by LuAnn McLane
“Well, I was wrong,” Mia admitted as she lifted her head to view herself in the steam-filled mirror. Her hazy reflection represented how she had been living her life … fuzzy and disoriented. The only time she had felt any sense of worth was when she was putting together parties for her father’s business clients or serving on a committee for a charity event. She was, in fact, excellent at event planning, but really, what good would those skills serve in the real world? “Okay, I’ll put that thought process into motion later.” At the moment someone needed her, and she wasn’t about to let him down.
With that in mind, Mia wiped a squeaky clear circle in the mirror and shoved her getting-ready routine into high gear. She had learned from her father the importance of arriving early and always being prepared. Luckily, Myra had been willing to have her come in late to work, so all her ducks were in a row. Well, at least so far. Mia made a mental note to buy something nice to repay just some of the kindness Myra had bestowed upon her. Oh, wait, she was broke. Funny, but in the past Mia had tossed money around like confetti or bought gifts as payment for just about everything. Well, those days were over. Mia sighed but then brightened when a sudden thought occurred to her. She would just have to do something sweet for Myra instead, like work extra hours or something. “Well, there!” she said and she smiled at her reflection.
She planned on getting to the baseball complex before ten o’clock, which was when Cam had mentioned he was going to arrive to, well, finally face the music. He had insisted that she didn’t have to plead his case and she had finally given in … Well, at least she had pretended to back down and let him “fight his own battle,” as he had put it. What he didn’t know was that she planned to lay the groundwork of forgiveness before he even arrived at the stadium.
Mia blinked at her face in the mirror and said a silent prayer that she was making the right decision and not doing more damage than good. She also hoped that Cam wouldn’t be pissed. “I’m doing the right thing,” she said, but she didn’t sound too convincing. She frowned. “I am!” Mia repeated with firm resolve and then started applying makeup with a quick, light hand. With time of the essence, she went with a simple hairstyle by holding her hair back with a gold clip at the base of her neck. “There,” she said with a nod and then hurried into the bedroom. She slipped on the cream-colored linen suit that she had randomly but thankfully packed and then located the most sensible shoes she could find, since of course she would once again be hoofing it over to the stadium. Luckily, the storm had brought a cool front with it and the walk wouldn’t leave her wilted when she arrived. Other than sitting poolside or working out in her Zumba class, Mia wasn’t used to breaking a sweat, but she had a feeling that was about to become a thing of the past. After this meeting she would have to rush back home and change into her uniform. Waiting tables wasn’t for sissies.
After spraying on a bit of perfume, Mia grabbed her purse and was out the door. As she walked through town toward the river, she marveled at how many people waved and gave her friendly smiles. Shops were beginning to open, and when she passed Grammar’s Bakery, a customer opened the door, bringing the yeasty scent of bread baking mingled with freshly brewed coffee Mia’s way. Her stomach rumbled in dire protest, and although another strong cup of coffee would have hit the spot, she was on a mission and kept on walking. It was harder, however, to pass Violet’s Vintage Clothing, especially when a sale rack was being wheeled out to the sidewalk. She paused and touched a gauzy blouse that was calling her name. “Twelve dollars?”
“And fifty percent off today only,” announced a friendly clerk. Her snow-white curls covered her head like a frothy cap and she had a wide smile enhanced with very red lipstick. Mia guessed her to be in her seventies, but there was vibrancy about the woman that reminded Mia of Betty White—with a southern accent. “The color would complement your lovely blond hair. It’s a bit big, but a wide belt would fix that and would work very nicely with your slim figure.”
“And skinny jeans,” Mia agreed with the enthusiasm of a seasoned shopper. “Oh, and some ballerina flats!”
“Perfect! I have a rack of belts inside the shop if you want to come in.” She extended her hand. “I’m Violet, by the way.”
“I’m Mia.”
She angled her white-capped head. “Very pretty name. It suits you.”
“Thank you, Violet. I just adore your shop!” Mia peeked inside at the racks of clothes and accessories and gave a sigh of longing. “Oh, Violet, I’m in a rush, but I can assure you I will come back and browse!” Of course, browsing was all she could do until she got paid.
“Oh, wonderful. It would be such fun to dress such a beauty! Hurry back, Mia.”
“Oh, you’ll see me again,” Mia promised and then forced her legs to keep on moving. She firmly reminded herself that she was not only broke but owed money, so shopping shouldn’t even be on her radar. Yet further down the street, Hats Galore captured her attention. To her credit, although she slowed her pace, she continued to walk. Then the Book Nook pulled her like a magnet, and she craned her neck and sighed when she spotted shelves crammed with paperbacks. Even as a child Mia had read voraciously. She supposed it was yet another way she had filled her time and escaped into another world while her father traveled. She made a mental note to browse there too as soon as she got the chance.
At the end of the block, a florist shop called Flower Power was so cute that Mia had to grin. She always made sure that her father’s house was filled with freshly cut bouquets, most of them from the Monroes’ own gardens, lovingly cared for by Manny. At that thought she felt a sudden flash of homesickness, but she pushed it aside. When she could afford it, she was going to pop into Flower Power and buy a beautiful bouquet of roses for her apartment.
