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2

Tom was still seething over his meeting with the mayor when he left the office and headed for the Serenity Inn. The prospect of a long, empty evening in his hotel room held little appeal. He needed some exercise, something so strenuous that it would drive all thoughts of that ridiculous conversation from his head.

On his way to his room, he stopped at the front desk and asked Maybelle Hawkins if there was a health club in town. She frowned at the question.

“Well, now, there’s Dexter’s Gym, but I’ll tell you the truth, the place is a dump. I hear Dexter has real good equipment over there and once in a while he slaps a fresh coat of paint on the walls, but that’s the extent of any renovations he’s done in the past thirty years. Men don’t seem to notice, but the women complained for years, for all the good it did.”

“So Dexter’s Gym is my only choice?” Tom wasn’t averse to the smell of sweat or even a shabby decor, but he questioned whether a place like that would keep its equipment in good repair, despite what Maybelle said. “I thought I’d read something in a regional magazine about a place called The Corner Spa.”

Maybelle’s eyes lit up. “Now that’s another story,” she said. “Just walking through the door is a soothing experience. The owners took an old Victorian house at Main Street and Palmetto Lane and turned it into something special. I haven’t used any of the fancy machines, but I’ve had a facial and a mud bath. Mud! Can you imagine such a thing? To tell you the truth, though, I never felt better.”

Tom nodded. “Sounds like the perfect place,” he said. He seemed to recall that the article had been equally glowing.

“It is, but you can forget about it,” Mabel said, an oddly triumphant glint in her eyes.

“Why is that?”

“It’s only open to women. After all those years of pleading with Dexter to fix his place up, they finally have a place of their own.”

“You’re telling me that The Corner Spa discriminates?” he said, his ire stirring. “And nobody’s sued?”

Maybelle gave him a blank look. “Why would they? It’s a spa for women. You men have had your private clubs and private golf courses for years. Now a few women get together and open something just for women and you want to sue? Give me a break.”

Tom winced. His father had belonged to several of those private, men-only clubs, in fact. That wasn’t the point, though. This was a business, supposedly open to the public.

“Come on,” he said. “You know it’s morally wrong, probably illegal.” He’d have to research that, look into those law books his father had bought in the hope that Tom would one day open his own law office in Charleston, actually use the law degree he’d earned.

Maybelle didn’t seem the least bit impressed with his argument. “You’d have to take that up with one of the owners, but I’ll warn you about that. Helen Decatur’s the smartest attorney in town. Nobody with any sense goes against her.”

Tom nodded slowly. Given his current annoyance over the way his first day on the job had gone, the prospect of challenging a business that blatantly discriminated based on gender held a lot of appeal. He could channel his sour mood into that fight, instead of waging a fruitless battle with Howard over the Christmas festival.

Then again, if one of his first acts as a resident of Serenity was to sue a popular attorney and business owner, it might mark the beginning of the end of his career as town manager. He’d have to give that some thought.

He gave Maybelle a distracted smile. “Thanks. I appreciate the information.”

After a quick trip to his room to change into jeans, an old University of South Carolina T-shirt and sneakers, he headed downtown at a brisk pace. He’d probably wind up at Dexter’s, but first he wanted to get a good look at this fancy spa.

He made a few wrong turns, but eventually he found it. There was something classy and welcoming about the old Victorian.

He climbed the steps to the porch and peered in a window. The equipment inside looked top-notch. A dozen or so women were using the treadmills and the elliptical cross-trainers, and he spotted a couple of men in there, as well. Hoping Maybelle had gotten the membership restrictions wrong, he was about to open the door and step inside to find out, when he heard brisk footsteps behind him.

“May I help you?” a woman queried, halting him in his tracks. Despite the slow Southern drawl of her voice, somehow she made the question sound more like a challenge than an offer of assistance.

He turned and faced a pixie of a woman with very short dark hair and huge, dark eyes. If he hadn’t heard that drawl in her voice, he would have guessed her to be European. Her clothes had a French flair about them. Even though the outfit—really only jeans and a T-shirt—could easily have come from the local discount store, the low-heeled, ballet-style shoes and the artful twist of the scarf at her neck reminded him of the innate fashion sense he’d seen on the Left Bank in Paris during the summer he’d spent there after college. He had very fond memories of those days—and of the women he’d met.

