Turning Pages

Chapter Eighteen

EIGHTEEN 

After an entire day of moving shelves and scooting boxes, I was so sore I practically waddled home. Blake and Tara had been having some sort of intense discussion when I left-something about wedding china, I think, although I didn't know people still got wedding china. The next day, when he and I met at the old library to gather more shelves, he seemed a little distracted. Tara had gone home, and he looked like a lost puppy. It was more than that, though-he seemed agitated, and I couldn't seem to poke him out of it. 

He finally called me in to his office. "Can I talk to you before Chase and Melanie get here?" 

I took a seat, wondering if Blake had learned about my date with Chase and had some weird rule about employees not dating their boss's roommates. 

He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. I couldn't see his legs under the table, but I'd bet anything he had one ankle crossed on the other knee, and that his fancy socks were peeking out. 

"How well do you know Luke?" 

"Not all that well, actually. I've been out on a couple of double dates with him and Melanie-including that one really disastrous night with Rob, but we won't go there-and that's about it. He and Melanie seem to like going out alone. Why?" 

Blake took a deep breath. "Would you close the office door, please?" 

"There's no one else in the building." 

"I know, but just in case someone comes." 

My curiosity was driving me completely wild. "Okay, okay." I reached behind me and batted the edge of the door with my fingertips. It slowly swung closed, and when it clicked, I turned to face him again. "You're starting to make me nervous. Why the secrecy?" 

"Chase had a little talk with me this morning. He wanted to tell you something, but wasn't sure if he should, and now he thinks it has to be done, and he asked me to do it."  

"He doesn't want to go out with me anymore? Is that it? Why do you have to pass along a message?" I knew it-Blake had a weird rule. He had lots of weird rules, but I thought we were past that. 

"No, that's not it. He just felt I was in a better position to talk to you, since I've known you longer." 

"And are you going to make me drag this out of you syllable by syllable?" 

Blake exhaled slowly. "Luke used to date Chase's sister-not too long ago, actually. They only went out for a month or two, but by the time they stopped seeing each other, it was too late." 

"I don't understand." 

"Anna got pregnant." 

I felt as though I'd been punched in the gut. "She did?" 

"Yeah. She told Luke about it, and he broke up with her. She's living with her grandmother in Maine right now until the baby's born, and then she's going to place it for adoption. Addie, she's only sixteen years old." 

I opened and closed my mouth several times, so shocked I couldn't form words. Did Melanie know about this? I didn't think so-I couldn't imagine she'd be okay with it. "Oh, boy." 

"Yeah."  

I wiped my hands down my face, not caring if there was dust on them from moving shelves. "And Melanie wants to marry him."  

"Chase wasn't sure he should say anything. He's the kind of guy who always wants to believe the best of everyone, and when he saw Luke, he thought he should give him the benefit of a doubt. People change. But it kept him awake all night, and this morning, he asked me to tell you."