Page 32 of The Library of Second Chances
Chloe felt her face was on fire. She’d had no idea that Harry owned Ashcroft Construction. ‘Through here.’ She tried not to look too agitated as she left Eric in the reception lobby and led Harry upstairs. Clementine was on top of the bookshelf, trying to drink from the bucket. Chloe pointed. ‘The leak is up there.’
‘Right. I’ll need to inspect it,’ said Harry. ‘Could you give me some time?’
All too happy to escape, Chloe nodded and retrieved the cat. Clementine meowed in annoyance, displeased, but she took him downstairs and gave him some fresh water in his bowl. What were the chances it was Harry’s company she had rung this morning? She dearly hoped he didn’t think that was intentional.
When she stepped out, she saw a woman and a little girl heading for the children’s section. She gasped in delight and rushed to them. It wouldn’t do to shout in the library, after all.
‘Hi, Hannah,’ she said, poking her friend gently in her back.
‘Chloe!’ said Hannah happily. ‘I’m so glad you’re working today, I hoped I’d be able to see you. This is my daughter, Lily.’
The three-year-old had her mother’s hazel eyes and a curtain of dark brown hair. She waved shyly at Chloe, half-hiding behind her mum’s leg. ‘Hi, Lily.’ Chloe knelt, seeing so much of her best friend in her daughter. ‘Nice to meet you. Do you like books?’
Lily glanced at her mother, then gave a non-committal shrug.
‘Of course you do.’ Hannah looked a little embarrassed. ‘She’s just a bit shy, Chloe.’
Clementine wandered in just then, licking his chops. He meowed softly.
‘Oh, a cat!’ exclaimed Lily, pointing. Clementine ignored her, trotting off.
Chloe laughed. ‘He’s a grumpy boy, but he’s lovely once you get to know him. Would you like me to find you some books about cats?’
Lily nodded and took her hand, and they played in the soft play area for a while. Books about cats seemed abundant on the children’s bookshelf all of a sudden, and Chloe glanced upwards at the rafters and the arched windows, silently wondering if the library was giving them what they needed.
‘And you can take some of these home with you, if you like. It’s free,’ said Chloe, after they had finished reading some of them. Hannah wasn’t wrong, Lily was a shy girl, but she managed to coax a few words from her and even a peal of laughter when they read a funny story about a naughty kitten.
‘This was fun,’ said Hannah later. ‘It’s so nice to have somewhere to bring her that’s, um,’ she lowered her voice as though embarrassed, ‘free. And dry when it rains. Plus, I needed a break from the café, you know.’ She raised her eyebrows and Chloe gave a sage nod.
‘This is exactly what a library is for,’ said Chloe sincerely.
‘Can we come again sometime?’ Lily asked.
Chloe put her hand on her chest. ‘Oh my gosh, she is just adorable.’
‘Of course we can,’ Hannah promised. ‘Now, which of these books would you like to take home?’
Chloe was glad to be distracted by Hannah and her daughter. She was trying not to think about Harry up on the second floor, inherspace, and the fact she had no one to blame for that but herself.
She wasn’t sure why she was getting so rattled. She imagined Gwen laughing at her, teasing her for thinking about a guy she was supposed to despise.
Gwen.She still hadn’t heard from her sister. She wasn’t even sure Gwen had come home after storming out last night, and it had been raining most of the day. Should she text her?
Chloe was heading towards her bag to grab her phone when she stopped herself. Even if Gwen had been out all night, Wellbridge wasn’t a dangerous town. She was likely sulking at home. Hopefully she wouldn’t take her aggro out on the kitchen again.
A knock sounded on the kitchen door and Harry appeared. ‘Hi, Chloe. Well, I’ll need to bring in a couple of guys to fix theroof. I’ve roped off the area, though I’ve made sure there’s still a path to the fiction section for people who need it. We can come by first thing in the morning, if that’s okay?’
‘Erm. Yeah, that’s fine.’ She wondered why he was telling her and not Mrs Cook. ‘Shall we let the librarian know?’
‘Actually, Chloe, now I’ve got you on your own, I’d like to tell you something.’
‘Oh. All right.’ She closed the staff room door. Now they were alone with the humming fridge. She leaned against the wall, folding her arms. ‘What is it?’
Harry looked suddenly sheepish. He deposited his toolbox on the table. ‘We got off on the wrong foot,’ he said. ‘When we first met, I was short with you. I know I’ve annoyed you a couple of times, and that time in the pub . . . I wanted to apologise.’
Chloe shifted, not trusting herself to speak.
He fidgeted. ‘It’s not really an excuse, but I’m a widower. My wife passed away two years ago, and I suppose I’ve been a bit of a nightmare to be around ever since.’
