Only Through Love: A Cane River Romance Novella by Mary Jane Hathaway Page A

doing laundry.
The only bright spot in his day had been the delivery of the shelves for the
new lending library. The kids had been asking questions already, giving
recommendations and discussing their favorite books. He’d taken a few notes and
smiled, thinking of how pleased Alice would be when he told her. Getting books
into the hands of readers was more than a job for her; it was a life’s work.
                They
needed a few more boxes of books and he’d half-expected Charlie to bring them
over sometime this week. Dinner at Bix’s house had been wonderful. Good food,
great friends, his brother and sister-in-law, and Charlie. She’d seated herself
at the opposite end but he couldn’t help watching her as they talked. He loved
her smile, her laugh, and especially that solemn look she got when she was
listening hard to what someone was saying. Conversation was a lost art these
days. Everyone was distracted by their phones and their music. He saw families
at dinner, the parents tapping at screens, the kids plugged into devices,
nobody interacting. He wondered how lonely those kids were, how distant the
spouses felt, and how many secrets were hidden behind those glazed looks. Charlie
gave you her full attention, and as disconcerting as it was, it thrilled him. She
was there, present.
                He
didn’t have any other appointments that day. Maybe he would pop over to By the
Book and pick up the boxes himself. Austin smoothed down his shirt, wishing
he’d worn a tie. Then he caught himself in the half-formed idea. In the
kitchen, Charlie had told Henry she wasn’t interested at all, in any way. They
hadn’t even been friends then, but he knew better than to assume anything had
changed since then.
                After
popping into Cora’s office and making sure he wasn’t needed at the center for a
few hours, he headed for By the Book. For the first time since he’d move to
Natchitoches, Austin felt a sense of optimism. He didn’t have to live up to any
expectations with Charlie. In fact, he’d already dug himself a hole and he
could certainly work on digging himself out.
                                                               

Chapter
Nine
    It is a characteristic of wisdom
not to do desperate things. ― Thoreau
               
                Austin
pushed open the door to By the Book and felt his anxieties start to fade away.
There was something about the old bookstore that reminded a person there was
more to life than punching the clock, fighting for a promotion, and bringing
home a paycheck. Much more than trying to put your best foot forward, to never
disappoint your family,  and to hide all the skeletons in your closet. There
was a treasure on these shelves, available to anyone who took the care to look.
It seemed as if the real world wasn’t outside those glass windows at all, but
rather in here, between dusty leather covers.
                As
he started across the foyer, he didn’t notice Charlie at first, then a small
sound drew his gaze. She was slumped in the red overstuffed armchair near the
front door, wearing an old green sweatshirt and jeans. She was watching him,
curiosity in her dark eyes. He wondered for a moment why she didn’t get up but
then he saw the little person tucked against her. Of course Charlie would have
stood up for a customer but Austin wasn’t a customer. He lived upstairs.
Changing course, he walked toward her. She put a finger to his lips and he
nodded.
                “Alice
went out to lunch with Paul. Can I help you with something?” she whispered.
                “I
was wondering if she’d chosen any more books for the lending library,” he said,
feeling awkward for bringing it up. It sounded too eager to wait for Alice to
decide which books she was willing to bring to the center, when in actuality he
had simply wanted to