Page 5 of Reluctant Chemistry

Obviously, news traveled fast in this part of the country, much faster than in Clifton Falls. But then, small towns were known for their robust rumor mills. “I did. CeCe Dobson. I found her by Old Cemetery Road with a sprained ankle. How did you know about that?”

“Her father called, wanting the details.”

Luka motioned to the coffee. “You want one?”

“Thanks.” Brad accepted the offered coffee and blew across the rim of the mug. “No doubt he’ll pay us a visit sometime soon to find out what went down. Frank’s one tough nut.” He set the mug down on his desk as Luka added another pod into the machine. “Mind you, with three daughters, he’s had to be. Not easy keeping tabs on them, especially that CeCe. She’s a wild child, that’s for sure. Or was, anyway.”

Luka frowned. He’d not got that impression in the short time he’d spent with her. In fact, she seemed rather cautious and timid. “Where does she work?”

“At the library, I think. What happened to her, anyway?”

“She was wandering down the side of the road in the dark and tripped in a rabbit hole. I picked her up, dropped her off at the hospital, and left.”

“What time was that?”

Luka cast his mind back. He’d been called out to a false alarm around eight thirty, and by the time they’d arrived at the hospital, it had been after nine. “About nine thirty.”

“What was she doing out there on her own?”

“She said something about her boyfriend coming back for her, but he never showed.”

Brad sipped his coffee. “Maybe you should log it, you know, just to keep everything aboveboard.”

Luka shrugged. He hadn’t been on duty by then, and to him, CeCe Dobson was someone who’d needed a lift rather than a rescue, but Brad was the boss. “Okay.”

* * *

Tulloch Point Public Library annexed a cluster of municipal buildings on the edge of the tree-lined town square. Today was Luka’s second visit within the space of a week. The first was when he’d dropped off CeCe’s boot a few days earlier. She hadn’t been working that day; however the receptionist, an older woman, had assured him she’d take care of it.

He seldom used the library at home, but he loved the ambiance of this one. The nineteenth-century architecture, the smell of the countless pages—bound in such a way as to make perfect sense to those who read them—and the murmurs of staff as they paced through their day with determined efficiency.

And then there was CeCe. For some reason, Luka struggled to imagine her as a librarian—she seemed more of an outdoors type to him. He had no idea how he’d come to that conclusion. Perhaps it was the smattering of tiny freckles across the bridge of her nose or the light tan of her skin.

As he entered the building, the same receptionist greeted him with a smile. Luka perused the crime section, searching for the latest Grisham or Childs. However, new releases appeared thin on the ground in Tulloch Point Public Library, so he strolled along the aisles, coming to a halt when he reached the aviation section. Again, there seemed little on offer, but as he leafed through his first pick, he detected movement out of the corner of his eye. Luka didn’t need to look up to know it was her. But he did anyway.

Wow!

Her hair tumbling about her shoulders in a mass of soft curls rather than tied back, CeCe looked different from what he remembered. She stepped in front of the book cart she was pushing, a shy smile lighting up her face. “Excuse me. Are you Luka, the guy who dropped me off at the hospital?”

He couldn’t stop staring. In a high-necked ribbed top, a black pencil skirt, and ballet flats, she was wildly beautiful but constrained. He wondered how old she was. The night they met, she’d been a mess—agitated and fearful—but today she seemed amiable and had the cutest dimples he’d ever seen. “That’s me.” He offered his hand. “Luka O’Leary.”

The heat of her palm and the strength of her handshake surprised him. She straightened the already straight books on her cart. “Thank you for the ride into town. I was in pain, so probably wasn’t as gracious as I should have been.”

“No problem. I was only doing my job.”

CeCe motioned to the book in his hand. “Are you into helicopters?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to get enough hours to complete my license, so…”

She turned back to the cart, pulled a book free, and held it out to him. “This one’s popular with the chopper guys.”

He flipped the book over to scan the blurb, then glanced up. “Thanks. Looks like what I’m after.”

“Well, guess I’d better get back to work. Have a nice day.”

Luka watched her walk away, surprised by a spark he hadn’t felt in a long time. After his last breakup, he’d vowed to keep his four months in Tulloch Point female free.

But CeCe…Shit!

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