Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
RAVEN
A fter dropping Noah off at school, I went straight to my job at the library, just like I have for the last few days. Kat was right in that Florence Baker is surly. She walks around with a small scowl on her face. It’s a wonder that anyone comes to the library at all.
The library has large windows all over and a beautiful skylight in the center.
Nylon blue carpet covers the floor and comfortable seating is spread throughout the building, tucked amongst the shelves.
The circulation desk is right next to the entrance and covers most of the front wall.
Behind the circulation desk is Florence’s office.
Searching for Florence, I find her shelving some romance novels that were returned earlier today.
Florence has long gray hair that is always tied back in a low bun, and she wears black thick-rimmed glasses.
I swear she keeps the air conditioning below sixty degrees so she can wear a cardigan every day.
I feel like I need to start wearing a snow coat.
“Hey, Florence! I’m taking my break in five.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she mutters to herself.
Always the charmer…
Behind the circulation desk, I finish sorting some returns we just received. When five minutes have come and gone, I grab my purse and head out for lunch at Mystic Beans. My phone vibrates in my pocket.
Dahlia: I got a couple of calls from Griffin Montgomery today.
Me: What did you say?
Dahlia: What do you think? He called Abstract Dreams first, so I was myself. Then he called Sal’s, and I couldn’t be Dahlia again, so I was Alma.
Me: Who’s Alma?
Dahlia: Don’t worry about it. But as far as you’re concerned, Alma is a middle-aged Hispanic woman and was your coworker at Sal’s.
Me: Good to know. Thanks lol.
Stowing my phone in my purse, I open the glass door to the coffee shop and walk in. Pastries may not be a suitable lunch, but I’d give Kat my left kidney if it meant I could have a lifetime supply of those chocolate croissants.
Kat beams at me from behind the counter. “Hey, Annabelle! I’m taking a lunch break!”
Annabelle pokes her head out from the kitchen. “I got this. Take your break, Kat.” Annabelle is an older woman who bakes all the delicious treats at Mystic Beans. She’s a little shorter than me with bronze cropped hair.
Kat rushes to make me what has become my favorite drink. A light iced white chocolate mocha with Irish cream and hazelnut. Then she grabs a chocolate croissant, a brown paper bag, and a water bottle. I sit at our usual table by the front window and wait for her.
She sets down the coffee and croissant in front of me and sits in her seat. “I don’t know how you eat like you eat and still have a waist like that.”
Glancing down at my size ten hips, I swallow the mouthful of croissant and answer, “With the shit I’ve had thrown my way, life has to bless me with something. But at my last job, I wasn’t exactly deemed ‘skinny.’”
She reaches into the brown paper bag and pulls out two sandwiches. “You need to eat something healthy.” Then she sets the second sandwich next to my treat.
“Yes, Mom ,” I joke. It’s weird having someone look out for me. I’m used to the situation being the other way around.
Kat has quickly become a close friend. She’s like my platonic soulmate. I miss Dahlia and Mya dearly, but meeting Kat has lessened that pain.
“So, how’s dear old Mrs. Baker doing today?” Kat asks sarcastically as she digs into her sandwich.
“Just peachy,” I respond with an eye roll. After another swallow, I ask, “Are you sure about watching Noah tonight?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it. I got you, Raven,” Kat responds without hesitation.
“Okay, but I promise I’ll find someone more permanent soon.”
She waves off my concern and continues eating her sandwich. “Accept my help and move on, love. Besides, I may have found someone who can help.”
That makes me perk up. “Oh? Who?”
“Her name is Lucy. She’s one of my employees. She asked for more hours, but I can’t give them to her. She’s responsible, loves kids, has lots of experience…all the things.”
“I don’t know…”
“Look, just meet her and see what you think. I promise you’ll love her.”
“Okay. Why not? Thank you,” I respond genuinely.
“Sweet! I’ll get you her number so you can contact her. You’ll be so grateful that you’ll be giving me praises for the rest of your life.”
Chuckling at her dramatic statement, I let it pass. “So…” I sip from my delicious coffee and sigh. “Tell me about those two guys from the other day.”
Kat chokes on her bite and coughs.
“I think that means there’s something to tell,” I tease.
She clears her throat and takes a sip from her water bottle. “Definitely not.”
All I do is raise my brow, conveying that I don’t believe her for one second.
“They come in once a week…maybe more sometimes,” Kat confesses, refusing to look me in the eye as she takes another sip of water.
“Oh, really? Is that all?”
“I’m not sure what you’re looking for…” Her words say one thing, but her voice says another. She’s being evasive.
I tilt my head to the side. “Hey, is everything okay? Are they bothering you?”
She shakes her head. “No, they’re harmless. It’s just…” She looks to the side and purses her lips.
Placing my hand on hers, I offer what I can. “Hey, I know they may not look like upstanding citizens, but in my experience, looks can be deceiving. Nice suits are just nice suits. They have nothing to do with the person’s character.”
“I agree. I just…” Kat trails off with her thought train.
“No judgment here, I promise,” I reassure her with a squeeze of her hand. She returns my gesture with a half-smile. “Enough of the heavy. What tea do you have for me today?”
Kat lights up with the subject change and gives me all the details on someone named Kaitlyn LeBlanc and how she pitched a fit at a recent pie contest because someone else made the same pie as her.
Apparently, people treat their barista like they do a hairdresser, meaning they have no filter and spill all the gossip. So, Kat always has a new story for me.
What else would we do when living in such a small town?
After listening to a story with characters I haven’t met yet, I take a chance. “So, what’s up with the Mystic River Hospital?”
Kat sips her water. “You mean the asylum?”
“So, it’s a psychiatric hospital?” There’s a pinch in my gut.
