it inviting and magical.” Annie wore a faraway expression. “Mrs. Jorgenson has this wonderful idea of offering a story time for the younger ones on Saturday mornings. People who come into town to do their shopping can leave their children with us while they shop or while they look for books themselves.”
“Have you figured out how you’re going to run a library and still work at the Home Store?” Ben admired Annie’s passion and willingness to throw herself into providing the town with a library, but at this point it was all on a volunteer basis.
“Rebecca, Mrs. Jorgenson, and I will work out a schedule for us to work in the library, and eventually we’ll train other volunteers.” Annie gave Jake a smile. “And your brother agreed to make a trip with me to Martindale once a month to rotate inventory with the library there.”
So Annie had found another way to spend time with Jake. If his brother was as smart as Ben thought, he’d finally realize that Annie was in love with him, and he’d admit to himself how much he cared for her too.
Jake threw a handful of grass at Annie.
She blew it out of her face, and swept it from her shoulders. “I guess you’re ready to go back to work.” She gave him another shove, then stood.
Ben glanced at Hope and felt a pang. Could they ever be that free with each other? He wanted to be more at ease with her—he wanted to share himself without holding back. But until he could trust her completely, he couldn’t allow himself.
“What’s all the shouting?” Hope stood, and facing the library, shielded her eyes.
“Oh, no!” Annie grimaced. “It’s that grouchy Mr. Stone from next door. He complained the day of the fundraiser that we were making too much commotion. Can you believe it? He lives alone and rarely leaves his shack. You’d think the old codger would like a little company and entertainment to liven up his day.”
“Have you sat and talked with him?” It was strange that Ben had never met the man. The town was small enough that he knew most of the residents, at least by name.
“I tried the day of the fundraiser, but he was too riled, and I was probably too defensive.” Annie sighed. “But something has to be done. We can’t have him causing disruptions every time people want to visit the library. He’ll scare them off.”
“Don’t worry.” Ben laid his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do.” There had to be something more to Mr. Stone’s complaints than a little noise.
“Wait. I’ll come with you.” Hope packed and closed the picnic basket. “There’s still food left. Maybe Mr. Stone would like something to eat while we talk.”
Ben couldn’t keep back a proud grin. That’s my girl. My girl. When had he started thinking of her that way? “Good idea. A full mouth may stop him from yelling at us.”
Mr. Stone stood shouting at a young man who looked fifteen and who held a brush in one hand and a small bucket of paint in the other. “You people think you own the world!” The older man shook a crooked finger at the boy. “Well, you don’t!”
The youth looked at Ben and Hope with wide eyes that asked for help.
Mrs. Jorgenson had been working in the flower gardens in front of the library with a young woman, but now she walked over and stood next to Hope.
“You can go back to work,” Ben said to the painter with a nod of assurance. Ben relaxed his stance and offered a genuine smile as he sent up a silent prayer. “Mr. Stone, you hungry?”
***
Hope held her breath. The man certainly wasn’t the friendly type, but Ben seemed to be ignoring that fact.
“What if I am? You think you can bribe me to be quiet?” Mr. Stone’s angry tone sounded closer to growling than speaking.
“I have no intention to bribe you for anything. I’d like to have a word with you, but out of consideration I also don’t want to waste your time. Figured if you hadn’t eaten, we might as well kill two birds.”
Mr. Stone shuffled his feet. “Well, I guess I could eat. If you’re offering.”
“I’m offering.” Ben pointed to a small group of empty chairs on the lawn that would be placed back inside the library at the end of the day. “We can sit over there.”
How cleverly Ben had taken command of the situation while keeping the older man’s self-respect intact. Hope slid onto the chair opposite Mr. Stone, and Mrs. Jorgenson sat next to her.
“I hope you don’t mind that I’ve poked my way in.” Mrs. Jorgenson whispered to Hope. “I’ve known Warren Stone for years, and I might be able to help.”
Ben held up two sandwiches. “Chicken or egg salad?”
The thin, elderly man held out a wrinkled hand littered with dark spots and crooked fingers with knuckles twice the normal size. “Chicken. Egg salad gives me stomachaches.” He unwrapped the sandwich and took a large bite. After swallowing, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Not bad.”
“Glad to hear it.” Ben cleared his throat. “Mr. Stone, no one wants to bother you or disrupt your life by putting a library here. It’s meant for the good of the town, and you’re a part of the community too.”
Mr. Stone grunted and slapped his thigh. “I don’t understand why you all think there’s a need for a library anyway. It’s just going to cause trouble. Look at all those young people carrying on. The library will become a place for them to meet and cause all kinds of nuisance. Mark my words.” He bit off another bite of sandwich and talked around it, his right cheek puffed out. “A man can’t even think! I built my house on the river so I could have peace and quiet, and now it’s been stolen from me.”
