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?
Jacob grinned as he walked up, carrying a tray with two coffees and a bag of bagels. "I had a feeling you'd be the first one here. Didn't see your car though."
"Oh, it's a different one, I got a deal to ferry it back to Oklahoma City," Cassandra lied.
"Right," Jacob sighed.
"Let's not think about that," Cassandra said, her tone upbeat. "Let's think party!"
He grinned back at her, her mood too joyous to really bring him down. Besides, he had plans to tell her how he felt tonight.
They went into his office and over breakfast went through the final checklist for the afternoon's party.
"Alright, so basically," Cassandra concluded. "You just need to pick up the cake. And I just made the last confirmation phone call, so that's the only thing left."
"Do you think this is going to work?" Jacob asked, as he joined her near the rolling whiteboard where they'd drawn up their lists.
Cassandra nodded. "I think it is. Or at least it'll help. Along with the changes we've made, I think you're gonna be able to keep the business going for at least another year, maybe more."
"I really, really don't know how to thank you Cassandra. Everything you've done . . . ."
Cassandra shrugged. "I'd say I was doing my job, but that's not really true. I really like helping people, true."
"I know you've gotten in trouble for staying so long," Jacob said, his voice going low. "And I know what you've done was not part of your job."
"I did. But it was worth it. I helped you. And I got to know you and the girls. Making friends with you? That was worth the trouble."
Jacob turned facing her, his eyes serious, searching for something in hers. She looked back at him, transfixed and then her eyes slid shut as his hand reached for her cheek. She felt a smile slide across his lips as they met hers. It was a gentle, seeking sort of kiss, but then it deepened when she sighed blissfully and parted her lips.
Finally need for air made them break apart and they beamed at each other as they took a few breaths.
"Cassie, I . . . ."
But Jacob's sentence wasn't finished as he could hear Mabel's voice calling his name. They'd stepped apart by the time Mabel popped her head in the room.
"Oh, there you are. Sorry. The guy from the bakery called. He really needs you to pick up that cake."
"Alright, I'll be there in 10."
Cassandra giggled as Mabel left. Jacob sighed and shook his head.
"Okay, I'll go pick up the cake. We'll talk though?"
"Yeah," she grinned. "About good things." Then she leaned forward and gave him a soft sweet kiss.
"Wow," Jake said parting from her. "I'll admit it's been a really long time, but you are a hell of a kisser Ms. Cillian. You make a man want to not go pick up a cake."
"Go!" she said, playfully.
Jacob had been gone for about ten minutes when Cassandra's phone rang. She froze when she saw the caller id. No, no, no, no, magic had been quiet for weeks and now, today?
"Hello, Jenkins," she said finally picking up the phone.
"It's about time," Jenkins huffed. "We had a situation and we need the Librarian."
"Can't it . . . ."
"No, it cannot wait, Ms. Cillian. We are talking life or death here. This is your job. I didn't say anything about your being gone so long before, but we had no crisis. We do now. I'll have a door for you in the broom closet in three minutes."
Jenkins hung up on her. Cassandra frowned, it had to be major, Jenkins was only that rude he was very worried.
Jacob was gone, the girls weren't coming until the party. She'd confirmed everything. She'd done all she could. She couldn't just leave though and who knows when she could call him.
She grabbed a piece of paper off of his desk and hastily wrote him a note.
Dear Jacob,
I'm so so sorry to leave you like this. Right after you left I got a phone call. I have a family emergency to take care of and I don't know when I'll get the chance to call or text. Hopefully everything will go well with both the party and my family. I'll get in touch as soon as I can.
I really have to run, but Jacob -
She could hear the door firing up. She had no more time.
All my love,
Cassandra
She folded the paper, wrote his name on it and propped it up on his desk. Then she ran for the door. As she did, the piece of paper blew off the desk and into a partly opened desk drawer.
"Cassie?" Jacob called her name as he looked around the office. He noticed the drawer but didn't see the note and pushed the drawer closed. Maybe he'd missed her downstairs.
It became pretty obvious though after looking everywhere for her and the party starting that Cassandra was gone.
There was no car with her rental agency's sticker in the parking lot. He tried calling her hotel, only to be told that there was no one with that name staying there.
He plastered on a smile when the party started and told the girls that Cassandra was not feeling well and had to go. Luckily the party distracted the girls enough to keep them from wanting to see her or make her get well cards.
The party went really well and he was exhausted. But the happiness that he might have gotten out of it was marred by Cassandra's absence. It felt hollow somehow even though he really was kept too busy to miss her. Or even check his phone until late. But there were no texts from her. Nothing at all.
It was surreal. He told himself that night that she had to have had a good reason. She certainly kissed him like someone sincere. She'd been teasing and happy when they parted. She wasn't the type to run out was she?
His calls went to voice mail all weekend and his texts went unanswered.
But his worry about her turned to fury on Monday morning.
He was in the store that morning, trying not to look at his phone and get some work done. Then a man with a briefcase walked in.
"Mr. Stone?"
"Yes sir, can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm so sorry that it's taken so long for me to get here. I'm Sam Denning from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce."
"Department of Commerce?" Jacob asked looking perplexed.
"Yes, from the grant you applied for? I'm here to look over your books."
"Someone was already here . . . ."Jacob looked at him strangely.
It was the man's turn to look confused. "I can assure you, Mr. Stone, that I'm the person assigned to your store. We didn't send anyone else out."
Jacob sighed. "I must have misunderstood. Come on back, we've made a series of changes, but maybe you can tell me if I'm on the right track. . . ."
She'd lied to him the whole time. Was her name even Cassandra? What was her game? He'd vowed after Mandy left to never let himself get treated like that again. Instead he'd let loneliness get the best of him. Never, ever again.
When he got a free moment, he blocked Cassandra's number. And that night, when the fury broke, he might have cried a little. The fantasy had ended and the rest of a lonely life going through the motions finally caught up with him. But that was the life he had and he'd have to deal with it come the dawn.
The girls were full of questions and all he said was that Cassandra was sick and went back home and he had no idea when she'd be back. Grace, being older and bright, knew there was more to the story than her father was telling. But she also knew her father and she could tell that Cassandra's very name upset him. Abby was upset too but Grace tried her best to keep her from bothering him. Abby was just little enough to believe that Cassandra was going to keep her promise and come back when she was well. Grace knew better. But she wanted to believe the fiction. If only because when Cassandra came back, her daddy would smile again.