Christmas in Magnolia Cove Read online

  A part of her had known, looking back, that something was wrong with Connor. She tried to ignore it, chalking it up to pre-wedding jitters. Still, she had no idea that he was cheating on her. She never would have thought Connor to be that type of man. Her heart ached to think about seeing another woman in her bed, on top of her fiancé. She felt nauseous when she thought about the dreams she thought they had together. About kids and a new house with a big front porch and the typical white picket fence.

  Madison walked to her window and looked out at the rolling hills of her family’s farm. The leaves were changing into beautiful shades of orange and yellow. The old was dying away, and the new would appear like clockwork come spring. In a way, coming back to Magnolia Cove felt like she was letting go of the old and preparing herself for a new phase in her life. Even though it had not been her first choice, she had to embrace whatever life was going to throw at her next.

  Chapter 3

  When dinner rolled around, Madison went downstairs to see if she could help with anything. Her mother stood behind the old, antique stove that had been in her home since she could remember. It was still bright white like the day she left home. Her mother was an immaculate house cleaner, even though Madison had always been a pack rat.

  “What’s for dinner, Mom?” Madison asked as she walked up behind her. Her mother was a petite woman with bobbed off strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes.

  “Well, we have roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits,” her mother said as she pointed to each pot in front of her.

  “Yum. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real homecooked meal,” Madison said licking her lips. Memories of a childhood filled with big family dinners, the world’s best country fried steak and homemade pound cakes danced in her head.

  “Honey, you could have come home any time you wanted and had a homecooked meal,” her mother said in that tone that only mothers have.

  “I know, Mom… I just couldn’t.”

  “Why not, Madison? I never understood why you didn’t come home more. You skipped Thanksgiving last year, and you barely stayed two hours on Christmas.”

  “My life is in Atlanta. It’s where I feel safe. This place was not always safe for me, Mom,” Madison was sorry she said it the moment it left her mouth.

  “Not safe? Here? What on Earth are you talking about, Maddie?” Her mother swung around from the stove and looked at her with confusion painted all over her face.

  “Nothing. Nevermind. It’s ancient history,” Madison said turning to look outside. “Wow, did you have the barn painted?”

  “Don’t change the subject, Madison Nicole.” Her mother continued to look at her, hand on her hip.

  When her mother used her middle name, she knew she was in trouble.

  “I just didn’t have the perfect life you thought I did, Mom. Some people were very mean to me here, and it was nice to escape that part of my life. Unfortunately, my family is still here, so I can’t escape forever.” Madison had never admitted her torment in high school to her mother. The bullies had been relentless, and she still felt like that self-conscious scrawny teenager in her mind at times.

  “Who was mean? You never told me that, Maddie.” Her mom’s eyes looked concerned.

  “I was bullied, Mom. A lot. By several people. I was miserable the last few years of school.” Madison confessed.

  “What? Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”

  “Because it was around the time that Dad died, and I knew you were under enough pressure at the time. You grieved for Dad something awful, and I didn’t want to add to that,” Madison said, putting her hand on her mother’s shoulder as she walked past her and poured a glass of sweet tea.

  “I’m so sorry, Maddie. I had no idea,” she said. Madison turned and saw the tears starting to well in her mother’s eyes. She hadn’t intended on hurting her in any way, and now she felt guilty.

  “Mom, it’s all water under the bridge. I’m okay now. I have a great life in Atlanta, my career is moving right along… Until recently, I thought I had my dream life,” Madison whispered trying to hold back her own tears.

  “Oh, Maddie, I know what Connor did must have been devastating for you. I’m so sorry,” her mother reached for her and hugged her tight. Madison had missed having family around, and it felt good to just let it all go for awhile. Part of her knew that Connor’s infidelity had only stirred up those old feelings of never being good enough in high school. It’s amazing how memories from long ago can haunt you for life, she thought.

  “So, what time is dinner?” Madison asked after a few moments as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

  “In about ten minutes. You should go wash up,” her mother said turning back to her pots. Madison smiled at how her mother was still telling her things to do like she was ten years old. Playing along, she walked out of the kitchen and into the small powder room off the foyer. With its pedestal sink and period wallpaper, she felt like she had stepped back in time. Madison loved old architecture, partly because she had grown up in such a stately old home.

  When she turned to walk out the door, she saw Samantha standing in the doorway with one of her normal seething looks on her face.

  “Problem, Sam?” Madison asked cocking her head.

  “Samantha. No one calls me Sam anymore. You would know that if you were ever around,” she said in a condescending tone.

  “What is your problem?” Madison asked crossing her arms and blocking the doorway.

  “My problem? I don’t have a problem.”

