Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Magnolia
I guess you could say Luke and I had officially gone public with our relationship tonight.
“That was like a who’s who of Dragonfly Lake,” Luke said happily as we walked from Humble’s Pizza to my business.
“I’ve never seen it so crowded.” Ava, Cash, and Bronte were there with Holden, Chloe, and Sutton.
Anna, Maeve, and Olivia had been sitting at the bar.
Ben, Emerson, and their four kids had been in the large corner booth.
We’d known more than half the customers, and we’d made it no secret that Luke and I were together.
“Buy-one-get-one pie night is a success, I’d say.” Luke’s arm was around me, his heat welcome in the cold December air.
He’d come over almost every night since Thanksgiving so we could spend a few hours together.
He made a point of sleeping at home though, not wanting Addie to need him in the middle of the night and find him gone.
He was burning the candle at both ends between tree season, the last projects on the barn, and spending time with his daughter.
As much as I loved our time together, I’d told him I didn’t want him to feel obligated to come over.
He’d said our hours together were his favorite part of the day.
Based on the fact we spent almost all those hours in my bed, I tended to believe him.
The sex between us was incomparable to anything in my past, and he claimed the same.
Our hours together weren’t just about the physical stuff.
That was just where we started and often where we ended a night together.
In between, we talked, we laughed, sometimes we cooked or baked a snack.
He told me about his day-to-day. I shared what was going on in my business and life.
So far we seemed to connect on a level I’d never known was possible.
Did I worry that it was too good to be true?
As much as I tried to just enjoy it, I couldn’t deny it was hard for me to believe this was my life, and I was this lucky.
“So what the hell do you think your mom wants?” he asked me as we passed Earthly Charm. Though they were closed, the lights in the back room were on, telling me Cambria was probably making more candles in preparation for their upcoming open house and Presley’s wedding.
“I’ve been asking myself that since she texted this morning. I have no idea. Maybe an update on her health?” I’d tried to get more information from her, but she’d told me she didn’t want to discuss it through texts.
“You think it could be bad news?”
I shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
“What if she doesn’t want me there?” he asked.
“Too bad. She’s the one barging into one of our few precious date nights outside of my apartment.”
“Our only date night out of bed so far,” he said, grinning like he wasn’t too upset about any of it.
“We had Thanksgiving,” I pointed out.
“Where we ended up in your bed.”
“I’m hoping we end up in my bed tonight too.”
He kissed my temple as we turned down the sidewalk to the Moments door. “Your wish is my command, milady.”
I laughed and unlocked the door. Inside, the neon sign that burned twenty-four seven was the only illumination.
The inner room was dark, and I kept it that way, deciding the best place for the three of us to meet was in this outer one, where there were a sofa and two armchairs.
I flipped on the cozy floor lamp by the sofa.
“I’m going to need a glass of wine for this,” I said, shedding my coat. “Would you like one?”
“If you still don’t have whiskey.” Luke seemed to have tensed up since we arrived.
I poured two glasses of red, handed him one, and stretched up to kiss him. “Are you okay?” I asked.
“I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t either, but I don’t think she intends to hurt me now.”
“She’ll have to deal with me if she does,” he said, and I had to admit the caveman stance was hot, even if not necessary.
The door opened, and my mother stepped in, her gaze darting between Luke and me. “Hello.”
“Come in,” I said, noticing the shadows under her eyes. When she glanced at Luke again, I said, “This is Luke. Whatever you want to say to me, he can hear too.”
She paused for a few seconds as if considering that, then nodded. “Hello, Luke.” She shrugged her coat off.
“Ma’am,” he said.
“You can call me Bianca.”
His only response was a single nod.
“Would you like a drink?” I asked her.
“Just water. I started treatment last week.”
“How’s that going?” I asked, wondering again if her health was what brought her here. I pulled out a bottle of water from the minifridge and handed it to her as the three of us sat, Luke and me in the chairs and my mother on one end of the sofa.
“Not bad so far.” She briefly explained her prognosis and treatment plan.
They’d apparently caught it early, so her doctors were optimistic.
“Thanks for asking,” she said, “but that’s not what I came to discuss.
” She scooted to the front edge of the sofa and set her bottle down.
