Leaving Liberty Read online

  Ouch. Lane cringed inwardly at the heavy-handed reference to Rocky McConnell, the town drunk. Or he was until a few years ago. In a place where no one has secrets and you can never outrun your past, McConnell would always be the guy who racked up the most tickets for drunken public disorderliness. It didn’t matter that he’d been sober for a while, kept a steady job. Small town folks had a hard time forgetting and the city manager was as small town as they came.

  Daisy was silent. She slowly reached up and brushed back her rain hood, as if she’d just realized she was wearing it indoors. Her dark blond hair curled damply against the nape of her neck, almost completely unfurled from where she’d pinned it up in a bun.

  “I just might. I’m considering moving back to Liberty.”

  A small sound of surprise escaped him and he quickly covered it with a cough. He didn’t figure her for the kind of girl who yearned for her home town. He knew her type. They got out and never came back, except for funerals and weddings. It had taken getting his heart broken to learn that lesson but he sure knew it now.

  “Consider all you want. We’d love to have another teacher in town. Mr. Gibbons is getting too old to wrangle high schoolers much longer.”

  “Has the library been condemned? Is it too unsafe for anyone to enter it?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Not exactly, or not at all?”

  You had to hand it to Daisy. She was going to get a straight answer out of the woman whether she wanted to give it or not. The only problem was that Daisy may not like what she heard. Lane wished that he could forestall the inevitable but the moment was coming when she would understand Old Liberty was a lost cause.

  He jumped into the conversation, hoping to ease the tension. “The Mayor had the library inspected last year. The list of repairs the contractor suggested includes a new roof, repairing the foundation, ripping out rotten supports underneath the floors, and new windows.” Those were just the highlights. Marie hadn’t seemed too bothered about it, which was surprising. Maybe she thought the city could pay for it. The city couldn’t manage to fix its own front walk, so a project like that was in the realm of impossibilities.

  “And that can’t be accomplished? There are grants available for small towns like Liberty. The library is probably old enough to be declared an historic building.” Daisy’s eyes searched his face, as if trying to gauge whether Lane was telling her the whole truth.

  “There are other factors, Daisy.” He hated giving bad news but Lindo made no move to intervene. She wasn’t exactly a person of action, especially when anyone else was willing to take the fall. “The old levee failed its inspections, too. The Army Corps of Engineers has declared Liberty a flood zone until we can fix it.”

  Lane watched expressions cross her face, alarm, confusion. “So, is the entire town evacuating? Why does that mean no one can go in the library?”

  The city manager spoke, irritation creeping into her voice. “Of course we’re not all evacuating. But we do have to purchase flood insurance until the levee is repaired. That’s set to finish three years from now. Until then, every structure in Liberty has to be covered with a national insurance company. The library would have cost us thousands a year.” She turned her hands palm up, as if to say there was nothing they could do.

  Daisy looked from Lane to Mrs. Lindo, speaking slowly. “If the insurance was paid, then could the city cover the repairs?”

  “It’s paid through the end of the year. That’s not the issue.” Lane could see the city manager losing patience. “We already decided that when Marie died, we would close the library.”

  Daisy flinched at her words but her voice was steady. “Did she know that?”

  “No. but she knew the library was in trouble. Whenever I asked her about the repairs, she said it would all work out. I thought maybe there was something in her will. But all she left was a house full of books and a quilt, as you know.” Her eyes narrowed, watching Daisy’s face.

  She shuffled a few papers, obviously ready to end the conversation . “Are you staying for a few days?”

  “I fly out of Denver tomorrow. I suppose I could have taken a late flight tonight but I knew I would be tired…” Her voice drifted off and he saw something flicker over her face. Utter sadness and grief before she pushed it behind a neutral expression but her eyes glinted with unshed tears.

  Lane swallowed hard. He never could bear to see a girl cry. It was scarier than being in the line of fire. “If you want, I can call Tom Perkins. He’s the contractor who gave us the estimate on repairs. Maybe you can meet with him tomorrow morning, before you leave.”

