“I suppose she feels she has to try to defend her daughter’s inexcusable behavior,” Laura said. “She’s desperate to launch an offensive PR campaign before it’s too late to rehabilitate her daughter’s reputation. Catfighting that goes to the extreme the way it did with Annabelle is not an attractive trait. I imagine Mariah recognizes that the sympathy is all going to be on Misty’s side.”
“Don’t you dare defend her,” Raylene said. “Her next stop was Wharton’s, where she tried to put a bug in Grace’s ear. I heard every word, just as she’d intended. Everyone in the place did. It was all about how everyone was misjudging poor Annabelle, and Misty was the real culprit.”
“Was anyone buying it?” Laura asked, her heart in her throat.
“Not for a second,” Raylene said. “Especially not after Grace finished ripping into Mariah for turning her daughter into a spoiled, entitled brat.”
Raylene lowered her voice to mimic Grace when she got worked up. “‘Mariah Litchfield, absolutely nobody’s going to care if that child of yours has the voice of an angel, if she’s behaving like the devil’s handmaiden. You need to stop this nonsense right now.’”
Raylene grinned. “The whole place erupted into cheers after that. I have to say it made me proud to be a part of this community and glad for Carrie and Mandy’s sakes that we’re taking a stand against bullying. I’d hate to have something like this happen to either of my stepdaughters.”
For a tiny, fleeting instant, Laura almost felt sorry for Mariah. It must be awful to realize that there was little to nothing she could say or do to rescue Annabelle from this mess of her own creation. The town’s darling was about to be a pariah at only seventeen. Once again, she wondered if Annabelle wouldn’t be better off at a school far from Serenity where she could have her own fresh start.
“Knowing that Misty has all this support is great,” Laura said, choosing her words carefully.
Sarah frowned. “Why don’t you sound happier?”
“Because Laura’s afraid it could wind up with the rest of us getting caught up in doing a little bullying of our own to get even,” Annie guessed. “Am I right?”
Laura nodded. “What Annabelle did was horribly wrong. Mariah’s just being a mom. She’s trying to defend her daughter. I’d hate to see everyone gang up on them.”
“How can you possibly take their side?” Sarah asked, her expression incredulous.
“I’m not,” Laura insisted. “Far from it. But bullying is bullying. Would we be one bit better than Annabelle if we turn right around and try to demonize her? She needs to be punished, taught a lesson, one from which she’ll hopefully emerge as a more thoughtful, considerate young lady.”
“Eternal optimist,” Raylene said with a shake of her head. “I’m not that hopeful for a major transformation, not with Mariah defending her behavior wherever she can gather an audience.”
“And you should hope that the town stays solidly against her,” Sarah warned. “Because you and Betty are going to need that support to keep your jobs. Ugly doesn’t begin to cover what that woman is capable of doing.”
“But the school board has been fully informed about what actually happened,” Laura said confidently, though for the first time she felt a little twinge of anxiety. “They’re not going to let Mariah target us, or, if she does, I’m certain they’ll defend us.”
“I’m just saying, it wouldn’t hurt to have community support on your side,” Sarah said. “Last I heard Mariah was ranting about going to the state, because the local board and the school administration are obviously biased and incompetent.”
“It’s just ranting,” Laura repeated.
“It is,” Sarah agreed. “Until she finds some idiot with more power than sense who’ll listen.”
“Call Helen,” Annie advised.
“She’s already all over this,” Laura said.
“She’s all over it for Misty’s sake,” Annie said. “Now you need to be sure she’s prepared to defend you.”
“That’s crazy,” Laura protested, still unwilling to believe things would go that far.
“No,” Sarah said. “That’s Mariah. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s managed to get her way, even when every single person in town knew she was wrong. You know that, Laura. You’ve certainly heard the stories. Call Helen. Maybe you’ll never need her, but don’t let Mariah pick up a full head of steam before you have Helen there to cut her off.”
