Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
G abe woke up Wednesday morning bright and early with Genevieve’s words ringing in his ears. Storm of the Century. What in the world have I gotten myself into? Delnovia got more rain than anything. Occasionally, there was snow, but it was more of the light dusting that made everything look like a winter wonderland. He had no idea what to do about a blizzard. From all the reports he could find online, the meteorologists were saying that the storm would most likely hit Thursday night.
Gabe had only been in Forest Grove two days before wandering down to the library. Those two days had included Fairfax helping him set up the place. It was only after Fairfax left on the plane to Delnovia that Gabe decided to wander into town. He was starting to realize just how spoiled he was by always having someone help him with everything. Even during his university years, staff had always been at his beck and call.
Gabe knew he needed to prepare. He wanted to call Fairfax, call his father, call someone. Even his secretary handled most of the minute details of his day at the Commonwealth office. His father’s words echoed in his ears. If he was going to be king, he had to start making decisions for himself.
Gabe pulled out his trusty laptop and started searching the internet. An hour later, he had a to do/to buy list a mile long. He added “go see Genevieve” to the list. Laughing at himself, he marked that out and put down “go to library.” Gabe kept thinking about Genevieve, with her thick, dark hair wound up in a tight bun, looking ready to explode down her shoulders into lush waves at any moment. She dressed so conservatively. Not an inch of extra skin showing. Not like all the scantily clad socialites who were trying to snag a prince and a title. He found her attractive, which surprised him. He usually went for tall blondes with legs up to their ears. Gabe shook his head. Stop thinking about the pretty librarian . He glanced at the list again. I’ve got plenty to do.
He debated on calling his father, then settled on an email. He explained the weather situation and said he would be fine. The last thing he wanted was his father’s team swooping in and making a scene before he’d even gotten started living his new normal-guy life. It was so nice not having to worry about paparazzi at every turn.
Armed with his list, Gabe loaded up in his newly purchased Ford pickup truck with four-wheel drive and headed downtown. He still wasn’t used to driving on the opposite side of the road. The mountain road curved and twisted, making him grip the steering wheel tight to maintain control. He drove much slower than he was used to in order to prevent toppling down the side of the mountain. Don’t look at the drop off. He wasn’t a fan of heights and seeing the valleys below made him nervous. He let out a deep breath when the downtown area came into view. Thank goodness.
Gabe couldn’t help but smile. Forest Grove was a tiny mountain town with all the charm of a bygone era. The entire downtown was made up of mom and pop stores and lovely old buildings.
Gabe saw the small school and park in the center of downtown, right across from the fire department. He saw the tiny brick building that housed the police department but knew that Forest Grove was pretty much immune to anything other than the pettiest of crimes.
Gabe had done enough research to know the crime rates by heart. He’d presented several small American towns to his father, before deciding on Forest Grove. He wanted to live somewhere quaint, calm. After his first visit to find a cottage, he knew he’d made the right decision. Something about Forest Grove soothed his soul and made him hopeful for the future.
He entered Brock’s, the large general store that stood on the corner of Main Street. He remembered that it had originated in the 1800s. Gabe grinned to himself. Snippets from his internet research kept popping in his head. You name it, and it can be found at Brock’s, proudly owned by Haywood and Ruth Brock since 1970.
The store smelled faintly of wood, leather, and sawdust. Gabe took a deep breath, letting the scent roll through his senses. Maybe I’ll learn a trade while I’m here. He’d always admired men who could do all types of repairs. Maybe I’d enjoy woodworking.
Using his list of snowstorm essentials, he spent over an hour in Brock’s gathering supplies. He met Haywood and Ruth Brock, who looked just like their pictures on the internet. They kindly helped him find various items on his list. He was thankful Haywood had been so diligent to order extra supplies as soon as a hint of the storm was mentioned. Gabe had gotten one of the last hand-crank lights, but Haywood said he was hopeful more would arrive on the truck that afternoon. Gabe made numerous trips back to his truck to load several gallons of water, blankets, and tools. For some reason, he was oddly proud of his new weather radio. He kept looking at it and admiring the shiny black gadget.
Next stop, food. Drew’s Grocery stood large and proud with its blue and red awning and cheerful red door. The large sign outside advertised discounts on pork roast and chicken breasts. It was the only grocery store in town. Gabe knew from his research online that there were no fast-food restaurants in Forest Grove. He’d scoured the internet for non-perishable food items to add to his list before he’d left Bramblewood. He glanced at the list. Bread, canned soups, candy, toilet paper, bottled water... he grimaced at the bottled water. He had a problem. A Coca-Cola problem. He tried to limit himself to four cans a day and forced himself to drink a glass of water before bed. It was a work in progress. Dr. Davies, the royal doctor, was always griping about dehydration and his kidneys. Gabe knew it was important to drink water. He just didn’t like it.
