Magnolia Nights

by Ashley Farley

  Ellie covered her mouth to hide her smile. “That’s a good look for you, Julian.”

  “As a matter of fact, I brought this for you.” He removed the crown from his head and placed it on Ellie’s. “You’re my queen.” He leaned over and planted a noisy kiss on her lips.

  Ellie’s face turned the same shade of strawberries as her hair. “In that case, as your queen, I command you to start the grill. I know two little girls who must be getting hungry.”

  Julian grilled the best burgers Abbott had ever eaten, juicy and flavorful with the right amount of pinkness. He served the twins Tater Tots with their burgers and the adults an array of roasted and seasoned vegetables. They had birthday cake for dessert, and both Julian and Abbott asked for second helpings. Mya and Bella began to yawn not long after they’d finished eating. Ellie and Abbott offered to help clean up, but Julian insisted they get the little girls home to bed.

  They bid Julian good night at the door and walked down the sidewalk toward the waterfront, Abbott with one exhausted tutu-clad child draped over his shoulder and Ellie with the other.

  “Do you have any red wine at the house, Eleanor?” Lia asked, walking five paces behind them. “I’m exhausted. I feel like soaking in a warm tub.”

  Exhausted from what? he wondered. As far as he could tell, she’d done nothing all day.

  Abbott had shared a special bond with Ellie since she first came to live with him as a traumatized child. But he doubted if he’d ever have that close relationship with Lia. He didn’t expect to make up for forty years in one week. And based on his observations during that short time, he neither liked nor trusted her very much, nor was he sure he wanted to waste the effort getting to know her. Jenny had turned his sons against him when they divorced, and he’d long since given up on trying to be a part of their lives when they were so blatantly disinterested in being a part of his. He didn’t know them well enough to know whether he liked them or not. But he regretted not having a relationship with their children, his four grandsons. If he could help it, he wouldn’t let that happen with his granddaughters. He was quite taken with the twins, with their sweet little faces and spunky personalities.

  At home, he and Ellie deposited the children in Ellie’s queen-size bed and left their mother to get them changed into their pajamas. He was brushing his teeth ten minutes later when he heard the water running from the master bathroom. He sneaked back across the hall and tiptoed into Ellie’s room, hoping for one last peek at his precious granddaughters. He couldn’t get enough of them. Just being around them made him inexplicably happy. Perhaps because he’d missed the opportunity to know his own daughters at this age.

  He was kissing Bella’s forehead when he saw the screen on Lia’s iPhone light up with a text message from Lover Boy on the table beside the bed. The message read: I’ll wait for you here. But hurry.

  Suddenly unable to breathe, Abbott fled the room. Who the hell was Lover Boy? Her husband? Was she somehow involved in his disappearance? Or was Lover Boy another man? Was his daughter having an affair? It certainly wouldn’t be her first. Whether it was true or not, according to Louisa, Lia had broken up her first husband’s marriage.

  He found Ellie out back in the garden, stretched out on a chaise lounge with a mug of tea warming her hands. He sat down at the foot of her chaise lounge and told her about the text message from Lover Boy.

  “My sister is certainly full of surprises. Either she’s cheating on her husband or Ricky is Lover Boy. If she’s communicating with him, she probably knows where he is. Maybe she helped him disappear. What if he’s planning to fake his death and she’s planning to join him later? And here we are playing right into her hand.”

  Abbott studied his daughter’s face through the dark and realized she was being serious. “Come on, honey. You’ve been watching too many made-for-TV-movies. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen in real life.”

  Ellie shrugged. “She’s got the part down right—beautiful and mysterious with a troubled past.”

  “Your scenario doesn’t make sense. She agreed to go to the police.”

  Ellie shook her head. “Not at first. Not until we insisted. Going to the police legitimizes her scheme. I’m sure she realized that. And stupid me offers to give her half my inheritance, so now they have the money they need to disappear to Tahiti.”

