by Cathie Linz
“We wanted the library reopened, but none of us knows the first thing about libraries. Now organizing a quilting bee or something of that nature is another matter. We do have our specialties, but libraries.” Bessie shook her head. “That’s not one of them.”
“Let’s get back to Hunter for a minute,” Gaylynn said. “What did you mean. ?”
“Oh my, that sounded like Floyd a’calling me. I’d best be going.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“A wife always knows when her husband is a’calling for her. I’m so glad you’ll be reopening the library and I’ll get the Ladies Auxiliary gathered up any time you want. You just let me know.”
“I’ll let you know all right. A woman always knows when her husband is a’calling. In a pig’s ear! A woman always knows when she’s been had,” Gaylynn muttered after Bessie hurried out. Looking back on Hunter’s actions during the past twenty-four hours, she could see a definite pattern. Dropping hints about her being needed in town, telling her not to get involved.
“Why, that so-and-so!” she said so loud that Bo Regard lifted his head three-quarters of an inch and opened both eyes, before closing them again with a doggy yawn.
Hunter had dangled the bait in front of her and Gaylynn had fallen for it. He’d told her to stay away and she’d come down off the mountain. Just like he’d wanted her to.
And what about that kiss they’d shared? Well, actually, she had started it. But he’d certainly responded. But then what else was a warm-blooded man supposed to do when a wild woman threw herself into his arms? And there was no mistaking the fact that Hunter was very warm-blooded. Downright boiling, in fact. At least, that’s the way he’d made her feel.
She didn’t want to think about her feelings for Hunter. She was confused enough as it was.
“You’re clever, I’ll give you that,” Gaylynn said as she returned the keys to Hunter a short while later.
“Was there something in particular you were referring to,” he asked, “or just my general overall intelligence?”
Instead of confronting him with her suspicions, Gaylynn just smiled and kissed his cheek. Seeing the look of total confusion in his eyes did her soul good. In her book, confusion, like misery, loved company. And if her thoughts and emotions were a chaotic riot, then his should be, too. Besides, it had been sweet of him to have gone to all that trouble for her.
Gaylynn was almost out the door when he said, “Wait a second! Ma Battle called looking for you. She’d like you to stop by her place today if you have the time. She’s closed up the store for the day. Her house is just a block south, on the corner, right-hand side. She wanted to talk to you about the library’s books.”
“Okay,” Gaylynn said.
Staring after her, Hunter just shook his head and muttered, “Women!”
Ma Battle’s home was a sight to behold. The living room had an odd assortment of collectibles on every available surface. In addition, one wall had shelves mounted on it, and they, too, were filled with a variety of books and commemorative plates. The couch had an intricately colorful friendship quilt neatly arranged over the back of it, while the dining room table was piled high with papers and file folders.
“Just some of the Ladies Auxiliary’s paperwork,” the older woman said. “And, of course, all my contest entries. Despite what Boone said, I have won things over the years. Lots of them. After all, even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then.”
“Excuse me?”
“A country saying meaning that everyone gets lucky sometime or another. As proof of that, do you see that seashell lamp over yonder? I won that. A lot of these other things are free offers I’ve gotten—like the glass you’re drinking out of.” Ma Battle had handed her a glass of iced tea practically the moment Gaylynn had stepped inside. “It’s real crystal.”
“I couldn’t help admiring the quilt you have here on the couch. It’s beautiful!”
“Why, thank you kindly. I’ve made many a quilt in my day. At least one for all of my five children and all my fifteen grandchildren. They don’t live ‘round these parts now, but they still have my quilts. There’s an old mountain saying that if a young girl sleeps under a new quilt, she’ll dream of the boy she’s going to marry.”
A lot less drastic than literally finding love “where you look for it,” as ran in her own family, Gaylynn thought to herself with a grin.
“We used to have even more quilting bees than we do now. It’s really just an excuse for us all to get together and talk about the goings-on, you’re quiltin’ and artalkin’ and a’quiltin’.” Her accent got thicker as her face reflected her fond memories. “In the end we have a beautiful quilt to show for it. Each quilt takes on a life of its own. but I didn’t ask you over here to talk quiltin’, I asked you so I could show you where the library books are stored. Bessie called and told me you’re going to reopen the library.”
“With some help,” Gaylynn said, the first time she’d been able to get three words in edgewise since she’d arrived.
“I can’t wait to get started. What needs to be done first?”
“Cleaning the interior of the building.”
“I agree. We could do that this weekend. I’ll make sure everyone is there with buckets and mops in hand. The old card catalog is in my spare room. It’s a mighty nice oak cabinet with six drawers full of cards. The books themselves are stored.in three basements, the three driest basements in town—mine, Hazel Rue’s and Lillie Montgomery’s.”
“You actually got the Rues and the Montgomeries both involved? I thought they were feuding.”
“Well, they are, after a sort. Not as bad as the blood feuds in the old days. Not that we were ever as bad here in North Carolina as they were over in Tennessee and Kentucky,” she stoutly maintained. “Regardless, I didn’t like to play favorites between the two families. So if Lillie got to store books, that meant Hazel did, too.”
