Until I Met You

by Tari Faris

  He hadn’t believed she could do it. But the mayor had given up the fountain and the clock tower without much of a fight. Libby had facts, figures, and testimonies backing up all her points. All he had to do was hand out her proposal and show his drawing, and they all agreed. The girl was a research queen.

  He had a hard time balancing the calm, collected Libby who had bandaged his arm and convinced the council with the Libby who had lost her dog and chased him through the parking lot over a couple bucks.

  Austin grabbed the baggie of change that he’d found in his mail slot, shoved it in his pocket, and locked the door. He walked across the driveway and up her steps. Barks echoed on the other side of the door as soon as he knocked. How many dogs did she have in there, anyway?

  He shifted the coffee from one hand to the other as he eyed the crumpled bike that lay next to the porch. Could he have been more of a jerk? She’d made a dumb choice to lay her bike behind his truck, but he hadn’t made it any easier on her. Coffee looked pretty lame next to the crushed bike.

  The door opened, the air filling with Libby’s laughter. “Olivia, you’ll never—” The smile dropped from her face. “Sorry. I thought you were Olivia.”

  She held both dogs by their collar and wore a yellow checkered apron, a smudge of flour across her nose. Her hair was twisted into a knot on top of her head with two pencils sticking out of it.

  She yanked the dogs back. “Darcy! Spitz! Sit.”

  Both dogs obeyed but stayed alert. Maybe she’d been working with them. Darcy’s whole backside wiggled with his tail as if he was using all the self-restraint he possessed. Impressive obedience.

  Austin lifted the bag of coffee higher. “I come bearing gifts. Can I come in?”

  She snapped her fingers. “Darcy, Spitz, go lie down.” With one last look at Austin, they both obeyed.

  Libby paused only a moment before she stepped back from the door. Not the most welcoming invitation he’d ever gotten, but he’d take what he could get.

  The sweet scent of cookies and the beep of a timer greeted him as he entered. Libby shut the door behind him. “Excuse me. I need to get that.”

  Austin followed her to a small, quaint kitchen with dark wooden floors and granite countertops. A bowl of batter and a tray lined with rows of cookie dough balls adorned one counter, while three stacks of books topped another. Was she baking or reading? “Did you get back to the store for more groceries?”

  Libby pulled a pan of fresh cookies from the oven, causing his stomach to rumble. “No. I did get my account set up at the local bank today, and they said I could make a withdrawal tomorrow. Hannah had flour, sugar, oil, and chocolate chips on hand. Good thing you helped pay for the eggs.” Without even a glance his direction, she added the uncooked tray to the oven and set the timer. “Want one?”

  “If they’re the same kind you gave me, I won’t turn it down.”

  She added one to a plate and handed it to him. The soft cookie nearly crumbled in his hand, and the hot chocolate chips melted on his tongue. This was amazing. And gone all too soon.

  His thoughts must have shown on his face, because she dropped another cookie on his plate.

  “I didn’t come to eat all your cookies.”

  She shrugged but didn’t look at him. “I stress-bake. I prefer you eat them. Otherwise I’ll stress-eat too.”

  “What are you stressed about? I thought you’d be thrilled that the plans passed.” He picked up a copy of Wuthering Heights that was being held open by a wooden spoon.

  “I was. I am. It’s just I have a lot to plan when it comes to the library. The board just sent a whole file of forms they need me to complete by Friday. After two pages I started making cookies. Why are you here again?” Her voice held a slight edge.

  He replaced the book and offered her his best smile. “Forgive me, where are my manners?”

  “I’ve been wondering that since I met you.”

  He leaned back against the counter and grabbed another cookie. “I’m not always rude.”

  “You’re right. You were quite charming when you were bleeding and needed my help.”

  She wasn’t going to make this easy.

  Austin held out his hand. “Let’s start all over. Hello, I’m new in town. My name is Austin Williams. I’m the landscape architect for the square and will be working with you since the library is now a part of that plan.”

