Page 89 of Where You're Planted

He left the office in a daze.

When he crossed the courtyard to catch the end of Tansy’s story time in the gated garden, Ian fell into step with him. “You see the tree?”

“Yep.”

“What do you think this will mean for the library?”

“It’s not gonna help,” Jack said grimly.

Ian nodded, eyebrows and mouth tense with worry. “There’s got to be something we can do, though, right? It’s been good with them here.”

Jack grunted. He agreed, but he couldn’ttalkright now. He needed to get Tansy alone, confess that he was a finalist forhergrant, and then lay out the hazy plan he was desperately cobbling together.

“Come on. Even you can admit that it’s been good,” Ian pushed, a bitter note tingeing his words.

“Yeah,” Jack snapped.

Ian mumbled an apology that made Jack stop and look him in the eye. “Listen. I’m working on a backup plan, regardless of what their administration decides, all right? We’re in the running for a big grant, one that will allow us to resume our expansion. If we get it, maybe we’ll be in a better position to help the library.”

“Help them how?”

“I’m still figuring that out. I need to talk to Tansy.” Jack resumed his quick stride, but Ian stopped him.

“She got a call in the middle of her story time. Kai took over.”

Jack clutched his hips, deflated. “She’s not in the gated garden?”

“No.”

Jack marched back in the direction they’d come to take the fork to the Little Green Library, leaving Ian behind.

Tansy wasn’t in the shed when he arrived, only Marianne, who was squinting at the roof, under which a fresh cup-shaped mud nest was affixed to the siding. She held a large rock and a can of wasp spray and appeared to be working up the nerve to use them.

“Where’s Tansy?” he asked.

“She had to leave.”

“Leave the library or the whole park?”

“The park. She took my car.”

Jack cursed under his breath.

Marianne nudged her glasses up her nose with her forearm, silently casting him a disapproving scowl.

He turned to leave but stopped. “That’s not a wasp nest,” he told her.

“What is it?”

“Barn swallow.”

He nodded past the clearing where power lines marked the edge of the park near a bend in the creek. Small, angular birds darted erratically in the bright blue sky, hunting insects. “A pair builds its nest here every year.”

She set down the rock.

“Do me a favor? Tell Tansy I need to see her when she gets back?”

“Fine.”