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He nodded so fast I worried he’d give himself whiplash.
“Come on,” Lyric said with a delicate chuckle. “I’ll show you where it is.”
She led us up a staircase to the second floor that was more of a wraparound balcony overlooking the level below than a complete second story. There were shelves stacked like dominos, one side pressed against the back walls so there was enough open space for a decent sized walkway. Against the banisters were desks for studying or reading that overlooked the main floor below, and I pictured myself as a child—if my childhood had been the slightest bit normal—sitting there at one of those tables, doing my homework.
Between the two staircases that led up to the second level was the children’s section, complete with brightly colored posters and signs pointing to the shelves full of illustrated children’s books, as well as plush, oversized pillows and beanbag chairs scattered around the floor for seating that faced a large red wingback chair where I assumed the volunteer reader would sit.
Lyric had been right. I counted at least four adult volunteers at the back of the group of kids waiting for story time to start. They were equally spaced at the back of the group, blocking the stairs, and funnily enough, they were all wearing pirate hats.
I didn’t understand why until a man who looked to be in his late-fifties to early-sixties took a seat in the red chair, dressed completely in pirate regalia.
“All right, kids. Who’s ready for story hour?” he asked in a strange raspy voice that was heavy on the Rs.
I crouched down and pointed at one of the pillows toward the front of the group as the other children erupted with excitement. “Why don’t you go have a seat, little bug?”
Cash looked at me with big eyes full of amazement before nodding and taking off. Apparently, he was very into what was happening just then.
“That’s Jerry,” Lyric leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Apparently, he’s been volunteering for years and is really popular with the little ones because he likes to dress up and stay in character to match the theme of the week the whole hour.”
So that explained the voice. “Apparently?” I asked, quirking a brow.
She gave a small shrug. “I’m relatively new to town. I’ve only been in Redemption a few weeks. I moved here for the job.”
Talk about serendipitous. After meeting Myra, I became a firm believer that people came into your life for a reason, and it was kismet that I would meet Lyric now, when I too was new to this amazing town.
“I just moved here too, actually.”
She bumped her shoulder against mine. “Well, what do you know about that? Maybe this is fate. We’re supposed to become best friends or something,” she teased, but I found myself actually enjoying the thought of that.
“You can never have too many friends, right?”
“For sure. We need to exchange numbers before you head out so we can set up a time for drinks or something one night.”
I pulled in a quick breath. She said it so casually, as if it were nothing, and I was sure that most people took that kind of thing for granted on a regular basis, the freedom to get up and go out with their friends whenever they wanted. But it was something I’d never had the luxury of doing... until now.
My throat felt like it was swelling up, and I struggled to get my emotions under control as I tried to swallow the lump down. “I’d love that,” I managed to say. Fortunately, the fact we were whispering hid how low and thick my voice came out.
She hit me with a bright smile, bouncing on the tips of her shoes. “Awesome. Well, I better get down to the desk in case anyone needs me. Come over and sign up for a library card before you head out.”
My brow furrowed. “A library card?”
Her head canted to the side in confusion. “Well, yeah. You need a library card in order to check out books.”
My jaw dropped and my eyes grew big as salad plates. “You mean I’m allowed to leave here with the books?”
I realized by the way she looked at me that I’d made a huge misstep. I knew about the existence of libraries and what they were for, but that was the extent of it. I had no idea you could check books out to take home. I thought you had to stay in the building while reading them. Apparently, that was something well known, and just like that, I’d allowed my lack of worldly knowledge slip to the surface.
She wiped her expression clean before pasting on another smile, and I knew it was all for my benefit. Had it been anywhere else, my embarrassment might have crippled me to the point I’d never return. But not here. Not where books were the prized commodity. Stepping into this building was a dream come true for a book lover like myself. Therefore, I knew I’d come back. Again, and again, and again.
“Well, only five at a time. But as soon as you bring those back, you can check out five more.”
Five books at a time.
It just kept getting better and better.
“Okay, yes. Thank you, I’ll be sure to do that.”
She shot me a wink before turning on her heel and heading down the stairs. I waited a little longer, silently watching over Cash, who was transfixed by the pirate reading from a large picture book, before following suit in search of books of my own.
