14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
W here is she?
I wait on the edge of the metal folding chair, my eyes bouncing between the two community center entrances. Maya has five more minutes before the Rocosa Historical Society meeting starts, and she’s nowhere in sight.
It’s standing room only, with half the town coming to show their support for the library. Which makes Maya’s absence even more noticeable. A few people point to the reserved seat next to me, where she should be sitting right now.
My knee jiggles as I watch the clock hands on the wall slowly tick by, causing the papers to flutter on my lap. The printed petition I posted spread like wildfire, acquiring well above the required hundred signatures. Everything rests on Maya’s shoulders now with her final speech to sway Gladys and the rest of the board.
I know this is her battle to fight, but shoot, something inside me wants to stand up and fight on her behalf. I hate public speaking, even the Back to School nights when I have to meet with all the parents. But if she asked me to stand up in this packed room for her, I’d do it gladly.
Luckily, I don’t have to. When the door opens again, my heart stops.
Maya storms into the meeting in a white blouse and form-fitting black dress pants, ones I can’t seem to drag my eyes away from. Her heels click with each step as she marches down the aisle to the front row where I saved our seats. A determined glint flashes in her doe eyes as she studies the board members behind the folding table.
It’s hard to pinpoint the difference in her appearance. Whether it’s the professional clothing and heels, her normally loose hair gathered into a bun on top of her head, or the beige knit sweater that stops at the flare of her hips—but it’s the first time she’s ever looked like a librarian.
And holy smokes, she’s hot.
Reese taps my shoulder and gestures to her mouth, shaking her head. Either I’m drooling or my mouth is hanging open.
Realistically, it could be both.
I mean, how could I not be? She’s fierce and beautiful. Her skin glows in the fluorescent lights, reminding me of a confident runway model walking in slow motion toward me. Whoa . It’s with concerning clarity I realize that if there weren’t fifty people in this room, I’d probably meet her halfway and kiss her senseless.
My mind plays this image in a loop in my head until I’ve forgotten what I’m doing or why I’m here. There’s only Maya.
“Des,” Reese hisses from next to me. “Stay focused.”
“Oh, I’m focused.”
She picks up the petition and whacks me on the shoulder just as Maya takes her seat next to me.
“Thanks for saving me a spot. You weren’t joking about the parking situation. Julia had to drop me off, and she’s looking to park at the church and walk here.” She’s panting a little, and maybe I am too.
Reese hits me with the petition again.
“Hey,” I snap at her and grab the documents.
“Maya needs you right now. So get your head in the game.”
I hate it when my sister is right.
The meeting starts on time, Gladys sweating a little with the number of people in the room. Every once in a while, she glances at Maya, who waits stiffly in her chair worrying the hem of her sweater.
I take a chance and place one of my hands over hers, which she clings to with both hands. Tilting her way, I whisper, “You got this.”
She squeezes my hand in response.
Maya stands as soon as the public forum starts, and I push the papers into her hands.
“Hi, I’m Maya Santos, the Outreach Librarian?—?”
Gladys cuts her off. “Yes, yes, Ms. Santos. I had a funny feeling you’d be gracing us with your presence today. Do you have your appeal form?”
“Yes.”
She beckons Maya forward with impatient fingers until the paper is in her hand. “Hmph. Signed by Mr. Sherman I see.” Gladys looks up through her glasses at the man in question, who’s sitting two rows behind me.
“The library is in my blood. Why wouldn’t I do everything in my power to save it?” he replies with a hint of sarcasm.
The crowd starts to murmur, the voices growing louder by the second.
“Decorum. Decorum. ” The room silences immediately. “Mr. Sherman, you do not have the floor. Only Ms. Santos or the board may speak.”
“Someone thinks mighty highly of themselves,” he mutters just loudly enough for a few rows to hear and chuckle.
“Everything looks the same to me. Appeal request denied. Next.”
Maya takes a step back, startled by the declaration. “But... the library will close.”
“I’ve made my decision, Ms. Santos. There is nothing wrong with the building. It sounds like a problem with how you organize and run your library. That’s not my problem.”
“Structure does matter. You didn’t even give me an opportunity to explain my case before you denied it. At least be fair and hear me out.”