He gave her his most winning smile. “That depends. Do you happen to have any pull at this place?”

“I’m not one of the owners, if that’s what you’re asking. Maddie meets with all prospective suppliers. I can give you her card.”

“I’m not a supplier. I want to join.”

“Sorry. We’re only open to women.”

“But I see a couple of men inside,” he protested.

“Personal trainers. They’re the only men allowed inside during business hours. I’d be happy to give you directions to Dexter’s, if you don’t know your way around town.”

“I can find it,” he said tersely. “You know, the women-only rule is probably illegal.”

The suggestion didn’t fluster her in the least.

“I seriously doubt it,” she said, looking amused. “I’m sure that Helen Decatur—she’s also an owner—covered that when she incorporated the spa. I can give you her card, too, if you’d like.”

Letting the legal issues pass for the moment, Tom studied her speculatively, allowing his gaze to linger in a way meant to disconcert her. “When do you offer me your card?”

“I don’t, unless you happen to be peddling skin creams, aromatherapy products or spa attire. Unfortunately, we’ve already established that you’re not.”

There was a gloating note in her voice that irked him. Instead of letting his irritation show, he turned on his charm. “That is a shame, isn’t it? Maybe we can find something else we have in common.”

The amusement in her remarkable eyes vanished. “I doubt that,” she said coolly. “Have a good evening.”

She opened the door, stepped inside, then shut it very firmly in his face. He had a hunch if the spa hadn’t been open for another hour, she’d have turned the lock, as well.

Tom stared after her. His annoyance over the spa’s discrimination against men had suddenly taken a backseat to his fascination with the feisty woman who’d just brushed him off. As the presumed heir to the McDonald fortune, he hadn’t had a lot of experience with rejection, especially in the upper echelons of Charleston society. He discovered he didn’t like it. Coming on top of his losing battle with the mayor, it really soured his mood.

His father would say that the day he’d just had in Serenity was no worse than he deserved for not following the more illustrious career path that had been chosen for him at birth. It was the image of the gloating expression he’d likely find on his father’s face that stiffened his spine and made him resolve to make tomorrow better. He had a lot to prove, not just to his father, but to himself.

He’d come to Serenity because he cared about towns like this. He thought he had something to offer. His years as a planning administrator and as a chief financial officer in another community had prepared him to run Serenity and deal with whatever issues might face the community. If he had to do battle with a demanding mayor and suffer a little rejection at the hands of an intriguing woman, he could handle it.

He cast one last, longing look through the window of The Corner Spa, decided to skip a workout at Dexter’s and jogged back to the Serenity Inn for an unappetizing meal of beer and takeout.

After her disconcerting encounter with the man on the porch, Jeanette retreated to her office to try to make a dent in the mountain of paperwork on her desk. It was as good a time as any to deal with this unpleasant aspect of her job.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t seem to focus on it. Images of the man she’d just met kept intruding. The thought of him taking on Helen in a fight made her smile. He’d sounded so sure of himself. It would be fun to watch Helen teach him a thing or two about the law.

And even though she’d sworn off men, basking in the undisguised admiration of a sexy man for just a couple of minutes had given her a faintly quivery feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been a long time since a man had looked at her like that. Or maybe it had just been a long time since she’d been aware of it and felt anything in return.

Not that she intended to do anything about it, she reminded herself sternly, turning back to the paperwork on her desk with renewed determination.

She’d completed her monthly report for August when Elliot tapped on her door and stepped inside. With his gleaming black hair, glowing olive complexion and well-muscled body, he was a walking advertisement for fitness. He was also one of the nicest guys around. He came from a large, exuberant family and was about to marry a single mom, who’d had a very tough couple of years. He and Karen had weathered their own stormy issues thanks to his rigorously Catholic family’s initial disapproval of him marrying a divorced woman. Karen had finally won them over.

“You’re here awfully late,” he said.

