Chapter 3
3
A younger woman wearing a long, flowing prairie-style dress with fancy cowboy boots swung out of the whimsically painted motorhome.
Shelly raised her brow. “Looks like an old, spruced up RV. So why isn’t she sleeping in that?”
The young woman slung a backpack over her shoulder and started toward them.
Ivy waved to her. “Welcome to the Seabreeze Inn.”
Introductions were made, and they led Libby through the rear door to the kitchen. Ivy decided to check her in there rather than guide her through the construction. She asked Poppy to get the tablet they used to register guests.
She gestured to a chair at the family table. “Would you care for a cup of tea while we check you in?”
“I’d love one, and thanks for accommodating me,” Libby replied, taking in her surroundings with interest. “I hope I won’t be too much trouble.”
“We’re happy to accommodate you,” Ivy said. “We’re pretty casual now with the renovations under way.” She poured a cup for Libby, and Poppy returned.
“Have you been camping in that?” Shelly nodded toward the unusual vehicle, curiosity lighting her face.
“There’s very little room in there,” Libby replied. “It’s a bookmobile, so it’s stuffed with books. I keep a small air mattress in there for emergencies, but it’s not very comfortable.”
Poppy’s eyes glittered. “May we see inside?”
“Let’s check in Libby and show her to her room first.” Ivy smiled at her niece’s enthusiasm. Poppy was an avid reader. They all were when they had the time.
“I’ll be happy to take you on the mini tour later,” Libby said, her cheeks coloring slightly. “It’s a passion project.”
Shelly tilted her head with curiosity. “How long have you been driving that?”
“About two years, coast to coast. I was laid off, so it was just for fun at first.” Libby furrowed her brow. “Anyway, I’m on my way to Los Angeles to interview for a job, so I won’t be taking her out much once I start working.” With a wistful look, she gave a little shrug.
“What do you do?” Ivy asked, wondering about this young woman who would drive a bookmobile for fun.
Poppy’s eyes were full of questions, too.
Libby’s face brightened. “I’m a librarian. That is, I used to be. My position was eliminated during budget cuts. I thought this bookmobile adventure would be an escape for a couple of months. But I’ve been all over the country visiting communities that don’t have a library nearby.”
“How cool,” Shelly said. “I’ll bet you have a thousand stories.”
Libby grinned shyly. “At least.”
Poppy leaned across the table, lacing her fingers. “How do you decide where to go? Do people invite you, or is it something else?”
Libby studied her for a moment. “I like to think that I wind up where I’m needed to make a difference.”
That was an interesting reply, Ivy thought, though she was used to visitors who expressed themselves in different ways. “Reading can certainly make a difference in people’s lives, especially children.”
“They’re my favorite,” Libby said. “Do you still have a library here?”
“We used to have a quaint little place.” Ivy shook her head. “But a fire broke out in the restaurant next door. The library and most of the books were damaged. Very little could be salvaged.”
“How sad,” Libby said, her expression sympathetic. “I hope no harm came to the library staff or patrons.”
Ivy appreciated the other woman’s compassion. “It happened late at night, so no one was there. Our longtime librarian was heartbroken over the damage, so she retired. She’s off traveling the world now.”
Libby nestled her backpack beside her chair. “Are there plans to build another one?”
“Our community didn’t have the budget to reopen the library,” Ivy replied. “Despite my best efforts to lobby the mayor, nothing has changed. Everyone misses the library.”
That remained a sore point between her and Bennett. Not that she didn’t welcome book clubs, students, and story time for the little ones here, but Summer Beach lost an essential pillar of the community.
“What a shame,” Libby said. “What can be done about it?”
“Nothing that a big chunk of funds wouldn’t solve,” Ivy replied.
Even as she spoke, a sense of loss filled her. Some of her fondest childhood memories were when her mother took her and her siblings to the library. They each had a library card with their name on it. That made Ivy feel grownup, so she kept hers safe.
“I miss it,” Shelly said, the edges of her mouth drifting down. “My library card was a key to adventure. We could check out an armload of books. The library trusted us, and that meant a lot to me. Even though I had to work off a few books I lost in a rogue wave. Mom and Dad insisted on that.”
“It was high tide, and you were too close anyway.” Ivy laughed, recalling the day Shelly’s books were swept out to sea.
Shelly made a face at Ivy. “The library was more than that. We had summer reading challenges, story times, and tutors. I studied there throughout school. The librarian showed me how to find books on plants and gardening, which stoked my interest in horticulture.” She heaved a sigh. “It’s a shame my daughter won’t experience the joy of a community library.”
With empathy etched on her face, Libby nodded. “People don’t know what they’ve lost until it’s gone.”
“We try to help fill that void,” Ivy said. “We host book clubs here at the inn on the lower level. Many of our retirees depended on the library for books and a sense of community.”
While the inn had hosted the book clubs that met at Pages Bookshop after the earthquake, when the shop reopened, they all returned there. The recent library fire brought many more book clubs to the inn, as the library hosted several meetings each day.
Poppy spoke up. “Now several people share assigned books. They draw straws to see who reads it first, and I hear them arguing about how long their friends are taking.”
Ivy smiled at Libby and gestured to Poppy’s tablet. “I’m sure you’ve heard all this before, so we’ll finish checking you in.”
Poppy turned on the tablet. “Would you like to use a credit card for the room?”
Libby lowered her eyes and unzipped her backpack. “I’d rather pay by cash if that’s okay. I can pay upfront.”
“We’re happy to accommodate you,” Ivy said. She couldn’t remember the last time someone paid cash for a room, but she had no problem with that. “I’ll get my purse to make change for you.”
