Chapter 2
And it still was. Josie loved the smell of books, the feel of each crisp page.
Electronic readers were fine and she owned one.
But she still had a soft spot for hardcover books.
The Sweetwater library had cozy nooks for reading.
After she became the director, she’d added some comfortable chairs like the ones found in coffee shops. She wanted people to feel at home here.
Studying to be a librarian had come naturally to her. Her father had lovingly called her his bookworm. Some people might think being a librarian was a dull profession. For her the world of books was exciting and because of new technology, changes kept coming every day.
Malcolm had helped set that up. She credited him with taking them into a whole new world of library science, including access to other collections.
The library world had expanded. When would he arrive?
He’d been vague about everything on the phone.
Well, about everything but his engagement.
Emily and Bryn had both looked so shocked when she mentioned that last piece of news.
Right now they were probably huddled on some bench along one of the paths in the square, discussing the situation.
Entering through the library’s front door, she waved at Eileen at the main desk.
Looking up, Eileen motioned with one hand, as if she wanted to speak to her.
But Josie knew she was a mess and she held up one finger.
Then she quickly skirted the stacks and the comfortable conversational groupings.
She kept wipes in her desk drawer and planned on using them while she changed into fresh clothes in the women’s restroom.
Rounding the last row of books, she saw him.
Her running shoes squeaked as she came to a halt.
Josie's heart leapt in her chest. Malcolm was leaning against her door, the way he used to when it was time for a break. She struggled to catch her breath. How she wished that he’d gotten old and wrinkled from the fierce sun in the .
But she knew that hadn't happened from looking at his Facebook page. No, far from it.
Tall and ruggedly handsome, Malcolm wore a pinstriped blue shirt, the sleeves rolled up on muscular forearms, with wheat-colored jeans. No socks of course, just dockers. He looked casual, cool and wonderfully familiar. His lips tilted into a mischievous grin when he saw her.
Why hadn't he told her he was coming today? Had she missed something? Right now she was a sweaty mess. Sweeping her damp hair off her neckline, she forced a smile. “Well, well. This is a surprise.”
Opening his arms, he pushed away from the door. “I told you I'd be here this week.”
No way was she stepping into a hug, not now.
“But I didn't expect you today.” Angling around him, she shoved her key into the lock and pushed open the door.
“I thought you said the end of the week.” Inside her office, dust moats floated in the morning sunlight that fell through the tall, narrow windows.
She flipped on the lights and wished he still didn't affect her like this. Her pulse was throbbing in her throat.
“I'm eager to get started.” Malcolm's arms dropped and he followed her inside.
“Nothing going on in New York?” What about Darcy? Wasn't that the name he’d mentioned?
“Sure, but I've had enough of the big city. Thought you'd never show up. It's about time you got in.” He looked pointedly at his fitness watch that measured everything from his heartbeats to the miles he ran every day. She remembered the birthday when he’d bought it for himself.
“I've been outside and I'm a sweaty mess.”
“Right and I've never seen you like that before.”
Josie felt his chuckle along her backbone. But she also felt perspiration trickle down one cheek and resisted the urge to whip up the tail of her shirt to blot her face. Keeping him at a distance, she circled her desk.
“For some reason I wasn't expecting you until the end of the week or maybe next Monday.” Had she missed an email from him? But that would be unlikely since after his call, she’d searched for any email messages from him at least three times a day.
When Malcolm rested his hands on his hips, it made his shoulders look even broader.
“Sorry. Things fell together so fast. I thought it would take longer to find a place to live and everything.” He gave a shrug of one shoulder.
Yes, the ladies would be glad to find him behind the checkout desk again.
“So you found a place to stay?” Josie had done a little looking herself, once she got his initial message. And she had a place in mind.
“I did. Would you believe that I'm going to be living in the same apartment Emily lived in before she married Jackson?”
“Wow, that's great.” She pretended to be surprised, even though that was the apartment she’d found. Not that she’d admit that she’d been looking at possible apartments for him. “You'll be able to smell all that wonderful baking in the morning.”
Josie’s desk chair creaked as she slid into place.
Maybe she should go on a diet. Maybe she should avoid Victoria's Pantry like the plague, especially now that Malcolm would be living right above it. Those chocolate croissants probably had contributed to the ten pounds she’d gained over the past year.
Was she indulging in emotional eating? What would Emily say?
She squelched her chattering thoughts and swallowed hard. “Emily's old apartment was so cute.”
“Yeah, the property was listed under Sweetwater Creek rentals.” Malcolm took a seat on one of the two upright chairs in front of her desk.
Picking up her to-do list, she fanned herself. Maybe the air conditioning wasn't on. But it wasn't that warm in December.
“I see you're still wearing one of our shirts.” And he waved a hand toward her chest.
“Am I?” Josie pretended to look down in surprise. She’d worn this shirt at least three times since he’d called. Malcolm was coming. Why not wear one of the shirts she’d gotten at one of the many runs they’d entered together? But no need to tell him that.
“Yeah, I remember when we got those at the Turkey Day Run in Charleston.” He whisked one hand over the stubble on his chin.
Casually dropping her hands to her knees, she squeezed. Maybe a little too hard. Anything to stop her palms from tingling as she imagined how that stubble might feel. Somehow she stretched a smile across her face. “Yeah, right.”
Propping his elbows on his knees, Malcolm studied his hands.
According to the pictures he’d posted on Facebook, those hands had done a lot of good during his time away.
He’d built housing for families, baked bread in stone pits and chopped fruits from the trees.
He was one capable man. Capable and kind.
The kind of man I should be looking for.
Where had that thought come from? She shivered.
“I'm glad we had a place for you. Jacob, the guy who took your position, got married and moved to Chicago. His wife’s family lives there.”
