glanced at Russ. “Because she’s the new librarian.”
Russ exhaled a long slow whistle. “Not Miss Millie, huh?”
“Nope.”
“That’s not going to set well with some folks.”
“No kidding. I didn’t live here during her time, but even I know that Millie is the only person the town will accept to run the library.” Awarding the job to a stranger would cause a lot of hurt feelings and angry complaints.
“How’d she take it?”
“Not well. She’s depending on that job to support her kids.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Yeah. Another reason for her to hate me.”
“You sure having this woman stay with you is a good idea? I remember how you were after the accident. I’d hate to see you backslide after all this time.”
His friend meant well, but he didn’t understand. “I can’t turn her away. I owe her.”
“So you’re looking at this as some kind of atonement? It was an accident.”
“Was it?” Shaw faced the side window. Was it an accident, or had he been negligent? Only the Lord knew for sure. He had relived the events leading up to that moment a thousand times, but had never found an answer that satisfied him. He doubted he ever would.
* * *
Lainie tucked the covers around her girls then bent to kiss them good-night. They looked so small in the big iron bed. They were her whole life and the reason she’d gone back to school to get her degree in library science. More than anything, she wanted to give them a real home, a place with roots and tradition. Because of her father’s job, Lainie had grown up moving from one place to another, always the new kid with few friends and fewer ties. She wanted better for her girls, and Dover was the perfect place. Or so she’d believed until today.
“Mommy, I want to live in this castle forever.” Chrissy held up her glasses and Lainie laid them on the nightstand.
Natalie rolled her eyes. “It’s not a castle, silly. It’s only a house. We’re staying for a few days, then we’ll find us a house of our own.” She smoothed back Natalie’s hair, her heart swelling with love.
“But I like this house.” Natalie rolled onto her side. “Will our next house have trees in the yard?”
Chrissy sat up. “Can we get a dog? With polka spots like Beaux?”
“Polka dots. We’ll see.” Lainie gently pressed her youngest down into the covers. “Now go to sleep.”
Lainie laid the girls’ clothes on the window seat, taking a quick glance into the darkness. The moon was full, casting a stream of light across the wide yard and making the leaves sparkle. She had to agree with her girls. She liked the house, too. The window seat was cozy and inviting. She could imagine her daughters cuddled up reading or watching the rain. Despite its quirky appearance, there was a homey feel to the house. Too bad it belonged to Shaw McKinney.
Downstairs, Lainie set about cleaning up the kitchen, her emotions playing tug-of-war between gratitude to Shaw for a place to stay and irritation that she was indebted to the man who’d made her a widow. She tried to ignore the twinge of remorse that rose up. Shaw had done all he could to make them comfortable, including closing the hole in the wall to ensure their privacy. Though she’d had to tack an old curtain she’d found in the closet over the glass panes.
He’d thought of everything. Too bad he hadn’t done that five years ago.
The silence in the old house suddenly pressed in on her, unleashing the loneliness that always lurked in the recesses of her mind. She’d been a widow longer than she’d been a wife. She’d done the best she could the past five years, and the Lord had taken care of her and her sweet babies. He’d provided a home with her mother, then a home and a job with Mrs. Forsythe after Lainie’s mom had died. But there were times she ached for someone special in her life, someone to lift the load for a moment or two.
She’d known that feeling for a brief second today when Shaw had kept her from falling. Until she had remembered who was holding her and what he’d done. Determined to overcome her depressing thoughts, she walked into the living room and picked up the toys scattered in the rounded corner, which was now the new Princess Club. As she passed the sofa, she noticed the cell phone Shaw had bought for her resting on the end table.
As much as she hated to admit it, Shaw was not what she’d expected. Craig had complained that Shaw was an arrogant bully, who strutted around the job as if he was better than everyone else. But that wasn’t what she’d seen today. He’d returned from picking up his truck with enough food for a week and a cell phone for her. He’d convinced her to take it by pointing out she might need to call for help if he wasn’t around. He’d even programmed in his cell number along with other local emergency numbers she might need.
His thoughtfulness irked her no end. It was obviously being driven by guilt. Well, she had news for him. Offering a helping hand now wouldn’t erase his carelessness in the past. He might not be as arrogant as Craig had claimed, but that didn’t wipe out what had happened.
Her thumb slid over the small phone screen. Still, it felt good to have a connection to the world again. She didn’t feel quite so alone and cut off.
A gardenia-scented breeze stirred the aged curtains on the windows, beckoning her outside to enjoy the evening air. After the day she’d had, she could use a heavy dose of peace and quiet.
Stepping out onto the wide curved porch, she inhaled the heady fragrance of the elegant white blooms glowing in the moonlight. Lainie gripped the railing, allowing the sweet scent to soothe her frayed nerves and provide a new perspective on her situation. The day could have ended much differently. But the Lord had spared their lives, provided a place to stay and the means to restore her important information. The only glitch was the person sent to help them was Shaw—and the news her job wasn’t going to start as planned. There had to be a mistake or an alternative.
She wanted to trust in whatever plan the Lord was working, but she couldn’t see any reason for Shaw being the one to come to their rescue. Everything had been going so well, on time and on schedule. Now her life had been tossed in the air like confetti, the pieces scattered in all directions.
Turning toward the far end of the porch, she gasped when she saw a figure seated on the front steps. Shaw. He was stretched out along the top step, his back against the post, one knee bent and his arm resting on his leg.
“Why are you lurking there?”
“I’m not. You looked like you wanted some alone time. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You should have spoken up when I came out then I could have—”
“Run back inside?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, then changed her mind. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he had any influence over her. Shaw stood and ambled toward her, his boots thudding with solid force on the old boards. He was a hard man to ignore. At five feet six, she wasn’t considered petite, yet Shaw’s height and solid mass made her feel dainty. Irritated by her wayward observations,