From which, Gaylynn gathered it was a big honor to be asked to store the library collection. She asked, “How many books are we talking about?”
“I don’t rightly know. We never did get around to counting them all. But I’d say I’ve got about twenty or thirty boxes full and the other two ladies have about the same.”
“Then we’ll concentrate on preparing the building first, and then we’ll start moving the books back. The library would only be open for limited hours. I could be there part of the day and then maybe someone else could take over,” Gaylynn said, speaking her thoughts aloud.
“Whatever you think is best.”
Unspoken was the question of what would happen to the library once Gaylynn returned to Chicago. Gaylynn had been involved with community projects before, she knew that often all that was needed was someone to jump-start things. Then, once the project was nearing completion, the local people could take over and run things themselves. That had happened in Chicago’s neighborhoods when Gaylynn had done volunteer work there. And that’s what would happen here in Lonesome Gap. They’d do just fine without her.
But would she be fine without them?
* * *
“So how are things going down there?” Gaylynn’s sister-in-law, Brett, asked.
“Fine,” Gaylynn said automatically. She’d called Brett on the cellular phone because she desperately needed a woman her own age to talk to.
“Are you keeping busy?”
“You could say that. I’ve taken in a mama cat and her two kittens. But don’t tell Michael or he’ll have kittens. They’re housebroken now and got a clean bill of health from the vet not two hours ago.” As she spoke, Gaylynn smiled down at Blue and Spook, who were curled up sleeping near Cleo. All three felines had serene smiles of utter contentment. Gaylynn had never seen cats smile before. “You should see them, Brett. They’re the cutest little things.”
“Is it my imagination or are you getting a Southern accent?” Brett asked.
“It must be your imagination.”
“So what else have you been doing,
besides setting up a house for wayward cats and their kittens?”
Gaylynn derided against telling Brett about the library reopening. After all, no action had been taken yet. She’d wait and see what happened during the clean-up operation on Saturday before bringing anything up. Instead, she said, “Actually, I’ve been doing some sketching, which is sort of strange considering the fact that I never had an ounce of artistic talent before. Must be the inspirational surroundings here in the mountains.”
“Or it could be the Rom box,” Brett stated. “Remember how you said Michael was no good around babies before? After he got the box, he was great with Hope. And not only that, now everywhere we go babies reach out to him. It’s really something to see.”
“And you think the box might be helping me sketch? But why? There was a practical purpose to Michael’s being good with a baby. It helped bring the two of you together.” Gaylynn couldn’t believe she was actually talking about magic so matter-of-factly. But then she had been raised to believe in possibilities.
“I’m not sure why sketching is important for you,” Brett replied. “Only you can know that. Has it changed anything for you?”
“It has made me notice things more,” Gaylynn admitted. “To see the small beauties in life. When you draw something you have to really look at it, you know what I mean?” While talking on the cellular phone, Gaylynn had doodled on a blank sheet of paper. The lines and circles quickly became Hunter’s craggy face, reminding her of the main purpose of this call. “Uh, actually I’m phoning you because I need another woman’s opinion.”
“Man trouble?” Brett inquired, her voice sympathetic.
“Yes. You know, that’s one of the things I like so much about you,” Gaylynn declared. “You’re really tuned in to people and their feelings. You were even able to figure Michael out, and heaven knows, he’s kind of complicated.”
“You can say that again,” Brett agreed with a laugh. “But then I had some Rom magic helping me along. Is that what happened to you? Are you having man trouble because of the charmed box?”
“I wish it were that easy.”
“Uh-oh,” Brett murmured. “What happened when you opened the box? You have opened it by now, haven’t you?”
“Sure. And nothing happened.”
“You didn’t see anyone when you opened it?”
“I saw some derelict old guy dressed like a bum hiking through the woods. He could have been a moonshiner for all I know.”
“Oh, no!”
“But luckily I don’t think he saw me. The good news is that I haven’t seen him since. The bad news is that I’ve got. feelings. for someone else.”
“Who?”
“Hunter Davis.”
“Michael’s old friend?”
“That’s right. And I don’t know what to do about it.”
“What seems to be the problem? Is he married or already involved with someone else?”
“No. He’s divorced now, although Michael never bothered to tell me that.”
“I’m still working on your brother’s communication skills,” Brett ruefully acknowledged.
“Where is he, by the way? I know he would be growling like a bear in the background if he were home.”
“He’s taken Hope out in her stroller for a walk.”
“Good. Then you can give me some womanly advice without him eavesdropping. What should I do about Hunter?”
“Why don’t you tell me what the problem seems to be?”
Brett’s question made Gaylynn realized that there was no way she could do that, without confessing about the mugging and her real reasons for taking that leave of absence from her teaching position. And if Brett knew, she’d have to tell Michael. Which meant Gaylynn had to skirt the issue somewhat. “It’s just that. I guess you could say that I’m kind of in the middle of this mid-life crisis right now and I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life. I’m on leave from my job—I’m not sure what I want to do about anything. It feels like I don’t know who I am anymore.”
