Center Stage: Magnolia Steele Mystery #1 (28 page)

“My agent says he has an offer.”

“That’s wonderful,” she said, only she didn’t sound like she meant it.

We ate in silence for several moments, then Belinda said, “I understand why you wouldn’t want to be my friend, Magnolia. After Roy . . .” Her voice broke off, but she didn’t look away from me. “But I want to thank you for indulging me with the sister-in-law thing this weekend.”

“Indulging you?” I said in surprise. “Belinda, you’re one of the reasons I’m finding it hard to leave.”

Her eyes widened. “You don’t want to go?”

The question was so complicated. This tug of war in my heart and my head was confusing the hell out of me. “I don’t know.”

“Oh.”

“But I have no job here. No life. Nowhere to live. My life is in New York. I’ve spent eight years getting to this point. I’d be crazy to throw it all away.”

“Can I give you a piece of advice?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“You know how people say follow your heart?” She paused, her face expressionless. “Well, be careful with that, Magnolia. Get your bearings before you leap—otherwise you may not recognize where you land.”

I knew exactly what she was talking about, and it broke my heart to pieces. “Belinda . . .”

She offered me a smile, one that looked as fake as the ten-carat cubic zirconium ring Jody used to wear to theatre parties. “I have to get back to work, but I have loved every minute with you. Goodbye, Magnolia.” There were tears in her eyes as she gathered up her food, stuffed it in her bag, and left.

I watched her go, my heart so heavy it felt weighted down by fifty-pound stones.

I didn’t want to stay at the deli alone, so I packed up my own bag and ordered two sandwiches to take back to Momma and Tilly.

I stood to the side while I waited, continuing to wage my epic battle over what to do. When the woman at the counter called my name, I absently walked forward to grab the order, but someone else got to it first. I was about to protest, but I found myself looking up into Brady Bennett’s contrite face.

Anger rushed through me like a wildfire. I was looking up at one very good reason to leave.

“We have to quit meeting like this,” he said with a hesitant smile.

I snatched the bag out of his hand, spun around, and stormed out the door.

“Magnolia, wait.”

It felt so odd to hear him call me Magnolia. I was used to Maggie coming from his lips. But then, everything about him—and us—had been a lie. I barely knew this man, so why did that hurt so much?

He chased after me, following me onto the sidewalk. “Magnolia. Please listen.”

The wind had a cold bite, so I crossed my arms in front of my chest, tugging my sweater tighter. “You have thirty seconds.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard that you’re no longer a person of interest.”

I gave my head a tiny shake. “No, actually. I hadn’t yet.”

He frowned. “Holden was supposed to call your attorney.”

I shuffled the bags in my hands and pulled my phone out of my pocket. Sure enough, I had a missed call from Emily. I stuffed it back into my pocket and returned my attention to him.

“You have to believe me when I tell you I didn’t know. I thought you might have come to the station to report a domestic violence situation. But there was just something about you, and I didn’t want to take your report. I wanted to get to know you better.” He searched my face. “Do you believe me?”

I shrugged. “Why does it matter, Brady? It’s done.”

“Because I want that second date.”

Shaking my head, I laughed. Yes, here was a definite reason for leaving. Brady Bennett was far from safe. He would ask questions—questions about my past that I wasn’t sure I should answer. “Well, the next time you’re in New York, give me a call and maybe we can meet for drinks.”

His face fell. “You’re leaving?”

Was I? Was that my subconscious making my decision for me?

But this wasn’t the time for soul-searching; I had to deal with him first. “You are fully aware of the reason I came slinking back here.
That
situation is about to be cleared up too. I’ll probably be back on stage for the Wednesday matinee.”

“I’ve been wanting to take a trip to New York,” he said. “I’ll come check out your performance.”

I tightened my arms around my chest and shot him a glare. “You didn’t get enough with all the videos on the Internet?”

“I didn’t watch them, Maggie,” he said, sounding resigned. “I respect you too much to do that to you.”

That caught me by surprise. “But Detective Holden—”

“—is an ass.”

My mouth tipped into a tiny grin. “Well,
there’s
something we agree on.”

The wind blew again, the chill seeping into my bones, and I shivered.

Brady started to shrug off his jacket. “Here, put this on.”

I shook my head and took a step back. “Brady, you and I are a very bad idea.”

He looked into my face, determination in his eyes. “I disagree.”

“Then we are clearly at an impasse. Not that it matters.” I started walking, but he caught up in a matter of steps.

“Maggie, I want to make this up to you. Saturday night I tried my best to earn your trust, telling you I would never lie to you, and then you thought it was all a ruse.”

I stopped. “You want me to absolve you from your guilt? Fine. You’re free of it. Call me stupid, but I believed you were sincere.” Maybe he was sincere, but I still wasn’t sure I could forgive him. I started walking again, but he was right there beside me, like a shadow I couldn’t shake.

