Twice Before Bedtime

Chapter Nine

Cassandra couldn't say that she got a lot of sleep that night. She belonged in the Library. Most of her life had been lived from the outside, quite honestly, she'd never fit in, even before her tumor. She made herself fit into what her parents wanted, but that wasn't who she was. Then after she left them, she'd not fit in anywhere because of what turned out to be her uncontrolled magical gift. It was only in the Library that she'd found a home. The place where she belonged. She'd planned on spending the rest of her life serving the Library.

Until she'd stumbled into a family in Oklahoma. She fit there too. With an earnest man who loved his children like air and who had forced himself to fit into what the people he loved expected of him. He was surprisingly noble, Jacob Stone, like a knight from a fairy tale. Only instead of living an enchanted life, he worked hard trying to keep a family's legacy alive and raise his kids the best he could all alone. She'd seen his loneliness from the moment they'd met. If she was honest, she was sure that was what their initial connection was. The job of Librarian was an amazing, wonderful job that she didn't regret taking. But it was a lonely life.

She'd ached for Jacob and his children when they first met. Then they'd worked their way into her heart. She'd worked her way into theirs as well. The children were not subtle about their feelings for her. Grace was brave, reassuring her littlest sister that it would be okay, but Cassandra figured Grace remembered her mother's leaving better than the rest. She could see the hurt, even though the girl realized that Cassandra's goodbye was not forever.

Jacob was holding back, but she'd seen it in his eyes. The way he'd linger every night when they'd parted. She wasn't sure exactly why he was, but then again, he had a lot more baggage than she did. That and kids who had been through a lot.

But she made up her mind. She was going to tell him everything on Saturday night. He might think she was crazy, he might be angry with her and not want to see her again. But on the other hand, he seemed like the type that might just believe her. Whatever happened, it was time to tell him everything. She couldn't keep up the lies any longer.

--

She'd begged off dinner on Friday night, saying she was tired and had a lot of last minute things to do. It was the absolute truth. She was exhausted, it was strange all the running she had to do in her day job, yet planning this party took so much out of her. Plus she'd returned the car and it was a lot easier to slip out to use the Back Door from the store than it was Jacob's house.

The kids were a little upset, but she promised she'd see them all the next day.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Jake had asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she was perplexed.

"I don't know, you really seem tired. Sure you don't want to just leave your car and I can take you back to the hotel?"

"I'm fine, I promise. But thank you for worrying. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course. Drive safe, okay?"

She gave into the impulse this time and hugged him as they parted. He stiffened briefly before pulling her in close. For a moment as they started to pull away, it looked like he might kiss her, but then they both remembered they were standing in the middle of the store.

"I'm just gonna go," she said, giggling awkwardly. "Night, Jacob."

"Right. Night, Cassie."

--

She was standing outside the store bright and early on Saturday, waiting for Jacob. She'd back doored via the public restroom on the square. Bathrooms were surprisingly frequent targets for the door, but they also didn't attract any real attention when people just appeared in them either. Course, no one noticed the times when she, Flynn and Ezekiel had stumbled out of port-a-potties either, so who really knew?