31. Emma
Emma
Tonight is a total hit. Everyone is eating the food, snacking on Sadie’s maple treats, and vibing to the music.
Demi set up a karaoke machine despite my greater hesitations, but I don’t think I’ll fall under the spell of other peoples’ mediocre singing—and sometimes great singing, if I’m being honest—and make out with the closest guy.
Because the only guy I want to kiss for the rest of my life is walking toward me now.
I’m taken. We’ve officially broken the karaoke curse.
Carson’s wearing his scrubs and athletic shoes with a jacket, and he looks put together and confident.
“No warlocks allowed,” I say.
“Come on,” he cajoles, flashing his perfect smile. “You know how well witches and warlocks go together.”
“This witch and this warlock certainly do.”
Carson swallows, his gaze boring down on me. “You’re keeping the costume, right?”
I throw my head back and laugh, but I’m stopped from replying when my sister dances up to us. It’s so nice to see her feeling better.
“Hey, Carson,” Rosie says, giving him a knowing look. “Heard you might join one of our family dinners soon.”
“If you want to,” I say quickly. “My dad would…uh…like to have you over.”
“I can sense an interrogation incoming,” Carson says flatly.
“All the attention will be on Penny. You’re her arm candy.”
Rosie rolls her eyes. “Honestly, does Dad even have a right to give input on who we date after his crazy girlfriend the last few months?”
“At least it’s over.” I put my hands together like in prayer. “Thank the heavens he saw the light.”
“Oh, Juliet just got here,” Rosie says. “See you later, Em. I need to talk to her.”
Carson steps closer, filling the gap she left behind. “Any dusty stacks that need attending to, my beautiful librarian?”
“Right now?”
Carson shrugs. “It’s never a bad time—”
“Might be when I’m trying to run an event.”
“What about the Friends board? Aren’t they here?”
I clear my throat delicately and start to walk away. “I don’t…can’t lie. No, none of them could make it.”
“Emma.” He follows me, exasperated. “You deserve better than that.”
“Who else would fill their shoes? I have no idea who would even be willing to do all that work.”
“Literally anyone, since the current team does nothing as it is.” He takes my hand and gestures to the huge group of women who did show up.
Sadie is by the table refilling snacks—I’ll need to tip her well for being so on top of it—and Juliet and Rosie are chatting by the silent auction table.
Ari and Liv are dancing near the Ednas. “So many of these women love this town and show up for everything, anyway. A couple of them are even retired and probably wouldn’t mind something to do. ”
It hits me like a bolt of lightning. “The Ednas. They love tradition so much, everything would continue how it’s been if they’re in charge.”
“They also love authority. I think they’d thrive.”
“Should I ask them?”
He smiles down at me. “Yeah. I think you should.”
I’m so overcome with hope that I can be the liaison I’m meant to be and not have to keep running everything on my own. The amount of free time this would clear up is unreal. “Thanks, Carson. You have such great ideas.”
“Do any of them involve your shower?”
“I ordered the new tile yesterday.” I grin, pulling him back into the shadows near the processing room. “We can tile it next week.”
Before he can say anything else, I reach up and kiss him. His hands wrap around me, familiar and strong. I lean into him, careful not to mess up my makeup while I show Carson my appreciation and affection. His lips are hot and insistent, driving warmth through me like bubbles.
“Okay, kids,” Demi says. “Time to break it up.”
Carson holds me in a kiss for a few more seconds before stepping back, his smile happy and content. “See you later.”
“You might want to check out the silent auction,” I say, a little breathless. “There’s a great nail design kit with gels and a UV light.”
“Ooo. Perfect for Christmas,” he says.
“Exactly.”
Demi waits until he leaves to face me fully. “We have a problem.”
“Oh, come on, Dem. Don’t ruin the moment.”
“It’s been ruined. You want the good news first, or the bad news?”
“Bad, obviously.”
“Well, actually…” She scrunches up her nose in thought. “Maybe they’re both good news.”
“Hit me with it.”
“Seth applied for the position at the South Burlington Library. He starts in two weeks.”
“He already got it?”
“I guess he’s been schmoozing the people in Burlington for a while. He told me he greased the way to make him a shoo-in.”
That explains his ability to get his hands on difficult advanced copies. I draw in a sharp breath. “If he’s gone, that means the manager position is open. You should totally apply.”
Demi probably blushes, but it’s too dim to tell. “I’m going to send in my application tonight.”
“The other good news?”
Her grin stretches so wide, I feel anticipation rising. “We got that tech grant you applied for back in September. We’re getting all new computers, baby!”
“Yes!” I hug Demi. “We can fix the security cameras!”
“Maybe.” She pulls away and fixes her short dark hair. “Should we head back into the mix? We probably need to start the costume contests.”
“I gave the Ednas their clipboards earlier so they’re making their final decisions now, I bet.
” I chew on my lip. “Hey, what do you think about me asking them to co-chair the Friends of the Library board? We can have a vote and put in a whole new board? Technically, the old board has no say in it, so we don’t need their permission. ”
“Sounds like an excellent idea.”
We head back toward the group, and I find the women holding their clipboards together beneath the brightest lights, talking animatedly. “Wish me luck. I’m going in.”
When I reach them, I see three pink I VOTED stickers on Edna B.’s lapel. She’s in a black dress with a witch’s hat over her dark hair, in total opposition to Edna G.’s bright purple dress.
“Hi, ladies.”
They face me together. “We’re almost done choosing the winners.”
“That’s fine. I had something else to ask you. Don’t feel like you have to give me an answer now, but it’s clear you’re both good at managing things. I was wondering how you’d feel about heading up the Friends of the Autumn Ridge Library board.”
“Which one of us?” Edna B. asks.
“Both, actually. I figured you could be co-chairs. We have a lull during part of the year, but the fall is always really busy, then we do Reading with Santa, and of course there’s the whole Summer Reading Program.”
“Yes,” the Ednas say in unison.
That was fast.
“We’d love to,” Edna G. adds.
“That’s wonderful news. I’ll make the announcement tonight if you’re both okay with it.”
Edna B. does a shooing gesture. “That’s fine, but you need to leave now. We’re still choosing the winners.”
“Sure. But want to tell me what that’s all about?” I point to her lapel. “Three stickers?”
She straightens. “I voted three times. I see evidence for each woman possibly being the mayor’s girlfriend.”
Can’t argue with that, I guess. There’s no fine print about maximum number of stickers or votes.
“Should we talk to Juliet again?” Edna G. asks her friend. “Did you see her walk up with that cowboy? Maybe she’ll be more willing to talk about her dad tonight if she was just getting romanced herself.”
“If she knows anything, she’s not saying,” I tell them. “But you’re welcome to try.”
Their costume contest is forgotten as they bustle toward poor, unsuspecting Juliet in her flowy black lace dress.
Her hair is curled and her witch hat is covered in fake glorious flowers.
An inkling that maybe the Friends board will have a little more flavor than I’d anticipated crosses my mind, but I push it aside.
It takes all of thirty seconds to send an email to the old board that we’re moving on to give a new set of people the responsibility, something I think they’ll all be happy about.
I stand back and look at the community, to the women I consider friends, knowing all their partners encouraged them come to a girls’ night, or even joined them. Autumn Ridge is a truly special place, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.