Star: Good call there. I’m leaving tomorrow but why don’t y’all get together with Dee tomorrow and answer any questions she might have…
Why does that sound so ominous…
Dee: Wait. Did you guys already know about this? Are there more books written about people we know?
Mags: Just like all of them.
Dee: WHAT?!?
Leah: Thanks Mags. Can always count on you to put a cat among the pigeons.
Mags: Ain’t no pigeons here. Just facts. Are Aster’s books about all of y’all? YES.
Dee: My mind is blown right now.
Leah: As I said, there’s a lot more to it.
Dee: Obviously. Here I was thinking that Aster had an amazing imagination and now I find out they’re more biographical than fiction.
Cora: We need to meet up tomorrow. Lunch at the diner?
Leah: Yep. I’ll bring Dee and pick you up on the way?
Cora: Sounds good.
Mags: I’ll be there anyway.
Leah: Well you kind of have to be, we’re gonna need a lot of pie and coffee. Maybe hash too.
Mags: Sure that can be arranged.
Star: Dee? Are you still here?
Leah: Dee?
Cora: Delilah! Check-in to let us know you're OK.
Quickly checking the time, I drop my phone onto the mattress and get up, putting my slippers on and wrapping my robe tightly around me before making my way out of my room.
As if he’s expecting me, the second I knock on Toby’s bedroom door, it swings open, and the man in question stands there in his blue long-sleeved thermals, eyes wide and full of worry.
“Are you OK?” He reaches out for my shoulder and I feel a wave of warmth rush through me from his touch.
“Did you know?”
His expression turns cautious but it doesn’t shut down like it would if he knew what I was talking about. “Did I know what, Dee?”
“About Aster’s books.”
He freezes, his eyes widening slightly before he steps back and waves his arm out, ushering me inside. Leading me over to the bed to sit down, he makes sure I’m situated before crossing the room to sit in the worn but much-loved armchair in the corner. Out of everything, it’s him moving away that bothers me most of all, andthat’swhat bothers me most right now. "Why are you over there?"
His head jerks. "Huh?"
I nod to where he's sitting. "Why are you sittin' all the way over there? I'm not gonna bite you or anythin'."
“It’s not that,” he murmurs, awkwardly rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.
“Whatisit then? Other than our time up the mountain you've been puttin' distance between us and I wanna know why?" He pins me with a stare and I can see his mind working hard behind his eyes. It's almost as if he's trying to come up with an answer to give me.Screw that. “Toby, have I done somethin’ wrong?”
