"This is our new collaborator, Lynn." Conny introduced me to a tan man in faded jeans and a navy shirt, the sleeves rolled up to show a pair of muscular arms. His dark hair was gathered in a ponytail and a few escaped wisps framed a chiselled face with brown eyes.

"Could you please show Mister Martinez the faulty lightbulb?" Conny pointed to the back, where the lamp in question probably worked without a glitch—now the janitor was here to fix it.

He offered me his hand. "Nice to meet you, Lynn. Please call me Paco." His handshake was warm and as solid as his appearance. "I'll fetch a ladder and will be right with you."

I nodded, lost for words, my determination to stay away from attractive men and the library's classics section dissolving like mist in the morning sun. In the company of the very real and living Latino version of Chris Hemsworth, I reckoned I'd be safe enough.

"Thanks, Conny." Paco endowed my coworker with a dazzling smile, but it was lost on her as she turned away without acknowledging the gesture. With a tiny shrug, he strode to a door next to the office I hadn't registered yet and unlocked it. Behind it, I glimpsed a tiny service room filled with cupboards and cleaning material. Something clattered inside and a moment later, Paco returned, carrying a stepladder.

"It's high time we clean out the old stuff one of these days. But I have only a quarter of an hour today, so please show me the culprit."

His prominent cheekbones and the sparkle in his dark eyes were to die for. I was sure my cheeks glowed the colour of ripe tomatoes, and I had to remind myself that I'd sworn to never fall for an older man again. Gee, he was even older than Oliver, probably around Conny's age—which meant he could be my dad. The sobering effect of this thought helped me to lead him to the last aisle without batting my lashes or making a fool of myself otherwise.

"It's the one over there, but of course it works now. It turned on and off at will yesterday morning—I thought someone was playing games with the new kid in town."

"Hm, I remember this one being erratic before, but I never found out why. Let me check again."

He climbed the ladder, unscrewed the bulb, and put it back in, but we couldn't observe anything unexpected. I felt the urge to explain that I didn't make this up, but before I could give in, Paco scratched his stubbly chin. "Right now, everything seems to be fine. But don't worry, I believe you. We had customers report this lamp being broken several times over the last months. Perhaps it is best if I'll replace it. Not sure this will solve the problem, but it's the best I can do at the moment."

He fetched a new bulb, but the change didn't lead to a visible improvement.

"There we go. I fear the wiring might be faulty, but I can't test that without the proper equipment."

While he folded the ladder, I had an idea. "Have you ever seen a tabby cat in here?" I almost said blue, but bit down on that snippet of information.

"A cat? How would it get in here? No, I haven't, and I think that's for the better. Miss Conny would freak out, I bet, since she is allergic to about everything from dust to animal hair."

I wasn't sure the cat I had in mind shed hair, but Paco had answered my question—and I suspected he crushed hard on Miss Conny. Why else would he bother caring about her allergies? "Oh, I didn't know she is. It must be horrible."

"Yes, she's lucky we have a thorough cleaning team and that no pets are allowed on the premises. Well, it's getting late. I should put that away." He picked up the ladder and carried it back to the tech room. "Just call me if the lamp acts up again. You're Majorie's surgery replacement, right?"

"Yes, I hope to be."

"You'll do fine, I'm sure." The hint of a smile playing on his lips sent a fresh wave of heat to my cheeks. "Would you mind if I come over next week to talk through the details of the exhibition?"

"Oh, right?" So that's where I had heard his name before. Mister Gorgeous was the photographer the library would feature in the upcoming exhibition. "Let me check with Conny when it would be best. I don't know our schedule by heart yet—it's only my second day."

A soft rumble escaped his throat—the most attractive laugh I had heard in ages. Why couldn't the man be a decade or two younger? On my way back to the office, I ensured to walk a step in front of him, certain he must feel the heat radiating from my cheeks and hear my soaring heartbeat.

"Conny, Paco would like to pass by next week to plan the exhibition. When would be a good time?"

She opened the agenda on her desktop and studied it. "Monday should be quiet, since we have no groups or other events planned. Lynn doesn't work in the morning, though, so it will have to be the afternoon. Two o'clock?"

Right, I had forgotten that I had Monday mornings off. Paco nodded and registered the date on his phone. "Great, I'll be here. I won't steal much of your time, but since this is a first for me, I want to make sure we have all in hand and discuss the schedule for the opening ceremony."

"It's fine. We always hold a meeting to fix the important parts." Conny glanced at Marjorie, who stood by the exit and talked with the last few knitters about to leave. "I'll organise the catering, as usual, but it will be up to you and Lynn to place the pictures and install the lighting. I have two left thumbs."

