Maggie risked asking a question that had plagued her for years. “Would you and Father ever go that far?”
Juliette looked shocked for the second time that morning. “Absolutely not. You’re our daughter and we love you.”
“But I’ve seen how infuriated you get when I don’t do things your way,” Maggie said.
Juliette regarded her speculatively. “So you’ve been testing us to see if we’d disown you?”
“Maybe I have been,” Maggie replied, suddenly viewing her years of rebellion in a new light. “Maybe I wanted to see how far I could push before you kicked me to the curb.”
The teacup in Juliette’s hand rattled against the saucer. She set it down and met Maggie’s gaze. “Get that notion right out of your head, Magnolia. We would never disown you. Never!”
“Good to know,” Maggie said, oddly relieved by her mother’s adamant statement. Her parents’ wealth had never mattered to her, but as she’d conceded to Josh over the weekend, their approval mattered in ways she’d never fully understood. She’d craved it, even as she’d done everything she could think of to guarantee that she wouldn’t earn it.
“Well, believe it,” Juliette said fiercely. “You’re our daughter, our only child, and that’s that.”
“For better or worse,” Maggie declared, amusement threading through her voice.
“Oh, darling, it’s mostly for the better,” Juliette said, her expression softening. “I think I could even tolerate all these rebellions of yours if I saw they were making you happy, but inevitably they lead to heartache. That’s what your father and I find so upsetting.”
Maggie sighed. “I’ve noticed that myself. Then again, Warren was supposed to change all that, and look what happened.”
“He’s not the only appropriate man out there,” Juliette consoled her. “If you can’t work things out with him, you’ll simply find another one.”
Josh immediately came to mind. Maggie seriously doubted that her mother would see him as “appropriate.” Was that the reason she seemed to find him so tantalizing? Was he just the latest in a long string of tiny rebellions?
More than likely, she conceded with a sigh. And maybe for once she could stop herself before she went down that path.
She dragged her attention back to her mother and noticed that Juliette was studying her worriedly. “I’m not heartbroken about Warren, Mother. You don’t need to fret about me.”
“I know you’re resilient,” Juliette said. “You did get that trait from me.”
“Then why are you looking so worried?”
“Because I know how impulsive you can be. You have to admit that the combination of your impulsiveness and construction work is a recipe for disaster.” She gave Maggie a stern look. “I do not want to get a call that you’ve fallen and broken your neck. Is that understood?”
Maggie grinned. “Understood. I’d say we’re in total agreement on that one.”
“Okay, then. I’ll tell your father to tell George to mind his own damn business.”
“You do that,” Maggie said with enthusiasm. “Even better, perhaps you and father would like to stop by some Saturday and help.”
Juliette looked completely thunderstruck by the notion, but then she seemed to perk up. “You’re probably teasing, Magnolia, but who knows? One of these days your father and I might just turn the tables and surprise you. We’ve done an impulsive thing or two in our time.”
Maggie laughed. “Well, then, I’ll look forward to it.”
Juliette’s expression turned thoughtful. “I wonder if they make hard hats in pink?”
“Call Dinah’s mother,” Maggie advised. “If they do, I’m sure Mrs. Davis knows, after all those months she’s spent on the Covington Plantation renovations.”
“Excellent idea,” Juliette said. “I’ll speak to her this afternoon.” She leaned down and kissed Maggie. “Bye, dear. Come see us. Your father misses you.”
She was gone before Maggie could recover from the shocking image of her mother on the construction site in her own pink hard hat. For a woman who prized predictability and tradition, Juliette had been full of surprises this morning.
Nadine sighed at the destruction of her acrylic nails. Most of the polish had chipped off, and all but one of the nails was broken beyond repair. She had Josh to thank for this. Her son seemed to be taking some sort of pleasure in working her to death.
