Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
MAGNOLIA
Jordan and I were setting up some quaint, Southern-inspired floral displays around the bar, chatting idly about what kind of refreshments we’d be serving and what drinks would pair best. The scent of freshly cut flowers mingled with the rich aroma of wood polish, filling the air with a comforting warmth.
I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, but the excitement bubbling inside me, along with the butterflies dancing in my stomach, had me zipping around the bar, barely able to stay still.
According to the Facebook event, over 200 people had RSVP’d to come watch Lee perform, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible.
“I think it looks great in here,” Jordan said, looking around the room and nodding. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was being genuine. Jordan was from Brooklyn, and he never bullshitted any of us, ever.
“Thanks, I know you mean it. I appreciate all of your help, Jordy.” I slid a glass of sauvignon blanc down the bar toward him, perfectly chilled, just the way he liked it.
“This is nice. What vineyard is this from?” He swirled the wine around in his glass and sniffed it slightly before taking another sip.
“Would you shit yourself if I told you it came from a box?” I winced as I pulled it from the ice chest, showing it off like Vana White. He faked a dramatic gasp.
“Of all the cases of impeccable wine I have sent over here, you choose to do me dirty like this. I am offended, Magnolia Pruitt.”
I smirked in amusement. “I’m trying to cut costs as much as possible since Lee is hell bent on tearing this place apart. I know he’s funding most of it, but I don’t want to owe him anymore than I already will. Or do, I guess.”
Jordan nodded. He swirled the wine around his glass a bit more, looking thoughtful for a moment.
“I get it, sweetheart. It’s a tough spot.
Prince Charming comes back on his white steed, ready to take you away from Lord Voldemort and the Evil Empire to save the shire, and you don’t wanna look like the damsel. ”
“I think you have your classics mixed up,” I giggled, leaning over the bar.
“And I think I’m kind of sick of being a liability to the Wilder family.
It’s always something with them. The dresses, the makeovers, the romances.
Now my bar. It’s like they always want me to be a different version of myself.
But I just feel like I owe them so much. ”
Jordan took a long, out of character sip of his wine. “Tell me, Magnolia, would you be truly happy with a life without the Wilders in it? Could you visualize that?”
I stepped back and leaned against the beer cooler, running my hands through my hair.
Since Charlie and I landed in Savannah, the Wilders had been woven into the fabric of our daily lives.
Lee and Charlie? Always thick as thieves.
Me and Lee? We went from best friends to young lovers.
Dane and I had been close for years before we began dating.
And Eunice and Vance? They’d always felt like a second set of parents.
The love I had for them was different, but no less real.
The void I would feel if they weren’t a part of my life was something I couldn’t ever imagine.
When my life crumbled, and our friend group formed, I didn’t just feel like I had people to lean on—I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself, like I’d stumbled into a family I didn’t even know I was searching for.
The kind of love that ran deeper than blood, the kind that held you up when you couldn’t stand on your own.
It was a bond I never imagined possible, stronger and more unconditional than anything I’d ever known.
For the first time since losing my parents, I felt like I truly belonged.
“I couldn’t. I really couldn’t,” I admitted. “There’s something about…”
“Lee?” Jordan smiled and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.
I gave a weary shake of my head. “Yes, there’s something absolutely undeniable about Lee. There always has been. But it’s more than that. As a whole, they’re reliable, consistent, you know?” I shrugged. “I haven’t felt that kind of security since before my parents died.”
“Well, I think you have your answer,” he said, hopping off the stool and gathering his boxes and bags.
“But just because you have your answer doesn’t mean you have to make a decision right away.
Let it play out and see what happens. Speaking of reliability, has Dane even called you once since he’s been at trial? ”
I shook my head. “He’s been busy, I know. He’s sent me a few emails, though.”
“Magnolia, we make time for the things and people that are important to us. If he wanted to, he would. Don’t forget that.”
Just then, the door to the bar swung open and in walked Lee, guitar slung over his back like he’d just strolled out of a music video.
He had on a white button-down, sleeves rolled up like he was about to fix someone’s car, and a pair of fitted jeans that didn’t need any fixing at all.
His baseball cap was turned backward, wild curls spilling out like they had a mind of their own.
