The drawings are cute and familiar, which makes no sense since I've never read children books.
“The other one in this series is called Lost Girl. It’s about a girl who gets lost from her family and lives in a forest.”
Thoughts start bouncing in my head. A memory I can’t place. A conversation I once had, but I can’t see the connection to these books.
“Who’s the author?” I ask.
She checks the cover.
“Hope Evans.”
“Okay,” I murmur, baffled. “Can I have them over the weekend? I’ll bring them back on Monday morning.”
“Sure. Which one?”
“These two. Are there any other books by this author?”
She fumbles through the stack and pulls out the third one.
“The Glass Boy.”
“Sounds creepy,” I say.
She smiles.
“It’s not. It’s about a boy held captive in a glass tower, surrounded by a land of beauty. A place only he can see, but he can never touch, taste or feel. It ends well, though,” she says, catching the shift in my expression.
She shoves the books into a small box and places them in my arms.
“Call me if you need me,” I toss to her on my way out.
One hour later, I enter my home.
10
SENNA
I dropeverything on the couch, make a beeline for the bedroom, take a quick shower and change into shorts and a T-shirt. I walk back to the living room, pick up the envelope and the books, and walk outside.
Spring is here, but it already feels like summer, except today.
The temperature is mild, and dry air still is moving in.
It’s also breezy, the wind making the water ripple in the pool. I set everything on the patio table and stroll back inside, heading to the kitchen.
Cold tiles stretch beneath my feet.
I scoop out a bottle of water from the fridge and pour myself a cup of coffee. Balancing the bottle and the cup, I saunter back to the backyard.
I place everything on the table and make a second trip to the house to pick up my phone and tablet.
A text message arrives as I return. Right on time. I text him back.
I received the package.
I should’ve done this a while ago and saved myself a lot of trouble. I move my focus to the envelope.
The PO Box address is printed in the upper left corner.