As if the demise of her manicure weren’t bad enough, every muscle in her body ached. She longed for nothing more than a long soak in a hot bath—she was running the water now. Waiting tables for ten or twelve backbreaking hours a day had been easier than this job Josh had dreamed up for her.
Maybe she’d go out first thing tomorrow and find a job as a waitress. Even working in some dump would be better than this, and at least she’d have her own cash, instead of being dependent on whatever handout Josh deigned to give her.
Thoroughly disgruntled, she was about to climb into the tub, when someone knocked on the door. Since it could only be her son, she shouted at him from the doorway of the bathroom to go away.
“Nadine, it’s me. Warren Blake.”
She stood stock-still and stared at the door to her room. Now, that was a stunner. Warren didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d come chasing after her. The man was a real straight-arrow and a shrink, to boot. Definitely not her usual type, and that was even before she took into account the age difference. It was flattering to think a man like Warren was here because he was attracted to her, but more likely he wanted her to be some sort of weird case study.
She wrapped herself in her old silk robe, then cracked open the door to her room and regarded him with suspicion. “Why are you here?”
“Josh sent me.”
“Why?”
“He figured you’d be starving and he couldn’t get back to pick you up. He said if I’d come by to get you, he’d meet us at the restaurant.”
Nadine noted that Warren kept his gaze carefully averted from her robe-clad body. The man was a real gentleman, no doubt about it. With any other guy, she probably would have been insulted that he didn’t sneak a peek.
“I figured I’d just order a pizza,” she told Warren. “You can stay if you want.” She grinned at his dismayed reaction. “I’d get dressed, of course.”
He laughed. “Well, since you’re planning to get dressed, anyway, maybe we should just meet Josh. He’s already suspicious of my motives where you’re concerned.”
Nadine studied him with interest. “And what are your motives? I can usually tell with a man, but you’re harder to read than most.”
Warren held up his hands. “No motives. You’re relatively new in town and I figured you could use a friend. Besides, I hate eating alone.”
“You do that a lot?”
“More than I’d like lately.”
“Why is that? You’re a good-looking guy and you must make good money.” She frowned before he could respond. “You’re not gay, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Sorry,” Nadine said, even though he hadn’t seemed to take offense at the blunt question. “It was the only explanation I could come up with. You should have women beating a path to your door.”
“I think a lot of them are put off by the kind of work I do,” he admitted. “And I was engaged until recently.”
“Anyone I know?”
“Maggie.”
Nadine couldn’t help it. Her mouth dropped open. “You and Maggie?”
Warren laughed. “Your reaction seems to be the consensus. Do you think we could continue this discussion after you get some clothes on?”
“Sure,” she said. She was about to pick up her clothes and head for the bathroom when she was struck by an idea. “You know, Josh has forbidden me to interfere in his love life, so I have some time on my hands.”
Warren regarded her suspiciously. “What does that have to do with me?”
Nadine beamed at him. “I’ll have plenty of time to find the perfe
ct woman for you.”
“I don’t think so. Thanks all the same, but I’ve been finding my own dates for a long time now,” he protested.
She pinned him with a gaze. “And how’s that working for you, Doc?”
A sheepish grin spread across his face. “You have a point.”
He was so doggone cute, she pinched his cheek before heading for the bathroom. “Leave it to me. I have real good instincts about this sort of thing.”
“Haven’t you been married several times?”
“Three,” she conceded. “And in love more times than I can count. That’s how my instincts were honed.”
Warren chuckled. “Somehow I find that oddly reassuring.”
“Damn straight,” Nadine retorted. “I just don’t see why Josh doesn’t understand what a help I could be.”
“Probably because you’re his mother.”
“I suppose,” she said, disgruntled about the situation just the same. Just this afternoon she’d tried warning him away from Amanda O’Leary, and he’d gotten his back up over that. She’d simply been trying to save him a little heartache. Sweet as Amanda was, she’d bore Josh silly in no time.
