Leaving Liberty

by Virginia Carmichael

  A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Nita poked her head inside and nodded at the phone. “Much luck?”

  “Nope. Our best bets are the grants.” Even with all the grading she did, Daisy hadn’t ever filled out so many papers in such little time. It felt like graduate school all over again. “I’ll just work on the assumption that God will bless us with the funds to renovate but we won’t know anything for another month.”

  They were both quiet at that. Time was getting short. There might not be a happy ending to this project.

  “It would be great if we could get some of the community businesses involved, but everyone says they’re as cash strapped as the city. The recession has hit hard.”

  “My brother lost his hardware business last summer.” Nita said. “He’s still trying to get out from under the debt.”

  “You mean Ace Tools? I didn’t know Joe was your brother.” Now that she said it, Nita looked an awful lot like the old hardware store owner, but with earrings and a lot more hair.

  “Tough times.” Nita gave Daisy a long look, brown eyes narrowed. “Enough time of phone. You need to take a break. Maybe the whole afternoon. Get some sun.”

  She blew out a sigh. She wanted to refuse, but honestly was tired to the core of cold calling folks in town and begging for donations. “You won’t mind watching the library? I can be back by closing.”

  Nita waved a hand. “Not a problem. With two volunteers here today shelving, I won’t have any trouble handling the desk.”

  The idea of a bite of lunch, a leisurely bike out to the cabin and maybe a short nap was more than she could resist. “Your bike is saving my health and sanity, you know.”

  “I’m glad you’re getting good use out of her.” Another smile and Nita retreated to the front.

  Her? Daisy chuckled. The old blue bicycle must be fifty years old, with gleaming chrome, wide handle bars, and a basket big enough to carry a small suitcase. And apparently, also possessed a gender.

  An hour later, after a consuming a fresh roast-beef-on-rye sandwich from Nancy’s bakery and a chocolate cupcake with mocha frosting, Daisy started for the cabin. She’d noticed the strength in her legs growing each day she biked to the library and back. This wasn’t her usual highway commute, for sure. She flipped back the hood on her rain jacket, hoping the clouds would stay away the entire week. Bright sunshine and impossibly fresh air cleared out the cobwebs in her head, giving her a serotonin boost that couldn’t be matched by any antidepressant.

  In a few hours the trees would hide the sun on the wooded trail, but for now the ground shone bright and the air was balmy. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad. She just hadn’t seen all of it before. The old bicycles wheels hummed as she pedaled, marveling at the abundance of birds in the area. She hated to admit it, but Fresno in any season couldn’t hold a candle to summer in Liberty. The concrete chaos of the city had become normal to her. Now the Rockies and bright blue sky reminded her of what real beauty looked like. It took her breath away.

  The sight of the small cabin filled her with a relief. Time for some peace and quiet, some cold tea and warm sunlight. She parked the old Schwinn bike at the side of the cabin and flopped into one of the rough-hewn deck chairs. The rain would be back, probably within hours, and she just couldn’t pass up the moment. Her heart rate slowed, muscles eased, the warmth of the sun as soothing as a hot bath. She shifted a little, thinking she could head inside to change her shirt and get away from the itchy tag, but she was too relaxed to get up.

  The sound of car tires on the gravel road behind her brought Daisy’s head up with a snap.

  Somehow her short stop on the porch had turned into a nap. She struggled to sit up straight in the deck chair, muscles stiff, brain groggy.

  Lane’s old red pickup emerged into view and Daisy felt her heart rate double. He’d mentioned they would want to start working in the garden, tilling the soil and planting the early crops.

  Maybe her father was in the truck, maybe it was just Lane. Either option did nothing to calm her nerves. Seconds later, Lane angled out. Flannel shirt open over a T-shirt and jeans, worn baseball cap, and heavy work boots said he was ready to get started on the garden. That brilliant smile said he was glad to see her.

  Daisy swallowed. Just a crush. Nothing she couldn’t handle. She would just keep repeating those words to herself until she believed them.

