Starting Now (Blossom Street #9)(37)

“Let me go first.”

“Okay,” Libby acquiesced. She was too happy to argue about anything so trivial.

“I talked to Roy and he mentioned a position would be opening with the city as a junior prosecutor. I know it’s pretty much a starting position, but I think you’d quickly rise through the ranks, so please don’t be turned off by that.”

Libby frowned. While grateful for any job opening, she wasn’t keen to be a prosecutor.

“It’s for the department dealing with tax fraud and financial crimes.”

This was an important component of estate work, with which Libby was well acquainted. This was promising, very promising. “This is big,” she whispered.

“You’re telling me?” Robin joked. “This is huge, and right up your alley.”

“Oh, Robin, thank you.” She briefly hugged her friend. To do something like this for her was outside Robin’s comfort zone.

“I’ve got the information. You need to call first thing this morning,” Robin told her.

“Done.”

“Interviews are next Wednesday.”

“Perfect.” She hoped she could arrange for hers to take place in the afternoon, as she was scheduled to volunteer at the hospital in the morning. Nevertheless, if asked to come in the morning Libby would. Sharon knew she could be called away at any time for work—finding a new job was her priority.

“Okay,” Robin said, looking pleased with herself. “What’s your news?”

Libby barely knew where to start. “I saw Joe.”

“Your ex?”

Filling in the blanks, she described her emotional breakdown and how Phillip had shown up unexpectedly at her condo. She mentioned the sailing lesson, and although she felt a little like a gossiping schoolgirl she told Robin about the amazing kisses they’d shared.

“Wow,” Robin whispered when she finished.

“He asked to see me again tonight.”

“Dinner?”

“Phillip suggested going out on the sailboat again, but that depends on the weather. I checked out the forecast, and it’s supposed to rain.” Frankly, Libby didn’t care what they did, as long as she was with him.

“Roy has a boat,” Robin murmured wistfully.

“Roy … Judge Bollinger told you about the opening in the prosecutor’s office?”

“Yeah.” Robin immediately changed the subject.

Apparently the judge was strictly off-limits. Well, well, so Libby had guessed right. It was Roy who had captured her friend’s attention.

After her workout, Libby returned to her condo. She was changing clothes before heading to the hospital when her cell chirped. Thinking—actually, hoping—it was Phillip, she didn’t bother to look at caller ID before answering.

“Hello.” Her voice was elevated, happy.

“Libby, it’s Lydia Goetz from A Good Yarn.”

Libby tensed. She hadn’t been in the yarn store since dropping the bomb.

“Oh, hi,” she said, hoping she sounded casual.

“You haven’t been by lately. Did you find a job?”

“No, but I have a line on one. How is everything with you?”

“Actually I’m calling because I wanted you to know how grateful I am that you came to me with your concerns.”

Lydia was grateful? The situation had felt like a heavy, wet blanket weighing down on her shoulders. She’d feared Lydia might have taken her interference the wrong way. If she hadn’t been concerned for the young mother’s health, Libby wouldn’t have said anything. Phillip had felt the same obligation.

“We’re convinced it’s Ava,” Lydia continued. “When I saw her last, I took a good look and I realized that Dr. Stone’s right. Ava is pregnant. She does a good job of hiding it, wearing loose clothes. Casey told me she barely has anything that fits her anymore.”

“Oh, my.” The poor girl.

“I thought I would talk to her myself,” Lydia continued, “but Casey suggested that it would be better if you did it.”

“Me?” Libby barely knew the girl.

“Casey told me Ava likes you. She asked about you yesterday when she stopped off at the shop. Would you mind terribly?”

Libby hesitated for only a moment. Stepping outside her comfort zone seemed to be the order of the day, and if this girl needed help … “Of course I’ll talk to her,” she agreed. “When will she be in next, do you know?”

“Could you come by on Monday? The shop will be closed, which might work well.”

“Of course. I’ll make sure I stop by,” she said.

So it was Ava who was pregnant—the motherless girl who so reminded Libby of herself at that age.

Chapter 14

Libby sat at the table in the back of the yarn store, working intently on the baby blanket while Lydia sat in her office paying bills. Casey and Ava were busily knitting and crocheting with Libby. If the fact that she was in the store when it was technically closed surprised them, they didn’t say. She certainly didn’t want to introduce the subject of Ava’s pregnancy in front of Casey, and so she anxiously waited for the right moment when she could speak privately to the young teen.

Phillip had kindly offered a few words of advice and she was grateful for his help, but no matter what anyone suggested, confronting Ava wouldn’t be easy.