Chapter 8 Cal
CAL
The ease with which some random nurse from Summit Falls had gotten Cal to attend a library event in town made him deeply uncomfortable.
She’d asked, and he’d just said yes, like a dope.
Cal had never been one to be weak for a pretty face.
Of course, April wasn’t just pretty. She was beautiful, the sun itself.
He wanted to bask in her presence all day, and if that meant he had to go to some ridiculous library story time, then that’s what he was going to do.
Anyway, she had a point. Maybe Owen did need to see kids his own age a little more often.
Cal pulled into the library parking lot and stepped out of his truck to help Owen out of his booster seat.
His palms had started to sweat, but he was keeping it together well enough.
The sight of April’s little blue sedan in the parking lot several spaces over gave him some comfort.
She’d gotten there before him. The library was a one-story, brick building with maple trees dotting the parking lot.
They were only just on time, so Cal took Owen’s hand and led him inside to find this “story time” April was so keen on.
Cal had never been inside the Summit Falls Library.
He expected something more like the libraries he’d been in as a kid—all fluorescent lighting, painted metal shelves, and a clinical atmosphere.
This one was not at all like that. The lighting was warm.
A large chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling.
The shelves were dark wood, and everything felt welcoming.
The librarians themselves were lined up behind a tall counter in front of computers.
Some of them were on their feet, and some of them were sitting on stools.
They seemed friendly, but Cal was still hesitant to approach.
Eventually, he’d have to, though, because he had no idea where the event was being held other than somewhere in the library.
He had just decided there was no other option but to approach the desk and ask when a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to find April standing behind him. “There you are,” she said in a quiet but excited voice. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
Her smile put him at ease immediately. “Where is the event?” he asked, grateful that he wasn’t going to be made to ask a stranger.
“They usually do story time in one of the back rooms. Come with me. They’re going to start soon.
” She gestured for them to follow her and headed between two tall shelves toward the back wall.
There was a door with a glass window in it, and April opened it like the library was her own home.
Inside the room, the lights were a little brighter.
There was brightly colored artwork lining the walls—illustrations from picture books, Cal thought.
A chair was set up at one end of the room with lots of mats around it.
A number of kids had already made themselves comfortable in the choice spots, waiting for the storyteller to arrive.
They looked excited, like they’d been here before and looked forward to the weekly event.
Cal felt a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t thought to do something like this before.
Owen did deserve more time with other kids.
“Can I go?” Owen asked, looking up with big eyes.
“Go pick a good spot,” Cal answered.
The smile Owen gave him then was one Cal knew he would remember for the rest of his life.
Moments like this were why he’d wanted kids in the first place.
But there was still a little voice in the back of his head telling him to be careful, telling him that he was the only one who could protect his son.
After a few minutes, the children had all settled into their places, and the storyteller came in with a few books.
She sat in her chair and smiled at her audience.
She introduced herself and introduced the first book.
Owen looked back only once, his expression bright and happy.
Then he turned back to the storyteller, and he didn’t turn around again. The boy was enraptured.
April touched Cal’s arm and gestured for him to follow her back out into the main room of the library.
He didn’t want to. He wanted to stay and keep his eyes on Owen at all times.
But it was one room, and there were so many people around.
As long as Cal didn’t wander too far from the door, he felt it was safe enough to move into the next room.
“So,” she whispered after finally closing the door behind her. “What do you think?”
Cal shrugged. “It’s a good library.”
April laughed under her breath. “I mean, what do you think of story time? Does it seem like something you might be comfortable letting Owen do regularly?”
Again, he shrugged. “I guess. He seems to like it.”
“My nephew enjoyed it a lot when I took him. That’s why I thought it could be fun for Owen. And, of course, it’s a good excuse to see you two again.” She smiled so warmly he had to smile back.
The truth was, he’d been irritated that he’d been convinced to do something like this. He hadn’t wanted to leave the cabin that morning. But he’d done it for her, just to see her again.
“Do you like libraries?” April asked, pulling a book off a shelf and turning it over in her hands.
“I did when I was a kid, I guess,” Cal said.
“So you didn’t always live way out in the wilderness, huh?”
He chuckled. “I’m not as weird as you think I am.
I had a pretty normal childhood, all things considered.
We weren’t wealthy, but we knew how to get along.
We used to go to the library to get things for school since my parents homeschooled me.
I liked it all right. It was never a social occasion, though. ”
April handed the book she’d been looking over to him. “My favorite genre is mystery. Have you read this one?”
Cal looked at it. He hadn’t seen it before.
The author was not one of the big ones everyone knew—probably more contemporary.
“I haven’t read much mystery,” he said. This one had a punny title and a cup of cocoa on the cover.
It didn’t look much like a mystery to him, but what did he know?
He’d been out of the loop for so long, and he’d never been much of a reader.
There was too much to do around the property for him to feel comfortable sitting around with a good book. Although the thought was nice.
April took the book back. “That one’s a cozy mystery. I love the cozy ones best. My real life has always been so hectic. I see no reason why my fantasy life has to be the same.” She laughed and put the book back on the shelves.
“Actually,” Cal said. “Do you mind if I grab that one? I’d like to read it. I’ve never read a cozy mystery before, and it sounds interesting.”
“Oh my gosh. Really? Can we talk about it when you’re done? It’ll be like a tiny book club with two people.” Her eyes sparkled in a way that made it impossible to say no.
Cal nodded and took the book from her. “I haven’t got a library card yet, so I’ll need to get one.”
“Oh, right,” April said. “You probably need an address in town to get one. I’ll let you use mine.”
That was unexpected. Cal hardly knew what to say.
