How did I make a clean break from the woman who had given me life and would have given her life for me, especially when I didn’t even know if I’d ever see her again? “Momma.”
She pulled me into a hug. “No tears, Magnolia. We Steele women are made to be strong.” She released me and gave me a little push. “Now go back to New York and break a leg.”
I turned around and walked out of her office, eager to get as far away as possible.
* * *
At 2:00 sharp, I walked into JS Investments, my father’s office in downtown Nashville. When I told the receptionist I was there to see my brother, she led me down a long hallway, then pushed open a door before motioning for me to enter. My brother sat behind a massive desk that overlooked downtown Nashville. His eyes narrowed as the door closed behind me.
“Magnolia,” he said in a slow drawl. “You are nothing if not predictable. Come join me.”
“You made me an offer that needs further investigation.” I took several steps deeper into the room, moving toward the desk. My heels sank into the thick carpet. A grandfather clock positioned against the wall to the left emitted a loud tick-tock noise that filled the large room.
He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. “Please, take a seat. I have some paperwork that we need to address before I can give you the check.”
“Paperwork?” I asked, lowering myself into one of the leather chairs. They were designed to suck you in, giving the person at the desk the advantage, so I perched my butt on the edge, keeping my eyes level with his.
Irritation flickered in his eyes. Momma had always declared that I had a penchant for drama, but somehow she’d failed to recognize the fact that it ran in the Steele blood. My brother loved it just as much, if not more so. While I was good at creating characters, Roy excelled at setting the stage—and he had carefully constructed this one. But I’d refused to sink back into the chair, which would give him the elevation to look down at me. I’d made myself his equal instead.
There was a small stack of papers in front of him, and he slid them across the desk toward me. “You sign this contract, agreeing to never return, and then I hand you the check. After that, you’re gone.”
I picked up the pages, scanning the text on the first page before flipping to the second.
“I have an airline ticket booked for a five o’clock flight,” he said evenly, pressing his fingertips together in front of his face. “First class and with your name on it.”
The corners of my mouth twitched as I flipped to the third page and looked up at him. I hadn’t bought a plane ticket yet. Would it be so wrong if I used his? “Is it a one-way ticket to hell?” I asked in an amused voice. “Because it really should have your name on it instead.”
He released an exaggerated sigh. “Clever, Magnolia. You always were such a clever girl. It’s to New York.” He slid an expensive fountain pen toward me. “Now sign.”
I laid the papers on the desk and picked up the pen, turning it around and around in my hand. My gaze returned to his. “And here I thought you’d make me sign it in blood.”
His jaw clamped tight, and his eyes narrowed to slits of anger. “If I thought your blood would be legally binding, I would insist on it.”
My lungs squeezed shut when I realized he was serious. “What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?” I asked.
“You want a list?” he asked. “Breathing is at the top.”
I lifted my brows. “You want me dead?”
“Let’s just say if I could give our mother’s death sentence to you, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
That stung more than I cared to admit. While we’d never gotten along, I never would have guessed he hated me enough to want me dead. What had I ever done to warrant such hatred?
Coming back to Tennessee had disturbed my equilibrium, but I was still an expert at controlling my emotions. Or at least at hiding them from the world. I wouldn’t give this asshole anything.
I stood, towering over him. “Why are you so willing to pay me fifty thousand dollars on the condition that I give up all claim to my inheritance and never return?” I smirked at his look of surprise. “I can read, you little boll weevil. I caught the bit about my inheritance buried in a clause on the second page.”
“I will not tolerate name-calling, Magnolia.”
I released a bitter laugh. “I see you’ve gotten very good at the art of deflecting issues you don’t want to address. Bravo.”
He slowly stood up, looking down on me even in my three-inch heels. “I learned from the master, Magnolia. Now sign the damned document and leave.” In that moment, something shifted in his eyes. I saw it for a fraction of a second. He thought he was protecting someone.
I straightened my back as his previous statement hit me. “You know she’s dying.”
“Not that she told me.”
“Then how do you know?”
He gave me a dry look. “I have my sources.”
“How do you think sending me away will protect her?”
“How many times have you broken that woman’s heart?”
I shook my head in disgust. “You would have to possess a heart to recognize that hers had been broken. And you, my dear brother, are not only heartless, but soulless.”
Anger filled his eyes. “You are a cancer, Magnolia. A flesh-eating bacteria. You are toxic to everything that comes near you. I am simply saving our mother in the time she has left.”
I shook my head with a short laugh. “Oh, no. You don’t get to play the martyr card. I’ve seen you in action. You put your own best interests above all others. How does my leaving benefit you?” He continued to glare at me. “How much is Momma’s estate worth?”
“Not as much as you hope, you conniving bitch,” he spat out as he walked around his desk toward me.
“Conniving?” I was beyond furious, but I had to see this through. “How much?”
“She’s mortgaged the house to the hilt to get that storefront on Main Street and the two vans. She let her life insurance policy lapse. Dad’s 401K was decimated in that last economic downturn.” He snorted. “She’s worth negative two hundred thousand dollars, Magnolia, so in this instance the short-term bet is the smart one for you.”
“Why are you paying me to leave?”
He ignored my question. “The only good thing that came out of her financial woes was my sudden desire to learn how investing worked. I vowed no one would ever take advantage of her again.” His eyes bore into mine. “And that includes you.”
This man—who would protect his mother at all costs—was so different from the abusive pig I had met the day before that I was struggling to wrap my head around it.
And then I suddenly understood. “This is a way for you to control an uncontrollable situation.”
He burst out into bitter laughter. “I’m not some character for you to dissect. People are not so black and white.” Then he looked at his expensive watch. “You need to sign and leave. I have another appointment in five minutes.” He walked back around his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out an envelope.
My gaze landed on his hand.