“Catching up on paperwork,” Jeanette replied with a grimace. “Is it time to close up? I’ve lost track of time.”

“I sent the last of the clients on their way and locked the doors five minutes ago. If you’re ready to go, I’ll give you a lift home.”

Jeanette gave him an odd look. “That’s okay. I can walk. It’s not that far.”

Elliot immediately shook his head. “Not tonight. There was some guy peering in the windows here earlier. I’ve never seen him around before. It made a couple of the women nervous. They were about ready to call the sheriff, but when I checked outside, he was gone.”

Jeanette smiled and shook her head. “I talked to him on my way in. He’s harmless. He wanted to join the health club, but I told him he couldn’t. I guess he’s new in town. He left after we spoke.”

Elliot’s frown didn’t fade. “I still don’t like it. Did he give you a name?”

“No, but I didn’t ask. Stop worrying. I’m a halfway decent judge of people.” Okay, not men, but this was different. “This guy was clean-cut and well-spoken. He’s not a threat to anyone.”

Even as she uttered the assurance, she wondered if it was entirely true. The man probably wasn’t dangerous in the way Elliot was thinking, but he might very well pose a threat to her. Before her cool dismissal of him, she’d responded to his fleeting attempt at flirting. She hadn’t wanted to, but she had.

He was attractive. Okay, very attractive. Sexy. He didn’t have the kind of muscular body Elliot had, but he was fit in a lean and lanky way. His eyes were more gray than blue and they’d sparkled with mischief. His neatly trimmed brown hair had the kind of golden highlights that came from spending time outdoors. And he had a dimple when he smiled. That dimple had knocked her socks off, which had been a shock. She’d thought herself immune.

His clothes had been casual, but she could easily envision him in a shirt and tie. A tailor-made suit. He was a professional man, if she was any judge.

Elliot didn’t appear convinced. He moved a stack of papers from the extra chair, then sat down, propped his feet on her desk and pulled out a cell phone.

“What are you doing?” Jeanette demanded.

“Calling Karen to let her know I’ll be late.”

“Why?”

He grinned. “Because I’m not leaving here without you. It would tarnish my sterling reputation as a nice guy. Last time I let one of the Sweet Magnolias out of my sight when my gut told me not to, she nearly got herself killed.”

Jeanette winced. She recalled the incident. “You weren’t responsible for what happened to Helen. Her client’s husband was determined to get even with her. No one was going to stop him.”

“Not entirely, no,” he agreed cheerfully. “But I’m not taking any chances.”

Jeanette saw the stubborn set of his jaw and gave in. “Oh, for pity’s sake. I’m not going to be responsible for you turning up late at Karen’s.” She stood up. “Let’s go.”

He gave her a smug look. “Good choice. Want to come have dinner with us? I’m cooking Mama’s famous seafood paella.”

“You’re cooking?” Jeanette said incredulously as they stepped outside. “Your wife works in a restaurant.”

“Which is why she shouldn’t have to cook at home on her day off.”

Jeanette regarded him with wonder. “Why don’t you have brothers, instead of all those sisters?”

Elliot chuckled. “I have cousins. Want to meet one of them? I’m the best of the lot, but there are one or two who come close.”

“Are their egos as big as yours?”

“Twice the size,” he declared.

“Then, no. I think I’ll continue to fly solo.”

Elliot shook his head. “That’s a pity. You’re a beautiful woman with a good heart. You should share your life with someone special.”

Jeanette sighed. “Once upon a time, I thought the same thing.”

“Don’t say that,” Elliot chided as he tucked her into his car. “The right person could be right around the corner.”

Jeanette couldn’t help thinking about the way she’d felt earlier with the stranger’s eyes on her. Maybe Elliot was right. Maybe it was a little too soon to give up on love.

Mary Vaughn Lewis had her jam-packed day planner spread open on her desk and was trying to transfer all of the information into her new BlackBerry, something her daughter, now a sophomore at Clemson, insisted she needed. Since she was about as computer literate as her Persian cat, Mary Vaughn wasn’t so sure. Still, in this day and age, she couldn’t afford to be left behind. People had certain expectations of the most successful Realtor in Serenity. Add to that her role as president of the Serenity Chamber of Commerce, and she desperately needed something to keep her schedule straight. Rory Sue swore this gadget was the answer.

