There wasn’t a false note in her voice or a wavering of her smile to suggest that she was anything other than thrilled for Jeanette for getting the house of her dreams…
and maybe the man that Mary Vaughn had wanted, as well. When the champagne came, she lifted her glass. “To a wonderful future in your new home,” she said, then clinked glasses with Jeanette and with Tom. “I hope you’ll be happy there.”
“You do know this is my house, right?” Jeanette said wryly. “Tom is still looking. Maybe you can think of something he would like.”
“Well, of course I can,” Mary Vaughn said, cheered to know that whatever was heating up between these two hadn’t reached a stage where they’d be moving in together. She beamed at Tom. “Did you like the style of the house you saw today, or would you like something newer and a little more modern? Maybe something more impressive that befits your stature as town manager and as a McDonald? I’m sure you’re used to a large house.”
“Actually, what I’m used to is something not much bigger than my room at the Serenity Inn,” Tom said. “I spend so much time on the job that all I need at home is one room where I can relax, a refrigerator to hold a few necessities and a bedroom.”
“I think we can do better than that,” she said. “You know, I didn’t want to mention this earlier, but I had a call from your mother the other day.”
Tom’s expression turned dark. “Oh?” he said, his voice like ice.
“She’d apparently picked up one of my brochures on her last visit and saw a few houses she thought might be appropriate for you. She said she’d call next week and schedule an appointment to look at them.”
“I don’t think so,” Tom said. “If she calls back, tell her that you’re working for me, not her.”
Mary Vaughn winced. She’d already gathered that Clarisse McDonald had a mind of her own and would not take kindly to being dismissed. “I think she’s just trying to take some of the burden off your shoulders,” she said, hoping to pacify him. “After all, you’re incredibly busy getting settled into your new job, plus the Christmas festival takes a lot of your time.”
He leaned forward. “Mary Vaughn, I would greatly appreciate it if you did not show my mother any houses in Serenity, unless she’s planning to live in one of them herself. I’ll make my own choice when the time comes. If that’s a problem for you, then I’ll work with another agent and you and my mother can look to your heart’s content.”
Obviously she’d stepped into the middle of some family dynamic she didn’t understand. “Of course it’s not a problem, Tom,” she said, backing down at once. It would have been a coup to have someone of Clarisse McDonald’s stature as a client, but a good relationship with Tom was more important. “Don’t worry. If she calls again, I’ll make some excuse to put her off.”
“Thanks.”
Mary Vaughn turned to Jeanette. “Do you have a contractor in mind for any renovations once the house is officially yours?”
Jeanette shrugged. “I’m still a little dazed that I actually signed a deal to buy a house today. I suppose I’ll talk to Ronnie. He knows most of the contractors in town.”
“And, of course, she has my promise to help,” Tom added, giving Jeanette a meaningful look.
“I thought I’d declined your offer,” she said, regarding him with amusement. “It came with too many strings.”
“We can always negotiate,” Tom said. “That could be fun.”
Mary Vaughn sat back, barely containing a sigh. Okay, they might not be moving in together, but there was definitely something there. She was practically being singed by the sizzle in the air.
What was wrong with her? She was much more suited to a man like Tom McDonald than Jeanette was. She understood style. She had money and social graces. She’d worked hard to create a polished, well-educated, successful life so she would never be trapped in a lousy marriage as her mother had been. She’d been determined to have options. Sonny might not have been her first choice, but he’d been a decent guy from a good family. He’d adored her, and yet he’d left her. In some ways, that had been harder to take than losing Ronnie Sullivan the first time.
Obviously she had some kind of fatal flaw when it came to men, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what it was. Was she too aggressive, too self-confident, too independent? Or was it the exact opposite? Was she too needy?
Ironically she’d always been so focused on her relationships with men that she’d done little to cultivate friendships with women, so there was no one she could ask where she was going wrong. Up until today, she would have considered asking Jeanette, but that was out of the question now. It would be too humiliating to ask the woman Tom was clearly infatuated with.
One of these days, though, she needed to figure it out, because she was tired of going home alone at the end of the day. All the money and success in the world couldn’t compensate for having no one special in her life beyond a daughter who was mad at her half the time. She took one more sip of champagne, then cut herself off. The last thing she needed was alcohol to deepen the funk she was already in. The only thing less attractive than a sore loser was one who was throwing herself a pity party.
Mary Vaughn was not going to be that woman. She was a survivor, dammit! No matter what else happened, she wouldn’t ever let herself forget that.
Jeanette, Tom and Mary Vaughn were just finishing up a shared slice of chocolate-decadence cake, when Helen and Maddie arrived, along with their husbands and kids. At the same time, Dana Sue emerged from the kitchen with another bottle of champagne, a bottle of sparkling cider for the kids and glasses for everyone. Erik and Karen were on her heels. Elliot arrived just minutes later with Karen’s kids.
“What’s going on?” Jeanette asked, staring at them in amazement. “What are you doing here?”
“You bought a house!” Maddie exclaimed. “That deserves a celebration. Not just for you, but for us. It means you won’t be leaving us.”
