Magnolia Bride

by Tara Randel

  Not for Dorinda. And Nealy understood why. Her grandmother might have made a few interior changes to the shop, but for the most part, the place was exactly the same as when Grandpa Joe died. Her grandmother didn’t have the heart to make any changes. Dorinda may not be emotionally able to make changes, but Nealy could and her grandmother was counting on it.

  The easiest fix would be to paint the current stucco siding, but all the other stores on Main Street had new facades built around the windows and doors. The colors varied, from bright hues to sedate neutral colors, but anyone could see the buildings were well maintained. Some had stucco finishing, others a wooden or brick front. Big store windows displayed merchandise, or in the case of the candy and ice cream shop, stenciled lettering covered the glass in a whimsical pattern sure to draw a tourist’s attention. Spaced along the sidewalk, there were neatly trimmed potted plants, as well as ornate steel streetlights with large frosted globes on top. Very quaint and charming. And, to top it all off, each store sported a canopy. Right now, Cuppa Joe was the one store without one. How much would one cost to buy and install?

  Next door had a new tenant who was busy getting the space ready for a clothing store. She’d seen electricians and other workmen disappear inside, heard the buzz of saws and banging against the communal wall. The owner probably had a plan ready for the outside look of the place, which put her way behind the curve. She had to generate some ideas, fast.

  Her grandmother’s reluctance for change had gone on long enough. The Merchants’ Association was making her life miserable with visits and reprimanding letters. These officials were like bill collectors on steroids, hounding her grandmother, who couldn’t let go of the wonderful memories connected to the shop. Grandpa Joe was a ghost Dorinda could not overcome.

  Her grandmother had said she’d rather close, that is, until longtime customers spoke up and Dorinda swore she wouldn’t let the town down. If her grandmother didn’t make the proposed changes, the Merchants’ Association promised her a “meeting” to discuss the situation. And do what after the meeting, they didn’t say. It just seemed threatening. Knowing how much her grandmother didn’t like to be told what to do, Nealy knew this was a real issue for her. Cuppa Joe had been one of Cypress Pointe’s first businesses, the only surviving original shop, but still, who needed this kind of pressure? Not Grandmother. No wonder she was thinking about selling the place. She didn’t need this kind of headache at her age.

  Studying the building, Nealy started sketching as an idea began to take shape. It might be good for all involved, if the evil MA would go along with her plan. In the end, the idea didn’t pan out; she didn’t like the results. She envisioned a trendy, streamlined look carried throughout, but to her own eye, the drawing looked lame. She finished the drawing anyway, grimaced and closed the notebook. No, she needed to get in touch with a contractor.

  She took a step back toward the shop, noticing Dane in her peripheral vision. His steady stride and confident posture made her heart pick up a beat. Definitely not what she needed this morning.

  He stopped in front of her, his gaze taking her in, not missing any part of her casual outfit, her loose hairstyle or, she figured, her frustration. A slight smile hovered on his lips. “So, how did the first shift go?”

  “Fine. Did you expect otherwise?”

  “No. You always liked working here. And at the hotel.” He glanced at the shop and back to her. “Shouldn’t you be inside, waiting on customers?”

  “Actually, my helper is doing the job.”

  “Helper?”

  “One of my grandmother’s friends. She showed up to...help me.” Nealy made finger quotes in the air.

  Dane chuckled. “You aren’t a needing-help kind of woman.”

  “I think Terri would appreciate having something to do.”

  “Nice of you to accommodate her.”

  Nealy shrugged. “I do what I can.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Why I’m not inside? Just trying to come up with a new idea for the front of the shop. The evil MA is giving Grandmother a hard time.”

  “Evil?”

  “Her name for them.”

  “I don’t think they’re evil. Overzealous, maybe.”

  “Whatever they are, she can’t please them. They’re calling her or stopping in to bother her all the time.”

  His brow wrinkled. “Bother her?”

  She pulled the list from her back pocket and handed it to him. He scanned the paper. “Yeah. I knew about this.”

  “You did? How?”

  His gaze met hers. “I’m the president of the association.”

  Nealy gaped at him. “Excuse me?”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  “Why would you do this to my grandmother?”

  “I’m not involved with the day-to-day running of the organization. I’m more of a figurehead. They asked me to join a while back due to their mission to revitalize downtown. Since I have experience rehabbing buildings and I have strong ties to this community, I accepted.”

  Nealy fumbled for words, so taken aback by Dane’s admission. “You go along with their tactics?”

  “I didn’t know they were strong-arming Dorinda. She didn’t say anything.”

  “You know her. She wouldn’t make a fuss.”

  “Still. This place is in sad shape.” He scanned the building from top to bottom. “I get how your grandmother feels about Cuppa Joe, I’m not surprised she hasn’t listened.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “So if you didn’t come to give Grandmother grief, what are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on your new neighbor and see how the clothing store is shaping up.” A slow smile spread across his face. “You thought I came to visit you?”

  She ignored his comment. “Maybe you can ask the construction workers to keep the noise down?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Right.”