“Are you prepared to leave tonight?” he asked, all business.
“My bags are packed and in Momma’s car, ready to go to the airport.”
“Then here’s a check for fifty thousand and the first class ticket. Just like I said. A one-time offer.” He reached toward me and dangled it close enough to my face for me to see my name in large, bold script. “Now sign.”
Anger burned in my gut as I picked up the pen. I flipped to the last page and scrawled quickly, then tossed the papers at him and snatched the envelope out of his hand.
The papers floated to his desk as I opened the envelope to see its contents. I was shocked to see he really had followed through. There was a check inside, written from his business account, and an airline ticket. I wasn’t surprised to hear his low growl of anger.
“Fuck you, Magnolia.”
I clench
ed my fists at my sides, now playing the role of a sister who didn’t give a shit. It wasn’t much of a stretch. “So you can read, although it said ‘Fuck you, Roy,’ not Magnolia.” I took several steps backward toward the door.
He reached for the phone on his desk. “Don’t even bother trying to cash that check. I’m having a stop payment put on it right now.”
“Don’t worry.” I pulled out the lighter I’d put in my purse for this very purpose and flicked it on. “You can have it back.” I held the flame to the edge of the envelope. It was slow to take, but the flames shot up the paper. I dropped the burning mess onto his wool carpet.
He started shouting after me as I calmly walked down the hall and out to the elevator.
I’d made a decision. I knew what my heart needed.
Chapter 28
I stood on my mother’s front porch, my stomach a swirling mass of nerves and anxiety. I knocked on the door and stood back, prepared for rejection.
But rejection was something I had become accustomed to facing. Most of my adult life had been based on it. I could handle this one too. Or at least that was what I told myself as the front door opened.
Momma stood in the opening, her eyes wide in shock. The skin on her face was paper-thin, and dark half-moons lay under her eyes. Her hair was thinner than before, and she’d lost weight. How had I missed the signs of her sickness? Maybe I saw it because I was looking for it now.
“Magnolia,” she said in confusion. “You’re supposed to be boarding a plane.”
“I changed my mind. Can I come in?”
But she blocked the doorway. “I don’t need your sympathy, Magnolia Mae Steele.” Her eyes flashed with anger. “Nor do I need your pity.”
“No worries, Momma. You should know by now that I’m incapable of feeling either of those two emotions.” I jiggled my suitcase handles. “Now let me in.”
Her eyes softened. “What about your part in the play?”
I sucked in a breath, still hoping I’d done the right thing. “I listened to your advice and decided if I go back, it will be with my head held high. I’m not going to try and ignore my disgrace like the emperor and his new clothes.”
“So what’s your plan?”
“I know you won’t give me a job, so I’ll find another one. And a place to live too. I don’t expect a handout.”
She frowned. “I live in a big house. You could stay here with me.”
“We would be at each other’s throats in a matter of days, and you know it. This is better.” For now. I would probably have to move in to take care of her sooner rather than later. But I had to ease my way into it. We both did.
“Don’t do this for me,” she said, her voice tight with emotion. “Don’t you go giving up on what you love for me.”
“Momma, don’t you get it? You are what I love. You. If I go away, I’m giving up you. And I refuse to do that anymore. No matter what.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “We might be able to arrange for you to have a job in the catering business after all.” She winked. “Someone told me the files and the calendar need updating.”
I knew it would require some serious compromises from both of us to make that work. We’d ease into that too. I gave her a coy smile. “We’ll see.”
“But the theatre . . .”
“A wise woman told me not to sell myself short. And if I go back right now, I’ll be hiding in the shadows of my embarrassment. I’d rather let things die down and then start over.” Starting over scared the shit out of me, but I’d deal with that later. “Can I come in now?”
She paused. “This won’t be pretty, Magnolia. This is going to get ugly and messy, and you’re gonna want to run from it. But if you stay, I need to know I can count on you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Then I ushered her back inside and closed the door behind us, making sure the deadbolt was tight.
Momma was right. Things were about to get ugly and messy, but not exactly how she expected.
* * *
Act Two (Magnolia Steele #2) September 13, 2016
Sign up for the Denise Grover Swank newsletter for bonus material and information about new releases and sales.
Also by Denise Grover Swank
Rose Gardner Mysteries
(Humorous southern mysteries)
Novellas are bonus material
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES
FALLING TO PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
PICKING UP THE PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF SHENANIGANS
ROSE AND HELENA SAVE CHRISTMAS (novella)
RIPPLE OF SECRETS (novella)
THIRTY-FOUR AND A HALF PREDICAMENTS
THIRTY-FIVE AND A HALF CONSPIRACIES
THIRTY-SIX AND A HALF MOTIVES (May 17, 2016)
The Wedding Pact
(Humorous contemporary romance)
THE SUBSTITUTE
THE PLAYER
THE GAMBLER
THE VALENTINE (short story)
Bachelor Brotherhood
Spinoff of The Wedding Pact series
ONLY YOU
Magnolia Steele Mystery
Center Stage
March 2016
Off the Subject Series
(New adult contemporary romance)
AFTER MATH
REDESIGNED
BUSINESS AS USUAL
The Chosen Series
(Adult urban fantasy)
CHOSEN
HUNTED
SACRIFICE
REDEMPTION
Complete CHOSEN Box Set
Curse Keepers Series
(Urban fantasy)
Amazon only
THE CURSE KEEPERS
THE CURSE BREAKERS
THE CURSE DEFIERS
CURSE KEEPERS COLLECTION (box set)
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult sci fi romance)
HERE
THERE
About the Author
Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at:
www.denisegroverswank.com
or email her at [email protected]
@DeniseMSwank
DeniseGroverSwank
denisegroverswank.com
[email protected]
Center Stage: Magnolia Steele Mystery #1 Page 30