As he wandered the aisles, he decided to try to do better. He stacked cases upon cases of water in his cart. I have no excuse not to drink it. He wrinkled his nose. Ugh. He added a two-liter Coke to the cart. Just in case.
After paying for the groceries and loading even more stuff into the Ford, he went to the place he was most excited about going. He pulled up in the library parking lot and circled around twice before finding a spot. Why does everyone in town seem to be at the library? He smirked. I guess I’m here. Maybe they want to see the cute librarian, too. He opened the large glass door and walked in with his lease agreement in hand. He had to wait in line for several minutes before finally making it to the front to see Genevieve.
She smiled at him, running a hand over her hair. She looked frazzled, and a stray of lock had escaped her tight bun. She pushed it back away from her cheek. “Well, Mr. Roberts, nice to see you again.”
Mr. Roberts. That sounds like an old man’s name. He had a strange urge to pull all those pins out of her hair, to just for one moment see what it would look like spilling across her shoulders. He cleared his throat. “Hello, Miss Porter. Is it okay if I call you Genevieve?” He didn’t mention it’s how he’d referred to her in his head a hundred times since first meeting her.
She blushed. “Yes, of course.” She held a hand out.
He frowned, then realized she was waiting for his proof of residence. He handed her the paperwork. “You can call me Gabe, okay?”
She looked distracted as she glanced over the paperwork. “Gabe. Got it.” She registered his library card. In a matter of minutes, she’d handed him a bright, shiny green card.
“You’re ready to go, Mr. Rob... I mean, Gabe.” She glanced at the line of people behind him. “If you need anything, let me know.” He stepped to the side, handily dismissed. He sighed. Guess that’s what I get for mooning over the librarian. She probably hasn’t given me a second thought. He wandered into the stacks, finding two military non-fiction titles and three mysteries. He started thinking about what he would do if he lost electricity. On second thought, he went back to the front desk. The line had died down, and Genevieve was scanning books while the other employee checked out another patron’s books.
He leaned over the counter. “Do you mind helping me find some books on woodworking? And maybe a few on cooking. Oh, and maybe one or two on fishing.”
Genevieve raised an eyebrow. “Lots of different interests?”
He grinned. “Just thought I might use the storm as an excuse to learn about some new hobbies.”
Her dark brown eyes crinkled when she smiled. “I like a man who likes to learn.” She blushed. “I mean...” She cleared her throat. “Literacy and the joy of reading are obviously very important to me. So, I’m glad you’re interested in reading.”
He grinned. Maybe I do have a shot here. “What made you decide to be a librarian?”
She shrugged. “I’ve always been a bookworm. It just seemed to be a natural fit. My father tried to talk me into going into accounting or engineering.” She wrinkled her nose. “I took a few prerequisites for both and hated all those courses. I got my bachelor’s degree in English and then my master’s degree in library science. The rest is history.” She looked around the library. “Librarians don’t make a ton of money, and it seems like the library’s budget is always being cut, but we just keep on keeping on.” She paused. “I love it. Nothing else in the world I would rather do. Except maybe write the next great American novel.”
“It’s so great that you love your job.” He thought about all the responsibility waiting for him when he returned to Delnovia. “We have a family business. Never really had much choice about my career.”
“What kind of business?”
Probably should have thought more about that before I started running my big mouth. “Umm... exporting. My family owns a shipping company overseas. Thankfully, I can do my work from anywhere.” That was a pretty quick recovery. I just hope she doesn’t ask much about the specifics of the shipping business .
Genevieve looked at him thoughtfully. She pushed that stray piece of hair away from her face again. His hand itched to touch her hair. If just for a second. “If you didn’t work for your family, what would you want to do?”
He realized she asked him a question. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
Genevieve repeated the question. He thought about it for a moment. “You know, I don’t rightly know. I’ve honestly never really thought about it because it was always a given that I would go into the family business. I think at this point I’m just trying to find out what I might like to do with my free time that would bring happiness.” He smiled. “My father paints. A lot.”
“Well, painting is nice and all, but you always have a choice, you know.” Genevieve looked up at him with her dark chocolate brown eyes. “About working for your family. You can do what you want to do.” She fidgeted with the thin gold necklace around her neck. He noticed her nails were bitten to the quick. Maybe a nervous habit?
Gabe shrugged. “Well, it’s all I’ve ever known.” He started to feel uncomfortable, dancing around this subject with this attractive woman he barely knew. I need to change the subject so I don’t blow my cover. “Do you think you can help me with those books?”
Genevieve dropped her necklace and straightened her shoulders. “Of course.” She glanced back toward the office. “Let me just tell Tilly to keep an eye on the front desk.” A few moments later, she’d found several books for him in the library system and retrieved them for him from the shelves. She handed the books and his card back to him. “Have a good day, Mr. Roberts.”
“Gabe.”
She nodded with a small smile. “Gabe.”