  The moment of truth. She hesitated, then after wiping her hands on a towel, she took his hand. “Libby Kingsley, librarian.”

  A smile touched the edge of her pink lips as her sapphire-blue eyes softened. She was beautiful; he’d give her that.

  When she turned back to the stove, Austin rubbed his palms together, doing his best to erase the memory of her soft skin. He wasn’t here to flirt. “I’m here because I was able to get a company scheduled to move the library in just two and a half weeks. I know that may sound like a lot of time, but when you’re talking about moving a building, it’s not. There is a lot of prep work that needs to be done. We hired a local contractor who was between jobs, so he’s ready to start work tomorrow. That means I need those forms tonight.” He pointed to the forms she’d abandoned to make the cookies.

  “Two and a half weeks?” She picked up a cookie and took a bite. “Tonight?” She shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth, reached for another, then paced toward the window.

  “I’ve worked with them before. It will be fine.” He moved the plate of cookies to the island. “They had a project fall through and think this is easy enough to put in its place. It’s either that or they can’t fit us in until late October if the weather holds. If not, then not until next season. But they’re willing to rush this job for the publicity it’ll bring.”

  “And now you need the forms tonight?” Libby walked back and reached for another cookie where the plate had been. “Did you move my cookies?”

  “Yes. You said you don’t want to stress-eat.” He shrugged and held the plate out to her.

  She shook her head. “No, you’re right. I just thought I’d have more time. What do you need?”

  “The contractor thinks we can tap into the water and sewer that used to lead to the Manor so we won’t have to tear up the street.” Austin flipped through the forms and then pulled out a page. “So this one should be easy.”

  Libby plopped back into the chair, flipped through the stack of triplicate forms, then dropped her head in her hands. “That only leaves twenty more.”

  He sat in a chair across from her. “What can I do to help?”

  “Where do I begin?” She took the pile of forms and spread them out on the table, then slid one closer to him. “It wants to know the layout, where I want the outlets, the lights . . . How would I know where I want the lights? What if I choose to put the outlets along one wall now but then want them along a different wall after it’s set up?”

  Austin lifted the paper and began to read it through.

  “I’m not good at this type of thing.” Libby grabbed a cookie and shoved it into her mouth, then lifted an eyebrow in his direction as if daring him to try to take her chocolate again.

  He held up his hands in defense, then reached for the pencil and snagged another cookie for himself. “Let me help. Layout and design are kind of my thing. What do you have so far?”

  She stood and pulled a binder off the desk, then set it in front of him. He flipped it open to a color-coded tab system. Talk about organization. This was the Libby who had convinced the board. This was the Libby he could work with.

  For the next hour, they detailed everything from outlets to facilities. Libby was a machine once she set to work on something. She’d moved her chair closer and closer as she pored over each form with him.

  “I think that about covers it.” Austin slid the last form into the file and shut her binder. “You’re so detail oriented, I should have you take over the financial records.”

  “Would those financial records be the ones covering your dining room table?�
�

  Austin’s cheeks warmed. “Maybe.”

  “I would love that.” Libby clapped her hands as if he’d offered her a puppy. “I love spreadsheets. And those piles have given me nightmares.”

  “Are you serious?” Austin reached for the last cookie and popped it in his mouth.

  “Absolutely.” She looked over at him with a smile, then froze. It was as if she hadn’t realized how close she’d moved.

  He’d noticed.

  He’d noticed the way her nose wrinkled every time she mulled over a problem in her mind. He’d noticed the way her blonde hair, which smelled like mango, refused to all stay up in that bun-twist thing. He’d even noticed that every time she loved an idea she’d bite her bottom lip. Like right now.

  He’d noticed way too much. He broke eye contact and stood. “Why can’t you talk in front of groups?”

  Libby shrugged as she stood and put the binder on the desk. “I’m always afraid I’ll say the wrong thing. I get tongue-tied around strangers.”