Paco's chuckle was as attractive as his laugh. "Don't worry, we got this—don't we, Lynn?"

I pulled a face. "You've never seen me handle a hammer and nail."

"These days, there are better solutions for hanging pictures, believe me. Well, I have another job to attend. See you on Monday, ladies. Oh, and Marjorie?"

The librarian had to crane her neck to look up at the man towering over her. "Paco, sorry I was busy. Could you fix the light?"

"I tried, but I have my doubts this will solve the problem. If it plays bonkers again, Lynn will call me and we'll take it from there, don't worry. I just wanted to wish you all the best with the surgery and hope you'll be back and bouncing in no time."

"Thanks, Paco, I will." She patted his arm with a mischievous smile. "Please watch out for my girls in the meantime, will you?"

Conny rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "We got this Marj. Stop worrying, it's only a few weeks and we won't burn down the place. I'm sure Mister Martinez has better things to do than babysit a bunch of grown up bookworms."

Paco laughed and left with a wave, but no further comment.

During lunch, I worked on a strategy to confront Marjorie in a quiet moment and ask her the questions I'd accumulated. As always, my elaborate plan proved worthless. As soon as the door closed behind me, she asked me to take over the reception while she retreated to the office to make a few phone calls, finish her correspondence and discuss finances with Conny.

The customers kept me occupied, and the hours rushed by. It was near closing time when the place got quieter, but my colleagues were still in there, working through a spreadsheet. Instead of disturbing them, I sorted the returns on the trolley and began putting them away.

This time, I started with the classics, waiting for the lighting to fade. Either the trick worked or Paco had fixed the lamp for good—or it helped that there were still a few customers around. The illumination was as bright and stable as I could wish, and no creepy visitors turned up. Convinced now Becca and Sim had been right, I relaxed. The appearance of the glowing cat and the other ghost were probably just a sign I was stressed and needed a break.

Cheered up by the thought, I moved on to the other sections until only two science fiction books remained. In the corner where they belonged, a teen girl with silky blond hair browsed the shelves, running a finger over the book spines with a dreamy expression. She moved aside to grant me access without looking at me.

"Thanks, I'll be fast." I slid the two books back onto the shelf. "Are you searching for something specific?"

Wide grey eyes in a pale face found mine. "Do you read science fiction?"

"Love it. What are you looking for, a classic? Something funny?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm mostly into the science stuff, and think I've read most of the classic tales from Asimov to Philip K. Dick, but something funny for the evenings after homework sounds amazing."

"Hmm, let's see." I let my gaze travel along the book spines to a cluster of well-remembered covers and couldn't help a grin as I pressed the first volume of the series into her hands. "Here you go, a funny classic, even if I doubt this is a renowned category."

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?" She turned the book over to read the blurb and a smile lit up her pretty face. "Oh, I think I've heard about it. Thanks, that sounds cool."

"It is. At least it's one of my favourites, so if you don't like it, I'll take the blame and chase up something better for you. Shall I check it out for you?"

Her gaze found my name tag, and her eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't realise you work here. I'm sorry."

"I started only yesterday and am still finding my ropes." I winked. "But my boss already declared it's safe to let me use the scanner. I'll try to not make a mess of it."

"I'm glad to know—'Scanned to Death in the Public Library' would make an awful headline in the evening news." Her genuine laughter was contagious. Still giggling, we returned to the front desk, where I scanned the QR codes of the book and her library card. In this moment, Conny left the office.

"Lynn, can you—oh, Amber, why are you here? Where is your brother?"

When the teen rolled her eyes, their relationship became obvious. "Hey Mum, nice to see you too." She slipped the book into her bag, her former smile erased. "Danny went with his friend after training to work on their school project. He told you yesterday, remember? Since our last course got cancelled today, I thought we might walk home together."

Conny ran a hand over her face and sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout, Amber. And yes, Danny mentioned this yesterday—they work for that science project, right? It slipped my mind."

Amber stared at her hands for a moment before she confronted her mother with an unreadable face. "Doesn't it always?"

Conny's features were the mirror image of her daughter's. "Please, you must understand that I'm just worried about you both. I was tired yesterday and didn't sleep well. It's no excuse, I know, but I can't help it. I'll be right with you when we're finished here."

Amber nodded. "Thanks for the recommendation, Lynn." Her eyes downcast, she trudged to the sitting area, where she slumped into an armchair to wait for her mother.