  For a moment she looked as if she wanted to tell him off, but she must have realized he was trying to help because the anger faded from her eyes. “I’d like that.”

  Turning back to Lindo, she took a step closer, jaw set tight. “Closing the library isn’t the answer. I would think an elected official would do what’s right for the community and not take the easy way out.” And she walked out without another word.

  Chapter Three

  Daisy could feel her heart pounding in her chest and hoped her face didn’t betray the fact she was ready to collapse in a heap of sobbing wretchedness. It was shaping up to be a perfectly awful day, which was just the way things worked for her in Liberty. Like a curse lain on her by the universe, once she crossed the city limits, her life attracted more drama than a crowd of eighth grade girls.

  She reached the main door of the city hall and saw it swing outward before she touched it. Lane was beside her, pushing the handle and standing aside. Gallant, charming. He was probably the only nice person in the town, now that Marie was gone.

  The rain had eased off a bit but the puddles were ankle-deep reminders of the morning storm. Lane was a steady presence, quiet, thoughtful. She chanced a glance at his face but couldn’t decipher his expression. He probably thought she was certifiable, stomping around City Hall like she was going to actually make anybody listen. Not that she cared what he thought.

  His long legs kept an easy pace and she watched his black, uniform-issue shoes out of the corner of her eye. Thick soles, heavy duty, but probably not winter gear now that the snow drifts had melted.

  “Getting ready for the summer tourists?” When in doubt, make small-talk. Or make small town small-talk, which was another step down the conversational ladder from anything meaningful.

  He nodded. “First the ski types, then the mountain hikers. Last group to come through is always the bus tours for the fall foliage. And then it starts all over.” He didn’t sound irritated, almost as if he were looking forward to it.

  She could understand why people flocked to this beautiful little town. It was a jewel in nature’s crown. But she could never understand why anyone would choose to stay.

  “Doesn’t look like much has changed.”

  “This is the first time you’ve visited? In what, almost ten years?” His tone was even but there was just a bit of an undertone, a question under the question.

  “If you know my father, I’m sure you understand. And being part of the police force, I’m sure you have more than a passing acquaintance.” She hated the bitterness that crept in her voice, no matter how hard she tried to sound indifferent.

  “He’s sober now. Almost four years.”

  She shrugged. “Good for him.” Old news. Marie had told her that several times, but she didn’t really see any need to come running back to check.

  He didn’t say anything more and she was grateful he didn’t push the point. The walk back to the library seemed to take twice as long as the way to city hall, probably because she wasn’t spitting mad. Now that she’d calmed down a bit, she felt the friction of her raincoat against the side of her neck and heard the wet squelching of her feet at every step. She almost raised a hand to her hair, but dropped it. Didn’t matter that he looked like a male model even soaking wet and she could enter the ‘Hag of the Year Contest’ with confidence.

  She shot him a glance, notin
g the smooth shave and the perfectly knotted tie. She knew his type. As long as he kept everything in its place, the universe ran smoothly. Well, surprise. That’s not really how it worked. But she wasn’t going to try and enlighten him.

  Halfway there and the only sound was her feet, alternating between a wetly flatulent step forward and the sucking of the other foot lifting out of the shoe, like it was coming out of thick mud. She tried not to sigh.

  The sidewalk seemed to stretch forever. A scene from one of her favorite childhood books popped into her head. Ramona Quimby being carried out of the muddy field by Henry Huggins, proving once more she was, indeed, a big pest. She hadn’t thought of that book in years and she had to smile a little. She wished she had bright red rain boots, like Ramona, instead of the funeral-shoes–turned-rude-party-trick. And Mr. Hero Complex could be Henry Huggins.