With a bored expression, she threads her fingers together. “Two minutes. Go.”
“The way the library operates has changed since this structure was originally built. We need to stay current with the modern demands and advancements. Would you go to a beauty salon and use a blow dryer from the early 1900s? No. It’s the same with the library. Technology has changed and will keep changing, and so we need to do the same. And the people in this room agree with me. I’d also like to present a signed petition from the community supporting the renovation of their library. Please take their wishes into account. If we can get those people to return to the library, then maybe we can prevent it from shutting down.”
She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just bring me the signatures, Ms. Santos.”
The paper crackles as she flips through the pages.
“You all signed this?” Gladys asks, surprised.
I stand, ignoring the prickle of stares. “Not only did the majority of Rocosa sign it, but so did other libraries and supporters?—?”
“Mr. Brooks, sit down.”
I speak louder so she doesn’t drown me out. “—?all across the US. They believed in our cause and continued to share this petition so that?—?”
“You do not have my approval to speak.”
“—?in a matter of days, we gained over two thousand signatures.”
“ Silence , Mr. Brooks.”
“You can’t ignore that. Rocosa needs a library.”
Maya spins to smile at me, a bright one that lights up her whole face. My chests expands, warmth spreading through me.
Gladys shoots up from her seat, her cheeks a flaming red. “That’s enough from you. I am the one that gets to decide. Me and this board. Not you. Not the town. And certainly not this librarian who’s been here for one nanosecond.”
“Gladys Monroe, you’ve gone too far and have let your pride go to your head,” Mr. Sherman accuses, bolting to his feet. “This isn’t about you and the power you think your family holds over the town. This is about the community uniting over a common goal. If you can’t be neutral about this, then maybe we need to vote for a new president after this meeting.”
She doesn’t respond, letting her scathing glare do the work for her.
“Wait. What if we can construct a wall to show off the library’s history?” Maya suggests. “Pictures of the original building and how it’s evolved over time. That way the past won’t be forgotten. It will be hanging on the walls for all to see.”
Gladys surveys the crowd, her lips pinched. “This is what you all want? To modernize our history and replace it with photographs?”
A unanimous agreement ripples across the room, and she shakes her head.
“Fine. Your appeal has been... approved,” she says through clenched teeth.
The room erupts in cheers, the noise deafening. Normally, I’d bolt from the room, but Maya turns around and her eyes land on mine to anchor me in place. Sound fades out until it’s just the hum of my raspy breaths as she races toward me. I catch her mid-jump, wrapping her in my arms, and breathe in her sweet scent.
“Well done, Ms. Santos,” I whisper in her ear, feeling her shiver when my lip grazes the soft rim. “I knew you could do it.”
“I thought we lost for a second there, but you saved the day with the petition.”
She burrows in closer, and I relish the moment. That out of everyone in the room, she chose to celebrate with me.
“They were your words I quoted. I just posted it online.”
“Still though. I couldn’t have done this without you. We make an excellent team.”
My eyes close briefly as I savor her words. A slow smile stretches across my face. “I’m glad you think so too.”
W hen Saturday rolls around, I’m more than happy to play chauffeur for my favorite librarian. I might have even taken a longer route so I could revel in the feeling of her arms wrapped around me as long as possible. Despite her tempting invitation to the opening of her uncle’s Mexican restaurant, I reluctantly hug Maya goodbye and join the biker group at Brokedown Tavern for the afternoon.
I lean back in my chair, listening to Thor’s latest story, but my mind keeps wandering back to her. She’s not helping matters when she texts me an image of a heaping pile of guacamole, letting me know I’m missing out. But I made a promise to my friends that I’d be here, and it’s a plan I want to keep.
If only my brain got the same memo.
More often than not, I find myself caught up in my thoughts, drifting from the conversation and running down some Maya rabbit trail.
Numbers float in my head, distracting me until I finally snatch a napkin from the center of the table and start to scribble them down. It isn’t an equation but measurements. I stare off in the distance, summoning the dimensions of the empty wall in my house.
I’m so deep in thought that I don’t notice how close Roxy is until she speaks.
“Where do you go sometimes?”