Genevieve plopped down in the booth at The Moonlight Café. She glanced at her phone. Nothing. Tilly should been there already, since Genevieve had stopped to fill up her car with gas . I wonder if I should call to check on her. Images of true crime shows filled her head. She’s got five minutes then I’m calling.
The front door jingled as it swung open. Genevieve looked up to see Tilly dragging in. Tilly’s face was pale, and her cheeks looked hollow. Her eyes looked red and heavy.
Genevieve raised an eyebrow. “No offense but you don’t look so hot. You okay?” Tilly was normally bright and cheerful. She looked like she’d wilted just in the short time since they’d left the library.
Tilly shrugged. “Yeah, I just got really tired all of a sudden.” She sat down across from Genevieve. “Have you heard from Sarah?”
Genevieve nodded. Sarah Stewart owned the local bookstore, The Enchanted Story. “She’s on the way. Look, we don’t have to meet tonight if you don’t want to.” Genevieve had already decided she was ordering the special, which she’d seen on the big chalkboard by the door when she walked in. Chicken and dumplings sounded good on such a cold, dreary night. She would get it to go and curl up with a good book if Tilly wanted them to meet another night.
Tilly shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Nothing a big cup of coffee won’t fix.” She flagged down the waitress and ordered a cup. “Have you got the editorial calendar for next month worked up?”
Genevieve pulled a red folder out of her huge cognac leather purse. “All done.” She slid the folder over to Tilly. Genevieve, Tilly, and Sarah ran a blog called Three Ladies Reading, where they discussed the books they were reading each month. The blog was two years old and had grown into a part-time job for them. It made a small side income, but they mainly did it for the love of reading and sharing their opinions on books. Genevieve loved their “work” meetings because it gave them an excuse to get together regularly. The door jingled again as it slung open. She looked up to see Sarah gliding toward them. Sarah looked elegant as ever in a long red tunic with skinny jeans and boots. She eased into the booth beside Genevieve.
Sarah sighed and flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “Sorry, last-minute customer at the store. Janet Miller came in for a birthday gift for her nephew, and we ended up chatting too long.” She glanced at the menu. “She ended up buying five of the brand new picture books I just got in, which is great.” She paused. “So, what did I miss?”
Genevieve nodded her head toward Tilly. “I finished the editorial calendar, so when Til gets done, see what you think.” Tilly was checking the blog post schedule on the calendar against a list of books she kept in her phone. The paper in her hand shook because she was shivering.
Sarah looked Tilly over. “Til, are you okay? You look really pale.”
Tilly shrugged. “Yeah, I’m just tired. And freezing. I guess it’s this weather. I just can’t seem to get warm.” She smiled gratefully as the waitress handed her a steaming mug of coffee. Tilly poured two sugars and a creamer in the cup then took a big gulp. She passed the folder to Sarah. “Looks good to me. I thought I might could get the new Cynthia Alan Clark novel read in time to add it, but it’s been slow going.”
“Really? I loved her last release,” said Sarah. “It was such a page-turner.”
Tilly nodded and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I know. I thought this one would be too, but I just haven’t been able to get into it.” She sipped her coffee. “I’m pushing through it, though.”
Genevieve pointed to the calendar. “I added a few other books to the list featured at the end of the month. Just let me know if that doesn’t work.”
Sarah shook her head. “It looks fine to me.” She skimmed over the calendar a few more times before closing the folder. She clasped her hands together. “Now for the fun part. I’m ordering the special, and I want to hear all the local gossip.”
“I’ve got nothing,” said Genevieve. Having been the subject of gossip lately, she really didn’t want to contribute to it. Tilly regaled them with the latest on Bryan Mansour’s marital woes, and they agreed that his wife was an idiot for having an affair with the UPS driver. Although they all admitted the UPS guy was pretty cute.
Sarah took a big sip of her drink. “So, Gen, any word from jerkface?”
Genevieve pursed her lips. “Nope.” She paused. “Not one word.” Angry tears filled her eyes. “I still can’t believe he hasn’t at least tried to apologize.”
Sarah reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “His loss. He is such a coward.” She sighed. “Men. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
Genevieve laughed. She raised her mug. “I’ll drink to that.” They all clinked their drinks together in solidarity.
Tilly sneezed. “Well, this has been fun, ladies, but I think I’m about to call it a night.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “It feels later than seven o’clock.”
Sarah put her arms around Tilly. “Are you sure you are all right? Maybe you should go to that afterhours clinic over in Tylertown?”
Tilly shook her head. “I’m fine.” She looked over at Genevieve. “I’ll see you in the morning at work. Remind me to go to the store when we get off. I’ve got to get a few more things for the storm.”
Genevieve raised her eyebrows. “Why don’t you stay with me and Nana? You are so far up the mountain.”
Tilly waved her hand. “I’ll be fine. It will be perfect ‘read a book and curl up by the fire’ weather.”
Sarah and Genevieve laughed. “That is a good point,” said Sarah. “Maybe you’ll get that novel finished after all.”