Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Emma peeked through the blinds, hoping to see Nash on his lanai. No luck there. Knowing he had to bring the puppies home, she assumed he was at the vet clinic.

Anxious about her trip to the library, she called Marlena at Vittles. They chatted briefly before Emma asked, “Did the new books come in? I’m dreading it, but I have to return my damaged book to the library today. I’m ready to be removed from the ‘book offender’ list.”

“All three of them. I had them delivered to the store. If you can, pop in and have a cup of coffee with me before you deal with Mrs. Whitton. Or maybe something stronger. She is quite the old battle-ax.”

“I feel sorry for her. A little. It’s obvious she’s unhappy. I’ll try to kill her with kindness. Heading your way now,” Emma said.

“Good,” Marlena replied.

Emma grabbed the clutch purse she’d used the night before, took her keys from the dolphin key ring holder, then set off for Vittles. Much as she dreaded the trip to the library, she would sincerely try to make friends with the librarian. Emma was an avid reader and liked using the library. She could always buy books and often did, but she also believed in supporting libraries.

Arriving at Vittles, Emma was surprised to find that the place was nearly empty. She headed to the bakery, where Marlena waited with two steaming mugs of coffee. “Thanks,” Emma said, taking one of the mugs from her. “It’s quiet here today.”

“Tuesday isn’t our busiest day of the week. It’s nice sometimes. I love what we do here, but I’m not complaining about a little break now and then,” Marlena told her. “Follow me.”

Emma followed her to a small yet neatly organized office space.

Marlena gave her a large, padded envelope. “Your gift to Mrs. Whitton.”

“You have to let me pay you back for this,” Emma said.

“Absolutely not. I ruin the book, I replace the book,” Marlena said.

First, Nash hadn’t let her pay her share last night and now Marlena refused to take her money. Emma had to get used to how people were on the island. She would eventually adapt to their kindness.

“Okay, I agree. Now let’s move on,” Emma said, grinning.

“Have a seat.” Marlena motioned to a small table with two chairs hidden in the corner of the office. It was perfect for two people.

“Thank you.” Emma took a sip of her coffee.

“Normally, I’m not a gossip, but today, well, I am.” Marlena leaned in so close that Emma could see the gold specks in her hazel eyes. “What the heck happened with Tiffany last night? As I said, news travels fast here.”

Emma took a deep breath, then eased it out slowly. This wasn’t what she had expected her new friend to say. Emma didn’t want to be labeled as a busybody. It wasn’t her style. However, because Marlena knew about last night’s incident already, someone else must have told her. “Tell me what you heard,” she asked.

“Tiffany was taken to jail. She tried to take Nash’s puppies, or something to that effect.”

Emma couldn’t help but feel disloyal to Nash when she spoke. “Yes, it was something like that. The situation was resolved last night. I believe the woman had an issue with Nash and was trying to get his attention.” She wasn’t going into any details. They would come out soon enough.

“Tiffany was released this morning. Her father was spitting mad, according to Heather Warren.”

Emma took another sip of coffee. “I see,” she said but didn’t.

“Heather is the police chief’s secretary. She came in this morning after her shift was over. She’s a decent girl who likes to share what happens when most folks are tucked away safely at home.” Marlena giggled. “Honestly, it’s time Tiffany got some help. According to every customer who talks about her, she was raised badly by her dad. They say she was spoiled rotten and continues to act as if she’s entitled to anything she desires. I think Nash has been on her list of desires since high school.”

Emma knew Nash didn’t feel the same. His actions last night proved that.

“I hope she gets the help she needs,” Emma replied, and meant what she said. Mental health issues were on the rise and had to be taken seriously.

“I do too. I shouldn’t be talking about her. Makes me look as bad as the rest of the town gossipmongers.”

Emma finished the rest of her coffee. “I should go and get this over with. Wish me luck.”

“Sure thing, Emma. You want to have that bottle of wine later this evening?”

“Can it keep until the weekend? I need to be at the top of my game in case I’m called in to substitute,” Emma explained.

“Sorry, I forgot. I sound like a lush. Truly, I’m not,” Marlena said.

Feeling guilty for making Marlena feel as if she had to defend herself, Emma said, “One glass. How’s that?”

“Perfect. Thanks, Emma. You’re a good woman.”

“Wait until you see my bad side,” Emma joked. “Then you might have a different opinion.”

“I doubt that. Now, get out of here. You need to get off that book offender list.”

Emma nodded, then hurried out to her car. Emma truly needed a friend, and she planned to spend more time getting to know Marlena. Once she had a permanent teaching job, she’d have a routine. She would invite Marlena and Lisa over for a girls’ night out. The three of them had much in common.

