Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Island County Book 4) (13 page)

“No problem. Happens to the best of us.” He gave a slight wave toward Kitty and glanced in my direction as I knelt to talk to Dorothy and Emma. “See ya both around.”

I nodded and watched Jake walk out the door, and I finally felt like I could breathe again.

“He is a keeper.” Kitty laughed.

I wanted to ask what Jake helped with, but it wasn’t my place, so I stood up and held out a hand for Dorothy as Emma grabbed her mom’s. “Do you have any ladybug picture books? They found some in the garden and have fallen in love with the little red buggers. We’ve even redecorated their room again in the little bugs, and they’re only four.”

“We have more than you could ever imagine.”

Dorothy tugged on my arm, and we followed to the preschool section. I used my free hand and began stacking several ladybug board books against my hip as Emma and her mom got down on the ground and began searching for others. I let go of Dorothy’s hand and she quickly joined in.

“This one is a fun series. It includes ladybugs, but it’s not about them. It follows a little girl’s adventures.” I handed Kitty the stack of books, and they all began quietly flipping through them.

“I saw your incident in the paper,” Kitty said, smiling. “Is that how you met Jake?”

Well, that was straight to the point.

“Yep. That’s how we met.” I spotted a couple of books out of place and switched the order. “He’s very intriguing.”

“Isn’t he, though?” She asked, standing up and dusting her hands on her shorts.

Val popped her head alongside a bookshelf at the end of the aisle. “I’m back on the floor. Guessing Jake has gone?”

“Thanks. Yep. He got everything he needed.”

“Good deal.” She waved at the twins before walking toward the counter.

“I feel for that guy,” Kitty continued. “No wonder he wants to hide from people. He had such a nasty divorce, and I think his ex is one of the cruelest women I’ve ever heard about, but I’m sure you know all about that.”

I shook my head. “Not really.”

“Oh, well . . .” She glanced over at Val. “I just assumed by the way he was looking at you that there was something more between you two. Not that it’s any of my business.”

I laughed. “I think the rule for living on Fireweed is everything is everyone’s business.”

“Gets old, doesn’t it?” She chuckled.

“I think I kind of missed it,” I confessed.

“Where’d you move back from?”

“When I was married, we lived in California and Texas, so this is a nice change of pace.”

“I’ve never left and always wondered what it would be like to not have to worry about a ferry schedule if I wanted to go to the mall or needed to go to the airport,” she mused, picking up the books her daughters scattered on the floor.

“It wasn’t that great. I promise. The traffic alone would make you pull your hair out.” I helped Dorothy and Emma up as they each clung to their favorite book of the moment.

“All set?” I asked the twins.

They both nodded their heads, but Kitty shook hers. “Mama’s gotta get some new stories. I heard Sherry Clairon is going to be here this week?”

“Actually, she’ll be here this afternoon.”

“No. Way.” She glanced at the twins and twisted her lips into a pout.

“You’re a fan?”

“I’ve read every single one of her books, all her short stories. . .” She sighed. “Maybe next time.”

“Do you have other plans?”

“No. I just don’t have daycare.”

I bit my lip and glanced behind me. How hard could twin girls be?

“I could watch them while you listen to her.”

Her mouth hung open and she shook her head.

“Seriously. I mean it. We have a great kids’ section, and I can look after them while you meet her.”

“You have no idea what this means.” She smiled and nearly jumped out of her shoes. “Come on, girls. We’ve got to get home and get ready. I’ve got so many things I want her to sign.”

She nearly bowled me over to get to the counter and check her daughters’ books out while my mind still stayed stuck in reverse. So Jake had a nasty divorce and might actually be hiding out. So why not tell me?

I let out a disgruntled groan and wandered toward the counter as Kitty and her girls headed outside.

“I heard you’re going to babysit her girls while Sherry’s here speaking and signing?” She gave an evil giggle and I swatted at her. “They’re little angels.”

“I hope so, for your sake.” She leaned against the counter, and I glanced at the clock. Somehow, it was already early afternoon. Soon, the Mystery Writers’ Group would be here and the rest of the setup would commence, and I could stay focused on anything and everything except wondering what and why Jake felt the need to eliminate certain portions of his past around me. “I’ve got some emails to catch up on and an agenda to set for our board meeting on Thursday.”

“Sounds riveting.”

“Always is.”

“I heard the city was looking at cutting library funds next year. Is that true?” She folded her arms.

“I heard the same and spoke with the mayor. She assured me it was nothing more than a pesky rumor, but my gut says they’ve noticed how well the library has done on fundraising over the years.”

She groaned and rolled her eyes as I slid into my seat. “You’d tell us if our jobs were on the line, right?”

My heart rate quickened and my stomach clenched. What kind of rumors had been flying around?

“Absolutely. There’s nothing like that on the horizon. Our budgetary needs have already been met for the fiscal year, and we’ve been able to save two percent more than last year.” I tapped my finger on my keyboard and studied Val. “Would you mind telling me who’s been saying these things?”

“I shouldn’t.”

I smiled. It was her husband. He tended to put his nose everywhere and rarely had anything to back it up.

“Well, if anything ever changes, I’ll let you know.”

“I’ll tell my source to quit worrying.” She winked.

“You do that.”

I looked out the window and saw Jake wandering across the street with a couple of bags from some local shops. The poor guy was probably wandering all over town buying things he didn’t need just to be seen. I chuckled and shook my head as Val caught my gaze.

“You’re falling for him.”

“Not at all,” I said, smiling.

“You are. Who wouldn’t?” She winked.

“He’s just a nice guy.”

“Sure that’s all?”