When it rang, she was so taken aback she almost dropped it on the floor. It took her a minute to find the right button and answer.

“Yes, hello, Mary Vaughn Lewis,” she murmured distractedly, still reading the directions as she spoke.

“Mom, it’s me. Am I your first call on your new Black-Berry?”

“You absolutely are,” Mary Vaughn told her daughter, brightening at the sound of Rory Sue’s voice.

“No wonder you sound so weirded out. You’re going to love it once you get the hang of it. I promise.”

“Yes, well, we’ll see about that. What’s up, sweet pea?” Mary Vaughn suspected this midweek call had nothing to do with checking on her technical prowess and everything to do with a plea for money for shopping. Rory Sue would continue to shop even if the store was burning down around her. And somehow she’d talk the clerk into giving her a fire-sale discount while she was at it. It was a skill she’d learned at her mama’s knee, though Mary Vaughn would have preferred if she’d learned a few Southern graces instead.

“I wanted to talk to you about Christmas,” Rory Sue said.

“You want to talk about Christmas? In September?”

“Yes, well, I thought I’d better ask about this now and not hit you with it at the last possible second.”

Mary Vaughn’s antenna shot up. “Hit me with what?”

“I was thinking that since we don’t really have a traditional celebration, you know, the way we used to when I was little…”

In other words, before Sonny had divorced Mary Vaughn and ruined their daughter’s life, she thought sourly as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

“Anyway, I was thinking that maybe you’d let me go away over the holidays,” Rory Sue concluded in a rush. “To Aspen. Jill’s family goes there to ski every year and she’s invited me to come along. I have to let her know right away, though, because if I can’t go, she wants to ask someone else.”

“No,” Mary Vaughn said without giving it a second’s thought. “People spend Christmas with their families. It’s not a time to go gallivanting off with strangers.”

“Jill’s not a stranger. She’s been my roommate for two years now.”

Mary Vaughn could have corrected her with a reminder that the second year was just starting, but she didn’t waste her breath. Instead, she said, “You hardly know her family and I don’t know them at all.”

“You’re just worried about how it will look if I don’t come home for Christmas,” Rory Sue accused. “You’re afraid that people will think you’re a failure as a mother. That’s it, isn’t it? All you care about is your image in that stupid town.”

To Mary Vaughn’s regret, that was part of it. She hated that her own child, whom she loved more than anything, didn’t even want to spend Christmas with her. How pitiful was that? She simply didn’t want people in this town to feel sorry for her the way they once had. She’d spent her entire adult life trying to change the way people looked at her.

But the other part, the most important part, was how lonely she’d feel. What would she do if Rory Sue didn’t come home? Sit in that big ole house of theirs and stare at the walls? Light up that little ceramic tree she’d inherited from her mother and drink eggnog until she forgot she was all alone? No, the bleak picture she envisioned simply could not happen.

A couple of years from now Rory Sue might well be living on her own in some city far away. She might be unable to get back home for the holidays, or she might even have a family of her own and Mary Vaughn would have to go to some strange city to celebrate, but not this year. This year, Mary Vaughn wanted her daughter right here in Serenity. She wanted a traditional Christmas and she intended to have it, even if Rory Sue hated her for insisting on it.

“No,” she said again, flatly.

“You won’t even consider it?” Rory Sue pleaded.

“No, absolutely not. And don’t call your father and try to get him on your side, either. I won’t have you trying to play us off against each other. That might have worked when you were ten, but it won’t work now. We’re older and smarter.”

To her relief, Rory Sue actually giggled. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” Mary Vaughn said emphatically. “I love you, and I promise we will have the very best Christmas ever right here in Serenity.”

“That is so not possible,” Rory Sue retorted. “Bye, Mom.”

“Bye, sweetie.”

As she disconnected the call, Mary Vaughn resolved to find some way to make good on her promise, even if she had to start speaking to Rory Sue’s beloved daddy—and her very estranged ex-husband—to accomplish it.

