The Magnolia Sisters

by Michelle Major

  “You think?”

  Meredith shrugged. “I’m not sure why Carrie and I had to be a part of it. They already know us. Everyone wants the details about your life.”

  Avery felt like she’d been punched. “What details?”

  “Your history. Your people.”

  “I don’t have people.”

  “Not much of a history, either.” Meredith tugged on the ends of Avery’s hair. “They dedicated two paragraphs to why you usually wear your hair in a ponytail. Today’s style should provide a juicy follow-up piece.”

  “That’s creepy.”

  “Yeah,” both women said at once, then glared at each other as if irritated to agree about something.

  “Mavis Bell publishes the paper,” Carrie told her. “She’s been running it for forty years. Usually, no one pays much attention but I heard she’s doing a second printing this weekend.”

  “I’m going back to the carriage house,” Avery said, panic fluttering in her chest. What if Mavis Bell uncovered the specifics of why she’d left San Francisco? It wasn’t as if her affair and the fallout had made the news or anything. But a call to the right person would reveal too much.

  “You can’t leave now,” Carrie told her. “People will want to meet you.”

  “And try to convince me not to sell the downtown buildings.”

  “Probably,” Meredith confirmed.

  “I’ve met plenty of people already.” Just then, Spot tugged on the leash, straining to get to the steps that led off the podium, clearly ready to mingle.

  “Do it for the dog,” Meredith told her. “Be sure to let everyone know she’ll be ready for adoption in a few weeks.”

  Avery didn’t like the way her stomach turned at the thought of that, but she nodded. “Also that she’ll come with an incredible wardrobe.”

  Meredith inclined her head. “Right. I’m heading over to the shelter’s booth to make sure everything’s under control. I’ll see you two later.”

  “I made an appointment with a Realtor from Raleigh for next week,” Avery said as Meredith started to walk away.

  Both of her sisters turned to face her.

  “We haven’t agreed on anything yet,” Carrie said tightly. “You can’t decide on your own.”

  Meredith gestured to the crowded town square. “Interesting timing on dropping the news.”

  “I know.” Avery bit down on her lower lip. “You’re both right but we can’t move forward without understanding the value of the property. It’s just a meeting.”

  “Maybe to you,” Carrie said quietly, then stalked away without another word.

  Meredith pointed at Avery. “I wish you’d quit doing that.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Making stupid decisions or comments so that I realize I’m on the same side as Carrie half the time. It’s way more comfortable when I hate her.”

  “You don’t hate her,” Avery answered.

  “Which is a big problem.” Meredith shook her head. “We’ve got bowls of water for the dogs at the shelter booth. Make sure Spot doesn’t get dehydrated.”

  Avery nodded and watched Meredith disappear into the crowd.

  Why had she mentioned the Realtor meeting right now? Maybe she needed to remind all of them that they weren’t allies in this. The mayor’s speech, as innocuous as it had been, gave her all the feels. She’d always wanted to belong but had never quite found her place. Magnolia wasn’t it. This small town couldn’t offer her the sense of home she craved. Secrets never stayed secret in places like this, and once people found out about her past, they’d hate her and rightfully so.

  She’d made mistakes and wasn’t sure she’d ever stop paying for them. How could she expect anyone else to forgive her when she couldn’t forgive herself?

  Spot strained against the end of the leash again, pulling her back to the present moment. Someone had dropped a chunk of donut on the ground at the bottom of the stairs, and the dog was determined to get to it. She scooped up the animal.

  “No people food,” she scolded gently, moving down the steps and away from the discarded pastry before lowering Spot to the ground again.

  She focused on drawing air in and out of her lungs when she realized she was holding her breath again. So much for an automatic function.

  A woman who looked like she might be close to Avery’s age approached. “I love your outfit,” she said with a disarmingly friendly smile.

  Avery hadn’t been on the receiving end of that kind of easy warmth recently. “Thanks.” She smoothed a hand over the front of her shirt. “I think I’m overdressed, though.”

  “You look sophisticated,” the woman told her. “Like you don’t belong here.”

  “Oh...well...” Avery kept her smile even. The words were spoken in a lilting accent, the type she imagined Scarlett O’Hara would have had back in the day. And while Avery might agree she didn’t belong in Magnolia, somehow the words still cut. “Obviously, I’m here temporarily.”

  “Obviously,” the woman agreed. “I’m Annalise Haverford. Of the Charlotte Haverfords.”

  “Of course you are.” Maybe Avery shouldn’t have been so quick to appreciate the woman’s friendliness. Apparently there was a thin line between Southern hospitality and latent hostility.

  An adorable girl with intricately curled hair ran up to the woman and hugged her leg. “This is my daughter, Margo.”

  “Margo,” Avery repeated, eyes narrowing. Violet’s kindergarten tormentor was named Margo.

  “Hello,” the girl said with a smile that mimicked her mother’s. “Your dog is ugly.”

  Avery gasped and glanced down at Spot, who had flopped on her back at the girl’s feet.

  “She is a bit odd,” Annalise confirmed. “I’m guessing she’s one of Meredith’s reject mutts. That one is always taking in the most hopeless strays, then trying to foist them off on people. You seem more a purebred type although...” Her tinkling laughter filled the air. “I guess looks can be deceiving.”

