She sniffed back an onslaught of tears, clenching her jaw and swinging the car door open. Will was still talking to Winter, and she wasn’t going to bug him in the middle of his goodbyes, but she was ready to get out of there. She’d allow herself the drive home to go through the five stages of grief, but then she was going to get over it. She was going to find ways to live life without constantly searching for a man.
Her rear hit the seat harder than she intended, sending a sharp pain up her spine as she slammed the door shut. She crossed her arms, huffing and puffing, trying hard not to cry. “Have a good life…” she muttered. After all that, she was still just another friend in a slew of forgetful friendships.
She looked over to the mansion, Will still saying his goodbyes. With the way Winter looked at him, and the one-eighty mood he’d pulled this week, Maybelle had no doubts that he’d found his match. She’d probably be happier about it if she wasn’t having a moment. She’d tease him about it later.
A flash of movement behind Winter tore her eyes away from her brother and to the tall, dark, and handsome man who’d finally appeared. Michael descended the stairs slowly, his eyes searching, his hands finding his pockets.
There was a man who had no issues telling a person how he felt. There was a man who’d found happiness without a partner—independent, passionate, fun… and he’d made it no secret that he liked her.
She tilted her head, mind reeling, confusion pulsing through her heart. If Eros existed in the walls of Frostville, he certainly had a favorite choice for her, but there was something missing between them—something she wasn’t sure she’d made up in her head because of Garreth.
His eyes caught hers, and a slow smile spread across his face. He stopped in his tracks, ducking a bit to see her face fully. His hand slipped from his pocket and waved. Maybelle searched deep in her soul, trying hard to erase the possibility of Garreth from her mind. Garreth wasn’t a possibility; he’d made that very clear.
The sound of the driver door jolted her from Michael’s stare, and she composed herself as Will buckled in.
“You ready?” he asked, his voice thicker than normal. She imagined he wanted to get out of there before he started crying—something she’d only seen him do once in his adult life.
Her eyes darted past her brother and to Michael once more, and she offered him up a returning wave.
“Yeah,” she said, pulling her seatbelt over her. “I’m ready.”
Maybelle flopped into her momma’s desk chair, clicking the on button on the ancient desktop—the only thing hooked up to her equally old printer. She’d had a two-day drive to go through those five stages of losing Garreth, but she was still stuck on the first, and it had been nearly a week. It was time to stop checking her social profiles in hopes that he’d friend her somewhere and start doing what she needed to.
After the thing booted up, she clicked on the browser and searched for schools near the mansion. Unlike Maybelle, Will had better luck with getting Winter’s number, and she may have taken advantage of that communication line, often snagging his phone while he was deep in text conversations and asking Winter various job questions.
The offer was legitimate, and Maybelle squealed her first genuine squeal in days when she gave her a starting date, along with a free room at the mansion. With the money she’d be making over the six weeks, she’d have enough to go back to school and get her license, something she’d been putting off for way too long.
As she searched for beauty schools, her phone buzzed across the desktop. She was so deep in her search she didn’t look at the notifications for a good twenty minutes.
Garreth Burk wants to connect
Her stomach leaped into her throat. Of course the moment she stopped obsessing, it happened for her.
It was one of her many dating apps, but she’d changed the location when Michigan became a sure thing. Of all the places to contact her… She let out a laugh, excitement bubbling up through her chest as she accepted the invitation. When he didn’t message right away, she figured it had taken her too long to respond and he was off doing other things. She tried not to get impatient, setting her phone down and going back to school research.
After printing off a few application guidelines so she could read over them in her comfy bed later, the door swung open, slamming against the door stopper and nearly toppling Maybelle off the office chair.
“Good gracious, Will!” she gasped, half laughing as her brother tripped over himself, rushing around the room in search of who knew what. “Where’s the fire?”
“I’m gonna do it,” he said, flipping through a stack of papers on the desk and coming up with the Frostville pamphlet. “I’m going back for her.”
Maybelle jerked back. “What?”
“You were right, a’right? Yesterday.”
She ran through their conversation, only remembering something about his grump mood again. She basically told him to stop it; he’d at least gotten her number. He’d been talking with Winter every day, every night, every minute! While Garreth had been completely silent… until today.
“Wait… are you goin’ to Frostville?”
He nodded, rushing from the room. She quickly followed him, suppressing a grin at his frazzled pacing. “That’s gonna take you two more days…”
“I’m flying. Plane leaves in an hour.”
He was flying? Maybelle grabbed onto the wall to keep from falling over. Wow, Winter really did have a hold on him, and she prayed with all her might that Winter reciprocated those feelings.
She gathered herself and helped him get a few things together, using a much calmer approach. Luckily Will kept a few clothes and toiletries at Momma’s house. “Ya got a ride?”
He shook his head. “Was just gonna leave my car…”
“Stop it. I’ll drop ya off.” She smiled, and he returned it, gratitude somewhere in the urgency in his eyes. She got him packed and ready to go, using only a small duffel bag and making sure he had a razor. The lack of beard was doing wonders for him.
