Leaving Liberty (32 page)

           
She swallowed hard.  Something was lodged in her throat like a hot stone.
It felt like grief, but not the old, familiar one from Marie’s passing. It was
new and painful and Daisy had a horrible feeling that it would be with her for
a long, long time after she left this town.

Chapter Twenty-Five

           
“You’re not allowed to play, Toby.” Lane shook the water out of his ears and
wagged a finger at the kid in front of him. “Now way, no how. I know you can
throw twenty perfect pitches and I’m not in any mood to spend that much time in
this cold water.”

           
Toby pretended to be shocked, but Lane could tell he was pleased by the
compliment. The dunk tank was the most popular game at the festival, but even
with the warm sun, the water must have been barely sixty degrees. The crowd in
front of the library had been steady since it opened at nine and the smell of
barbeque ribs reminded him he needed a lunch break.

           
“What about my little sister? Can I buy tickets for her?”

           
“Sure.” He smiled down at the little girl who had the same sandy blond hair as Toby.
“Give her as many as you want.”

           
Ten minutes later, he called a halt and escaped the dunk tank. Butch handed him
a towel and chuckled. “Looks like you won’t need a bath for a while. Got good
and wet in there.”

           
Lane toweled off his hair and shivered. “I need some food before I get back
in.” He grabbed his bag from the ground and headed into the library to change.

           
Rhonda and Russell were parked at a pick nick table eating ribs, the old hound
licking a long piece of bone he held between his front paws. Nancy and her
husband Marco sat across from them, laughing. Nancy waved and pointed to the
empty spot at the table. Lane lifted his bag and pointed at the library, silent
communication for ‘I really need to get out of these wet clothes’. She nodded
and went back to her conversation.

           
Lane dodged a little boy with a fistful of cotton candy and took the stairs two
at a time. Just as he reached the door, it swung outward.

           
“Oh!” Daisy’s startled expression told him more about his appearance than a
mirror ever could.

           
He smoothed down his hair and tried to look cool, calm, and collected. He had
the cool down. He could feel goose bumps on every inch of exposed skin and a
lot that wasn’t. “Hi, just changing for lunch then I’ll be back out there.”

           
Nodding, she glanced behind him and then spoke. “I might not get a chance to
thank you later, but I…” Her voice trailed off, as if she didn’t know what else
to say.

           
He waited, eyebrows raised, wishing he wasn’t dripping a puddle on the front
step.

           
“I appreciate everything you’ve done. For the library and for me.” To his
surprise, her eyes shone with unshed tears. She let out a sound of frustration
and swiped her eyes with her sleeve. “You must think I’m the most emotional
woman on the planet.”

           
He didn’t. Not at all.

           
Dragging in a shaky breath, she forced a smile. “So, thank you. For
everything.”

           
Lane dropped his gaze. He had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that
this was a goodbye speech. Of course it had to come sometime, he just hadn’t
expected it today, in the bright sun during a crowded festival. “You’re
welcome. As always.”

           
“I better get out of your way,” she said, stepping out of the doorway and
heading down the steps. He took the handle, barely feeling the cold metal
against his skin. His whole body felt numb, except for something that burned
sharply in his chest.

           
This day had been coming and he’d always known it. Now that it was happening,
he couldn’t force down the wall of hard grief that slammed through him. There
wasn’t anything to be done about it. She was leaving and he was staying. The
last time they’d talked she had made it really clear that she wouldn’t ever
drop everything for a relationship and that she could never live with only the
hope that they would be happier than her own parents.

           
Lane leaned his forehead against the library foyer wall.
Thy will be done.
That was all he had and he hoped that God could fill in the rest. He was all
out of words.

                                                                       
***

           
“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.