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  He cast one last, longing look through the window of The Corner Spa, decided to skip a workout at Dexter’s and jogged back to the Serenity Inn for an unappetizing meal of beer and takeout.

  * * *

  After her disconcerting encounter with the man on the porch, Jeanette retreated to her office to try to make a dent in the mountain of paperwork on her desk. It was as good a time as any to deal with this unpleasant aspect of her job.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t seem to focus on it. Images of the man she’d just met kept intruding. The thought of him taking on Helen in a fight made her smile. He’d sounded so sure of himself. It would be fun to watch Helen teach him a thing or two about the law.

  And even though she’d sworn off men, basking in the undisguised admiration of a sexy man for just a couple of minutes had given her a faintly quivery feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been a long time since a man had looked at her like that. Or maybe it had just been a long time since she’d been aware of it and felt anything in return.

  Not that she intended to do anything about it, she reminded herself sternly, turning back to the paperwork on her desk with renewed determination.

  She’d completed her monthly report for August when Elliot tapped on her door and stepped inside. With his gleaming black hair, glowing olive complexion and well-muscled body, he was a walking advertisement for fitness. He was also one of the nicest guys around. He came from a large, exuberant family and was about to marry a single mom, who’d had a very tough couple of years. He and Karen had weathered their own stormy issues thanks to his rigorously Catholic family’s initial disapproval of him marrying a divorced woman. Karen had finally won them over.

  “You’re here awfully late,” he said.

  “Catching up on paperwork,” Jeanette replied with a grimace. “Is it time to close up? I’ve lost track of time.”

  “I sent the last of the clients on their way and locked the doors five minutes ago. If you’re ready to go, I’ll give you a lift home.”

  Jeanette gave him an odd look. “That’s okay. I can walk. It’s not that far.”

  Elliot immediately shook his head. “Not tonight. There was some guy peering in the windows here earlier. I’ve never seen him around before. It made a couple of the women nervous. They were about ready to call the sheriff, but when I checked outside, he was gone.”

  Jeanette smiled and shook her head. “I talked to him on my way in. He’s harmless. He wanted to join the health club, but I told him he couldn’t. I guess he’s new in town. He left after we spoke.”

  Elliot’s frown didn’t fade. “I still don’t like it. Did he give you a name?”

  “No, but I didn’t ask. Stop worrying. I’m a halfway decent judge of people.” Okay, not men, but this was different. “This guy was clean-cut and well-spoken. He’s not a threat to anyone.”

  Even as she uttered the assurance, she wondered if it was entirely true. The man probably wasn’t dangerous in the way Elliot was thinking, but he might very well pose a threat to her. Before her cool dismissal of him, she’d responded to his fleeting attempt at flirting. She hadn’t wanted to, but she had.

  He was attractive. Okay, very attractive. Sexy. He didn’t have the kind of muscular body Elliot had, but he was fit in a lean and lanky way. His eyes were more gray than blue and they’d sparkled with mischief. His neatly trimmed brown hair had the kind of golden highlights that came from spending time outdoors. And he had a dimple when he smiled. That dimple had knocked her socks off, which had been a shock. She’d thought herself immune.

  His clothes had been casual, but she could easily envision him in a shirt and tie. A tailor-made suit. He was a professional man, if she was any judge.

  Elliot didn’t appear convinced. He moved a stack of papers from the extra chair, then sat down, propped his feet on her desk and pulled out a cell phone.

  “What are you doing?” Jeanette demanded.

  “Calling Karen to let her know I’ll be late.”

  “Why?”

  He grinned. “Because I’m not leaving here without you. It would tarnish my sterling reputation as a nice guy. Last time I let one of the Sweet Magnolias out of my sight when my gut told me not to, she nearly got herself killed.”

  Jeanette winced. She recalled the incident. “You weren’t responsible for what happened to Helen. Her client’s husband was determined to get even with her. No one was going to stop him.”

  “Not entirely, no,” he agreed cheerfully. “But I’m not taking any chances.”

  Jeanette saw the stubborn set of his jaw and gave in. “Oh, for pity’s sake. I’m not going to be responsible for you turning up late at Karen’s.” She stood up. “Let’s go.”

  He gave her a smug look. “Good choice. Want to come have dinner with us? I’m cooking Mama’s famous seafood paella.”

  “You’re cooking?” Jeanette said incredulously as they stepped outside. “Your wife works in a restaurant.”

  “Which is why she shouldn’t have to cook at home on her day off.”

  Jeanette regarded him with wonder. “Why don’t you have brothers, instead of all those sisters?”

  Elliot chuckled. “I have cousins. Want to meet one of them? I’m the best of the lot, but there are one or two who come close.”

  “Are their egos as big as yours?”

  “Twice the size,” he declared.

  “Then, no. I think I’ll continue to fly solo.”

  Elliot shook his head. “That’s a pity. You’re a beautiful woman with a good heart. You should share your life with someone special.”

  Jeanette sighed. “Once upon a time, I thought the same thing.”

  “Don’t say that,” Elliot chided as he tucked her into his car. “The right person could be right around the corner.”

