He had just decided there was no other option but to approach the desk and ask when a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to find April standing behind him. “There you are,” she said in a quiet but excited voice. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
Her smile put him at ease immediately. “Where is the event?” he asked, grateful that he wasn’t going to be made to ask a stranger.
“They usually do story time in one of the back rooms. Come with me. They’re going to start soon.” She gestured for them to follow her and headed between two tall shelves toward the back wall. There was a door with a glass window in it, and April opened it like the library was her own home. Inside the room, the lights were a little brighter. There was brightly colored artwork lining the walls—illustrations from picture books, Cal thought. A chair was set up at one end of the room with lots of mats around it.
A number of kids had already made themselves comfortable in the choice spots, waiting for the storyteller to arrive. They looked excited, like they’d been here before and looked forward to the weekly event. Cal felt a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t thought todo something like this before. Owen did deserve more time with other kids.
“Can I go?” Owen asked, looking up with big eyes.
“Go pick a good spot,” Cal answered.
The smile Owen gave him then was one Cal knew he would remember for the rest of his life. Moments like this were why he’d wanted kids in the first place. But there was still a little voice in the back of his head telling him to be careful, telling him that he was the only one who could protect his son.
After a few minutes, the children had all settled into their places, and the storyteller came in with a few books. She sat in her chair and smiled at her audience. She introduced herself and introduced the first book. Owen looked back only once, his expression bright and happy. Then he turned back to the storyteller, and he didn’t turn around again. The boy was enraptured.
April touched Cal’s arm and gestured for him to follow her back out into the main room of the library. He didn’t want to. He wanted to stay and keep his eyes on Owen at all times. But it was one room, and there were so many people around. As long as Cal didn’t wander too far from the door, he felt it was safe enough to move into the next room.
“So,” she whispered after finally closing the door behind her. “What do you think?”
Cal shrugged. “It’s a good library.”
April laughed under her breath. “I mean, what do you think of story time? Does it seem like something you might be comfortable letting Owen do regularly?”
Again, he shrugged. “I guess. He seems to like it.”
“My nephew enjoyed it a lot when I took him. That’s why I thought it could be fun for Owen. And, of course, it’s a good excuse to see you two again.” She smiled so warmly he had to smile back.
The truth was, he’d been irritated that he’d been convinced to do something like this. He hadn’t wanted to leave the cabin that morning. But he’d done it for her, just to see her again.
“Do you like libraries?” April asked, pulling a book off a shelf and turning it over in her hands.
“I did when I was a kid, I guess,” Cal said.
“So you didn’t always live way out in the wilderness, huh?”
He chuckled. “I’m not as weird as you think I am. I had a pretty normal childhood, all things considered. We weren’t wealthy, but we knew how to get along. We used to go to the library to get things for school since my parents homeschooled me. I liked it all right. It was never a social occasion, though.”
April handed the book she’d been looking over to him. “My favorite genre is mystery. Have you read this one?”
Cal looked at it. He hadn’t seen it before. The author was not one of the big ones everyone knew—probably more contemporary. “I haven’t read much mystery,” he said. This one had a punny title and a cup of cocoa on the cover. It didn’t look much like a mystery to him, but what did he know? He’d been out of the loop for so long, and he’d never been much of a reader. There was too much to do around the property for him to feel comfortable sitting around with a good book. Although the thought was nice.
April took the book back. “That one’s a cozy mystery. I love the cozy ones best. My real life has always been so hectic. I see no reason why my fantasy life has to be the same.” She laughed and put the book back on the shelves.
“Actually,” Cal said. “Do you mind if I grab that one? I’d like to read it. I’ve never read a cozy mystery before, and it sounds interesting.”
“Oh my gosh. Really? Can we talk about it when you’re done? It’ll be like a tiny book club with two people.” Her eyes sparkled in a way that made it impossible to say no.
Cal nodded and took the book from her. “I haven’t got a library card yet, so I’ll need to get one.”
“Oh, right,” April said. “You probably need an address in town to get one. I’ll let you use mine.”
That was unexpected. Cal hardly knew what to say. It felt like she was giving him something huge and meaningful, even though it was a favor that cost her nothing. A person’s home address was something precious in a way. Some level of trust had to be involved in giving it away. Essentially, she was trusting that he was no stalker, or even that he wouldn’t use her address to receive his junk mail or anything like that. The fact that she trusted him even that much after the short amount of time they had spent together meant something special, he thought.
While they walked together to the counter, Cal kept looking back at the door to the story room. “How long do these things usually last?” he asked.
“Usually, about a half hour,” she said. “They do more than one book, sing some relevant songs, and have question time. Don’t worry. We’ll be waiting for him when story time is finished.”
At the counter, April helped Cal fill out his application for a card. She added her own address to the address field, and Cal’s heart was warmed again. She even touched his arm several times during the process, which he didn’t know how to take, but he enjoyed it all the same.
