“Is that why my brother is with her? Holy shit.” I jumped up and paced around the room. I was going to murder my brother first, then my father. I would spare my mother, only because I had a feeling she had been strong-armed into this.?
“I’ve known Dane forever, much like you obviously, and does this really all seem so out of pocket for him? I mean, come on now.” Sutton paused and bit her bottom lip, debating what to say next. “Before this whole grabby-ass incident, when they were together, it was kind of nice… I don’t know, like the nostalgia of having most of our group back together or something. But that’s why he’s pushing the move in and the engagement. If he has that control over her and she sees what kind of life she can have, she won’t care about losing all of this.”?
I sat back down next to Sutton. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I couldn’t believe that, in almost twenty years, the trust between Sutton and Magnolia was about to be broken because of my greedy family. I couldn’t let it happen.?
“We’ll think of something, don’t worry. I’m going to fix this, but for now, let’s keep it between us until I can figure out a plan. And Sutton, she’s your best friend. She’ll understand you needed to do this to protect yourself, but I can’t promise you won’t hear an earful from her.” I grabbed her hands again, and as soon as I did, Ryan flung open the door, with Janelle right behind him.?
“Holy! Shit!” Janelle screamed, throwing her hands up to her face. Ryan let out a weird, bellowed growl at seeing Sutton half-dressed.?
“Oh, God. This is innoway how it looks, Janelle…” I started, but Sutton had gotten up and crossed the room, extending her hand for Janelle to take and shake it.?
“Shake my hand, Janelle. I’m not the enemy. This guy, right here, is one of my oldest friends in the world, and I am goingthroughit right now. Like more than you could know. Your boyfriend is the nicest person on the planet. He’s my family.” She looked down at herself and sniffled. “It looks bizarre because I’m not wearing a shirt, but if you stick around long enough, this will be the least weird thing you see in Savannah.”?
Janelle and Ryan stared at Sutton with their mouths hanging open.
She wiped the streaky mascara off of her cheeks and turned to me. “I’m going to go get clothed. I’ll keep our conversation between us, and so help me God, let’s go save this bar.”?
She shut the door to the green room, and I heard gasps as she walked through the bar and, presumably, up the backstairs to Maggie’s apartment to make herself decent.?
“So, that wasn’t her? That wasn’t Magnolia?” Janelle crossed the room and stood next to me, grabbing my hand as a way to tell me that she believed Sutton and that she was somewhat fine with what she walked in on.?
“No. I’m Magnolia,” the tall, intimidating redhead said from the doorway. She walked over to Janelle, and instead of shaking her hand, she opened herarms for a hug. “And it’s really wonderful to finally meet you. We’ve all heard so many wonderful things about you.”?
I watched Maggie and Janelle embrace, and my heart skipped. One was here out of contractual duty, and the other was here out of loyalty. The difference between them was not lost on me.?
“Let’s go get this party started,” Maggie said, offering me a small, sympathetic smile over Janelle’s shoulder. “I’m sure y’all could use a drink anyway. I know I sure could.”?
Janelle and Ryan walked into the bar, and Maggie lingered behind, opening the door to her office and pretending to busy herself at her desk. I leaned on the doorframe and watched her for a minute.?
When she finally looked up, she gave me a half grin. “Don’t suppose you want to tell me what that was about?”?
“It’s not my story to tell, Maggie. She’ll talk to you when she’s ready.”?
I knew she hated this. I knew how sad she was that something could have potentially come between her and Sutton. Since the day they’d met, as different as they were, they’d been joined at the hip. They were sisters.?
As much as it hurt me to keep my mouth shut, I had to protect what Sutton had told me until I could figure out how to wreck the plans my brother and father had and gather up some concrete evidence. More importantly, I didn’t want to break Sutton’s trust when I was finally getting back into the fold.?
But what about Magnolia’s trust??
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. “I feel like the second you landed in Savannah, everything’s been kind of off for us. We used to be able to tell each other anything. And if we couldn’t say it, the other just… knew. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like there’s been a glitch in the Matrix or something.”?
I knew what it was, but I wasn’t going to tell her. She couldn’t see that the spark between us was growing into a flame, but she would soon enough.?
“We’re all just getting used to each other again, that’s all. Now let’s go do this show and make us some money. What do you say?”?
Chapter twenty-four
MAGNOLIA
The bar was alive with the murmur of voices, the clinking of glasses, and the soft thrum of the music from the stage. Lee and Ryan were deep in sound check, adjusting the mic levels as the first wave of people trickled in, slowly filling the room. Each footstep, each laugh, seemed to raise the anticipation, a slow tide inching closer. My fingers tightened around the edge of the counter as I watched the room fill, trying to keep my breathing steady.
Charlie and Doyle had slipped behind the bar, their presence a welcome relief as they helped Kasey and me keep up with the constant flow of orders. But the weight of the crowd still pressed in, each new face adding another layer of pressure.
Sutton eventually made her way back down the stairs, looking a little less sullen and a little more clothed. Whatever was happening inside her, I knew she wasn’t ready to share. I glanced at her, a knot tightening in my chest. The thought of her carrying something heavy without being able to open up made my heart ache, but I swallowed it down, knowing that would be her choice, not mine.
I made her one of her favorite cocktails and had Charlie deliver it. She was sitting in a corner with Jordan and when she took a sip, she lifted her glass and mouthed “I love you,” tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.?
Since Lee came home, everything had shifted for our friend group. His return really shook things up, but not all of it was negative. For the first time since I was a kid, the bar was almost at max capacity. Every time the cash register opened, my heart soared.?