The library was a short drive from Vittles. Emma parked in the visitors’ only parking area. Wanting to get the delivery over with as quickly as possible, she took the damaged book and the envelope with the new books inside.

As expected, the library was quiet. Emma saw two older women sitting at a table, each with a stack of books. She wondered if they were also on the book offender list and couldn’t bring the books home. Smiling at her silly thoughts, she walked to the checkout desk to return her book.

Mrs. Whitton busied herself with a rubber stamp. Emma cleared her throat to get her attention.

“Did you not read the posted sign?” Mrs. Whitton asked as she continued to stamp books.

“No, I didn’t. I wanted to return this damaged book and give you three new ones to replace it.”

The elderly librarian glanced at her, recognition causing her features to harden even more. “The book offender. Leave them,” she said, returning to the pile of books she was stamping.

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Whitton. My parents always told me to be polite even when others were rude. So I’ll leave these books for you to stamp or whatever. When I’m teaching at Orange Grove Elementary or Skyline Middle or Pink Pearl High School, I’ll teach my students what my parents taught me. Kill them with kindness.” She plopped the ruined book on the counter along with the padded envelope. “Have a great day,” Emma said before she left.

As soon as she was in her car, she thought about what she’d said to Marlena. Some people weren’t friendly, no matter how nice you were. Mrs. Whitton was probably one of them. Emma had at least done what she’d set out to do.

When she returned home, Emma didn’t have anything on her schedule. She cleaned up the kitchen and wiped down the counters. She felt lost, not having a proper job for the first time since she’d graduated from law school. Not one to watch much television, she touched the TV app on her phone to catch up with the world news. After five minutes, she’d had enough. Swiping the screen on her phone, she downloaded a book from a website she used and took a can of Coke out to the lanai.

She’d just gotten into her book when she heard her name.

“Emma.”

Looking up at the lanai across from hers, she waved. “Nash.”

“You want to see the puppies?” he asked. “I brought them home this morning.”

She closed the app on her phone. “Of course I do. Give me a minute,” she called. Inside, she left her cell on the charger and raked a hand through her hair. She didn’t bother locking the door because she could see her place from Nash’s.

Before she had a chance to knock, Nash swung his door open. “Come in. You look great, Emma,” he said.

She widened her eyes. “Thanks, Nash. You look . . .” She paused. “Tired.”

“Yeah, that’s what my mom said when we were at the clinic earlier. I had a tough time sleeping last night.”

Emma didn’t want to bring up the previous evening’s craziness, but if it bothered Nash enough to keep him up all night, it must be more important to him than she’d guessed. “You want to talk about it?”

“You’re serious?”

“Sure. I’m a good listener if you want to talk.”

“I’m afraid I’ll scare you off if I tell you what kept me awake half the night.”

Emma’s heart dropped. Were all the thoughts she’d had about him wrong? She’d been sure he’d felt the spark between them.

“Hey, Emma,” he said. “I’m sorry. What did I do?”

He seemed genuinely confused. Maybe it was she who was confused.

She gave a half-hearted laugh. “Nothing, not a thing. So, how are the dogs?”

“They’re sleeping. I just checked on them right before I saw you on the lanai. I wanted to see you. I felt I owe you an apology for last night. I shouldn’t have let Tiffany get the best of me so that I lost my temper in front of you. I feel like a real piece of garbage.”

Is that what kept him awake?Emma thought. “I’ve witnessed far worse, Nash. I’m an attorney and I lived in Miami. I’m not naive. Last night wasn’t a big deal.” And it wasn’t. At least not in the way he thought.

He crammed his hands in his pockets. He wore faded jeans and a black T-shirt. Emma thought he looked exceptionally sexy. His hair was messy and he hadn’t shaved. He wore this look well. Very well.

“Want to sit out on the lanai? I’ll get us a drink,” Nash said.

“Sure,” Emma told him. This wasn’t the man she’d gone to dinner with last night. This was a serious Nash, maybe even a troubled one.

She sat in an old wicker rocker while he got their drinks. She hadn’t paid much attention to his patio furniture before because she’d been focused on him. Now she took in the rocker, the other chair, and the small table between them. Antiques, she guessed.

“Here you go.” Nash placed a glass of ice and a can of Sprite on the table between them.

“Thanks.”

He took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the other chair. “I don’t know how to say what I need to say.”

Emma cringed as her heart lurched. But she had said she would listen, so she waited for him to get whatever was bothering him off his chest.