Only You (19 page)

Josie smiled. Maybe she’d enjoy the nice weather and walk. She tossed her keys in the air, locked the back door, and walked between her house and Miss Estelee’s, heading for the sidewalk that would take her into town.

“Howdy-do there,” Miss Estelee called from her front porch.

Josie waved at her neighbor. “Oh, hello Miss Estelee. I didn’t see you sitting there.” This would make her even later getting to the library. Good.

“I ’spect you haven’t seen much besides that young man in the better part of a week.”

Josie smiled and diplomatically evaded the topic of
that young man
. “Nice day we had. I hope you were able to get out and enjoy it.”

“You’re a gettin’ in way over your head, Missy. Some folks up here won’t take to the likes of you consortin’ with the likes of him. You’ll see. But you just gotta trust that them angels knows what they’re a doin’. Don’t dance to them fancy folks’s tune. It’s high time some of you young people danced to your own tune.
Mmm-hmm.
” She nodded and rocked back in her chair.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Miss Estelee. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go in to work for a bit. Good evening.”

“Oh, it’s gonna be a dandy one. You just hold your ground.”

Josie couldn’t help shaking her head at the senile old woman as she strolled on toward the sidewalk.

“Yes sirree, it’s gonna be a sight to behold.”

Miss Estelee laughed, and the sound of her humming floated on the warm spring breeze that followed Josie down the street. When she arrived at the library, she noticed that Mrs. McKay stood at the front door, impatiently tapping her toe against the brick porch. Just as she’d suspected.

“Good evening, Mrs. McKay,” she called out a greeting as she approached.

“Well, here you are. And what exactly is the meaning of this, young lady?”

“I beg your pardon, ma’am?”

“Why are you not in your office? Why did I have to call you at home?”

“It’s Sunday evening, Mrs. McKay. The library isn’t open on Sunday evenings.”

“Yes, but I am certain your work is not completed on Friday at five.”

“Which is why I’m here now.”

“Indeed? I am surprised that you have the time. I am also aware that you did not report to work yesterday.”

“I’m off on Saturdays, Mrs. McKay. It’s in my contract.”

“Evenin’ ladies,” Constable Harris walked by and tipped his hat.

“Good evening, Constable Harris,” Josie said. Mrs. McKay didn’t reply. A sidewalk on Main Street was not the place to have this discussion.

“Mrs. McKay, would you like to come in?” Josie unlocked the front door of the library and held it open for the older lady.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I would.”

Mrs. McKay marched past her. Good thing Josie hadn’t decided to climb in the window like Cole. She’d been really tempted to, effectively avoiding the old biddy all together. In the end, she had figured Mrs. McKay would have had a stroke if she’d witnessed it. That stroke might evidence itself anyway. Her benefactor was clearly upset.

As soon as they entered Josie’s office, Mrs. McKay said, “Josephine, it has come to my attention that you have been seen in the company of a certain young man of late.”

“I’m seen in the company of many people, Mrs. McKay.”

“I am speaking of the Craig boy.”

“Yes, he’s been helping out at my house,” she evaded. Even though she’d expected it, she still couldn’t believe this. Surely the woman didn’t actually think she could dictate with whom she spent her time.

“Indeed? And are lunches in the Town Square part of his assistance at your home? Not to mention afternoons carousing together before the entire town.”

“Mrs. McKay, I—”

The woman held up a bony, wrinkled hand to stop Josie’s words mid-sentence. “I tried to give you the opportunity to make good decisions on your own. However, since you seem incapable of doing so, I will say this once, Josephine, and know that I invite no discussion on the matter.

“I and the other members of the McKay Foundation Board deem it wholly inappropriate for you to be consorting with
that
young man.”

Josie blinked. Miss Estelee had said the exact same thing not fifteen minutes ago.

“Mind you, he has his purposes here in town. He is a hard worker and does his family name proud, but he is not cut from our cloth,” the woman said succinctly. “You would do well to seek out the company of someone more your equal in social status and education.”

“Someone like your son?” Josie supplied.

“Precisely. You and Martin would make a splendid couple.”