  “You seem to. I come home to see my family, and you have been nothing but hateful to me. We’re sisters. I don’t get it at all…”

  “Seriously? You don’t get it?” Samantha said with her eyebrows raised.

  “No, I really don’t.”

  “Well, then you are either very self absorbed or stupid, Maddie,” she said.

  “Madison. No one calls me Maddie anymore… except Mom, but I will cut her some slack.” Madison brushed past her and went back into the kitchen. At least being near her mother gave her some safety from Samantha’s constant attacks.

  As Samantha entered the kitchen, Madison’s stomach started to churn. She didn’t really understand why her sister seemed to have such hatred for her. They were close as kids, and even as teenagers. With only two years difference in their ages, they should have been friends. Somehow, for some reason, they weren’t.

  Samantha was a farm girl, through and through. She rarely left her mother’s side and hardly ever dated. She had been engaged when she was only twenty one to her first love, Jett, but he’d finally given up hope that she would ever leave Magnolia Cove.

  Looking back, Madison realized that her sister had experienced a lot in life. When they were kids, she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle. Everyone thought she wouldn’t make it, but their mother hadn’t given up on her. She sat by her side for three weeks while Samantha was in a medically induced coma. Eventually, she made it through and rehab helped her walk again.

  Madison had always been a little jealous of Samantha because of her natural beauty. With long blond hair and green eyes, boys had flocked to her in high school. She had even been homecoming queen during her junior year. Samantha was all set to leave for college to study agriculture when their father had died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

  Their mother had grieved the loss of her husband with an intensity that neither girl had seen before. Samantha was forced into the role of caretaker for Madison, even though Madison was sixteen. Samantha cooked, cleaned and watched after the small retail store that made extra money for the family. Her grades started to slip under the pressure, and she ended up not leaving for college at all.

  “I am so glad to have both of my babies home for once. This is nice,” Diane said with that motherly smile they knew so well. She reached for both of their hands around the small circular table. “Let’s say grace.” Madison and Samantha didn’t join hands.

  After the prayer, Madison
was careful not to look up at her sister. She wasn’t sure what had riled her up, and she didn’t want to ruin her mother’s excitement over her trip home.

  “Well, Madison, how long are you planning to stay home?” her mother asked.

  “Home is Atlanta, Momma…” Madison corrected. “But, I am not sure how long I will stay in Magnolia Cove. With the holidays coming, I might stay a few weeks so I can be here for Thanksgiving.”

  Diane’s eyes lit up at the thought of her baby girl staying in Magnolia Cove for longer than a couple of days. Normally, she didn’t stick around for long, and now Diane knew why.

  “Won’t Connor want you home for Thanksgiving?” Samantha finally piped up in a sarcastic tone.

  “Samantha…” Diane started to say.

  “It’s okay, Mom,” Madison said as she turned to look at Samantha. “Connor and I are no longer together,” Madison said trying not to show emotion.

  “Really? Did you get tired of him like you got tired of Magnolia Cove?” Samantha asked rolling her eyes.

  “Samantha Elaine!” Diane snipped giving her that look that only mothers have.

  “If you must know, he cheated on me. I caught him with a woman in our bed.” Madison did not look up from her plate. A silence fell over the table as the women struggled for a topic of conversation that would not result in the sisters arguing.

  “Oh. Sorry to hear that.” Madison was a bit surprised to hear her sister say sorry about anything, even if it was half-hearted at best.

  “How is business, Madison?” Diane asked, trying to change the subject.

  “It’s been very good, actually. They did a spread on me in Atlanta magazine, and that brought in a lot of leads. I sent you a copy. Did you get it?”

  “Yes, I remember that now. Weren’t you designing the condo of a sports star?” Diane asked, smiling with delight at her daughter’s fame in the interior design field.

  “Well, I did design a baseball player’s condo last spring. That was a big deal. He referred one of his assistant coaches too, so I will be starting on his place in early spring…” Madison loosened up and enjoyed chatting with her mother. Suddenly, Samantha pushed her plate aside and stood up.

  “Samantha, what’s wrong?” Diane asked as she watched her put her plate on the counter.

  “I’ve lost my appetite for some reason. I’ll be in my room,” she said as she stomped up the stairs.

  Madison sat there staring at her plate for a moment. Diane continued to eat, trying desperately to ignore the last few moments.

  “Okay, Mom, I need to know what her problem is with me. I don’t understand why she is so angry…”

  “Madison, I really don’t know…”

  “Come on, Mom. You do know. What is going on here?”

  “Maddie, please. Talk to your sister. It’s not my place.” Diane stood up and put her plate on the counter. “You two are grown women. You need to have a conversation, honey.”

  With that, Madison was left alone at the table wondering why in the world she ever left Atlanta.