Of course, why should he listen to her? The sad truth was she’d done little through the years to earn Josh’s respect. In fact, she was probably lucky that he hadn’t written her off entirely. Suddenly she changed her mind about the construction gig. She was going to do her level best to stick around and keep it. After all these years, it was about time Josh found out he had a mother he could count on to follow through with something.
Maggie heard the front door at Images being rattled on its hinges and nearly jumped out of her skin. All she could imagine was Brian on the other side of that door intent on destroying the rest of Ellie’s paintings. She picked up the portable phone in one hand and a letter opener in the other and peeked into the darkened front room of the gallery.
Since the security system alarm wasn’t ringing like mad, obviously the locks had held. She took a few steps into the gallery for a better view outside. When she saw who was making all the commotion, she sighed, put down the phone and stalked over to snap open the door.
“You scared me half to death,” she told Josh. “Did you ever think about calling to let me know you were coming by after hours?”
“I didn’t have the number,” he said simply. “It was an impulse thing. I was driving past, saw the light on in back and decided to check on you.”
She stepped aside to let him in. “I was finishing up some paperwork.”
“You shouldn’t be here at night all alone. What if it had been that maniac Brian?”
She held up the letter opener. “I was prepared.”
“You intended to hold him off with a plastic letter opener?” he asked incredulously.
“It’s sharp,” she retorted. “Don’t you watch prison movies? Those guys make weapons out of plastic utensils all the time.”
“And they’re not afraid to use them,” he said mildly. “Knives require you to be up close and personal with the intended victim.”
Maggie shuddered. “I hope you didn’t come by to cheer me up, because you’re not doing a very good job of it.”
“Actually I had no idea you needed cheering up. Do you?”
Maggie smiled. “No, not really. Was there something else on your mind?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided her gaze. “I have to have dinner with Nadine. I thought maybe you might join us. She seems to like you.”
“As opposed to not liking you?”
He grinned. “No, she likes me well enough to pester me to death, so I’m looking for buffers.”
Maggie thought she detected a guilty expression in his eyes. “Plural? Who else have you invited?”
“Warren,” he admitted slowly. “Is that a problem?”
Maggie had no idea why she was even considering such a ludicrous invitation. Maybe it was simply because he was asking her and not Amanda. Still, she wasn’t ready to jump at the offer too eagerly.
“You want my ex-fiancé and I to join you and your estranged mother for dinner?” She gave him a wry look. “How could I possibly say no to such an attractive invitation?”
He winced. “Lousy idea, huh?”
“Really lousy,” Maggie concurred. “What made you think I’d accept?”
“Curiosity?” he suggested hopefully. “The chance to hold it over my head for all eternity?”
“Ah, now we’re getting somewhere,” she said. “I’ll be ready in five minutes. Just let me turn off the lights in back.”
“You’ll actually come with me?” he said, sounding shocked.
“For the chance to have you owe me big time? You bet.”
“I knew you had a perverse streak,” he said triumphantly.
“Oh, sweetie, you have no idea.”
Josh was pretty sure he’d died and gone straight to hell. If he hadn’t, he should have, for ever having come up with this cockamamie dinner gathering. He’d been so absorbed with protecting himself from having to deal with Nadine, he hadn’t really considered all the other dynamics likely to be at work.
Then, again, maybe on some level he had wanted to observe Maggie and Warren in a social setting to see if there were any sparks left between them. So far, though, they’d maintained a facade of such polite civility, such polite cool civility, that Josh was surprised icicles weren’t forming over their table. If Nadine hadn’t been chattering incessantly, the silence would have been deafening.
Suddenly, however, even his mother fell silent and gazed around the table. “Well, this is awkward as the dickens, isn’t it?” she said eventually. “Clearly my son doesn’t have much experience with planning a successful dinner party.”
Josh frowned at her. “Thanks for pointing that out.”
