Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy Book 1) (12 page)

Before closing his eyes this night, he read his bible and knelt in heartfelt prayer for a good long while.
I’m finally moving the right direction.
He turned off his lamp as he climbed into bed and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

The next day, Jeff chose the challenge of running the Bonita Creek Trail again before he began working on his research and presentation. After the run, he found it had served its purpose. He seemed to have finally made peace with himself about how he’d treated Robin on Saturday morning.

After breakfast and cleanup, he set to work on his computer. His strategy was to type up what he already knew to assess what he still needed to discover. Then he would gather the information needed to complete his report. The presentation would be the final piece he worked on before contacting the two men in charge. He worked straight through until lunchtime. Rather than going to the town deli for a sandwich, he made a couple of sandwiches and ate at his desk. He had no time to waste if he was going to accomplish his many goals by the deadline. He wanted to prove to Robin, and soon, he was indeed worthy of her attention.

Chapter 14

Robin was busy in the weeks leading up to the Storybook Fair
. She was responsible for organizing the volunteers and answering inquiries from the sponsors. She ordered the tickets and a second batch of advertising flyers from the printer.

Meeting with the library’s board of trustees, planning and presenting the weekly Story Hours for various age groups, coordinating the teenage volunteers who read to younger children, and supervising the senior citizens who shelved the books and magazines for her throughout the week left little spare time. The library’s patrons loved to chat about new books and share their ideas with Robin. Many minutes of her workday were taken up with casual conversations.

She arrived at home each evening feeling wiped out, but exhilarated. She knew her actions were making a positive impact on the citizens of Bonita Creek. Her busyness helped keep her mind off of Mr. Jeff Clarke—most of the time.

Unfortunately, she frequently saw him around their neighborhood and in the small downtown. He was jogging, walking, or eating on the deli’s outdoor patio. He didn’t appear to notice her, but she longed to approach him in an attempt to tear down the barrier between them. She wanted to understand what made him change his attitude toward her so suddenly. But Robin was a self-confessed coward.
You are such a chicken, Bennett,
she chastised herself often.

She was old-fashioned and wanted Jeff to pursue her. She was willing to forgive his bad manners when he came over for breakfast. She just wished he’d try to give their relationship a chance. His rugged good looks and easy laugh filled her thoughts when she was at her most lonely and negative.

“Face facts, girlfriend. Jeff Clarke has zero interest in you. If he was, he would have apologized by now.”
She’d resorted to talking aloud to herself again.

Her Grandma Estelle used to tell her, “It’s perfectly fine if you talk to yourself, Robin. You’re in deep trouble when you start to answer yourself.”

She smiled at the memory of her special grandmother. Although she’d been gone for a few years, there was a tender spot in Robin’s heart that still flared with pain when she thought of her grandmother. Her Grandma Estelle had been the one person in her life she could discuss anything with. Penny was a wonderful, loving friend and cousin, but Robin had been at ease discussing all sorts of issues with her grandma. She wished her grandma was here to share some sage advice on how to handle this awkward situation with Jeff.

Her grandma believed each person had one ‘soul mate’ and both people would know it when they got together. Robin thought she had sensed Jeff Clarke could be her ‘one and only.’ She couldn’t pinpoint why she felt that way. Something about him touched her heart. She prayed for the patience needed to await her soul mate’s arrival in her life. She was so very lonely . . .

Thinking of her future made Robin’s mind reel back to the past. This morning her memories swept back to the last time she’d heard from Thomas. Had it really been almost two years ago? At the time, she hadn’t heard a word from her former spouse since the evening he left her standing in their apartment in Oklahoma. They’d remained married in name only for three years after he left to conquer the music world.

Since he’d departed, Robin had a secret fantasy Thomas would come to his senses and return home to Bonita Creek and become her loving and devoted husband. They’d have two or three babies of their own and live happily ever after. She wanted to believe she could forgive him for his monumental indiscretion. If she could, their new life together would be blissful. It wasn’t something she thought about every day or even once a week, but the hope of a new beginning with Thomas was safely tucked away in her mind.

