Chapter One
Aunt Cathy shooed awaythe apple puff-pastry I offered her. The one item that used to be her food kryptonite before she found a new man, new diet, new life. “Avery Dixon, you listen to me, child. You are not meant to remain here and work your sister’s bakeryforever.”
“I’m not,” I sighed with ahurmphfor extra emphasis on the end. Avoiding eye contact, I focused on the perfect silver-and-pink wallpaper that whispered southernly sweet. “If you’d let me finish before you rolled me in your sticky dough of condescension and baked me in your over controlling-auntoven…”
Cathy leaned away a smidgen and lifted her chin like a true Southern belle. “Fine, go ahead. I’ll listen. I’m a reasonablewoman.”
It took everything I had not to fall on the newly constructed Sassy, Sweet, & Southern bakery floor doubled over in laughter. Cathy was many things… Reasonable was not top of the list. “I’ve found my own purpose inlife.”
Sadie came out from the back kitchen with a tray full of Cath-oodles, Magnolia Corners’ favorite new go-to treat since the cookies won first place at the Magnolias and Moonshine fair last year. “You know what you want todo?”
Great. Not only was I facing overbearing aunt-itis, but now I had monumental meddling from my eldest sister added to my diagnosis. I peered into the kitchen to see Zoey happily cutting summer-shaped cookies. It was great to have her home on summer break, but I hoped she remained in the kitchen. One sister was enough to deal with at a time. “Yes. It’s perfect for me, too. And you’ll be happy, Sadie. I’ll be remaining incollege.”
“Really?” Sadie squealed at my news. After a second, she cleared her throat and did her It’s-okay-I’m-cool impersonation. She set the tray on the counter, opened the bakery case window, and slid it into its display home. “I mean, that’s great if it’s what you want todo.”
Even Cathy joined in the eye roll. “Please, Avery,continue.”
Aunt Cathy really had changed since marrying Devon West. Of course, every so often Mrs. Mitchell would pop through her Mrs. Westfaçade.
I took a deep breath, not sure why my skin heated. I hadn’t been working in the kitchen this morning, so I couldn’t blame the oven. “I’m going to school to be a socialworker.”
Silence.
Moresilence.
The only thing filling the room was the smell of cinnamon and chocolate and fear. My fear. I had waited until the week I was signing up for classes before I said anything. I knew it wouldn’t be well received. Not when Sadie had practically bought me an airline ticket to the farthest destination from Georgia. The girl married into money, and she thought she could throw it at me to get me out oftown.
I wasn’t that easily bought. She meant well—everything she did was out of misguided sister-turned-instamom love. Of course, I’d never made it easy on her, being the troublemaker in the family. How many times did she have to bail me out of trouble with teachers or the law when I was in my unrulyadolescence?
“That’s nice, dear,” Aunt Cathy managed with her twisting-mouth-disapprovallook.
Sadie straightened and removed her rag from her apron pocket to wipe the spotless counter. “Right, um…that’s great news. I’m happy foryou.”
“Thanks.” I eyed them both and figured I might as well rip the last of the duct tape off that was holding us all to southern manners. “I plan to remain here and work while going to school and then get a job with the county. Sadie is working on expansions on the north side of town, so I can help her run the one in Magnolia Corners while I takeclasses.”
“What? You don’t even like living here. Why would you do that?” Sadie paced around the table, wiping the top with such aggression she was lucky it couldn’t charge her with assault. “As a kid, you dreamed of a big life, full of adventure, but you broke, and you're hiding here in Magnolia Corners. All those pictures you had on your dream board of the Arch de Triumph, Coliseum, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, and things I don’t even know what they are. It's time for you to let go of this place. As for my business, I will hire a manager for the bakeryhere.”
Sadie had always looked out for me. Even now when she needed help, she didn’t want to burden me, but I owed her so much. She’d sacrificed her own education, dates, and sanity raising me, and I hadn’t made it easy on her. It was time I paid her back for everything she’d done forme.
I opened my mouth, but before I could get another word in, Mrs. Mitchell reared up and attacked. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was Halloween instead of summer with the scary look she gave me. “You listen to me, child. I know you don’t want to live here. Since you were a little girl you dreamed of seeing the world. Sadie is married and has Ashton now. You don’t have to stay forher.”
I looked at the hot-pink sign on the wall behind Aunt Cathy thatread:
Sweet people come andstay.
Southern peopleenter with asmile.
Sassy people sit andsquabble.
Snooty people will be shot onsight.
A gift from Ashton after his mother visited the bakery the first time and criticized Sadie intotears.
“Avery, please.” Sadie pleaded not only with her words but her big-sister eyes. “I love you, and I want whatever you want, but I know you don’t want this. It isn’t…you.”
“What? You don’t think I’m nice enough to be a social worker? You think that is more of a Zoey job? I know you think I’m selfish andstubborn—”
“Stubborn yes, selfish no.” Aunt Cathy approached, but Sadie cut heroff.
