“Well, I know Max and Zane and now Bliss,” I say quietly.
She looks at me with a soft smile. “I’m not trying to talk you out of it. I’m just curious, I guess, on why you would be interested in moving here.”
I could come up with some quick answer, but I like this lady, and I’d rather get her opinion on it, coming from someone who lives in a small town and is moving to another small town.
“I wish that I had a really good answer for that, but I don’t think I do. I thought I would be married and have a family of my own by now, and that just hasn’t happened, and I feel like I’ve been living my life in limbo. I’ve always wanted to enjoy the rest of my life. I’m ready to settle down. I guess I need to move on with my life and stop waiting for Mr. Perfect to show up because I’m holding my own hopes and dreams on pause. I think I’ve bought into a true-love story a little too hard. And it might make me the most basic person ever, but I want to run a bakery, find love, and have a family. It’s the most embarrassing cliché, I know.”
“It is absolutely not embarrassing,” Natalie says sharply. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things. I can say for a fact that finding love and having a family are some of the best things you can do in life. I had a husband I loved more than anything, and I have a son who is the center of my world. We live in a world where people tell others what they should do with their lives because they’re not happy with their own.”
She pauses to catch her breath, then continues, “But if you can learn to ignore those voices…you’ll find that there is so much joy in the life meant for you.”
“Do you normally try to make people cry so early in the morning?” I ask as I swipe at my misting eyes.
She laughs with me. “You are a person, too, and I think that in pursuing things you love and enjoy, you will end up finding someone you can spend your happily ever after with. And if you enjoy small towns, then Pine Ridge is a great place for you. And I don’t know about Mr. Perfect, but I know Nash likes you a lot, Magnolia.”
That brings a sad smile to my face. I tell her, “He might, but I don’t think that’s enough for him. I’ve made mistakesin the past, waiting for people to decide what they want, and I’ve made decisions based on that as well, and I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Natalie nods emphatically. “I think you’re on to something, and I hope this building works out for you. Besides, if it works out to start your bakery, distillery, or whichever it is here, you’ll also know me in town,” she says, smiling.
“Thank you. I like knowing I’ll have another friend here.” It’s unfortunate that I’m falling in love with her only son.
CHAPTER 31
Nash
“I always thoughtyou were a pretty bright guy. But last night, I realized you weren’t,” Max declares as we each throw another haybale in the loft.
It’s a small loafing shed with a loft that can hold only a couple tons of hay, but it’s nice to be able to feed some late fall pairs here over the winter.
“And what made you think I wasn’t smart?” I ask as I toss another bale up to him from the back of the pickup.
“You hurt Magnolia’s feelings.”
“Oh, so now I’m going to get relationship advice from you?” I snort as I toss the next bale extra hard. It hits him in the legs, nearly knocking him over.
“I see I hit a sore spot,” Max crows.
“I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I just…” I trail off, not sure what to say.
We work in silence for a few minutes.
“I really like her,” I confess.
“Oh, wow. It’s gotten that serious?” Max says dryly. “I really like Magnolia. Surely, you can do better than that.”
It’s the worst, working with your best friend.
“Fine. It’s even worse than that. I love her.”
“Oh, that sounds terrible. How could you do something so horrible?” Max pauses to wipe the sweat from his brow.
“I haven’t even known her an entire month, and I love her. Don’t you understand? What if I’m making a mistake?”
“So you got engaged to someone who liked money more than you. Everybody has to have one big relationship fail.”
“Not everybody.”
“Well, not me, obviously.” Max laughs.