“How did you know about the house?” Jeanette asked.
“Did you really think Dana Sue wouldn’t call us the second you told her about making an offer that Nancy Yates accepted?” Helen scoffed. “She, Maddie and I have been terrified you’d pack it in one of these days and leave Serenity. After all, you’ve lived in Charleston and even Paris. We figured Serenity couldn’t keep you forever.”
“Still, it’s not as if anything’s final,” Jeanette protested.
“I haven’t even applied for the loan yet. I can’t do that until Monday.”
“Oh, please, you’ll get the loan,” Helen said. “Just use all of us as references. I’m telling you, it’s a done deal.”
“So, this definitely qualifies as big news,” Dana Sue said in her own defense. “It’s something you share with friends.” The last was said with a look at Mary Vaughn that came very close to suggesting she was an unwelcome interloper. Jeanette saw the quick flash of hurt in Mary Vaughn’s eyes, but doubted anyone else did—she’d covered it too quickly. In an instant, the Realtor was on her feet, a smile firmly in place.
“I’ll leave you to your celebration,” Mary Vaughn said, reaching for her purse.
“No,” Jeanette said, sending a warning look toward Dana Sue. “You have to stay. At least for one glass of champagne.”
“I don’t know,” Mary Vaughn said, glancing warily at Dana Sue.
“Stay,” Dana Sue said, clearly taking her cue from Jeanette. The single word might not have been uttered with much warmth or graciousness, but it was enough to have Mary Vaughn sitting down again, albeit on the edge of her chair, clearly prepared to flee.
Most of the other diners had left, so Ronnie helped Dana Sue pull some tables together. Maddie’s Kyle and Katie were instructed to keep Jessica Lynn and Karen’s son and daughter from destroying the place, while the babies slept quietly in their carriers.
“Okay, tell us how this happened,” Maddie instructed Jeanette. “I had no idea you were even looking at houses.”
“I wasn’t,” Jeanette admitted. “Tom was. I went along with him after work today. I stole this one right out from under his nose.”
“Broke my heart, too,” he claimed with a heavy sigh. “I loved this house.”
Jeanette frowned at him. “Oh, you did not. I saw the expression on your face when you saw all that chintz in the living room.”
He grinned. “Well, all those flowers were a little overwhelming, but the furniture’s going.” He turned to Mary Vaughn. “It is going, isn’t it?”
“What difference does it make to you?” Jeanette inquired. “You’re not the one who has to live with it.”
“Hey,” he protested. “I thought we had a deal.”
Helen regarded him with a withering look. “What deal?”
She turned to Jeanette. “Tell me you did not make some kind of deal with him without letting me look over the paperwork. I’m still a little miffed that you didn’t discuss the contract for the house with me before you signed it.”
“I had to act quickly to get the house,” Jeanette told her.
“There was another bidder. You can handle the closing for me, I promise. In fact, you can handle every detail from now on. I’m clueless about this kind of thing.”
“But what about this deal Tom mentioned?” Helen persisted. “What’s that about?”
Jeanette scowled at him. “He thinks he’s being amusing. He got some crazy idea about renting a room from me in exchange for his help with some of the renovations.”
“It’s a good deal,” Tom insisted.
Ronnie regarded him with amusement and maybe just a hint of admiration for his ingenuity. “Nice plan, but I have to ask. Do you know one end of a hammer from another?”
“I have plenty of skills that are useful around the house,” Tom said.
“But do any of them have anything to do with renovations?” Cal asked, then got a sharp nudge in the ribs from Maddie. He frowned at her. “Hey, what did I do?”
“You’re embarrassing Tom and Jeanette,” Maddie told him.
“It was a fair question,” he protested, looking to Ronnie, Elliot and Erik for support. “Wasn’t it fair?”
“Definitely fair,” Ronnie agreed. “Just not smart.”
Tom turned to Ronnie. “You can check me out yourself. Turn me loose with a few tools.”
Jeanette rolled her eyes. “I don’t care if you receive a stamp of approval from these guys and show me a diploma from trade school, you are not moving in with me. I intend to hire a qualified contractor. Ronnie, can you recommend someone?”
“You name the time and I’ll look over what you need done and help you find the right guy,” Ronnie told her.
“Traitor,” Tom murmured.
Ronnie grinned. “I go home with one of these women. When push comes to shove, I take my cues from them.”
“Whatever happened to men sticking together?” Tom lamented.
“Obviously those men are not married to Sweet Magnolias,” Cal said, still rubbing his side where Maddie had poked him.
Jeanette glanced at Mary Vaughn during this exchange and saw the wistful look in her eyes. For once it didn’t seem to be directed toward Ronnie in particular, but rather the whole group. She was glad she’d included her. This wasn’t the first time she’d sensed that despite her success, Mary Vaughn was lonely. Jeanette had a feeling she wanted desperately to be included, but didn’t know how, especially with her history with Dana Sue and Ronnie. Jeanette looked around at those gathered. “This is so nice of you guys. I think one of the things I like most about living in Serenity is that I found such good friends here. It’s like being surrounded by family.”