  Nealy noticed a crowd beginning to gather around them. No arguing on the sidewalk and causing a scene. Decorum was her middle name now. She grasped Dane’s arm and steered him toward the shop, just in time to catch Terri step away from the window.

  Just what she needed. An audience inside and out.

  “I’ll speak to the association and get the members to tone down their approach with Dorinda.”

  “I’d appreciate it,” Nealy said, still miffed that Dane had a part in causing her grandmother so much worry.

  “Maybe there’s something more I can do to help Dorinda.” Dane trailed after her. “To make up for the way the association has treated her. I can handle some of the work on the list.”

  “No way.”

  No way could she be here day in and out with this man nearby. She might be getting used to being around him because he lived in Cypress Pointe now, could maybe handle this new adult relationship they had, but it didn’t alter the facts. Their history didn’t need repeating. The less she had to deal with Dane Peterson, the less she had to be concerned about the unwelcome, and equally hard to dispel, excitement inundating her whenever he looked her way.

  “Listen, Nealy. The association isn’t all bad. They want to make the town attractive for tourism. Face it, without changes and improvements, most of the businesses would dry up.”

  “Not Cuppa Joe. The locals support my grandmother.”

  “Of course they do, but you have to agree, fixing the place up isn’t a bad thing.”

  She wished he wasn’t right. Or so sure of himself. Or still so darn good-looking.

  “I’ll take care of any upgrades.” The mirth in his eyes made him even more attractive, which only annoyed her more.

  She angled her chin at him. “I’m an intelligent woman, Dane. I can figure it out.”

  “Maybe, but this isn’t like planning an event.” H
e sobered. “Would working with me be so bad?”

  Yes, yes, yes, because then she’d never get him off her mind.

  She had to give herself time to cover her convoluted feelings for him. Grabbing hold of a nearly empty pot of coffee, she dumped the dregs into the sink, and kept her back to him.

  “Nealy, would you risk messing up the existence of Cuppa Joe just to make a point?”

  She froze, considering his words. If it meant she wouldn’t have to be around him? Maybe. She couldn’t help but be honest about it, at least with herself.

  She refilled the decanter with water and busied filling another filter with fresh grounds. “Do you want a cup of coffee before you stop by to check on next door?”

  “Getting rid of me so soon?”

  “I’d hate to hold you up.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll take a cup to go.”

  She poured a cup from a fresh pot and handed it to him. When Dane fished in his pocket to collect his money, she held up her hand. “It’s on the house.”

  “Thanks.” He gave her one last long look. He didn’t bother hiding his interest, or his frustration. She could still read him after all these years. “I’m serious, Nealy. Think about my offer. It makes sense.”

  He turned from the counter and passed several customers to get to the door.

  Nealy blew out a breath. Terri rounded the counter to stand beside her. They both watched Dane leave.

  “You know, dear, at your age you shouldn’t be scaring off eligible men like Dane. He’d make a fine husband. Just ask the other single women in town.”

  Nealy looked at the older woman’s serious face. “Thanks for the advice, but I tried that once with him and things didn’t go so well.”

  In her heart, Nealy knew she had to scare Dane off. Nothing could happen between them. They were two different people living very different lives, and as far as she was concerned, the two would never overlap.

  * * *

  LATER THAT AFTERNOON, her grandmother’s employee, Sierra, came to work after school until the shop closed at four o’clock. If Nealy ran things, she’d extend operating hours until at least nine or ten at night. But she wasn’t in charge, so she settled for reviewing her notes on transforming Cuppa Joe while here in Cypress Pointe.

  Her cell rang. She glanced at the caller ID. Her boss.

  “Hey, Crystal. How are things going?”

  “I can’t find the Rocket Fuel sports drink promotion file. Did you send it to me before you left?”

  “Yes. Look under Rocket Promotions. I also wrote the file name down and left a sticky note on your desk, remember?”

  She’d made a point of telling Crystal about the file the day before she left, anticipating that her busy boss with her fingers in so many projects would forget the details.

  “My desk? Why didn’t I... Oh, here it is.”

  “Just where I left it.”

  “Sorry. It’s been nonstop crazy.”

  “I understand. I’m neck deep in family obligations here.”

  “Right. Family.” A slight pause. “Nealy, sweetie, I need a go-to person to liaise with the people from Rocket Fuel. I’ll bring Felicia in on the project.”

  “Felicia? She just joined Milestones by Crystal.”

  “True, but she’s come up with plenty of ideas.”

  Nealy thought about the note on Crystal’s desk. She’d covered every contingency so the Rocket Fuel event would run smoothly. Still, should Nealy be worried? Her coworkers weren’t sharks, but they would grab any opportunity to move up in the company. What could she do about her boss’s decision when she was on the other side of the country? “I’m sure Felicia will be an asset.”

  “That’s just what she said.”

  Nealy rubbed her forehead. “Any word from Ashlee James?”

  “Not yet. Her advisors said we won’t get a firm answer about a contract until she’s considered every event planning company in town.”

  “If anything changes, let me know.”

