Never Tell Your Dreams (10 page)

Belle twirled Maggie’s pony tail and scrunched her
nose. “What’s up with the tail?”

Not everyone can be built like Belle or have
fabulous hair. It was days like today, she welcomed pulling her hair up. “I
blame it on a long drive and emotional distress.” Maggie’s lips turned down.

“Yep, I heard.” Belle words were muffled after
sticking an entire cookie in her mouth. “You and Grady broke up while Wendy and
Mitch get engaged. Weird.”

Maggie swallowed hard.
Engaged? Wendy and Mitch?
Maggie couldn’t wrap her head around Belle’s words.

Hazel grabbed the plate of cookies and interrupted
Belle, “don’t ruin your dinner.”

“Okay.” Belle paused. There was an awkward silence
before she took the envelope out of Hazel’s chair. “What’s this?”

Hazel grabbed it, walked into the kitchen and put it
on top the refrigerator. “Nothing.”

What was going on around here?
Maggie
questioned the envelope and Mitch’s engagement. Something was wrong. This only
made Maggie even more curious to see what was in there. Hazel always put
important and private information on top the refrigerator when they were small
children—only they aren’t kids anymore. Maggie hoped Hazel would forget it was
up there so she could get a good sneak peak when Hazel went to bed.

“Anyway.” Belle turned her attention to Maggie.
“Don’t you worry about what’s-his-face. Tomorrow night is the hoedown and I’ll
give you a free make-over. Hair and all.”

Chapter 16

Love is a sweet tyranny, because the
lover endureth his torments willingly. ~ Proverb

Mitch paused when going into the office this
morning. The day of the hoedown was always the Saturday before the Grandberry
Falls Jubilee, and being mayor didn’t change tradition. At the last
gentrification meeting, one of the younger citizens suggested they move the
hoedown to Grandberry Falls Park. Granted, it would be beautiful using the lake
as the backdrop and the gondola rides would make great pictures, but the
hoedown had been in the town square near the falls since it started over
seventy-five years ago.

There was no way they were going to stray from
tradition. The hoedown was going to be in town, just like always.

“Good morning, Mayor.” The little boy flipped
marbles on the sidewalk just outside of the Trembling Cup. Mitch had seen him a
time or two in town by the falls, but couldn’t remember his name.

Grandberry Falls was growing due to overwhelmingly
low taxes and getting to know all the new citizens was a challenge for him. At
the last election, his only opponent had been the previous mayor who had been
in office for forty-years was going on eighty years old.

Mitch tipped his cowboy hat and smiled. If he could
make any child feel special he would.

“Hey, buddy. Can I try?” Mitch took a marble and
snapped it toward the pile causing the marbles to scatter.

The boy’s mouth dropped watching them roll about.
Mitch spent many nights growing up with nothing to do but hang out with Maggie
Greenlee—which was perfectly fine with him— or flipping his marbles.

Mitch tussled the boy’s hair and crossed the street
heading toward the courthouse to start his daily research on how to save the
Greenlee farm. It was research that needed to be done on the down low. He
couldn’t be mayor and take sides, but he could be privy to all the facts and
present them at the gentrification meeting. After all, the committee did give
him and Maggie Greenlee the scholarships when they graduated from high school
in hopes the two of them would come back and do great things in the community.

Mitch was doing all he could to make good on the
promise, but Maggie ended up donating a large sum of money to the fund—her way
to pay back the scholarship since she didn’t make good on it. Grandberry Falls
was in need of a County Attorney. Maggie would be just the right candidate.
Mitch knew it had to be her decision and ultimately no matter how much Grandberry
Falls embraced her, she wanted more. And Mitch saw what had gotten her—back in
Grandberry Falls.

The courthouse was quiet. They weren’t open but one
Saturday a month, and then it was only for the local car dealerships to get the
cars tagged, or couples seeking a marriage license. Today wasn’t the open
Saturday, leaving the two-hundred-year-old courthouse eerily quiet.