  Jeanette couldn’t help thinking about the way she’d felt earlier with the stranger’s eyes on her. Maybe Elliot was right. Maybe it was a little too soon to give up on love.

  * * *

  Mary Vaughn Lewis had her jam-packed day planner spread open on her desk and was trying to transfer all of the information into her new BlackBerry, something her daughter, now a sophomore at Clemson, insisted she needed. Since she was about as computer literate as her Persian cat, Mary Vaughn wasn’t so sure. Still, in this day and age, she couldn’t afford to be left behind. People had certain expectations of the most successful Realtor in Serenity. Add to that her role as president of the Serenity Chamber of Commerce, and she desperately needed something to keep her schedule straight. Rory Sue swore this gadget was the answer.

  When it rang, she was so taken aback she almost dropped it on the floor. It took her a minute to find the right button and answer.

  “Yes, hello, Mary Vaughn Lewis,” she murmured distractedly, still reading the directions as she spoke.

  “Mom, it’s me. Am I your first call on your new BlackBerry?”

  “You absolutely are,” Mary Vaughn told her daughter, brightening at the sound of Rory Sue’s voice.

  “No wonder you sound so weirded out. You’re going to love it once you get the hang of it. I promise.”

  “Yes, well, we’ll see about that. What’s up, sweet pea?” Mary Vaughn suspected this midweek call had nothing to do with checking on her technical prowess and everything to do with a plea for money for shopping. Rory Sue would continue to shop even if the store was burning down around her. And somehow she’d talk the clerk into giving her a fire-sale discount while she was at it. It was a skill she’d learned at her mama’s knee, though Mary Vaughn would have preferred if she’d learned a few Southern graces instead.

  “I wanted to talk to you about Christmas,” Rory Sue said.

  “You want to talk about Christmas? In September?”

  “Yes, well, I thought I’d better ask about this now and not hit you wi
th it at the last possible second.”

  Mary Vaughn’s antenna shot up. “Hit me with what?”

  “I was thinking that since we don’t really have a traditional celebration, you know, the way we used to when I was little...”

  In other words, before Sonny had divorced Mary Vaughn and ruined their daughter’s life, she thought sourly as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

  “Anyway, I was thinking that maybe you’d let me go away over the holidays,” Rory Sue concluded in a rush. “To Aspen. Jill’s family goes there to ski every year and she’s invited me to come along. I have to let her know right away, though, because if I can’t go, she wants to ask someone else.”

  “No,” Mary Vaughn said without giving it a second’s thought. “People spend Christmas with their families. It’s not a time to go gallivanting off with strangers.”

  “Jill’s not a stranger. She’s been my roommate for two years now.”

  Mary Vaughn could have corrected her with a reminder that the second year was just starting, but she didn’t waste her breath. Instead, she said, “You hardly know her family and I don’t know them at all.”

  “You’re just worried about how it will look if I don’t come home for Christmas,” Rory Sue accused. “You’re afraid that people will think you’re a failure as a mother. That’s it, isn’t it? All you care about is your image in that stupid town.”

  To Mary Vaughn’s regret, that was part of it. She hated that her own child, whom she loved more than anything, didn’t even want to spend Christmas with her. How pitiful was that? She simply didn’t want people in this town to feel sorry for her the way they once had. She’d spent her entire adult life trying to change the way people looked at her.

  But the other part, the most important part, was how lonely she’d feel. What would she do if Rory Sue didn’t come home? Sit in that big ole house of theirs and stare at the walls? Light up that little ceramic tree she’d inherited from her mother and drink eggnog until she forgot she was all alone? No, the bleak picture she envisioned simply could not happen.

  A couple of years from now Rory Sue might well be living on her own in some city far away. She might be unable to get back home for the holidays, or she might even have a family of her own and Mary Vaughn would have to go to some strange city to celebrate, but not this year. This year, Mary Vaughn wanted her daughter right here in Serenity. She wanted a traditional Christmas and she intended to have it, even if Rory Sue hated her for insisting on it.

  “No,” she said again, flatly.

  “You won’t even consider it?” Rory Sue pleaded.

  “No, absolutely not. And don’t call your father and try to get him on your side, either. I won’t have you trying to play us off against each other. That might have worked when you were ten, but it won’t work now. We’re older and smarter.”

  To her relief, Rory Sue actually giggled. “You really think so?”

  “I know so,” Mary Vaughn said emphatically. “I love you, and I promise we will have the very best Christmas ever right here in Serenity.”

  “That is so not possible,” Rory Sue retorted. “Bye, Mom.”

  “Bye, sweetie.”

  As she disconnected the call, Mary Vaughn resolved to find some way to make good on her promise, even if she had to start speaking to Rory Sue’s beloved daddy—and her very estranged ex-husband—to accomplish it.

  * * *

  Jeanette had been avoiding Maddie all morning. She knew the subject of her involvement on the town’s Christmas festival planning committee was far from over. There was also bound to be a discussion about why Jeanette was so opposed to participating in anything related to Christmas. In fact, she fully expected Maddie to call in the big guns—Dana Sue and Helen—before all was said and done.