“Your grandfather had a heart attack Monday, Magnolia. They say he died instantly.”
I sat back in my chair, not having expected that news at all. I said the first thing that came to mind. “Less than a month after he fired Felix? Are they sure it was natural causes?”
“You think like I do,” my mother said, which I didn’t necessarily take as a compliment. “I met with his lawyer today. They believe he’d been having small heart attacks for about a week beforehand, but he ignored them.”
I could feel Luke watching me. I glanced over and made eye contact. His brows shot up as if asking if I was okay.
“No love lost for him,” I explained, and he nodded, not seeming surprised at all.
“He wasn’t an easy man to love,” my mom said. “My conversation with him about Felix, however, seemed to propel him to make some changes. Dave, his lawyer, laid out everything during our meeting. Bottom line? You and I are now co-owners of Lansford Development.”
“What?” I said, making a face. “I don’t want it. I’ve never wanted it.”
“Something else we have in common then,” my mother said. “I don’t want the godforsaken company either, but here we are.”
“Uh, what did he think we’d do with it?” I asked. “I have my own business now. Even if I was interested, which I can’t imagine being in this lifetime or the next, my responsibilities lie elsewhere.”
“Dave said the second-in-command automatically slid to an interim CEO position, and he’s got things handled for now. We’ve got time to figure it out. The lawyer’s suggestion is to sell it. He says it’s worth a fortune. For once in my life, I have no interest in or need for his money.”
I eyed my mother, gauging her sincerity.
She met my gaze. “That man represents greed, misogyny, and a power complex.”
“I agree completely. I sure don’t want his money.” I’d benefited from Lansford money for most of my life. Those were miserable years. What I’d learned was that I didn’t need all the material things. People were more important. Good people.
“What if you sold it and did something good with the money?” Luke suggested, reminding me of Nancy’s suggestion at the karma party. “To counteract all the bad crap. Money can do a lot of evil in the wrong hands, but you two seem aligned on this.”
“What would we do with it?” I asked.
He shrugged. “You could donate it to a cause that’s important to you or even start some kind of charitable foundation.”
My mother and I looked at each other and shrugged.
“I guess we could,” I said. “I’d have to think hard about what to support.”
My mother nodded. “If we can’t close down the company or give it away, that might be the best option.
I went to dozens of benefits over the years and volunteered for a handful.
It was more about having something to do with my time than feeling a burning passion inside about whatever they stood for. ”
That and being seen and finding the perfect gown and being decked out in expensive jewelry, I knew. I wasn’t casting stones, because I’d valued the wrong things too.
“What about Grandfather’s estate?” I asked.
“He left everything else to me. I’m planning to sell his house.”
“And money?”
“Same story, Magnolia. I know it’s hard to believe, but I don’t want it. What I want for the rest of my life, which I hope is a lot of years yet, is health, happiness, and peace.”
“Did the lawyer tell you what the next steps would be if you decide to sell the company?” Luke asked her.
“He just said to call him, and he could guide us. He has a team he recommends to help us. People who specializes in that kind of thing.” She shrugged. “We didn’t go deep. I’m still shocked by all of it, his death included. I thought he’d be around forever, like a Twinkie.”
“Except Twinkies are sweet,” I said distractedly. “Do you have a favorite cause or ideas about what you’d want to do with the proceeds if we sell?”
She shook her head. “With the amount it would generate, that becomes a very big question. Would we want to spread the wealth and support multiple good causes? Would we want to each choose one and split it?”
“That calls for a lot of thought,” Luke said, “since neither of you have a particular organization in mind.”
“Right.” I leaned forward, ready to get back to my evening with Luke. My mind was swimming. I needed time to absorb this news, and I sure needed to consider all our options. “Is there anything else from the meeting with Dave I need to know?” I asked my mom.
“Those are the main points. I wanted to let you know as soon as I could. I didn’t figure you were too attached to your grandfather—”
“You were correct,” I interrupted.
“There won’t be a funeral, per his wishes,” she continued. “Thank God for that.”
“I can’t imagine many would show up. Only the butt kissers who want a piece of what he had.” I stood. Luke and my mother followed suit.
“The vultures,” Luke said, and I nodded.
“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice,” my mother said. “I’m sorry to interrupt your evening.”
