Library patrons came and went in an almost constant flow. I didn’t close until eight, and by then I’d stalled for as long as I could. Whenever I thought about yesterday’s encounter with Cormac, my face heated. I dreaded seeing him today, but I couldn’t abandon him because I was embarrassed. “Nothing happened,” I said aloud as I drove through town. But what had almost happened—that near-kiss—had haunted me the entire sleepless night and an almost endless day. It was dark as I parked in front of the O’Malley house. The dusk-to-dawn light over the garage flickered on as I walked up the steps leading to his apartment. Cormac didn’t answer my knock, so I tried the door and found it unlocked. “Cormac?” I peered inside. The place was empty. I frowned as I pulled the door to. “This is your fault.” I jumped. Cormac’s great-grandfather was standing at the foot of the stairs. I hadn’t seen him since Tuesday morning. He’d been avoiding me, I was sure, since his truck had been parked in the open garage and his shadow darkened the screen door every time I came and went from the garage apartment.