“Okay, let’s get you your woman!” she hollered, making him turn crimson and pinch her elbow. They buckled in and she took off, her crazy driving habits helping their plight. It wasn’t until Will got out and rushed into ticket check in that Maybelle realized she’d left her phone back at home. She hoped there’d be a message there for her, but she promised herself that if there wasn’t, she wouldn’t be upset about it. No, she had things to look forward to, and she wasn’t going to wait around to be happy anymore.
Maybelle had thought the few days without Will and Momma would be a bit lonely, but it’d been perfect. She’d spent most of her time online shopping for warmer outfits and footwear, checking out Michigan hot spots—Frostville was up there on that list—and jotting down numbers for rentals in her price range. She’d used up nearly all her savings on the plane ticket and new wardrobe, but she had plans now. A future ahead of her. Without a man.
And she couldn’t wait.
She rocked on the swing on the porch, the steady creaking of the old chains accompanying her peace. Her phone still remained message free, but that was her own dumb fault. She’d forgotten the app was one of the few that required the woman to make the first move. By the time she’d realized this she was so in her own head that she couldn’t think of the perfect thing to say to him. She’d typed about a hundred openers, but all had been erased. A more romantic gesture would be exactly what Will was doing—flying hundreds of miles just to tell Winter he loved her. If only she had that arrow in her quiver.
No… she couldn’t do that, but she would think of something. Her thoughts had been consumed with him and her future, back and forth like they were on a loop. There were moments when he was part of her future plans, but she would shake herself out of it. Only things you can control, Maybelle.
A silver car she didn’t recognize turned onto her quiet street, screeching to a halt in front of her house. She raised her brows, wondering if Will had surprisingly gotten an Uber,
but it wasn’t him who popped from the front seat.
“Hi,” he said, his breath labored, like he’d run all the way to Alabama instead of driven. The front door shut, the sound echoing down the almost empty street. Mrs. Stansbury watched from across the street, watering her flowers, eyes glued to the tall glass of water that had just pulled up. Maybelle’s feet dragged across the rough wood of her patio, putting a stop to the swing.
“H-hi,” she said, words escaping her. Thunder clouds formed in her ears, pounding to the beat of her heart.
A half grin perked at the corner of his mouth, and he took the steps up to her slowly. “I forgot to tell you something before you left.”
There was a tease in his voice, a playful flirtation that she’d become addicted to during their time at the mansion. But there was something louder plaguing her—a booming voice that told her not to be overcome. She’d pictured this moment a million times with other men, men who’d never come knocking at her door, never driven hundreds of miles to tell her something. She could hear the words on his lips before they came out, words she’d hoped to hear from anyone… anyone… who would take her away from this lonely life and start the one she dreamed of.
But that booming voice inside of her… was disappointed.
Michael knelt in front of her, his height keeping him at eye level with her in the swing. His smile was friendly, loving, and an ache rose in her belly.
“Gosh, you’re gorgeous,” he said in reverence, like he always had with her. The smooth words were easy for him, so natural, but Maybelle had to think of a time when he’d called her something other than gorgeous. Garreth had complimented her spirit, her humor, her noise, and yes… her looks, but they weren’t first.
She never realized how important those compliments were until then.
Her teeth snaked out over her bottom lip and pulled. “What are ya doin’ here?”
Michael took a deep breath, easily reaching for her hand. “I’m out of my dang mind,” he said with a laugh, which she joined him in, but it felt hollow and forced in her throat. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Maybelle.”
Oh how she wished she could say the same. Her hand twitched in his, and she dropped her gaze to the cracking wood near his knees.
“You’ll be seein’ more of me than you bargained for soon enough,” she said, going for playfulness.
“So I’ve heard.” He nodded to his car. “Winter can be very chatty on long drives.”
Her brow scrunched. “Winter came with you?”
“And your brother.” He laughed. “Good thing we caught him. She was out the door right as he showed up.”
A hopeful flutter ran under her skin, lightening the tension in the air the slightest bit. “She was coming here?”
He slowly nodded. “She was trying to hitch a ride with me. I ended up chauffeuring those two love birds the whole way.”
A small laugh floated from her mouth. She couldn’t even picture that, but she was more than thrilled to hear everything had ended happy for those two. A romantic gesture like that should be rewarded.
Which only made this so much harder.
Michael squeezed her hand, eyeing it briefly before meeting her gaze again. “I needed to see you. Needed to tell you I’ve fallen for you.” His hand rose to her cheek, and her breath locked away, tears threatening in her eyes. “I’d accepted being alone, enjoying being single, but I don’t want that. I think I’ve found what everyone’s been talking about. Why it’s such a big deal to be with someone.” He inched closer, and a tear streaked down her cheek and soaked into his thumb. His forehead hit hers, and he said the words she’d longed to hear for so long.
“Be with me, Maybelle. Choose me.”
Her body froze, and she wished time would freeze with it so she’d never have to answer his question, never have to admit that he said everything perfect, did everything perfect, and yet it wasn’t enough.
