Where there is a will

 

Cade liked having Doris' advice. Suddenly, he wasn't so angry with Lily as he wanted to be about his brother.

 Although, sometimes, he wondered how it had really been for Doris when she was his age. He didn't think she immediately fell in love with Lily's grandfather. 

She'd had boyfriends while growing up. She said she had a great collection of pucca shell necklaces. It was a thing back then, evidently. She'd even dated a cowboy while she was a Freshman in college. She'd met him on a blind date.

It made him smile now of all her adventures in dating. Naturally, she said he could have that too. "If you like Mercer so much, then I guess you won't give him up, but have some fun. Make more friends." She'd told him. 

He really wanted to work at the library. Then volunteering was her suggestion. So that's what he did. Mostly, in the book sale room on the weekends. There was a lot more organizing going on than one would imagine. And he met her friend Carol who was happy to see he'd work the weekends. Of course, Cade saw Mercer from time to time and of course, Brooklyn wasn't far behind to bother him.

It still made Cade nauseous. Why was it her? What did Mercer see in her? But it wasn't long until he had his own fan club of middle schoolers. Of course, they were looking for Scholastic books. But generally, he'd suggest a cozy mystery. "It'll be good for you, and then you can give it to your mom for a gift." Cade was quite the salesman in the book sale room. He could reach high for all the classics and he came to enjoy the presence of those admirers. After all, Mercer was in another world.

And then, Henry came to him on a Sunday afternoon. Someone on the staff was leaving in August. Cade was excited. He was sure he might get a shelver position, after all. He couldn't believe his volunteering had paid off.

"Could you work nights?" Henry wanted to know. After all, Cade was still in high school.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Cade could see himself working with Mercer now. He shelved at nights Monday through Thursday night and Saturday mornings. Oh, it was like a prayer answered. He couldn't help but feel relieved. He'd win Mercer back, somehow.

"It's a clerk position," Henry then told him.

"A clerk position?" Cade winced hard. Was he sure what he was saying?

"Yeah, we want to try something new. We have had someone here for over twenty-five years and it would be best if she didn't work at night. She has night blindness." Henry told him.

"Oh." Cade nodded. He guessed he could work at circulation.