The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society Read Online Free

prank.
    “You want to change the whole list? I already picked out my yarn for the next six months,” Camille protested. Each month, their knitting project was supposed to relate to the book selection. At the meeting they went around the circle and showed off their handiwork. Camille had planned six months of knitting with the most furry, glitzy, dazzling yarns available. Something with a little style. Some pizazz. Something you would never see in Sweetgum.
    “Yes, well, we’ll simply have to select different projects to go with the new list of books,” Eugenie said with a sniff. “Next month’s assignment will be Louisa May Alcott’s
Little Women
.” She pulled a second batch of papers from her bag. “I’ve taken the liberty of assigning a simple project so that Hannah will feel included. It only takes two skeins of worsted weight yarn. A nice wool would be best.”
    Camille snagged one of the papers from Merry’s hand.
A Christmas Gift for Mr. March
, it said. Below was a beginner’s pattern for a garter-stitch scarf. Who wanted to knit a boring wool scarf? That’s all garter stitch was. Going through the same motions, over and over and over again. Just like Sweetgum.
    And then Camille’s cell phone rang. Or rather it began to play the latest Gwen Stefani hit in lieu of a ring tone. Suddenlyall eyes were on her, not the new reading list, and the other women cast nervous glances at Eugenie. Camille scrambled for her bag and dug through it until she located her pink Razr.
    “Sorry!” She glanced at the number on the backlit display and then leaped to her feet. “I’ll be right back.” She ignored Eugenie’s disapproving frown as she slipped out the door and down the hall of the education wing, passing that awful Hannah, who was carrying two cans of Coke. The girl pointedly ignored her. Camille knew Eugenie would fume about her cell phone going off—she was such a pain about stuff like that—but she didn’t care. What was Eugenie going to do? Kick her out of the group?
    “Hello? Alex?” She pushed open the front door of the church and skipped down the steps.
    “Hey, Camille. Am I interrupting something?” His voice, like his kiss, warmed and enticed her.
    She leaned against one of the sweetgum trees that surrounded the building. “No. No, not a thing.”
    “Are you outside?” he asked.
    Camille glanced around. “Um, yeah. I was just out for a walk.”
    “Out for a walk? You?” Alex made it sound as shocking as doing a pole dance in Sunday school class.
    “Just getting some exercise.”
    “I guess there’s not much else to do in Sweetgum.”
    “Not when you’re not here.”
    He chuckled, and Camille drank in the sound. If only hewere here, next to her, where she could smell the scent of his cologne and put her hand on his arm.
    “I’ll be back in town in a few days.”
    “Promise?” Her heart beat faster.
    “I promise. By the middle of next week at the latest.”
    “And then?” The moment she asked the question, she wanted to take it back. She had learned early on that he was not a man to be pressured. He hated expectations.
    “Then I’ll take you out to dinner. We’ll drive up to Nashville.”
    She was disappointed with his answer but knew better than to let him hear her feelings in her voice. Above her head the sweetgum trees screened out the dwindling September evening light.
    “I’ll be waiting.” He liked it when she said stuff like that. He liked to know she was expecting him. Camille only wished he liked to show up as much as she liked to anticipate his arrival.
    “Ciao.” Alex made a noise into the phone that sounded like he was blowing a kiss. “Ciao,” Camille echoed.
    And then the line went dead. Long before she was ready for it to do so. But at least he was coming back soon. And next time …
    Well, next time maybe he’d tell her the one thing she needed to hear. Maybe when he came, he’d finally tell her that he was leaving his wife.

Esther stared at her