One ordinary day, she received an email message from Thomas sent to her email account at the library. The subject was ‘Urgent!’ In typical Thomas fashion, his cryptic message read, ‘Call me as soon as possible at the below number. This is important! T’.

No ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Yours truly’ to sign off—so much for civility. After all she thought they’d meant to each other, he could’ve been a little more cordial and polite.
When will you ever learn? Thomas Bennett doesn’t have a sentimental bone in his body.
She probably should’ve learned her lesson regarding Thomas’s lack of sentimentality when he informed her their marriage was over on their second wedding anniversary.

Against her better judgment, Robin telephoned Thomas immediately. He sounded businesslike and distant on the telephone. He didn’t ask how she was doing. Instead, he said he had a simple favor to ask of her. Thomas told her, without mincing words, he wanted a divorce as quickly as possible. He said he didn’t want anything in the way of assets or spousal support from Robin. He just wanted their marriage to “go away and quickly.”

She longed to say, “Don’t bother asking if I want any assets or spousal support from you. My feelings have never been important in this relationship, have they?” Unfortunately, she lacked the courage and energy necessary to spar with this master manipulator over the telephone.

Robin’s heart dropped as she processed his calloused words. She realized suddenly she’d never given up the hope Thomas would return to their life together someday. She was stunned at his request for divorce.
You must be the most naïve woman in the world.
There must be more to the story if Thomas wanted an immediate divorce after nearly three years of no communication at all.

“Why the sudden rush to end our marriage officially? You haven’t even had the decency to call or email to see how I was doing since the day you left almost three years ago.”

His tone of voice turning icy, he said, “You always were so obtuse! I want to be rid of our marriage because I want to marry someone else. How clueless can you be? I’ve found a woman I love and desire. I want to adopt her little boy and we want to begin having children of our own.”

Impatience permeated his voice as he continued, “Come on, Robin, don’t be self-centered. Admit we weren’t meant for each other, and grant me a divorce without any strings attached. You know what? Just talking with you over the telephone right now brings back so many unhappy memories for me.” His angry voice droned on for a few minutes.

Robin closed her eyes and rubbed her temples in an attempt to comfort herself. She wondered how she could’ve dreamed of spending her life with someone as selfish, cruel, and egotistical as Thomas Bennett. In her young heart, she’d truly loved him. She’d come to realize all too late he’d never loved her or been committed to their marriage as he should’ve been.

The bible was specific about the roles of a husband and wife. Marriage was a sacred institution in the eyes of God and in the beliefs of the Bonita Creek Christian Fellowship. Robin believed in the sanctity of marriage and a person married just once and for a lifetime. But sadly, it wasn’t to be the case for Robin Bennett, she realized with a start.

Lord, I need Your guidance right here and now, please,
she prayed silently as Thomas’s spiteful words filled her ears. With God’s strength, she pulled her thoughts together enough so she could respond to Thomas’s insistent request. She spoke to him in a cool, detached voice.

“Don’t worry. There definitely won’t be any strings attached. I’ll contact a lawyer first thing tomorrow morning. Give me your contact information so we can expedite this matter. I’d like to be free from your bondage as soon as possible. Best wishes and many blessings to you and your new bride. I hope you find whatever it is you think you want in life. I wish you and your new family much happiness.”

Thomas finished off the conversation with a threat. “I’m warning you, lady. If you in any way vilify my words and actions to my parents or anybody else in Bonita Creek, I’ll deny it all. I’d enjoy spreading rumors about you just to curl the toes of those fine citizens. I want you out of my life and mind forever. Got it?”