Hope’s stomach was growing uneasy, but it wasn’t the lunch she’d eaten. Mr. Stone was like a boulder that wasn’t going to budge. How could Ben still smile and remain so calm? He’d revealed an endearing inner strength, and she inwardly cheered him on.
“Is there something else that’s bothering you that you’re not telling us?” Ben leaned forward, but he kept his voice calm and caring. “I’m having a hard time believing that a little noise from people having a good time is what’s really upsetting you.”
Mrs. Jorgenson cleared her throat. “Warren, I know the house belonged to Jonas. Is that what’s really bothering you?”
“It was his home.” Mr. Stone’s eyes filled with anguish. “He was my best friend, but he was more like a brother. After our wives died, we still lived next to each other for years. I didn’t have anyone else and neither did he. After he passed, I could at least walk through the rooms of that house and remember all the good times we had together.” His voice cracked. “But now everything is changed, and I won’t even have that anymore. Everything is being taken away from me.”
His irritability made sense now. Hope glanced at Mrs. Jorgenson and saw the empathy in her eyes. The elderly man was still grieving the loss of his closest friend. Every stroke of the hammer on the library’s walls was like pounding a nail into his heart. How was Ben going to handle this new development?
�
��I’m so sorry. There was never any intention to disrespect Jonah’s memory.” By the pained expression on his face, Ben also hurt for the man. “Can you look at the situation another way?”
“There is no other way!”
“There may be.” Ben shifted in his chair, as though preparing to say something important. “Instead of looking at the library as a horrible thing that has destroyed your friend’s home, maybe you could think of it as a monument to your friend and his legacy left to the town. A place where everyone will remember him.”
Mr. Stone perked up. “You mean like name it after him?”
Ben eyed Mrs. Jorgenson. “What do you think?”
She thought for a moment. “Hope, would Annie agree to it?”
“I can’t speak for her, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Hope couldn’t imagine that Annie would care about the name being changed from the Riverton Library to something else. It was most important that the doors opened and the community used and enjoyed the library. And that the closest neighbor didn’t harass patrons.
“The Jonas Hall Library has a nice ring to it.” Mrs. Jorgenson tapped her chin with her finger. “The town council would have to approve, but I think at least a plaque with his name would be in order. After all, Jonas did donate the land and building to the town.”
“That would be wonderful. Really wonderful.” Mr. Stone’s body relaxed, and a slight smile grew on his face. He almost looked huggable.
Mrs. Jorgenson leaned forward. “Warren, what are your favorite books? I want to be sure to have them available for you when we open.”
His face darkened to red. “I—I don’t read. Never learned how.”
“Didn’t you go to school?” Mrs. Jorgenson sounded alarmed.
“Did, but had to quit to help on the farm. My wife did all the reading we needed.”
“Well, if you could read, what would you choose?” Mrs. Jorgenson spoke with kindness and without judgment. “What are you interested in? Is there any place you’d like to visit?”
Mr. Stone seemed to hesitate, then he licked his lips. “Always wondered what it would have been like to live in the Wild West. Be a real cowboy.”
“Then that’s where we’ll start.” Mrs. Jorgenson smiled. “I’ll teach you how to read.”
“I’m a old man! My chance to learn is long past gone.”
“Warren Stone,” Mrs. Jorgenson said with authority, “are you doubting my ability as a teacher? I’ve taught numerous children how to read over the years, and I can certainly teach you.”
Pure joy spread across the elderly man’s face. “All right, I’ll take you up on your offer.” His grin quickly faded. “I don’t have any money to pay you.”
“I don’t require payment. But you can help us put the tulip and daffodil bulbs in the flower gardens in front of the library. And I’ll expect you to assist with weeding come spring.” Mrs. Jorgenson stood. “Come along, Mr. Stone. There are several bags of bulbs left to stick in the ground.”
chapteR FIFTEEN
Did I witness a miracle or did I imagine what just happened?” Hope turned to Ben, who seemed slightly stunned himself. “One moment Mr. Stone is angry and can’t understand the need for a library, and the next, he’s agreeing to help Mrs. Jorgenson plant tulip bulbs in the yard.”
Ben chuckled and shook his head. “God is faithful.”
“He certainly is.” Hope released a large sigh. “Something good actually came out of what could have been a disastrous situation. Mr. Stone will learn to read, and a whole new world will open up to him. And I like the idea of naming the library after his friend.”
“Let’s pray the council agrees.”
“Everything is coming together for Annie. I’m so happy for her.”
“Are you?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I am.” Hope focused on her hands in her lap. “But, I’ll admit, I’m a little envious too. Aren’t you?” She looked at him. “You once had visions of being a well-known painter. I can’t believe that you don’t still wonder what it would be like to see your work hanging in a gallery.”
“Doesn’t matter. That path is no longer an option for me.” He stretched out his legs in front of him. “I’ll try to get a moment with Annie today to tell her about my art. Can’t put it off any longer. Wanted you to know that she may...”
