Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

Author:Allie Pleiter [Pleiter, Allie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2022-04-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

When Gavin asked me if I’d like to make another attempt at our quiet dinner that night, I said yes right away. I was fully ready to eat my feelings, and his suggestion of Lilly’s by the Bay sounded like the perfect place to do it.

Gavin’s eyes, closed in carnivorous bliss beside me, told me I was not alone as I sank my teeth into delectable fried chicken. We told ourselves we were just trying to attend as many festival events as we could, doing our part to support the town and not let Julie’s death—now Julie’s murder—derail the event. But mostly, we were trying to make ourselves feel better.

Lilly’s was one of the newer local restaurants in town. Lilly Sorrington had recently moved her Southern-style restaurant here from the Delaware Bay, choosing to keep the name even though she was now on a river. She was one of those silky classic Southern women who could wield “bless your heart” as both a compliment and a curse, and managed to make pearls work with every single outfit, no matter how casual. I didn’t know her well yet, but I liked her. She struck me as more of a needlepoint person than a knitter, but I could work with that. All needlecrafts were interconnected in my worldview. And heaven knew the woman could certainly cook.

Lilly wasn’t doing today’s cooking, however. She was hosting a guest-chef appearance by another woman with a dozen popular cookbooks to her name. Gavin and I were sampling a collection of classic Southern dishes from the chef’s latest release. There was enough lard and corn bread in front of me to keep a cardiologist in business for decades, but all of it so delicious and soothing, I couldn’t bring myself to care. After all, Julie had been an obsessively healthy eater, and here she was with a bright life cut short. The whole thing was succeeding in pushing me toward a less-than-helpful eat-another-dessert-today-because-who-knows-what-tomorrow-will-bring attitude I knew I’d have to curb soon or pay the price.

George’s distinctive harsh laugh caught our attention, and both Gavin and I looked across the room to where King George was holding court. It struck me that this moment was a perfect illustration of the differences between George and me. I was attending this event to support my community, to make sure Lilly felt welcome, and to enjoy myself. George, on the other hand, was quite clearly “working the room.” I’m not sure the man knew how to have a conversation that didn’t contain an agenda—hidden or otherwise.

“Thanks,” Gavin said without further explanation.

“For what?” I asked as I licked my fingers shamelessly. Bless my quickly coagulating arteries, this stuff was good.

He managed a startlingly charming smile. “You want the list?”

“Of course I do.” After the last six days, I was ready to hoard all the gratitude I could find.

Gavin flushed just a bit as if he hadn’t counted on being asked to elaborate. “For being here. For supporting the festival even though I know you didn’t take to the idea at first.

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