“When you say you’re not sure what you want to do about anything anymore, does that include Hunter?”
“I’m tempted to just stay in his arms forever,” Gaylynn confessed with an unsteady laugh.
“What would be wrong with that?”
“A lot of things. The fact that he might not feel the same way about me as I feel about him. The fact that he may just be looking out for me because I’m his best friend’s baby sister and Michael asked him to. Hunter always was a sucker for the underdog or anyone needing help. And then there’s the fact that he’s a police officer.”
“And all those things scare you?”
“Spitless.”
“There were a lot of maybes in there,” Brett stated dryly. “Maybe Hunter does feel the same way about you. Have you thought of that?”
“Lately I have, yes. That’s why I’m calling you.”
“What about the fact that Hunter is a police officer? Does that bother you?”
“Not so much bother as scare. I know all the logical arguments, that we’re in a quiet little town in North Carolina, that we’re not talking the kind of danger that a policeman in Chicago would be exposed to. But still. Oh, God, I hate this feeling of being such a chicken!”
“I haven’t known you all that long,” Brett acknowledged, “but I wouldn’t describe you as a chicken. Everyone else in the family describes you as the fearless one.”
“That was before. How would you describe me?”
“Maybe as someone who’s temporarily lost their way.”
“Bingo,” Gaylynn whispered unsteadily.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not now. But thanks for asking.”
“You’re welcome. And the offer remains open. If there’s a time that you want tell me more, you just give me a call.”
“I will.”
“Which still leaves us the dilemma of Hunter. Are you in love with him?”
“You get right to the point, don’t you?”
“No point in wasting your money—this call is on your dime,” Brett teased her. “So what’s your answer?”
“I loved Hunter when I was thirteen. I had a terrible crush on him. He’s five years older than I am. He went to the police academy, worked as a Chicago cop, got married and eventually moved away.”
“And you forgot about him?”
“Sort of. At least, I told myself I had. Now I’m not so sure. I think maybe I’ve compared all the men I’ve met over the years to Hunter.”
“And the others never quite stacked up, huh?”
“How could you tell that?”
“From the sound of your voice. You’ve got a very expressive voice, you know. And when you say Hunter’s name it sounds like.”
“I’m in love with him? I am. It’s kind of scary saying it out loud, though,” Gaylynn admitted with a nervous laugh. “This is the first time I’ve actually done that.”
“Scary doesn’t even come close,” Brett said. “I was petrified the first time I said the words out loud. And then I made the mistake of doing so right next to the baby monitor, so your brother overheard me.”
“But you two fell in love at first sight.”
“Yes, we did. But we didn’t recognize it at the time. It’s too bad Hunter wasn’t the one you saw when you first opened that box. Have you tried opening the box again?”
“Hunter held it in his hands the other night. He said he didn’t notice anything unusual about it.”
“Did you notice anything?”
“I can’t even think straight when Hunter is around,” Gaylynn confessed as the newly awakened Blue and Spook wound around her ankles for a petting.
“If you feel that way about Hunter, what’s to stop you from going after what you want?” Brett asked her.
At the moment, the usually skittish Spook took it into her head to chase after a startled Blue. The sight of the pursued turning around and becoming the pursuer gave Gaylynn an idea—wha
t if she were to stop running away from her fears and were instead to chase after what she wanted?
“I mean, you’ll never know until you try, right?” Brett was saying. “Gaylynn, are you still there?”
“I’m still here,” she said. “And I got one of those moments of revelation, you know the kind where a light bulb snaps on over your head. I know what I’m going to do now.”
“Good. You want to tell me?”
“I’m going to seduce Hunter Davis. Got any suggestions for me?”
Saturday morning Gaylynn arrived at the library to find a small crowd gathered there already. As she was fast learning, two dozen people constituted a crowd in a town as small as Lonesome Gap.
A few picnic tables were set up in front of the library’s redbrick building. The yellow tablecloths flapping in the brisk breeze were prevented from flying off thanks to some heavy rocks strategically placed on the corners. Several women were pouring coffee and handing out muffins. Gaylynn recognized Floyd and Bessie Twitty, along with their grandson, Boone. Ma Battle and Darlene, the waitress from the cafe, were serving the coffee and muffins. The two older men who had asked her if she’d wanted to join the pool were busy supervising a bunch of kids who were pulling weeds. Overall, there was a sense of organized chaos.
Hunter was there, too. Gaylynn sensed his presence before actually seeing him. The wind ruffled his hair, increasing its shaggy appearance. A pair of aviatorstyle sunglasses hid his deep-set eyes, but there was no hiding the devilish slash of his smile.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d see you here today,” Gaylynn said.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Come on, there are a few people I’d like you to meet.”
The few turned out to be more than a dozen, all of them related to Hunter in one way or another. Try as she did to keep track, one smiling face blended into another. Jeff, Jerry, Noah and at least three Jimmies.
“How many cousins do you have in this town?” she asked Hunter after meeting what seemed like the twentieth one.