“Have a lot to talk about when we get home.”
“She’ll either be thrilled, or she’ll want to hang me for keeping it a secret from her for two years.”
“Knowing Annie, probably both.” It was a good thing he’d warned her. Hope would be prepared for both ranting and a lot of questions. It would be a late night for sure, but it would be worth it. She couldn’t abide keeping Ben’s secret from Annie much longer, especially when one of his paintings hung in Hope’s bedroom.
“How are your sketches coming?”
That was unexpected—him asking or caring. “I think they’re improving, and now if I ever have trouble mixing colors I know who to go to for help.”
Ben laughed. “Yes, you do.”
“Do you really want to know how I’m doing? With my designs, I mean?”
His laughter-filled eyes grew serious. “I really want to know.”
“I received another rejection from Butterick, along with a request to keep submitting. They see potential in my work, but the designs aren’t what they’re looking for at the moment. I’m trying to be encouraged by the fact that they don’t want me to give up.”
“I agree. That’s great news.”
“There’s more.” Butterflies stirred inside Hope.
“Oh?”
“I’m taking a trip to Minneapolis the second weekend in September to see a friend of my mother’s.”
“Minneapolis?” His forehead furrowed. “What does that have to do with Butterick?”
“Eva Lancaster is a fashion designer who has done quite well for herself. She and my mother met while Miss Lancaster lived in New York, and she’s willing to look at my sketches.” Surely he could see the significance. “I’m sure I’ll learn a great deal from even a few moments with her.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“One night. Annie is traveling with me. We’ll spend Saturday afternoon in the city and the night at the West Hotel, which will be a costly, but I want our first trip to Minneapolis to be a real treat. Annie has never stayed in a luxury hotel, and I need a taste of what I miss from New York. We often don’t appreciate something until it’s no longer within reach.”
He gave a low, quiet grunt. “And Miss Lancaster?”
“We’re invited to dine with her that evening.” She didn’t expect him to shout with excitement over her opportunity, but he could have shown even a little enthusiasm. Minneapolis wasn’t New York or Paris, but it was the closest thing she had right now.
“I’m sure you’ll have a good time.” He stretched his arms in front of him and then behind his back. “I gotta get back to work.”
“All right... I should check in with Annie and see where she needs help.” Men! And they claimed women were hard to understand. He almost sounded disappointed that she was looking forward to spending a little time away from Riverton.
He headed in one direction, and Hope went the other, searching for Annie. There she stood, next to one of the flowerbeds, speaking to Mrs. Jorgenson and Mr. Stone and nodding her head. Mr. Stone shook Annie’s hand, then followed his soon-to-be teacher to a patch of dirt where tulip and daffodil bulbs were laid out.
Annie grinned at Hope. “The Jonas Hall Library.”
“So I hear.” Hope embraced her cousin, then drew back. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Yes, perfect.” Annie’s smile drooped, and a shimmer of moisture covered the beautiful green eyes that now focused somewhere behind Hope’s back. Annie swiped beneath her right eye. “Men. I don’t understand them.”
“Funny. That’s just what I was thinking.” Hope turned. So that’s what had caused Annie’s sudden change of emot
ions.
Jake seemed to be joking with a young woman who had recently moved to Riverton with her parents and younger brother to re-open a bank that had closed after the owner decided to move to a larger town. The pretty brunette, around twenty years old, had volunteered to help Rebecca catalog the books, and in the process had apparently caught Jake’s eye.
“You have to come with me.” Annie clutched Hope’s hand, and her nails dug into Hope’s palm as she pulled her toward the bench where Jake and the temptress sat side by side.
“What are you doing?” Hope was mortified. “You can’t go over there and reprimand him for paying attention to someone else.”
Annie stopped short. “Thomas left instructions for me before he headed back to his farm, and I’m going to make sure they’re carried out. That’s all.” Her lower lip quivered. “But I’m not going over there alone. Not with him hanging on her words like they’re dripping honey.”
Hope’s heart ached for her sweet cousin. Why couldn’t Jake see how much Annie loved him? How devoted she was to him? “I’ll go with you.”
Their shadows almost covered Jake and the seductress before he noticed they were standing right in front of him. The young woman was probably very nice and shouldn’t be thought of in derogatory terms. Like most people in Riverton, she was most likely taken in by Jake’s charming ways, and Hope didn’t have any reason to think such ill thoughts, despite how protective she felt toward Annie.
“Annie, you need something?” Jake looked at her with an innocence that relayed the fact that he didn’t have any idea of how much his flirting with this girl hurt her.
“I wouldn’t have interrupted, but could you please look at the roof before you leave for the day?” Annie’s voice was smooth and controlled. She was hiding her emotions well. Not easy for her, Hope knew.
“Annie and Hope, have you met Miss Oakland?” Jake’s eyes twinkled as he gestured toward the newcomer. “You probably already know that her father is the new banker in town.”