  “You’re back early,” he said.

  She stood up, her feet a bit numb from sitting. Sleeping, actually. Marie used to close her eyes on a slow day at the library for a little power nap to get her through the afternoon. She probably looked about the same, blinking into the sunlight. “Long day at the office. Nita sent me home.”

  “Feeling okay?” His tone was cautious, worried.

  Her cheeks went warm. She hadn’t been fishing for sympathy. He was probably worried she was going to sob into his shirt again. “I’m fine. A lot of paperwork, a lot of time on the phone. I’m not used to it.”

  “The kids probably keep you pretty active during the school year.” He was standing at the foot of the steps, looking up at her, hands stuffed into his jean pockets. He looked completely at ease, as if they were just two old friends. She sure wished she could see him as a just a friend. It would make her time in Liberty a whole lot easier. A memory of the warmth of his hand in hers flashed through her mind and she pushed it back.

  “They do. In the summer I usually travel around, visit college friends, find new favorite places.”

  A shadow crossed his face. “Not this summer.”

  She paused. Her comment probably sounded like a dig at the fact she was stuck in Liberty. But she hadn’t meant it that way. “I’m finding some new favorite places here, too.”

  “The cabin?”

  She nodded, coming down the steps toward him. “And the path through the woods. I took the back way to the library this morning. I saw two rabbits, a wild turkey, and a deer.”

  He grinned and she felt her breath catch in her throat. Just a crush. She’d seen some gorgeous smiles. Maybe even a pair of perfect dimples just like that. But his megawatt smile was completely free of anything but happiness. It was as if he didn’t know he was the cutest guy around.

  She switched her gaze to the towering mountain peaks in the distance and felt the sharp edge of the tag at the back of her neck again. She rubbed the painful area, leaving her hand in that spot. She needed to get inside and change. Or inside and out of the range of that smile.

  “I have bug spray of you need it.”

  Daisy blinked. “For the ride to town?”

  “I thought you were itching.” He motioned toward her hand clapped to the back of her neck.

  “Oh, no, it’s this tag. It’s been driving me nuts all morning. A new wardrobe sounds really great until you realize how much you loved all your old clothes. I can’t wait to get back to my well-loved t-shirts.”

  “Do you want me to snip it?” He held up his key chain, Swiss army knife dangling from the ring. He flipped it open showing her a tiny pair of scissors.

  “Um, well…” It was hard to concentrate when the skin on the back of herneck was being punctured. “Sure.”

  Daisy obediently turned around. He brushed her long hair back, fingers warm against her neck. She didn’t know what she was expecting but the gentleness as he turned out her collar made her weak at the knees. Daisy squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on something other than the feather-light movements.

  “Right about this moment my sister would be reminding me not to poke her in the neck.” His low voice came from a few inches behind her right ear.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “I have every confidence in your ability to use a small pair of scissors.”

  She could feel him working, tugging and snipping at the label, careful not to make a hole in her shirt. She willed herself to relax, staring up at the forest, watching a bird flit from one tree to the next. Maybe he did have a hero complex but it was sort of nice in a way. She should h
ave refused and insisted she could take care of her own annoying tag but she hadn’t. It didn’t bother her one bit. Relying on him was so easy. A jolt of surprise went through her at the realization and she instinctively wanted to move away, away from his gentle hands and quiet protectiveness.

  “There.” He straightened her collar and held up a small piece of fabric for her to see. “The perpetrator has been apprehended.”

  She turned, reaching a hand to her neck, soothing the irritated place. She felt stunned, off-kilter, searching for something to lighten the moment. “Thank you. Seems when it comes to saving me from criminal tags,” she looked up, laughing, “you’re the man.”

  The moment after the words left her mouth should have been filled with an amused laugh an off-hand response. But it hung in the air between them, filling the space until it seems to press against her chest in a physical way. He hadn’t stepped back. She had to tip her face up to meet his gaze.