Over the years, Mia had spent countless hours in high-end department stores up and down the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, armed with credit cards. In fact, she had shopped in exclusive designer shops all over the globe, and yet she always preferred small boutiques much like the ones on Main Street in Cricket Creek. She was unsure why, but then it hit her. It wasn’t just the quaintness of the shops or the unique merchandise.
It was the people.
There was a certain sense of caring here that went beyond trying to sell her something. Here, in this small town, it started with Fred offering to hold her car until she could save the money to get it fixed, and then continued with the chance that Myra had taken on her, including offering her a place to stay. In a cold world where Mia had often felt valued only because of her name and her wealth, Cricket Creek represented a warm welcome and unconditional acceptance.
Like Wine and Diner, much of Main Street looked freshly renovated, and she hoped that the revitalized town was going to make it. It was no secret that family-owned businesses were at risk in a global economy that was ruled by franchises. Mia realized that these people were not only trying to make a living but attempting to save a way of life that was becoming rare. She had witnessed firsthand how hard they worked and hoped with all her heart that the comeback remained a success.
As she approached the baseball stadium, she noticed a newly constructed strip mall that somehow retained the quaintness of the rest of the town. The brick storefronts reminded her of brownstones in Chicago, and when Mia suddenly wondered how much of this her father had a hand in, she stopped in her tracks and put a hand to her chest.
“Wow,” she breathed when it occurred to her that although she had spent his money freely, Mia knew very little about what Mitch Monroe actually did for a living. While she acknowledged that some of that burden fell on her father, Mia had to swallow a hot lump that lodged in her throat. When had she ever taken interest in what he did? Asked questions? She had thrown so many parties and organized events for his clients without even knowing much about them either. And while she had soaked up a lot of business savvy simply by osmosis, how much more could she have learned? Taking an actual interest would have gone a long way, she was certain.
“God,
just how shallow am I?” she whispered, but she knew the answer. “About as deep as a puddle,” she muttered. “Wow …” She looked out over the wide expanse of the river and inhaled a deep breath to keep from melting into an actual puddle of tears. Although she needed to head into the baseball stadium and track down Noah Falcon, Mia suddenly felt the need to sit down for a moment on the wooden bench overlooking the water.
Mia swallowed and gathered her scattered thoughts. Okay, she knew she wasn’t bitchy like many of the people in her circle of friends. Mia could be moody but didn’t consider herself to be mean. At least she hoped she didn’t come off that way! And she wasn’t wild and didn’t live life in the fast lane like she had witnessed over and over. She sniffed hard and at least gave herself that much. But she was … what? For a moment Mia stared out over the river and thought about it. How would she describe herself?
She was always polite to the hired help, and she tipped well. She was nice! Oh, and honest. Except for the whole Mia Money charade, Mia tried to be truthful. She hated liars and cheaters. She had seen firsthand what they had done to her father. So what was it? What was she lacking that had created that big gaping hole in her life? Mia couldn’t even put a finger on it at first, and then she had an Oprah aha moment that had her sitting up straighter before slumping back down.
“I get it!” She was unappreciative … of, well, everything—from the gourmet food she consumed to the luxury car she drove to the world she had traveled. In truth, that even extended to her friends. If one wasn’t available, she had a long list of others that she could plug in without even caring which one. An exception was her friend Cat Carson, but she was so busy with her music career that Mia rarely saw her anymore. “It makes sad sense,” she whispered. She had so much that it all meant so very little. “Incredible.” Mia inhaled a deep breath of river-scented air and shook her head. “I really get it now.” What her life had been lacking was … meaning. “Well, doesn’t that just suck,” she said dully. Then she thought about it for a few more minutes.
The merchants she had passed on the way here were hard at work opening shops that were obviously still struggling to keep the doors open. Wide smiles and friendly waves were in abundance, though, despite the shaky economy. But by looking around Mia knew that this went deeper than just selling products. This was about preserving not only a town, but a way of life that was pure Americana and yet becoming scarcer as the years passed. She could tell that it meant much more to them than simply making a buck. It was about pride of ownership and preserving a family business or farm for future generations. Just like Hanover Candy, Mia thought with a sad pang that went straight to her gut and twisted. How could her father do such a thing, especially to a longtime friend? While Mia fully acknowledged the sad realization that her life was lacking substance, she had always believed in her father’s integrity.
She sat there for a moment and relived that last conversation with her father that had led to her bouncing out of town in Manny’s car. Something didn’t make sense. Mia nibbled on the inside of her cheek, deep in thought, until the loud honk of a barge heading down the river startled her out of her trance. She blinked in the bright sunlight and wanted to sit and contemplate the missing piece of the puzzle until the answer came to her, but she really needed to get into Noah Falcon’s office before Cam arrived. With that in mind, she picked up her purse and stood up.