  “I’m a stranger. Or I was one.” Austin slid his chair in and tucked the file under his arm. “You never seemed to hesitate sharing what was on your mind with me. You’re one of the bravest people I know.”

  She leaned against the wall and looked down. “The first time I talked to you—”

  “You mean the first time I yelled at you.”

  “Right. I didn’t say much then. In fact, it took all my courage to bring the cookies back, and I think then my emergency response took over. How is your arm?”

  “You tell me, Doctor.” Austin pulled up the sleeve of his T-shirt and turned his back to her. “It was sore for a few days, but it feels much better.”

  “You still have the butterfly strips on there?”

  He shrugged. “The gauze didn’t last beyond the first shower, but these have stuck pretty well.”

  “These need to come off.” Her fingernails began picking at one of the edges of the bandage.

  “Ouch. Stop that.” He pulled his arm away.

  “Don’t be a baby. It’s been a week.” She grabbed his arm with her left hand and picked at one of the bandages with her right.

  “I’m not being a baby.” He couldn’t keep the laughter from following his words as he surrendered to her hand. “Let me rip out your arm hair and see what you do.”

  Her touch was more gentle this time. That was worse, so much worse. He clenched his hands at his sides.

  “You barely have any arm hair back here.” She ripped the second one free. “All done. Just some residue.”

  She rubbed at it with her thumb and he grabbed her hand. When she stared at it, he dropped it. “Sorry. I’m a little ticklish.”

  Not really. But it was better than saying, “If you keep touching me like that, I’m bound to kiss you before I leave this house.”

  “I should go.” Austin turned toward the door. “I have a lot to do if we’re going to be ready to move this building in under three weeks. We have a lot to accomplish before then.”

  As they approached the door, the dogs jumped up and Libby held them back.

  He stepped out on the porch and pointed to Otis in the distance. “Is it just me or is it weird that the hippo moves around town?”

  “Weird? Maybe. But likeable. And his name is Otis. Not the hippo.”

  He spun his keys on his finger. “I’ll keep that in mind. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Nate’s helping you, right?”

  “Yup.” He paused on the porch. “Now you’ve talked to my brother.”

  Libby squeezed out the door, leaving the dogs whimpering on the other side. “Briefly, but I haven’t seen him walk on water yet. Then again, I barely know him after one conversation. Maybe walking on water will happen next time.” She sent him a teasing grin but then sobered. “I did hear that he responded to a 911 call on Thursday morning. Isn’t that when you said he bailed on you?”

  He nodded as Libby offered a small smile and disappeared back inside. So, Nate did have a good excuse.

  He pulled the baggie of change from his pocket and balanced it on the doorknob.

  He had to be careful. The last thing he needed to do here was to lose his head or his heart. He had a job to do and a lot to get done in just seventeen days.

  six

  The library was set to be in place tomorrow, and Libby was way behind schedule. She opened the cover of the next book. It had been thirty years since this book had left these walls, and by the look of the cover, it wouldn’t be a hot item once the library reopened. She ran the dusting rag over it and coughed.

  She’d spent countless hours logging books, cleaning books, and boxing books, but it never seemed to end. Not to mention she’d squeezed in two trips to see Hannah and Luke and spent many hours researching the best antiques for the library. She had a small line item in the budget for the library’s interior. Which meant she could afford one or two authentic pieces, but mostly she’d depend on secondhand finds.

  She set the rag aside and scanned the book’s cover with her phone. The phone beeped its recognition, and Libby compared the information to the book before adding it to the box. A few of the covers had been too old to be recognized, but overall the app had saved her a ton of data-entry time. She grabbed the next book on the shelf and paused. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Why did that name sound familiar?

  She pulled up the message from her mom.

  Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.—Corrie ten Boom

  Maybe she’d read this one before she shelved it.