  Didn’t he have something else to do? Probably not in this little place. A tiny part of her was glad, maybe because Lane Bennett didn’t seem to chat all the time or maybe because he hadn’t jumped to the city manager’s defense. Whatever it was, it held the tide of grief just a bit farther from her heart.

  They turned the corner once more and the library popped into view. Clouds eased apart reluctantly and sky lightened overhead. Daisy trudged onward, trying to place Lane in her memory. There was a vague picture, from before, when she was a bitter teenager fighting to get away from this town.

  “Is Jamie your little sister?”

  He turned with a grin and she sucked in a breath. Great smile. It took her a little bit to remember what she’d just asked.

  “Right. Five years younger than me, was in your class in high school. She’s a teacher, too.”

  Daisy remembered Jamie’s kind words the day her father had lurched into school and tried to stay for a cafeteria lunch. He had thought it was Father’s Day. In December.

  “And you have an older brother, too. He played on the football team.” She couldn’t remember his name. Cal? Holt?

  “Right, Colt was quarterback.” He stopped at the steps this time, and jerked his head toward his cruiser. “I was headed that way, originally.”

  “Sorry again about chasing you down the street.”

  “Not a problem. Toby needs all the protectors he can get.”

  Something shifted in her chest, as if her heart had moved by itself. Marie had been that for her, standing in the gap between chaos and certain disaster. She felt a prickling in her throat and refocused her emotions as fast as she could. Now was not the time or the place to reminisce.

  His voice was low, husky, as if he knew just what she was thinking. “Marie was always after him to get his homework done. She made him a deal. If he came to the library every day after school and did his work, she would buy pizza for the kids on Friday afternoons.”

  Shoot. Now her eyes were filling with hot tears and she blinked them back. “Just like her. She promised me books, not pizza. But it’s the same idea.”

  “I don’t know what we’ll do without her.” His words fell into the space between them like pebbles in a pond. She felt tiny ripples of sadness bump against her heart. We. He understood how she felt.

  She spoke the words before she even thought them through. “I have the summer off. I’m going to ask the mayor to let me fill in for Marie until we can sort out the library’s future.”

  His blue eyes went wide and he gestured toward the library as if to ask, ‘this place?’

  “The summer reading program is still a big deal, Marie told me so. They had fifty kids last year and it’s still early enough to get them registered. I teach sixth graders so I know how to handle a rowdy group.”

  Lane still looked as if he was struggling to say something, anything. He ran a finger under his collar, damp with rain and probably very uncomfortable.

  “I’m staying at Rhonda’s Bed and Breakfast, but I should probably find someplace more permanent.”

  “When did you come up with this plan?” He took a step closer and she had to tilt her head back to look at him. He seemed concerned, as if she might be having an emotional breakdown. But really, she was feeling the exact opposite. Her grief was ebbing away into something completely different, something purposeful.

  “Just now. I think it will work.” She smiled, hoping to hit the right note between optimistic and thoughtful, and nowhere near unstable.

  “Do you often change your plans on a dime?”

  “Only when it’s the right thing to do.” His gaze locked on hers and emotion flickered behind his eyes. Caution, surprise, and something else she couldn’t define.

  She turned back to the library and called over her shoulder. “Call Rhonda’s when you get ahold of that contractor.” She didn’t wait for his response, but pushed open the library door for the second time that hour.

  Right before she went in, she stole a look behind her and saw Lane motionless at the bottom of the steps. His cap was drawn down but she could see the set of his jaw, the thin line of his lips. He didn’t seem happy to hear the library might stay open, but she brushed off the tiny twinge of disappointment she felt. They weren’t friends. They had barely just met.

  The only person she cared about was Marie, and Marie would have wanted her to stay. It wasn’t forever. It was just for the summer.

  ***

  Angling into the police cruiser, Lane grabbed a small towel from under the seat and tried to dry off his soaking shirt. He tossed his hat on the seat beside him and slid the keys in the ignition. No looking back at the library, no wondering what Daisy would do with the rest of her day, and absolutely no more loitering.

