The Merriest Magnolia

by Michelle Major

  Her forehead furrowed. “Is he visiting?”

  “Wiley and his wife, along with my uncle Russ, died in a plane crash last fall. Sam has been with me ever since.”

  He’d craved it moments earlier but now hated the sympathetic noise she made. It grated along his skin like sandpaper. If Carrie was going to be his enemy, he didn’t want any kindness from her. She was too inexperienced at being cutthroat to know, but emotion made her weak. It would have made him the same, so he wouldn’t allow himself to be vulnerable. Ever.

  He held up his hands. “I’m sure it pains you as much as it does everyone else in Sam’s life that he not only lost so much but got stuck with me in the process.”

  “I’m sorry you lost your family,” she said simply. “I remember how much your uncle and cousin meant to you.”

  The grief he’d buried rose to the surface like some sort of monster waiting to be released from its cage. Carrie could break the chains that held his emotions in check with a few softly uttered words, making her more dangerous to him than any creature that prowled the night.

  “You don’t get it both ways, sweetheart.” He hardened his jaw and made his tone razor sharp. “You can’t want to run me out of town one minute then act like you care about the kid I’m saddled with the next. Pick a side, Carrie.”

  “My side,” she said fiercely. “For the first time in my life, I’m taking my side.”

  He almost laughed but swallowed it back, knowing how much it would anger her. He’d wanted this for Carrie—for her to regain the faith in herself that her father had squashed when she was younger. Ironic as all get out that it seemed to take having him as a target to pry it out of her.

  She stepped closer. Although the winter sun peeked through the cloudy morning sky, the connection between them made it feel as intimate as the deserted street at midnight. They were the only two people in the world. That was how it had always been for Dylan. His awareness of her shut out everything else. He’d needed that grounding as a troubled teen, which was why it shocked him how much he still wanted it.

  “Life isn’t black-and-white.” Her eyes were the color of the Atlantic Ocean after a summer storm. “I’m not going to be heartless to get my way. But make no mistake, I’ll get it. I’d advise you to stay out of my path.”

  “And what if I don’t?” he asked, reaching out a finger to graze her knuckles. The touch sent electricity spiking along his nerve endings, and she quickly pulled away. “What if I can’t?”

  She drew in a sharp breath, her warm green eyes turning cold. “Then it will go badly for us both.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CARRIE ENTERED THE FAIRVIEW outside Raleigh the following afternoon and immediately felt out of place. The lavish five-star hotel seemed to cater exclusively to guests who were both wealthy and sophisticated by the look of the people milling about the elegant lobby.

  She smoothed a hand over her shapeless maxi dress and wished she’d done something more with her hair than pull it back into a messy bun.

  It had been years since she’d last seen her mother and now she regretted that she’d agreed to meet Vanessa Reed at the hotel where she worked as general manager. Carrie should have chosen a neutral location where she wouldn’t feel so small-town and unsuitable.

  The Fairview was already decorated for the holidays, with shining swaths of silk ribbon, beautiful floral arrangements and an array of spectacular floor-to-ceiling trees covered with colorful ornaments and bows. She couldn’t imagine how much time and effort it took to coordinate such a lavish display of festivity. It felt as if she’d been working around the clock with the downtown business owners in Magnolia to put together a cohesive theme for their holiday celebration, but their efforts didn’t hold a candle to the impressive beauty of the hotel her mother managed.

  A woman stood behind the concierge desk, giving Carrie a dismissive once-over when she made eye contact. Swallowing down the feeling of not belonging, Carrie approached.

  “Excuse me?”

  The woman, Amy, according to the name tag affixed to her smart uniform, glanced up. “May I help you?” she said in a tone that was anything but helpful.

  “I’m looking for Vanessa Reed,” Carrie said with a forced smile. “Could you direct me to her office?”

  Amy’s full lips thinned as she stared at Carrie with a look as if she’d just asked for an audience with the queen. Carrie would guess that she and Amy were around the same age, but the young concierge’s condescending attitude made Carrie feel like an annoying child begging for attention.

