Winter Solstice in St. Nacho's (St. Nacho's #5) - Z.A. Maxfield Page 0,81

life.

It’s my goddamn recovery.

I know what I’m doing.

Tug

Minerva wasn’t in Rune Nation when I got there the next morning, but her pierced, prickly assistant, Muse, was happy to take charge of the scooter for Thuong.

It might not be Thuong’s style, but I could tell Muse loved the old Vespa. Chloe had insisted on the ice-blue model and a matching helmet, which had been fun and fresh at the time. The scooter still had Fall Out Boy and One Direction stickers on the fender.

“Oh my God, it’s sorority retro,” she said. “Did I see it parked on the street by Nacho’s Bar last night?”

“Yeah. That was me.” I gave her a playful nudge. “It’s kind of a kick to ride. I’ve got a helmet if you want to try it out.”

I'd brought two helmets, Chloe’s blue one and a black one I assumed Thuong would prefer.

We got the scooter off the truck, and Muse took it for a little spin. When she came back, her cheeks were flushed pink from cold and excitement. “If Thuong doesn’t love it, can I buy it from you?”

“It’s my sister’s, but I’ll ask.”

“Thanks.”

“You’ll make sure he gets it, right? You can tell him Mom asked me to drop it off, that it belongs to Chloe, and she’s fine with him using it, all that?”

“You don’t want me to call him to get it while you’re here? He could probably be here in like… five minutes.”

“I need to respect his privacy right now.” I thought back to Thuong’s angry expression when he’d seen me the night before. I’d rather not go through that again. “I bumped into him last night, and it didn’t go well.”

“Aw, man.” She frowned. "Sorry."

“He was within his rights. We have an agreement, and I guess he thought I broke it. Hope he’s not too angry.”

She patted my arm. “He'll be fine when he sees this scooter. If he's not pleased, I call dibs.”

Once I gave her the scooter, helmets, and keys, it was my cue to go. “When you hand it off, tell him I wish him safe travels, will you?”

“Of course. Minerva will take good care of him. She’s the town’s fairy godmother. He’ll be all right.”

“I’m glad. I like Minerva a lot. I hope I get a chance to see her next time I’m in town.”

“I’m sure you will.”

There wasn’t anything more to say, so I went around the truck to get in. “See you around, Muse.”

She waved goodbye.

At that point, I had every intention of heading straight for the highway and driving the four hours back to Galt. No matter how much I wanted to explore the town itself, no matter how much I wished I could get a bite from Bistro or a pastry from Café Bêtise, running into Thuong again would destroy my credibility. But as I was driving away, I saw the Santo Ignacio Public Library, and I couldn’t drive past it without taking a look inside. Could. Not.

Built sometime in the early twentieth century from the look of it, the facility was in keeping with the mission revival aesthetic. Meant to look like adobe, it would have been equally at home in Colorado, Texas, or Arizona.

I must have seen it before.

In fact, I’d driven both ways on that very street and never even noticed it was there.

I parked and got out of Mark’s truck. A brisk breeze blew through my hair, bringing with it the sea salt and iron scent of the ocean, but also the bright citrus fragrance of orange and lemon trees. Like a man hypnotized, I made my way up concrete steps and through the archway leading to a shaded gallery. There were glass cases on either side of the double wooden entrance doors featuring a calendar of library events, posters for children’s activities, and playbills from the local college.

Excitement tingled through me—the electric hum of anticipation that gripped me every time I opened a library’s doors. Once inside, I felt the visceral thrill I’d gotten with my first library card. Anything is possible in a place like this.

Santo Ignacio, and its perfect little library, had this impact on me.

Like a blank canvas, there were endless possibilities in the sleepy little beach town. It was close enough to my parents and the rest of my family that I could spend quality time with them, but it was far enough away that I’d have some breathing room.

I’d been longing for a change. In St. Nacho’s, I could keep the things I loved