Izzy cocked her head. “Do we remember the grant that we spent months planning and proposing, then celebrating when we won, before being told they weren’t sure if we could actually do the work they said we could do?”
Robert had the decency to look chagrined. “Sorry, maybe not the best wording. But that aside, this is great news.”
“It’s fantastic. Thank you for helping to move it forward,” I said.
Robert looked pleased again, even as Izzy gave me a side-eye for kissing his butt. “I’ll keep you posted as I get more information. This will be a nice addition to our library.”
We agreed and said our goodbyes, and as soon as he left, Izzy and I let loose with squeals of excitement.
“Sorry it’s so late, especially on a softball night,” I said as Izzy and I hurried to re-shelve the last few books. We’d spent every second that we weren’t with patrons brainstorming plans for the sensory room, and we were far behind schedule.
“It’s alright, I would’ve missed her game anyway. There’s no chance when they’re on our late nights.”
“Did she win?”
“Yep! And she hit the winning run!”
“That’s amazing! Tell Sophia I said congratulations! Let’s look at the schedule tomorrow, and we’ll do our best to get you there for most of her games.”
“I’m not going to leave you on your own for that many nights, but thank you for the offer. You’re the sweetest.”
“I don’t mind. I’m sure she loves having her mom there cheering for her. Let me know when she’s playing.”
“I may take you up on that when we get to the playoffs. Thank you!”
We finished quickly, and at eight thirty, a half hour past closing time, we were finally ready to go. We left, still spitting out ideas as we said goodbye to the two nighttime janitors, the only other people left in the library.
“Goodnight, Iz, see you tomorrow.” I peered around the lot as Izzy got into her car and I continued to mine.
“Have a good night!” she called back.
The echo of her door closing in the quiet night sent the fear from earlier slamming back into me. I speed-walked the remaining few feet to my car, fighting the urge to run. I wasn’t going to look scared. Wasn’t going tobescared. But out there in the darkness, I couldn’t deny I was. I jumped into my CR-V and pulled out in record time, relaxing a drop when Izzy pulled up behind me as I stopped at the light to make a left out of the lot.
I debated between peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese as I waited, trying to focus on the night ahead, but the sound of a car starting jolted my attention to the shadows at the back of the lot. Who else was leaving now, a half hour after the library closed? I hadn’t seen anyone in the library or the parking lot.
The light changed and I made my turn, glancing back in the mirror to see a dark-colored SUV turn right.
It wasn’t following me. It was a coincidence. Everything was fine.
Why were there so many dark SUVs on the road, though? Was there any chance he could have turned around and caught up to me? Why did I keep seeing small, cold, black eyes peering out at me from every SUV?
Stop it, Jenna. Everything’s fine.
CHAPTER TWO
Jenna
I parked at my apartment and hurried to the front door, resisting the urge to scan the lot. “Hi, Lucy,” I called to the huge white poodle sniffing the flowers near the entrance. Lucy looked up and wagged her tail. Luckily, her owner looked at me too, and my shoulders sagged with relief that I wasn’t alone.
“Hey, beautiful night for a walk, isn’t it?” I said with a friendly smile.
“Sure is. Hope the heat keeps holding off.” He unlocked the door and held it open for me.
“Thank you. Are you coming in?”
“No, we were just heading out.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Enjoy your walk!” I kept talking—kept his attention on me—until the door was practically closed behind me and I was safely inside the building. Thank you for the unintended escort inside, Lucy’s owner.