  “The employment office is open by appointment only,” Amy announced. “You’ll apply online first and then someone will contact you. It won’t be Ms. Reed.”

  Carrie blinked. “I’m not applying for a job.” Her chest tightened as she considered how much to share with this rude woman. “I’m here to see my mother.”

  If she’d expected a shift in the woman’s attitude, she would have been disappointed. Amy’s big eyes widened just a fraction. “Ms. Reed doesn’t have a family.”

  Carrie took a step back, the casual words a direct hit to her heart. Her mother had worked at The Fairview since she’d left Magnolia. Surely her staff was aware she had a daughter.

  “There you are, Carrie. Why are you bothering the staff? I told you to come directly to my office.”

  The scent of Chanel No. 5 enveloped Carrie as she turned toward her mother, bringing back a flood of memories from childhood. Vanessa might have changed almost everything about herself after leaving Magnolia, but her signature perfume remained the same.

  As Carrie had spent time cleaning out her father’s house in the weeks after his death, she would have sworn that she’d caught random whiffs of her mom’s distinctive scent.

  A riot of emotions coursed through Carrie as she looked into familiar green eyes so like her own. Vanessa hadn’t seemed to age since Carrie had last seen her. Hard to say if it was good genes or a great plastic surgeon. Her mother’s natural brown hair was dyed a few shades lighter than she used to wear it and cut into a stylish layered bob that framed her delicate features.

  Carrie desperately wanted a do-over on the morning. She would have taken more time with her appearance before making the drive to Raleigh. Spending her whole life in Magnolia and the last decade as her father’s assistant had made her complacent on all levels. She’d once had big dreams for herself, but her existence had become so small that it felt as if it could fit on the tip of a needle.

  Her identity in her hometown had seemed set in stone so she’d stopped trying to be something different than what people expected of her. Niall Reed’s devoted daughter.

  She rolled her shoulders against the bitterness that sat on them like a heavy weight. “Hi, Mom,” she said and took a hesitant step forward. What was the appropriate greeting for a parent she had virtually no relationship with at this point in her life?

  Vanessa’s gaze flicked to Amy, who was watching the interchange with unveiled curiosity.

  “You’re too thin,” her mother said as she leaned in and gave her a quick and awkward peck on the cheek. “I’ve reserved a table for high tea. You should eat an extra scone.”

  “Um, okay,” Carrie agreed, feeling color rise to her face. First Dylan and now her mother critiquing her weight. Did she really look that bad?

  “Thank you, Amy.” Vanessa turned to the concierge, bestowing a disarmingly warm smile. “The Ralstons are arriving late tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Please make sure their room is ready.”

  Amy nodded. “I’ll also have the foam pillows Mr. Ralston prefers sent up.”

  “You’re the best.” Vanessa reached out and squeezed Amy’s hand. “We’re so lucky to have you here. I’m so lucky.” She turned to Carrie, her smile dimming slightly. “Amy is a graduate of the school of hotel administration at Cornell. It’s quite prestigious and she’s been a wonderful a
ddition to The Fairview family.”

  Family.

  Carrie suppressed a shudder of resentment. This woman had told her Vanessa didn’t have any family, but clearly her mother held her employees close to her heart. Meanwhile, Carrie received two obligatory phone calls a year, one on her birthday and the other on Christmas morning.

  “It was a pleasure to meet you,” Amy said, her tone about a million notches more pleasant than it had been minutes earlier.

  “You, too,” Carrie lied. For a split second she wished she could be more like Meredith, who said exactly what she thought with no consideration of the consequences. Oh, the things she’d say to Amy the concierge.

  But Carrie wasn’t like her outspoken, confident sister, and her mommy issues had nothing to do with anyone on the hotel’s staff, no matter how much easier it would be to blame them.