Once inside the elevator, Mia felt her cheeks heat up at the steamy memory of the hot kisses shared with Cam. Riding in an elevator would never be the same. She firmly told herself not to make too much of it since it was one of those trapped-together situations where one thing led to another and all that. Besides, she was going to be living in Cricket Creek for only a short time, so why start something she couldn’t finish? There was only one problem with that decision: She had never had a man make her melt the way Cameron Patrick was able to. The romantic in her wondered how on earth she was going to be able to walk away from that feeling without exploring where it could lead.
Mia sighed. “First things first,” she muttered. A second later the elevator arrived on the fifth floor, and although Mia hoped she appeared confident in her expensive suit, in reality her knees were a little bit wobbly. Still, she marched right up to the receptionist and requested to see Noah Falcon.
“Is he expecting you?” She was a tiny wisp of a thing but had a tone that suggested she didn’t mess around. Mia looked at the nameplate on the desk, which read MAGGIE, and smiled.
“No,” Mia admitted, “but, Maggie, it is a matter of extreme urgency.”
“Well”—Maggie’s pointed little chin came up—“if your urgent matter doesn’t pertain to opening day, then it will have to wait.”
“It does.” Mia tried not to cringe at her obvious lie.
“In what capacity?” Maggie challenged, clearly not believing Mia, and yet there was hope in her tone that indicated to Mia that the Cougars had some sort of situation on their hands.
“Well …” Mia swallowed, and her heart knocked against her ribs. She had her foot in the door but didn’t know quite how to open it wider. She just totally sucked at lying! “Um …”
The secretary sighed and gave Mia a pointed look. “Mr. Falcon is swamped, so you’ll have to come back when you have an appointment.” She turned her back and started typing.
Mia swallowed hard. She wasn’t used to being dismissed like this, and it rattled her, but just when she was about to give up, she heard a male voice coming from an open office door. Her ears perked up and she gleaned enough information to know that whoever was performing the opening-day concert had just canceled. She perked up. This was right up her alley! “Um, excuse me?”
Maggie swiveled around and gave Mia a bland look.
“Actually, I’m here to discuss opening-day entertainment,” she announced and immediately started going through the Rolodex in her brain that contained famous people she knew. Luckily, there were quite a few.
“Why didn’t you say so?” Relief washed over Maggie’s face. “Oh, good. What was your name again?”
“Mia Money.”
“Money?” Maggie asked and scrolled down a list that Mia obviously wasn’t on.
“Like money in the bank,” she added. She was beginning to like her facetious last name.
“Hmm, can’t find you.”
“I was added last minute. You know, to save the day. Opening day,” she added in a firm tone full of meaning.
“Well, in that case, head on back.” The fact that she wasn’t on any list suddenly didn’t matter. Maggie pushed the intercom and announced the arrival of Mia Money to Noah Falcon and then pointed. “First door on the left.”
“Thank you,” Mia said in a clipped businesslike manner and then headed down the short hallway. When she entered the spacious office, Noah Falcon looked up at her with a handsome but frowning face. “Good morning,” she said breezily. She wondered if she should go into her rehearsed speech about Cameron Patrick or gain some leverage first.
“Morning.” Noah gave her a slight smile, but his brows remained drawn together. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, suggesting lack of sleep.
“So you’re lacking opening-day entertainment?”
“Yes,” he said hesitantly, but he angled his head as if trying to place her. Mia didn’t think they had ever met, but he could have seen pictures of her with her father. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but do I know you? Ty McKenna, the head coach, has a baby who never sleeps, and I’ve been helping him along with doing a million other things to get ready for opening day,” he added with a sigh, and then gestured toward a chair in front of his massive desk. “So forgive me in advance.”
Mia took a thankful seat and then gave him a bright smile. “No, we’ve never met, but I think I have a solution to your lack of an opening-day concert.”
“How did you know about that?”
“It’s my job to know things,” she said and was somehow able to keep a straight face. “You’re in luck.”
“I sure hope so.” Noah scrubbed a hand down his face and thankfully didn’t ask who she was or whom she worked for. She could only lie badly so fast. “I wanted to start off the season with a sellout crowd, so I booked a big-name country concert before the game, but they had to bail due to a schedule conflict. It’s going to be tough to find a replacement this late in the game, if you’ll pardon the pun,” he added with a slight but tired grin. “I’ve tried calling in favors, but I’ve come up empty.” He raised his hands to demonstrate.
“Well, have you heard of Cat Carson?”
“The cute country singer with the big voice?”
“Yes.” She pressed her lips together while it sunk in.
“Wait.” Noah suddenly leaned in closer. “Are you saying you can get her to fill in?”
“It’s possible.” Mia nodded and said a silent prayer. “Um, what is the date again?”
“June third.”
She gave him another businesslike nod and a confident smile. “If not Cat, then perhaps someone else. I have lots of connections.” When he opened his mouth as if to probe, she hurried on, “She’s incredibly busy, but I’ll call right now and see what I can do, if that’s okay with you?”
“Really?” Noah blinked at her as if trying to size her up. “You really think you can pull this off?”