Mitch flipped the light switch on in his office,
even though the sun was shining so brightly through the windows that he really
didn’t need the artificial stuff.

Mitch picked up his mayor gavel and twirled it in
the air. Mitch loved the gavel and how it felt when he had to slam it down on
the wood plate trying to keep peace between the older generation and the
younger generation when it became heated during the eminent domain meeting. He
even pointed it at a few people with a simple warning.

He peered out the window watching all the vendors
set up for the big night. He caught a glimpse of a blonde-haired beauty running
toward the courthouse. Wendy was in charge of the Jubilee decoration committee
and he knew she was going to be running around a lot since the hoedown was the
kick off.

He heard her coming and opened the door like a good
gentleman.

“I’m sorry, Mitch.” Wendy dropped her lashes to hide
the guilt. “I wasn’t planning on seeing you this early. But I saw your truck,
so I want to get this over with.”

“I’m glad you stopped by.” He tipped her head up,
and then reached for her hand. “Get what over with?”

Instantly he knew what this was about when he didn’t
see his grandmother’s antique ring on her finger. His eyes narrowed
suspiciously.

“I think you are looking for this.” She reached in
the pocket of her coat and pulled out the box with the ring inside. “I know you
don’t love me. I know that. God I wish you did. I’d hoped you wanted to fight
for me and try to get me to change my mind.”

Mitch started to speak, but she raised her hand to
silence him.

“Since I took over as the buyer for Figure 8 and
began traveling, I realized there is so much world out there.” She glanced
around the office. “More to life than Grandberry Falls.”

Mitch could see it coming. She was right. He didn’t
love her, but he was willing to try and make a go of it. Even though when they
were together, there was a distance between them.

“You know it and I know it. We were doing what we
were expected to do.” Wendy picked up the gavel, and smiled. “And you don’t
even know that I like sugar in my coffee.”

“Listen, Wendy.” He knew he had to say something to
try to save it. “Is this about Maggie?”

“No, though I did see how you looked at her,” she
murmured half laughing, half crying. “You will always have that special place
in your heart for Maggie. I’m just sad she can’t see it.”

“Are you sure?” Mitch held the box in the air. “I wouldn’t
have given this to you if I didn’t think we’d make a go of it.”

“I’m sure. I don’t want to make a go of it. I want a
love that I can never live without. Just like you feel for Maggie.” She placed
the gavel back on the desk. “I’m not mad. I’m just glad I figured out my
feelings before we had this big wedding.”

“So what next?” Mitch asked. Even though she was
right, he still cared for her.

“I’m going to be doing a lot more traveling. Finding
out who I really am.” Wendy smiled. “We will always be dear friends.”

Mitch was somewhat relieved when Wendy left. He had
gone to the waterfall this morning to make a wish that his life wouldn’t
change, but got sidetracked by the little boy with the marbles.

Only it had. He was better off being alone instead
of waking up to Wendy ten years later and both regretting they did what
everyone else wanted them to do.

He wondered what would’ve happened if Maggie had
come back after college. If Maggie had come back, there was no time for
what-ifs, the town was divided and he was the one to piece it back together.

The meeting with Patricia Van Meter was less than a
week away. He had to come up with an alternative to please everyone in
Grandberry Falls.

Chapter 17

Big sisters are the crab grass in the
lawn of life. ~ Charles M. Schulz

“Come on, sleepy head.” Belle flipped on the
overhead light in Maggie’s bedroom, and then walked out, leaving the door wide
open.

“No,” Maggie groaned. It couldn’t be morning
already, she felt like she just went to sleep in her childhood room.

The sunlight, peeking through the blinds, dotted the
butterfly wallpaper and cast a light on her collection of miniature horse
statues that were displayed on the wall shelf. The same shelf held the usual
school honor roll ribbons, and various club certificates Maggie had received in
high school.

