Love Me for Me(65)

“But it was good that you didn’t jump, because it helped me to focus on the truth of the situation.” A log popped, the kindling glowing bright orange, embers popping into the air like lightning bugs. “Do you know what I realized that day on the beach?” He seemed to be waiting for a reply, so Libby shook her head. She could feel a lump in her throat at the thought of not seeing him every day, and shaking her head was all she could manage. “I’d forgotten that I was no different to you than this town. You think you can do better,” he said with a huff she took as cynicism.

His words chased each other through her mind like a runaway train. She didn’t think she could do better than Pete Bennett. He was everything she ever wanted in a person. It was true; she used to think she could do better than White Stone, but she had realized that she wasn’t choosing something better, just something different. She hadn’t told him yet about the new job or the apartment. She knew she had to bring it up, as painful as it was.

“I don’t think I can do better than you,” she said. She couldn’t help it; she put her hand on his knee. He fixed his eyes on her hand for a second, and then they moved up to her face. “But my life is somewhere else. I’m leaving for New York in two weeks. I got a job.”

Pete nodded, his eyes now on the fire. She waited a long while for him to say something, but then she thought, What could he say? She wanted him to be okay with it, but it was too complicated to be okay, so they sat in silence, together, the screech of birds overhead the only sound among them.





Chapter Twenty-Three





Libby sat at her desk among three cards, a cake, and a small bunch of Mylar balloons that smacked the wall as the air conditioning vent blew them around. “We sure will miss you,” Marty said, leaning on the other side of her desk.

“Thank you so much for this. I’m sorry my stay here was shorter than I’d anticipated.”

“Well, it was only temporary work. You got us through tax season.” His eyebrows bounced up and down as he said, “I’m glad we had you as long as we did.”

Libby got up and gave him a hug. She’d miss that quirky office and its clients.

“We’re taking you to lunch,” he said. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Thank you,” she grinned. As different as that job had been from her old one, she really enjoyed it. She’d miss the little, wooden cubbies where everyone stored the coffee mugs they’d brought from home, the plant that seemed to brown no matter how much or little water was put on it, and the supply closet where Marty had them log the pads of sticky notes they took so he’d know when to order more.

“We’d like to take you to Miller’s, if that’s okay.”

Miller’s was a nice gesture, but it was quite expensive and Libby didn’t want Marty forking out that kind of money just for her. “I’d be just as happy somewhere less formal, if you’d like,” she said, trying to get the point across without being rude.

“No, ma’am. We’re going to Miller’s,” he said. Janet grabbed her car keys and slipped her purse onto her shoulder. “No arguing,” he said with a very broad smile and a wink.

They piled into Marty’s sedan and headed to the restaurant. As they pulled up, she noticed all the familiar cars parked along the curb. She saw Sophia’s and then her mother’s. A little farther down the street, she could swear it was Jeanie’s blue Civic, and even Helen’s car was parked in front.

When she got inside, she was led to a small dining room where, to her complete surprise, she found a few familiar faces waiting for her. “Your mom helped me plan this,” Marty said as all the recognizable faces smiled in their direction. Celia was front and center, batting her eyelashes with a big grin on her face.

The sight of them filled her with happiness. She knew all of them so well now, and she’d enjoyed seeing them as an adult. It had given her perspective that she hadn’t had before. There they all were, coming to see her off. It was enough to put tears in her eyes. They weren’t mocking her or judging her for everything that had gone wrong for her. They were celebrating with her, sending her off with love and smiling faces. For anyone else it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but for Libby it was huge. For the first time, she felt accepted, like one of them.

“Hi, honey,” Celia said, coming forward and kissing Libby’s cheek. “Marty called, and I helped him plan this. They’re all really sad to see you go, so they wanted to do something special for you.”

“Thank you,” Libby said. Then, she turned to the crowd and said in a loud voice, “Thank you to everyone for coming. This is too much!” She waved her hands in the air. “Please, have a seat!” A short time ago, she’d have been mortified at being the center of attention like that, having people coming to see her, but now, she saw friends. She saw Sophia laughing at something Jeanie was saying, Mabel wiggling herself comfortable in her chair, pushing her glasses up onto her nose and looking around to see who else was at her table. Helen was talking to Scott and Catherine, Catherine nodding vigorously, Esther and Leanne beside her. She did wonder about Pete and Pop—they weren’t there—but she tried not to let it bother her. Everyone else was there to say goodbye; she needed to focus on that.