Stella didn’t understand why she’d needed to write these particular words, as she had no desire to meet anyone offering love to her in the dark. But she folded the napkin and slipped it into her back pocket with her pen.
Maybe her restlessness today, the jittery unease, could be blamed on her second cup of coffee or on the summer heat slipping inside. But the air in the library felt out of sync with how it should be, like a thunderstorm brewing indoors, and Stella had an inkling as to why.
After a lifetime of seeing the words, she couldn’t deny that her unique magic was real. However, admitting there wasmoreenchantment in the world alarmed her. She’d been trying so hard to live a normal life after her mom left. She could entertain the possibility of using her talents to start redirecting her life. But accepting the possibility that extraordinary, wilder magic existed threatened to upend her grip on normal, and the strangeness in the library unnerved her.
Stella returned to the circulation desk just as a redheaded woman walked into the library. The woman carried an armful of books, and she smiled as soon as she made eye contact with Stella.
“Good morning,” Stella said. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
The woman nodded. “Mostly for my boys, but I’ll be honest, I stayed up all night finishing this one.” She pulledThe Adventures of Tom Sawyerout of the stack and slid it closer to Stella. “I told myself I’d only read until nine and then it was ten. Then before I knew it, it was three a.m., and I don’t even care that I look like I stayed up all night. I couldn’t put it down. It’s probably hard to believe I’ve never read this classic before now.” She tugged on her fiery-red, shoulder-length hair. “I also read through this one.” She slidAdventures of Huckleberry Finnout of the stack.
Stella’s smile wavered as watery letters leaked out of the pages. They formed puddles on the desk and then collected into words.Teenagers. Shenanigans. Superstitions.A queasy feeling wormed through her, and she experienced a surrealistic moment like Alice must have felt when she tumbled down the rabbit hole.
Stella nodded absently. “Those two boys certainly got into some wayward escapades.”
The woman leaned forward and whispered, “I’m a bit relieved my boys aren’t like these two. They’re bighearted and well-meaning, but with Tom skipping school and getting into fights—not the kind of friend I want my boys to have, but I bet they were fun too.”
The two boys silhouetted by moonlight flashed into her memory. Stella reached for the remainder of the returned books. “Is there something else you want to check out while you’re here? Can I help you find anything?”
“Since we’re on the subject of troublemakers, I think I’ll start the Harry Potter series. I heard there are twins who get into a lot of mischief,” she said. “But I know where to find those books. I’llbe back.” She scurried off toward the children’s section, humming “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.”
Stella stared at the books. She rubbed her fingertip against the embossed title ofThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
“Ichabod Crane, Peter Pan, Helen of Troy, and now Tom and Huck.” There was a definite connection between the library books and the character sightings—if she could call them that. What was actually happening here?
Stella dug through her overnight bag and retrieved Jack Mathis’s novel. She flipped through the pages and stopped on one of the photographs. “Now ifyouwere coming to life...” She smiled at the absurdity of the idea, knowing if Jack showed his face, she might hightail it the other way. She and relationships with men did not mix well together, like gasoline and stupidity. “Best if youdon’tshow up, Jack.”
Stella left the library during the afternoon to run home and meet the HVAC guy. He was able to repair the air-conditioning unit with ease and said within three to four hours, the house should feel pleasant again. Returning to the library and its cool air was a relief until the temperature in the house cooled from ninety degrees to a tolerable seventy-two.
That evening when Stella and Melanie finished the closing routine, Stella found Arnie sitting at the circulation desk. He flipped through the accordion file that was stuffed with paperwork for the festival. Sweat beaded across his forehead, and he rubbed one hand up and down his jaw and then against the back of his neck.
Stella draped her arms over the desk and studied him. “You don’t look so hot.”
Arnie cut his eyes over at her but continued to look through the files. “Says the woman who slept on the library floor last night.”
“Hey,” Stella joked, “there’s no reason to cut so low. I thought I was looking pretty good for sleeping on the floor and being haunted by teenagers. But really, are you feeling okay?”
Arnie pulled his handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped it across his forehead and then down both sides of his neck. “It’s hot as blue blazes outside, and it’s creeping indoors. I’ll be fine when the autumn gets here. How’s the head, kiddo?”
“When are you going to stop asking about my head?” She plucked an ink pen out of a mug on the counter and twirled it through her fingers.
“When you give me an honest answer. Still seeing ghosts?”
The pen slipped through her fingers, and Stella shivered. “Not in the last few hours.” She picked up the pen and dropped it back into the cup. Flimsy words poofed out of the mug like dust.On the edge. Stirring. Unexpected.They wriggled toward Arnie and disappeared up his shirtsleeve.
Arnie wiped his handkerchief across his forehead once more before he tucked it back into his pocket. He reached for a bottle of water, and his hand trembled against the plastic. He seemed to be having trouble catching his breath for a few seconds before he twisted off the cap and gulped down half of the water in the bottle.
Stella slid around the desk and propped her hip against the counter beside him. “Seriously, are you okay?”
Arnie pushed away from the desk in the rolling chair. He rubbed his left shoulder and nodded. “I’m starting to think that maybe I stretched my tuna salad one day too many.” He reached over and patted Stella’s hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been worse. Is the AC fixed in the house?”
Stella nodded. “I’m heading home. You sure you don’t need anything? What about for the festival? Is there anything you need me to help with? Last-minute location or vendor changes?”
Arnie placed his hands on his stomach. “I assure you, it’s all organized and prepped like a well-oiled machine. We have very little to take charge of this year, except your care packages.”
“A few people on the committee were kind enough to volunteer to help me, so that’s all organized too.”
Arnie closed his eyes for a moment. “I don’t foresee any hiccups at this point. There’s bound to besomethingunexpected, but that’s what makes life interesting. I think we’ll be smooth sailing.”
