No matter how much my fox wished I wouldn’t.
“Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Greg shook his head. He was wearing a hoodie and some baggy sweatpants. “Not at all. I’m an early riser. Besides, I wanted to get some breakfast. There was a bakery down the street, Bearly Baked. Unbeatable croissants, and today, they had some filled ones. I made a pot of coffee as well.”
“That sounds delicious. I’ll have to try it sometime.”
Greg shook his head. “Listen to me. I’m not being clear. I went to the bakery to get us some breakfast and made us coffee.What kind of host would I be if I went out and got something only for myself. Wouldn’t make a good bed-and-breakfast with those manners for sure.”
I let out a laugh. “Thank you. I didn’t expect that.”
He shrugged. “The kitchen isn’t ready yet, but coffee is a need, not a want, so I set up a small coffee station in there. Please, help yourself.”
As I passed the alpha, I circumvented the toolbox but somehow ended up tripping over a pile of flooring. My life flashed before me. This was it. I was going to smash my cheek open and then have to report to work dripping blood.
Right on par with my luck lately.
But before I could land on my face and my pride, two strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me up. Greg lifted me like I weighed nothing and held on tight to me, making sure I was steady. “Are you okay?”
I took a few breaths. “Yeah. I am. Thanks to you. I have to watch where I’m walking better.”
He shook his head. “No. This is my fault. I’ve been walking around here by myself and sort of memorized the paths, but I’ll move this flooring somewhere else until I’m ready to use it.”
“It’s not your fault.” I wanted to reach up and touch his face. He looked so damned sad, pouty lip and all. “I’m fine.”
He growled a bit. “I’m still sorry, and I’ll try to be more safety-conscious now that I have someone staying with me.”
The way he spoke, it sounded like I was here for a while, not just a night or two.
I didn’t mind that one bit.
I grabbed a coffee to go and one of the chocolate croissants and made my way to the library with Greg’s directions. He even walked with me out to the porch and waved goodbye. Perhaps there was something there.
Or maybe he was making sure I left the property without hurting myself.
When I arrived, I threw my empty coffee cup into the trash and took in the building in front of me. It had a new coat of paint, but there was sadness. A library without lights on or children and parents and people moving in and out seemed so hollow.
“You must be Oswald.”
I turned to find an older, balding man behind me, wearing a smile and a dated suit.
“I am. You must be Mayor Tennyson.”
“Aww, call me Pete. Everyone does.” We shook hands, but his smile faded. “I see you’re here early. I like that. But we do have some unfortunate news for you.”
I froze. No. Not more unfortunate news. “What’s wrong?” I choked out.
“Well, in the last week, we’ve had pretty heavy storms. Troy came over to check things out before you arrived and we found water damage. He had a crew inspect it last night, and the damage is extensive.” As he spoke, I lost every ounce of hope I had left. “The roof has to be replaced, and the contractor can’t start until next week at the earliest.”
“What does that mean for me?” I asked.
“It means, Oswald, that until we have a library that patrons can go into, your job is on pause. I realize that puts a strain on you, but we will pay for you to stay anywhere in town. This doesn’t mean you’ll quit, does it? We desperately need a librarian.”
I sighed and turned around to face the building. “No. I’ll stay until the roof is fixed. Thank you for letting me know.”
He nodded and shook my hand once more.
I waited until he walked a good distance away before giving the tears permission to fall. What in the world? I had a place tostay with Greg, but it wasn’t long term. Now, I had no job for the next few weeks?
