Page 61 of Falling

“It’s an unexpected bonus,” Booker said. “I actually came here because I swung by the cabin to get you clean underwear. And to tell you some news about the library.”

My heart did something complicated in my chest.

I trusted Booker. I knew he’d find a way to make it all right.

But every time I thought about the council meeting and how the future of this place was on the line, my stomach knotted up.

“It’s good news,” Booker clarified. He must’ve seen the look on my face. “It’s not a miracle, but it is another chance. Used my lawyer voice to get you a second chance and some solid guidelines about what the library has to do. I won’t pretend it’s not a lot. But I’m working on it.”

“You have a job,” I said, guilt making the knot in my stomach twist tighter. “And I already took you away from it last night.”

“It’s fine, Dante loves running the bar.” Booker smiled. “I’d hire him permanently if he wanted the job. And this is important. The library is important.”

“To the community?” I asked.

“It’s important to you,” Booker said. “And you’re important to me.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I kissed him again.

Booker laughed into my mouth, letting me have my way for another handful of heartbeats before gently easing me away.

“You,” he said, booping my nose with a finger. “Have work to do. And underwear to put on,” he added, taking a neatly folded pair out of his pocket. I was more grateful than I could say for that. Joel was in the habit of going commando—ease of access, he said—but I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it. Or that I ever really wanted to. “And the work starts with picking a weekly timeslot for me to read to the kids.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” I said.

“I want to.” Booker pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Now, go change. We’ve got so much to do.”

“I’m happy to donate all the equipment and Ward’s agreed to build the booth if you’re okay with it,” Dante finished after a long speech I could hardly believe I was hearing.

“Say that again?” I asked, stunned.

“All of it?” Dante raised an eyebrow. “Because I kind of rambled a lot there. I want to put a recording booth in the library that people can book to use for podcasts or YouTube or school assignments or even TikTok I guess, if they have to. It’s a public library. I’ve got the equipment, Ward will build the booth, we just need you to sign off on it.”

“Did Booker put you up to this?” I asked, still surprised. Dante wasn’t the first person to come in here today offering to do something for the library, and I had a feeling I knew exactly what had happened.

Dante shrugged. “The library is important to the community. If it’s in danger… the community is important to me. I want to help.”

“So Booker did put you up to it,” I said.

Dante smiled wryly. “He’s got a list of people to tell about this, but he didn’t pressure me or anything. The community is important to him, too. And between you and me, he’s got a crush on you.”

“Miles!” another voice called out, rescuing me from having to find an answer to that. A tall, dark-haired man with the most perfect mouth who I didn’t think I’d met before strode over to the counter. “Just the man I want to see.”

“Consider the recording booth signed off on,” I said to Dante, grateful for the rescue.

“I wanna teach practical home cooking classes,” the newcomer said. “Uh, Hayden,” he added, offering me his hand.

“Miles,” I said, shaking it. “But you knew that. Did Booker send you?”

“My husband sent me,” he said, beaming as he said husband. I’d been right, the whole town was gay.

No wonder I felt at home here. I didn’t know exactly what label I wanted to put on myself yet, or if I wanted one at all, but…

They felt like my people.

“All I’d need is a power point and a table. I’ve got all the rest of the equipment and I’ve been fantasizing about something like this forever. I was thinking late afternoon, maybe once a week? Or every two weeks, if you don’t have space?”

“I can give you a weekly timeslot,” I said, pulling up my calendar.