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  “Is there something wrong with my dress?” Tori asked, perplexed.

  “A hint of bosom is all right, dear, but not before dark.”

  Hint of bosom? What bosom?

  Leona continued on, never missing a beat. “They judge people based on breeding and manners, not fancy degrees and one’s status as a world traveler. In fact, life begins and ends in Sweet Briar, dear—what happens anywhere else is irrelevant.”

  Nibbling her lower lip inward, Tori pondered Leona’s words. “But the library board wanted change, right?”

  “Yes. But I’d suggest leaving some things as is—for familiarity’s sake. At least for a while. Until the town of Sweet Briar gets to know you better.”

  The suggestion seemed fair enough.

  “Thank you, Leona. I appreciate the advice more than you can know.”

  The woman’s slow smile lit her face from within. “I know how exciting and scary it can be to start over somewhere new. I’ve only been here a few years myself.”

  Tori sank back into her chair. “You? I just assumed, with the shop and everything, that you were a native of Sweet Briar.”

  “No. Margaret Louise and her husband settled here over forty years ago. And while she wasn’t successful in convincing me to settle down and marry in my youth, she was able to talk me into retiring here so we could be closer to each other.”

  “So you understand then, about being an outsider, don’t you?” Tori prompted, confused more than ever by the woman’s initial coolness.

  “In a way. But having Margaret Louise and all of her children and grandchildren here gave me a different status from the beginning. It gave me a leg up, so to speak.”

  A leg up?

  “I can count on one hand the number of people who have moved into this town since I arrived five years ago,” Leona continued. “Callie Waters, Robert Dallas, Thomas Hayes, Beatrice Tharrington, and Lester Norton. And every single one of us had a Sweet Briar connection already in place.”

  “Connection?”

  “I had my sister. . . . Callie was born here and determined to die here. . . . Robert has Alzheimer’s and came to live with his son, the police chief. . . . Thomas married our mayor. . . . Beatrice is the Johnsons’ nanny. . . . and Lester is Dixie’s son.”

  Ahhhh. Those kinds of connections. The kind Tori simply didn’t have.

  She felt her shoulders slump, knew her smile followed. Starting over didn’t sound so easy anymore.

  “But you’ll find your place, I just know it.” Leona tugged Tori’s hands from her lap and held them gently in her own. “You have a happiness about you that will win everyone over. You just wait and see.”

  “Even without a twin sister or an important parent or spouse to pave the way?” She heard the momentary uncertainty in her own voice.

  “Even without them.”

  “Even with the fact that my position at the library belonged to a woman who’d been there since it opened?”

  Leona released Tori’s left hand long enough to wave her own in the air. “Sweet Briar may be a small, close-knit town, but Dixie’s ways are well documented. Just be yourself, make your changes at the library—slowly—and you’ll be just fine.”

  The woman’s words lingered in her thoughts, chasing any uncertainty away. Leona was right. Tori had won people over all her life by simply being kind and helpful. There was no reason to think the residents of this small southern town would be any different. She was here to bring life to a library that had been operating in a decades-old rut. She wasn’t here to bring harm to life in Sweet Briar.

  “Now, in answer to your earlier question, consider it a gift.”

  Tori’s gaze followed the path Leona’s had taken, coming to rest on the mirror she’d admired while searching for a distraction to a conversation that had been nothing short of special. “I don’t underst—”

  Rising to her feet, Leona closed the gap between her chair and the wall in six quick steps. “I want you to have this mirror. Consider it a housewarming gift from someone who understands the need for change.”

  “I can’t accept that.” Tori stood, blinking furiously against the hint of moisture behind her eyes.

  “You can, and you will. I insist.” The woman reached up, yanking the mirror from the wall and carrying it to the counter. “And if there’s one thing you don’t do in Sweet Briar, it’s argue with your elders.”

  “Leona, thank you. So much. For this”—she ran her hand along the silver latticework trim that surrounded the mirror—“and for making me feel welcome. I guess I needed it more than I realized.”