“Maggie.”

I stopped and spun around to face him. “Brady, what do you
want
from me?”

He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration, then dropped his hand. “I don’t know. I just know I’m not ready to let
us
go yet.”

“There is no
us
, Brady, and there never will be. You go back to your life, and I’ll go back to mine.”

As I spun around and marched back to the catering shop, I knew I wouldn’t be strong enough to resist him forever. I needed to get the hell out of here before I made one more regrettable mistake.

I
found
Momma and Tilly in the office, and they beamed when I handed them their sandwiches.

“Emily called,” Momma said as she unwrapped the paper. “The police have cleared your name.”

“So I heard.”

“Oh, girlie, you remembered my favorite!” Tilly said, opening the wrapping of her Reuben. “This job’s working out pretty well for all of us.”

“About that . . .” I looked at my mother.

She nodded her head, giving me a guarded smile. “You need to get back to what you love.”

When she put it that way, I wasn’t so sure it was the right choice after all. I did love acting, but I loved my mother too. “And if I decided to stay . . . would you give me a job?”

“Yes!” Tilly shouted.

But my mother shook her head. “Your life isn’t here, Magnolia. But don’t sell yourself short when you go back. Demand respect.”

I nodded, my eyes burning. My mother didn’t want me here. Then again, I had been gone for ten years. She was used to me being gone. What did I expect?

“When will you go?” she asked, her voice sounding rough.

“Tonight.” My heart was breaking. The sooner I left, the better.

She nodded and looked out the window. “That’s for the best.” Then she pulled a check out of her desk drawer and held it out to me.

I took a half step back. “What’s that?”

“Your paycheck. Now come take it. You need money to get settled.” When I hesitated, she waved it. “You earned this, Magnolia. A deal’s a deal.”

I walked forward and took it from her, then shook my head when I saw the amount. Five thousand dollars. “This is too much.”

Her eyes filled with a familiar ferocity when she looked up at me. “As you pointed out, we never settled on a salary. That’s what you earned.” Her expression changed to irritation. “Don’t you have things to do if you’re leaving tonight? The last time I checked, your clothes were spread all over your room.”

“Yeah . . . I guess.”

She stood and handed me her car keys. “Take my car and leave it at the airport with the keys under the mat. Text me the location, and I’ll have Belinda take me to pick it up.” When I started to protest, she held up her hand. “I have a spare set.”

“That’s not what I was going to say. I’ll go pack my things, then come back and tell you goodbye.”

“No, Magnolia. Let’s do it here and now. Make a clean break.”

How did I make a clean break from the woman who had given me life and would have given her life for me, especially when I didn’t even know if I’d ever see her again? “
Momma
.”

She pulled me into a hug. “No tears, Magnolia. We Steele women are made to be strong.” She released me and gave me a little push. “Now go back to New York and break a leg.”

I turned around and walked out of her office, eager to get as far away as possible.

A
t 2
:00 sharp, I walked into JS Investments, my father’s office in downtown Nashville. When I told the receptionist I was there to see my brother, she led me down a long hallway, then pushed open a door before motioning for me to enter. My brother sat behind a massive desk that overlooked downtown Nashville. His eyes narrowed as the door closed behind me.

“Magnolia,” he said in a slow drawl. “You are nothing if not predictable. Come join me.”

“You made me an offer that needs further investigation.” I took several steps deeper into the room, moving toward the desk. My heels sank into the thick carpet. A grandfather clock positioned against the wall to the left emitted a loud tick-tock noise that filled the large room.

He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. “Please, take a seat. I have some paperwork that we need to address before I can give you the check.”

“Paperwork?” I asked, lowering myself into one of the leather chairs. They were designed to suck you in, giving the person at the desk the advantage, so I perched my butt on the edge, keeping my eyes level with his.

Irritation flickered in his eyes. Momma had always declared that I had a penchant for drama, but somehow she’d failed to recognize the fact that it ran in the Steele blood. My brother loved it just as much, if not more so. While I was good at creating characters, Roy excelled at setting the stage—and he had carefully constructed this one. But I’d refused to sink back into the chair, which would give him the elevation to look down at me. I’d made myself his equal instead.

There was a small stack of papers in front of him, and he slid them across the desk toward me. “You sign this contract, agreeing to never return, and then I hand you the check. After that, you’re gone.”

I picked up the pages, scanning the text on the first page before flipping to the second.

“I have an airline ticket booked for a five o’clock flight,” he said evenly, pressing his fingertips together in front of his face. “First class and with your name on it.”

