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CHAPTERONE
Isa
Once upon a time, there was an asshole, and his name was Adam Wellington.
I stare at the unanswered email for the tenth time since I sat down at my computer. At least someone from his corporation wrote back when I reached out originally. But it was a form response asking me to submit my request in writing. As in, send it via snail mail.
I sigh as I stare at my screen as if willing his reply will make a reply appear. After a full minute, I slouch in my chair and promptly fall back on the floor as the entire chair flips over.
“Ouch,” I manage as I stare up at the ceiling, questioning every choice I’ve ever made.
“Isa? Are you alright?” Ainsley asks from down the hall.
I roll out of the chair and rub the back of my head. “Yeah,” I mutter.
I see her head pop around a shelf. “Sure?”
I grab the chair that’s about as defunct as half the furniture in this library and set it back upright. “Yes. Just injured my pride again,” I state as I give her a small smile.
“We should go down to the consignment shop and see if they have any new chairs. That chair is officially a death trap,” she declares.
I don’t have the heart to tell her that we don’t even have the funds for a secondhand chair. “That’s probably a good idea,” I offer as I look around. It’s nearly closing time. Ainsley walks over to the counter and starts to shut down the computer. She’s been a great volunteer. When she walked in as a junior in high school and offered to work for free, I was suspect, but I don’t know where I’d be without her. She’s home from college for winter break and still offers to come help.
I glance out at the street. It’s gotten dark, darker than normal for this time of day. I check my phone for weather alerts but don’t see any. I know we’re due for a little snow, but that’s normal for this time of year. Still, my protective instincts don’t like Ainsley driving in any snow at all.
“Ains, you should get going,” I state. “I’ll close up for the night.”
She waves a hand at me. “I’m almost done. Plus, my weather app says we are only getting a dusting. No big deal.”
I nod as she walks over and drops a pile of mail on my desk. “Any word on that grant you applied for?” she asks.
I shake my head. I had told her about the grant I had applied to weeks ago and offered up a possible special collection as a match. There was just one teeny-tiny problem. I hadn’t gotten the special collection yet.
“What about that special collection? Has that asshat responded?” she inquires as she peers at me from over the top of the computer screen at the checkout desk.
“Not yet,” I reply as I sort through the mail, trying not to grimace when I see two overdue bills.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll hear back soon,” she says as she grabs her coat and bag. “See you next Thursday.”
“Oh right, have fun visiting your grandparents,” I offer as she comes over and hugs me.
“Right. They have one television with basic cable. I just checked out like six books so I’m not bored,” she says with a laugh.
“You guys are heading over there tonight?” I ask.
She nods. “My dad wants to get on the road soon, so we can bring them dinner and beat the snow.”
“I’m sure they will love having you,” I assure her.
She shrugs. “Later, Isa.”
She waves as she walks out the door. I toss the bills down in a pile on my desk and shut down my computer. Looking across the room, I stare at the mural of Storyview Falls. The legend is that the name of the town came from waterfalls hidden in the forest that had magical powers. But modern historians believe the waterfalls weren’t magical, and instead of being inland, they are out by the cliffs near the beach. Either way, it made for fun wall art for the library.
I grab my gym bag and purse and head out the door, making sure it locks behind me. I walk next door to the little bakery below my apartment. The door chimes as I walk inside.
“We’re closed,” Elisha’s voice rings out from the back.
“Well, thank God for that. I hear this place sucks,” I answer as I drop my bags.