Jeanette had been avoiding Maddie all morning. She knew the subject of her involvement on the town’s Christmas festival planning committee was far from over. There was also bound to be a discussion about why Jeanette was so opposed to participating in anything related to Christmas. In fact, she fully expected Maddie to call in the big guns—Dana Sue and Helen—before all was said and done.

When it came to something like this, the Sweet Magnolias were a team. Jeanette might be a member, but they could pull rank on her. When one of them fell out of step for any reason, the others rallied. She’d seen it happen more than once. She was dreading it. Last night’s encounter with Dana Sue had been a mild precursor to what today was likely to hold. And the more she’d thought about trying to convince Maddie to turn the project over to Elliot, the less she’d believed the suggestion would be taken seriously—especially if Maddie was matchmaking.

“You don’t seem to be your usual perky self,” Mary Vaughn Lewis said as Jeanette smoothed moisturizer onto her throat and face.

“Sorry,” she said, forcing a smile. “My mind’s been on other things all day.” Then she deliberately changed the subject. “How’s your daughter doing? Is she happy being back at school? She’s at Clemson, right?”

Usually asking about Rory Sue was enough to send Mary Vaughn off and running, and today was no exception, though Jeanette could sense an underlying tension in her client as she spoke about how well her daughter was doing at college.

“You’re saying all the right words,” Jeanette said after a minute. “But something’s bothering you. Do you think she’s unhappy?”

“Unhappy with me,” Mary Vaughn admitted. “I won’t let her go skiing in Aspen over Christmas.”

“Why not?”

“Because the holidays are meant to be spent with family,” Mary Vaughn said as if it were the law.

“Not necessarily,” Jeanette said carefully. “I mean, sometimes it’s great, if everyone gets along really well, but half the families I know are totally dysfunctional. They’d all be much happier if they didn’t spend ten minutes together over the holidays.”

“Is your family one of those?”

“You have no idea,” Jeanette said, then clamped her mouth shut. She’d already revealed too much. She needed to get the focus back on Mary Vaughn and her daughter. “Maybe you could go to Aspen, too. Then you’d both get what you want. You and Rory Sue would be together and she’d be able to ski with her friends. What’s really keeping you in Serenity?”

“Tradition,” Mary Vaughn insisted. “And it would break her daddy’s heart not to have her home for the holidays. When it comes to Christmas, Sonny is all about family. So is that daddy of his.”

“You mean Mayor Lewis,” Jeanette said.

Mary Vaughn nodded. “I swear that man spends the entire year thinking about playing Santa for all the kids. Serenity’s Christmas festival is his very favorite thing on earth. Now that I’m president of the chamber of commerce, I’m going to have to serve on the festival committee, and I’m here to tell you it is not something I’m looking forward to. Howard and I are like oil and water on a good day, and believe me, good days are few and far between.”

Jeanette regarded her with genuine sympathy. “Ever thought of delegating?”

“Send some underling and imply that the festival committee isn’t the absolutely most important thing in my life? Are you kidding me? I’d never hear the end of it from Howard.”

“Maddie wants me to represent The Corner Spa on the committee,” Jeanette admitted. “I said no.”

Mary Vaughn’s eyes lit up. “You didn’t!” she protested. “You have to do it. You’ll save my sanity. Please, Jeanette, promise me you’ll change your mind. If we’re on the committee together, it’ll be fun.”

Jeanette couldn’t imagine how Mary Vaughn could say that, especially knowing she’d have to deal with her former father-in-law, who was one of the most pompous residents of Serenity.

“Maddie might let you off the hook,” Mary Vaughn continued, “but I won’t let you say no to me. I want you to commit to doing this right this second. Please. We’ll have a ball. You and me trying to keep all those stuffy old men on their toes. I know you love a challenge as much as I do. Say yes.” She regarded Jeanette hopefully, then waited.

Jeanette sighed. “Maybe,” she said at last. It was as much of a commitment as she was prepared to make. A flat-out no, sadly, was getting harder and harder to say.