Laura nodded reluctantly. “I’ll call her.”
Annie held out her cell phone. “Now.”
“You really think it’s that urgent?”
All three women nodded.
“We really do,” Raylene confirmed.
Laura looked into their somber expressions, drew in a deep breath and made the call.
16
J.C.’s thoughts hadn’t strayed far from Laura all day, despite the steady parade of patients through his office. He’d just sent the last one on his way when his nurse cornered him.
“I thought you ought to know that Jan accepted Bill’s offer today. She’ll be moving to Serenity right after the holidays.”
J.C. nodded. “Bill and I discussed it before he hired her. I think she’ll be a great addition to the practice.”
Debra surveyed him with obvious disappointment. “I suppose it was too much to hope that you’d be more excited.”
He chuckled. “You know perfectly well that I was never interested in Jan. Nor is she one tiny bit infatuated with me.”
“Of course she is,” Debra scoffed. “Why else would she be moving here?”
“She told me she was anxious for a change of scenery and being part of a small community. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you the same thing.”
Debra waved it off as if it were nonsense. “Well, of course she’d say that to you. Is she supposed to come right out and tell you she’s coming because you’re hot?”
J.C. nearly choked. “She said that? Jan actually said those exact words to you?” he asked, imagining some very awkward times ahead.
Debra sighed. “Okay, no. I was hoping to give you a little push in her direction.” She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “Then there’s no doubt? You’re actually confirming all the rumors that you and Laura Reed are together?”
“We’re definitely seeing each other,” he admitted, mostly to end this absurd conversation. “Now I need to get out of here.”
“Hot date?”
He rolled his eyes. “Heavy lifting,” he said, imagining the workout ahead. Maybe a really hard workout would get the images of all these women out of his head, at least for an hour.
* * *
An hour later J.C. had barely worked up a good sweat when Cal cornered him, much as Debra had earlier.
“Got a minute?” Cal inquired, his expression somber.
J.C. turned off the elliptical machine and stepped off. “What’s up?”
“Let’s go into Elliott’s office,” he said. “I don’t want anyone overhearing this.”
To J.C.’s shock, he found Elliott Cruz, a personal trainer and one of the gym’s partners, there, along with Ronnie Sullivan, who with his wife Dana Sue, were two of the town’s business success stories. He’d opened a thriving hardware store on Main Street, and she, of course, owned Sullivan’s.
“Why am I feeling ambushed all of a sudden? Did I break a machine or leave dirty towels in the locker room?”
Ronnie chuckled. “You wouldn’t be the first, but no.”
“I just wanted you to know that there are already some people on this,” Cal explained.
“And what is this?” J.C. asked, still mystified.
“Mariah Litchfield has officially kicked off her vendetta against Laura Reed and Betty Donovan,” Cal explained. “She’s out for blood.”
The other two men nodded.
“Karen called me to fill me in,” Elliott said, referring to his wife, who worked as a chef at Sullivan’s.
“And I heard it on the street and from Dana Sue,
” Ronnie added.
“And as we speak, according to Maddie, the Sweet Magnolias are gathering at Helen’s house to launch a counteroffensive,” Cal said. “Personally, if I were Mariah, I’d run for my life. I’ve seen those women in action when they have a cause they believe in.”
“Amen to that,” Ronnie said.
J.C. felt a moment’s outrage on Laura’s behalf. “Laura knows?”
“She’s at Helen’s,” Cal confirmed. “I think it was Sarah McDonald, Raylene Rollins and Ronnie’s daughter Annie who rallied the troops. They worked on the fall festival with Laura and aren’t about to let her get railroaded by the likes of Mariah.”
“Annie’s fit to be tied,” Ronnie confirmed. “I swear I always thought of my daughter as sweet, but when she gets her back up, she’s a spitfire, just like her mama.” He said it with unmistakable pride.
“Thank heaven for all of them,” J.C. said. “I should go over there.”
The three men glanced at each other and chuckled.