  “Well, I know I didn’t do a very good job of making you feel welcome when you first walked in, and I apologize for that. You’d think with as much traveling as I’ve done in my life I’d be more open to strangers. But I guess five years of small-town living has rubbed off on me.” Leona wrapped the mirror carefully in bubble wrap and then handed it to Tori. “Now, whenever you’re feeling a little low or out of place, look at yourself in this and remember who you are.”

  “I will.” With the mirror tucked under her right arm, and the sack of lightbulbs back in her left hand, Tori made her way toward the shop’s front door, the mahogany sewing box claiming her attention once again. “Do you sew, Leona?”

  The shop owner stopped dead in her tracks, a quick laugh escaping her lips. “Not if I can help it.”

  “Oh.” Tori’s gaze swung back to the box, the tug at her heartstrings overpowering. Maybe she didn’t have a living, breathing connection to Sweet Briar, but Sweet Briar certainly held a poignant one for her. “I’ll be back for that box once I get my first paycheck.”

  “I look forward to it, dear.” Leona stepped around her and opened the door. “Now don’t you pay any more mind to looks you get from people in this town. Let them gossip all they want—it gives a purpose besides quaintness to all those picket fences everywhere. Besides, it’s not like you’ve killed anyone—the talk will die out.”

  Chapter 2

  Startled, Tori looked up from the satin-corded pillow she was working on and glanced at the clock propped against the wall, the postdinner hour and the fact that she didn’t know anyone making the knock at her door more than a little unexpected.

  Back in Chicago, she’d loved when friends had stopped by her apartment unannounced. She’d throw open the door and share the contents of her refrigerator without a second thought to the hour. But that was before the breakup. After it, she’d learned to ignore knocks until they finally stopped, leaving her to the solo pity-party she’d grown to prefer.

  But not anymore. Sweet Briar was her fresh start—even if she had to take it slow.

  Removing the pin from between her clamped lips, Tori rose from the small wicker stool in the tiny alcove off her living room and covered the distance to the front door in mere seconds. The gathering dusk outside made it difficult to see much through the sidelight window that ran down the right side of the door, but she could tell her visitor was a woman thanks to the straw hat she wore.

  Leona?

  The thought was no sooner in her mind than it was out. Leona might have been the only person Tori had met so far, but she hadn’t told the woman where she lived. Not that she remembered, anyway. Then again, as Leona had pointed out many times that morning, Sweet Briar was a small town. Surely everyone knew which cottage the new librarian had purchased. . . .

  She unlocked the door and pulled, her gaze coming to rest on the tall, dark-haired woman standing on her front step with a covered plate in her hand.

  “Victoria?”

  “Yes?” She extended her hand in response to the woman’s, felt it disappear inside the strong, capable grasp.

  “I’m Georgina Hayes from a few blocks over and I wanted to stop by and welcome you to Sweet Briar.” The woman pointed at the light fixture to the left of where she stood. “You really ought to get a bulb in there soon. It’s not safe for you or your guests to have a porch light that doesn’t work.”

  Conf
used, Tori popped her head out the door and stared at the bulbless light she’d replaced not two hours earlier. “I don’t know what happened, I put one in this after—”

  “Let’s not worry about that now.” Georgina Hayes’s eyes left Tori’s face long enough to shoot a precursory glance around the partially unpacked interior before returning to their starting spot and crinkling at the edges. “I’m here to welcome you, not lecture you. So let me start over. Welcome to Sweet Briar—we’re tickled you’re here.”

  “I’m glad to be here.” She stepped backward and gestured the woman inside, her thoughts vacillating between the unexpected gesture and the missing lightbulb. “Please excuse the mess. I spent most of the morning unpacking boxes until I needed a break. I escaped down to the town square for a few hours and then simply couldn’t find the energy to continue where I’d left off.”

  Georgina Hayes handed the plate to Tori and pulled off her hat, her demeanor not the slightest bit ruffled by the flattened hair underneath. “That’s what tomorrows are for, Victoria.”