  The engine turned over with a short hitch and a sharp sound of metal on metal. Lane frowned, giving it a bit of gas and letting the old Crown Victoria engine warm up. The department couldn’t afford new cruisers and anything that went wrong was fixed by Lenny at Ninth Street Auto. He was a good guy, but didn’t always fix everything the first time. Or the second.

  The funeral had been brutal, but uplifting. He rolled his shoulders, hoping to ease some of the tension in his neck. Faith made mourning a complicated issue. Marie was certain of where she was going and Who she’d be meeting face to face when she died. He missed her, he wished she was here. But in all his sadness was a joy he couldn’t keep down. She was home and it was a home better than even this perfect little town.

  Glancing at his watch, he put the cruiser in gear. Shift change down at the station was an easy moment, nothing like the big city police forces. Instead of being slammed with paperwork and hustling perps through the office, he could catch up on everyone’s afternoon. The entire force had been at the funeral, in uniform, but something might have happened between then and now. Not likely, actually. He felt his lips tug up as he rolled down Main, wipers on low to keep the mist off the windshield. He probably had the biggest news around, although he wouldn’t be offering it up for gossip. They’d all hear about the gorgeous new librarian soon enough.

  The smile slid from his face as his thoughts touched on the woman he’d left a few blocks behind. They’d all seen her at the funeral, standing there with her head held high, face a tight mask of grief. Even in the too-big raincoat, she’d seemed insubstantial, fragile. She’d walked away without speaking to anyone. He had figured she was headed straight back out of town. But now she was determined to stay in Liberty longer than an afternoon.

  Her shrug at Rocky’s sobriety spoke more than paragraphs. It held volumes of bitterness and pain. He didn’t blame her. His own teen years had been the usual mix of angst and growing pains, but his parents were solidly behind him every step.

  Marie’s voice seemed to echo in his head. Lane blew out a breath, trying to ease the ache in his chest. The old lady had been a librarian by trade, but was an encourager by grace. Quiet and peaceful, she was always so proud of Daisy’s spirit, her spitfire personality. She’d been absolutely right about that certain fearlessness in the face of adversity, but Lane had seen something else today. He’d seen a woman grieving the
loss of her mother figure, her mentor, and a place that was the only good thing she’d known in Liberty.

  He turned the cruiser toward the squat brick building that housed police headquarters and parked in the usual spot. Three more official vehicles sat side by side, which meant the office would be full of the late afternoon shift. Lane stared out the windshield, watching the misting rain gradually obscure his view. He wanted, more than anything he’d wanted in a long time, to tell Daisy her plan would work. It would be so easy to agree. She could stay the summer, run the reading program, gather funds for the library, and keep Marie’s work going in the community. Liberty needed someone to step in and save the library. But Daisy needed to go on with her life and hanging out in her home town probably wasn’t the best idea.

  Lane closed his eyes for a moment, feeling dread creep over him. She seemed so determined. The library was unsafe, something that he just couldn’t stand back and let go. Rotting supports might last another few years, but it was no place for kids to be running around. That accident that claimed Colt’s life flashed through his mind. Twisted metal, flashing emergency lights. Years that should have been spent raising a family, just gone, and they were left to pick up the pieces. All because someone made a simple mistake, an oversight.

  Daisy needed to understand that the community came first. He wasn’t the kind of man that kept the hard truth under wraps. He said what needed to be said, no matter how much he wished it otherwise. Add Rocky to the mix, and things got really complicated. They were friends and he didn’t want to watch Rocky struggle with any more guilt than he already did.

  Plus, even if Daisy found a respite from her grief in this summer scheme, it wouldn’t work and he wouldn’t tell her that it would. It was his duty to discourage her, to make sure she knew the facts. There wasn’t any way to save Old Liberty Library without a serious infusion of cash, the kind that the city just didn’t have.

  The sooner she went back to California, the better. For all of them.