Goodbye, Magnolia (Cornerstone Book 1)

by Krista Noorman

  Maggie held out her hand to take the phone from Sarah.

  Sarah clutched it tightly against her chest, refusing to give it up.

  “Who is it?”

  “If I tell you, you probably won’t want to take the call anyway.”

  Maggie raised her eyebrow. “Who?”

  “The devil,” Sarah revealed.

  “What does he want?”

  Sarah shrugged.

  Maggie shook her head. “Tell him I’m unavailable and take a message.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, I’ve gotta clean my lenses,” she replied with a wink.

  As lunchtime approached, Sarah taped a piece of paper in the window of the front door that read: OUT TO LUNCH. BE BACK SHORTLY.

  Maggie locked up shop, and they headed out to County Seat for their lunch with DeDe.

  County Seat was one of the oldest restaurants in town and had been named as such because Hastings was the county seat of Barry County. The restaurant had undergone an impressive remodel over the past few years with a newly added outdoor seating area, which Maggie and Sarah loved. They often ate on the patio in the summer months and people-watched.

  DeDe was already waiting for them when they arrived. “Hey girls!” She greeted them with hugs. “I already got us a table.”

  Maggie slid into the booth on the opposite side from DeDe and Sarah. “I’m so glad we could have lunch today. You look great, De.”

  She dismissed Maggie with a wave of her hand as if it was the least important matter. But she did look great for her age. Her thick, black hair was styled in a professional looking bob and nobody would have guessed she was nearing the end of her forties.

  “How’s the Christmas shopping going?” Maggie asked.

  DeDe’s laugh was almost a cackle. “Haven’t even started. My kids will wonder if Santa forgot about them this year.”

  They placed their drink orders with the waitress, and DeDe immediately began throwing out the gossip from around town. Maggie wasn’t one to gossip, but she loved to hear her friend talk about what was going on around Hastings.

  DeDe placed her well manicured hand flat on the table in front of Maggie. “Did you hear about Vi and Dave?”

  She remembered seeing Dave on her drive in that morning. Viola and Dave owned the local professional print lab, where Maggie had her brochures and business cards printed. They also happened to be her parents’ best friends. She looked at DeDe with curiosity and shook her head.

  “They’re getting a divorce. Probably have to sell the shop or decide which one gets to run it.”

  Sarah inhaled sharply and her jaw dropped open. “Are you serious?”

  “That can’t be true.” Maggie could not believe it.

  Dave and Vi had been married for thirty years and had been running that little print shop for almost as many. Last year, Maggie had photographed their anniversary vow renewal ceremony, and there weren’t two people in the world who adored each other more than they did. She tried to remember if they had acted strangely the last time she had seen them together. But the only thing she could remember was everyone laughing and having a wonderful time, as usual.

  The waitress interrupted when she arrived with the drinks and took their lunch order.

  “What can I get you?” The waitress stared blankly at her.

  The other girls had placed their orders, but she felt so flustered by the news of her friends that she could not remember what she had originally planned to order.

  “I’ll just have a Caesar Salad, I guess.”

  DeDe continued where she left off. “Apparently, Vi met someone else.”

  “What? No way!” Maggie felt nauseated.

  Sarah leaned in closer. “Who is he?”

  “Someone from her past,” DeDe revealed. “I don’t know his name, only that they were lovebirds in high school and he recently moved back to town.”

  Maggie shook her head in disbelief.

  “I’m sorry, Maggie. I know your family is close with them.”

  The girls grew quiet for a minute as they sipped their drinks. The waitress set a plate of bread in front of them.

  “I think I’ve lost my appetite.” She poked at a piece of bread with her fork. Vi and Dave were like a second family to her. How can this be? She had always looked up to them and admired their marriage. Thirty years was rare these days, and she refused to believe Vi would run off with another man after all those years together.

  DeDe seemed to sense Maggie’s mood shift, so she moved on to another subject. “I saw Simon Walker at the coffee shop this morning.”

  Sarah and Maggie looked at each other.

  “He told me he saw you at a wedding last weekend. Were you working together?”

  Sarah couldn’t contain her laughter.

  “Hell will freeze over the day I work with Simon Walker.” Maggie dropped her fork and leaned back against the padded seat. She really had no appetite now.

  “Oh my!” DeDe replied. “Someone has a strong opinion of the gentleman.”

  She snorted. “You can’t possibly use the word gentleman to describe Simon Walker.”

  Sarah couldn’t stop giggling.

  “Then I guess you wouldn’t be happy if I told you I invited him to join us for lunch.”

  Maggie’s shoulders sank. She didn’t think she could put up with him for five minutes, let alone an entire lunch.

  A smile broke out on DeDe’s face. “I’m kidding, sweetie.”

  “Not funny.” She let out a sigh of relief and tossed a piece of bread at DeDe. “Why’s he in town anyway? Not like he lives near here.” Last she knew, he lived somewhere in East Grand Rapids, which was nearly an hour away.

  “Visiting his uncle.” DeDe started in on the main course the waitress had laid before her.

  “Where does his uncle live?” Sarah asked curiously.