  “Tori, please.”

  “Excuse me?” Georgina furrowed her brows, a glimpse of something resembling distaste hovering in her eyes.

  “I prefer to go by Tori.”

  “You might want to change your mind on that.” Stepping farther into the tiny cottage, the woman stopped and looked around, her gaze missing nothing as she commented on her surroundings. “You know, when Douglas Harrison built these cottages, I just knew they’d be darling inside with the right touch. You’ve barely unpacked a third of your boxes and I can already tell it will be absolutely delightful once it’s all gussied up.”

  “Thank you.” Tori glanced at the foil-covered plate in her hand and felt her stomach respond. Chocolate was near.

  “Open it up. Let’s have some.” Georgina waved her hand at the plate then crossed the living room to the bold plaid chair Tori had picked up at a thrift store on her way into Sweet Briar the day before. Ordinarily, green and blue with a touch of red didn’t catch her eye, but together they’d conjured up a bit of the Scottish heritage she’d been given by her dad’s side of the family. And like the sewing box in Leona’s window, it had appealed to her need for a little nostalgic familiarity.

  Tori forced her focus back to the treat in her hands, embarrassment washing over her as she mentally reviewed the contents of her unpacked kitchen. “I just realized I haven’t gotten to the dishes yet.”

  The woman plopped into the chair and shrugged. “Who needs plates. We both have hands, right? Besides, brownies were never made for plates.”

  Brownies?!?

  “Come, sit. Let’s get acquainted.”

  “Okay.” Tori crossed the room and perched on the edge of the love seat she’d brought from her apartment in Chicago. Slowly, she peeled the cover from the top of the plate, careful not to get any stray crumbs on the cushions.

  Brownies, indeed.

  Tori’s stomach grumbled. Georgina laughed.

  “My stomach would be doing the exact same thing right about now if I had been able to fit the last brownie from the pan onto that plate.” The woman’s green eyes sparkled as she patted the slight bulge beneath her mint green summer shirt. “But I wasn’t.”

  Tori laughed. Maybe Leona was both right and wrong. Right that people would grow to accept her—wrong on how long it would take. Helping herself to a brownie, she set the plate down on the small end table that separated the angled love seat and chair. “I probably wouldn’t be so hungry if I hadn’t pinned my way through dinner.”

  The woman looked a question at her.

  “I’m sorry. I tend to think everyone is a sewer.” Tori took a bite of brownie, savoring its rich, chocolaty taste. “I thrive on multitasking. Today it was unpacking, exploring, and working on a pillow for that chair.” She pointed at the chair where Georgina was seated.

  “You sew?”

  Tori nodded as she took another bite, fighting the urge to let her eyes roll back in her head. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was.

  “Can I see what you’re working on?” Georgina’s head popped upward like a periscope as she canvassed their surroundings.

  “I haven’t gotten far. I stayed up last night cutting the bias strips and pinning them together. I managed to stitch the cording to the strips before my eyes started crossing from lack of sleep.” Tori stood and walked into the alcove that would soon be her first-ever sewing room. Lifting the dark green satin pillow into her arms, she returned to her spot on the love seat and held her work out to her guest. “I wanted to soften the chair somewhat and felt an accessory pillow would do the trick.”

  Georgina took the pillow from Tori’s hands and turned it over in her own. “Oh Victoria, your work is beautiful. How long have you been sewing?”

  “Since I was six. My great-grandmother taught me.”

  With her bottom lip jutted outward, the woman nodded, her attention still focused on the pillow. “I like the twist you’re adding to the corded trim—that’s going to take some time to get just right.”

  Tori shrugged softly. “I know, but it’ll be worth it.” She leaned over and touched her hand to the top half of the pillow. “When I’m done with the blue trim, I’m going to add a matching ribbon in a V pattern right here . . . with a red tassel that hangs down from the point of the V.”