  Abbott said, “I’m placing my bet on another man. Lover Boy isn’t her husband. He’s simply her lover.”

  Frown lines appeared on Ellie’s forehead. “Either way makes for an uncertain future for the twins.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Ellie

  Ellie dreaded sleeping in her mother’s old room. But with the faint scent of magnolias lingering in the air, she felt oddly at peace as she lay awake contemplating what to do about her sister.

  She rose early, showered, dried her hair, and dressed in gray flannel slacks and a black cashmere sweater. Autumn had arrived in the Lowcountry, bringing overnight low temperatures in the forties. The day promised to be cool and overcast, weather Ellie could relate to. The twins were already awake, wearing their pink tutus and sock skating from one empty room to the next downstairs. They skated over and greeted her with a hug when they saw Ellie watching them from the bottom of the stairs.

  “The two of you are up awfully early. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

  They nodded in unison. “Maddie made us scrambled eggs and sausage with a Pop-Tart for dessert,” Bella said.

  Ellie chuckled. “Dessert for breakfast? I think she aims to spoil you like she spoiled me.” She gave the twins a squeeze and a pat on their fannies, sending them on their way again.

  She found her father working on his laptop in her studio. “Morning, Dad.” She kissed the top of his head. “Is there any way I can convince you to go with me to meet with my attorney? I really want to do the right thing. I’m just not sure who I’m trying to do the right thing for—Lia, the twins, or me.”

  He stood to face her. “I’ll go with you, sweetheart. If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

  She smiled. “I’m positive. I need you there to keep me from making a big mistake.”

  “In that case, let me go upstairs and shave.”

  “Can I fix you some breakfast?” she called to him on his way out of the room.

  He paused in the doorway. “I had breakfast with the twins,” he said over his shoulder. “I ate a frosted strawberry Pop-Tart for the first time since I was a kid. Brought back a lot of memories for me. You should try one.”

  “I’ve experienced all the childhood memories I can handle for a while,” she muttered under her breath as she walked toward the kitchen. “I hear you’re offering frosted strawberry Pop-Tarts as the breakfast special this morning,” she said to Maddie, who was taking inventory of the refrigerator and making out her grocery list.

  “They’ve been mighty popular. Better claim yours now, before the last package disappears.” Maddie nodded at the box of Pop-Tarts on the counter.

  “I’ll just have coffee,” Ellie said, pressing her hand against her gurgling tummy. “My stomach is in knots over this meeting with my attorney.”

  She sipped coffee and scanned the Post and Courier while she waited for Abbott to get ready. Because of the chilly morning, they opted to drive to Bennett’s office building on Meeting Street. They were getting into the car thirty minutes later when Lia caught up with them. “Wait for me!”

  Ellie tightened her grip on her door handle. “This is a private meeting, Lia, between my attorney and me.”

  Lia stepped in close to Ellie, their faces only inches apart. “I have a right to be there, Eleanor, if you’re going to discuss my inheritance.”

  “It’s not your inheritance, Lia.” Abbott came around to the driver’s side of the car. “Your grandmother left everything to Ellie. She’s not obligated to give you a nickel. She’s doing it out of the goodness of her heart, although I don’t know why she would even consider it the way you’ve been acting. I suggest you
stay here and look after your daughters for a change.”

  Ellie pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. Her father had finally gotten frustrated with Lia’s behavior.

  “Whatever!” Lia stomped off and went back inside.

  Parking was scarce, and they ended up having to walk several blocks to Bennett’s office. The receptionist instructed them to take the elevator to the fourth floor, where Bennett’s attractive young assistant was waiting for them. “Mr. Calhoun’s ready for you now,” she said, and ushered them into his office.

  Bennett and Abbott hit it off right away. Bennett’s collection of art from the Lowcountry marshlands prompted a discussion about wildlife. As they’d circled the room studying the paintings, Bennett complimented her father on the success of his career and asked him about his travels into the wild. Ellie cleared her throat to remind them of her presence when it appeared they might go on until noon.

