Never Tell Your Dreams (4 page)

“I’m so happy for you. You look so good.” Wendy
squealed.

“Wendy, you never age.” Maggie said, and felt a
little more at ease seeing a friendly face. Maggie had forgotten how wonderful
some of her high school friends really were. Especially Wendy. Wendy never said
a foul word about anyone and when Maggie did, Wendy gently reminded her that
Maggie didn’t walk in their shoes.

“You’re the one who looks great.” Maggie said.

“That’s what love does to you.” Susie pushed her way
through the crowd,and  then brushed her wavy brown hair over her shoulders
before she put the bride-to-be sash on Maggie.

“Susie, thank you for coming.” Maggie could’ve done
without Susie Benton there, but Belle insisted. “Who’s in love with whom around
here?”

“Wendy and…” Susie started to spill it, but Wendy
tugged on Susie’s tuxedo vest. Her large brown eyes opened wide and warned
Wendy.

“This is Maggie’s day. Don’t you love what Belle has
done with The Hair Pin.” Wendy took Maggie by the elbow and showed her around.

Maggie was amazed. The old pleather styling chairs
she had sat in as a young girl had been replaced with separate work stations with
all the modern styling equipment she’s seen at her fancy New York salon.  And
the spa was a much needed service in Grandberry Falls.

“Too bad it’s not ‘Girls Spa Out.’” Susie popped a
couple pigs-in-a-blanket in her mouth and reached for another one.

“Every month I offer a night out for all the girls.
It’s a fun night of pedis, manis, and massage.” Belle winked and turned to go
welcome more guests coming in the door.

Grandberry Falls had really made it into the
twenty-first century while keeping the historic charm it was known for. When
Maggie left, she thought time would stand still here. She was pleasantly
surprised.

“I even enjoyed the night out.” Hazel shook her
gladiator sandal in the air showing off her lime green polish. “New York City
has nothing on Grandberry Falls.”

Everyone snickered—everyone but Maggie. She got the
feeling they thought she was snooty. Was it wrong to want a better life?
Besides, there wasn’t a need for another lawyer in town.

“We should plan one for the next time you are in
town.” Jenna Greenlee, Maggie’s favorite and only aunt always knew the right
thing to say. She gripped the side of Maggie’s arms and squeezed. “Even married
women need a great evening out with friends.”

“Yes, we will need to do that.” Maggie was glad
Jenna had come. Jenna’s husband had been killed by a drunk driver a couple
years back and it had taken a toll on her, leaving her a single mom, but
surrounded by a community of love.

“Too bad you aren’t staying around for the Jubilee.”
Susie took a wedding bell plate and put a handful of chips on it.

Belle put out folding chairs for the guests to sit
on and the usual shower foods on the tables she had borrowed from the Moose’s
Lodge. The long banquet table that ran along the wall was decorated with a wedding
bell table cloth, and the gifts were sitting on top.

Maggie sat down in the chair next to Susie, and
crossed her legs. They weren’t always the best of friends, but they weren’t
enemies. They did hang around the same circle of friends back in the day.

“I noticed all the new banners hanging off the
lanterns.” Maggie pointed outside to the street lights. Maggie smiled, and
said, “We did have a lot of fun at the Jubilee when we were younger.”

 “Are those the real Louboutins? Not like the ones
you wore to the reunion?” Susie questioned with laughter in her eyes.

Maggie spit in her napkin and rubbed the bottom of
her shoes with it. “Yep. The real deal.” She held the napkin in the air to
prove there wasn’t any red to be seen.

Who would have thought, Beth Harrison, Susie’s best
friend and absent from the shower, was the town’s fashion diva. When Maggie
went to her five year class reunion, she wore fake Louboutin shoes she bought
on the city streets, and the red bottoms wore off by the end of the night. Beth
made sure she pointed it out to everyone. Embarrassed, Maggie never returned
any of her high school friend’s calls again. Not even from Mitch.  