“Mrs. McKay—”

“I do not believe it necessary to remind you that the McKay Foundation funded your education and pays your salary here at our library. We expect our town librarian to conduct herself in a respectful manner.”

A warm breeze stirred the curtains at her window.

“I was not aware that I had conducted myself in an inappropriate manner, ma’am.”

“Of course, if you are in disagreement with me, your contract with the Foundation could be easily terminated. However, we would expect reimbursement of the fees paid for your graduate studies. I’m sure you understand.”

“Yes, I understand.” She understood that this bigoted old woman thought she had just skillfully nailed her to the wall. Josie’s family didn’t have that kind of money lying around in the bank, and they’d never think of selling the house, so the woman would naturally think there was no way she could come up with the funds to pay the Foundation back for the best graduate education money could buy. She had no recourse legally against a private foundation.

There was something, however. Josie smiled. Clearly Mrs. McKay had not thought this through.

“Good. I’m glad we had this little chat, dear. I trust I shall see you at the Memorial Day celebration. I’ll tell Martin you’re in need of an escort. Good evening.”

Mrs. McKay stood, turned on her heel, and marched out of Josie’s office. Josie followed the domineering woman as far as Teresa’s unattended desk. “Mrs. McKay?”

She stopped. “Yes?”

“I am sorry to inform you that your conditions are not at all acceptable to me. I fear I shall have to resign my position with the library.”

“What?” Mrs. McKay seemed genuinely stunned. In fact, she was quite unattractive with her mouth agape.

“It’s really too bad. The trials I’ve been putting my cataloging system through show the program is ready to be implemented and interfaced with the library’s new website.”

Mrs. McKay stood facing Josie, rigid with indignation. “The program will remain whether you stay or go, you ungrateful chit.”

“No, I’m afraid not. You see, the program is mine and is copyrighted in my name. I have had numerous lucrative offers for the software rights, but money was never an issue for me. Loyalty to the Foundation and my hometown are of greater importance. Or were. I will remain for two weeks while you search for my replacement. Good evening.” Josie walked back into her office.

“Wait just a minute, young lady. The Foundation owns that program. We paid for your education.”

Josie closed her window, then sat in her desk chair and faced Mrs. McKay, her fingers steepled before her. “Yes, but I created the program, and you do not own my mind, or me for that matter.”

“Josephine, don’t be so hasty. Let’s discuss this a bit further.”

“I can’t see that there is anything to discuss.”

“The Foundation should at least be afforded the opportunity to purchase the program from you.”

“It is not in my best interest to sell the program at this time, Mrs. McKay. I prefer to secure a library directorship where I would be free to work unencumbered and allowed to implement the system. I do not have to tell you that there is no other cataloging system such as this in the nation. It won’t be difficult to find a prestigious institution willing to allow me to write my own terms of appointment.”

Mrs. McKay sat heavily in the chair on the other side of Josie’s desk. “And what would those terms be if you stayed here?”

“In return for exclusive use of the cataloging system for two years, I would hold the position of director of the library with a ten percent increase in pay, a seat on the Foundation board, my educational debt canceled . . . and never mentioned again,” Josie said succinctly.

“Five years,” she countered.

“Three.”

“Deal.” Mrs. McKay stood. “I’ll have the Foundation’s attorney draw up the contract.”

“Fine,” Josie agreed. “Oh, and I assume I need not mention that my private life is my own. It is of no one’s concern.”

Mrs. McKay hesitated in the doorway of Josie’s office, but at last glanced over her shoulder and said, “Of course.”

Josie nodded and leaned back in her chair as Mrs. McKay disappeared from view. She’d done it. She slapped her desk with the flat of her hands. At last, she was totally free. She stood and spun around, stopping to face the window.

Cole. She pushed the window open and sat on the sill. She leaned out a bit, hoping against hope that he would be there. He wasn’t.

She relaxed against the window casing and took a deep, cleansing breath. Her first without the stifling expectations of this town and her indebtedness to the Foundation weighing on her.

She and Cole . . . They’d be free to have an open relationship. She’d like nothing better than to go now and find him to tell him her news. Her gaze fell on the unopened briefcase sitting on her desk. Those reports still had to be finished for tomorrow’s board meeting.

