Aunt Bea rose. “Now that I know you’re okay, I’ll let you get on with your day. Just a reminder, tomorrow night before church I’m making grilled chicken and tomato-and-cucumber salad.”
“Sounds delicious. I’ll be there.”
As Aunt Bea walked out the door, Olivia said, “Keep it open.” She felt slightly better, but not much. At least her aunt wasn’t mad at her. And now that she’d told her the truth, soon everyone in Maple Falls would know too. Mission accomplished.
She heard another light rap at the door and turned around.
Kingston.
“Just letting you know I’m leaving,” he said.
She glanced at the clock. The class had ended ten minutes ago. She turned into Olivia Farnsworth, head librarian. “The students sounded like they had a good time.”
“I hope so. I sure did.”
Her heart thumped. He stood in the doorway. She didn’t invite him in. “Thank you for volunteering.” She forced a smile and put the children first. “Next week’s topic is blizzards. Would you be interested—”
“I’ll be in Fiji. Hopefully scuba diving, but I might try snorkeling first.”
“By... by yourself?”
He nodded.
“What about your dance lessons?”
“I talked to Sunny last night and put in my notice.”
At some point she must have moved because she was now standing in front of him. “Are you leaving town because of me?” She sounded so self-centered. But she had to know, because if he was, she would do everything she could to stop him.
“I’m leaving because ofme. I have a lot to think about, and I can’t do it here.” He averted his gaze. “Too many distractions.”
“When are you coming back?”
“I don’t know.” His eyes shifted to hers. “Take care, Olivia. You’ve got a great thing going here. The moms couldn’t stop singing your praises about how much they and their kids enjoy the library.” His expression was impassive. “See you around.”
“See... you.” But he was already gone.
She went back to her desk. Stared at her closed laptop. That was that. He was going to Fiji, and she was sure he’d forget about her the moment he got on the plane and set off on his new adventure. He was doing her a favor. Now she didn’t have to worry about running into him. She could even go back to dance lessons again if she wanted to, because the only reason she hadn’t gone last night was that he was there. She could also refocus on her class. To make up for the late assignment, she would work extra hard and turn in everything early.
He would live his life. She would live hers.
A sharp pain hit her square in the chest. She ignored it. Opened her laptop document, brought up her late assignment, and began to type. Her life was recalibrating back to normal. Exactly how she wanted it to be.
***
Kingston finished packing his carry-on bag and set it on the floor next to his larger suitcase. When he called Sunny last night and explained that he couldn’t help her or be a part of the showcase, she’d understood. “Your mom and I can handle the class,” she’d said.
“Are you sure you can handle her, though?”
Sunny laughed.“I will now that I’m getting to know her. The key is knowing when to agree and when to say no.”
He was glad Sunny had it figured out. He wished he would have before now.
He sat down at the kitchen table and opened his computer. He still had websites about Fiji on the screen. He’d also booked a hotel for the next few days and had information on other places to stay in case he wanted to change abodes. He didn’t want to be locked into anything. Even though the idea of winging it made him nervous, it was a good kind of anxiety. He was looking forward to this, particularly the relaxation.
He stared at the photo of blue water and a sandy beach on the screen and thought about Olivia’s question. He’d been truthful when he told her he needed to leave for his own sanity, but it wouldn’t hurt to have thousands of miles between them. He just hoped the adage that absence made the heart grow fonder wasn’t true, because that was the last thing he needed.
His doorbell rang. He frowned, having no idea who wanted to see him at this time of night. When he opened the door, his mother stood there, her eyes puffy as if she’d been crying.