Maggie yawned, wiped her eyes and pulled her hair
away from her face. Maggie patted around the bed, feeling the quilt Hazel had
made her when she was a little kid. She pulled it up to her chin.

She didn’t recall going to sleep last night. The
magazine she was thumbing through was still next to her. She must’ve fallen
asleep while looking at it in attempt to stay awake in hopes of getting a look
in the secret envelope Hazel had put on top of the refrigerator.

“Come on!” Belle screamed from the hallway. “It’s
eleven and we have to go to the Hair Pin. It’s going to take a few hours to
transform your zombie look you have going on, back into the Maggie Greenlee
Grandberry Falls loves.”

Maggie put the pillow over her head to help drown
out some of Belle’s banter.

“Plus I have a private appointment at Figure 8 for
you. I was looking at those fancy New York clothes, just in case I found
something in there to wear myself, and you have nada.” Belle was good at not
shutting up and Maggie had learned how to drown her out.

Belle held up Maggie’s favorite sweat pants from NYU
that were splattered with paint. “Seriously. I thought you were a fancy
lawyer.”

Maggie frowned. If she was going to face Grandberry
Falls without Mitch, she might as well let Belle work her magic. Only it was
going to take a lot of potions to help Maggie feel any better.

Chapter 18

A friend is one who comes when the whole
world has gone out. ~ Grace Pulpit

“Hi, Y’all!” Belle threw her cowboy hat on the hook
next to the door when they walked into the Hair Pin.

The hair bleaching agent odor filled the room, and
the chairs were full of women getting their hair done. Belle picked up the mail
next to the register.

Thumbing through it, she said, “We sure are busy
today.”

“Hoedown, girlfriend.” Jenna Greenlee beamed. It was
only one of the biggest events in Grandberry Falls and every girl in town was
expected to look her best. Getting your hair done for the Hoedown was as
important as getting your hair done on a wedding day. “Maggie, I’m so sorry
about your engagement.”

Maggie smiled. At least her aunt wasn’t beating
around the bush like everyone else they had run into.

“Better to find out now.” One of the older ladies
shouted out from underneath the hair blower. She must’ve had ears like a hawk
or the gossip mill had already started.

If Maggie could have a penny for every time someone
told her that, she’d be able to pay back her savings and live a little.

“Thank you.” Without having to think, the words fell
from her mouth. Never in a million years did she think she’d be in this
position. Let alone standing in the Hair Pin waiting for her turn to get her
hair done. “I’m glad to be able to come back home and find some comfort.”

“I heard you got fired.” The pink swivel chair
swirled with a pair of high-heeled leopard print cowboy boots leading the way.
Beth Harrison sneered, “Or at least that’s what I read on Facebook.”

Beth even looked fabulous with foil in her hair.
She’d definitely come a long way since high school. It was hard for Maggie to
look away. Beth was a dead ringer for Ashley Simpson in her long crimson hair
days. And her flawless pale skin made her stunningly beautiful.

“Facebook?” Maggie had a Facebook account, but never
used it. Since when did she become an important topic for everyone to discuss?

There was no reason to skirt around the issues, if
everyone must know, she’d rather them hear it straight from her.

“I guess that’s what happens when your life falls
apart and you can’t get out of bed.” Maggie grabbed one of the flutes of
champagne. The enticing bubbles looked refreshing next to the chocolate covered
strawberries.

“Oh, take one of these.” Jenna held up the silver
tray of strawberries. “Straight from the Johnson farm. You don’t get any fresher
than this.” She popped one in her mouth. “Mmmmm.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” Beth’s toes danced her chair
back around to let the stylist finish brushing on the dye. “Do you think you’ll
be staying in Grandberry Falls very long?”

Maggie took another swig. Beth’s voice made her
cringe and if she’d known the Hair Pin was the gathering place for gossip, she
would’ve stayed at Hazel’s. . .in bed. Plus she knew Beth would go back and
tell Wendy and Susie everything she had to say.