until you do.”
Chapter Fourteen
F OR THE FIRST FEW DAYS after the encounter with Owen, every time the bell jingled and someone opened the door at the library, she jumped. By the time a week had passed with no appearance by Owen, Sarah’s nerves were frazzled.
That Saturday, she met Gilly for lunch after her shift at the library. They took a booth in the back of the drugstore’s cafe, which closed at one o’clock on Saturday. Once they had their food, Gilly’s mother, Rosemarie, locked the door and turned the sign around to show “Closed.”
“There are some advantages to being the owners,” Rosemarie said. “You girls take your time and clean up when you’re done. Sarah, you ought to come by the house tonight for a sleepover. You haven’t done that since you’ve been home.”
“Mother, we’re too old to have sleepovers. We’re adults now,” Gilly said with an impish smile. “But you really should consider it, Sarah. We could stay up all night and giggle, just like we used to.”
Sarah smiled uncertainly. “I don’t know. I hate to leave Mama by herself.”
Rosemarie patted her on the shoulder. “Well, you think about it. Holler if you need anything.” She excused herself and left.
Gilly turned to Sarah. “Okay, are you going to tell me what has you so jumpy? You look like you’ve not slept in a week.”
Sarah pushed her mashed potatoes around on her plate. “I haven’t. Not really.” She sighed. “You’ve heard us mention our neighbor, Owen Campbell, right?”
“Owen? Sure. He comes in here from time to time. What about him?”
“He comes in here? That’s great. Now I have to worry about running into him here, too,” Sarah groaned. She let her head fall back against the red Naugahyde booth and closed her eyes. “I’m so stupid.”
“Now, I know that isn’t true. What makes you say that you are?”
Sarah raised her head and looked across the table at her friend. “Because I got caught trespassing on his land.” She explained the whole situation, including the fact that she had feelings for the man. “Shirley thought he might be shy, that he had a crush on me or something. But no. It turns out he thinks of me as a pest and an interloper. And the worst part? He comes into the library every week, Gilly. I don’t know why he hasn’t been in this week, but I’ve almost bolted every time the door opened. Shirley thinks I’ve lost my mind, and I’m too embarrassed to explain it to her.”
Gilly propped her chin on her hand. “Well, that’s certainly enough to be embarrassed about, but I can’t see Owen holding it against you forever. He’s too nice. He always leaves whoever waits on him a good tip, and he doesn’t have to.” She tipped her head to the side. “So how much of his chest did you see?”
“Gilly!” Sarah ducked her head. “You would pick up on that.”
“Of course I would. So? Does his body match his face? Or is he covered in boils and pustules?”
The ridiculous image made Sarah laugh. “No. He was not covered in boils and pustules. He… he was very attractive. Which makes this whole thing that much harder. He’s a very appealing man, more so than any man I’ve ever met.”
“That does make you want to chew bullets, I imagine. Tell you what, why don’t we go pack a bag for you, and you spend the night with me? We can drive around, take in a movie, and find you some handsome young men to flirt with. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet the love of your life tonight. What do you say?”
“I guess so. As long as Mama’s okay by herself. If she isn’t, do you want to spend the night at my house?”
Gilly stuck out her tongue. “Of course. I don’t care whose house we stay at, but I want to have some fun. Maybe it would be better to stay at your house. That way we can get your mother in on our shenanigans.” She stood. “I’ll go tell my folks, and we can go by the house and let me get a bag together. Okay?”
“Okay,” Sarah agreed.
Chapter Fourteen
F OR THE FIRST FEW DAYS after the encounter with Owen, every time the bell jingled and someone opened the door at the library, she jumped. By the time a week had passed with no appearance by Owen, Sarah’s nerves were frazzled.
That Saturday, she met Gilly for lunch after her shift at the library. They took a booth in the back of the drugstore’s cafe, which closed at one o’clock on Saturday. Once they had their food, Gilly’s mother, Rosemarie, locked the door and turned the sign around to show “Closed.”
“There are some advantages to being the owners,” Rosemarie said. “You girls take your time and clean up when you’re done. Sarah, you ought to come by the house tonight for a sleepover. You haven’t done that since you’ve been home.”
“Mother, we’re too old to have sleepovers. We’re adults now,” Gilly said with an impish smile. “But you really should consider it, Sarah. We could stay up all night and giggle, just like we used to.”
Sarah smiled uncertainly. “I don’t know. I hate to leave Mama by herself.”
Rosemarie patted her on the shoulder. “Well, you think about it. Holler if you need anything.” She excused herself and left.
Gilly turned to Sarah. “Okay, are you going to tell me what has you so jumpy? You look like you’ve not slept in a week.”
Sarah pushed her mashed potatoes around on her plate. “I haven’t. Not really.” She sighed. “You’ve heard us mention our neighbor, Owen Campbell, right?”
“Owen? Sure. He comes in here from time to time. What about him?”
“He comes in here? That’s great. Now I have to worry about running into him here, too,” Sarah groaned. She let her head fall back against the red Naugahyde booth and closed her eyes. “I’m so stupid.”
“Now, I know that isn’t true. What makes you say that you are?”
Sarah raised her head and looked across the table at her friend. “Because I got caught trespassing on his land.” She explained the whole situation, including the fact that she had feelings for the man. “Shirley thought he might be shy, that he had a crush on me or something. But no. It turns out he thinks of me as a pest and an interloper. And the worst part? He comes into the library every week, Gilly. I don’t know why he hasn’t been in this week, but I’ve almost bolted every time the door opened. Shirley thinks I’ve lost my mind, and I’m too embarrassed to explain it to her.”
Gilly propped her chin on her hand. “Well, that’s certainly enough to be embarrassed about, but I can’t see Owen holding it against you forever. He’s too nice. He always leaves whoever waits on him a good tip, and he doesn’t have to.” She tipped her head to the side. “So how much of his chest did you see?”
“Gilly!” Sarah ducked her head. “You would pick up on that.”
“Of course I would. So? Does his body match his face? Or is he covered in boils and pustules?”
The ridiculous image made Sarah laugh. “No. He was not covered in boils and pustules. He… he was very attractive. Which makes this whole thing that much harder. He’s a very appealing man, more so than any man I’ve ever met.”
“That does make you want to chew bullets, I imagine. Tell you what, why don’t we go pack a bag for you, and you spend the night with me? We can drive around, take in a movie, and find you some handsome young men to flirt with. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet the love of your life tonight. What do you say?”
“I guess so. As long as Mama’s okay by herself. If she isn’t, do you want to spend the night at my house?”
Gilly stuck out her tongue. “Of course. I don’t care whose house we stay at, but I want to have some fun. Maybe it would be better to stay at your house. That way we can get your mother in on our shenanigans.” She stood. “I’ll go tell my folks, and we can go by the house and let me get a bag together. Okay?”
“Okay,” Sarah agreed.
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