“Time to open gifts.” Belle yelled above the chatter.
She handed Maggie the beautifully wrapped polka-dot present that Hazel had
brought.

“Don’t break the bow.” Aunt Jenna’s eyebrows raised
in anticipation of becoming a Great Aunt and reminding Maggie about her family’s
superstitious ways.

Being careful of the bow, Maggie opened the gift and
pulled out a book. She stared at it a moment before reluctantly holding it over
her head and whispered, “A Single-Girl’s Guide To Cooking.” 

A gasp fell over the party.

Everyone knew the first gift opened was the first
gift used. Or at least that’s the superstition—now an omen. 

###

“How could you?” Maggie stormed to the car in tears.
She’d held them in long enough. Trying to eat a piece of cake that was shaped
like a wedding bell, was damn near impossible with the curse of the first
present looming in her throat, like a lump of clay.

She had been embarrassed enough. Luckily, Belle had
offered to bring the presents back to the farm since she had more room in her
car.

“Do you not cook in that big city?” Hazel asked,
huffing and puffing on Maggie’s heels.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Maggie could
hardly see straight. Her blood was boiling. She had to keep her voice down because
if she didn’t, in a couple hours their fight will be all over Grandberry Falls,
and somehow it would turn out to be Maggie’s fault.

She slammed the door and jabbed her keys into the
ignition. She stopped and watched Hazel ease herself into the passenger seat.

With pursed lips, Hazel placed her bag on the floor
board next to her feet after she buckled her seat belt. Maggie sat in amazement
as Hazel looked out the window unfazed at the stunt she pulled on Maggie today.

“Remember your rule? The golden rule?” Maggie
reminded Hazel of the words she beat into Maggie’s head. “Do unto others?
Remember that one? Why, Granny, why?”

“Maggie, dear, this has nothing to do with ‘the
rule.’” Hazel said, leaning over to pat Maggie’s hand. “I want you to be happy.
I’m afraid Grady isn’t the one to make that happen.”

“You don’t know my life. You have no idea what’s in
my heart. And Grady has a permanent residence there.” Maggie jerked her hand
out from under Hazel’s.

Tomorrow couldn’t come quick enough, Maggie thought.
If it wasn’t so late, she’d drive back to New York City tonight.

With the pedal to the medal, Maggie drove Hazel straight
home.

“Come on, I’ll fix us a glass of tea.” Hazel opened
the car door once they got back to the farm.

Tea.
Maggie gripped the steering
wheel.

Hazel thought everything could be fixed with tea.
Every scrap, bruise, heart break, tear, birthday was celebrated with tea. The
sweet treat wasn’t going to do it this time. She didn’t care if it was Da Hong
Po, one of the most expensive teas served in New York City.

“I think I’m going to get something a little
stronger than tea.” Maggie muttered, and put the car in reverse knowing full
well Hazel didn’t approve of drinking.

Maggie didn’t care. She was an adult and she was
going to prove she could make her own decisions.

Chapter 5

Superstition: Always take a drink after
a toast.

The Thirsty Turtle wasn’t Mitch’s first choice for
dinner, but it was his only choice for a beer. And one of the Turtle’s greasy
burgers sounded good. Besides, he didn’t have anywhere to go and it was only a
hop, skip and a jump to his office in case he had one too many.

He made sure Susie’s first task as assistant was to
get him a couch for his office. He was known to take a nap or two while
working. Granted, she bought the most expensive couch, The Mole Hole carried.

“Stylish, Mitch.” Susie had to convince him to keep
the plaid patterned high-back sofa from the new interior decorator, Liz Day.

“I won’t be able to fit on it.” He got a great laugh
out of her when he had lain on it and his knees dangled over the arm. He kept
it anyway. And curling up on it sounded pretty good right about now.

“Welcome!” Tommy yelled over
Free Falling
playing on the box; one of the Thirsty Turtles favorite jukebox songs. Or at
least it seemed to be playing every time Mitch came in.

Mitch nodded his head and took his place on one of
the twenty stools bellied up to the bar.

