what we stand for if you think about it. We should be advocating reading , not sitting on one’s backside staring at a screen letting someone else do the imagining for us.”
She almost asked why Dixie had been at the Green along with everyone else that first day, but she let it go. Why risk upsetting the applecart? Any momentary satisfaction that would come from such a retort would be short-lived. Instead, she simply laid out the simple fact. “I wasn’t cut.”
Dixie set a mystery novel down on its pile and turned to face Tori. “You weren’t cut?”
She shook her head.
“Then why are you here? Shouldn’t you be over there?” Dixie pointed her finger in the direction of the Green. “With all those people who should be in here reading, instead of standing there waiting for a chance to see someone famous?” The words were barely out of the woman’s mouth before the accusing glare took over. “You’re not worried I can’t handle things here by myself, are you, Victoria?”
It was a silly question but one she answered anyway. Dixie was the type of woman who needed pats of reassurance all the time, especially where her dedication and competence toward the library was concerned. “Of course not, Dixie. You’ve been amazing these past few months.”
The glare gave way to the slightest hint of a sparkle. “I have, haven’t I?” Dixie went back to the stack of returns, sifting through the next four titles in quick order before turning toward Tori once again. “Then if you weren’t cut and you’re not worried about things here, why aren’t you working on the movie?”
She stepped down off the stool and joined Dixie in the corner, working through the second stack of returns with matched efficiency. “Because the movie is temporarily, if not permanently, on hold.”
“On hold?” Dixie parroted. “But why? Have they decided Sweet Briar is not good enough for them?”
She had to laugh. Like their dear friend, Rose Winters, Dixie was fiercely loyal to the town she’d called home since infancy. Those who talked irreverently about Sweet Briar quickly found themselves on the receiving end of both women’s ire. “No, no, nothing like that. It’s just that something unexpected happened that necessitated a halt in production.”
Dixie’s eyebrow rose. “Oh? Then why is there still such a large crowd standing around the Green?”
“Because instead of watching a movie being made, now they’re watching news unfold.” Tori dealt the remaining books into their correct piles—national history, local history, mystery, romance, reference, young adult, and children’s.
Upon placement of the last book, Dixie swooped up two of the piles and made her way toward the appropriate shelving. “News? What kind of news?”
She grabbed the stack of local history titles and joined Dixie out on the floor. “Anita Belise is dead.”
Dixie gasped, nearly dropping her books at her feet. “Did you say dead ?”
She nodded. “They found her in her trailer just a few hours ago.”
“But she was so young,” Dixie protested, her feet rooted to the floor in the center of the mystery aisle. “What could possibly have happened?”
Tori closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply as she did. “Um, from what I’ve been able to gather, it sounds as if she had an allergic reaction to something she ate.”
“People with allergies must be so diligent,” Dixie mused as she slowly resumed the task at hand. “Why, if I had an allergy to something, you can be sure I’d be asking questions about everything that even resembled food.”
That’s assuming people would tell you the truth…
She grabbed for the corner of a shelf as a wave of guilt crashed over her from head to toe. What was she thinking? Leona Elkin was her friend… .
In a flash Dixie was at her side. “Victoria? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”
Shaking her head, she willed herself to breathe. “I’m—I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind
She almost asked why Dixie had been at the Green along with everyone else that first day, but she let it go. Why risk upsetting the applecart? Any momentary satisfaction that would come from such a retort would be short-lived. Instead, she simply laid out the simple fact. “I wasn’t cut.”
Dixie set a mystery novel down on its pile and turned to face Tori. “You weren’t cut?”
She shook her head.
“Then why are you here? Shouldn’t you be over there?” Dixie pointed her finger in the direction of the Green. “With all those people who should be in here reading, instead of standing there waiting for a chance to see someone famous?” The words were barely out of the woman’s mouth before the accusing glare took over. “You’re not worried I can’t handle things here by myself, are you, Victoria?”
It was a silly question but one she answered anyway. Dixie was the type of woman who needed pats of reassurance all the time, especially where her dedication and competence toward the library was concerned. “Of course not, Dixie. You’ve been amazing these past few months.”
The glare gave way to the slightest hint of a sparkle. “I have, haven’t I?” Dixie went back to the stack of returns, sifting through the next four titles in quick order before turning toward Tori once again. “Then if you weren’t cut and you’re not worried about things here, why aren’t you working on the movie?”
She stepped down off the stool and joined Dixie in the corner, working through the second stack of returns with matched efficiency. “Because the movie is temporarily, if not permanently, on hold.”
“On hold?” Dixie parroted. “But why? Have they decided Sweet Briar is not good enough for them?”
She had to laugh. Like their dear friend, Rose Winters, Dixie was fiercely loyal to the town she’d called home since infancy. Those who talked irreverently about Sweet Briar quickly found themselves on the receiving end of both women’s ire. “No, no, nothing like that. It’s just that something unexpected happened that necessitated a halt in production.”
Dixie’s eyebrow rose. “Oh? Then why is there still such a large crowd standing around the Green?”
“Because instead of watching a movie being made, now they’re watching news unfold.” Tori dealt the remaining books into their correct piles—national history, local history, mystery, romance, reference, young adult, and children’s.
Upon placement of the last book, Dixie swooped up two of the piles and made her way toward the appropriate shelving. “News? What kind of news?”
She grabbed the stack of local history titles and joined Dixie out on the floor. “Anita Belise is dead.”
Dixie gasped, nearly dropping her books at her feet. “Did you say dead ?”
She nodded. “They found her in her trailer just a few hours ago.”
“But she was so young,” Dixie protested, her feet rooted to the floor in the center of the mystery aisle. “What could possibly have happened?”
Tori closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply as she did. “Um, from what I’ve been able to gather, it sounds as if she had an allergic reaction to something she ate.”
“People with allergies must be so diligent,” Dixie mused as she slowly resumed the task at hand. “Why, if I had an allergy to something, you can be sure I’d be asking questions about everything that even resembled food.”
That’s assuming people would tell you the truth…
She grabbed for the corner of a shelf as a wave of guilt crashed over her from head to toe. What was she thinking? Leona Elkin was her friend… .
In a flash Dixie was at her side. “Victoria? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”
Shaking her head, she willed herself to breathe. “I’m—I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind
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