LITMIR.BIZ

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moment. Smirking, he took another bite and chewed. He loved pushing her buttons.

      She reminded him of a character in the musical the drama class performed his senior year at Nandua High. In her long-sleeved peach blouse and beige pencil skirt, she looked so Marian the Librarian. So uptight and upright.

      It was kind of fun to wind her up and set her off—like watching a jewelry box ballerina go all dashboard hula girl.

      His mind wandered as the women discussed various themes from the novel, such as class structure and reputation. His friend in California had verified what Evy Shaw had revealed of her past.

      Midtwenties. Her parents were tenured English professors from Stanford. Before she’d arrived in Kiptohanock, she’d held positions in libraries from Miami to San Diego.

      He stopped chewing. While still in the Coast Guard, hadn’t Sawyer Kole transferred to Kiptohanock from somewhere in California? Might prove interesting to find out where he’d been previously stationed and determine if Kole and Evy ever shared locales before Kiptohanock.

      Charlie set the plate on his knee. Losing his appetite at the thought of them sharing anything, he swallowed past the boulder lodged in his throat.

      Another fact he’d learned? Evy held advanced degrees in literature and library science from Stanford and the University of Oklahoma. Sawyer Kole grew up in Oklahoma.

      Charlie kept his gaze laser-focused on Evy’s animated features as she led the group discussion. What was her connection to Honey’s husband?

      Time to rattle Hula Girl again.

      He cleared his throat. “One thing I found most fascinating...” the women—as if one entity—angled toward him “...was how first impressions can be deceiving.”

      Perched in the armchair with her brown high heels planted on the floor, Evy laid the book across her lap. “You mean how Elizabeth Bennet’s first impression was that Darcy was a snob?”

      Charlie rolled his tongue over his teeth. “I think that cuts both ways. Darcy and Elizabeth were both guilty of pride and prejudice.”

      Ashley, the wife of a former football buddy of his, nodded. “Darcy was equally guilty of prejudging Elizabeth. Based on her lack of social standing.”

      Charlie cocked his head. “Question is, Miss Shaw—are first impressions to be trusted? Or should you wait for proof that a person is trustworthy?”

      She stiffened. “Sounds as if you advocate putting people on trial. Testing them before you deem them worthy of your friendship, Deputy Pruitt.”

      Their gazes locked. The librarian was hiding something. He knew it.

      Kelly Hughes, the Coastie wife, brushed a crumb off her jeans. “People are not always what they seem. Each of the characters hid their real feelings behind a mask of pride.”

      Evy narrowed her eyes. “As a police officer, do you rely on your intuition in shaping your immediate response to people, Deputy Pruitt?”

      “In cop speak, I rely on my gut. And yes, my instincts about a situation have kept me alive on more than one occasion.” Charlie curled his lip. “And on a personal level, I’ve learned the hard way it doesn’t pay to trust—or love—too blindly.”

      Evy’s eyes bored into him. “Sounds as if someone hurt you very badly, Deputy Pruitt.”

      His breath hitched. An awkward silence fell. Flushing, he wasn’t sure how this had become about him. Or how she’d managed to turn the discussion onto him.

      Dixie patted his arm. “I think the real point of the story is how people can change.”

      “Given time, evaluations can alter.” Mrs. Davenport wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Darcy focused on the wrong things first. But over time he saw Elizabeth for who she was. Really saw her.”

      Evy’s brow puckered. “What do you mean?”

      Peggy—his former high school math teacher who once upon a time loved marking Charlie’s homework with red X’s—thumbed through the pages of the novel. “He saw the real Elizabeth. And their courtship not only proved to each other their true character but also became the proving ground of their true love.”

      Evy ran her hand over her beige skirt. “That’s very insightful.”

      “And—” Jolene, an ER nurse at Riverside Hospital, got up to refill her coffee cup “—it was in the crucible of crisis in their courtship that Darcy saw the error of his own ways and understood his own great love for Elizabeth.”

      Evy blew out a breath. “Wow. Great analysis by everyone. I’ve never seen the story that way before.”

      Mrs. Davenport tapped her finger to her chin. “It’s never wise to come to a conclusion about someone until you have all the facts.”

      Charlie couldn’t have agreed more. Which was why he’d decided to escalate his investigation. He’d never seen Evy and Kole together. Watching their interaction might provide further clues as to what was going on with a certain intriguing librarian.

      Evy rose in a graceful, fluid motion. “Facts or trust? An interesting dichotomy for relationships. Which do we rely upon most often?”

      Something tightened in Charlie’s stomach.

      Evy rubbed her finger across the rim of her glasses. “Important questions to ponder this week as we move on to next week’s selection.”

      Her beautiful eyes sparkled. “Sense and Sensibility.”

      The meeting ended as the women cleared the refreshment table and gathered their belongings. At the ladies’ teasing looks, Charlie realized he’d given the Kiptohanock matchmakers entirely the wrong impression.

      And what he was about to do next would only solidify that impression. The group followed Evy out to the foyer to collect the books for the following week’s discussion.

      He hung back in the kitchen, waiting for Evy. “You’re good with children, Evy.”

      She poured the remains of the coffeepot down the sink drain. “Thank you. I like children.”

      “That’s why I hoped maybe you could help me with a project.”

      She rinsed out the pot. “If I can. What project?”

      “It’s for the department, really.”

      “Sheriff’s business?”

      “Deputy sheriff business.”

      Her mouth quirked. “How in the world can a librarian like me be of assistance to SuperDeputy?”

      “Who?”

      She bit her lip and turned to wipe the counter.

      He hunched his shoulders. “The library is closed over Labor Day weekend, right?”

      She unplugged the coffeemaker from the wall socket. “Yes.”

      “If you’d care to join me, I need to make an appearance—in an unofficial capacity—to present a friendly face behind the uniform to the kids.”

      Stretching on her tiptoes, she stashed the unused paper plates inside the cabinet. “What kids?”

      “The kids at Keller’s Kids Camp.”

      She froze. “Sawyer Kole’s foster kid camp.”

      Charlie didn’t like the sound of the ex-Coastie’s name on her lips. “Yeah. Him.”

      Evy drifted onto her heels. “Isn’t camp over until next summer?”

      “It’s a new two-month pilot program on autumn weekends. Follow-up with local foster kids. Friday night through Sunday afternoons.”

      She averted her gaze. “The Duers won’t want me.”

      “With

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