“Wow, you look like hell.” Tommy slammed the freezer
door shut after he grabbed a frosty mug. He filled it up with the draft on tap
and pulled it away in the nick-of-time. The foam grazed the rim. “You need one
of these.”

Mitch glanced up at one of the three televisions all
hung on the wall, while taking a drink. He wiped the remaining froth from his
lip with the palm of his hand.

“You have no idea.” His expression grew still and
serious.

Mitch wasn’t about to tell Tommy about seeing Maggie
first thing this morning. He wasn’t in the mood to hear any snide remarks about
“Miss goody two-shoes.”

He took a gulp of the beer. He wanted to forget all
these crazy superstitions Hazel Greenlee told him when he was a child. Unfortunately
they were ingrained in his soul, just like Grandberry Falls was. Hazel was
relying on her “gut” to win the eminent domain case.

Running into Maggie first thing this morning didn’t
help matters. He thought he’d get to work early and not see a soul, especially
her. He promised himself he’d stay far away from The Hair Pin or Hazel
Greenlee’s farm this weekend— to keep his distance from Maggie.

He took his finger and traced the wet ring on the
bar top from the bottom of the mug.

“Yep.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “This
is exactly what I needed.”

The cold beer felt good on his lips and great going
down. He could definitely see how people could drown their sorrows with booze,
because his were slowly melting away.

“Well looky here.” Tommy Elswick’s eyes were dark
and cold. “I didn’t realize we were going to be graced with high-society
tonight.”

Mitch looked over. He rubbed his eyes, because he
was sure he had too much beer when he noticed Maggie Greenlee making her way
toward him. She gave him a smile that sent pulses through him.

“Now be nice and get her a beer.” Mitch shot Tommy a
twisted smile.

Mitch knew how much Tommy disliked Maggie. The last
time Maggie came into The Thirsty Turtle, she had had one drink too many and
let Tommy know how much a hick town Grandberry Falls was with her hoity toity
fiancé backing her up. And ever since, Tommy was all too happy to discuss his
dislike for her, her big city life, and the preppy asshole. 

“I’m not sure,” Tommy said slamming down the stout
of ale, “but the last time I checked, this was
not
New York City.”

Mitch rolled his head around to loosen up the
tension that found its way back into his shoulders. Instead, his upper body
became more tense the closer she got.

Maggie dragged out the stool, causing it to make a
loud screech along the bar floor. She glared at Tommy. Mitch knew that look and
what was coming. Luckily, he’d never been the recipient of her anger before.

“The last time I checked, you were paid to keep
serving me beer.” Her purse made a thud when she threw it down on the bar top.

“Yes, ma’am.” Tommy flung his shaggy moped blonde
hair to the side. His eyes flashed with outrage.

What the hell was she doing here? Mitch figured she
would breeze into town, go to her party, and quietly leave like every other
time. Not show up at his favorite watering hole causing havoc.

Maggie reached for the glass. He watched her tender
hand pull it back. Disgust settled in his stomach when the sparkler on her
finger lit up like a flashlight once the tin ceiling got a hold of it. He
looked away.

“What is it with people in this town?” Her voice was
cold and exact. “Something is going on with Granny. And it’s more than just me
getting married.”

Mitch had a hard time looking at her. He’d never had
a good poker face and had never lied to her. He didn’t plan on it now.

Maggie touched his arm. “I said, what’s wrong with
the people in this town.”

Mitch slid his beer along the bar and took a drink
before he answered her, giving him time to think up a good comeback.

“Maybe it’s not us.” He sat the glass down and
looked over at her.

Her lips were exactly what he always craved and he
could remember how they felt against his skin.

“I knew I shouldn’t have come here for this.” Maggie
grabbed her purse and attempted to get up, but stumbled into Mitch’s arms.

His instinct was to wrap his arms around her, but he
pushed Maggie back and helped steady her. Why the hell did she have to smell so
good? He closed his eyes and inhaled for one more whiff.