It felt like she was giving him something huge and meaningful, even though it was a favor that cost her nothing.
A person’s home address was something precious in a way.
Some level of trust had to be involved in giving it away.
Essentially, she was trusting that he was no stalker, or even that he wouldn’t use her address to receive his junk mail or anything like that.
The fact that she trusted him even that much after the short amount of time they had spent together meant something special, he thought.
While they walked together to the counter, Cal kept looking back at the door to the story room. “How long do these things usually last?” he asked.
“Usually, about a half hour,” she said. “They do more than one book, sing some relevant songs, and have question time. Don’t worry. We’ll be waiting for him when story time is finished.”
At the counter, April helped Cal fill out his application for a card. She added her own address to the address field, and Cal’s heart was warmed again. She even touched his arm several times during the process, which he didn’t know how to take, but he enjoyed it all the same.
When the application was filled out, the card received, and the book checked out, they headed back toward the story room.
April leaned over and said, “Sorry about that. I had to sell us as a couple so they didn’t get suspicious about our sharing an address all of a sudden.
People around town know me.” A mischievous smile broke out on her face at that.
“I guess there will be rumors spread around now. I hope you don’t mind too much. ”
Cal didn’t mind at all. “I don’t go into town, so it won’t matter much to me.”
In the quiet that followed that brief conversation, they browsed the bookshelves just outside the door to the reading room.
Cal thought for a moment about whether his answer was entirely accurate.
It was true he wouldn’t mind the rumors.
He’d never been sensitive in that way. What people thought about him was none of his business or concern.
But if he was completely honest, not coming into town or caring what people thought wasn’t the main reason he wouldn’t mind.
It was because of her. People thinking Cal Nolen had found a woman like April to be with would make him feel proud more than anything.
If anyone had asked him, he would have told them that the only thing an acquaintance with Nurse April could do for a person’s reputation was improve it.
The time went by quickly, and before he even realized it had been half an hour, Owen came running from the story room. He spotted Cal and April right away and ran toward them.
“Did you have fun?” April asked.
“Um… yeah!” he said in a tone that made it clear he wasn’t buying her pretend ignorance. “What did you guys do?”
“We browsed around,” April said. “Your dad got a library card and a book.”
“Really?” Owen turned back to Cal, who nodded. “Does that mean we’re coming back here?”
Cal sighed in exasperated resignation. “I suppose. I’ll have to return this at some point.”
“Can I come? Can we go to story time again?” Owen was pleading, and Cal’s heart melted at the sight of it.
“Of course, you can, chief,” he said. “If you had a good time, we’ll do this again.”
April chimed in, “That book you’ve got in your hands gave me an idea.
” She pointed to the cozy mystery Cal had just checked out.
It was amusing the way she was acting like he had somehow chosen it, like she hadn’t basically dropped the thing into his hands and probably already had the cover memorized.
“Let’s go get some hot chocolate before you two head home. Would that be OK? My treat.”
Owen perked up at the suggestion. “What’s hot chocolate?”
At first, April seemed to think he was kidding. Then, she clearly realized he wasn’t. “It’s… a warm drink made of chocolate. It’s a treat. You really haven’t had any before?”
Cal felt the need to explain. “We try to avoid too much sugar.”
“Oh.” April blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t realize. We’ve had cake and cookies, so I thought it would be fine.”
“Those were special occasions,” Cal explained. Owen’s disappointed expression made him want to turn things around. “This is also a special occasion,” he said, and Owen’s smile blossomed. “It’s our first library event, so I think we should celebrate. Let’s go.”
They walked a few blocks to a nearby café.
The trees along the street were rustling, their leaves dancing in the wind and painting interesting patterns on the pavement.
The row of shops that held the café was quaint, with signboards hanging over the walk and windows painted with seasonal designs.
The café itself had a warm interior with flowers on the walls and mason jars with candles in them.
It was an inviting atmosphere, Cal had to admit.
At the front counter, Cal ordered a hot chocolate for Owen and a coffee for himself.
Then, April ordered a latte and attempted to pay, but Cal wouldn’t let her.
“You’ve done so much for us, Nurse April,” he said with a smile.
“I’m not going to let a generous woman like you buy my drink when I can treat you instead. ”
She put her wallet back, and her cheeks turned reddish for a moment. Cal couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or charmed, but he hoped it was the latter. “Thank you,” she said, her voice quiet and shy, which sounded very unlike her.
“It’s my pleasure,” Cal told her, and he meant it.
For some reason, he had the urge to treat her to everything.
He wanted to make her smile over and over again until he had that smile memorized.
She was beautiful when she was happy, and Cal wanted nothing more than to repeatedly bring that out in her any time he was in her presence.
They received their drinks and chose a table in the corner.
Owen sat in a booster seat and cradled his hot chocolate like it was a treasure he had found.
He had a whipped-cream mustache as he sipped the warm beverage.
The baristas had been kind enough to steam the milk to a lower temperature, so the kid wouldn’t burn his tongue in his excitement.
“This is the best thing I’ve ever had,” Owen said. “It’s like drinking cake. Thank you, Nurse April.”
“Thank your dad,” she said. “He insisted on getting it for you.”
Owen turned to Cal and said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dad!”
Cal had to admit that sitting in this little café with a beautiful woman and watching his son enjoy a hot chocolate was a more enjoyable way to spend the afternoon than he would have guessed.
Maybe this was something he could do on purpose every once in a while—make a ritual of it every other month or so.
Not too often, of course. But maybe sometimes.
Every time April sipped her drink, Cal allowed himself to stare at her.
She was easy on the eyes, to be sure, and she made Summit Falls a far more tempting town to visit than Cal could have guessed it ever would have been.