Page 17 of The Banned Books Club
“Edits what?”
“Manuscripts for writers—or anything people need her help with, I suppose.”
Keeping her head down, Gia wrestled her difficult cart into the produce section, where she started loading up on peppers, onions, cilantro and the other ingredients for fresh salsa. “Where did she get the experience to do that?”
“She majored in English. Maybe she worked in that field for a bit after college, too. I don’t know her all that well, to be honest.”
“Sounds like everyone in the family’s doing okay. Maybe they’ve moved on with their lives and won’t care that I’m back.”
“Do you really believe that?” Sammie asked dryly.
“No.” Gia felt the avocados, looking for the slight give that indicated she’d found a ripe one. But they were all hard as a rock. Giving up on them, she forced her cart into the dairy section. “But I have the right to be here as much as they do.”
“Exactly. So forget about them. What happened wasn’t your fault.”
Theydidn’t believe that, but Sammie had to be tired of hearing about her problems, so she changed the subject. “Did you get the email out this morning to the Banned Books Club?”
“I did. I’ve already heard back from a few people.”
“What’re they saying? Anyone coming?”
“A few said they were. Most of them have written back to ask if Cormac knows you’re in town.”
Gia stopped forcing her recalcitrant cart. “What are you telling them?”
“That you have no beef with Cormac.”
“That’s true. And how are they responding?”
“They’re saying they support you and want to see you.”
A brief injection of hope made Gia feel infinitely better. But that faded as fast as it had arrived when she guessed her friend was just trying to save her feelings. “No, they didn’t...”
“Some did,” she said sheepishly.
“And the others?” When Sammie didn’t answer right away, Gia spoke a little louder. “And the others?”
“They said you’d better watch out for Cormac, because what he said to you in the halls in high school will be nothing compared to what he’ll say to you now that the whole family’s been living in the rubble you created before you left.”
“Icreated!” she nearly yelled, causing a woman half an aisle away to startle and look back at her.
“They’re idiots,” Sammie was quick to say. “Ignore them.”
That was impossible. The subject matter was too sensitive. But she listened to Sammie offer a few more platitudes before telling her it was too difficult to push her broken cart and hold her phone at the same time—that she had to go.
She hung up feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable instead of reassured, especially when the woman she’d surprised a moment earlier kept turning around to see what had made her cry out. Gia was about to tell her to go on about her business when she heard a voice behind her.
“Excuse me. Aren’t you Gia Rossi?”
Gia froze. Was it Sharon Hart? Or one of Cormac’s sisters? Someone else who would have something to say about the scandal she’d caused when she was in high school?
At least it was a female voice, which ruled out both Cormac and his father.
Forcing a smile, she turned and let her breath seep out in relief when she recognized Mrs. Milton, who’d been her Advanced Math teacher in the tenth grade. “Yes, it’s me,” she said.
“Look at you! You’re even more beautiful now than you were when I knew you before.”
Gia felt the tension leave her body. This was a friendly conversation. “Thank you. You look great yourself.”
