Chapter 1 #2
The older townspeople who’d known her grandmother most of their lives called her June, and to the younger ones, she was Ms. June. But to Sara Lee, she was simply her Nana June.
"You're incorrigible," Nana June was saying as Sara Lee rounded the corner into the main reading room. “I didn’t put up with that foolishness when we were in school. And that was back so long ago, I’m surprised Moses didn’t present our English lessons on stone tablets!”
Ted Masterson stood near the circulation desk, holding two cups of coffee from Barb's shop, grinning like a schoolboy despite being in his late seventies.
He'd clearly just said something ridiculous, and June stood with her hands on her hips, trying to look stern and failing.
Ted threw his head back and laughed at her quip, even though one of the volunteers crossed herself as though June were blasphemous.
Both Ted and Nana June were widowed years ago and had been friends forever.
Sara Lee had to smile at their banter. Ted had been sweet on her grandmother for years, ever since their spouses had passed.
Nana June insisted they were "just old friends," but Ted's hopeful visits suggested he still held out for more.
Mister Smee, Nana June's orange tabby with huge eyes and a white face and paws, wove between the bookshelves like he owned the place.
To be fair, he basically did. The library had officially adopted him three years ago as a kitten, after he'd appeared one winter morning, half-frozen and demanding entry.
Now, thanks to one of the younger library volunteers, he had his own social media account and a dedicated following of patrons who came specifically to see "the library cat who recommends books. "
"Good morning, Mr. Masterson," Sara Lee called, setting her bag on the desk.
"Sara Lee! Just in time. I brought coffee from Barb for the hardest-working librarians in Virginia." He handed one cup to June and set the other on the desk for Sara Lee.
Nana June's scruffy rescue dog, Pippi, lifted her head from her bed near the circulation desk.
The dog's long ears hung at odd angles, giving her a perpetually startled expression that reminded everyone of the children’s book character, Pippi Longstocking.
She thumped her tail twice in greeting, then appeared to decide Sara Lee wasn't as interesting as sleeping, and put her head back down.
"You're a saint, Ted," Sara Lee said, taking a grateful sip. Barb always got her order right: extra cream, one sugar.
The library hummed with festival preparation. Boxes of books for tomorrow's sale fundraiser lined the walls, organized by genre. Romance. Mystery. History. Children's Books. Someone had made cheerful signs using fancy letters to draw attention to "Beach Reads - $2" and "Hardcovers - $5."
Sara Lee surveyed the proceedings with satisfaction and looked over at her grandmother.
Nana June wore practical khaki pants, paired with a violet T-shirt and a purple cardigan, despite the warm weather.
Her wavy silver hair was styled with ease.
Her face made her look younger than her years, and she swore by sunscreen when going out.
She looked elegant and fun, even in her simplicity.
Just like her personality… no nonsense and entirely beautiful.
Even though Nana June had officially retired from the library several years ago, she was unable to stay away from the books, the patrons, and the quiet, purposeful work of connecting people with stories. It was a special trait that she’d passed on to her granddaughter.
"How was the route?" Nana June asked, running her finger down a checklist on a clipboard.
"Good. Mrs. Tuttle wants to know if we have any new releases from Beverly Jenkins. Mr. Carter returned two books on beekeeping and checked out three books on raising chickens. I think he's changing hobbies."
"Again?" Ted chuckled. "That man goes through more hobbies than most people go through socks."
“I think beekeeping and chicken raising are compatible hobbies,” Nana June said, peering over her purple wire-framed glasses. “I remember my grandparents doing both.”
The front door chimed, and Carl Masterson walked in carrying his veterinary bag.
He was Ted's grandson, a quiet man in his early thirties with kind eyes and capable hands, the kind of person animals instinctively trusted.
He left Meadowlark Creek after high school to pursue his veterinary doctorate, worked as a veterinarian in Alexandria for several years, then returned three years ago to take over old Dr. Parker's practice.
Sara Lee's breath caught slightly, trying to ignore the involuntary response she had lately whenever Carl appeared.
It was ridiculous, really. She'd known him since they were kids, even though he was several years ahead of her in school.
She still remembered watching him in the hallways of Meadowlark Creek High, tall, quiet, and kind, always stopping to help younger students reach their lockers or carry their science project displays.
She had the most hopeless crush on him back then, and of course, he never noticed the little freshman girl who blushed whenever he walked past.
He’d gone off to Virginia Tech for college and then veterinary school, while she'd gone to UVA for her English degree and then graduate work.
Years had passed. Different cities, different lives.
But somehow, they both ended up back here, in the small town they'd grown up in, as if Meadowlark Creek had simply been waiting for them to finish their wandering and come home.
"Morning, Grandpa. Ms. June." Carl's voice was warm as he greeted them.
Then his eyes found Sara Lee and stayed there a beat, long enough for her pulse to kick up.
Long enough that she noticed the way his gaze seemed to take her in, really see her as he inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Sara Lee."
Just her name. That was all he said. But the way he said it, with that slight softening in his voice, made her heart do a strange little flip.
"Carl." She felt her cheeks warm and immediately felt ridiculous. She was twenty-eight, not some teenager with a crush. Except she might have a crush. A small one. A very small, manageable crush that she mostly ignored.
But he looked at her like she was the reason he'd walked into the library today, and smiled as though seeing her made his whole day brighter. She loved the way his gaze lingered, then Pippi broke the spell by lifting her head and wagging her tail in recognition. The rhythmic thumping on the wooden floor gained everyone’s attention.
Carl's professional focus shifted, and he knelt down beside the dog bed. "Just checking on Pippi," Carl said, kneeling beside the dog bed. "Making sure that ear infection cleared up."
Pippi rolled over for a belly rub and allowed herself to be examined. Carl's hands were gentle and professional. "She looks great," he said finally, giving Pippi a scratch behind her ears that made the dog's back leg thump appreciatively. "All clear." He looked up and asked, “Where’s Mister Smee?”
Referring to Nana June’s white-faced, orange cat, Sara Lee laughed. “He’s back in the stacks, no doubt, finding the perfect sun spot on a comfortable book.”
Carl smiled as he stood, picking up his bag.
"Thank you for stopping by," Nana June said warmly. "Will we see you at the festival tomorrow?"
"Wouldn't miss it." Carl stood, not bothering to brush dog hair off his khakis. He looked at Sara Lee. "Are you... will you be there? At Barb's booth?"
"Most of the day, yeah."
"Maybe I could... bring you lunch? If you get a break?"
Ted made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed laugh. Nana June busied herself with a stack of books, but Sara Lee could see her grandmother's smile.
"Yeah, sure. That’d be nice," she agreed easily.
"Great. Okay. Good. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then." Carl's whole face brightened, and as he turned, he nearly walked into a book cart on his way out.
Ted didn't even try to hide his grin. "That boy is smitten," he announced once the door closed.
"Mr. Masterson, don't you start," Sara Lee warned, but she was smiling.
"I think it's sweet. Carl's a good man,” Nana June announced with her usual practicality.
Before Sara Lee could respond, the door opened again, and they all turned to see who was coming in next.