Page 9 of Second Chance for the Grump

“What’s wrong?” Maisey asked as she left the two women and came to stand beside me again a few minutes later. “Did you see Jonathan? Why did your face get all ashen?”

I shook my shoulders. “No, I’m fine.”

Maisey stared at the children gathering into a circle on a big, bright blue floor mat. “Wait, are you scared of… the children?”

“Children often carry germs.” It was a fact. Everyone knew it. “And they hug everyone.”

Her face tightened as she clearly worked on holding back a grin. “I thought you wanted kids?”

“I do. My children will have healthy immune systems and proper manners. That’s different.”

“I see,” she said, giving me a nod. “Healthy children only. Then definitely don’t go near the far right. Jayden Rightwood seems to have a runny nose.”

Right on cue, as if they had planned it together, Jayden reared his head back and let out a huge sneeze before wiping his face on his sleeve. Ugh, children. Mine wouldn’t be doing any of that.

“This is unhinged,” I whispered to Maisey as she waved to the children and motioned for the last few to take a seat on the rug.

She laughed, the slight sound hitting me right in the gut. “This is Maple Lane Falls.”

I positioned myself behind Maisey, so I had a view of her, the kids, and the library door.

“Is that your boyfriend, Miss Maisey?” Jayden asked between sniffles.

I pricked up my ears in his direction to hear her answer. “Rowan is a special friend here on a visit.”

My lips pursed. I didn’t like that answer. We needed something better. More permanent. Forever.

A few more children asked questions, which she answered as she took a seat in front of them on the blue rug. The woman had no sense of self-preservation. She’d put herself right in the sneeze zone.

Maisey made it three pages into her book before the two librarians started chattering to themselves, standing beside a shelf of new releases. I heard the word boyfriend mentioned twice before I jerked my head just enough to give them a scowl.

They both grinned openly and then continued talking as if I wasn’t standing in the same room as them.

This was why I lived on a mountain. Alone.

Fifteen minutes and a slew of weird Halloween animal noises later, Maisey dismissed her kids to the craft tables for the next activity. She then spent an entire ten minutes talking to the librarians about setting up the next kids’ day visit with the daycare.

“Are you going to introduce us and tell us about your new friend?” the librarian with a stack of gray hair piled high on her head asked.

Maisey gave a shy laugh and shook her head. “Rowan is just visiting for a few days.”

Not if I get my way.

“That’s only if she doesn’t let me sweep her off her feet,” I said to both of them.

Maisey’s face turned bright red, and she widened her eyes at me. “Okay, time to go. Thank you, ladies. See you next week.”

The scolding started before we made it to the library door. “Now the entire town will know…” Why did I love it when she got all riled up?

We were outside with the door closing behind us as a sharp crack split the air to our side. Maisey jumped, the shock taking the words from her.

I grabbed her wrist, and the cauldron hit the bricks as I pulled her around the corner of the building. We needed an open space with a way out in case we had to run.

We made it quickly, and I pressed her back against the wall, letting my body shield hers as my eyes scanned the street, waiting to clock which direction Jonathan came from.

“Rowan…” Maisey whispered.

There wasn’t time. I had to keep her safe. Every second mattered. My heart beat hard, but I kept my panic under control. “Stay.”