Page 3 of A Little Bit Engaged
Cara wanted to groan. Of course she was alone. She wanted nothing more than to fall in love—to open her heart and her life to someone special. So far, no luck.
“Only Loki and me.”
“You mentioned something about a date the last time we talked.”
He’d wanted to know how she was doing after being unemployed and then finding a job to tide her over until she found a new position in her field. “Yes. Turns out he’s allergic to cats. Sneezing, eyes watering, and hives broke out when he entered the condo. Shortest first date ever.”
“That sucks.”
“Try, try again.” She motioned Brody into the living room. “So…”
He plopped onto her couch, a slipcovered love seat she’d assembled herself. “How do you like being a book concierge?”
That was her title at Cassandra’s Attic, an independent bookstore here in San Francisco, where she worked part-time. “I enjoy it. Cassie’s a great boss, her husband, Troy, has wonderful ideas for improving the store, and my coworkers are nice, but…”
“You miss working in a library.”
Yes and no, but the bottom line came down to the one thing her parents wouldn’t allow her to forget. “It’s what my degree is in.”
“How’s the job search going?”
Heat rushed up her neck. So many libraries had turned her down that Cara felt as if she were a new college graduate with zero work experience, but she wasn’t giving up. The perfect job was out there somewhere. She would find it.
“I have a second interview on Friday for a position I’d love.” She crossed her fingers. “I’ve also been volunteering at a public library when I can. I may have found a new calling.”
“What’s that?”
A ball of warmth formed in her chest. “Working in the children’s section.”
His mouth quirked. “I thought rare books were your thing?”
“They are, but I’d forgotten how much I enjoy story time. Another employee handles it at the bookstore, but I’m having fun at the library.” Picturing the children from Friday’s session filled her with joy. “Seeing young faces light up as I read—their eyes full of excitement and anticipation—is incredible. It makes me remember why I fell in love with books when I was younger.”
“Doing this really makes you happy.”
“So happy. I feel like I’m making a difference with these kids.” She shimmied her shoulders. “I’m going to ask if the library will let me start themed book clubs for various ages, and then I want to propose a theater and dance reading group for kids who learn better kinesthetically.”
“Wow. Fantastic ideas.” His face brightened. “You sound excited. Much better than I thought you’d be doing.”
She shrugged. “I have an occasional off moment, but I won’t let losing my job bring me down.”
“The university was stupid to let you go.”
“I didn’t have enough seniority. Nothing anyone could do.” If she’d stayed in Los Angeles, she would still be employed. But moving had been the right decision. Her new job had been a dream while it lasted, and the distance had allowed her to get over her crush. Brody was nothing more than a friend now. Although…she’d created yet another problem by leaving Southern California. She now felt like an outsider in her family.
“What’s going on with you?” she asked. “You didn’t come here to talk about my employment situation.”
Humor flashed in his eyes, followed by a sheepish grin. One he’d used for as long as she could remember. Knowing she could still read him filled her with a sense of relief. “You’ve always been the smart one.”
The three of them used to joke about how Caitlin got the beauty and Cara the brains. Being smart was great, but more than once, she’d wished they’d been identical twins instead of fraternal ones. Looking like her sexy, gorgeous actress sister wouldn’t suck.
“What brings you to San Francisco?” Cara asked.
“Caitlin.”
Cara wasn’t surprised. Her sister was a magnet for trouble, always had been. Cara and Brody had grown up trying to get Caitlin out of one jam after another. They’d offered support when anxiety issues made her want to hurt herself—a terrifying time no one wanted repeated, but therapy and medication kept that under control these days. Still, Caitlin had found herself in trouble a few times. Fortunately, whenever things got out of hand for her, Brody had a knack for minimizing any damage. A good thing since Cara wasn’t there to help, but she did what she could from afar.
“Spill,” she said.
