Page 49 of Keeping Secrets

Travis laughed. “I can’t believe you saw that.”

“I was always following you two around town, whether you wanted me there or not. I was so stubborn. And brave.”

“You still are.”

“Which?” she asked lightly. “Brave or stubborn?”

“Brave and strong,” he said, smiling as he added, “and maybe a little bit stubborn.”

She was grateful that his eyes were on the road so that he didn’t see her cheeks flush.

They drove north along Highway One, and the sunset colors took her breath away. The sun was down, but the sky was still painted orange and purple above the ocean, fading to deep blue overhead. The same colors shimmered and sparkled on the windblown water far below.

“It’s so beautiful here,” she breathed at last.

“A long way from Rocky Hill,” Travis said, “even if it is a short drive.”

“That was a strange place to grow up, don’t you think? Such a small town in the mountains, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. But really we were so close to the edge of the world, and big cities like San Francisco… it made us all restless, I think. Seems like no one our age stuck around.”

“Including us.”

“Including us,” she echoed.

“We didn’t go far, though.”

“Feels like we did.”

“Yeah, I guess it does.” They were quiet for a moment. Then he asked, “How do you like your library job?”

“I love it,” she said. “Well, parts of it.”

He smiled at her, and her heart sped. “Which parts?”

“Talking to people about books. Even reshelving books, because I’m just being paid to spend time in a library. Anything on the first floor, basically.”

“I thought the library only had one floor.”

“There’s a basement,” she grumbled.

“I see.”

“I do not like working in the basement.” She took a breath. “It’s where we go to catalog new books, fix the ones that are falling apart, that sort of thing. The work is tedious, and being underground makes my skin crawl.”

“Could you request above ground work?”

“I only just started. I can’t ask them to not give me any of the grunt work.”

“It couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“I guess not,” she agreed, though the fear was still there. Fear that at any moment, they would realize that she had zero credentials and zero right to be working there alongside the real librarians. Requesting special treatment this early on would feel presumptuous.

Travis turned off the highway and drove inland, up through a grove of eucalyptus trees. Keely rolled her window down and let the fragrant breeze into the car. The powerful scent was somewhere between menthol and pine, and she could feel her lungs open up. The coastal wind shook the trees, creating a susurrus like water over rocks.

When Travis parked, she climbed out of the car and just looked up at the trees, watching their long leaves move and dance in the last of the day’s light.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“It’s a retreat center. They have a restaurant that I hear people raving about. Apparently they have the best desserts around. I thought it might spark some inspiration for that party you’re catering.”

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