Mayhem in Circulation by Leah Dobrinska

Author:Leah Dobrinska [Leah Dobrinska]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level Best Books
Published: 2023-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

All too soon, Abby was mounting the risers to the stage again, and Greta tensed.

Josie leaned across the table. “You’ve got this.”

Iris and Allison’s heads bobbed up and down in agreement. Lori shot her an encouraging grin.

She grasped the trusty paper copy of her speech and said a quick prayer that she wouldn’t trip walking up in front of everyone.

“Without further ado, please join me in welcoming Greta Plank, the director of Larkspur Community Library, who is here to share with us a few words about Larkspur. Greta.” Abby beamed an overly enthusiastic smile in Greta’s direction.

Greta took a deep breath, rose from her seat, and made her way to the stage. The two women shook hands, and once behind the microphone, Greta swept her gaze over the crowd. She spotted Dolores, who waved, and Ed, who clapped his hands loudly from where he was seated next to Megan. Across the table from him was Oliver Jacobson. Oliver scowled up at her, and Greta quickly looked away. Ed must’ve invited the visitor as another sort of olive branch—at best, to prove to him that Larkspur was a pleasant place to vacation; at worst, to get a free meal out of the deal. Hopefully, Oliver would like her speech.

Greta swallowed down a wave of nerves. She looked to where Abby was taking her seat next to McHenry. She scooted her chair toward him, tipping her head in his direction and whispering something in his ear, but his gaze was locked on Greta’s.

Greta straightened her back. She scanned her papers once more before smiling out over the crowd. Her smile slipped when she realized Rex wasn’t seated at McHenry’s table. She didn’t have time to try to find him in the room as the applause died down. She needed to begin.

“Thank you, everyone, and thank you, Abby, for giving me the chance to speak. When Mayor Collins asked me to do this after she found out we were awarded the spotlight from Midwest Now, I agreed without even giving it a second thought. I mean, of course, I wanted to talk about Larkspur. I love this place. I believe in this town and its people. We have so much to offer here, as I’m sure you all know. From delicious pastries at Mugs & Hugs”—Greta shot Allison a grin—“to the award-winning, year-round amenities of Ed Kennedy’s Cozy Cottages.” Greta swiveled her head back to Ed’s table.

Ed raised his glass in salute.

“Everywhere you look, you’ll find people invested in this community and willing to lend a helping hand.” Greta took a breath and glanced up from her notes. Where was Rex? This next part she had written expressly for him. She had hoped to make direct eye contact so he understood that she took what he said during their walk to heart.

She saw Abby, who stood from her seat and made her way to the back of the hall, and the man McHenry had been in conversation with before, leaning against the wall near the exit.

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