Page 7 of A Magnolia Move-In


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We were having weekly lunches though. To catch up on everything.

The inn was booming, which meant money was coming in. I was grateful for that. My severance was only going to last so long, and I was uncertain when the newspaper would finally turn a profit.

I was sitting at a small table in the corner of The Hideout when Maggie and her book club ladies walked in. It was a Saturday evening, and they were all wearing red stilettos and laughing.

I smiled when Maggie caught my gaze, and she gave me a quick wave. They headed over to the counter to order from Anna, and I tried to bring my attention back to the newspaper’s homepage, which I had been working on.

I wanted to ignore the women. I wanted to tell myself it was okay that Maggie was spending time with her friends, even if the pangs of jealousy were almost too much to bear. She had a right to her friends, and I wasn’t going to step on her toes.

“Hey, Mom,” Maggie said, her voice startling me.

I turned to see her standing behind me with an iced coffee in hand. I quickly gathered my papers and shoved them into my purse. I didn’t want to seem overly eager, but I didn’t want her to think her presence wasn’t welcomed.

“Hey,” I said as my heart picked up speed. Gradually, the book club women gathered around the table after their drink orders were called.

“Mind if we join you?” Maggie asked as she moved to sit next to me.

I nodded as I watched the women sit one by one.

I wasn’t sure what to say as my gaze drifted fromwoman to woman. They seemed to be holding their own conversations about life and relationships, but no one was talking about their newest read. Finally, I leaned over and brushed shoulders with Maggie. “Is this how book club always goes?”

Maggie was sipping her coffee, so I waited for her to swallow. She nodded. “Pretty much. I mean, we all read the book and talk about it for a few minutes, but inevitably, the conversation always moves to something else.”

I smiled. So, the cliché about book clubs was true. And honestly, I dug it. It was nice that they seemed so relaxed. I’d lived a life of schedules and checklists. It was a nice change of pace to just go with the flow.

“Working onMagnoliaDaily?” a woman with deep red hair asked as she scooted closer to me. I was fairly certain her name was Victoria. “I have to say, I think the exposé that the Daily wrote about me was what clinched my first victory.”

“Victory?”

“I’m Magnolia’s disgraced former mayor.”

“You’re not disgraced,” Clementine said as she broke her conversation with Shari and shook her head.

Victoria shrugged. “I was usurped by Peter Tippens.”

I nodded. “Ah, Magnolia royalty.” Even though it had been decades since I’d lived here, I still knew the who’s who of this small town. Some things never changed. “I have an interesting story to tell you about the Tippens family someday.”

She smiled. “Ooh, that sounds like a story I need to hear over drinks.”

We both laughed for a moment before it died down. Returning to her previous question, I nodded. “I’m trying to bring theDailyinto this century,” I said as I turned my computer so she could see my screen.

Her gaze scanned the homepage, and she gave me an approving nod. “I like this. You know what you should do? Add a sign-up tab up top. That way, it’s one of the first things they see. There’s also a messaging system that allows the viewer to chat with the newspaper directly. It really gives the personal touch that websites have been lacking.”

I glanced at the corner she was pointing to and nodded. “Those are amazing suggestions.”

I saw a glint in her eyes. One that I recognized as I’d felt it numerous times in the past. It was the feeling of purpose. A passion.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come work at theDaily?” I asked as I pulled out the pad of paper I’d been jotting notes on and wrote down her suggestions.

Victoria sucked in her breath. “I don’t know.”

“You should,” Maggie piped up. I glanced over at my daughter to see her give Victoria a soft smile. “I hate to lose you at the inn, but I think it’s time you moved on.”

“You’re working at the inn?” I asked as I pointed the end of my pen in Maggie’s direction.

Victoria nodded. “Ever since I lost my mayoral race, Maggie’s been nice enough to let me crash there.”

I parted my lips and nodded. “And you’re sure you can afford to lose an employee?”