The numbers begin to fade. “Go?”
“Yeah, sometimes you are physically here, but it’s like your mind has left the building.”
My eyes dart between all my friends at the table. Thor, Chris, and Cai are mid-laugh, the sound of it unrestrained and echoing through the tavern. Someone must have said something hilarious because Thor’s face practically matches his flaming hair. My cold cheeseburger has been sitting forgotten for who knows how long, the plate overloaded with so many fries that they’re scattered on the table.
How long has this been sitting here?
“Sorry,” I say, grabbing the napkin off the table and shoving it into my pocket.
Roxy frowns. “I don’t mean it as a reprimand. I was just curious. What are you working on that has your complete attention?”
“Just something for my house.”
She smiles at me and waits for me to continue.
“It’s a bookshelf.”
Her eyes light up at the idea. “I didn’t know you were a reader.”
I clear my throat. “I’m not... I mean, unless you count my textbooks.”
Her brows crush together. “You have that many textbooks?!”
I glance up and notice I’ve caught Chris’s attention. He opens his mouth to say something but then he glances over my shoulder and tilts his head.
“Des? Sorry to bother you?—?”
I spin in my chair at the sound of Maya’s voice. My heart picks up its pace like an excited puppy. I thought I was picking her up later?
“Hey,” I say and then scramble to get myself out of the chair. I lead her a few steps away from the table, the eyes of the group burning into my spine. “Is everything okay?”
Her eyes widen. “Oh goodness, yes. I’m fine. I didn’t mean to startle you or interrupt you from your—?” she looks at my untouched plate, and a quick flash of confusion crosses her features before she covers it with a smile “—?meal. I was just letting you know my prima, eh, cousin Mia is going to give me a ride back to town. You’re off the hook.”
The punch of disappointment steals my breath away. “Is it because you need to leave right now? Because I don’t mind heading out if you’re ready.”
Her nervous smile turns genuine. My favorite smile. I can’t stop my own lips from curving to mirror it.
“I was trying not to be a bother. You’ve already done so much for me.”
“Maya,” I whisper, holding her gaze. “You are never a bother. I like spending time with you. If you haven’t noticed, I keep trying to sneak in ways to spend more time with you.” The back of my neck heats at the admission, knowing the entire table is eavesdropping on us. “Let me take you back.”
Lost in thought, she bites her lip, considering my offer. The need to reach out and touch her is so intense it hurts. I curl my hands into fists and shove them in my pockets before I scare her away. Patience is what she needs most... even if it kills me.
“Okay, let me text her and let her know I’m with you.”
My eyes travel over her while she types on her phone, appreciating her features up close. Her kissable nose, long lashes, the tan skin of her cheek, and the delicate swoop of her jaw to her ears. Little books dangle from her lobes, swinging back and forth like fingers beckoning me closer.
Dazzlin’ , I think, the popular school term catching me off guard. I sound like one of my teenagers with a crush.
“Aaand sent.” She tucks her phone into her back pocket with a grin. “You’re officially stuck with me.”
“Good.”
“Des,” Thor calls out, and I turn to the four pairs of eyes awaiting introductions.
I place my hand on Maya’s back and guide her to the table. When she shifts closer to me, I allow my palm to flatten completely, enjoying the warmth of our connection. To say it feels right would be cliché, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
“Maya, this is some of my biker ‘gang’ as you’ve been calling it. This is Roxy, her husband Chris, Cai, and Thor.”
“Hi. It’s nice to put some faces to the names.” Her eyes stop on Chris. “You seem familiar. Have we met?”
“You might have seen his ugly mug on the front page of the ColoradoBiz,” Cai says, but I can hear the pride woven into the words.
“Ugly is not the term I would use,” Roxy says, winking at Chris.
“Is that so, Rox?” he says, leaning over to whisper in her ear.
Normally, this banter would have me pulling out my phone to tune them out, but instead I find myself glancing down at the top of Maya’s head with a tug of longing.
“Sit and join us. Des rarely fills us in on what happens up in the mountains.”
“Oh, um,” she says, twisting her fingers. She turns to look at me in question. “Is that okay if we stay?”
I’m lost in the doe-brown eyes again. “Whatever you want to do.”
