Never Tell Your Dreams (16 page)

“How’s Samantha? I haven’t seen her in so long.”
Maggie questioned her aunt about her cousin.

Jenna ran her hands through her hair. “She’s already
got senioritis and her senior year hasn’t even started yet.”

“I can’t believe she’s going to be a senior. Time
flies.” Maggie picked up a couple different pieces of paper on the table,
looking over the centerpiece options.

“I’m glad to see you realize how precious time is.”
Jenna had a gentle way of reminding Maggie just how much Grandberry Falls was
the center of their lives.

Maggie wasn’t in the mood for more lectures.

“How is the MADD benefit coming along?” Maggie
asked, changing the subject.

She wondered if she’d be in town that long. If not,
she’d definitely make it back to support her aunt. Being in Grandberry Falls,
going to the park, the hoedown, and visiting with her friends has made her
realize all the things she thought she’d never miss. She even liked seeing
Susie today.

“Very busy.” Jenna waved to Liz Day coming through
the crowded door. “And I couldn’t have done last year without my co-chair.”
Jenna’s eyes lit up like she pulled one over on Liz.

Maggie scooted over to make room for Liz and the big
binders she was carrying.

Liz heaved them onto the table. “Hi.” She shook her
wrists trying to undo the strain. “These are a few of the sponsors I’ve
collected so far.”

Jenna grabbed one of the binders and began to thumb
through it. “We still have six full months until the benefit. We are going to
rock it this year.”

“I know.” Liz sat down in the open chair next to
Maggie. “Maggie, I won’t ask how you are. I’m sure you’re devastated. You know
I’m divorced and if you need anything, I’m here,” she said, pulling her long
brown hair to the side

Maggie never thought of her broken engagement in
those terms, but Liz was right. It was like a divorce. She and had Grady lived
together, without Hazel’s approval. Maggie should’ve known better. Grady had
the best of both worlds, as Hazel put it. “Why buy the milk when you have the
cow for free.”

“I appreciate it.” Maggie wondered why someone as
beautiful and nice as Liz Day was divorced. Liz had delicate facial features,
resembling Nicole Kidman, all the way down to her slender nose. “I’m keeping
myself busy with the whole eminent domain issue.”

Jenna slammed the binder shut and threw her hands in
the air. “Thank you, Lord!” She turned to Maggie. “I’m so sick of walking on
egg shells around you. I told mom you needed to know, but she wouldn’t hear of
it.”

Hazel had good intentions, but those might have
backfired on her, Maggie feared. This acquisition had been going on long before
Maggie knew about it and now was in the final stages. Van Meter always brought
Maggie in for the final kill and that’s what she was worried about. The meeting
she missed before she was fired had to have been about the farm. All the dates
in the paperwork matched the dates of her emotional breakdown.

“I hope it’s not too late.” Maggie was honest. There
was no reason to sugar coat it. “If it weren’t for Butch, I still wouldn’t
know.” Maggie stood up and grabbed her purse. “I’m going to let you two get
down to business. I’m going to grab a latte and head to the park for the last
showing of
Back to the Future
.”

“Maggie Greenlee, haven’t you seen that movie
enough?” Jenna’s laughter filled the café. She turned to Liz and said, “When
she was kid, she made me watch that movie eight times in one weekend.”

“One of my favorites.” Liz smiled. “I wish Hayes, my
son, was in town. He’d love to have seen it at the park. He has visitation with
his father every other weekend in Cincinnati.”

“I’m sure they’ll show it again.” Maggie said her
goodbyes.

She didn’t have much more time to spare. She’d make
it to the park, under her favorite tree and pop-a-squat. Mitch would know where
to find her. He always did.

Chapter 28

Love is an irresistible desire to be
irresistibly desired. ~ Robert Frost

He couldn’t find Maggie anywhere, not even under her
usual tree. There was a family of five planted on a blanket, and they didn’t
look like they were going anywhere soon.

“Hello.” Mitch shook hands as he walked around the
park, keeping one eye open for Maggie.

“Did you bring this beautiful moon, Mayor?” Butch
asked.

Mitch looked up at the full bright circle. It gave
off so much light, he had to look beyond the lake to realize it was the moon.

“I can’t take credit for it.” He smiled and gave a
slight wave to Butch.

The park was crowded. Grandberry Falls used to have
weekly movie night, but with the economy, it wasn’t cost effective to have them
but quarterly. It was great for the community, and for a small business owner
like Butch, but the insurance was enough to take a small business down. With
the growing population, maybe Grandberry Falls could make movie night more
frequent.

Nonchalantly, he glanced over his right shoulder,
took three steps backward and then whispered, "
New moon, new moon, true
and bright, if I have a lover let me dream of her tonight. If I am to marry
far, let me hear a bird cry. If I am to marry near, let me hear a cow low. If I
am to marry never, let me hear a hammer knock
."

Unfortunately he didn’t hear a cow, he heard a
cackle. A very familiar cackle.

“I think you have to take bigger steps.” Maggie’s
knees were pulled up to her chest underneath her shirt.

He’d never seen her there. She looked like a small
child curled up.

Of all people to see him doing the “moon dance,”
Maggie would be his last choice.

“What are you wishing for? Dream, bird, cow, or
hammer?” She took a drink of her latte.

“Down in front, Mayor.” The crowd laughed at someone
shouting out for Mitch to sit down.

He waved, and squatted down, doing his best duckwalk
towards Maggie.

She laughed. “If you can’t make it as mayor, you can
definitely pull off impersonating a duck.” She scooted over, giving him some
room on her blanket. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

He didn’t want her to be sorry. We wanted the cow
low.

“Don’t be.” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to fess up
about the broken engagement.