  “I’m sorry, Ellie. I get carried away when someone expresses an interest in my art.” Bennett led them to the seating area by the corner windows. “Let’s sit down.” Ellie and her father made themselves comfortable on the sofa, and Bennett took a seat in the leather chair opposite them. “Now, what can I do for you today?”

  Without going into detail, Ellie explained that she’d been reunited with a twin sister she didn’t know she had and that she was considering giving her a portion of her inheritance.

  Bennett listened patiently until she’d finished talking. To his credit, he didn’t question her motives. “Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as writing your sister a check. You may have to pay gift taxes depending on how much you plan to give her.”

  “That’s where I need your guidance.”

  For the next few minutes, Bennett talked about unified credits and annual exclusions. “Your net worth is quite large, Ellie. If you’re a good steward of this wealth, your money will provide for your family for many generations to come. Keep that in mind when you’re making your decision. Does your sister have children?”

  “Yes, twin daughters, Mya and Bella. They’re three years old. In the absence of children of my own, I would want to provide for them.”

  “And you can do that prior to your death. There are certain tax benefits to helping them with their education while you’re still alive. Unless you trust your sister to handle the money properly, I would retain control of it as much as possible.”

  Ellie inhaled a deep breath and drew herself to her full height. “Thank you, Bennett. You’ve helped me make my decision.”

  Ellie parked her car in the driveway and rummaged through her pocketbook for her checkbook.

  “What’re you planning?” her father asked as she wrote out the check.

  “I can’t keep my sister here against her will, but I can give her a reason to stay.” She tore the check out of the checkbook and folded it in half. “Not that I want her to stay. But I think the safest place for the twins is here with us.”

  Lia was waiting for them in her studio, pacing back and forth in front of the windows. She hurried over to them. “Well? Did you get the money?”

  “This is all I can give you for now.” She handed Lia the check.

  Lia unfolded the check and stared down at the number, a frown forming on her face. “What do you mean this is all you can give me for now?”

  Abbott’s eyes grew as big as flying saucers when he saw the amount. “That’s a hell of a lot of money, Lia.”

  “The rest is tied up, much of it in the house,” Ellie said.

  Lia glared at her. “Then sell the house.”

  “I can’t until I make some improvements. But you and the girls are welcome to live here as long as you like. Where are they, by the way? I have a surprise for them.”

  Lia dropped to the sofa. “Outside, playing under that blasted magnolia tree.”

  Ellie opened the door and called the girls to come inside. “How would the two of you like to go on a horse-drawn carriage ride this afternoon?”

  They looked at each other, their eyes wide. “Really, can we?” Mya asked.

  Ellie smiled. “Really, we can.”

  “Can GoPa come too?” Bella asked, using the name the girls had decided to call their grandfather, although no one could figure out why.

  “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss it,” Abbott said and tickled each of the girls in turn.

  “And that’s not all,” Ellie said. “I thought we’d take Julian to dinner tonight to repay him for last night.”

  “Yippee!” they cried, joining hands and skipping around in a circle while they chanted Julian’s name.

  “But we have some work to do first,” Ellie said. “We’re all going to help bring some furniture down from the attic for your new bedroom.”

  Despite their efforts to make the space cozier, Lia showed no interest in moving their things into their mother’s old room and the adjoining nursery where they’d once slept. She also refused to go with them on their outings.

  “Let her pout,” Ellie said when her father expressed concern about Lia. “We’ll have more fun without her.”

  Bundled up in sweaters and light jackets, they left the house a few minutes before four. The girls fell in love with the horse, Ricco, and his driver, Chip, who was careful to point out attractions and tell stories appropriate for their age. What she learned about the history of Charleston made Ellie appreciate the city even more. This fascinating city was finally beginning to feel like home.