Tomorrow. She’d tell Cole everything at lunch tomorrow. He’d said he would meet her in town for lunch. She hoped she could convince him to take her up to the tall pines for a much more private celebration.

A secret smile stayed glued to her face as she completed the work on the reports. Everything was finally falling into place. The job of her dreams, a wonderful man who was crazy about her, and a life in the town that she loved. Maybe Miss Estelee was right. Those angels were working their magic.

*

Cole fumed all the way home. How dare that old woman threaten Josie’s job because of her relationship with him. He slammed his fist against the dash.

He shouldn’t be surprised. He’d known that this was exactly what would happen. It’s why he’d followed Josie back to her office. He’d stood outside the window and heard all the hurtful things that woman had said to Josie. It had been all he could do to not intervene then and there. But that would have only made matters worse, so he’d forced himself to leave when they’d entered the outer office.

No. He’d bide his time. Come up with a plan. He’d show them all who he was. Who he really was. He’d become a man Josie could be proud to be seen with in front of the haughtiest of Angel Ridge society. He and Josie would thumb their noses at them all. He’d see to that.

Chapter Twelve

The next day, Josie anticipated Cole appearing at her window all morning. When noon came and went, she walked down to the Town Square. Cole hadn’t called to further discuss their lunch plans this morning. Maybe he just expected her to meet him at the angel monument.

She hoped she’d either find him sitting on the bench near the monument, or maybe walking down the sidewalk toward the library, but the park bench stood empty. She scanned the streets, expecting his disreputable looking truck to be parked somewhere along Main Street, but she didn’t see it. Thinking that he might be running late, she sat and waited. When the courthouse clock tolled two, she returned to the library.

She spent the rest of the day with half her mind on her work, the other half tuned to any sign of Cole. She didn’t even have the board meeting to distract her because Mrs. McKay had postponed it a day. With all the reports completed the night before, all she could think about was Cole. Where could he be?

As the sun began to set, Josie kept glancing from her computer screen to her window, but he never came. On her walk home, Josie encountered Constable Harris.

“Evenin’, Dr. Allen.” He tipped his hat.

“Good evening, Constable.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have seen the Craig boy today, would you?” the man asked.

Surprised that he would ask the very question that had been on her mind, she responded, “No, I’m sorry.” She waited, hoping he’d offer more information. He didn’t disappoint.

“Strange. Cole didn’t show up for any of his appointments in town today. It’s unusual for him to say he’ll be somewhere and then not come.”

Josie agreed. That wasn’t at all like Cole. She wondered if he might be ill.

“Well, I won’t keep you. Good evening.”

Josie nodded and continued down the street toward her home. The more she thought of Cole’s absence in town today, the more concerned she became. When she walked up her sidewalk and saw that Miss Estelee’s grass hadn’t been cut, she grew even more troubled. Cole never failed to mow that lawn on Mondays.

“It’s a terrible shame,” Miss Estelee was saying. She shook her head and rocked in time with the movement.

“Oh, it isn’t too awfully bad, Miss Estelee. I’m sure Cole will be by tomorrow to cut it.” They’d had a cooling shower overnight. It was probably still too wet today for mowing.

“A shame, I say, the way some folks treat other folks like they got no soul.”

“I beg your pardon?” Josie said, confused.

Miss Estelee rocked forward, pointing a crooked finger at Josie. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. That’s what I always say. And you ought to know that better’n anybody, Missy.
Mmm-hmm
.” She leaned back and rocked harder, her old chair squeaking its protest.

Josie’s frown deepened. She didn’t have the presence of mind to try and sort through the old woman’s verbal maze. Not tonight. She was too worried about Cole.

Inside, she went straight to the kitchen and pulled out the phone book. Craig. Craig. She trailed her finger down the list of Craigs to the
C
’s. No Cole listed. She flipped the book shut and began pacing the kitchen. Absently, she pulled the class ring from beneath her blouse and moved it back and forth against the chain.

Why hadn’t he come to town today? Why? Could he be having second thoughts about them? Something had been bothering him when he left her house yesterday. He’d been worried about Mrs. McKay. He’d also needed to talk to her about something. Maybe that was it. They hadn’t had a chance to get into it, but he’d promised they would today.