  If no one knew about Vanessa’s life before she came to The Fairview, the responsibility fell on her mother’s thin shoulders.

  And Vanessa didn’t seem to care. In fact, Carrie had to hurry to catch up to her as she strode across the lobby toward the restaurant at the far end. Her mother walked with purpose, as if she owned the place. Both staff and guests alike looked at her with the kind of deferential respect reserved for VIPs. Carrie knew those looks because she’d seen them on the faces of longtime Magnolia residents back when her father had been the de facto king of the town.

  Carrie had always been better at appearing insignificant if someone noticed her at all.

  “The hotel looks really pretty with all the Christmas decorations,” she said as she followed her mother to a table in front of a window overlooking the manicured grounds.

  “Holiday,” Vanessa corrected without hesitation. “The Fairview welcomes guests who celebrate a variety of holidays at this time of year.”

  “Of course,” Carrie whispered, duly chastised. Her mother’s special skill, laying her low with a few choice words and that sanctimonious tone.

  Vanessa glanced up at the waiter who’d followed them to the table. “Two signature tea services, Martin. With a few additional scones.”

  “Of course, Ms. Reed.”

  Carrie tried not to gape as the man executed a subtle bow. He actually bowed to her mother. No wonder Vanessa was so happy with her job. Martin didn’t bother to glance at Carrie and she resisted the urge to slouch down in her seat like a moody teen.

  What had happened to the gutsy woman who’d gone toe-to-toe with Dylan Scott on a public street? He’d told her she changed, and she’d truly thought she had. Her father’s death and the revelations that came with it had forced her to take stock of her life in a way she’d avoided for years. Forging new bonds with her sisters had helped her find an inner strength she hadn’t realized she possessed.

  A few minutes in her mother’s presence had obliterated all of her newfound gains.

  “I don’t need more food, Mom.” Carrie focused on unfolding the napkin and placing it in her lap as she spoke. “The past couple of months have been stressful, but things are getting better. In fact, I’ve started—”

  “Your father was a horrid man,” her mother interrupted, tapping one shapely fingernail against the white linen tablecloth. “Surely you can see that.”

  “He was deeply flawed,” Carrie said quietly.

  Vanessa let out a soft snort. “An egotistical, narcissistic boar of a human. You must regret staying with him and giving up your life. He wanted you with him because he needed a puppet, and once I wouldn’t subject myself to that treatment any longer, that left him you as a stand-in. That town has nothing to offer you now.”

  Carrie swallowed against the emotion her mother’s words conjured within her. “Other than a home and a community.”

  Vanessa stared at her for a long moment as the waiter set down their tea and the tray of pastries and dainty sandwiches. “We don’t need the explanation, Martin. I know the selections. Thank you.”

  “Of course, Ms. Reed.”

  Another bow and he disappeared again without making eye contact with Carrie. Truly, she felt invisible in her mother’s world.

  “I apologize if you’re offended by my words,” Vanessa told her as she poured the tea. “I thought I’d worked through my anger toward your father. His death opened old wounds for me. I’m sure you understand how hard it was.”

  Carrie plucked a crustless cucumber sandwich from the silver tray and shoved the whole thing into her mouth, earning a disapproving frown from her mom. At least it gave her an excuse not to respond.

  On the surface, her parents had always seemed like the epitome of opposites attract. Niall, the eccentric and nonconformist artist and her polished mother, who’d enjoyed being the wife of someone famous but hadn’t wanted to stick it out once the spotlight faded along with the sales of her husband’s mawkish paintings.

  She’d come to realize they were more alike than she’d understood, both self-centered and emotionally immature. She’d lost her father and discovered that he’d kept the secret of her two sisters from her. A revelation that, coupled with the financial mess he’d left behind, had rocked her world to its core. Her mother, who’d been divorced from him for a decade, felt justified in lamenting how difficult his death had been on her.

  “It’s good to see you,” her mother said, inclining her head.

  Carrie took a big bite from one of the scones and nodded.