  Red splashes of fury danced in front of Avery’s eyes. She bent to pick up the dog. “Spot is perfect just the way she is,” she said, clutching the wriggling dog to her chest. “And any day of the week, I’ll take a sweet mutt over a purebred...” She stopped and drew in a breath.

  Annalise watched her, a smirk playing around the corner of her mouth, as if she relished the thought of Avery going off on her. It was difficult to believe that was possible. Why would this stranger goad her into lashing out?

  A wave of affection for Violet Atwell rolled through Avery. No wonder the girl had been obsessed with braids. If precious Margo was anything like her mother...

  “It was nice to meet you,” she said to Annalise, taking a step away.

  The woman’s gaze shuttered, clearly disappointed in Avery’s lack of reaction. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

  Not if I can help it, Avery thought as she turned and fled through the crowd. A few people greeted her and several others tried to make eye contact, but she kept moving. Annalise’s veiled slights had somehow made a crack in the wall she’d erected to barricade her emotions. Now she couldn’t seem to stop the flood of feelings surging through her. Sorrow. Regret. Anger. Bitterness.

  But the one that really hurt was the humiliation at where her life had ended up.

  She didn’t belong in Magnolia.

  She didn’t belong anywhere.

  CHAPTER TEN

  GRAY MADE HIS way through the already thick crowd gathered for Summer Fair, waving and saying a few words to friends and acquaintances without stopping for any lengthy conversations.

  It wasn’t exactly that he was on a mission to track down Avery...except he was determined to find her.

  His gaze had locked on the elegant blonde as soon as the station’s ladder truck turned the corner onto First Avenue. She’d stood between
Carrie and Meredith, shoulders back and features composed, like she was some sort of ancient queen surveying the troops as they rolled by on the way to battle.

  But Gray understood she was the one under siege. He’d seen glimpses of her soft underbelly and understood that vulnerability was rare and precious. Maybe he was projecting what he wanted to see, but today couldn’t have been easy for her. Not for any of Niall’s daughters. On display in front of the town, representing a father who’d betrayed each of them in separate ways.

  Avery’s distress affected him at some bone-deep level he couldn’t seem to shake. It was more than the incendiary kiss they’d shared, although he wouldn’t mind more of that. The connection went further than physical attraction. He knew her, or at least he wanted to, idiot that it made him.

  He checked the animal shelter booth but didn’t find her there. Carrie was deep in conversation with Josie, most likely brainstorming ways to save the downtown businesses that Niall had supported even after his circumstances changed. He admired his old friend’s dedication to her late father and the town, although he understood she paid a steep price for both.

  As he maneuvered past a group of teenagers huddled over their phones in the middle of the row of booths, Malcolm Grimes caught his eye. The mayor hitched his head in the direction of the alley that separated the buildings on the two main blocks of downtown.

  Gray didn’t bother to wonder how the older man knew he was searching for Avery. He nodded, mouthed, “Thank you,” and headed for the alley.

  The air felt a few degrees cooler between the buildings, the alley still shaded from the late-morning sun. He found Avery on the stairs behind the back exit to the gallery. She didn’t look up as he approached, but her tiny cow dog stood and gave him a quick yip before plopping to her belly again. The dog’s leash had been tied to the metal railing, although he doubted the animal would go far. She seemed to have quickly bonded to her human foster mom.

  “Nice outfit,” he said, almost taking a step back at the glare Avery shot him.

  “I know it’s inappropriate.” She fisted her hands on the knees of her fancy tailored slacks. “I’m too dressy. I don’t fit in. This isn’t my home.”

  Gray held up his hands, palms out. “I was talking about Spot’s sweater.”

  “Oh,” Avery breathed, scrunching up her nose. “She likes it.”

  The dog wagged her stubby tail as he bent for an ear scratch. “Believe it or not, I can tell. Has she lost weight?”

  Avery nodded, her features gentling in a way that made his breath hitch. “Meredith thinks so. Apparently, managing the weight loss of an overweight mutt is the only thing I’m not screwing up at this point.”

  “Don’t forget your braiding acumen. Mind if I join you?”

  She scooted over on the concrete step by way of an answer and he dropped down next to her. The muted din from the festival drifted into the quiet space, but there was still a sense of privacy, as if they were the only two people for miles.

  At least that was how he felt with Avery. Close to her, the rest of the world fell away and it was easy to forget all the reasons they weren’t right for each other. He spread his legs slightly so their thighs barely touched, unable to resist but also unwilling to push her for more. Not with how fragile she seemed at the moment.

  “I met Margo and her sweet-tea-sippin’ mother.”

  “Violet’s nemesis,” Gray muttered.

  “Monday morning your kid is going to school with the best damn braids anyone has ever seen. It’s going to be like the Oscars of kindergarten braids.”

  “So you and Annalise hit it off?”

  She laughed. “Instant besties.”

  “Not all the women around here are like that.”

  “I bet some of them are worse.”