“Not a good idea,” Cal said. “Margarita nights are a no-men-allowed event. What we’re thinking is that we should make a few calls, get the husbands lined up, too. I assumed you’d want to help.”
“But I’m not…”
“A husband?” Cal said with a grin. “Time will tell. For now, though, your interest in one of the primary targets is good enough for you to qualify.”
“Then I’m definitely in,” J.C. said. “Where are we getting together?”
“The basketball court at the park,” Ronnie said. “We all think better while we’re working off a little steam.”
“And it keeps us from going off half-cocked and doing something before we’ve run it past the wives, who are much more civilized about these things than we are,” Cal said. “No less furious and determined, mind you. Just a little more controlled. It’s actually pretty scary to watch them put a carefully calculated plan into action.”
“It’s beyond terrifying when they’re against you,” Ronnie confirmed. “I’ve been on the receiving end of that. When they’re all for you, it’s awesome. We’re happy to provide all necessary backup.”
J.C. nodded. “I can do that,” he said. But he also intended to stand front and center when it came to publicly defending Laura and the way she’d handled this extraordinarily difficult situation. Things could have gotten far worse for Misty had Laura not intervened.
* * *
An hour after Laura made her call to Helen, every one of the Sweet Magnolias had rallied and gathered at Helen’s for margaritas and a strategy session. Laura was a little in awe as she looked around the room at the women willing to go to bat for her. She’d had a few of their children in her classes, but most were here simply because they believed in her. Amazing! It wasn’t the first time she’d realized how blessed she was to have them as friends.
“You have no idea what it means to me to know that you are on my side,” she told them. “I never would have asked you to back me up.”
“You didn’t have to,” Annie said. “You’re one of us. When somebody targets one of us, they take on all the Sweet Magnolias. Right, ladies?”
Margarita glasses were lifted into the air amid a chorus of confirmation.
Tears stung Laura’s eyes at the show of support. “Thank you.” She turned to Helen. “But do you really think Mariah’s threats need to be taken so seriously?”
“I’d rather not take chances,” Helen said. “Not that she has a leg to stand on, but if she’s the first one out there with a message and she spreads it loudly enough, there are going to be people who believe it, if they haven’t already heard the other side.”
“We could hold a rally,” Sarah said eagerly. “If we do it in the square, Travis and I can cover it live on the radio. That kind of publicity will stop Mariah in her tracks.”
Raylene lifted a brow. “Are you sure you’re not just a little bloodthirsty because you think Mariah tried to make a move on Travis?”
“I know she did,” Sarah corrected. “And I might have overreacted just the teensiest bit at the time, but that is not why I think we should do this. We want to get public sympathy on our side, and we need to do it fast. Isn’t that what you just said, Helen? This is the best way.”
Laura shook her head. “If you all want to hold a general rally against bullying in our community, I’ll be there, front and center. But not if this is going to turn into some us-against-them thing. I’ve told you before, that’s its own kind of bullying, and I don’t want to resort to it.”
“But it could be the only way to counter Mariah,” Annie argued. “Fight fire with fire.”
“And be no better than Annabelle or, for that matter, Mariah herself,” Laura insisted, shaking her head. “No. I won’t let you do it. Whatever you all want to do—and believe me, I appreciate so much you wanting to do something—it can’t be something that will make the situation worse and maybe even get Misty’s name dragged through the mud all over again. We need to remember that she’s the reason I got involved in the first place. She’s been through enough.”
“But you know she’s going to want to help,” Raylene said, “especially after the way you were so supportive of her.”
Maddie nodded. “Diana called me earlier. I know her from the spa and from school because Misty and Katie are so close. She asked me if I’d heard about what Mariah is up to and wondered how she could help. I told her I’d get back to her once we had a plan.” She gave Laura a sympathetic look. “I really admire you for thinking about Misty first, but if you ask me, it’s time now to worry about yourself. And as much as it pains me to say it, after the ordeal Betty Donovan put Cal and me through, Betty should be doing the same.”