She wanted to laugh.
What is it with this guy?
He was talking to her like they were living in the rough and tumble Wild West.
Vilify? Who uses the word in the twenty-first century?
She gathered all of her courage against her estranged husband’s bullying tactics and said, “Your parents have not spoken a word to me since you abandoned our marriage, even though I see them at church almost every Sunday. You took care of burning the bridge for me long ago. As for the citizens of this fine town, if they knew the true depth of your conceit and greed they would disown you of their own accord. Goodbye, Thomas.”

Robin slammed down the phone and fell back into her chair in sheer disbelief. “I actually stood up to Thomas Bennett. And it felt great.”

Robin’s lawyer contacted Thomas directly and the required legal documents were swiftly generated, signed, notarized, and recorded with the Mendocino County Recorder’s Office in Ukiah. Officially, she was a single woman again. However, it took much more than a divorce decree to make her feel emancipated. She was deeply depressed and felt worthless as a woman for a long time following the fateful final conversation with Thomas. She bore a certain amount of guilt in her heart and mind wondering what she could’ve done differently to save the marriage.

When the constant ache in her heart didn’t lessen in a few months, she sought counseling with her church’s pastor, Pastor White. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life feeling empty inside like she felt now. Robin didn’t want to turn into a bitter, lonely, resentful old woman filled with regrets about a love which was apparently never meant to be. She wanted to be a vibrant, contributing member of her church and community. She wanted to enjoy her life again.

Through hours of counseling sessions, bible study, prayer, and God’s grace, Robin
was
able to heal her heart and move past the trauma of Thomas’s abandonment and bullying. God and Pastor White were a great comfort to her during this difficult time of transition. She believed another significant thing which helped her aching heart to heal was she never heard from Thomas Bennett again. Soon she once again grew busy with her job, her friends, her gardens, Bonita Creek Christian Fellowship activities, and with living the simple yet satisfying life God had planned for her.

Chapter 15

Jeff’s question about the minimal custodial services expense on the library’s accounting sheet was answered at the barber shop one morning. After shaking hands with the regulars, he sat in the barber’s chair. He didn’t need a trim so soon, but he’d found the barber shop crowd to be a great source of information about the library, among other things.

Bruce asked no one in particular, “Who’s going to help out at the library’s spring cleaning day this Saturday?” Everyone present answered “Yes” except Jeff. As the new guy in town, he had no clue what this cleaning day was all about.

Determined to learn more, he hesitantly asked, “What’s this spring cleaning day all about?”

“Well, the city pays for some basic cleaning supplies each year, but we volunteers are the ones who do the actual cleaning at the public library. We work on a weekly rotation throughout the year. Dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the restrooms, mopping, and such are done by a couple of us each week. Then twice a year we have big cleaning days when the entire community shows up with paintbrushes, toolboxes, carpet shampooers, and the like. We repair and clean things in the library from top to bottom for a few hours in the morning. The town ladies set out a nice potluck lunch. Then we work throughout the afternoon finishing the jobs Miss Bennett includes on her annual wish list.”

Once again, Jeff was astounded. He wanted to participate in this community effort. “I’m pretty handy with a paintbrush. What time should I plan to start on Saturday?”

“We usually start bright and early at half past seven.”

“I’ll be there with my equipment at seven then,” Jeff responded with a smile. Since Miss Bennett would likely be in attendance, the work day would be a pleasure for him. The past few weeks without any contact with the librarian hadn’t dimmed his interest in her. He longed to gaze at her lovely face again. Maybe they would even have the opportunity to visit for a few minutes.

He sensed it was time to begin his campaign to break down the barriers he’d so ignorantly erected between them. He was willing to paint libraries from now to eternity if it would give him an inroad to Robin Bennett’s heart. The evidence spoke for itself regarding the library’s financial situation and possible solutions. He realized then he didn’t care about Mr. Brownstein’s reaction. Jeff wanted to mend this rift with Robin soon. This Saturday sounded like a good day to begin his reclamation project on her heart.

