Page 64 of Controlled Burn
Me: There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Rabbit. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Chapter 23
Caleb
Keith had been on shift the day before, and now I had to work on a Saturday, which wasn’t my normal, so I wouldn’t get to see him until tomorrow. I was going through Daddy withdrawal, and ridiculous or not, it was making me pouty. Not that I really minded. This sale was the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Friends of the Library, or the FOTL for short, and for the most part, that group was made up of some of my favorite library patrons.
The sale started at ten in the morning and would end at five. The large conference room was set up with rows of tables all covered in books, and we’d set up a desk out front so we could offer people the opportunity to get a library card if they didn’t have one. Not only was this the biggest fundraiser of the year for the FOTL, it was also when we got a large number of our new library patrons.
There was already a line outside by 9:45, so when someone knocked on the door, I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. Seriously, the sign says the door opens at 10:00. Why are they knocking? The volunteers from the FOTL came in the back door and were already in there, so whoever it was could wait like everyone else.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text from Keith.
Daddy: I’m here with coffee and cherry pop-overs, and if you don’t hurry, I think this huge crowd of people might tackle me and steal them if you don’t let me in.
I hopped up from my chair and hurried to the front door. I appreciated the treat, but mostly, I was excited to see him. I opened the door, and as soon as he was inside, I closed it behind him.
“You have some seriously eager shoppers out there,” he said.
“We do, but they can just wait ten more minutes like the sign says.” I reached for the coffee and the pastry bag and set them on the desk before looking around to make sure no one could see us. Then I stole a quick kiss.
“Good morning to you, too,” he said as he wrapped me in a hug.
I sunk into the hug for a second and then took a step back. This may be a special event, but I was still at work. “Thank you for the cherry pop-over. Those are my favorites.”
“I remembered you saying they were.”
“That’s so—”
There was a crash and yelp from the conference room, and we both made a run for the double doors. And then we both skidded to a stop, staring at the pandemonium in front of us. One of the tables had collapsed and fallen into the one next to it, knocking it over, or maybe it was the other way. All I knew for sure was I had two upset tables and books all over the floor.
“What happened? Is everyone okay?” I looked around to make sure all the FOTL members were alright.
“We’re fine. Connie decided we needed to add a table, so she drug one out of the storage closet, and I guess she didn’t put the legs up properly.” Sharon, one of the FOTL volunteers, motioned towards the floor covered in books. “Then, as you can see, when I put the books on it, the darn thing collapsed from the weight and knocked the other table over. Such a mess.”
“But everyone’s okay, correct?” Keith asked. “No one was injured?”
“We’re all fine. These old bones can hustle when they need to,” she said. “I told her we didn’t need another table, but she insisted. She always thinks she knows best.”
“There were too many books on that one table, and no one would find what they were looking for. I was just trying to fix the problem,” Connie grumbled. “Maybe if you hadn’t slammed the books down on the table, it wouldn’t have fallen.”
“Or maybe if you had just listened when I told you we didn’t need another table, none of this would have happened.” Sharon waved her hand at the overturned table and the books all over the floor.
Those two had been frenemies for years, and neither of them was happy unless the other one was around to argue with.
“Here, ladies, let me help.” Keith picked up the table and pulled the leg back out. He fiddled with it a little before standing up. “All fixed. The latch wasn’t catching properly, but I got it.”
He pulled the other table back up and put them both in place. “Now let’s get these books all picked up while Caleb here goes and explains to that book-hungry crowd out there that the sale will be starting any minute.”
“Thanks.” I checked the time and headed towards the door. None of the people waiting outside would be happy about things not starting right at ten, but I couldn’t let them in with books all over the floor.
As I walked out, I could still hear Keith giving orders and making sure everything in the book room was as it should be.
“Sharon, you pick up the books for that table, and Connie, you get started on the ones for this table. I want to do a quick walk-through and make sure the other tables are all steady. The last thing we need is this happening when the public is in here.”
It sounded like he had everything under control in there, so that was one less thing I had to worry about, thank goodness.
“Is everything okay in there?” Heather asked. She was a student at the local community college and worked weekends here at the library. She was a sweet girl, but this was her first ever FOTL sale, and she was really nervous about how busy things were expected to be.