The outdoor screen flickered and static dotted it.
Everyone started to take their seats in the grass or any spot that was
available. He glanced over at her profile. It was as though she never left. His
heart fluttered when her gaze met his. She broke into a wide-open smile.

“I can’t believe it’s so crowded. And I hardly
recognize anyone.” Maggie squinted trying to see through the dark. She strained
her neck looking around.

“You wouldn’t believe how much Grandberry Falls has
grown.” Mitch could’ve given her all the statistics, but it was boring. “That’s
why the state thinks it’d be good for the economy to put an outlet mall near
the interstate.”

Maggie picked up the folder. “I read the data
regarding putting an outlet mall in remote counties, right off the major interstate
has increased jobs and incomes in communities like Grandberry Falls. And I
agree. But what about the families that are losing their jobs? Do you think
that Butch’s dad is going to be a cashier at J-Crew?”

Mitch understood exactly what she was saying. He’s
read all the stats and even walked several other sites over the past year.

“I just hope it’s not too late.” Maggie stared at
the screen. “I should’ve been included from the beginning.”

“I know, but…” Mitch looked to see why Maggie was
sh-h-h-ing him.

He smiled. She loved this part of the movie where
Marty and Dr. Emmett Brown are in the parking lot. Dr. Brown tells Marty, “If
my calculations are right, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you’re going
to see some serious shit.”

He watched her big brown eyes focus on the screen
and the smile creep across her face, her teeth as white as the moon. He loved
it. She looked memorized like the first time they watched it together.

It was definitely a magical night. The stars were
bright, the moon was full, but was it the right night? Mitch wanted to tell her
his engagement had been called off. He wanted to tell her that no matter where
life was going to lead her that he’d always love her.

He was surprised she didn’t already know—or she’d
brought it up. From what Susie had been saying, the gang seemed to be spending
a lot more time together since Maggie was back in town. He smiled. It was
almost like old times.

Chapter 29

Love makes your soul crawl out from its
hiding place. ~ Zora Hurston

Mitch didn’t mention anything about Wendy and Maggie
didn’t mention anything about what Wendy had told her. For some strange reason
Mitch didn’t want her to know, or he would’ve told her.

She had to be careful not to stare back at him. She
was finding it all too easy to get lost in the way he looked at her. The
feeling she was having was not familiar to her. As a matter of fact she didn’t
ever recall having these emotions for Grady.

When Wendy told her about her relationship with
Mitch, Maggie found herself replacing Wendy’s situation with her and Grady.
They were college friends, study buddies, and one was never without the other.
She found an altogether different life in Grady’s world. Though his rich
cocktail party world was enticing, she did find herself longing for the quiet
sleepy life of Grandberry Falls on most nights. Sometimes she would stay back
at the penthouse while Grady rubbed elbows with Hampton’s finest.

Lillian told Maggie several times that she did fit
in, when Maggie stormed out of a cocktail party for the New York City mayor’s
council after someone laughed and called her a hillbilly.

In the end, Grady did what everyone expected,
including Maggie—he proposed. Only she never expected the ring to be–fake.

She’s chalked up her feelings of nostalgia over the
last couple of weeks, to being vulnerable and unsure where her life was taking
her. But when she tried to explore her feelings for Mitch, there was no
reasonable answer.

She couldn’t help but giggle when Mitch threw his
head back and let out a great peal of laughter—just like he had every time they
saw this scene. Only this time she couldn’t tear her gaze from his profile.

He had grown up. Become a man. A man worth
exploring.

“Just as good as the first time we saw it.” Mitch’s
eyes danced with delight.

When the movie ended, Maggie got up and dusted the
grass off her shorts. All sorts of people she didn’t recognize walked by and
shook Mitch’s hand and chatted a few minutes. Maggie reached for her ringing
cell phone, figuring it would be Hazel wondering when she was going to be
coming home. Even though Maggie was in her late twenties, she was still living
under Hazel’s roof—as Hazel often told her.

Fear and anger knotted her insides when Grady’s name
appeared across the screen. This was the first time he’d even attempted to call
her. Why now? What did he want?

She had a good mind to answer and tell him she’s
going to the Globe about the fake ring, only Karma stood in her way.

Pushing the decline button, she decided to send him
to voicemail and see if he left a message. No part of her wanted to talk to him
ever again. She might not have truly loved him as she should’ve, but she didn’t
deserve to be dumped by a letter. No one did.

The warm palm on her back shocked her into reality.

“I said are you okay?” Mitch asked, looking at her
for answers. “Who was it?”

“Granny.” Maggie took another look at the phone.

The red light that alerted her that she had a
message was not on. She wondered if she should feel some guilt for the relief
she felt. Now she didn’t have to call him back. Nor did she want to.

“Just tell her you’re with me.”

She couldn’t help herself, she burst out laughing.
He was right. If Hazel knew she was with Mitch, she’d be home ironing a wedding
dress.

“I had fun tonight. We need to get together soon.”
Maggie gathered her things.

Maggie wanted to get out of the park. She was still
on overload from the phone call. She wondered if he’d try to call back.

“We do have a lot to go over about the case and we
still need some options.” Mitch greeted the passerby’s with smiles and nods.

“I meant something other than business. Like
tonight.” Maggie searched his face for a sign, hint or any indication of being
attracted to her like he used to. There was nothing there. “Or not.”

She gave him another opportunity to tell her about
his broken engagement, but he wasn’t budging.

“I…” he stammered for words. “I’m not sure how much
free time I’m going to have this week with the Grandberry Falls Jubilee weekend
coming up and the parade. Big fireworks.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon.” Maggie took one last
look around. Still, she didn’t recognize anyone to talk to and take the
uncomfortable silence between them away. “Bye.”