  Julian drove them to Mount Pleasant for an early dinner at Water’s Edge on Shem Creek. They requested a table outside on the deck where the girls could watch the shrimp and fish boats returning from a day on the water. They lingered over dessert, not wanting the evening to come to an end.

  When they arrived back home, Abbott carried the girls, one in each arm, upstairs to bed to give Ellie and Julian a few minutes alone. She poured them each a glass of red wine, which they took outside to the garden. Sipping their wine, they stared up at the full moon. “I’m becoming attached to your nieces,” Julian said. “I’d forgotten how sweet little girls can be.”

  “I know what you mean. I will miss them if they leave.” She told him about Lover Boy and the gift she’d given Lia. “I’ve felt this way about very few people in my life, but I don’t care for my sister. I hate to say that about my own flesh and blood, but I can’t help how I feel. We’re so different in looks and personality, it’s hard for me to believe we’re twins. Even fraternal twins have more in common than we do. I’m comfortable with my decision. I gave her enough money to make a fresh start somewhere if that’s what she chooses to do. For the girls’ sake, I hope she decides to stay here with us. But I don’t see that happening.”

  “I don’t know, Ellie. If she thinks she can get more money, she might stick around. Can you handle having her living under your roof if she does?”

  She shrugged. “We’ll have to establish some ground rules. My mother made it clear in her diary how much she loved both of us. This is what she would’ve wanted.”

  Julian took her glass from her and set it on the table alongside his. “Things will work out however they’re meant to be.” Cupping her chin, he kissed her lightly on the lips. “Come with me.” Taking her by the hand, he led her out into the yard. Guided by the beams from his phone’s flashlight, they climbed under the branches of the magnolia tree and lay down on the ground.

  “I’m getting too old for this,” Ellie said as she rested her head on his outstretched arm.

  “Ha. We have many more years of tree climbing left in our future.” He kissed her hair. “I realize we haven’t known each other very long, but I’m falling hard for you, Ellie Pringle. It’s too early to say the L word, but I never thought it would happen again for me. When you’re feeling a bit more settled and this situation with your sister is sorted out, I would like to have a serious conversation about our future. I want you in my life, on whatever terms you’re willing to accept me.”

  The bottom dropped out of Ellie�
�s stomach at his declaration of love. She rolled over so half her body rested on his. “You’re right. I need to see what happens with my sister before I can make any sort of commitment to you.” She touched her fingertip to his lips. ”But one thing’s for sure: you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. Maybe ever.”

  Ellie slept in her mother’s room again that night and woke before daybreak to find two tear-stained faces staring down at her. She sat bolt upright in bed. “What’s wrong, girls?”

  A fresh tear slid down Bella’s cheek. “Mommy’s gone!”

  A chill crawled over Ellie’s skin. She slipped from beneath the covers and grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed. With the twins clinging to her legs, she crossed the hall to her bedroom. Her sister’s clothes that had been strewn across the furniture were gone, as was her cell phone and purse. After looking in the empty bedrooms for her sister, she tapped on her father’s door and alerted him to the crisis before continuing her search downstairs. The doors were locked, the lights were still off, and the newspaper was on the front porch. But there was no sign of Lia anywhere. Ellie went to the kitchen for coffee and found an envelope with her name scrawled across it on the counter next to the Keurig machine. She tore open the envelope. A lump developed in her throat as she read her sister’s words.

  Dear Ellie,

  Take care of the girls for me. How ironic that a woman as unfit as me ended up with children while you have none. Fate is twisted sometimes. I know I’ve been difficult these past few days. I’ve been under a great deal of stress.

  You’re lucky, Ellie. Because you couldn’t remember what happened to us in this house, you’ve led a relatively normal life. I, on the other hand, have been plagued by those demons every single day. Maybe I inherited the crazy gene from our grandmother, or maybe living with nutcase Louisa for all those years had a negative impact on me. Either way, I’m not mentally stable, which makes me a dangerous threat to my children. If you ever tell anyone I admitted that to you, I'll call you a liar.