For the first time since he’d come back to Savannah, my stomach did a full somersault at the sight of him.
And for once, seeing him didn’t fill me with that familiar rush of nerves or send my mind spiraling.
Instead, it felt like a small but vital piece of me was quietly sliding back where it belonged, like the first sigh of relief after holding your breath for far too long.
The chaos that had followed me around for years seemed to ease, and for the first time in forever, I felt a sense of normalcy creeping back in, like maybe, just maybe, everything was starting to fall into place.
“I just wanted to stop by and drop my guitar off. I have my amp and some other things in the car. And to see if you needed any help for tonight,” he said, his tone flat and almost bored.
“See what I mean?” Jordan picked up his boxes and made his way to the door, shooting Lee a smile and a nod as they crossed paths. “See you tonight, y’all. Can’t wait!”
Lee made his way to the bar and swung his guitar off his back, watching me closely. The atmosphere shifted, tense and charged, and I could tell something was off before he even spoke. Maybe things weren’t sliding back into place after all.
“What’s wrong, Lee?” I asked before he could begin. I’d known him almost my whole life, and I knew, beyond anything, when something was eating at him. And something surely was.
“I need talk to you about something, and I have a feeling it won’t go over well with you, and so I’m just going to say sorry upfront. Okay?” He wrung his hands together and locked his eyes down on his lap so they wouldn’t meet mine.
“What did he do?” I asked, point blank, crossing my arms over my chest and bracing for the worst.
“Who? What?” Lee finally looked up, and his shoulders relaxed for a second. “Oh, Dane? No, nothing. At least as far as I can tell. Wait, he still hasn’t called you?”
“We’ve emailed a few times. It’s fine. What did he do, though?”
Something washed over Lee’s face. Was it fear? Remorse? I couldn’t tell. He was hiding something, though. I knew that much.
“Nothing. It’s nothing. It’s just… I’m seeing someone, Maggie. She’s coming tonight. Ryan’s picking her up from the airport now.”
My heart dropped into my stomach, and I had to lock my knees to keep myself upright.
There was no way I could let him see how shocked I was by this—no chance in hell.
But the bile creeping up my throat and the sudden urge to start swinging at him were both dangerously close to bubbling to the surface.
“That’s wonderful!” I shrieked, scaring myself and making Lee jump. “I cannot wait to meet her!”
“Why are you yelling?” He wrinkled his face at me while my blood pressure rose to critical heights.
“I’m probably just nervous about… tonight,” I lied through my teeth.
All I could envision was this gorgeous, golden-haired set of legs in cowboy boots—like the dozens of women I had seen when I stalked his Instagram—showing up and knocking out the entire bar with her million-watt smile, mouth full of carefully placed veneers lubed up with Vaseline.
And then frumpy old me, skulking behind the bar in an O’Malley’s tank top and cut-off shorts, reeking of stale beer, cheap whiskey, and bankruptcy.
“Oh.” His shoulders dropped, and he looked a little more calm now that me screaming at him wasn’t a direct result of the bomb he just dropped on me.
“Don’t be nervous. It’s going to be awesome.
Ryan and I have some great covers, some new stuff to toss in, and the chart toppers from my albums. We’ll make some serious money tonight. That’s the most important part.”
And, right on cue, my wide range of emotions came flying to the front, and I did what I always do when I’m nervous to the gills.
I immediately started crying and snotting.
Lee jumped up on his chair and dove over the bar, putting a hand on my shoulder. “What the hell is wrong?”
I lied again, sweeping my arm across the bar, gesturing to the decorations and setup. “I just wish your brother was here to see all of this.”
“Me too, Maggie. He’d be really proud of you.” He took a step back, and the second he took his hand off my shoulder, it felt like someone ripping a blanket off me in the middle of the night, leaving me cold and vulnerable.
I observed him for a minute. Something felt off about the whole thing; the air between us was different.
I didn’t spend every waking minute in his orbit like I used to, but something wasn’t right.
He wasn’t telling me the whole story. “Do you need any help getting your stuff out of the car?” I finally asked after blowing my nose into a cocktail napkin loudly, breaking the silence.
“No, I’m good. Thank you, though.”