~*~

Robin was glad the Storybook Fair was only a little over a week away. She had devoted many long hours toward ensuring the fair would be even more lucrative than last year. Each detail had been arranged, confirmed, and reconfirmed. The children of Bonita Creek had been sharing secrets about their costumes with her for the past week. They were so excited, and it made her heart soar to accept their warm hugs and words of appreciation for organizing the fair
for them
again this year. A four-year-old gazing up at her adoringly with sparkling eyes made Robin feel valued.

Toward the end of her shift, the City Clerk wandered in to the library and headed straight for the reference desk. Sharilyn Phillips was a no nonsense professional who had been the keeper of the Bonita Creek records for thirty-five years. She was holding a sealed envelope and had a stern look on her face as she approached the reference desk.

“This is a notice from the City Manager of Bonita Creek requiring your presence at next Tuesday’s City Council Meeting. Some important business regarding this library will be discussed and you’re being summoned to attend. If you do not appear, it will be considered insubordination and your employment will be terminated by the City Manager immediately.” Mrs. Phillips slipped the envelope into Robin’s waiting hands and turned to brusquely exit the library.

Robin’s heart was beating so rapidly it felt as if it would escape its cozy home. Her hands trembled as she opened the envelope and read the document printed on official City of Bonita Creek letterhead. The document gave few details beyond what Sharilyn Phillips had shared verbally. The purpose of the meeting was vague, and Robin’s apprehension blossomed. How could she prepare for a meeting when she had no idea about its purpose?

Her mind began flitting around recklessly from scenario to scenario. She began to wonder if she had inadvertently broken the law or failed to follow the library’s charter in some way.  Her integrity and honesty had always been above reproach.

After a few unsteady moments, she took several deep breaths and willed herself to relax. Her heartbeat slowed and her body ceased trembling. She put the notice back in its envelope and walked to her office to file the document and calendar the city council meeting on her desk and personal calendars. She returned to the reference desk and miraculously was able to finish out her shift without becoming overtly emotional. After she cleared and closed the library, she triple checked each lock and light switch before leaving for home.

As she walked home, she found her mind imagining negative scenarios. By the time she reached home, she had concluded her mandatory appearance could only mean something traumatic was about to happen in her career. If she were about to receive some kind of honor, her summons would not have been handled in so abrupt and formal a manner.

Robin considered calling Penny to talk things over, but she was still so dazed and now exhausted she decided against it. She could share the news with Penny on their outing this Sunday. She hunkered down in her favorite chair at home to do some heavy-duty thinking. Her first thoughts were about money. How would she survive if she lost her job?

When she opened her eyes, it was pitch black in the cottage. She checked the clock to find she had napped for almost two hours.
I guess sleeping is one effective way to eliminate stress.
Moving into the kitchen she decided to fix herself a quick dinner before allowing herself time to problem-solve. She took out a container of frozen homemade chicken noodle soup and a loaf of the gifted homemade bread and warmed both in her microwave. Homemade chicken noodle soup had long been touted as being the greatest comfort food of all time. Maybe it would work its magic tonight and her troubles and worries would vanish.

Tomorrow was the library’s annual work day, and she desperately needed some rest. She cleaned up her kitchen and got herself ready for bed. Prayers took a lot longer than usual. When Robin finally climbed into bed, she closed her eyes and instantly fell into a deep and dream-free slumber.

~*~

On Saturday morning Jeff awakened early and was at the library building by seven o’clock, as promised. The previous evening he’d loaded a ladder he found in the rental’s garage into his car along with some new painting equipment. This morning he added a small ice chest filled with beverages and snacks. At the moment he was sitting in the front seat eating a couple of bananas and a bagel while he awaited the arrival of the other volunteers. His attention was soon drawn to someone emerging from his neighborhood and walking toward the library.

The woman was wearing a pair of soft faded jeans, a long-sleeved red gingham shirt over a white t-shirt, sneakers and a baseball cap. She was hoisting a large tote bag over one shoulder. Robin . . . Jeff’s breath caught as he watched her climb the steps to the library’s front door. She was so beautiful and classy, no matter what she wore. He almost called over to her, but reminded himself to take a deep breath and bide his time.
Settle down, boy. Patience.
Jeff didn’t want to destroy any possibility of his redemption.