Thor pulls out the chair next to him, gesturing to it. Maya gives me one last glance before moving around the table to take the spot across from me.
“I’m not really that hungry. We went to celebrate the opening of my tío José’s new restaurant, so I’ve been nibbling on chips and salsa all day.” She pauses for a moment before asking, “Is Holt not coming? I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“You’ve met Holt? I knew he was holding back the other day,” Thor mutters.
“No, he had to leave town for a week or two,” Chris adds over Thor’s grumbles.
“?Ay! He said he’d help install the new thermostat in the library. I could probably call an electrician, but it might eat into my budget.”
“I can do it,” I say before someone else can volunteer.
“Really? That would be such a big help.” Maya pulls out her phone and types a quick note.
I shift in my chair at the unabashed scrutiny from the other side of the table. So I don’t know that much about electronics... it’s nothing a little internet searching can’t figure out.
Cai asks, “So, Maya, besides playing Madden, what do you do? Are you a new teacher at the school?”
“No, actually I’m an Outreach Librarian in Golden. I’m working on a project in Rocosa for a bit.”
“A librarian, you say? How interesting,” Roxy says with a smirk in my direction. “How did you two meet?”
“What she means to say is, ‘How did you get Des to notice you?’” Cai laughs.
“It probably helped that I was waving a flare at him,” Maya says.
They all erupt into laughter, including myself. She fills them in on how a heroic biker came to her rescue, gesturing wildly with her hands and captivating the others in her animated story. I’ve heard this a few times, heck I was there when it happened, but I could listen to it a million times the way Maya tells it.
She’s adorable. No, she’s more than that. She’s gorgeous, witty, and charismatic once she conquers her nerves. I marvel at the mere minutes it’s taken her to fit in comfortably with my friends.
Everyone is hanging on her every word, including myself, and I jump when the waitress taps my shoulder to hand me the check. When Chris isn’t there, it’s easier for me to do the math for everyone, but since he is, he snatches it from my hand and slaps a fancy black Visa card on top.
I eye the piece of plastic, the old feeling of inadequacy rearing its head.
“I can pay for mine.” I take a swig of my water, hoping to wash down the irritation in my tone.
“You know the rules. If I’m here, I got it.” Chris holds up the bill and his card with two fingers. The waitress moves from behind me to pick it up and take it to the bar.
“Thanks,” I say, forcing the words out.
A voice overhead echoes through the speakers of the tavern, and the sparkle in Maya’s eyes dies as her ex-boyfriend cheerfully banters with a caller. Second by second, she withdraws into herself as if to hide behind an invisible wall.
The urge to drive down to the radio station and punch Felipe in the face consumes my thoughts. I’ve never been a violent person. Never . In fact, I’d be the first one to stop a friend from doing something stupid. But the rage that flows through my veins at watching the pain wash over Maya’s features brings out a feral part of me I hadn’t known existed.
I slide my foot to touch the tip of hers, and her eyes flick to mine in surprise.
“You okay?” I mouth.
She glances up and shrugs. “It’s fine,” she mouths back.
That’s not good enough for me. I stand, ignoring the looks from the others at the table as I head to the bar and grab a stool next to a silver-haired man munching on a basket of beer nuts. His furry brows rise when he sees me.
“Oh, it’s the quiet one.”
“That’s me,” I say, not really in the mood to chat. I signal to the bartender, and she lets me know she’ll be there in a minute before she hits a button on the blender.
The old man swivels in his seat and continues to unabashedly stare at me. I’ve seen him around before, but he’s never spoken to me before today. He’s one of the regulars in the bar, usually hanging with his friends and watching the hockey games. Today he’s wearing a bowling league shirt with the name “Ivan” embroidered over his left front pocket.
“You know, I was a lot like you when I was your age,” he says wistfully.
I tap my fingers on the counter, my nerves grinding when I hear Felipe’s calm cadence as he introduces the next song. “Yeah?”
“Not the quiet part, mind you.” Ivan lifts his mug and takes a guzzle before dropping a truth bomb. “The lovesick part.”
Now he has my full attention. “I’m sorry. What? ”
“Oh, did you not know?” He chuckles, a sound close to a wheeze.