“I’m sure I have it.” Libby pulled a thick wad of crumpled bills in small denominations from her backpack.
Shelly’s eyes widened. “Are you a stripper in your spare time?”
Ivy was mortified. “Shelly!”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Shelly added, raising her palms. “It’s good exercise, right?”
Fortunately, Libby only laughed. “I sell a few books and take donations.” She tapped her name on the digital guest register and counted out the exact change for the bill.
Poppy slid the money to Ivy and turned back to Libby. “Here’s your key, and I’ll show you to your room.”
Libby hoisted her backpack. “Is it okay to leave the bookmobile there?”
“If you’ll park it to one side so my husband can get into the garage, that will be fine.”
Poppy stood. “I’ll show you.” She led Libby outside.
Ivy watched Libby start the vehicle and move it. “It’s sad to think that Daisy won’t be able to explore a local library until she goes to school.” The next community down the coast had one, but it was on the farthest side of town from them and wasn’t very convenient. They had scaled back on their hours and services due to budget cuts.
“I heard some schools are closing their libraries, too,” Shelly said. “People think all kids are online, but the little ones like picture books. Daisy loves hers, even though she can’t read. Still, she’s learning her numbers from a book we read at bedtime.”
“In Boston, I used to take Misty and Sunny to weekly story time at the library.” Leaning against the center island, Ivy smiled at the memories. “That was before Jeremy made partner, so we were on a budget. I would bundle the girls against the cold, and we’d trudge through the snow. They had a chance for early socialization while I checked out books on parenting. That’s where I made my first friends with other moms and their little ones. The library meant a lot to me; it helped me keep my sanity.”
“I can imagine.” Shelly put her hands on her hips. “You should talk to Bennett again about reopening the library. I don’t think he tried hard enough to influence the city council last time. I still think he could pull a few strings and make it happen.”
“It’s not that easy.” Ivy sighed. “There is no money in the city budget for a new library, and people don’t want any new taxes. The city didn’t own the property, the building was demolished, and the new buyer had other plans. So, the city lost out.”
“I can’t believe you’ve given up on this.” Shelly put a hand on her hip. “We ought to do something about that.”
“Now you want to help.” Ivy winced. Did it look like she’d given up? “We’ve been over this before.”
“But you’re so good at making the impossible possible.” Shelly waved a hand. “Just look at this place. You even made this renovation a reality.”
“Technically, Viola did.”
“And who tracked down Viola in San Francisco? And on an unscheduled layover during your honeymoon.” Shelly bumped her fist. “Like I said, thanks to you. You’ve got that law of attraction mojo going for you.”
Ivy laughed at the idea. “Maybe, but Shells, I can’t make magic.” If only I could . She shook her head. Though her desire to bring a library back to Summer Beach remained strong, life had served up an extra helping of challenges lately.
Her sister looked crestfallen. “You need to try again, Ives. If anyone can do it?—”
“Not now.” Still, what else could she do?
Shelly threw up her hands. “At least think about it. I’m sure you can come up with another plan.”
“Then you do it,” Ivy said. She was still grieving over the loss, and her sister wasn’t making it any better. However, Shelly’s eyes registered instant hurt. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”
Shelly quirked one side of her mouth in a lopsided grin. “We all believe in you. I’ll help more this time. Daisy is sleeping through the night now, so I’m not such a zombie anymore.”
“Please, Shelly. Just stop.” Shaking her head, Ivy glanced at her watch. “I need to speak to Reed. He’s somewhere outside.”
“I saw him near the front.”
Ivy hurried away. She was heartbroken over her inability to convince Bennett and the city council, but she understood. If there were no funds, that was that. At least as far as the city was concerned.
Wasn’t it? She walked outside and strode across the lawn.
Besides, they were doing what they could to fill the void at the inn. They had promised the common spaces at the inn to anyone who wanted to use them as a substitute for the library. Between scheduled weddings and other events, there was hardly a day that wasn’t full of activities. Sometimes, it was almost too much, but she had made a promise.
Yet, Shelly’s words touched a nerve. If she couldn’t get approval from City Hall, maybe she could get the community behind the effort. It might take years to raise funds and gain approval, but it would be worth it.
Her husband would certainly have an opinion about that. Surely, they could agree that a library was good for the community.
Just then, her phone rang, and she answered. “Bennett, darling. I was just thinking of you.”
His voice was as warm as sunshine. “Hope those were good thoughts, sweetheart.”
“Always. I was thinking about the library again?—”
“Ivy, we did all we could.” Instantly, he sounded weary.
“Are you sure, though?” Ivy’s grip on her phone tightened. Shelly’s words of encouragement wouldn’t mean anything to Bennett. Still, he was usually optimistic about Summer Beach projects. “We could go to the community?—”
“Unfortunately, we have to let that idea go.” He hesitated. “With so much chaos in the house, I thought we could avoid cooking tonight. I can grab tacos from Rosa’s, and we can watch the sunset on the beach.”
That was one of their regular romantic getaways. She didn’t want to spoil it tonight. “That sounds perfect.”
“I’m on my way.”
She tapped her phone to disconnect. With a sigh, she realized Bennett had become as disillusioned over the library project as she was.
Still, she wondered if Shelly might be right. Was there a way to fund a library that wouldn’t damage her marriage?
It seemed impossible, but as Shelly suggested, she decided that word shouldn’t be in her vocabulary anymore.
Heartened by that thought, she straightened her shoulders. Maybe the third round of the Library vs. City Hall was about to begin.