She looked exhausted. I wasn’t sure if it was from her health situation, the news of her father’s death, or both.
“Are you living here in town?” I asked her.
“In Nashville. I’m close to my doctor and treatment.”
“Are you okay to drive back tonight?” I wasn’t sure why I asked. Call me selfish, but I had no intention of letting her interfere with any more of our date. I didn’t owe her a single thing, but I also didn’t want her to fall asleep on the drive home.
“It’s been a day,” she said. “I planned to drive back home, but everything’s catching up with me. I think I’ll get a room and stay the night here.”
“That’s probably best,” I said, starting toward the door to see her out.
“Where are you parked?” Luke asked her.
“I found a spot behind the hardware store.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he said.
“That’s kind of you, Luke. Thank you.” My mom drank the rest of her water, then pulled her coat on.
“Just leave the bottle on the table,” I told her. “I’ll clean up while you’re gone, Luke.” I purposely didn’t let her know he and I planned to walk to my apartment next. I’d made a point of not telling her where I lived, and I intended to keep it that way.
She could tell me she’d changed all she wanted, but it would take a lot for me to be able to trust my mother.
Luke
It was cold and dark out, but the sidewalks weren’t deserted. Several stores stayed open late for holiday shoppers, and the bars and restaurants kept people coming and going.
“Do you know where you’re staying yet?” I asked Magnolia’s mother, just to make conversation.
“Maybe the Honeysuckle Inn.”
“There’s the Marks now too,” I said, thinking the high-dollar hotel seemed more her style than the quaint, comfortable inn.
“Oh, I remember hearing about that opening a year or two back. That’s a good suggestion. Thank you.”
We walked in silence past Oopsie Daisies and the gym. As we turned toward the parking lot, she said, “What are your intentions with my daughter, Luke?”
The question caught me off guard for several reasons, not the least of which was I wasn’t convinced she gave even half a shit about Magnolia’s life.
“We’re taking things one day at a time,” I said curtly. “I could ask you the same.”
Her step momentarily slowed, just enough for me to notice. “I guess that’s a fair question,” she said quietly. “I’m sure she’s told you I’m a terrible mother.”
“Not in those exact words.”
“I don’t want anything from Magnolia,” she eventually said.
“Well, that’s not entirely true. I’d like very much to have some kind of relationship with her.
I know,” she said before I could tell her the odds of that.
“I don’t deserve it, and I’m not expecting it.
” We stepped off the curb into the parking lot.
“I don’t have a hidden agenda. I’m too damn tired for any more games in my life.
But if I could have the chance to get to know her, that would mean the world to me. ”
Either she was one hell of an actress or that quaver in her voice was real emotion. It wasn’t my place to soften toward this woman though. I only wanted to protect Magnolia.
“You’re not going to lie to her or use her?” I asked.
“No.”
“How do I know that’s true?”
“I guess you’ll have to trust me.”
I shook my head. “That’s not happening. If you hurt her again, Bianca, you’ll answer to me.”
We arrived at a Lexus SUV, where she hit the key fob and unlocked the door. She turned to face me.
“Look, Luke, I understand why you doubt me.” She blew out a nervous laugh.
“I was not a good person, let alone a good mother. I can’t promise that I’ll do much better now, but the one thing I can say is my intentions, to use my own word, are to do better.
I might not have much time left on this earth.
There’s no way I could make up for the pain I’ve caused my daughter in the past. But I assure you my goal is to not cause her more pain. ”
I stared at her, looking for any kind of a tell that she was lying. She held my gaze steadily.
“I can tell you care about her,” she said, burrowing deeper into her coat as a gust of wind blew through. “She needs someone who has her best interests at heart because God knows Felix and I failed at that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Well, thank you for looking out for her.”
I bit down on the shitty things I could say on the slim chance she’d genuinely changed. “Good night, Bianca.”
“Good night, Luke.”
As I walked away, it hit me that she wasn’t the only one who’d caused Magnolia pain in the past. I was just as guilty of it. I’d apologized. Magnolia’s mother had done the same. If anyone should be able to give her a second chance, it should be me. And maybe I would someday.
But for now, Magnolia needed someone in her corner, someone to look out for her. She’d never had someone to do that, but now she had me.