Miss Eberhart laughed, a high, tinkly sound that went with the crocheted collars she wore on her dresses and the orthopedic shoes. “You scamp,” she scolded. “I’ll have to find a way to come up to your place and see her, now, won’t I?”
Miss Eberhart suddenly had Jake’s undivided attention. “Oh, I’m not so sure right now, Miss Eberhart. It’s pretty wild out there, what with foaling season and all. How ‘bout if I ask her to visit at the library? She might even... sign something... or...something.”
The librarian, who had served the town since the first book had been slipped onto the old schoolhouse shelves in 1944, nodded her head vigorously. “Lovely, dear. You tell her that. I have all her books. But then, I imagine you do, too.”
Jake fingered his hat one more time. “Nice seein’ you, Miss Eberhart. Time to get back, though.”
Before she could think of anything else, he spun around and headed for his truck. A couple of people waved as they walked toward the firehouse, and another called from Ed Deever’s food store. Jake didn’t even notice.
Amanda shouldn’t be here. She was going to change everything. She was going to bring everything he’d built down around him. Somehow he had to convince his guest and his little sister that it would be better if that old cabin back up in the meadow stayed empty. Then he could sleep again. He could walk the streets and sit in the diner without having to face her, think of her, worry about her.
He could have his self-esteem back. At least maybe he could get his peace of mind back. Without Amanda Marlow there, day after day, to taunt him with the difference between them, he could once again forget who he wasn’t and just get on with making a living.
After all, most days that was all he had time to do, anyway.
Jake had never been able to convince himself of that before. It was a cinch he wasn’t going to be able to now.