“He leaves me with just enough information to keep me interested,” I confessed. “But beyond that, there is no future. I’m too happy being single.”

I spotted Jake jogging to his Volvo. He climbed inside and pulled onto the main street. For no reason at all, my heart dipped a little knowing he was headed out of town and to wherever it was he called home.

“Sometimes, when a person doesn’t want to be found, they have a good reason for hiding until the right reason appears in front of them and reminds them how energizing life can be,” Val said softly. “I know, because it happened to me.”

I stared at my screen and read over the last paragraph I’d written for my Friday blog post.

I’ve often found that certain books appear in my life when I need them most, and I’m starting to wonder if this rule applies to people as well. I had an odd encounter when I was stuck in a tree not too long ago, and because of that harrowing experience, I met an interesting person who has been adding some mystery and intrigue to my life. Every time I’m around this individual, it feels like I’m in the middle of a good book, and I want to keep flipping the pages to find out more. It never occurred to me that maybe this was what I needed to be looking for in friendship. If I applied the same characteristics I felt made up a good book to friendships and relationships, maybe I’d have less mess and heartache. Wow, all this venting because I read an amazing book at the same time I met an interesting person. I’ll let you know in the months to come if my hypothesis is correct. This could be a huge development for the dating world.

I let out a sigh and decided to hit
submit
. I highly doubted Jake would be reading my blog, and even if he did, I didn’t think I said too much to scare him away, and if I did, better sooner than later.

The truth of the situation was that since meeting Jake, my world had been thrown off. I found myself wondering what he was up to throughout the week, whether I was at the library or cozied on my couch with a good book. Regardless if he knew it or not, he’d been placing himself in my thoughts and slightly confusing my direction. Thankfully, BlznBookie was still around to keep me entertained in between daydreaming about an impossible outcome.

Hmm. Maybe that was something I specialized in.

The impossible.

Earlier this morning, I looked Jake up on Google and found nothing more than a mention of his volunteer status on Fireweed Island along with his resume—which highlighted certain riveting facts like his EMT certification and his graduation from Fire Academy—but nothing juicy like what he did for a living, hobbies, or even an astrological sign. Not that I’d know what his sign meant anyway.

I glanced at the clock right before a notification popped up that BlznBookie left a comment on my post. Jake would be here soon, and I didn’t want to get caught chatting with my online crush that wasn’t a crush.

Last night, I’d checked out BlznBookie’s latest blog article where he posted some gorgeous photographs of the Olympic Peninsula. I had a second of giddiness thinking he was in the state before realizing the images were shot a few years ago. I’d left a comment on his post, but he didn’t respond like he usually did, so this notification was nice to see.

I refreshed my page, and I quickly scrolled down to his see comment.

I think your hypothesis is headed in the right direction. Some love a quickie, fun-filled read, while others love a long and drawn out story with no resolution. In the love department, some people love flings, while others prefer to draw out relationships far past the expiration date. I’ve noticed when it comes to relationships, my friends tend to take more time picking out a library book than their potential soul mate. I tend to stick to mountain climbing and swinging from trees to avoid the subject altogether. Great post. I think you’re on to something.

I sat smiling like a dummy at the computer. It wasn’t like he divulged a huge secret, but it was fun to see some dialogue on the subject. Maybe I wasn’t completely off base. I slumped back in my chair and Jake popped into my head.

Would he be a library book I’d grab off the shelf? I chuckled in the silence of my home, knowing full well what the answer would be.

The doorbell chimed and I shot up, leaving my laptop on the chair, and nearly tumbled through the living room to get to the front door.

I stood for a second in front of the door, tugging on my fitted, low-cut black top and smoothed down my grey knit circle skirt in an effort to pull myself together. Closing my eyes, I sucked in a deep breath and promised myself I’d behave tonight. No calling him a recluse or asking him about his divorce.

He knocked on the door, and I realized I must have been standing in front of it trying to center myself for longer than I thought. Maybe I did need to get out of the library more often.

I flung open the door to see Jake Harlen holding a mason jar full of fresh cut lavender with a burlap bow tied around the glass.

My heart nearly squeezed itself with happiness. Jake looked incredible. His blond hair was tousled, and his striking blue eyes took me in with such intensity it felt like I could see directly into his soul.

The smell of lavender wafted into the foyer, and I motioned for him to come inside, taking the arrangement from him in the process.

“These are beautiful and so sweet of you.” I placed them on one of my short bookshelves and moved the stack of mail I’d forgotten to put in the kitchen.

“I hope you’re hungry, because I’m starving, and I don’t want to look like a beast in front of you.” He laughed while I dropped the mail off in the dining room.

“It takes a lot of fuel to keep a machine like yours running. You rescue idiots like me all day, and that takes real strength and determination.”

“You’re not an idiot. You’re a woman with a heart of gold and a soft spot for rescue dogs and elderly women.”

“And apparently, the combination of the two might kill me.”

“I’d like to think not.” His eyes connected with mine, and every cell of my body ignited with merely the possibility of spending one night with him. It didn’t help that I already knew what it was like to be held tightly in his strong arms.

“You ready?” he asked.

I nodded, still allowing my mind to picture the fun I could have with him. I locked the door quickly behind us and got into his car.

“So is Mrs. Coleville behaving herself?” he teased.

“She is, but I don’t think Coco ever will.”

“She sent the firehouse a basket of cookies from a place called Gabby’s Goodies. Have you heard of it?”

“Have I heard of it? It’s only the best bakery in Puget Sound. I bet Gabby will be at the party tonight. They’re all a group of friends my sister knows.”