  “You should try the jam and Devonshire cream.” Vanessa nodded. “Your appetite seems to have returned.”

  As Carrie swallowed the pastry, it seemed to turn to ash in her throat. There wasn’t enough clotted cream in all of England to make the questions she had for her mother any easier to ask.

  She placed the uneaten half of scone on the bone china plate. “Did you know about Avery and Meredith?”

  Her mother’s lips pursed. “We’ve been through this already, Carrie.”

  “I’ve asked you the question,” Carrie countered softly. “Over the phone after I learned about them from the attorney. But you didn’t answer me.”

  “Have you come to see me after years of estrangement out of some bizarre need to understand how much I knew about the levels of your father’s betrayal?”

  “I wouldn’t call it bizarre.”

  Her mother breathed out a laugh, and something that might have been respect flashed in her eyes. How strange. Carrie had spent most of her life trying to make everyone around her happy and now that she was growing a proverbial pair, people seemed to like her more.

  “Your father cheated on me many times during our marriage.” Vanessa’s fingers tightened on the cup. “Probably more often than I even knew. There were things I overlooked in order to make the marriage work or maybe because I didn’t want to see that part of him.” She shrugged. “I wanted the fairy tale and was enamored by his larger-than-life personality.”

  “And the fame,” Carrie added softly. She expected her mother to argue but she only looked into her half-empty cup as if reading the tea leaves.

  “We were a good match, or at least that’s what I told myself. He needed me because of who he wanted to be in the community. I could host parties and talk to wealthy clients and make him...” She waved her fingers as if searching for a word to pluck from the air.

  “Respectable,” Carrie supplied.

  Vanessa sighed. “We were a team for a time. But it became clear that the compromise needed to make a marriage work wasn’t what either of us wanted, especially as his ego took hits when the criticism of his talent began to outweigh his sales. That’s a long-winded non-answer to your question. I knew about the other women, but I never had a clue he’d fathered more children.”

  “So you knew about Meredith’s mother?”

  “Yes, although not when the affair happened. I found out later. Niall and I had a huge fight shortly before I left him.”

  Left us both, Carr
ie thought but didn’t say the words out loud. She wanted to understand what had happened between her parents, and putting her mom on the defensive wouldn’t help that goal.

  “I pushed him to admit how many times he’d cheated over the years,” Vanessa continued. “Specifically, I wanted to know about the women from Magnolia. Despite what you might believe, it wasn’t easy for me to walk away, and that was before I realized you weren’t going to come with me. The understanding that if I stayed, I would have to continue to make nice with women who’d slept with my husband spurred me on.”

  Carrie sucked in a breath. She hadn’t considered that part of the situation. “That’s a terrible position to be in.”

  “I shouldn’t have let him get away with it for so long.” Vanessa nibbled on the edge of a sandwich. “More than that, I shouldn’t have let the choice you made impact our relationship the way it did.”

  “He needed me,” Carrie said simply, then shook her head. “At least that’s how it felt. He was larger than life to me at that point. I wasn’t trying to sever ties with you, but leaving Magnolia seemed impossible at the time.”

  “You don’t have to explain his allure to me. It’s part of why I walked away without looking back. There was too much chance of being sucked into his orbit again. He was like a black hole, Carrie, pulling in and warping everything and everyone that got too close. There was no escape. I still don’t understand why he revealed everything to you in the will. Such a cowardly thing to do.”

  “Yes,” Carrie murmured, her chest constricting with the memory of that revelation and how it had felt like a bomb exploding the life she’d known, pieces of her heart raining down like shrapnel around her. So much good had come from learning about her sisters, but the betrayal had changed everything about her feelings toward her father. He’d been her hero, and the disillusionment made her fearful of trusting her instincts on anything.

  “There’s nothing keeping you there now,” her mother said. “You could travel or move anywhere and start over.” She paused then added, “Raleigh is a lovely place to live and there’s always room on my staff.”