Chapter 1 #2
“What about the Peace Corps?” Running a soothing hand over her baby’s back, Emily drew closer. “I thought he was down in South America somewhere.”
“He was. A village along the . Apparently he came back last summer. He's been in New York with his mom.” That was only half the story. But she wouldn't go into the rest of it. The rest of it made her throat close and her eyes sting.
“That's amazing. Had he contacted you before?” Bryn asked. “You know, to give you a heads up that he was back in the States?”
“No.” But while he'd been away, Josie had followed the pictures Malcolm posted on Instagram and Facebook. Women washing clothing in the river with children bundled onto their backs. Men putting up mud shacks, the roofs made of palm leaves. In one of the pictures, the one she kept in her desk drawer, Malcolm was giving shots to some children. One little boy with dark hair and eyes was looking up at him with total trust. Everyone in the library had always adored Malcolm. He’d probably done great work down in South America.
“So he wants his old job back?” Emily asked.
“Guess so. I told him to come when he’s ready. That IT position is still open. I haven't gone through all the resumes on my desk.” Thank goodness she hadn't made a decision yet. Josie would have hated to turn down Malcolm. And she wished she didn't feel that way.
“Oh, right. That position,” Bryn said, obviously still turning over the news in her mind. “Jacob got married recently. He moved to his bride’s hometown, right?”
“Chicago, I think.” Josie had been upset about losing Jacob. Luring talent to Sweetwater Creek wasn’t easy. Young librarians often preferred larger cities, where more was happening. The slow pace of the southern town didn't appeal to a lot of people.
Emily looked as if she still had questions.
“I want to hear more about Malcolm.” Alex had fallen asleep on her shoulder.
Stooping, she carefully slid him back into the stroller and draped a light blanket over the top to block the sun.
Sometimes it amazed Josie how easily her friends had taken on motherhood.
Maybe it was a good thing that she wasn't a mother yet.
She might be a klutz at motherhood. Glancing up, she found both friends staring at her.
“I have nothing more to say.” That sounded so prim. But Josie didn't want to admit how confused she felt about Malcolm's return. “That is, I don't know more than that.”
Looking thoughtful, Bryn sat down on one of the broad wooden swings that edged the harbor. You could fit a whole family on one of them. Now they all sandwiched into the space. Did Sheldon ever wake up? “How long has it been now?” Bryn asked. “A couple of years?”
One year. Ten months and five days. “About that, I guess.”
After Bryn and Malcom’s breakup he’d left, headed for the Peace Corps. An athletic guy, Malcolm had probably done a lot of good down in the wilds of the . In the shots that he’d posted, it was evident that the people accepted and admired him.
“I’ll bet the folks down there were sad to see him go,” Bryn said, as if she were reading Josie’s mind.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so?” Emily turned to face her.
Avoiding her friends’ eyes, Josie dropped her head to study Alex.
With that shock of his daddy's hair, he sure bore a resemblance to Jackson.
Hanging around these babies was doing weird things to her.
That and her returning employee had her feelings all mixed up.
“Have you two been in touch?” Bryn asked.
“Not really.” She'd been trying to forget him. That had required effort. Josie didn't really know how she felt about Malcolm coming back. She’d almost forgotten about the fun-loving guy who’d been her employee for over three years. Almost, but not quite.
Malcolm Sutter was a hard guy to forget.
They'd been good friends. Buddies. Kidded around a lot while they worked. They ran in the same marathons and sometimes hiked together. Every time she wore a T-shirt from one of those races, she thought about Malcolm and how much fun they’d had together.
But she'd always been careful to draw the line between boss and employee. And sadly, Malcolm never had tried to cross it. After he’d joined her team, Josie thought she’d sensed chemistry.
Maybe she’d been imagining things, but they clicked.
Still, dating an employee was always a bad idea.
Fixing him up with her friend Bryn had seemed like a safe move back then.
“Josie?” Emily was getting in her face. “Have you been texting or emailing him since he left Sweetwater Creek?”
Taking a deep breath, Josie was determined not to let this get to her. “Just Facebook and stuff. He posted a lot of pictures of himself. Helping build mud houses, that kind of thing.”
“Sounds just like him.” Bryn’s soft smile showed how much she’d admired that in Malcolm.
He was a guy to be admired. But Josie hadn't told her friends everything and she didn't want to.
Her uneasiness followed her as they walked back toward the square.
It was still early, and one of her employees would open the library.
She smiled when the square came into view.
Sweetwater Creek went all out when it came to the holidays.
“Just look at that.” Emily angled her stroller so Alexander could see the decorations. Did babies that small understand red garlands and oversized ornaments suspended from every light pole? What wonders awaited this baby. Almost magical.
Josie had to look away. Was life passing her by?
Maybe. But it was Christmas, and Josie was determined to enjoy the season.
By the end of Thanksgiving weekend, everyone in town had their family tree up and a wreath hung on the door.
Often the wreath consisted of shiny dark green magnolia leaves, so popular in the South.
One year she’d sprayed the magnolia seedpods gold to tuck into the wreath she was working on.
That had become her favorite wreath and every year she’d hung it on her door the day after Thanksgiving.
As the sun rose over the tall trees, it made the red garland looped on all the trees and bushes glitter. At night the trees danced with the tiny lights festooning the liveoaks and tall pines. Soon the church would add the living nativity scene, complete with a real donkey and some lambs.
“What a wonderful Christmas this is going to be,” Bryn murmured, her attention turning back to her sleeping baby. “Sheldon’s first Christmas.”
“I know. I can't wait to take Alexander to see Santa.” Emily looked blissed out and they all laughed.
“Is he old enough for that?” Josie asked.
“I'll soon find out,” Emily said with a grin, obviously up for the adventure.
“I passed Victoria's Pantry the other day,” Bryn said. “She had some fabulous Christmas cookies in the window.”
“Sounds good,” Emily said. “Maybe she'll have something in the deli that I can use for my blog.”
“So you're still doing your healthy foods blog?” Josie couldn't remember the exact name of her friend’s column.
“Healthy meals, better life,” Emily supplied. “You bet. The good thing about my wonderful job is that I can do it from home.”
Staring across the square toward Victoria's Pantry, Bryn said, “I'm not sure those cookies in the window would qualify as healthy living. But it is the holidays.”
“So Thursday morning we'll meet at Victoria’s Pantry, right?” Emily turned. “It'll seem like old times.”
“You mean when you lived above the pantry?” Bryn asked.
“Exactly.” Emily's eyes were shining. “Those were good days.”
Sure. Right. The days when they were all single. Then Emily met Jackson. And Bryn and Trevor rediscovered each other. Josie had passed thirty without a man on her horizon. But she wasn't going to think about that now. “Sounds good. See you both later.”
Could she really leave her friends without the last piece of information? If not now, then when would she tell them? She sucked in a deep breath and turned. “One more thing. Malcolm’s engaged.”
Shock drained the expressions from both their faces. “Got to run!” Pivoting, Josie broke into a jog and headed for the library. She’d said enough for today. Enough about Malcolm.
Why had she ever told him he could come back?