Today Harper liked it for a different reason. It kept her distracted. She needed to get her mind off Gemma, although the book Where the Wild Things Are didn’t help much. It had been one of Gemma’s favorites when they were kids, and Brian used to read it to them almost every night, acting out the parts.

At least she had that going for her. Harper already had her father’s dazzling renditions of the characters to use as inspiration. This should be her best story-time performance.

She got the book off the shelf, then settled into her chair in the children’s corner. As more kids came in, they sat around her in a circle. From where she was, Harper could see Marcy at the desk, loading up the book cart and directing children to story time as they came in.

When it was time to begin, Harper threw herself into her performance. All the kids came here today to have a good time, and it was her job to deliver, no matter how worried or distraught she might feel.

And as she read, Harper found herself having fun despite herself. She had the kids join in, and when they were gnashing their terrible teeth and roaring their terrible roars, she couldn’t help but smile.

It was all going well until she was nearing the end of the story and heard the front door open. She lifted her head, expecting to see a late-arriving child, but instead it was Daniel, striding up to the front desk.

Her heart skipped a beat, and for a second Harper forgot how to read. She fumbled over the words, but she’d recovered by the time Marcy pointed back to the children’s corner and Daniel turned around to smile at her.

Harper quickly averted her eyes, forcing a smile down at the little kids in front of her, and tried not to think about how foxy Daniel looked today.

What Harper found even more unnerving than her own feelings for Daniel was his banter with Marcy. He leaned against the desk, apparently waiting for Harper to finish the story, and chatted amiably with her.

Nobody chatted amiably with Marcy. Not even Harper, and Harper was pretty much her best friend.

It wasn’t that she was jealous, but she couldn’t imagine what they were talking about. Her real fear was that they were talking about her and Marcy might spill some hideously embarrassing secret.