  He scratched his chin, considering that. He didn’t pay a lot of attention to the way women interacted with each other. Stacy had accused him of not paying much attention at all. “Probably, but you’re from the city and I’ve been on the receiving end of your attitude. I bet you can throw back anything they dish out.”

  Her shoulders rose and fell as she sighed. “Annalise got to me. Or she was the straw that broke this camel’s back. The morning—being on display and listening to all that about Niall—it’s a lot to handle. I’m not sure I was ready for it.”

  “You look beautiful,” he told her, tracing one finger along the seam of her slacks.

  “I feel ridiculous in these clothes. They aren’t appropriate for a summer festival and now it seems like I’m trying too hard.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “You should take them off.”

  She laughed again, only this time it sounded real, which made him ridiculously happy.

  “You don’t even like me.”

  “I don’t have to like you to want to see you naked.”

  That comment earned him an elbow to the ribs.

  “Kidding,” he amended quickly. “I like you. From what I’ve heard, everyone who’s met you so far likes you.”

  She blinked, long lashes fluttering against her delicate skin. “Really? Never mind. I don’t care. It makes me sound pathetic if I care.”

  “Caring isn’t pathetic,” he told her, needing her to believe it for both their sakes. Gray knew the downfall of his marriage had been caring too damn much. He’d spent more than his fair share of time feeling pitiful as a result.

  “Do you care what people think of you?” she asked without looking at him.

  He leaned in closer. “I care what you think.”

  The corners of her lips curved as she turned, almost tentatively pressing her mouth to his.

  Based on her reaction to their first kiss, he let her lead. The last thing he wanted to do was spook her, even if the maddeningly slow place made him ten kinds of crazy. She explored him as if she had all the time in the world, nipping at his bottom lip.

  When she pulled back, he remained still, hoping that the desire in her eyes meant she wasn’t already having second thoughts.

  “Another mistake?” he asked softly.

  She shook her head but said, “I don’t want to want you.”

  “And yet?”

  “I do.”

  “I’m glad.” He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  “What’s next?” She glanced around as if she expected a bed to appear in the middle of the empty alley.

  He chuckled. “Are you in a hurry?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I’m not.” He slanted his head and claimed her mouth. He wanted to reassure her but at the same time he couldn’t help deepening the kiss.

  They broke apart when Spot let out a series of yapping barks.

  A couple of kids chased a ball into the mouth of the alley. They didn’t notice Avery and Gray, but still the spell had been broken.

  “I should go,” she told him.

  “Are you meeting up with your sisters at the festival?”

  “My sisters,” she repeated. “It’s strange to hear them referred to that way out loud. I should head home.” She cleared her throat. “Back to the carriage house.”

  “Without spending any time at Summer Fair?”

  She shrugged. “It feels weird walking around by myself. Like I should be carrying a sign that says Outsider.”

  “Come with me,” he urged gently.

  “Where’s Violet?”

  Gray felt his shoulders go stiff and forced himself to relax. “She’s with her mom in Raleigh until tomorrow. I asked Stacy to bring her for the parade, but she refused.”

  “That sucks,” Avery said simply.

  “It does indeed. It also means I’ve got no one to hang out with today.”

  “You must have a million friends. You grew up here and you work for the fire department. Firefighters always have tons of buddies.”r />
  “Is that some kind of rule?”

  She grinned and, once again, his heart lurched. “That’s how they make it seem in all the TV shows. The department is one big, happy family.”

  “Mostly true, but a lot of them have their own families. At least the ones that will be at the festival this early.”

  “The single men on the prowl come out at night?”

  “I’m not sure I’d phrase it like that.”

  “You’re single.”

  “I have Violet, so I don’t date.”

  “Is that a rule?”

  “Only for me.”

  “You’re a good dad, Gray.”

  “I try.” Her words fluttered through him like butterfly wings. “I’ll bring Violet down tomorrow after Stacy drops her off. Today, I’d like to show you around. Fairs and festivals are the cornerstone of small-town life. You need an appropriate tour guide to really get the most out of your experience.”

  “Lead on, Mr. Magnolia,” she said, straightening from the step. The dog got to its feet as well when Avery untied the leash. “Could our first stop be Meredith’s booth? Spot might be thirsty.” She patted the dog’s smooth head. “Do you need a drink, pretty girl?”

  “Sure,” he agreed, somewhat dazed at the contradictions of Avery Keller and how enamored they made him. He’d assumed by her polished appearance that she was like his ex-wife, but this woman constantly surprised him with her heart and the way she cared, even when she didn’t want to.

  He followed her toward the noise of Summer Fair, reminding himself to keep his thoughts on the moment and nothing more.

  * * *

  FOUR HOURS LATER, Avery was hot, sticky and her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Really smiling, not the forced push of muscles that had become her go-to in most social situations.

  Her earlier wariness felt like an overreaction now, a conditioned response that had more to do with her past than the present in Magnolia. Or perhaps the fun she’d had today was a result of Gray. As she’d guessed, he seemed to be friends with almost everyone in town. His acceptance of her smoothed things over in a way Avery could have never accomplished on her own. Even when she was with Carrie and Meredith, people remained suspicious of her motives. She was the interloper who wanted to abandon the town to strangers.