“So he was your token male?”
“I guess.” They laughed together. When Malcolm had been on her staff, she’d always teased him about being their token male.
And it was no joke. When he’d worked at the front desk, women had lined up to check their books out from him.
“I try not to feel hurt when people switch from my line to Malcolm’s,” Eileen had said one time, her face puckered into a fake frown.
Eileen was probably the oldest of their employees and did really well with the children who came for her story hour. She got along with everyone.
“What do you think? Can I have my old office?”
She had a sneaking suspicion that he'd probably already scoped out the office while he was waiting for her. “You bet. All the monitors are still on the desk.”
“I see you’ve got your special section of Christmas books out front.”
“Right, but we could use some help with the website. Although Jacob was a hard worker, I don't think the website was his favorite project. It needs some updating.”
Blowing out a breath as if he were relieved, Malcolm said, “Can't wait to get to work.”
“So how was the Peace Corps?”
“Hot. I have tons of stories about the jungle.”
“Can't wait to hear them.” Her eyes went to the huge clock on the wall. Time to change her clothes and get to work.
“So what have you been doing while I've been gone?”
“Watching my friends have babies.” Although she tried to inject some humor into that comment, it fell flat.
Malcolm's eyes widened. “Emily and Bryn are mothers? No way.”
A wave of disappointment washed over her. Although she’d been following him on Facebook, he obviously hadn't followed her as carefully. He would have seen the pictures of the babies. So she told him about baby Sheldon and Emily’s little boy Alexander.
“Alexander?” Malcolm chuckled. “Quite a name to hang on a baby.”
Josie totally agreed. “Emily did marry a guy who had two dogs named Maximilian and Spartacus. You remember Jackson?”
“Sure, right.” Malcolm nodded.
“What else would you expect?” They laughed together and it felt so good. Friendship. That's what this was, she reminded herself. Josie hadn't realized how much she missed him until now. She'd settle for the friendship they had, the way it had been before. Looked like she had no other choice.
“How about you?” Malcolm said. “No one has scooped you up yet? I thought maybe I missed your wedding.”
“Nope. No wedding. Not yet.” Now she was feeling pathetic and uncomfortable. Josie sprang from her chair.
When Malcolm rose, he shook out his long legs. “I suppose we'll all be doing that someday. Kids, I mean.”
Feeling a funny swirl in her stomach, she turned. The casual, friendly attitude she’d been working on slipped a bit. “I suppose that's on your agenda? Get married next summer–isn’t that what you said–and then have some babies?” Wow, that was bold.
“We're not in a hurry.” Now she'd made him uncomfortable. Ducking his head, Malcolm rubbed the back of his neck. “Heck, I just got engaged a little while ago.”
They’d crossed into personal territory. And it was her fault.
Josie’s world tilted and keeping a smile on her face became work.
Reaching into her drawer she grabbed the key to the empty office.
“Here, why don't you check out your room.
I've got to go change.” But when she tossed him the key, it dropped to the floor.
She was so darn clumsy today. With one graceful movement, he scooped it up.
Malcolm left, and she grabbed the beige slacks and top folded neatly on her file cabinet. Getting dressed in the ladies room wasn't easy. Thank goodness no one else was there to watch her fumble with the buttons on her blouse and jam the zipper on her slacks.
Somehow Josie made it through that day. Some protocols had changed over the past couple of years, so she had to spend time with Malcolm, bringing him up to speed.
She found it exhausting. By the time she got home to her cottage that night on Back Bay, she was more than ready to put her feet up.
So she poured herself some lemonade and went out on the back deck.
When her mother called, Josie answered it. She'd been putting this off for days.
“Hi, how's everything?” Her mother's voice held a super chipper note.
They chatted for a while about her mother’s Mah Jong and her father's golf.
Her parents had become totally immersed in the Sarasota retiree culture.
When her dad had retired a few years ago, at first Josie had been a little hurt that they wanted to move to Florida.
But her attitude had changed when she realized how happy they were down there in their retirement community.
But that also meant that they were constantly asking her to come and visit.
She had put them off for Thanksgiving, which she spent with Emily and her family.
But Christmas? This was going to be more difficult.
“Josie, I wanted to talk to you about the holidays. Have you made any decisions yet?”
Setting down her plastic glass, Josie leaned forward and dropped her head into one hand.
This day had been way too long. “Not really, Mom.
We're going through some changes at the library and I really have to be here.” That was sort of true.
But she didn't want to break away and go to Florida. Not this year.
Her mother’s hurt silence got to her. Josie had given the same excuse for Thanksgiving. Taking that long ride to Sarasota didn't appeal to her. But that wasn't her real excuse. Christmas in Sweetwater Creek could be magical. And this year Malcolm was here. “Why don't you let me think about it?”
“Your father will be so disappointed if you don't come.”
“I know, Mom. I know.” Guilt crested over her shoulders. Weren’t the holidays all about family?
“Are you seeing someone? Is that why you don’t want to come down here? You could always bring your...friend?” Her mother’s question was full of hope.
Her poor parents. Josie was probably a huge disappointment. No husband. No babies. No grandkids to buy gifts for. She hated to burst her mother’s bubble. “No, Mom. I’m not seeing anyone. I’m just...busy.”
The conversation ended shortly after that. Sitting on the deck hearing the squirrels rustle through the trees overhead, she wasn't thinking of her parents. No, all Josie could think about was how great it would be to have Malcolm on staff again.
Was she kidding herself? How was she going to handle this? What if he jabbered on about his wedding non-stop? Well, she’d have to listen. When his fiancée came down to check out Sweetwater Creek, she might be expected to smile and show her around. Yuck.
She needed a serious attitude adjustment and got out her phone. Josie had Emily on speed dial.