The Magnolia Sisters

by Michelle Major

  “Motorcycles are dangerous,” Avery said automatically. It was something her mother had drilled into her for as long as she could remember. Not that it wasn’t true, but it struck her that she’d been raised to live in fear. Fear of adventure. Fear of risk. She’d always played it safe, and look at where that had gotten her. Her ex had been perfect on paper: successful, driven and undemanding. Also married, but clearly from the photos she’d seen tonight, wedding vows didn’t mean much to her mom.

  “Dangerous but fun,” Carrie said with a wistful smile.

  “What happened with you two anyway?” Meredith asked.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Carrie crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know how we got off on this subject.”

  Avery flashed a grin. “Better discussing your love life than mine.”

  “I don’t have a love life. It was high school. I barely remember him.”

  Meredith chuckled. “You remember the great sex.”

  “You two are the worst.”

  “She’s the worst.” Meredith pointed at Avery. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had great sex with anyone but myself.”

  Carrie gave her a funny look. “You can’t have sex with yourself.”

  “Have you never been invited to one of Julie Martindale’s ‘toys for women’ parties?” Meredith asked.

  Avery gulped back her shocked gasp. “The loan officer at the bank?”

  “I thought she was selling kitchen gadgets,” Carrie said, her already big eyes widening further.

  “She’s got something cooking, but it’s not a salad spinner.” Meredith’s words were slightly slurred, her gaze unfocused.

  Avery checked the scotch. Only about an inch remained in the bottle, and it had been half-full at the start.

  “We’re drunk,” she announced.

  “That one got the brains in the family,” Meredith said in a stage whisper.

  Carrie dissolved into a fit of giggles. “I need a glass of water and then we’re going to watch some reality television. You both need time to sober up. No one is driving until morning.”

  “Lemme text my dad,” Meredith said. Avery was shocked she offered no protests.

  They must be really far gone if Meredith was willing to do what Carrie said without a fight.

  She hadn’t wanted to spend the night in Niall’s house, but somehow at the moment it didn’t seem so bad. An impromptu slumber party with her sisters felt like just what she needed to help her leave the ghosts of the past right where they belonged.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  GRAY OPENED HIS EYES, surprised to find his bedroom still bathed in darkness. He slept soundly unless something specific woke him.

  His first thought was Violet, and he sat up, squinting toward his open door as his eyes adjusted to the shadows.

  Then his gaze switched to the window as a small rock smacked against the glass. He padded over, leaning forward to look down.

  A rush of adrenaline radiated through his body.

  Avery stood in his backyard, the pale moonlight glinting off her hair. It gave her a fay quality, Titania come to life on his lawn. Blame his sleep-addled mind for that bit of whimsy. He unhooked the latch and slid open the window. The air had cooled from the heat of the day, although it still was warmer than his air-conditioned house. Crickets chirped from the trees that bordered the property and he breathed in the earthy scent of the night, the moment strangely erotic.

  She waved. “Are you awake?” she called in a loud whisper.

  “Unless this is a dream.”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “How about I come down there?”

  “’Kay.” She nodded, toeing the grass with one bare foot. “I love you, too,” she blurted, lifting her gaze to him before lowering it toward the ground again.

  That woke him fully.

  “Give me ten seconds,” he said, ducking back into his room. He grabbed a T-shirt from a hook on the door and pulled it over his head as he navigated the hallway and stairs in the dark. He didn’t want to take the chance of waking Violet.

  By the time he got to the kitchen door, his heart hammered in his chest. Not from exertion but as a reaction to Avery’s words. He breathed a sigh of relief when he walked outside to find her still standing on the lawn. A part of him had expected her to disappear in the short time it took him to get to her. Or he feared he’d been dreaming.

  “Say that again,” he said as he approached her.

  She bit down on her lip, and he stifled a groan. “I love you.”

  “Again.”

  Her lips curved into a small smile. “You heard me.”

  “Please.” He stood in front of her now, so close he could see the flutter of eyelashes against her skin as she slowly blinked. “I want to hear it again.”

  She leaned in, wound her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” He whispered the words against her mouth, then kissed her, relishing the feel of her body relaxing into his. “You taste like gum and whiskey,” he told her a moment later.

  “The gum is fresh, and the whiskey is old. I got a little drunk tonight with my sisters.”

  “Are you still a little drunk?” His heart thumped cautiously. He didn’t want her words to be alcohol fueled.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She checked her watch. “I fell asleep at Carrie’s so it’s been hours since I had a drink. Although, I walked here just in case.” Her brow furrowed, as if she were concentrating hard. “I don’t feel drunk. Not like earlier. We did shots. Not the best choice I’ve made recently.”

  “Was there an occasion?”

  “I told them you offered me a glass of punch.”

  “You talked about me with your sisters?” He rested his forehead against hers. “I can’t decide if that’s good or bad.”

  “They like you.”

  “And you love me?” He lifted his head.

  “I do.”

  Those two little words walloped him with the strength of a hurricane.