“I agree,” Helen said. She studied Laura intently. “Are you totally opposed to Sarah’s idea?”
She considered the question carefully before responding. “Not if the theme of the rally is an anti-bullying message,” she said. “I’d even be happy to speak at something like that. I imagine Betty would, too.”
Even as she spoke, she warmed to the idea. Turning to Maddie, she said, “Your mother mentioned she might be able to convince Frances Wingate to speak to the parents about bullying.”
Helen’s eyes lit up. “That would be awesome. Is she able to do it? Frances is amazing, and there’s no one who grew up in Serenity who escaped a knee-knocking, terrifying lecture or two from Frances while they were in school.”
“I’ll say,” Dana Sue said with a shudder. “More than my share, I’m afraid.”
“Because you were rebellious,” Maddie teased.
“And you were a saint?” Dana Sue countered. “Please.”
Helen laughed. “Let’s not go there. I think we can all agree that the three of us were thorns in Frances’s side back in the day. Bottom line, she’d be the perfect person to remind this entire community of its moral compass. I’m liking this idea of an anti-bullying rally better and better, especially if we can get her help.”
Laura turned to Maddie. “Your mother said she’d work on it.”
Maddie nodded. “Then she will. I’ll give her a nudge, though I doubt it’s necessary. She seems to have taken up this cause eagerly. The activist side of her is a new one to me.”
“Well, believe me, the situation would still be out of control if it weren’t for her willingness to get involved,” Laura said, exchanging a pointed look with Helen, who nodded her own confirmation.
“Why don’t you see what you can find out from Paula tomorrow, Laura?” Helen suggested. “Tell her about our thinking and see what she thinks the odds are that Frances can help, then give me a call. We need to get right on this. Sarah, how quickly could we schedule something that you could get on the air?”
“We could do it immediately,” Sarah said. “But I’d like at least a few days’ notice so we can spread the word. We want that square packed with people who totally get that bullying is unacceptable.”
Helen nodded. “How about a tentative date for a week f
rom Saturday? If all the pieces fall into place, would that work?”
“It would for Travis and me,” Sarah said at once. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“And we’d have time to rally teachers and parents,” Raylene said. “I’ll put Adelia Hernandez on that. She seems to snap her fingers and the parents at school fall into line to do whatever she needs.”
Helen gave a nod of satisfaction. “Then we have a plan. Laura, are you okay with it?”
“If we can stick to the plan, absolutely,” she said. “And if you’re looking for speakers who have strong feelings, ask J.C. I think he’d be a powerful advocate for the cause.”
“Or for you,” Annie teased. “Isn’t that right?”
Laura blushed furiously. “Do not go there.”
“Then that wasn’t him I saw pacing around outside your place last night when I was driving home from work?” Raylene inquired innocently. “Or his car I saw still there this morning? I’m fairly certain he has the only dark green Jaguar in town, but of course I wouldn’t want to jump to any conclusions.”
Laura sighed at the realization that with such strong support came a complete breakdown of boundaries. Apparently her entire life was fair game.
“Of course you wouldn’t jump to conclusions,” she said to Raylene, resigned to having such a personal tidbit shared with everyone. “Just please tell me you didn’t mention this sighting to Grace.”
“Heavens, no!” Raylene said indignantly. “It’s only between us girls.”
“But Sweet Magnolias have an obligation to be on top of all the hottest gossip in town,” Helen declared. “And once in a while it is very satisfying to know things that Grace doesn’t know.”
“Power to the Sweet Magnolias!” said Dana Sue, lifting her glass.
The faintly slurred comment drew a sharp look from Maddie. “You’re cut off. You know one margarita is your limit.”
“I know,” Dana Sue said sadly. “You know the pitiful truth? I’ve only had three sips of this one, and I can’t even handle that, apparently. It is a sad, sad day.”
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