She entered the library and propped the door open for the others. He waited for a few of the guys to drive up before he exited his car, grabbed his equipment, and joined them at the front door. After greetings were exchanged, Bruce got down to the business of assigning tasks based on a volunteer’s ability and the equipment available for use.

Jeff was assigned the task of painting the boy’s restroom a vivid sky blue. After scrubbing the walls clean and then drying them with old towels, he masked off the edges. He then made quick work of applying a coat of the new paint to the ceiling and walls.

The lunch break call came as he was climbing down from his ladder. He quickly washed up and reported to the library’s small kitchen to load up a plate of food and join the others outside for a picnic-style luncheon. Robin was serving beverages and smiled politely at Jeff when he approached her for a glass of lemonade. He gazed into her eyes and spoke a warm word of appreciation before exiting the kitchen. She looked surprised at his friendly manner.

The list of chores was revisited after lunch. Jeff found himself working next to Robin. They shifted books in the young adult area to create space for a large shipment of graphic novels arriving soon. They worked in an easy rhythm of dusting and rearranging. At first they spoke little to one another. In fact, the librarian seemed uncomfortable around him. She wasn’t exactly frosty. More like distant. The silence nearly drove Jeff crazy. He wanted to get acquainted with her, so he was going to have to try to engage her in conversation.

Since her first love was the library he casually asked her, “What are graphic novels?”

“It’s complicated to explain this to someone who hasn’t studied library science in graduate school, but I’ll try. Graphic novels are good, old-fashioned comic books.”

“You mean I was ahead of my time when I was reading Batman, Superman, and Spiderman back in my pre-teen days?”

“Yes. You were cutting edge before you even knew what the term meant. FYI—we don’t call them ‘pre-teens’ anymore. They’ve been christened ‘
tweens’
.”

“Whatever it’s called, it’ll always be the most awkward time of life. Thanks for the heads-up.”

As Jeff looked at Robin’s grinning face, he felt the icy glaciers covering his heart melting and breaking free. He could easily fall in love with this woman, and he hoped she was beginning to feel more comfortable with him. He reminded himself to practice patience and avoid the temptation to rush Robin. He still needed to handle the situation with the city council professionally and have closure there before any personal relationship could begin.

“What kind of books do you enjoy?” Jeff asked.

“Mysteries, legal thrillers, how-to books, biographies, and memoirs. I also love to read fiction about people from other places and books with some humor in them. I’m currently hooked on Amish fiction. Their lifestyle is so interesting to me. How about you?”

“I like political and presidential history and sports biographies. I’m not big on fiction.”

“At least not since you stopped reading graphic novels, right?”

Jeff grinned, “Right. How about movies? What’re your favorites?”

“I liked the Indiana Jones movies, but then I guess most of the world did too. I like the positive, carefree themes of the old-time Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.”

“If you had to choose, what’s your favorite movie?”

“Hands down,
Mary Poppins
trumps everything. You?”

“Don’t laugh.”

“Never.”

“
Rocky
,” Jeff said.

“
Rocky 1
,
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
,
6
, or
7
—just how many of them were there?”

“Six, but my very favorite was the first one.”

“You weren’t even born when that came out,” Robin said.

“Ah, but my dad was a fan from the beginning of the series. So it’s a Clarke family tradition for the guys to watch the Rocky movies together at the holidays.”

“Oh, joy,” Robin laughed. “What else do you like to watch?”

“Anything sports related like
Eight Men Out
,
Hoosiers
,
Friday Night Lights
,
Sea Biscuit
,
A Miracle on Ice
. You get the picture.”

“Got it. I can see you’re a one-genre movie watcher.”

“Don’t give up on me yet. I do have a genre I secretly love, but I don’t like to advertise it.”

“Do tell,” Robin pressed.