“Only stating the obvious, sweet pea.” She turned her gaze on Maggie. “Since it’s the elephant in the room, let’s just face it. Anything you’ve been dying to get off your chest to Warren here?”
Maggie looked startled by the question. “Such as?”
“What a pig he is for breaking the engagement,” Nadine suggested.
Josh saw Maggie’s lips twitch. “I believe I’ve already mentioned that a time or two since our breakup,” she said.
“Or twelve,” Warren said.
“Hush,” Nadine scolded him. “You’ll get your turn. Anything else, Maggie?”
Josh frowned. “Mother, why are you doing this? You’re embarrassing them.”
“Oh, I am not. We’re all friends here. And if I’m going to find Warren a new lady friend, I want to be sure I’m not stepping on Maggie’s toes.”
Maggie gaped at her. “You’re going to find Warren someone to date?”
“Only if you don’t object,” Nadine said.
“By all means, go for it,” Maggie said. “I can hardly wait to see who you come up with.”
“Me, too,” Josh muttered. Nadine would probably try to hook him up with a stripper.
“Wipe that look off your face, Joshua,” Nadine said. “I am capable of finding some classy women who’ll be ideal for a sweet man like Warren. I’d do the same for you if you’d let me.”
Josh recognized at once that he’d just dodged a bullet, thanks to Warren. Maybe she’d forget all about making any more of her misguided attempts to get him to notice Amanda. “Please, feel free to concentrate on Warren,” he advised his mother.
“Yes,” Maggie said. “He can use all the help he can get, now that most of Charleston knows what a pig he is. Oh, wait, I’ve mentioned that before, haven’t I? Sorry.” The apology was uttered with a total lack of sincerity.
Nadine ignored it and seized on Maggie’s permission to move ahead with her plan. “Good, then that’s settled. There will be no hard feelings if Warren moves on.”
“None,” Maggie agreed firmly.
Josh studied her face intently when she spoke and concluded she meant it. Why he found that to be such a relief didn’t even
bear thinking about.
9
When she arrived the next morning to open Images, Maggie was still reeling from Nadine’s announcement that she intended to fix Warren up with a new woman. The fact that those two had struck up such an instantaneous bond was mind-boggling. Given Nadine’s rather flamboyant personality, Maggie couldn’t help wondering if there was something about Warren she’d missed, perhaps some element of excitement and danger she’d never tapped.
But as absorbed as she was in trying to make sense of that, the sight of Ellie sitting in her darkened office, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, swept away everything else in her head.
Immediately alarmed, Maggie hunkered down beside Ellie and clasped her icy hand. “What’s wrong?”
Ellie regarded her miserably. “I have to quit,” she said sadly.
“What? You can’t quit. You’re my right hand around here.”
“I have to,” Ellie said with more determination.
Finally understanding, Maggie regarded her grimly. “This is Brian’s doing, isn’t it? He’s told you to quit.”
Ellie nodded, looking utterly defeated. “He says if I don’t get away from this gallery, he’ll…”
Maggie’s temper flared. “He’ll what? He’ll hurt you? Destroy more paintings?”
“No, no,” Ellie said urgently. “It’s not me he’ll go after. He’s threatening to destroy your reputation.”
“How on earth does he propose to do that?” Maggie inquired. She was from one of Charleston’s finest families. If all of her own antics through the years hadn’t destroyed her reputation, she doubted there was much Brian could do. “You can’t let him get to you, Ellie,” she stressed. “He obviously knows he can’t frighten me, so he’s counting on your loyalty to me, instead. It’s a head game, an idle threat.”
“No, it’s not,” Ellie argued. “He has a plan, Maggie. He told me.”
“What plan?”
“He’ll tell everyone that my paintings are fakes, that I stole his work and put my name on it and that you knew about it.” She clasped Maggie’s hands tightly, her expression intense. “I won’t let him ruin you, Maggie. Even a shadow of suspicion could hurt you, at least in the short term. You don’t deserve that just for trying to help me.”
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