  Chapter 4

  As the days passed, Madison was growing more and more bored in Magnolia Cove. She wished that she hadn’t promised to stay for Thanksgiving because she wanted to get back to Atlanta, even if it meant that she had to hunt for a new place to live.

  Deciding that she couldn’t hang around the farm for one more day, she opted to venture into town for awhile. The small town of Magnolia Cove wasn’t much to write home about, but it did have a certain appeal. With a real town square and an actual soda fountain in the drug store, it was something out of a 1950s TV show.

  Madison walked down the sidewalk remembering scenes from her childhood. There was the barber shop where her father had his haircut every Saturday morning. She always went along because the barber, Earl Newberry, gave her a lollipop. Madison had been a Daddy’s girl, for sure.

  Then, she saw the alteration shop where Mrs. Dabney would always have to alter her Easter dresses because her legs grew way too fast between the time her mother bought them and Easter Sunday. She passed the Baptist church that the family attended while she was growing up, but that stopped when her Dad died for some reason. For a moment, she flashed back in time to her father’s funeral in that same church. She’d never known it was possible to cry so many tears.

  The next thing Madison saw stopped her in her tracks. It was the old Granger house that she had always adored. The large, white antebellum home was her favorite site in all of Magnolia Cove. Towering over the town square, it seemed out of place with its elaborate gardens and stately architecture. Mr. Granger always decorated it for Christmas and allowed the townspeople to tour it. She remembered visiting it many times as a kid and wondering what it would be like to live there.

  Millie had been the only daughter of Charles and Libby Granger. As a prize winning equestrian, Millie was beloved in the town. It helped that her parents were wealthy, of course. With gorgeous jet black hair and sparkling blue eyes, she was the apple of her father’s eye. When Millie was just fourteen, she was severely injured in a horseback riding accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. It was a horrible time for the Grangers and everyone in town. Eventually, the Grangers stopped decorating for Christmas, and there were rumors that Mr. Granger had gone mad from the grief over Millie’s accident. Madison often wondered what had become of the family.

  “Well, I’ll be… is that Madison Carter I see?” Madison heard a familiar voice behind her.

  “Jennifer? Jennifer Brady?” Madison was stunned as she looked at her best friend from high school who must have lost a good fifty pounds since she had seen her last.

  “Actually, it’s Jennifer Tillman now,” she said grinning as she held out her hand to reveal a brand new wedding ring.

  “You’re married now?” Madison asked, a little more than shocked that Jenny had gotten married before her. As much as she hated to admit it, she always thought that Jenny was a bit of a plain Jane. In school, she was a bit pudgy and had frizzy brown hair that seemed to get worse in the Georgia humidity. Madison often felt sorry for her, especially since she was bullied quite a bit, too. And now Madison was finding out that she has gotten married before her.

  “Yep. I married Sam Tillman. Do you remember him? He was on the football team,” Jennifer said with a smile.

  “Sam Tillman? The muscular guy with the spiky hair?”

  “The very same one! Only now he doesn’t have that spiky hair,” she said laughing.

  “How did you guys hook up?” Madison’s curiosity was getting the best of her.

  “Well, I sold his Momma and Daddy a house a few years after high school. One thing led to another, and his Momma set us up on a date. He’s a welder now, and I sell real estate here.”

  “Well, belated congratulations to you!” Madison said hugging her.

  “What brings you up to these parts? Your Momma said you hardly ever come home.”

  “That’s true. I live in Atlanta. I’m an interior designer there,” Madison said.

  “I’ve heard. Your Momma is very proud of you. She gushes about you all the time when we are at our reading club,” Jennifer said. Madison had forgotten what life was like in Magnolia Cove. Everyone knew everyone’s business. There were no secrets around there. There were reading clubs and knitting clubs and gardening clubs. There was no shortage of places where gossip could spread.

  “Yes, I think she is proud. Anyway, I just decided to come home for Thanksgiving this year. I thought I’d take a walk around town for old time’s sake,” Madison said looking up at the old Granger place.

  “I remember how much you loved the Granger house. It’s still a beauty, isn’t it?”

  “Absolutely. How are the Grangers anyway?”

  “Well, old Mr. Granger passed away last spring. We think he just died of a broken heart. Mrs. Granger moved on out toward Athens to be near Millie. She lives in an assisted living facility over there.”

  “How sad. She had such a great life i
n front of her…”

  “Yes, she surely did. You just never know what life might throw at you,” Jennifer said as if speaking from experience.

  “So the place is vacant?” Madison asked. She had no idea why she was asking, though.

  “Actually, I was coming over here to put the for sale sign in the yard. Mrs. Granger called me a few days ago and has decided to finally sell the place. She is running out of money for Millie’s care, so she is pricing it to sell. I told her that selling a house this large in this real estate market is still going to be tough…”