Page 101 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

“I’ll quit.”

Talk about a punch to the gut. “You would?” Panic encroached. “You can’t. I mean…well, I don’t know what I mean. I rely on you. People here love you. You can’t just leave.”

“I will if you don’t stop trying to set me up with every available—and apparently unavailable—man in town.” She scowled. “Heck, I think you even considered pushing me toward Mitch.”

Guilty as charged.

“Well, he’s single now.”

Marnie’s eyes widened in horror. “No. He didn’t…I mean Colton and Dorrie…but—”

“Oh, no, nothing like that.” She should’ve foreseen Marnie’s panic—the woman didn’t know about the exoneration. “Dorrie let me know on Christmas Day that they’ve arrested someone. Mitch is in the clear.”

“But you’re not together anymore? How did that happen?” Her voice was higher than normal. As if she were still on the verge of panic.

“We fought. Or I think we did.”

“Youthinkyou fought? So this is something that can be fixed, right? Do you want me to call him? I mean, I have no idea what I’d say but, like, I’d try. For you…I’d try.”

Loriana wasn’t sure she’d ever been so touched. That Marnie—little mousy Marnie—was willing to intervene. That either she didn’t fear Mitch or, just as likely, was willing to tamp down that fear, spoke volumes. Maybe Marnie’s threat to quit had been an empty one—born more from exasperation than any genuine desire to leave. And if that meant Loriana had to give up her matchmaking attempts, then she’d do it.

For now, at least.

The kettle whistled.

Marnie poured the water into a pot with several tea bags already in while Loriana pulled the milk she’d bought this morning out of the fridge and snagged the sugar.

As they set about making their tea, she dropped her little bombshell. “I’m going to a cuddle party on New Year’s Eve.”

Her co-worker spilled the milk.

Yes, it’d be a good day.

And it was. Toddler and Books was well-attended. With many parents being off work, and therefore not having their kids in daycare, they brought their little rambunctious ones in. Marnie read while Loriana attempted to corral the little tykes—some of whom seemed to still be on sugar highs. All the kids wanted to share what Santa had brought for them. Loriana spotted a smaller girl who kept to herself. She gave Marnie a nod.

The younger librarian snagged a book from the sale shelf and presented it to the little girl.

The little girl hugged it to her chest.

Her frazzled grandmother offered a humble smile.

Loriana made a note to have a care package ready for the next time they attended.

Rusty’s daughter, Mira, seemed extra ebullient.

Calleigh, Deanne’s daughter, became so entranced with the play blocks that the entire chaotic scene around her evidently disappeared.

Just Loriana’s idea of a perfect day.

The rest of the week went much the same. The cold snap broke, but was replaced with another atmospheric river that dumped almost a month’s worth of rain in three days—just in case anyone believed climate change was a hoax. She’d lived here for her entire life and these things were far more frequent than they’d ever been before. At least this time, no landslides occurred. A relief to be sure.

All that meant, though, that the world was soaked by the time Loriana showed up at Patsy and Vance’s party on Friday night. Usually the party was the first Thursday of the month, but apparently they’d moved January’s party to December 31st.

Loriana couldn’t think of a better way to spend New Year’s Eve.

Liar.

Okay, making out with Mitch on the couch while waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square would’ve been fun. She loved that on the west coast she could watch it at nine and be in bed by ten. Naturally a morning person, she rarely stayed up until midnight.

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