  Maggie gave her a look, wanting to change the subject.

  “He mentioned Algonquin Lake, so I’m sure that’s where he was headed.”

  “So, De.” She decided to change the subject herself. “What’s new with you? Any fabulous weddings coming up?”

  Dede’s face lit up. “Of course!” She proceeded to share all the details of a wedding to be held at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. It was an intimate affair with only fifty guests, and she assured them it would be amazing.

  “Who’s photographing that one?” Maggie asked. She knew quite a few of the area photographers and was continuously inspired by their work shared on websites and blogs.

  “I’ve never worked with this one before.” DeDe shrugged. “I dropped your name to them, but they had already chosen a photographer friend of theirs to shoot it. I don’t think she has a business yet. She’s just getting started. Her name is Anna Klein.”

  “Well, I hope she shares some of the pictures with you for your blog, so we can see some of this amazingness.” Maggie knew whatever DeDe came up with for the wedding would be beautiful. She had a gift for taking a theme and making it more than the couple imagined.

  As the meal continued, their conversation centered around weddings. Maggie was relieved there was no more mention of Simon Walker.

  Maggie spent the entire afternoon working on pictures from Saturday’s wedding. She scanned through the folder of images and chose a handful of favorites to post on her photography blog. The sooner she posted a few pictures online, the happier her brides were. They were always anxious to catch a glimpse of their wedding day.

  As the end of the work day neared, she grew weary of looking at photos. Instead, she logged onto her Facebook account and commented on a few of her friends’ pictures.

  She stared at her Facebook wall. “Maggie is …” the status line prompted. She typed “procrastinating.”

  Sarah poked her head in the office. “Hey, I’m headed out. You need anything else?”

  She glanced over at the clock. “Is it really five already?”

  “’Fraid so. See ya’ tomorrow.” Sarah dep
arted with a wave.

  Maggie sat still at her desk for a few minutes staring at her computer screen. Sarah had turned off the twinkly Christmas lights and the holiday tunes. Only the faint hum of her computer’s fan and the low rumble of the building’s heating system filled the room. Maggie was no stranger to late nights alone in the quiet building, but for some reason this night seemed more silent than usual. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt uneasy. Maybe it was all the talk of Dave and Vi at lunch or the mention of Simon after seeing him on Saturday night.

  Whatever it was, she ignored it and returned to editing the pictures. The happy, smiling faces kept her company, which was more than she would find in her empty apartment. She clicked through picture after picture, touched them up, and adjusted the brightness and contrast levels as needed. Maggie was known for her colorful detail photos and bold black and whites. She spent extra time on each photo to give it “the Maggie touch”.

  Just as she was getting deep into her editing groove, an email alert sounded on her computer. She almost ignored it. Maybe she should have.

  From: Simon Walker Photography

  Subject: Thirsty?

  Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 9:23 pm EST

  To: Maggie James

  Hey, Canon! Working late?

  I’m in your neck of the woods tonight.

  Wanna have a drink with me?

  - S

  Maggie groaned. Should she tell him she had other plans or just go and get it over with?

  “Sorry, Simon! Maybe next time," she typed.

  She almost hit “send”, but pressed the “backspace” key and cleared the message. She typed again.

  “Sorry, Simon! I’m tired and headed home.”

  I’m so boring. She stared at the screen and tapped her left leg up and down nervously. She was a little curious to know what he wanted.

  One more reply.

  “Sure. Where and when?”

  She clicked “send” and listened to the familiar whooshing sound as her email went out. She immediately regretted it.

  Ring!

  The sound of her cell phone caused her to nearly jump out of her chair. She reached for the phone as it rang and knocked it off the desk onto the floor. As it rang a third time, she scrambled to retrieve it before it went to voicemail.

  “Maggie James.” She answered from under her desk on her hands and knees.

  “Hey, Canon. I’m coming to pick you up right now.”

  “That’s OK.” She nearly choked on her words. “I ... I can meet you,” she stuttered.

  There was a sudden tapping on the front door.

  She jerked her body upward and the back of her head connected with the underside of her desk.

  “Ow!” she cried out.

  “Everything OK?”

  “Hold on.” She crawled out carefully and pulled herself up with the help of her desk chair. Rubbing her head, she peeked hesitantly around her office door to see who it was.

  Simon stood outside holding his cell phone to his ear. He raised a hand in greeting.

  “Persistent, aren’t you?” She pressed “end” and walked to the door to let him in. “What are you doing here?”

  He wore a cocky grin. “I’m here to take you out for a drink. You’ve worked hard today. You deserve it.”

  “Whatever.” Maggie walked back to her office. She grabbed her purse and coat, turned off the lights, and headed out the door with the most annoying man on the planet. “You want me to drive?” She offered knowing he wouldn’t let her.

  “It’s not far.” He pointed down the street. “We can walk.”

  She shook her head. “You want to go to Olde Towne Tavern?” She didn’t think it was possible to be more annoyed than she already was. She was wrong.

  “It’s a nice establishment I like to frequent when I’m here.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” She followed along beside him leaving plenty of distance between them.

