Page 112 of Royal Icing
“Should we get your mom first?”
“Great idea. She loves a library.”
An hour later, the stolen wheelchair clattered over the threshold of the library.
“I love it,” Lisa whispered.
“You’ve said that about everything we’ve seen,” Emma said, but her tone was teasing.
“Because it’s true. It’s all so quaint and lovely. I feel so at home here. Don’t you feel at home, Emma?”
“I do love a library,” she said noncommittally.
Leo shot her a look. Unless he was mistaken, Lisa was heavily hinting that she would give up their apartment and move to Lynoria. What did Emma think about that?
Maybe he was misinterpreting and Lisa was just happy to travel outside the small radius she had been trapped in for two years. He shouldn’t get his hopes up.
He really needed to just man up and ask Emma what she was thinking. But the thought of losing her friendship gave him a type of anxiety he had never experienced.
Besides, everything was up in the air right now. He wasn’t in any position to be a good boyfriend when he was jobless and directionless.
“Okay,” Emma said, “the library and the community garden need to be our main plugs. While our donors need to know what they’re paying for, for safety reasons, we can’t disclose the location of the shelter to the public.”
“Right.” He glanced back at Lisa, who had a far-off look in her eye as they traveled between the tomes. Was all this talk of shelters making her relive her experience? He should be more sensitive.
“Ah,” Emma said, coming to a stop in the children’s section. “This is perfect.”
A woman and child were playing with some faded-looking toy cars on a battered table. The children’s section really did need an upgrade.
The mother looked up, and her mouth popped open in surprise. She rose to her feet, tugging her son with her. He couldn’t have been more than three.
“Your Highness.” She sank into a curtsy. Her son bowed next to her, then hid behind her.
“Just Leo,” he said. He was ninety-five percent sure this was the woman who worked the evening shift at the local grocery store. “It’s Mary, right?”
“I—uh—yes, Your Highness,” she said, visibly surprised. “I mean, Leo. No, that’s not right. I can’t do it, Your Highness. I’m sorry.”
Her cheeks flushed.
Leo cracked a smile.
“I’m Emma.” She stuck a hand out to Mary, who shook it. “I just love a library, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes,” Mary said. “We come for story time every Tuesday. The princess readThe Very Hungry Caterpillarlast week,” she said.
“Isn’t she the best? Children’s literature is so important. You know, Prince Leo is actually trying to build a new library,” Emma said.
“Really?” Mary said.
The son peeked out from behind his mother and inspected the group. “Why are you in a wheelchair?” he asked.
“Asher,” Mary said harshly. “I’m so sorry.”
Leo held his breath, but Lisa smiled.
She leaned forward to look at Asher. “Something happened to my body that made my legs not work so well. I can walk a little, but it’s safer for me to stay in the wheelchair while we’re out and about.”
“I’m so sorry,” Mary repeated. Her face had gone from scarlet to pale as a fresh cut of wood.
