Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What do you mean you didn’t propose, Daddy?” Magnolia stopped organizing the books and glanced at her cellphone sitting on one of the rungs of the ladder she stood on. “The plan was to propose to Glenda last night at dinner.”
Her father’s calming voice came through the speaker. “I’m sorry, Magpie. It just didn’t feel right.”
“Not right? What wasn’t right about it? I made reservations at the perfect restaurant. Helped you pick out the perfect outfit. Gave you the perfect proposal I got from The Bachelor. What wasn’t right?”
He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure. It just didn’t feel like the right time. Maybe I’m just not ready to get married again.”
She grabbed her phone and climbed down the ladder.
“You’re ready, Daddy. And Glenda is perfect for you.
She’s nice and beautiful and lost her spouse just like you.
It was just the setting that didn’t feel right.
It was a little too fancy. You’re not a fancy restaurant kind of guy.
I should have realized that and chosen some place a little more laidback.
” An idea hit her. “The beach! The beach will be perfect. A cozy blanket, some wine and cheese, a pretty sunset.”
There was a long pause before her daddy spoke. “Okay, Magpie. I’ll try the beach.”
“Great!” She swiped to her calendar. “How about next Tuesday evening? It won’t be as crowded as the weekend.”
Another long pause. “Next Tuesday, it is. Now how are things going in Promise Springs? Did the itty bitty man come back to Grounds For Divorce?”
Since arriving in town, she’d been filling her father in on all the latest gossip.
He seemed to get a real kick out of hearing about the town’s antics.
It was obvious he missed his hometown and Magnolia felt sad that he’d had to give up all his childhood friendships and hometown memories because he couldn’t deal with the pain of losing his wife.
Which was why she refused to let him give up on finding love again.
Maybe once he and Glenda got married, he’d be able to return to Promise Springs.
She loved the thought of her daddy walking around the town square and being greeted by folks who had known him for most his life, having a beer with his high school buddies at Honky Tonk Heaven, enjoying donuts at Grounds For Divorce with old teachers and coaches.
She knew he’d enjoy hearing the A-Sisters’ gossip firsthand rather than from her.
“As a matter of fact, he did,” she said. “But this time, Ada and Adele refused to let Arlene wait on him. They locked her in the refrigerator while he was there, and she was covered in goose bumps and hopping mad by the time they let her out.”
He chuckled. “Knowing the sisters’ history, that was probably smart.”
She frowned at her phone. “I don’t think so. What if Itty Bitty Man is someone Arlene can find happiness with? People shouldn’t give up on love.”
There was another long pause. Which wasn’t really that unusual. Her daddy had never been much of a talker. “Anything else going on in town?”
She hesitated for only a moment. “Remember me telling you about someone contesting Rosie Hennessy’s will. Well, I decided to help Dawson Hennessy figure out who it is.”
“Dawson Hennessy? I didn’t know you were friends with Dawson.”
The memory of their kiss popped into her head . . . along with other memories. The way he’d looked standing on the porch in nothing but jeans. On the rope ladder when he’d been about to kiss her. Standing over her in the treeboat with a hot and devouring gaze.
She pressed a hand to her heated cheek. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends.”
“Then what would you call it?” When she didn’t answer right away, he seemed to get the gist. “I know bad boys can be intriguing, Magpie. But starting something with a Hennessy is a bad idea. They were troublemakers as kids, and from the stories your great uncle has told me, that didn’t change after we left town. ”
“What stories did Uncle Otis tell you?”
“Where do I start? Vandalizing, driving like maniacs, getting into fights. Not to mention, Jaxon robbing Mickey’s Gas Station.”
“Jaxon didn’t rob the gas station, Daddy. I already told you that. Tully said it was all a mistake.”
“You told me Tully doesn’t believe he did it, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t. Love is blind.”
“Not in this case. Jaxon is a good man. If you could talk to him now, you’d realize that.”
“Fine. I’ll take your word for it. But just because Jaxon has changed, that doesn’t mean the rest of the Hennessys have.
I remember Dawson as a kid, and I could tell even then that he had anger issues.
You said yourself he’s grumpy every time he comes into the bookstore.