  “Does this mean you’re hanging up the running shoes for good?”

  “That’s the plan.” She scrunched up her nose. “But just be warned, I’m thinking about taking up kickboxing.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “I’ll remember that.” Lacing their fingers together, he took a step toward the house. “Want to come upstairs so I can show you how happy this makes me?”

  “I’m kind of a hot mess right now.” She tugged at the hem of the thin hoodie she wore. “Tonight was an emotional roller coaster.”

  “Hot messes are my favorite kind.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Violet’s upstairs so I need to go in, but it’s going to kill me to have you in the carriage house tonight.”

  She gave him a slow, sexy smile. “We can’t have that.”

  “Nope,” he agreed, and let out a quiet exhale when she followed him to the house without another word.

  * * *

  AVERY STOOD IN line at the Sunnyside Bakery later that week, deciding between a bear claw and a frosted scone. She’d gone to her first Zumba class at the Magnolia community center that morning, so maybe she’d order both.

  As she talked to Mary Ellen Winkler, who owned the bakery, someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned to see the Realtor she’d met with weeks ago, Jacob Martin, frowning at her.

  “Oh, hey.” She offered a rueful smile. “I’ve been meaning to call you.”

  “I left five messages,” he said, impatience lacing his tone. “It’s important, Avery.”

  Her stomach did a tiny flip. Something about his demeanor made her edgy, which was part of the reason she hadn’t called him back. Of course she’d gotten the messages. He’d sounded excited in the first one and then subsequently more urgent in each of the others. He hadn’t left any details, but she had a
feeling whatever he wanted to tell her would complicate things in a way she’d like to avoid at the moment.

  She’d made the decision, at least in her mind, to stay in Magnolia. The biggest step had been admitting her feelings to Gray. After the disaster that had marked the end of her previous relationship, she hadn’t been looking for love.

  It found her just the same.

  She didn’t want to examine her feelings too closely, afraid the intensity of them would overwhelm her. The sense of home she felt in Magnolia couldn’t be denied. So much of that had to do with Gray, but she’d also come to feel like she belonged in the tight-knit community.

  She and Malcolm were close to finalizing a deal with the state’s tourism board to have Magnolia featured as one of the must-see destinations for visitors to the state for the fall and holiday seasons. They’d decided to focus on the road-less-traveled charm of the town, capitalizing on the desire for offbeat adventurers to discover the next hot tourism spot.

  If they could increase tourism by 20 percent over the fall and holiday seasons, it would help local businesses to stay in the black for the fiscal year. The chamber of commerce had agreed it would invest any additional revenue into a full-blown marketing campaign for the following summer season.

  She had a plan for attracting new shops to downtown and was in talks with several potential restaurant owners. She still needed to convince Carrie to open up the gallery as a painting studio, offering classes and hosting parties with Carrie as the main instructor. They needed money and she was hustling to think of any way to get it. But she could imagine it...everything...her future...a life she never thought existed for her but now felt like the most natural fit.

  As expected, not everyone supported her new path in life. The tense phone call she’d had with her mother was a perfect example. Melissa apparently hadn’t appreciated the text Avery sent with the photos of her and Niall.

  “Why are you doing this?” her mother had demanded when Avery accepted her call.

  Avery tried to explain that she needed to understand her past to move forward, but her mom hadn’t seemed convinced.

  “The part I don’t understand,” her mother had said, impatience clear in every syllable, “is why you aren’t moving on. If you don’t want to come back to San Francisco that’s your choice. But some tiny dot on the North Carolina map isn’t for you, sweetheart. I raised you to want more.”

  “I want to be happy,” Avery answered without thinking, only to be met with silence on the other end of the line.

  Her mother had hung up shortly after. Maybe she was so far removed from a time when she’d felt happy that she’d lost sight of its value. But Avery had seen it in her mother’s young eyes in the photo with Niall. She’d been happy, if only for a short period.

  “I got an extra,” she said, holding up the brown bag as she led him to a table. “Would you like some?”

  “I have an offer on the downtown buildings,” he said instead of answering.

  Avery gripped the edges of the ladder-back chair she’d just slipped into. “You told me it would take months or possibly years.” She swallowed against the emotions bubbling up in her throat. “That a buyer for the downtown property was a long shot at best, and that selling the ranch would be the smarter option.”

  He leaned forward. “Has your sister agreed to put it on the market?”

  “Careful, Jacob.” She raised a brow. “You’re drooling at the prospect.”

  “I’m not denying I want the listing.” He shrugged. “Any real estate agent would. That land is a virtual gold mine. We could subdivide—”

  Avery turned when a throat cleared behind her. Shae, the high schooler who worked part-time for Meredith stood behind her. “Hey, Shae. Shouldn’t you be in school?” She felt her cheeks grow warm. “It’s nice to see you, of course, but—”

  “I have a free period and it’s open campus for seniors,” the girl said, frowning between the Realtor and Avery. “Is Meredith selling the rescue?”

