She laughed and told me that she’d see me soon. I told the girls I was heading out and left the salon, pausing on the sidewalk to look around at the thin layer of snow. There was a quiet here that couldn’t exist in a place like New York. I remembered saying goodbye to Austin earlier today. I’d gone back to being in high school, back when I had some hope that we’d work out. I hoped that he would decide to stay here with me.
It was never going to be, and if anything, he’d told me that today.
I wanted my life to go back to some sense of normal once he was gone for good. I knew he didn’t hate it here. I saw the look in his eyes when everyone was so excited to see him today, even if he did seem a bit embarrassed. There was a sense of pride.
I told myself I was happy for him as I walked to my car and unlocked the door. I wanted him to reach his goals and make all the hard work count, and that’s just what happened. It was as it was supposed to be for us. He’d gotten what he wanted, and I was happy here with my job and living near my sister.
None of this would even be an issue if he’d never returned home for the holiday.
I groaned as I started the engine. A pop song played over the speakers, and I backed out carefully, looking for anyone who might be coming down the road. I was accustomed to driving in snow, but that didn’t mean that I loved doing it. I chose to sing along to the words as I made the short drive to the library. I looked the old brick building over as I parked near the doors. It was perfect for what it held, and the idea of it closing devastated me, all because some funds had gotten messy in the city. Kids needed the chance to read and learn, and the mediocre libraries in the schools in town didn’t hold a candle to this one.
A figure made their way down the sidewalk, bundled up in a familiar pink puffy jacket. I unlocked the door so Kim could slide into the passenger seat, giving her a quick hug.
“Did you call Brad?” I asked her.
She nodded. She dated Brad for a minute, and I swore that he still liked her sometimes. He’d probably replace the battery himself.
“Yeah. He’s going to take care of it tonight and get my car home for me.” I rolled my eyes dramatically, and she giggled. “What?”
“You know just how to wrap them around your little finger,” I told her.
She pulled her hood down. “Whatever. I wasn’t the one at lunch with the town celebrity today, was I?” she asked. “How did that happen?”
“You know that we got into a bit that night when my tire was flat.” Kim nodded. “He wanted to apologize, so he came into the salon and lunch came up. It was nothing.” I frowned. “You should have seen Gus, though. Everyone there, for that matter. They freaked out, Kim.”
“Austin is the local boy who did good. Of course, they’re proud of him. I think his parents get special treatment because he’s their son.”
I stopped at a light. “I still see him as the kid who grew up here. I guess since I’ve never seen him in his element, I can’t imagine Austin as anything other than the boy I knew in school.” I shrugged and continued to her house.
“Just better loo
king, right?” Kim asked.
I glared at her. “You just can’t let that go, can you? Sure, he is, but looks aren’t everything. I think a lot of people seem too focused on everything but the real Austin inside, and I am not one of them.” I parked in the driveway and turned the engine off.
Kim ran to her door to unlock it, and we got inside quickly. “It’s so cold!” she told me.
I laughed. “It’s December, silly.” I teased her. She hung her coat up and went to build a fire. “Want me to cook something for us?”
“I have some chicken defrosted,” she said. “We can make that up, and I think I have some veggies. We can have some wine with it.”
I nodded and headed for the kitchen. I pulled everything out of the fridge, and she came in to help me, quickly agreeing with me that we’d fry the chicken and steam the vegetables.
“You do realize that Austin is the entire package, don’t you?” she asked. “That’s why women are throwing themselves at him. He’s gorgeous, wealthy, and smart. That’s what girls in New York probably try to latch onto all the time. Some of my friends here want that!”
“New York Austin is an arrogant ass. I saw the old version of him today. It was nice.” I shook my head. “It was nice, but it was just a glimmer of the guy who I miss.”
“I knew you missed him,” Kim told me as she heated oil in a pan.
“I am not going all blank space over him or anything,” I assured her, referring to the video that she couldn’t get enough of when it first came out.
“I hope not. It wouldn’t be a good look for you.” She grinned. “Think he’d like to be a sugar daddy to your little sister? He could save the library and not miss the money.” Kim joked, but her voice faded at the end.
I gave her a shocked look but could tell she wasn’t serious. We’d never do that to one another, and as much as she talked about Austin, I knew that it was more about me than it was her.
“How is that going?” I asked her.
She pressed her lips together. “Not good. Mark told me today that major budget cuts all over the city are coming up, and we probably don’t stand a chance of staying open.” She prepared the chicken for cooking and gently placed the pieces in the hot oil. “He’s going to give me a good recommendation letter and has been asking around for me. Mark can retire, but I have a lot of time left.” She glanced at me. “San Angelo has a library that is thriving, and they need some help. It’s the closest, and I went to school for so long to be a librarian, Rebecca. It seems a waste to start something new.”