“I see. Well, if you’re still here next week, we need more volunteers for the fundraiser for the town park. You should sign up.” Eleanor stood, placed some bills on the table, and turned to leave.
“Nice seeing you,” Maxine said, trying her best to feel like Eleanor wasn’t judging her. Though really, the womanhadbeen judging her. But then, that was nothing new. Eleanor judged everyone and found most people lacking. Not up to the Whitmore standings. When she and Beverly were teenagers, it used to scare her when Miss Eleanor would pin her with one of her looks. But now? It kind of just annoyed her. Pretty much so. She did admit a moment of panic when Eleanor had given her the once-over glance.
Eleanor swept out of the coffee shop, and Maxine let out a long breath. Beverly laughed. “Miss Eleanor will never change. And don’t worry. She just had me apologizing, too. She always seems to reduce me to some clueless teenager when she speaks to me.” Beverly’s eyes twinkled. “Come on, let’s get you some breakfast. On the house.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s not often my best friend comes for a visit.”
Guilt swept through her. She’d have to tell Beverly the truth. And soon. She just dreaded what her friend would think of her when she heard why she’d returned.
“Take a seat, and I’ll bring us out coffee. Janine can finish up the breakfast crowd.” Beverly sighed. “If she doesn’t end up dropping someone’s breakfast.”
Maxine settled into a seat at the nearest table—but not Miss Eleanor’s, even though she was gone. No use tempting fate.
Beverly returned with two muffins and coffee and sat across from her. “So, what are your plans while you’re here? I took tomorrow off if you want to go to the beach. Or do you still like to go antiquing? There’s that secondhand shop here in town. Second Finds. Lots of things to browse through. And Saturday night there’s a concert at the gazebo if you’re still here. A barbershop quartet. They’re actually pretty good.”
Now was the time to speak up. Tell her. And yet, the words wouldn’t come.
Beverly frowned. “You okay?”
“I am…” She paused and looked directly at Beverly. “No, I’m not.”
The wrinkles in Beverly’s brow deepened. “What’s wrong?”
“I… I have to tell you the truth.”
“You can tell me anything. You know that.” Beverly reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing it. “Just… tell me.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “I… Well, actually… Victor. Victor divorced me.”
Beverly's eyes widened. “He did? When?”
She looked down at the table and fiddled with the spoon next to her coffee cup before looking back up. “A couple of years ago.”
Beverly sat back in her chair. “A couple of years? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because… I just felt like such a failure. I spent all those years trying to be the perfect wife, perfect mother. Then one day he just comes home, packs a suitcase, and says he’s leaving. He found someone new.” She closed her eyes. “And wow, is his new girlfriend a looker. She’s about twenty years younger. Gorgeous. Blonde hair. I swear she’s barely a size two.”
“But why do you feel like a failure if the jerk cheated on you and left you?”
“It’s not just that.”
“Go on. Tell me.” Beverly encouraged her with a nod.
“The divorce settlement didn’t go well. I got the house and not much else. But then, I couldn’t really afford that big house. I got a job, of course. But, then… I lost it. And then got another job and lost that one, too. Then it was hard to find another one. I ended up selling the house and moved into this tiny one-room apartment. My kids look at me like I’m this big failure. And I just… I just up and packed up my things and headed back here to Magnolia.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all this while you were going through it? I could have…” Beverly shrugged. “I don’t know what I could have done, but I would have been there to support you.”
“I just thought I could sort it out. Stand on my own two feet. Get a job. Support myself. But nothing worked out like I hoped.”
“I’m glad you came back here. It’s where you belong. Magnolia Key is your home.”
“Is it? It doesn’t really feel that way anymore.”
Beverly nodded vigorously. “Yes, it is your home. And we’re going to sort all this out. I promise. Sometimes you have to do some searching to find out where you belong. And I truly believe you belong here in Magnolia now.”
“Maybe.” She still wasn’t certain of that. “But first of all, I need a job. I don’t really have much savings.”
