I shrugged one shoulder. “I know, but you work such long hours, and I like to make sure you have a snack.”
He clasped his hands under his chin. “Thank you. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you.” Tilting his head, he gave me a big, sweet smile. “I’m so happy you moved to Willowhope and made your way into my library.”
I grinned back.
Lysandro was an interesting character. He wore bright, flamboyant clothing full of different patterns—stripes, polka dots, shapes, and flowers—like he wanted his appearance to scream as loudly as he hushed the patrons in the library into near silence.
When he was outside, he always wore bright yellow galoshes, a purple raincoat, and carried a rainbow umbrella. It didn’t matter the time or the season. He walked around exactly the same. My favorite thing had to be how he wore sunglasses, day or night, whether he was inside or outside.
I’d never asked Jetty or King if they knew anything about the eccentric librarian because I really didn’t want to know anything about his reputation or any other town gossip.
No matter what anyone else thought of him, he’d become my friend. The only person in my life not obsessed with the paranormal or linked to the supernatural in any way. The only friend I’d actually made all on my own, who had nothing to do with the family I’d found since I moved here.
Lysandro leaned his elbows on the desk and cupped his face in his palms. “So tell me, how’s the studying going?”
So, one persondidknow why I made my way to the library as often as possible.
I’d let Lysandro in on the secret that I wanted to earn my GED because I kinda hadn’t had the first idea of where to begin.
I knew my brother and the rest of our friends would be so proud and supportive if they knew what I was up to, but I wanted to do this for myself by myself.
It had been a long time since Stevie and I had access to the latest electronics and resources, even before he died. So after…after, it had been a struggle just trying to keep myself safe with a roof over my head.
“Honestly, the English section is still kicking my ass.”
Lysandro clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “I can try to help you more, but really, math has always been more my forte.”
I shook my head. “No, you’ve helped more than enough. According to the practice tests I’ve done, I’m going to ace that section.”
Lysandro smiled brightly. “You do have quite the mind for numbers.”
I grinned. “Which is good since I want that bookkeeping certification.”
Lysandro’s smile turned fond. “I think it was so smart for you to pay attention to what’s needed in town and match it up with your own skills.”
I wasn’t sure ifsmartwas the right word or if it was really more desperation. I loved working for Chance and helping him run the B&B, but the truth was, I was bored a lot of the day.
With the property’s resident butler and manager, Harry, and his soon-to-be ghostly husband, Buck, they took care of all of the cleaning and most of the cooking.
As the owner, Chance was around more often than not, so all he really needed from me was a person to check people in and out. I helped with some of the cooking, but I was the live body who was able to serve it to our guests since Harry and Buck were invisible to them.
Recently, we’d also hired a teenager, Theo, a cute freckled redhead who loved all things paranormal and was willing to help out with anything.
Training him and spending time with him had been a lot of fun, but with him taking on so many of my duties, it left me at loose ends more often than not.
I didn’t want to leave the manor, but I wanted a career that I built on my own instead of it low-key feeling like a handout.
As I droveup the long road to the manor, I admired all the lights and candles twinkling in the windows. From the outside, I could definitely see why this place was so appealing to paranormal enthusiasts.
To me, it had become home.
After grabbing my bag, I quietly made my way into the house. It was only eight thirty at night, but by now, Jetty and Chancewere most often in the great room, hanging out and watching TV. Harry and Buck had taken to retreating to their room in the evening after all the dinner dishes were put away.
I knew they generally got up early because Buck loved to make fresh breakfast pastries for our guests—and for all of us, honestly—so he liked them to be warm and ready to serve.
If I had to guess, I suspected that Stevie was probably out at the pond with Trixie and the other ghosts, which was good.
If we hadn’t been separated for so long by his death, I wouldn’t be so clingy anyway. Now, if our lives had proceeded normally, without the loss we’d experienced as teenagers, we’d probably both have been living very independent lives by the time he died on my behalf.