  “Anytime.” His blue eyes darkened as he spoke. It was just a word, but in it was a volume of meaning. Something about the set of his mouth, the angle of his body, it all told her what he was thinking. And those thoughts weren’t confined to friendly assistance.

  Her heart was pounding, her breath came shallowly. Fight or flight, her brain supplied the term but she didn’t want to do either. She wanted to lean forward, just a few inches. That’s all it would take. As he raised a hand to brush her hair back from her face, all the reasons she hated this place seemed to melt away. Her eyes went half-closed as his fingers touched her skin.

  “Daisy.” His voice was soft, like a warning. For her? For himself? “We shouldn’t -”

  The next moment he disregarded his own advice and slipped his hand behind her head, pulling her forward. She didn’t need any direction, already meeting him half-way, eyes falling closed. She had wanted this for days, weeks. From the moment they’d met, she’d wondered about how his lips would feel against hers.

  His mouth slanted over hers, soft, gentle. It felt like being given back a piece of herself she didn’t know was missing.

  He hesitated, as if waiting to see whether she’d pull away and she murmured against his mouth. She didn’t want the moment to end, not yet, after she’d waited so long. He sucked in a breath and wrapped an arm around her, dragging her closer. As the kiss deepened the world contracted to the space between them, the feel of his hand splayed against her back, the warmth of his lips. She could feel every touch, every brush of his lips against her skin. It could have been seconds or minutes, she had no way of telling. The kiss was like breathing the purest air after being shut inside for too long.

  He pulled back, his eyes bright with surprise.

  “Oh, boy.” His voice was rough and he swept a thumb over her cheekbone, expression a mix of wonder and surprise. In the next moment, he let his hand slip from the back of her neck, reluctance in every line of his face.

  His gaze dropped to where her hands had fisted into the front of his flannel shirt. She quickly uncurled her fingers and stepped back.

  Daisy cleared her throat, blinking away the confusion. What had they been talking about when kissing in the middle of the driveway had seemed such a better idea? Hadn’t she just been telling herself he was a crush, nothing she couldn’t handle? She put a hand to her mouth, still feeling the pressure of his lips. Obviously, she’d been wrong.

  “Well.” She had no idea what to say. Sorry I kissed you when you know we have no future? Or sorry you kissed me when I obviously drive you crazy?

  For some reason, he started to laugh. Daisy put her hands on her hips, feeling the irritation bloom in her chest. What was wrong with this guy? Fighting, kissing, laughing. She didn’t get him at all.

  But then again, she didn’t get herself right now either. It took two to do all those things. “We need an intervention.”

  “And a chaperone.” He grinned down at her, his eyes still bright.

  “I don’t know anybody willing to take on that job.” Maybe Rhonda, maybe Jamie, certainly not Nita.

  His grin turned to a smile, then faded. “Honestly, Daisy, I hope you’re not offended. I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t trying to…”

  She waved her hand, impatient with what he was trying to say, irritated with the fact he had to say it. “Lane, please. Don’t make me out to be some helpless woman who gets grabbed and kissed without her permission.”

  He looked down at her, lips quirking up. “No, I’d definitely say that was with your permission.”

  A flashback of their kiss hit Daisy with such a force it was almost like a repeat performance. A rush of heat went through her and she shot him a glare. She was well aware of she’d reacted like a woman who had been wanting that kiss for weeks. Which was true and now he knew it.

  “No big deal, right?” Daisy brushed her hair back from her face and gave him a saucy smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a summer fling. Just might be fun.”

  Her words hit their mark. “I’m not a summer fling type of guy.”

  She pretended to ruminate on that for a moment, then shrugged. “Too bad. We’ll have to chalk this up to a learning experience.” And with those final words she turned and walked back up the porch, her knees shaking. She grabbed the handle of the porch screen door and swung it open with such force it banged against the wall.