  Several people at tables nearby turned to look at them. Shae didn’t have much of an inside voice. “No,” Avery said, trying for a convincing smile. Then she looked at Jacob. “No,” she repeated with more force before returning her gaze to Shae. “You know how much the animals mean to Meredith.”

  The girl nodded but didn’t look convinced. “It’s a good job, too. Meredith gives me time off when I have a big test or during final-exam week.”

  “She appreciates everything you do.”

  “Yeah.” Shae hugged her arms across her middle. “I just wanted to see how Spot and the kittens were doing.”

  “We’re in the middle of a meeting,” Jacob told the girl, his impatience clear.

  Avery stared at the man, trying to remember what she’d liked about him when they first met. Probably the fact that she’d been desperate to unload her inheritance and he’d seemed like her best chance to make that happen.

  “The kittens are growing every day.” Avery smiled at Shae, hoping the girl didn’t associate her with the brusque Realtor. “While Spot is shrinking.”

  Jacob tapped his pen on the table—tap, tap, tap—some sort of Realtor Morse code that clearly conveyed his annoyance without him having to say a thing.

  The girl offered a nod and a shaky smile, then said goodbye and turned away.

  “That was rude.” Avery’s gaze snapped to Jacob’s.

  He threw up his hands, as if confused by her reaction. “We’re in the middle of a legit meeting.”

  “That isn’t how things are done in a small town,” she insisted. “You should know that.”

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. “It feels like I’ve been trying to track you down forever.” He pushed a shiny black folder toward her. “You won’t get a better offer than this, but the buyer wants an answer by the end of the month so you’ll have to get the attorney on board. As the executor, he’s the one with the actual legal authority to sell while the estate is in probate.”

  She pressed a hand to her chest. “I can’t make something happen that quickly. Douglas will never agree to it and my sisters would be furious. Besides, things have changed since we last spoke.”

  I’ve changed, she added silently.

  “You haven’t looked at the offer.” He tapped that damn pen on the folder again. “At least look before you give me an outright no.”

  Heart thumping in her chest, Avery opened the folder. She drew out the top sheet of paper, her gaze scanning the paragraphs for—

  She gasped.

  “That’s more than the list price we discussed,” she said, glancing back up at Jacob, who now wore a smug smile.

  “Twenty percent more,” he confirmed. “I don’t know much about the people behind the holding company that made the offer. Some big-time restaurateurs. But they’ve got money, which is the important part.”

  This was Avery’s way out. Her fresh start. A solution to her financial precariousness and a way to cover the expenses for Niall’s home and set up Meredith so that the taxes on the ranch could be paid. Never in a million years would she have imagined this as an option, and certainly not this soon. But here it was. Hers for the taking, if only she could convince everyone else. The question was, did she want it?

  “They’ve actually expressed interest in your dad’s ranch, as well.”

  She frowned, her gaze sharpening on Jacob. “The ranch isn’t for sale. How would they even know about it?”

  “I guess one of the principals in the company has some ties to the area, and he’s looking for a big home if he moves back here. I don’t know the details, and I don’t really care.” He leaned forward. “I need this commission, and you’ve already told me how important the sale is for you. You can’t change your mind. This is right for both of us, Avery.”

  “You don’t know me,” she whispered even though he was only repeating her words back to her.
<
br />   “I know you’re not a fit for Magnolia.” He gave a wary glance toward the half-eaten bear claw. “How often did you indulge in carbs before you got here?”

  Avery paused in the act of lifting a bite of pastry to her mouth, shocked at his boldness. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “We barely know each other,” he continued, “and I can already tell you’re losing your edge. People like you need challenge. This town can’t offer it to you.” He placed two fingers on the folder and did his tapping routine again. “This will give you the new start you told me you want. I understand the allure of the slow pace in the South—for all I know you suddenly fancy yourself some kind of modern-day Scarlett O’Hara. But I don’t believe it.”

  “I don’t fancy myself anything.” She clenched her fists and dug her nails into the fleshy centers of her palms. Just the other night she’d curled up with a Margaret Mitchell tome and fallen asleep within five minutes. Not that she’d admit that to anyone. Her lack of appreciation for the queen of all Southern belles felt like some kind of inherent flaw.

  “This isn’t about me, despite the commission and the notoriety of the sale. This is about you.” He paused, drew in a breath as if sensing her mounting anxiety and homing in on her weakness. “It’s about the community. Think of what it will do for Magnolia to have your father’s downtown properties owned by a company that wants to invest in the town. I’ve heard you’re working with the mayor on tourism plans. If you care about this place, you’ll make it happen. For Magnolia.”

  “I’ll...I’ll think about.” She straightened from the table, grasping the folder so hard it almost bent in half. Her chair scraped on the wooden floor, and she stumbled as it caught on a raised edge.

  “They want an answer,” he called to her as she hurried away. “You know this is the right decision.”

  She burst into the bright sunshine of the morning, an all too familiar knot in her stomach, afraid that nothing would ever be right in her life again.