Turning Pages

Chapter Eleven

ELEVEN 

We left Melanie in charge during the quiet part of the afternoon and headed outside. I climbed into the bookmobile, an inventory sheet on a clipboard tucked under my arm. 

"While we're waiting for patrons, we can double-check the books on board," I said to Blake. "Kill two birds with one stone." 

He didn't seem overly impressed with my forward thinking. "And where are we going first?" 

"Milburn Road. There are a ton of young families there, and most of them don't make it downtown all that often." 

I sat in the driver's seat and snapped the belt in place. I didn't hesitate at all as I started the engine. I wasn't about to let Blake think I was intimidated by this behemoth. "Are you buckled?"  

He glared at me from the passenger seat. 

"What?" I said. "We need to be safe, don't we?" 

"No seatbelt in creation is going to keep me safe if you go out of control." 

I turned to face him. "I've never gotten a ticket. I never speed. I don't weave from side to side, and I don't even change the radio station unless I'm at a red light or parked. Why are you so down on me?" 

"I don't question your driving skills in general, Addie. But this is a huge vehicle, and you're a short girl." 

I threw up my hands. "I'm tired of discussing how short I am, and I already know how big this vehicle is. Unless you can offer some new argument, I'm ready to go." 

"Fine. Go." 

I edged out of the parking lot and onto the road. I did swerve just a bit as I righted the long back end of the mobile, but after only a few minutes, I had a feel for it and we were cruising along just fine. After another moment had gone by, I glanced at Blake. He was no longer clutching the door handle for dear life, and I thought he might even look slightly accepting of his inevitable fate-er, afternoon's activities. 

We reached our destination, and I brought the bookmobile to a halt near a grassy field where we'd be easy to spot. 

"Now," I said brightly, "let's start the inventory." 

"Don't we drive around and wait for someone to flag us down?" Blake asked. 

"Like the ice cream truck? Okay, you lean out the window and sing a catchy tune, and we'll see who comes." 

He ignored my sarcasm, climbed into the back, and propped open the cupboards. The contents didn't look like they'd shifted much on the drive, which was a relief. I didn't want Blake to have any further reason to rib me, and an avalanche of books landing on his head would give him an excellent reason. 

We'd gone through one cupboard and identified twenty books for the discard pile when we got our first patrons. Millie Calhoun and her little daughter, Amber, climbed aboard, and Amber headed straight for the picture books. 

"Is it true, Addie?" Millie's eyes filled with tears. "I ran into Heather, and she told me Autumn said that Nichole told her Kim said that the library is closing." 

I couldn't even track what she'd just said, so I went for the answer. "We have six more months in the building, and then we'll be moving into a temporary location. But the new building will be great once it's built."  

"Well, I told Heather she had to be mistaken. I just can't believe it. And we'll never love the new place. It won't be the same." 

"I'm sure it will be very nice," Blake said, coming from the back of the bus with his arms full of books. Millie's eyes grew wide when she caught sight of him. "It will just be a matter of getting used to it, that's all," he continued.