Page 33 of Honey Bee Library
I sighed and shook my mouse to wake up my computer. “Okay. What book are you looking for?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I looked up. He was squinting at me like he was trying to conjure up a book title. I sighed and stood. I wasn’t sure what this man’s angle was, but I wasn’t interested in playing games. There was way too much at stake for me right now.
“I’ll show you where the mechanic section is. Maybe you can find the book you’re looking for there.” I pushed my chair in and rounded the counter.
I paused and waited for Liam to follow. He stayed behind me as I led him to the back of the library.
“Why do you think I want a book about cars?”
His voice was low and playful, and it sent shivers across my skin. I shook my head, forcing my thoughts to get right before I went down a path I didn’t want to go down.
I flicked my gaze over my shoulder at him. “Have you seen the way you dress?”
He stopped and stared at his t-shirt and jeans. “I look like a mechanic?”
Since he was no longer following me, I stopped as well. We were standing in the self-help aisle.
“Well, yeah,” I said. I really didn’t know how to categorize his style. All I knew was he didn’t look like he lived in a small southern town. He looked transient, and I did not have time for anything that wasn’t stable.
“I look like a mechanic,” he whispered as he continued to stare at his clothes.
“Sabrina?” Isabelle’s voice caused me to glance it its direction.
“Are you okay here?” I asked, ready to sprint away to see what Isabelle needed.
He was picking at his shirt, so I took that as a yes and left him there.
“Sabrina?” Isabelle’s voice had grown louder.
“Right here!” I exclaimed as I left the self-help aisle. I only took two steps before she appeared.
“Oh, good,” she said, blowing out her breath. I must have looked startled, because her eyes widened as she glanced behind me. “Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Yep, of course. Just showing a reader the self-help section.” I jutted my thumb over my shoulder at Liam. Hopefully he was distracted enough to stay put.
“Oh, good,” she said, following my gesture before glancing back at me. “I wanted to see if you would be willing to run the library’s book club tomorrow night.” My eyes widened, and she hurried to raise her hand. “It’s not hard at all. I already have the questions printed off; you just need to read them.” She sighed. “And keep the conversation on topic.”
“I…um….” I had Samuel to take care of. I wondered if Abigail was free to watch him. I knew I probably should’ve checked with her first, but I didn’t want to disappoint my new boss. So I nodded and said, “Sure,” with a bit too much enthusiasm.
Isabelle raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
“I’d love to.” I was playing fast and loose with the wordlove, but I didn’t want her to think that she was inconveniencing me, even though, technically, she was. This job was my lifeline, and I was going to do everything I could to hang on to it.
“Wonderful.” She reached out and patted my shoulder. “I’m so glad you took this job.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
She turned and headed back to her office. I stood there, my mind reeling from what I’d just agreed to. I hoped that Abigail wasn’t busy because I had no idea what I was going to do with Samuel if she was.
It took me a moment to return to the present, and suddenly, Liam’s cocky smile entered my mind. Right. I’d abandoned him.
I turned and headed back in his direction. I rounded a corner and yelped when I almost ran into him. He was standing there with his arms folded across his chest and one shoulder resting on the corner of the bookshelf. He had one leg crossed in front of the other, and his eyebrows were raised as he studied me.
Had he been eavesdropping?
I pushed that thought from my mind. Why would he even care? This was a small-town library. Nothing interesting ever happened here.
“Find anything you might want to read?” I asked, nodding to the obvious lack of books in his hands.