  “Darling, I have you on speed dial. Once I hear, I expect you on a plane back to L.A.”

  “Okay. Thanks for the update.”

  “Talk to you soon.”

  Sighing, Nealy returned to the task at hand. She’d managed to squeeze in calling two contractors to get an idea of the cost of updating the front of the building. Neither would give her an estimate over the phone. She scheduled on-site appointments for the next day.

  Switching gears, she pulled out information on new coffee systems. She had just started to analyze her choices when her sister hurried into the shop.

  * * *

  LANIE DROPPED INTO the seat opposite Nealy, masking her usually sunny disposition with a dejected look. “I hate my life.”

  “Good to see you, too. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” When she didn’t offer the desired effect of a smile, Nealy frowned. “What’s the problem?”

  Lanie fidgeted with her purse. “I didn’t realize I was holding so much inside until I sat down.”

  “Come on, what kind of problems could you have? Great husband, great kid, great job and you’re the one in the family Mom most approves of.”

  “Because I always do her bidding. Trust me, inside I’m rebellious.”

  Nealy grinned. “Coulda fooled me.”

  “I could be rebellious if I wanted.”

  “Sure you could, but why would you?”

  “I’ll tell you why. My great husband? He’d rather work or play golf than spend time with me. Davey is wonderful, but he’s a teenage boy. I try, but his world is foreign to me. I miss my little boy and the fun times we spent together. And the job...?”

  “The job?” Nealy prompted.

  Lanie felt her face flush. “I want to make a change but the people in my life won’t agree to it.”

  Nealy straightened her stack of papers.

  “Listen, I know everyone thinks of me as the sensible sister, but I’m long overdue for a meltdown.” She nodded toward Nealy’s paperwork. “Cuppa Joe business is finished for the day. I need you to be the voice of calm and reason before I lose it.”

  “Let’s get some coffee to go. I have a feeling this conversation will last awhile. The beach will give us some privacy.”

  The tension in Lanie’s shoulders eased. “Thanks.”

  Nealy filled two to-go cups and hooked arms with Lanie to walk the few blocks to the beach. They soon found an empty bench and settled in. Though it was late in the afternoon, the June sun was still warm, a precursor to the hot, sticky summer drawing closer each day. The greenish-blue water lapped the sand in a gentle rhythm. Children’s laughter mingled with the screech of seagulls.

  Inhaling the salty air, Lanie leaned back against the back of the wooden bench, taking solace in the familiar scene before her. “We have so many memories here. Remember when we were little and Grandmother decided to have a beach day and brought us without any help from Mom and Dad or Grandpa?”

  Nealy’s eyes lit up. “We ran her ragged. Going from the water to the pier and hours building sand castles, she swore she’d never do it again.”

  “But she did. Many times.”

  They sat in companionable silence for a few moments.

  “You must love the beaches in California,” Lanie said. “We drove by when we came out to visit you, but from what I saw, the coastline is stunning.”

  “I’ve been to the beach a total of two times since I’ve lived out there.” Nealy frowned. “I work too much. Sad, isn’t it.”

  “No. Grown-up. Once we get out of college and start our lives, reality invades.”

  Nealy put a hand over hers. “Okay, what’s going on? You’ve never been Miss Gloom and Doom before.”

  Lanie took a sip from her cup and peered out over the water. A few sec
onds passed and she said softly, “I don’t think David loves me anymore.”

  Nealy coughed. “Why would you think that?”

  “It’s the little things. We used to talk all the time, but now we almost have to schedule appointments to see each other. I thought after all these years together we’d get closer, but now I’m not so sure. We used to be the couple with this wonderful marriage from day one, who couldn’t stand to be apart.” She paused. “What went wrong?”

  “You do realize I’m not the person to come to with romance problems. I told Juliet the same thing.”

  Lanie wiped the tears from her eyes. “I don’t expect you to solve my problems, not that you couldn’t. What happened between you and Dane was...”

  “A debacle?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. You two were just a little overly enthusiastic.”

  Nealy laughed. “Okay, we’ll go with that.”

  “He wasn’t all bad.”

  “No, he wasn’t. Up until the moment he broke my heart.” She sighed. “You and David made being married look so easy. I guess I wanted the same thing with Dane.”

  “Nothing is easy. Getting married in college and having a baby a year later? Hard work.” Lanie hesitated. “Not everyone should marry young.”

  “True. I’m the poster girl of bad decisions. But you did it. You and David have always been happy.”

  “We were, for a long time. But lately, I’m not sure and I don’t know what to do.” Her tone turned to pleading. “I know you have two weeks left to visit. I’m sorry to burden you more. It’s that, well, I don’t really have anyone I can talk to about this. No one I trust, anyway.”

  “First Juliet asking romance advice, now you revealing secrets. I feel like I’ve been thrust into an alternative universe.” Nealy looked as if she was considering something. “You’ve been married what, fifteen years?”

  Lanie nodded.

  “And somewhere along the way the magic sorta died?”

  Lanie blinked rapidly, devastated by that thought.