Jennifer Morey - The Librarian's Secret Scandal

“The board is very careful when they make decisions like this, Lily. Please try and understand that. They wouldn’t have released him if they didn’t think he’d do his best to stay rehabilitated.”

“I don’t believe for one minute that he’s rehabilitated.” A hundred images assailed her, all of them from the endless hours she’d spent in that cabin. Tears burned her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Masterson. I know this is hard for you. If you’d like I can give you the name of a good counselor near your home town.”

“I don’t need a counselor,” Lily snapped. “Stop talking to me like that.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Masterson, I—”

“When?” Lily swallowed the lump of hurt in her throat.

“Excuse me?”

“When will he be released?”

“Next week. Friday. It’s all in the letter.”

Lily never hung up on anyone, but today she did. She ended the call and held the phone in her palm, staring down at it, shaking, lost in a maelstrom of old pain and a deep sense of injustice.

She wiped a tear that had slipped from her eye.

There was no punishment that would change what she’d endured, both during her assault and after. The month that followed it had been the worst, with no one to turn to and nowhere to go that felt like home. No wonder she’d tried to obliterate the experience with a one-night stand. It wouldn’t have been her first.

Having sex with a stranger had been a mistake, an attempt to somehow minimize what had happened to her. Instead, that last wild night—like so many she’d had before her rape—had done the opposite. It had made her feel dirty and cheap and had thrown her into a severe state of depression.

Hearing a sound, she looked up to see Emily, her assistant, standing in the doorway. She blinked her eyes clear.

“You okay?” her assistant asked with a worried frown.

“Yes. Fine.” Lily held up the phone. “Just a personal call.”

Emily didn’t look convinced. “We got a couple of boxes of books from a donor yesterday.”

“Good. Let’s get going on sorting them.” She could use the distraction right now. Putting her phone down, she stood and moved around the desk.

Brandon Gates was going to be released. It didn’t seem real. It was so unfair.

“They’re all romance novels. I don’t think we have enough room for all of them.”

Lily forced a smile. “We won’t keep them all. Just the ones in good condition.” She passed Emily and headed out into the main library.

Karla’s news hung inside her like low, dreary fog. It was what she’d been dreading since the hearing. Her worst fear had come true. Would he really go to North Carolina? Or would he risk going back to prison to come and find her? That would be very stupid, unless he thought he could get away with it. Lily had to smother a shiver with the thought of him finding her. And she hated that, her reaction, what he was still capable of doing to her.

Did he know she’d lived in Honey Creek back then? She’d never told him that night, but maybe he found out later. Did he know she’d moved back?

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Emily asked.

Lily had forgotten her assistant had followed her. “Yeah.” She bent to pick up a few books from the first box and turned to place them on a table in alphabetical order by author name.

“Who were you just talking to?”

She sent a look over at Emily, letting her know she was prying too much.

“Sorry,” Emily said.

The sound of someone behind them made Lily turn. So did Emily.

Wes Colton stood on the other side of the boxes, holding a book in his hand. The sight of him stole her breath and shards of excitement chased her bleakness away.

“Looks like you got some new inventory.” His voice was masculine and as appealing as she remembered. Maybe more so.

What was he doing here? Her insurance company was handling the transaction with his SUV. Of course, he had another reason, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to face that.

“Wes.” She hoped she didn’t sound as school girlish as she thought.

Emily glanced from her back to Wes.

He held up the book, the picture of a bare-chested man looking down at the soulful face of a brunette. “Interesting cover art.”

Lily snatched the book from his hand and dropped it back into the box he’d taken it from. “It’s popular fiction.”

He didn’t say anything, just grinned his amusement and something else. Was he flirting with her?

“Uh … I’ll go help at the checkout counter,” Emily said, smiling secretively as she wandered off.

Uncomfortable with the way Emily left them alone and the realization that she’d picked up on Wes’s flirting, too, Lily had to force herself to look at him.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Good. You?” Was he nervous, too, or was this small talk a way for him to get a conversation going?

“Good,” she played along.

He smiled wider. “I came by to see you.”

His announcement dispelled the awkwardness. Gladness expanded and bloomed in her chest.

“I bought a new vehicle in Bozeman yesterday,” he added.

“Oh, that’s good. I hope you like it as much as your last SUV.”

“More so. Cost me a little more than I expected, but it’s worth it.” His gaze floated over her face. “It’s good to see you again.”

Another charge of excitement tickled her. She smiled and saw how he noticed. “It’s good to see you, too.”

Losing herself as she met his smiling eyes, feeling his attraction match her own, it took her a moment to realize how they were behaving. She glanced around. Emily was busy with someone at the checkout counter. There was no one standing near them. No one had noticed them ogling each other.

Reality came down a little harder. Did she really want to encourage Wes? Aside from the folly of him getting involved with what everyone considered the town floozy, she would be no good for any man right now.

The news of her rapist’s release had robbed her of her strength. She was vulnerable again. The same struggle she’d overcome so many years ago was returning. Would she be able to go home and not feel as though she had to lock every door and window and double-check them periodically? She hated that kind of weakness, the power Brandon Gates still had over her. Would she ever be free of that part of her life? It was disheartening.

No. She refused to succumb to irrational fears. He was moving back to North Carolina. That was far away from here, and he’d be foolish to try and make contact with her again. He had to know she’d expose him if he did.

“Don’t worry, our secret is still safe,” Wes said.

He’d given her a brief distraction from her troubles, but they weren’t going to magically go away. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“Would you rather we go back to the prison?”

He was trying be funny, but he had no way of knowing how upsetting the reference was for her. She looked down at the floor.

Wes was quiet for a few beats. “So … how do you like the library?”

Back to safe topics. He had a way of easing her into those and keeping her enchanted.

She glanced around at the dark wood shelves and Emily helping someone else now at the checkout counter. Something about this place made her feel good. It soothed her. Maybe it was her love of books. They’d installed new computers a few months ago. Some of the floor had been carpeted and some refinished with new hardwood. New lighting had been installed, too. It was cozy. Fresh. Clean and bright. “I like it.” She looked back at him. “I like the work, too.”

“How long have you been doing this line of work? I never got a chance to ask you that when you drove me to my office.”