Page 73 of Summer Kisses

Hazel had been working late all week to get everything ready. On Saturday, she went to the library early to ensure that everything was set up and ready for the reporters and cameras.

It was only getting local coverage, but that was a big deal around here. At noon, I headed over to the library so that I could be there when Hazel made the announcement. She'd asked me to say a few words on behalf of the company too.

In the children's section, there were streamers and balloons. Kids milled about with their parents.

There was a podium set up by the windows with a few reporters waiting off to the side. The mayor was present along with board members from the library.

Hazel stood at the lectern. "I want to thank everyone for coming today to celebrate the official opening of the after-school program. We're partnering with the Sanibel School to offer a safe place for children to come after the school day is over. Buses will transport the kids to the library, and they will spend the next two hours here in the children's section. We'll assist the children with their homework, as well as offering them books, puzzles, and other activities to keep them busy. We're aware of the struggle of working parents and the difficulty finding low cost after-school care. We're proud at the library to offer this program free of charge to the residents of Sanibel Island who need it. We're grateful to Kingston Construction for providing the funds for the program. Please let me know if you have any questions."

A reporter stepped closer. "Are you hoping to promote programs like this in other areas?"

Hazel blinked as if she hadn't even thought about that. "We're focused on our library for now. But I'd be happy to work with other libraries to make this a possibility in more places.

"Will there be a limit on how many students can participate?" another reporter asked.

"There will be until we can hire additional staff. We'd like to get an idea of who needs the services before we take steps to expand."

"Is there a high need for this in our community?" the same reporter asked.

"Yes, we noticed that children were already being dropped off here after school unsupervised. And after talking with the parents, we realized the need for something like this. If there are no more questions, I'd like to invite Brady Kingston to the podium. He graciously donated the money so that we could start this program."

The crowd applauded as I made my way to Hazel. I squeezed her hand before moving in front of the microphone. "Kingston Construction is proud to sponsor the after-school program. We want everyone to have a safe place to go after school to get help with homework or to have a quiet place to read. When I heard that Hazel wanted to start the program and that there was no funding for it, I didn't hesitate to offer to help."

"Is Kingston Construction looking to get more involved in the community?" a reporter asked.

"Each of us has causes that are personal to us that we like to support."

"Are you funding this program because Hazel's your fiancée?" a reporter in the back asked.

A little unsettled by the question, I frowned. "Hazel and I have been friends for years. I would have supported the program regardless of if we were engaged."

Hazel took over the podium to ask one of the board members to speak about the library's mission and goals.

I moved off to the side, put off by the reporter's question. Did people see an issue with me donating money to the library?

That was true but not because we were engaged. I would have supported her regardless, and it was a good cause. If I didn't believe in it, I wouldn't have put Kingston money behind it. I wondered if I'd messed up somehow.

I'd never taken on a project this big before, and I didn't even think about the possible issues that could arise. I didn't want to do anything to detract from Hazel's program, but I was worried I already had.

Hazel moved away from the podium to walk the reporters and other spectators around to the various stations that would be available for the kids.

I hung back, not wanting to make any more issues for her. One of the board members approached me. Her hair was gray, and she wore a purple pantsuit. "We appreciate your support for the program."

"It's a great program, and I didn't like the idea that there wasn't funding for it."

"The library would have gotten funds for it eventually. But it would have taken a lot of time. Your funds helped us get it off the ground quickly." She looked around at the crowd. "It's getting statewide attention. That's why there are so many reporters here."

I had no idea it would garner this much attention. If I had, maybe I would have thought twice about putting the Kingston name on it. I could have offered money anonymously. But I wanted to support Hazel publicly, and that was my fault.

"Thank you for your work, and I hope that you'll consider working on more projects with the library," she said, shaking my hand.

"I'd love to."

The woman smiled and moved away to talk to someone else.

This was the right thing to do. I just hoped Dad saw it that way. He had a tendency to think of anything I did as impulsive and immature.

I waited on the fringe of the crowd while Hazel charmed the reporters, board members, and the parents. When everyonestarted filtering out, Hazel approached me. "Thanks for being here."

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