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She waved her hand at him. “Enough with the flowery words. You agreed to help me find the missing pieces from my family tree, so I can’t very well stop speaking to you.”

“Phew.” Declan wiped his hand across his forehead in an exaggerated gesture. “I’m glad I agreed to help you,” he said in a teasing tone.

She had no intention of allowing him to get off too easily, considering everything that was at stake. “But I can’t forget that we’re on opposite sides as far as the funding for the library is concerned,” she admitted.

“We may not agree on that issue, but please know that I’m always going to be rooting for you.”

“I appreciate you saying so, Declan.” Annie looked around at the crowd. “Everyone has been so encouraging about the library. And the library’s board of directors is very confident about getting more funds to support full-time hours. Dwight told me that there are upcoming fund-raisers to support the endeavor.” Her eyes twinkled. “He mentioned an ice-skating event at Deer Run Lake and a bake-off in the spring.”

“If I were you, I’d watch out for Dwight,” Declan leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“Why? He seems as harmless as a fly.”

“The man cannot be trusted. I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but do you know that he used to rob little old ladies of their purses?” Declan nodded his head at her, his expression somber.

Annie let out a whoop of laughter, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Declan reached out and removed her hand. “Don’t do that. Laughter should be shared. It’s one of the best sounds in the universe.”

She giggled. “That is not true about Dwight. You just made that up.”

Declan grinned. “I admit it. I did make it up. I had to get him back somehow for trying to turn you against me.”

“That’s not possible. Not after what we went through together.” She waved a finger at him. “But I am determined to make you see the value of a library. Every town needs one.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Declan scoffed.

“Knowledge is the key to life,” Annie said in her chirpiest voice. “Books unlock the world.”

“I guess I’m a graduate of the school of hard knocks. Everything I’ve learned in my life has come about through actual hands-on experience.” He shrugged. “I never went to college. I graduated high school by the skin of my teeth. But I aced every test I needed to in order to get my pilot’s license. That’s how badly I wanted to soar.”

From the sound of it, Declan had been living his life out loud. That’s what she wanted for herself. Adventures. Romance. A life beyond the walls of her beloved library. To reach out for that brass ring and grab hold of it for all she was worth.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jasper’s voice rang out, interrupting their conversation. “Welcome to the official opening of the Free Library of Love.” He gestured to Annie to join him on the library steps. Annie scurried over to stand next to Jasper, and the town-council members assembled around him. “I’d like to introduce you to our newest resident, Annie Murray. With her leadership and vision, the residents of Love are going to have the best library in all of Alaska.” The crowd began to applaud loudly. Jasper turned toward Annie and held out the scissors. “I’d like to give you the honor of cutting the ribbon on this most auspicious day.” Annie took the scissors from Jasper’s hand.

Turning toward the crowd, Annie began to speak. “Thank you for entrusting me with this wonderful treasure. And a special thanks to everyone who helped me get this place organized. Sometimes it does take a village. I’m looking forward to every minute of being a librarian here in Love. Most of all, I’m very excited about getting to know all of you and introducing you to your next favorite book.” Annie held up the scissors and cut the ribbon. She blinked back tears.

It felt so gratifying to be standing here in Gram’s hometown on the precipice of something wonderful. Her gaze wandered to Declan in the crowd. He smiled at her. It felt as if she had been jolted by an electrical bolt. The feeling caught her off guard.

Dear Lord, please protect me from wishing for things that I know are way out of my reach. Declan O’Rourke may be the most fascinating man in all of Alaska, but he’s also the very last thing I need.

* * *

The Free Library of Love wasn’t so bad, as far as Declan could tell. It was bright and cheery inside. White walls with vivid splashes of color like an artist’s palette. Children’s artwork intermingled with pictures of the Alaskan landscape. Cozy couches and love seats were scattered around the interior. Balloons floated in the air, a celebratory touch that added a bit of whimsy to the day.

Declan wandered around the library, checking out the shelves, and searched the catalog in the computer. As he walked past the children’s room, he couldn’t resist stepping inside the moment he saw the scene taking place. Watching Boone’s four-year-old nephew, Aidan, being read to by his father warmed Declan’s insides. Dr. Liam Prescott had suffered the tragic loss of his beautiful wife, Ruby, two years ago. Since that time, Liam had struggled to get past his grief, all while raising his young son. Only recently had Liam reopened his medical practice and emerged from his solitude.

“Aidan sure looks happy,” Declan remarked.

“He loves books,” Liam said, looking up at Declan. “I can’t keep enough in the house to quench his thirst. At this rate, he’s going to be an early reader.” Pride radiated from Liam’s voice.

“That’s great, A-man,” Declan said, holding up his hand so Aidan could give him a high-five. The little boy slapped his hand, then went right back to reading his book with his father. Declan had to chuckle. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Aidan so engrossed in anything. Despite everything they had endured, there was a tight bond between father and son. Given his fractured relationship with his own dad, he envied the loving nature of their relationship. Seeing them together made him question his opposition to the library. If it could create something so heartwarming and wonderful for the people he loved, who was he to stand in its way?

“Grace and Boone are going to get a lot of mileage out of this place,” Liam said with a wide grin.

Declan hadn’t even thought about that. With Grace due to give birth to their first child at the beginning of the new year, she and Boone would both be seeking out advice on child-rearing as well as seeking out picture books to keep their little one entertained. “They sure will,” he agreed, swallowing past the feeling of shame rising up inside him. Once he’d met Annie and discovered that she was Love’s librarian, he had felt the first stirrings of regret about opposing the library. He had lobbied against this very place, and now that he was standing inside it and seeing it firsthand, he realized how wrong he’d been. And he was going to make sure everyone on the town council knew that he’d had a change of heart. He still had an eye on the town’s financial well-being and he would still continue to do so, but he no longer felt absolute certainty about his previous position regarding the library funding.

He began walking toward the exit, feeling enlightened by everything he’d been exposed to this morning.

Annie rushed toward him. “Declan! Are you leaving?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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