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Back The Library
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

‘Actually. As Savage is busy right now and Mac is a bit boisterous I offered for Rusty to stay here for a few days.’

Tom almost fell over his own feet as he dashed forward and hugged Maggie. The spontaneous action caught her off guard and she swallowed hard. ‘A few days,’ she repeated, trying to keep the emotion out of her words. He let go and straightened himself out, looking suddenly self-conscious.

‘Thanks, Maggie. You’re the best.’

‘Well that’s as may be. Now fill me in on book group and all the library gossip. I’m desperate for an update on Audrey’s swollen ankles.’

Tom made drinks and they adjourned to the sitting room where the puppies were wriggling around and getting ready for their next feed. ‘Farah was awesome,’ said Tom. His eyes fixed on the puppies. ‘There were like eight kids and to start with they were all hyper and running around and stuff. But Farah kept telling them she knew a real fairy and a real dragon and if they sat down she’d tell them stories about them. Then she read this kids’ story and she did the voices and stuff. The children loved it. I think the council bloke was impressed too.’

‘Which council bloke, I mean, man?’ asked Maggie.

‘Not the one from before. This was someone Christine knew. Christine was in like proper meltdown mode. She didn’t know he was coming. She wasn’t that pleased that you weren’t there for book club…’ He cocked an eyebrow.

‘And whose fault was that?’ She pointed a finger at Tom and the puppies in turn.

‘I said you had an emergency but there were ten people for book club so it was fine.’ Tom picked up the red merle puppy and gently stroked her head.

‘You mean they didn’t miss me?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘Anyway, this council person. Did you speak to him?’

‘Yeah. I didn’t want to, like, but Christine introduced me. I think she was trying to get the heat off her. I told him about the silver surfer classes and he asked if I’d do that at the library in town.’

‘And what did you say?’ Maggie leaned forward in her seat.

‘I said he could do one.’ Maggie tilted her head in a disbelieving fashion. ‘All right. I said the village library was my priority until its future was secured.’

Maggie’s mouth actually fell open. ‘Well, that was the perfect thing to say, Tom.’

‘Yeah. I thought so too.’

He really was full of surprises.

31

TOM