“Yeah, but many of the people here pretend it doesn’t exist. To them, it’s a stain on this town, but it brings in money and provides jobs, so it stays.” Kat shrugs.
Pretending to be ignorant again, I question, “If it helps the local economy, why do they hate it so much? Has the hospital been part of a scandal or something?”
Another pinch.
Kat tilts her head back and forth. “There have been rumors.”
“Oh? Like what?”
A loud bang comes from the kitchen. “Aw, shit. Annabelle, are you okay?” Kat shouts.
Annabelle pokes her head out of the door. “I’m fine. Finish your lunch, hon.” Then she ducks right back in, and the sound of another item crashing to the floor meets our ears.
Perfect timing…
“I should see what’s going on,” Kat states as she gathers her trash and stands from the table.
Not wanting to seem too interested, I let our topic of conversation drop. “Yeah, of course.” I stand with her, and we embrace before she darts away.
I clean up my mess, gathering my purse, and start my short walk back to job number one.
As I reach the street corner to turn toward the library, the revving of engines grates on my eardrums. I watch as the two bikers I met the other day come down the road and park side by side in front of the coffee shop.
They’re perfectly in sync as they stand from their seats and remove their helmets.
It’s like they rehearsed this or something.
They leave their helmets on the handlebars and stroll right up to the glass doors with an intimidating confidence.
“Seriously? What the hell are you two doing here?” I hear Kat shout as she comes back from the kitchen.
Grins spread across their faces, and they walk straight into the mess they’ve made.
Pressing the crosswalk button, I wait for the signal to cross the street. A steady flow of traffic proceeds through the intersection. As a large red SUV passes, I get a glimpse of a little boy standing on the opposite side of the street.
Is he alone?
Another few cars pass, and between each one, I get quick glances of hair the color of a dreary empty sky, sickly pale skin, and eyes the exact same hue as my own.
There’s a break in traffic, and I find him standing there staring in my direction. He’s wearing the same thing I last saw him in—gray sweats and a Kingdom Hearts tee. I bought him that shirt our last Christmas together. In his hand, he holds a single stalk of belladonna.
“This isn’t real. This isn’t real,” I chant to myself. But then I get another look at him, and my hand covers my mouth as a whimper escapes me.
His eyes shift from their intense blue to an empty black, then turn into deep holes in his skull. The ink spreads, creating deep pits in his face.
More cars rush by.
He needed my help, and I wasn’t there to save him. I didn’t do enough. But I’m here now. I can help him.
An arm wraps around my middle, and I’m carried backward. “Woah, there! Are you okay?”
Was I just…
Across the street, the sidewalk is empty. He’s gone. The frown on my face becomes so deep it dimples my chin.
“Hey, hey. Are you okay?”
Craning my neck so I can face the voice of the person holding me, my heart jumps ten feet into the air.
I find a man with sunset blonde hair hidden beneath a cowboy hat and familiar brown eyes.
He has perfect posture and muscular arms. His dark wash jeans hug his thighs, and his heathered gray tee stretches across his chest. The freckles dotting his cheekbones are endearing and speak to long hours working in the sun.
“Ma’am?” he interrupts my gawking.
I close my gaping mouth and sputter, “Oh. Umm. Sorry. Yes.” He sets me down, and I brush out my shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles.
“Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to startle you. But it’s not safe to walk yet.” He points to the red pedestrian light in the shape of a hand.
“Right,” I admit embarrassingly.
He smirks and fingers the brim of his beige cowboy hat. “May I?” He holds out his arm in question.
Have I been transported back to the 1800s?
“That’s okay. Thank you, though,” I answer and move to step off the curb. His thick hand grabs my upper arm and pulls me back onto the sidewalk. “Excuse?—”
“The pedestrian light is red,” he points out as a lifted pickup truck zooms by.
My cheeks pinken when I realize I didn’t even bother looking both ways before attempting to cross the street, again, apparently. A lesson every child learns. “Oh. Thanks.” He releases his hold, and I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear.
“You must be new,” he surmises.
“What makes you say that?”
“I haven’t seen you around before.”
The light changes, indicating we can safely cross. The man offers me his arm again, and this time, I decide to take it. His solid body warms me even more on this dry, hot day. I have to bend my neck at an odd angle to be able to look at his face. He has an appealing strong jaw with a full beard.
“So, are you?” he asks as we step onto the opposite sidewalk.
Caught staring again. “Am I what?” I let go of his arm, and he steps in front of me, blocking my path.
“New in town?”
I fake skepticism. “Mmm. I don’t think I should give that information to a stranger.”
“I’m Jed.” He holds his hand out, and I accept, shaking his hand. It’s rough and calloused, and I imagine him running his hands over my skin.
“Nice to meet you, Jed.”
“And you are?” he prompts.
“New,” I reply with a wink and step around him, heading for the library entrance on the other side.
“Hold on, now,” Jed calls as he races to catch up to me. “You didn’t tell me your name.”
“Why does it matter what my name is? And don’t give me a creepy answer, please,” I demand with an eye roll.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He stops with me outside the Mystic River Library doors. “Is this where you work?”
“Sometimes,” I respond.
He jokingly sighs. “Do you ever give a straight answer?”
I shrug. “That depends.”
“Well, at least I’ll know where to find you sometimes .” He tilts his head toward the library and turns on his heel, walking back the way we came.
“And why would you need to find me later?” I shout after him.
He turns to answer as he walks backward. “So I can ask you out on a date.”
I smile again. “Raven!”
He stops in his path. “What?”
“My name is Raven.” I don’t wait for his response as I open the door and head inside to finish my shift.
Mystic River has a cancer, and I plan to eradicate it, but I just might enjoy myself while I’m here.