  State Street was brightly lit with red and green lights on wreaths hung from the light posts. Decorated Christmas trees adorned every corner and the bare branches of the small maple trees along the sidewalk were draped with white lights. It looked festive and magical, especially with the recent snowfall.

  The bitterly cold air had refrozen the snow that melted in the mid-day sun. As they crossed the street, Maggie slipped a bit on a patch of ice.

  Simon held his arm out for support.

  “I’m fine.” She regained her balance and continued across the street.

  Simon muttered something under his breath and quickened his pace. He reached the other side of the street before she was halfway across.

  Maggie followed him half a block to the tavern and took a deep breath of fresh air before entering. It was dark and smoky, the kind of place you’d imagine a small town bar to be. The room was filled with locals playing pool, drinking beer, and watching sports on the TV attached to the wall in the corner. Country music played on the jukebox, and a cloud of smoke hung along the ceiling. Behind the bar, a heavy set bald man was mixing drinks.

  “What can I get ya’?” the bartender asked.

  “Two beers,” Simon barked above the noise.

  Maggie didn’t even bother to tell him she didn’t drink. She just wanted to get through this and go home. Her eyes were beginning to itch from the smoke and she longed for the quiet of her office. This was not her kind of place.

  Simon found them a table off in the corner as far from the noise of the jukebox and pool tables as they could get.

  She was surprised when he pulled her chair out for her. It suddenly felt a little too much like a date. She took a seat and crossed her arms.

  Simon sat back comfortably in his chair. He looked completely relaxed and in his element.

  “So.” Maggie spoke first. “What brings you to Hastings?”

  He took a swig of his beer and stared at her with his cocky grin.

  She was not amused. “Am I missing something here?”

  Simon faced her square on. “I have a proposal for you.”

  The red flags instantly flew up. “What do you mean?” She was very nervous to hear what would come out of his mouth next.

  “A partnership of sorts.”

  “Excuse me?” She stared at him, waiting for the bomb to drop.

  He grinned. His hazel eyes could not conceal how brilliant he thought his plan was. “I’m opening a studio here in town ...”

  “Why?” she blurted.

  His brow furrowed a bit as he continued. “My uncle recently moved back here, and he asked if I would help him get his business started up again. He used to own a portrait studio here years ago.”

  Something clicked in Maggie’s brain. “Oh, yeah, Walker’s. I do remember it, actually.” She had gone there with her family when she was little to have some family pictures taken. It was a very traditional portrait studio with all the backdrops and lighting.

  “We just found out the building where he originally had his studio is for rent again.”

  “Really? I thought there was a clothing store in there.”

  “Lucky us, it’s going out of business.” He took another drink of his beer.

  She still didn’t understand. “What does any of this have to do with me?”

  “Well, I’ll be handling the wedding part of the business and he’ll do all the portraits again.”

  The look on Maggie’s face revealed her confusion.

  He finally got to the point. “Our styles are different, yours and mine. I just think it would benefit both of us if we weren’t competition in this small town.”

  “OK,” she spoke cautiously. “What are you thinking?”

  “I think we should promote each other’s businesses. You can send me couples that want fashion formal photography, and I’ll send you couples looking for that candid style of yours. Maybe we could even combine forces. Shoot some weddings together.”

  Maggie was sure her eyes were about to pop out of her head. She was in complete
shock. There was no way she was going along with this.

  “What do you think?”

  She found her voice. “I’m not going out of my way to promote your business. Is that what you’re asking me to do?” The audacity!

  He nodded calmly. “I thought we could work together as a team to best serve the community’s wedding needs.”

  Maggie’s eyes narrowed. “How long have you been rehearsing that line?” Her tone gave away her annoyance.

  He glared at her. “What’s the big deal?”

  “I see this benefitting you more than me.”

  “How?” His tone had a hint of anger behind it.

  “For as long as I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you do an unselfish thing. Every move you make is to get you ahead in some way, and I won’t be a part of it.”

  He could not conceal his sudden exasperation. “Are you kidding me right now?”

  Maggie was furious that he had put her on the spot like this. “I won’t fight you for clients, but I’m not gonna send them to you either.”

  “Think about this, Maggie. It makes good business sense.”

  “For you!” Her volume grew as she spoke. “This new venture of yours is only gonna hurt my business. I can’t believe you had the nerve to ask me this. Did you really think I’d agree?” Her voice squeaked a little on the “ee”.

  Simon didn’t speak. His expression was as cold as ice.

  They stared at each other for several tense moments.

  He finally stood, grabbed his coat, and walked out the door.

  Maggie sat in absolute shock as she watched the door close behind him. Did that really just happen?

  She pulled her cell phone from her purse and pressed “2”.

  Voicemail. “This is Sarah. I can’t get to my phone right now. It’s probably lost in the bottom of my purse somewhere. Leave it at the beep.”

  She pressed “end”, then “3” to call her younger brother.

  “You’ve reached the mailbox of Tom James. At the tone, please leave a message.” Beep!

  “Tommy, it’s Maggie. Call me when you get this. I need to hear a friendly voice.”