  “Knock knock.” Olivia’s face appeared around the door. A sneer replaced her bright smile. “You know, I never get used to how gross this room is. I always think, ‘It’s not that bad,’ then I’m here and it’s that bad . . . and worse. Anyway, I got all my stuff settled. You sure you don’t need help hauling anything else over from Luke’s to our new place? I don’t get tired of saying that.”

  Libby wiped the dust off The Hiding Place and stood. “That’s all I have until my parents arrive tonight.”

  “Right. I can’t wait to meet them. We’re still on for the speed dating Saturday, right?”

  “I’m so behind on getting this boxed up, and the schoolhouse is being moved tomorrow.” Libby grabbed her bag from the desk and slid the book inside. “There is a lot that needs to be done.”

  “Oh no. You aren’t getting out of this.” Olivia wiped off the top of a metal military surplus desk and sat on top. “You promised, and I already registered us.”

  “Fine. Fine. You win.” Libby returned to the shelf and wiped down the next book. She scanned the cover and pressed her hand under her nose to keep a sneeze back. “But you owe me, and I look forward to claiming that. Like helping me move all these boxes to the library.”

  Olivia shrugged and leaned back on her hands. “My brother Gideon and his friends will do it.”

  “You have a brother?”

  “Two, actually, and four sisters. I’m second behind Janie.”

  Libby paused her stacking. “There are seven of you?”

  “Yup. The Mathews tribe.” Olivia pushed off the desk and dusted off her backside. “And there are four of you?”

  “Yes. Myself, Luke, and my twin brothers, Logan and Liam. They’re both finishing up their last semester in college, so I don’t talk to them much these days.” Libby added the book in her hand to the box, then stood and brushed some of the dust from her pants. “When does Janie get back?”

  “She got back two weeks ago. But they have been crazy busy trying to get everything going at the diner, and today she’s visiting our grandmother up north. Anyway, I totally can get Gideon and his friends to help, but I thought you might want to ask Mr. Mean Hot Neighbor.” Olivia wiggled her eyebrows. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the flirting.”

  “What? I haven’t said more than two words to him since he dropped off the financials at my place two weeks ago.” She grabbed the next book in the lineup. Wait, had she sca
nned the last one? She scrolled through the data on the app. Yes, it was there. “We are coworkers. That’s all.”

  Olivia picked up a book next to her and flipped through the pages. “Whatever. When he walked into the diner Friday, he searched the room for you. I could tell. And after he nodded hello across the room, you grinned for the next hour.”

  “I was enjoying my work.” Had he really searched the diner for her?

  “You were on your computer making that crazy spreadsheet. Even you aren’t that big of a nerd. You like him. Admit it.”

  “Okay, here’s the deal. I’ll do this speed-dating thing, but you have to stop talking about—”

  “Anyone here?” The deep voice followed by a knock echoed through the room just before Austin’s face appeared around the door, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his expression guarded.

  She tried to think, to speak, but Olivia’s words “You like him” kept looping through her mind. Like one of those annoying GIFs.

  “And how are you, Austin?” Olivia stood and grabbed her purse.

  Austin turned his attention to Olivia, and Libby closed her eyes to clear her head. But when she opened them, faded jeans and a snug navy T-shirt sent her pulse to rapid-fire once more. The guy looked ready for a photo shoot, and she probably looked like she’d spent the day in an attic.

  “Catch you later, Libby.” Olivia waved and offered a knowing smile just before she disappeared out the door.

  Libby tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear but stopped herself before reaching for the mirror in her purse to make sure she didn’t have a smudge of dust across her face. She refused to be one of those girls who fidgeted every time a cute guy came around.

  Austin navigated the piles of books while he strolled around the room as if hanging out in this dungeon-library was something he did every day. “You weren’t kidding when you said you needed a new location. This is . . . bad. Well, the schoolhouse is set to move tomorrow, and you should be able to get this stuff moved in there in a couple of weeks.” He bent over and started scanning the titles of the books. “Can you let me into the heritage room that Hannah created? The mayor thought seeing some of the history would give me a better perspective on the town as I consider what plants to order.”