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He looked up at me, smiling so big and sweet, I felt an instant sugar rush just from seeing it. Cash Harker was, hands down, the cutest, most precious little boy I’d ever laid eyes on. He had a gentle disposition and a quiet nature I knew wasn’t common in boys his age, and I could see the little wheels turning in his head. He saw more than other two-year-olds, and I had a feeling he absorbed things that might go in one ear and out the other of most toddlers.
I was grateful he felt comfortable and safe around me. He’d been watchful, reluctant to engage until he felt certain it was okay, but eventually, those walls came down, and I got to meet the real Cash, and it had taken no time at all to fall head over heels for him.
He was smart, incredibly so, which only made my anger at his mother that much stronger. Laeth still hadn’t said a word about the woman, but curiosity had been needling at me ever since Myra’s dinner. It was getting harder and harder to keep from prying, not that I had any right.
He did a little skip beside me, his short legs barely coming off the ground. “Books!” he shouted, throwing his chubby little fist in the air.
“That’s right, little bug. Books. Lots and lots of books.”
One of the things Laeth happened to live close to was Redemption’s library, and today, Cash and I were off on an adventure.
We turned the corner, and the red brick building came into view. It stood two stories high with gleaming white stone columns, a steeple, and an archway over the entrance. The windows on the first story were rectangular, but the ones on the second were arched, giving the building the appearance of stretching upward toward the sky. The building was beautiful, but I was far more interested in the magic that lay inside.
I’d finished the books Myra had loaned me days ago, and I wasitchingto get my hands on more.
I pulled the heavy door open and together, Cash and I stepped inside. The air was cool and refreshing against the heat outside, and the light in the old building was much more muted thanks to the rows upon rows of heavy, dark wooden shelves blocking the sunlight streaming through the large windows. The dimness gave the library a cozy feel, like it was inviting you to come inside and sit in one of the many large, squishy,overly stuffed chairs scattered around, which was exactly what I wanted to do.
The air held a musty, papery scent to it that came from the rows and rows of books that lined the shelves. It was a smell I wanted to take into my lungs and hold for an eternity. It was the scent of knowledge, of the past, present, and the future all at once.
“Hi there. Can I help you find something today?”
I twisted my head to see a woman standing behind a long wooden counter. She was dressed similarly to me, in jeans and a soft, flowy blouse, the fabric holding a bit of shimmer that caught in the overhead lights. If I had to guess, she was somewhere in her mid-thirties, and had a kind smile that instantly put me at ease.
“Hi,” I returned before giving Cash’s hand a little squeeze. “We’re just here to explore, really, but thank you so much for the offer.”
Her smile brightened when she tipped her head down to take in the little boy beside me. “Well, hey there, cutie. What’s your name?”
Cash pressed hard into the side of my leg, wrapping his arm around my thigh and locking on as he looked up at the woman with curious eyes holding far more intensity than a boy his age should have, all the while remaining quiet.
“He’s just a little shy,” I offered to the woman whose friendly expression remained firmly in place. I shifted my focus to Cash. “Hey,” I coaxed on a gentle whisper, pulling his attention to me, “it’s okay. You can tell her.”
He studied me for a few seconds before finally deciding to take me at my word. “I Cash,” he finally said to the woman now resting her forearms on the counter separating us.
She beamed brightly. “What a handsome name. Handsome name for a handsome young man.”
Cash gave her a timid smile from beneath his lashes.
“What do you say, little bug?”
“Fanks,” he said shyly.
In the week I’d been working as his nanny, one of the things we worked on was learning a few new words each day. He was incredibly bright, picking them up quicker than I’d expected, but he still had that toddler speech that made the words adorable coming from his mouth.
“You’re quite welcome, buddy. I’m Lyric. It’s nice to meet you both.” She extended her hand to me, and I didn’t hesitate to shake it.
“Deva. And you’ve already met Cash. We’re here to lose ourselves in the incredible world of books.”
The woman stood tall and placed a hand over her heart. “A fellow bookworm. I love it. Any fan of the written word is fine by me.” She looked back to Cash and winked, and I could have sworn the kiddo blushed under her attention. Seemed little bug had good taste, because Lyric was quite beautiful. “What about you, handsome? Do you love books?”
His lips parted ever-so-slightly as he nodded up at Lyric.
“Then I have great news for you. Story hour is starting in the children’s center in five minutes.” She leaned across the counter and widened her eyes while lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. “Today they’re reading books about pirates! I heard they’re really good.” She shifted her gaze to me. “It’s a great chance for the grownups to have a little time to themselves. You know, to browse the shelves that contain books that don’t have cartoon drawings in them.”
“Oh, uh...” I looked to Cash before glancing around the library, searching for hidden dangers that could pop out at any moment. “I don’t know if I should leave him.”
“It’s totally safe,” she assured me. “We have multiple volunteers that handle story hour, so no little ones can slipthrough the cracks. Plus, the only way in or out of the library is right there.” She pointed to the door we’d just come through. “There’s no way a tiny human could get past without me seeing.”
I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment. “All right. What do you think, Cash?” His little body began to vibrate with the excitement he was forcing himself to keep tamped down as he shifted from foot to foot. “You want to go to story hour?” I asked, silently giving him permission to be excited.