“I’m not in love,” I say, my teacher’s voice kicking in. What an absurd notion. I can’t fall for someone in a matter of weeks.
At least, I didn’t think I could.
Yes, I’ve been thinking about her nonstop, going out of my way to make sure I bump into her every day, and my heart rate picks up whenever I hear her voice... but that doesn’t mean I’m in love, right?
He lifts his weathered hands palms up. “Of course. I must be mistaken.”
The bartender slides up, still shaking another customer’s drink. “Whatcha having?”
“Actually, I was going to ask if you could change the radio station.”
She pours the clear beverage over a cup of ice and adds a tiny straw. “Radio station?”
I clear my throat. “Yes, the radio host is my friend’s ex-boyfriend. She won’t say anything, but I can tell she’s uncomfortable.” I pull a twenty out of my wallet and slide it across the table. “Any other station would be great.”
She snatches my money before I can blink. “You got it.”
Ivan chuckles next to me.
“I’m not in love,” I repeat, but softer this time, like even my body is betraying me.
“Live in denial all you want. Just a word of advice from a lonely old man—if I could tell my wife I love her one last time, I would. Don’t let this girl leave without telling her how you feel. Sometimes they don’t come back.”
The thought of her leaving Rocosa, leaving me... I press a hand to my aching chest. I don’t know if I could survive it.
Maybe Ivan isn’t as far off as I originally thought.
“It doesn’t matter how I feel. She’s not interested in a relationship with anyone.”
“Huh. Then why does she keep sneaking glances at you?”
I peer over my shoulder at Maya. The moment our eyes meet, the music switches and her eyes widen a fraction. Her full lips curve into a new smile, a soft one that nearly steals my breath away.
Every single one of her smiles is beautiful, but this one? It calls to me like no other. My own lips are desperate to press against hers if only she’d let me. But would one kiss be enough?
I bite my lip in thought, already craving a lifetime of kisses with her. A shiver runs through me at the possibility.
Jeez . . . Ivan’s right. I do love her.
But how do I tell her without scaring her away?
“Thanks for the chat,” I say and slide off the stool, still unable to tear my attention away from my favorite librarian.
“And you young people think we are blind.” He huffs behind me.
I walk back to the table on a cloud of revelation and plop back in my chair like the others aren’t staring me down for answers. Roxy winks at me and quickly brings up a charity gala for Chris’s company, drawing all their nosy faces away from me.
Well, almost everyone’s.
Maya still holds my gaze. I feel the barest of touches to the tip of my boot. She doesn’t have to say thanks—the glimmers in her eyes speak volumes. Something catches her attention over my shoulder, and I find the waitress standing by my elbow again.
“Uh, is there something wrong with the bill?”
“Oh, no, it’s just that I was wondering—?” Her sentence cuts off at the exact same moment Maya places her hand over mine.
It’s a possessive touch, an innocent one that sends a wave of goosebumps down my arm. Without a thought, I thread our fingers together, loving the weight of her hand in mine.
I whip back to the forgotten waitress. “You were saying?”
She swallows. “Just wondering if you wanted another refill.”
Before I can speak, Maya answers for me. “No, thanks. He’s good.”
I’ve no idea what just happened, but the waitress beelines it back through the kitchen door.
“Oof. Poor thing,” Roxy says.
“It was bound to happen,” Cai adds. “I’m glad someone put her out of her misery. Thanks for taking one for the team, Maya.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“Your flirting radar is so broken. She’s been flirting with you for months, man. It’s been hard to watch.”
Thor and Chris chuckle behind their drinks.
“You all knew she liked me?”
“A blind man could tell she liked you,” Thor jokes.
“Oh.”
“You weren’t interested in her, were you?” Maya whispers, leaning across the table. She starts to untangle our fingers, but I tighten my grip.
“No.” It’s an easy answer. I’ve never been interested or even tempted to be in a relationship until I met the woman sitting across from me. “I’m only interested in girls that flag me down with flares.”
Maya blushes, ducking her head away. “You will never let that go, will you?”
“Nope.” My thumb brushes over her skin again as I keep the rest of my sentence bottled inside.
Nor do I want to let you go either.