Page 33 of Grace on the Rocks

“Young adult fiction,” she answered, staring daggers atBryanwhile speaking to his cousin. “AlthoughI’mgetting a bit old for the genre myself,” she added.

A familiar rush of blood washed up the back of his neck and over his face, but he supposed he deserved it, so he didn’t take the bait.

“Not like kids can write them,”Lùcastold her with more generosity thanBryanhad shown in the bookshop.

“I suppose that’s true.”

“I was banned from the library five years ago,” he said, matter-of-factly like it happened to people all the time.

“What on earth for?Didyou want to burn all the books likeRyanhere?”

“I didn’t s—how would that help?”Bryanjumped in, unable to resist this time. “Oncethe trees are chopped, it’s just wasteful.Firewould only release moreCO2!”

“You’re a book burner?”Lùcasasked him in horror.

“I’m not,” he repeated, catching the flicker of a smirk onGrace’sface.Sheliked giving him a hard time.Well, two could play that. “I’drather not… print them at all.”

Now both of them turned a combined glare almost powerful enough to knock him backwards over the ledge like the force of a couple ofCareBears.

“But they’re art,”Lùcasgasped.

Bryan groaned. “I’veno objection to the art of them.Goon, why’d your own sister kick you out of the library?Doesyour da know about this?”

Now it was his cousin’s turn to flush and look away, a tiny smirk playing guiltily at his lips. “Ikept illustrating in the margins.”

“Graffiti you mean?”Bryanlooked over to gaugeGrace’sreaction, as both a writeranda librarian.Shewas quirking her mouth to the side to suppress a mischievous smile of her own.

“Okay, the author side of me is intrigued, but”—she glanced atBryan—“the librarian side of me wants to give you a choice between lifetime detention and murder.Howoften were your drawings obscene?”

Lùcas looked deeply offended for about a second before another coy smile creeped in. “Onlysometimes.”

“Definitely murder,” she said toBryan.

“It’s funny!”Lùcasprotested.

“I get it!Iagree.”Sheshook her head. “Upuntil a ban-happy parent sees it and the next thing you know, they’ve found every single sketch you’ve made across every book and demanded those books be withdrawn from the collection.They’renot even objecting to the books this time, just one silly drawing, but it’s not like we have the funds to replace them all.Itdrips gasoline on an already smoldering fire, and suddenly everything’s up in flames.”

The kid stared at her.

“Sorry,” she said, blinking self-consciously. “Occupationalhazard.”

“They really do that?”

“They don’t here?”

“Not often,”Bryantold her.

“Sorry,” she said again.

Lùcas had the decency to look horrified, andGraceshook her head again. “Sorry,” she said for the third time. “Ididn’t mean to go off on a soapbox at you.Ithink it’s cool,Ijust…”

“Occupational hazard,”Bryanrepeated and she nodded.Morelike the kid accidentally activated a librarian sleeper cell.

“I didn’t know,”Lùcassaid.

“You should do it for authors on social media.Betthey’d pay you.”

The kid scoffed.

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