  Cringing, she managed to secure the screen door and give a bright wave before shutting herself safely inside the cabin. Resting her head against the thick wooden door, she breathed raggedly. That last image of him standing there in the driveway, dark gaze leveled at her, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets, was almost enough to break her resolve. Almost, but not quite. She had to stop this romance dead in its tracks before she got her broken heart handed to her on a platter.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Summer fling. Lane wanted to stomp up the cabin steps and bang on the front door. He knew some women liked a light–hearted summer romance, no commitments, no baggage but Daisy wasn’t one of those women. She’d lied right through her teeth and then walked away. Nothing got his temper up faster than a shameless lie, especially if it came on the heels of one of the best kisses in recent memory. Maybe even the best kiss.

  He yanked the ball cap off his head and ran a hand through his hair. Rocky would be here any minute, ready to work on the garden. They had planting to do, setting up the drip lines for the corn, and a lot of weeding. He didn’t have time to try and figure out what Daisy was thinking.

  Turning on his heel, he strode toward the back garden, willing his shoulder muscles to unclench. She had a reason for pulling a stunt like that, but he just didn’t know what it was. He couldn’t even guess.

  Glad there was no window on the East side of the cabin, Lane stomped his way toward the tool shed, glad to have a few minutes to get his temper under control.

  Lane jerked the door open and stepped into the cool interior of the shed. His grandfather had built it out of the very best notched cedar planks. He inhaled deeply, letting the familiar scent wash over him. Grandpa Jim was great at giving advice. It usually involved an all-day fishing trip and about seven words but those words were well-chosen. He desperately needed some of them right now.

  “Lane, you out here?” Rocky’s voice trailed through the air.

  He grabbed some shovels and the drip lines, emerging into the sun. “Here.”

  Rocky grinned. “Let’s get some corn in the ground. I’ve got a yearning for fresh corn and it won’t be ready for weeks.”

  “I hear you. It’s barbecue time.” Lane passed the drip lines to Rocky and glanced at the large wooden deck attached to the cabin. And then he paused. They wouldn’t be barbecuing here. It would be too awkward to be eating outside while Daisy sat inside. Maybe he could ask her if they could use the deck one night and she could go into town. He scratched the idea. Too many opportunities for bad feelings.

  “My place or yours?” Rocky trudged toward the garden, but the tone in his voice told Lane he knew just what he’d been
thinking.

  “Mine. It’s a squeeze, with Jamie and Tom and their two little guys but we’ll manage.”

  “She’s home, isn’t she?” The old man stood still, gaze locked on Lane’s.

  He nodded. “But maybe now isn’t the best time.”

  A frown appeared on his leathered brow. “You were the one giving me a pep talk on that ninth step. I’m ready to try.”

  Lane heaved a breath. “I just talked to her. I would give it a few hours.” Maybe a few days. Shoot, maybe a few months.

  “She doesn’t want to see me.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “She didn’t say anything about you. We were just…” Flirting, kissing, fighting.

  Rocky’s eyebrows went up. “Uh oh.”

  He shot him a look and stuck the shovel in the ground, hard. Was he that obvious? He started down the row, turning the top soil and chopping milk weed below the root. It felt good to spend his irritation out here, in the sun. He couldn’t figure out this girl but he knew how to plant some seeds.

  Rocky took the other shovel and turned over the soil. They worked silently for a while. “I was hoping you two could be friends. She’s a good girl. If there’s any bitterness, it’s my fault. I didn’t give her the kind of love a kid needs.” Rocky’s tone was hesitant with regret.

  Sighing, Lane leaned on the handle of the shovel and wiped the sweat from his eyes. Friends. He didn’t know if that was out of the question. If they got through fighting each other, and that insane attraction, maybe there would be friendship underneath. Way down.

  Rocky went on, moving down the row toward Lane, carefully setting the shovel and flipping the soil where the seeds would go. “You’re an easy guy to like, Lane. Everybody thinks you’re the town Superman. But Daisy’s got her own strengths. She’s smart and determined.”