A new wave of understanding washed over her. All those men who’d been honest with her, breaking her heart because of unrequited feelings… Had it been this hard to do it? How did they come up with the words to say?
A tiny voice in her head fought her. This is what you wanted. It was true, and what if the chance never arose with anyone else? What if Michael was hers and she was his, but she was too hung up in her own head to realize? The universe practically threw them together and would continue to do so, now that she was working in the mansion.
This is what you wanted.
She pinched her eyes shut, weaving together a future with Michael. She could be happy. They’d work together, live in the mansion during murder mystery weeks and nearby in a nice little house the rest of the time. They could travel a lot, see the world like Momma was doing. It was a good life, but there was still something missing, something she wasn’t sure she could go without.
This is… not what you wanted.
She felt his breath on her lips, and she let go of his hand, sneaking her fingers up between them.
“Wait…” Her eyes flitted open, meeting his wrinkled brow. “We… I can’t.”
He retreated slowly, her heart pounding heavy and thick for him, for her, for them.
“Why? Is it… is it him?”
She shook her head. It wasn’t Garreth, surprisingly. It was her, what she really wanted. She took his hand, leaning forward, hoping she brought words of comfort in the wake of her rejection.
“Michael… I want kids. I’m not going to change my mind about that, and I don’t want to waste time trying to convince you while you try to convince me. It’ll destroy whatever we build between us.”
He frowned, no rebuttal on his lips. Truthfully, part of her wished he’d say he had changed his mind, but the more rational part knew it wouldn’t happen. It was the missing piece in their infatuation, the thing she hadn’t been able to put her finger on, but now it was so clear.
She sighed, dragging her hands away and back into her lap. “We’ve waited so long to find our person, that elusive ‘one.’ I’m not going to settle for anything less than what I want. And you shouldn’t either.”
He nodded, silence falling over them. She couldn’t believe what she’d just done, that she’d said no to someone she really did care for, to choose herself. It could’ve easily been counted as the most selfish thing she’d done, but at the same time, it was also the most liberating.
After a few moments, he let out a sigh, plucked her hand from her lap, and gave her a sweet kiss to her palm. He left her with a sad smile, climbed into his car, and drove away. Maybelle held her hand to her heart and let silent tears roll down her cheeks and drop onto her chest. How could something so heartbreaking be one of the proudest moments of her life?
“Ya a’right, hunny?” Mrs. Stansbury called out. Maybelle sniffled her tears away and waved.
“I’ll be okay. Thank ya.” She took a deep breath and when she was able to move again, she slid into the house and pulled up a few applications. She would find happiness, her dreams would come true, she could really feel it this time. But that had been the toughest offer to say no to.
“I want one of those chicken ones!” Winter hollered over the noise of Will’s pizza shop. Maybelle laughed from deep her in belly, loving how Winter fit right in Alabama, right into her brother’s life.
Will gave her a flirtatious whistle, then started flailing around the dough, really showing off for his audience. The whole town was buzzing with the newbie in town—the princess who snagged the pizza man. There was a tale of a tall, dark, and handsome knight in shining armor that the spinster turned away, but that didn’t nearly shine as brightly as her brother’s story, and for that, Maybelle was grateful.
“His best is the parmesan breadsticks,” Maybelle told Winter with no need to lean in to be heard. Maybelle’s voice was back home, and everyone in a five mile radius could hear it.
“Ooh, you hear that, babe? I need me some breadsticks!” Winter beamed like a spotlight, everyone loving her, everyone amus
ed by her antics, and everyone—especially Maybelle—listening in to use anything against Will.
“Yeah, babe. Get me a meat lover’s!” Betty called from the back with a hefty laugh. Will probably would’ve grouched about it, but the smile hadn’t left his face since he’d arrived with Winter in tow.
After a few good slices of Will’s chicken and cheese pizza, Winter took a large gulp from her water and leaned in. “So… Michael’s not the one, huh?”
She said it with interest, her eyes concerned and unlike the many townspeople, Maybelle trusted her not to gossip about it.
“I s’pose not.”
“Are you doing okay?”
A smile teased the corner of Maybelle’s mouth, gratitude spreading through her. She thought for sure Winter would be Team Michael, having known him for so long, worked with him… She liked being thought of in the situation, especially since she was the rejecter.
“A’right, I guess. I don’t regret the decision, but it…”
“Yeah,” Winter said, putting a hand up, letting Maybelle know she didn’t have to finish that sentence. A few seconds ticked by and then Winter let out a solitary laugh.
“What?” Maybelle asked.
“Oh, I was debating on letting you in on a secret, but I figure Will probably will tell you anyway, right?”
“I think you have more faith in our relationship than you should,” Maybelle joked. Winter covered a laugh and took another gulp of water.
“Okay… I’m hyped up on carbs and really happy right now, so I’m going to tell you.”
Maybelle clapped her hands and scooted in closer, eager to hear something good. Winter met her halfway, lowering her voice.
“I’m Cupid.”
Maybelle blinked. “Huh?”