  When it came to something like this, the Sweet Magnolias were a team. Jeanette might be a member, but they could pull rank on her. When one of them fell out of step for any reason, the others rallied. She’d seen it happen more than once. She was dreading it. Last night’s encounter with Dana Sue had been a mild precursor to what today was likely to hold. And the more she’d thought about trying to convince Maddie to turn the project over to Elliot, the less she’d believed the suggestion would be taken seriously—especially if Maddie was matchmaking.

  “You don’t seem to be your usual perky self,” Mary Vaughn Lewis said as Jeanette smoothed moisturizer onto her throat and face.

  “Sorry,” she said, forcing a smile. “My mind’s been on other things all day.” Then she deliberately changed the subject. “How’s your daughter doing? Is she happy being back at school? She’s at Clemson, right?”

  Usually asking about Rory Sue was enough to send Mary Vaughn off and running, and today was no exception, though Jeanette could sense an underlying tension in her client as she spoke about how well her daughter was doing at college.

  “You’re saying all the right words,” Jeanette said after a minute. “But something’s bothering you. Do you think she’s unhappy?”

  “Unhappy with me,” Mary Vaughn admitted. “I won’t let her go skiing in Aspen over Christmas.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because the holidays are meant to be spent with family,” Mary Vaughn said as if it were the law.

  “Not necessarily,” Jeanette said carefully. “I mean, sometimes it’s great, if everyone gets along really well, but half the families I know are totally dysfunctional. They’d all be much happier if they didn’t spend ten minutes together over the holidays.”

  “Is your family one of those?”

  “You have no idea,” Jeanette said, then clamped her mouth shut. She’d already revealed too much. She needed to get the focus back on Mary Vaughn and her daughter. “Maybe you could go to Aspen, too. Then you’d both get what you want. You and Rory Sue would be together and she’d be able to ski with her friends. What’s really keeping you in Serenity?”

  “Tradition,” Mary Vaughn insisted. “And it would break her daddy’s heart not to have her home for the holidays. When it comes to Christmas, Sonny is all about family. So is that daddy of his.”

  “You mean Mayor Lewis,” Jeanette said.

  Mary Vaughn nodded. “I swear that man spends the entire year thinking about playing Santa for all the kids. Serenity’s Christmas festival is his very favorite thing on earth. Now that I’m president of the chamber of commerce, I’m going to have to serve on the festival committee, and I’m here to tell you it is not something I’m looking forward to. Howard and I are like oil and water on a good day, and believe me, good days are few and far between.”

  Jeanette regarded her with genuine sympathy. “Ever thought of delegating?”

  “Send some underling and imply that the festival committee isn’t the absolutely most important thing in my life? Are you kidding me? I’d never hear the end of it from Howard.”

  “Maddie wants me to represent The Corner Spa on the committee,” Jeanette admitted. “I said no.”

  Mary Vaughn’s eyes lit up. “You didn’t!” she protested. “You have to do it. You’ll save my sanity. Please, Jeanette, promise me you’ll change your mind. If we’re on the committee together, it’ll be fun.”

  Jeanette couldn’t imagine how Mary Vaughn could say that, especially knowing she’d have to deal with her former father-in-law, who was one of the most pompous residents of Serenity.

  “Maddie might let you off the hook,” Mary Vaughn continued, “but I won’t let you say no to me. I want you to commit to doing this right this second. Please. We’ll have a ball. You and me trying to keep all those stuffy old men on their toes. I know you love a challenge as much as I do. Say yes.” She regarded Jeanette hopefully, then waited.

  Jeanette sighed. “Maybe,” she said at last. It was as much of a commitment as she was prepared to make. A flat-out no, sadly, was getting harde
r and harder to say.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Tom had one more meeting on his calendar for Friday and then he intended to head to Charleston for a command appearance at one of his mother’s charity events. He’d promised to spend the night, but he intended to be back in Serenity first thing on Saturday so he could start looking for an apartment or a house.

  His phone buzzed. “Cal Maddox is here to see you,” Teresa chirped with her unflagging cheeriness.

  “Am I supposed to know who he is?”

  She sighed. “I’ll be right in.”

  “I didn’t ask you to come in,” he muttered, but he was talking to a dead line. His office door was already opening...and closing.

  With her short, steel-gray hair, rounded figure and penchant for flowered blouses and pastel slacks, Teresa looked as if she ought to be home baking cookies, but she ran this office with the efficiency of a drill sergeant. Right now she was regarding him with motherly dismay.

  “If you and I are going to get along, you have to pay attention when I talk to you,” she scolded. “Or at the very least, read what I write on that calendar I give you every morning.”

  Tom winced. “Sorry,” he murmured, shuffling papers until he found the neatly prepared schedule for his day that he’d barely glanced at. He’d jotted his own notes on an At-A-Glance calendar. This meeting wasn’t on that.

  “Okay, here it is,” he confirmed, finding it on Teresa’s schedule. “Cal Maddox, high school baseball coach.” He stared up blankly. “Why does he want to see me? I don’t have anything to do with the school system.”

  Teresa gave him an impatient look and gestured toward the paper.

  “Regarding starting a Little League program in the town,” he read aloud.

  She nodded. “I do my job. You need to get used to my system.”