  She was just about to retrieve the embroidered ribbon she’d found for the middle of the tassel when she realized Georgina was studying her intently. Suddenly uncomfortable, Tori opted to remain on the love seat instead.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I got off on a tangent just then. I’ve always been a little bit of a sewing nut.”

  “Then you’re a nut among many here in Sweet Briar. In fact, if you’d be interested, perhaps you’d like to come to our sewing circle tomorrow night?” The woman looked down at the pillow in her lap once again, her hands running slowly across the satiny fabric. “It’s a rather exclusive group—all members must be descendants of the original founders of the Sweet Briar Ladies Society or unanimously voted in by the group.”

  “Well, then I couldn’t possib—”

  “In order to get voted in, they must first have a chance to meet you.” Georgina handed Tori’s work back, then placed her hands on the thighs of her off-white cotton slacks. “And you’ll attend as my guest.”

  “I’m not sure I—”

  “Nonsense. You’ll come. It’s the least I can do for our town’s new librarian.” She pointed at the plate of brownies. “Those were part of my unofficial visit. The invite to the sewing circle can be part of my official visit if that would make you more comfortable.”

  “Official visit?” Tori asked in confusion.

  “Yes. In addition to being part of my very own unofficial little welcoming committee, I’m also the mayor of Sweet Briar.”

  Ohhhh.

  “I don’t really look the part right now, do I?” Georgina looked down at her shirt and brushed at a piece of the brownie she’d conceded to eating. “But after raising four children and losing my first husband to cancer, I had much too much time on my hands. Sewing and visiting with friends can only fill so much of my day. So I ran for mayor.”

  “Wow. That’s quite an undertaking.” Tori shifted in her seat in order to avoid the temptation of a second treat.

  “It really wasn’t that much of a stretch for me. In fact, leading this town is more or less in my blood. My father and his father before him—and his before him—had been mayor of Sweet Briar at one time, too.” Georgina looked around the room again, her eyes roaming across the pictures Tori had propped against walls in preparation for their eventual hanging. “Of course I didn’t expect to marry again, but love can find you in the strangest of places.”

  Let’s hope not.

  “I met Thomas a year ago and we were married six months later. He’s charming and funny and wonderful. But he travels so much with his business that I need my work with the town to keep me from getting too lonely.” Tori watched as Geo
rgina’s gaze fell on the clock along the eastern wall, her mouth slacking open momentarily only to recover in quick and apologetic fashion. “Oh I had no idea it had gotten so late. I hadn’t intended to take up so much of your evening.”

  “No, please. I’ve enjoyed it.” And Tori meant it. So far the women of Sweet Briar were nothing short of wonderful.

  “Aren’t you sweet for saying so.” Georgina rose to her feet, plucking her hat from the coatrack along the wall where the entryway met the living room. “Tomorrow night’s meeting is at Debbie Calhoun’s home. Fifteen Tulip Lane. Debbie has a few extra sewing machines for those who need them, but if you have a portable one that’s best. Less time wasted waiting for a machine. Oh, and everyone brings a treat to share—something homemade, never store-bought. And we start at seven—sharp.”

  Tori smiled. She’d always wanted to be part of a sewing circle, but had set the idea aside in favor of spending every spare moment with Jeff. Attending tomorrow night’s meeting would be one more way she’d be reclaiming her own dreams and making Sweet Briar her new home.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Perfect.” Georgina Hayes pulled the door open and stepped onto the porch, turning to look at Tori one last time as she pointed upward and to the left. “Now don’t forget, Victoria—we like our homes to be lit at night. It reinforces our desire for Sweet Briar to be seen as a safe place to live.”

  Chapter 3

  Tori didn’t need the numbered mailbox to tell her which was the correct house. The women walking up the porch steps with sewing boxes and covered plates told her all she needed to know.

  Debbie Calhoun’s home was a true southern beauty, with a pale yellow two-story exterior, wraparound front porch with white wicker rocking chairs and hanging flower baskets, and large mossy trees that shaded the expansive yard on either side. In fact, it was the kind of home Tori herself dreamed of living in one day.