Page 77 of The Billionaire and the Librarian

“Oh, right. Sure. Let’s get this show on the road,” I say as I step away from my father and fix my hair.

I walk over to the gazebo that sits just off Main Street by the park. Mayor Ginny Ashbury shakes my hand. “Great to see you, Isabelle. Congrats on that grant,” she says.

I grin. “Thanks. It’s really exciting.”

The small crowd quiets as I step up to the microphone. “Thank you all for coming to our fifth annual Winter Book and Arts Festival. As most of you may have already heard, our library was awarded a prestigious grant yesterday and I just want to thank you all for continuing to be great patrons of our town’s little library. We may be small, but we are mighty. I want to thank Mayor Ashbury for all her help in organizing today’s festival. Mayor, would you like to say a few words?” I step back so she can take the microphone.

“Let’s give our town librarian, Isabelle Garren, a round of applause,” she says as she claps her hands and everyone else joins in.

I blush and nod at them.

“I have another surprise for you, Isabelle. I was contacted this week by someone who wanted to donate something to the library, something you’ve mentioned to me before, and I think you are going to like it, very much. I made him promise to wait until today to reveal it to you,” she says with a wink.

I see him then. The crowd parts like he’s an island in the middle of a river. But they don’t need to part to make him stand out. His huge frame towers over most of them as he steps toward me.

I hardly notice when Mayor Ashbury pulls out a rendering of a building…a house…thehouse. It’s the one I’ve always wanted to turn into the library. The old Bradley house on Crestview Drive. It’s the last giant parcel of land that remains near the strip of buildings here. It’s been for sale for a long time, but even with my grant, there was no way I could afford to purchase it.

Adam looks at me for a brief instance before shaking Mayor Ashbury’s hand.

“I am pleased on behalf of the Wellington Foundation to present Ms. Garren with the keys to what I hope will be our town’s new library,” he says as he removes an old skeleton key from his pocket and holds it out to me.

I study it for a long beat before accepting it with a shaking hand. Our fingers touch and Adam looks into my eyes as if it’s painful to be near me. I swallow and focus past him for a second, so I don’t give in to the tears that threaten. I want to scream at him. I want to kiss him. Wait, do I want to kiss him? Still, after everything? He did try to text me, but I kept my gumption and didn’t reply. My heart couldn’t stand hurting again so soon.

Everyone is clapping and I smile and hold up the key after noticing the mayor giving me a look. I step up to the podium. “What a surprise. I’m excited to see what this property has to offer. The future of our town’s library looks very bright indeed,” I manage as the crowd cheers. I step back.

“Enjoy the day, everyone, and please don’t forget to put in for the raffles. They all go to support the library fund,” the mayor adds as she closes the formal part of the day.

“Great job, Isa. It looks like we’re going to have another successful winter festival,” the mayor says. I nod and smile, thanking her before I swivel to face Adam. We’re alone in the gazebo. It’s a warm winter day, but still cold enough to require coats. He looks handsome in his black wool coat. He always looks handsome.

He swallows. “Can I…take you over to see the house?” he asks.

“Adam…I…I’m really busy. It’s the festival,” I state as I motion around us.

“I know…but I think your booth is under control,” he says as he points. I look over to see Ella and Elisha waving at us. Wait a goddamn minute. Did they know?

I turn to ask him, but my parents step up by us.

“That’s an amazing thing you did,” my dad says as he holds out his hand. Adam shakes it.

“Thank you…” He trails off.

“Josh Garren,” Dad says.

Adam’s eyes widen. “Oh, you’re Isa’s father.”

Dad nods. “This is my wife, Amanda Garren.”

“Very nice to meet you both. I’ve heard great things about you from Isa…we’ve uh, recently become acquainted,” he says.

“I’ve heard. It’s great you were willing to give your collection to the library. Sounds like it really helped Isa land that grant,” Dad says.

I look at Dad and smile but then he opens his mouth to speak again. “I sure hope Isa’s relationship with you didn’t unfairly give her the money,” he says, his voice light-hearted as if he’s teasing Adam.

I stare at him and then Adam in confusion.

“I assure you that the charity operating that grant has a strict protocol for grant approvals. I have nothing to do with it,” Adam says as he quickly glances in my direction. What the fuck? No. No, no, no. Realization begins to slowly dawn on me as Adam continues. “We provide funding to that charity, but they also receive funding from a few other sources, so I can promise you my word means very little even if I had spoken up.”

“Well, I’m just so proud of our daughter. She’s doing amazing things with our little library,” Dad says as he puts his arm around my shoulder and squeezes me.

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