Let him waste his time. She had Monte Carlo waiting.
When Paul insisted on driving them home, Joyce accepted graciously.
The ride was quiet. Andie sat in the back, hands folded, watching the city pass like she was memorizing escape routes. Joyce kept catching Paul’s eyes in the rearview mirror, tracking the girl’s every breath.
Still playing benefactor.
Excellent.
They pulled up to the Bernard mansion. Paul got out to open their doors, old-world manners that made Andie duck her head and murmur soft thanks that he seemed to catalog for later use.
Joyce waited on the front steps, watching his Bentley disappear down the drive. The moment it turned the corner, she turned to her niece.
“I need to leave tomorrow for Monte Carlo.”
Andie’s expression shifted into dismay. “But you said we’d talk—”
“I won’t be away forever,’ she snapped. ‘I’ll be back in a couple of days. The Frontier Ball is this weekend, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. In the meantime—”
Joyce studied her niece’s face as she made her offer.
“But why?”
Her lip curled at the girl’s visible confusion.
Was it really not obvious or was this girl just that stupid?
“Forget about the why,” she dismissed impatiently, “and just focus on what matters. We both know you need more than what you’ve asked for.”
Chapter Three
A CHIME ECHOED THROUGHthe library, soft but insistent.
“The Tranquil Acres Community Library will be closing in one hour,”a pleasant voice announced. “Please proceed to the checkout desk to avoid queues for borrows and returns. Thank you.”
One hour then.
She had one more hour to enjoy everything this place had to offer, and surely...surely that was fine?
This place was just magical, and so it made her just a little sad, with how empty it was. How could the people living here not realize how lucky they were? Or maybe they knew...but they just didn’t care?
She had been here since half past four, and it was now six in the evening, but Andie wasstillin awe. Like, she had to remind herself several times to close her mouth because she had noticed the staff directing suspicious looks her way.
Not that she minded. It was their job to care for these books, like, like...um the Fellowship of the Ring, only this time, they were more like the Guardians of These Precious Books, and for real, every book in this place was exactly that.
Breathtakingly, mouthwateringly precious and gorgeous, and most amazing of all, all of these were free for the residents of Tranquil Acres to borrow!
Like, seriously?
All she had to present was her resident ID or guest pass, and that was it?
Guilt and pleasure warred inside of Andie as she ran her fingers over the spines of the books shelved under this year’sNew York Times Bestsellers.She hadn’t forgotten her mission. She remembered what she came here to do, and while indulging in her favorite hobby obviously wasn’t a part of it—
One more hour in this place couldn’t hurt, surely?
She just couldn’t get enough of their texture. Soft vegan leather. Embossed letters that caught under her fingernails. Velvet so thick and luxurious it made her want to press her cheek against the covers like a weirdo.
Andoh, wow!