“Family isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be,” Mary Vaughn said bitterly, then looked surprised and embarrassed at having spoken.
“Amen to that,” Tom said, giving her a commiserating look. “What is it they say? You get to choose your friends, not your family.”
“Which is exactly why I count myself lucky to have found all of you,” Jeanette said. “I think we should have another toast, this time to friendship.”
“I can certainly drink to that,” Maddie said.
“Absolutely,” Helen chimed in, as did Dana Sue, Karen and even the men.
Karen’s eyes were misty. “I can testify to how important all of you are in my life. You turned it around.” Her gaze held Elliot’s. “You and Elliot, of course.”
“Of course,” Maddie said dryly. “Have you two set a wedding date yet?”
“I’m pushing for an elopement,” Elliot said. “But Karen and my family seem to have their hearts set on a huge church ceremony. For that we have to wait until Karen’s annulment comes through. The priest says that could take a few more months. I’m trying to be patient.”
“Which is not his strength,” Karen said, linking her fingers through his. “But I want to do everything right this time. It’s going to last forever.”
Jeanette barely contained a sigh. Watching the romance blossom between those two had been amazing. Elliot had been fully committed practically from their first meeting, but Karen’s past with a man who’d abandoned her and their children, along with Elliot’s family’s disapproval of him marrying a divorced woman had complicated the situation.
But he’d remained steadfast despite the obstacles. They were finally finding the happiness they both deserved. As if he sensed Jeanette’s envy, Tom reached for her hand beneath the table and gave it a squeeze. She looked into his eyes and saw a depth of understanding there that sent another jolt of electricity through her. She jerked away in dismay. It was the second time he’d made her feel this way, all warm and fuzzy inside. Attraction was one thing, but she could not be falling for him, not even a little bit. She wouldn’t allow it. Despite his flirting, despite the undeniable sizzle between them—or maybe because of them—she couldn’t trust him or herself.
It didn’t matter how well he fit in with her friends. It didn’t matter that he was sensitive and kind. All that mattered was that eventually he would choose his career over her and leave. He’d said so himself.
As if he sensed that her withdrawal ran deeper than removing her hand from his, he met her gaze. “Everything okay?”
Jeanette forced a smile. “Just a close call,” she said. “But I’m fine now.”
“Am I supposed to know what that means?”
She shook her head, then got to her feet. “Thank you all so much for coming here tonight,” she said, deliberately avoiding Tom’s gaze. “I think I’ve hit a wall. I’m exhausted. Mary Vaughn, how about it? Can you give me a lift home?”
Tom frowned. “I can drive you.”
To Jeanette’s relief Mary Vaughn was immediately on her feet. “I’ll do it. We can go over a few things on the way, okay, Jeanette?”
“Sure. Good night, everyone.”
She all but raced out of Sullivan’s and beat Mary Vaughn to her car by a full minute.
“Want to tell me what that was about?” Mary Vaughn asked as she unlocked the car.
Jeanette shook her head.
“There are a whole bunch of people in there who would have been happy to drive you home. Why me?”
“Because I thought you might be the only one who wouldn’t have a million questions,” Jeanette said ruefully.
“Was I wrong?”
Mary Vaughn chuckled. “Oh, I have questions,” she said.
“But I can keep them to myself.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Jeanette said, leaning back against the seat with a sigh. “By the way, how are you doing? That wasn’t too uncomfortable for you, was it? Not just dinner, but the whole evening?”
“Actually it wasn’t half as awful as I was anticipating,”
Mary Vaughn said. “Do you know how lucky you are to have friends like that?”
Jeanette nodded. “I do. I thank God for them every single day.”
As they pulled up in front of her small apartment complex, which Mary Vaughn had visited once before to pick up an order of skin cream after spa hours, she turned to face Jeanette. “Do you think…could we maybe grab lunch sometime? Or go to a movie? I know it probably seems weird since you know I was interested in Tom, but that ship has clearly sailed. I just want you to know there are no hard feelings. I’d like us to be friends, at least if won’t put you in an awkward position with Dana Sue and the others.”
Jeanette remembered the wistful expression in Mary Vaughn’s eyes earlier. She understood loneliness all too well. “I can’t imagine they’d object to us having lunch sometime. I don’t have my schedule in my purse. Why don’t we set it up next time you come into the spa.”
“That would be great,” Mary Vaughn said. “Thanks for the sale today. If you have any questions when you go to the bank for the loan, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the spa later in the week. And I’ll do everything I can to push this paperwork through so you can close on the house as soon as possible.”
Impulsively, Jeanette leaned across and gave her a quick hug. “Good night. See you soon.”
The faint sheen of tears she spotted in Mary Vaughn’s eyes caught her off guard. It told her she’d done exactly the right thing by including her tonight. Underneath all her polish, beneath her aggressive attempts to go after whatever she wanted with single-minded determination, Jeanette sensed that Mary Vaughn had as many insecurities as the rest of them. It was something she never would have guessed before tonight.