Why would you want to help someone like that? ”
“I might have misjudged him a little. I mean he’s still a little grumpy, but he also has his good traits.
” Like giving up his inheritance for his siblings.
But she couldn’t tell her daddy about that when she’d told Dawson she’d keep it a secret.
“And just so you know, it’s not about helping Dawson, Daddy.
It’s about helping Tully. She loves Honky Tonk Heaven and I would absolutely hate for her to lose it to some horrible person who cares nothing about the history of the dancehall and closes it down.
It would be bad for the entire town. Ever since the bar has reopened, town businesses have had an increase in customers.
Time To Read’s sales are up twenty percent. ”
She knew her daddy couldn’t argue with that. Even though he’d left the running of the family business to his uncle, he still was partial owner and wanted it to do well.
“Okay, but just be careful, Magpie. I don’t want you getting in a relationship with a man who has anger issues.”
“I’m not getting involved with Dawson.” The words came easily. Probably because she had taken to reciting them every time the memory of his kiss popped into her head.
“I always knew you were a smart girl,” her daddy said. “But it wouldn’t be a bad thing if you got involved with someone while you were there. Not a Hennessy, but maybe a nice country boy who knows how to treat you right.”
“So now you’re going to try your hand at matchmaking?”
He laughed. “It must run in the family.”
Her phone beeped with an incoming call from Tully. “I have to go, Daddy. Tully’s calling. I’ll call you later. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She hung up and answered.
“Hey, Tully. What’s up?”
“Didn’t you tell me that you worked as a waitress in college?”
“For just a couple weeks. Then I got fired for talking too much to the customers. Why?”
“We lost two new hires last night because Poppy can’t control her temper. I love her, but she has absolutely no patience with people making mistakes. Dawson can usually see when she’s getting ready to explode and calm her down, but he had his hands full last night with some rowdy cowboys.”
An image of Dawson surrounded by a group of drunk cowboys flashed into her head and she couldn’t stop the swell of concern that bubbled up. “Is he okay?”
“He is. Of course, even if Dawson had been hurt in the shuffle, he wouldn’t say. He’s like a safe no one has the combination to.”
At one time, Magnolia would have agreed. But strangely, she felt like she had started to break the Dawson code. Bit by little bit, she was getting to see the man behind the grumpy mask. In fact, it had become a bit of a challenge to see what she could get out of him.
“So do you think you can help out tonight?” Tully continued. “If you’re too tired from working all day in the bookstore, I understand.”
Magnolia laughed. “I don’t think shelving a few books and waiting on a few customers has worn me out. What time do you want me there?”
“As soon as you close up. Wear black jeans and some comfortable shoes and I’ll have one of our logo T-shirts waiting for you when you get here.”
The logo consisted of Honky Tonk Heaven printed amid fluffy clouds with a little red devil wearing a brown cowboy hat peeked out from the top cloud. There wasn’t a speck of pink on it. With her black skinny jeans and black and white Adidas athletic shoes, she felt like she was headed for a funeral.
She felt even more uncomfortable when she stepped out of the bathroom after changing and ran into Dawson. His scowl became even more pronounced as he took her in from the top of her high ponytail to the toes of her shoes.
“What?” She placed a hand on her hip. “I thought you’d be happy with my morbid outfit.” She glanced at his solid black T-shirt that accentuated the muscular chest she remembered all too well. “Since black is obviously your signature color.”
His brow knitted as he gave her another onceover. “Not on you.”
Before she could figure out if that was a compliment or an insult, Huck came out of the kitchen.
“Hey, Mags!” He slung an arm over her shoulder. “Tully said you were helping out tonight. You need anything or have any questions, you just let me know.”
Dawson snorted. “Right. Because you know so much about serving drinks.”
“Hey! I waited tables here in high school.”
“Only for one night because you only waited on the women and completely forgot to take the men’s orders.”
Magnolia might have laughed if she hadn’t been so surprised by Huck’s words. “You were a server in high school? Wasn’t it against the law for underage teens to serve alcohol?”
Huck exchanged looks with Dawson before he laughed. “You obviously didn’t know our mama. She’d ignore any law to keep her beloved dancehall running smoothly.”
“Even if it gave her teenage kids access to alcohol,” Dawson added dryly.