The corners of my mouth twitched as I flipped to the third page and looked up at him. I hadn’t bought a plane ticket yet. Would it be so wrong if I used his? “Is it a one-way ticket to hell?” I asked in an amused voice. “Because it really should have your name on it instead.”

He released an exaggerated sigh. “Clever, Magnolia. You always were such a clever girl. It’s to New York.” He slid an expensive fountain pen toward me. “Now sign.”

I laid the papers on the desk and picked up the pen, turning it around and around in my hand. My gaze returned to his. “And here I thought you’d make me sign it in blood.”

His jaw clamped tight, and his eyes narrowed to slits of anger. “If I thought your blood would be legally binding, I would insist on it.”

My lungs squeezed shut when I realized he was serious. “What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?” I asked.

“You want a list?” he asked. “Breathing is at the top.”

I lifted my brows. “You want me dead?”

“Let’s just say if I could give our mother’s death sentence to you, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

That stung more than I cared to admit. While we’d never gotten along, I never would have guessed he hated me enough to want me dead. What had I ever done to warrant such hatred?

Coming back to Tennessee had disturbed my equilibrium, but I was still an expert at controlling my emotions. Or at least at hiding them from the world. I wouldn’t give this asshole
anything
.

I stood, towering over him. “Why are you so willing to pay me fifty thousand dollars on the condition that I give up all claim to my inheritance and never return?” I smirked at his look of surprise. “I can read, you little boll weevil. I caught the bit about my inheritance buried in a clause on the second page.”

“I will not tolerate name-calling, Magnolia.”

I released a bitter laugh. “I see you’ve gotten very good at the art of deflecting issues you don’t want to address. Bravo.”

He slowly stood up, looking down on me even in my three-inch heels. “I learned from the master, Magnolia. Now sign the damned document and leave.” In that moment, something shifted in his eyes. I saw it for a fraction of a second. He thought he was protecting someone.

I straightened my back as his previous statement hit me. “You know she’s dying.”

“Not that
she
told
me
.”

“Then how do you know?”

He gave me a dry look. “I have my sources.”

“How do you think sending me away will protect her?”

“How many times have you broken that woman’s heart?”

I shook my head in disgust. “You would have to possess a heart to recognize that hers had been broken. And you, my dear brother, are not only heartless, but soulless.”

Anger filled his eyes. “You are a cancer, Magnolia. A flesh-eating bacteria. You are toxic to everything that comes near you. I am simply saving our mother in the time she has left.”

I shook my head with a short laugh. “Oh, no. You don’t get to play the martyr card. I’ve seen you in action. You put your own best interests above all others. How does my leaving benefit you?” He continued to glare at me. “How much is Momma’s estate worth?”

“Not as much as you hope, you conniving bitch,” he spat out as he walked around his desk toward me.

“
Conniving
?” I was beyond furious, but I had to see this through. “How much?”

“She’s mortgaged the house to the hilt to get that storefront on Main Street and the two vans. She let her life insurance policy lapse. Dad’s 401K was decimated in that last economic downturn.” He snorted. “She’s worth negative two hundred thousand dollars, Magnolia, so in this instance the short-term bet is the smart one for you.”

“Why are you paying me to leave?”

He ignored my question. “The only good thing that came out of her financial woes was my sudden desire to learn how investing worked. I vowed no one would ever take advantage of her again.” His eyes bore into mine. “And that includes you.”

This man—who would protect his mother at all costs—was so different from the abusive pig I had met the day before that I was struggling to wrap my head around it.

And then I suddenly understood. “This is a way for you to control an uncontrollable situation.”

He burst out into bitter laughter. “I’m not some character for you to dissect. People are not so black and white.” Then he looked at his expensive watch. “You need to sign and leave. I have another appointment in five minutes.” He walked back around his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out an envelope.

My gaze landed on his hand.

“Are you prepared to leave tonight?” he asked, all business.

“My bags are packed and in Momma’s car, ready to go to the airport.”

“Then here’s a check for fifty thousand and the first class ticket. Just like I said. A one-time offer.” He reached toward me and dangled it close enough to my face for me to see my name in large, bold script. “Now sign.”

Anger burned in my gut as I picked up the pen. I flipped to the last page and scrawled quickly, then tossed the papers at him and snatched the envelope out of his hand.

The papers floated to his desk as I opened the envelope to see its contents. I was shocked to see he really had followed through. There was a check inside, written from his business account, and an airline ticket. I wasn’t surprised to hear his low growl of anger.

“Fuck you, Magnolia.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, now playing the role of a sister who didn’t give a shit. It wasn’t much of a stretch. “So you
can
read, although it said ‘Fuck you,
Roy
,’ not Magnolia.” I took several steps backward toward the door.

He reached for the phone on his desk. “Don’t even bother trying to cash that check. I’m having a stop payment put on it right now.”

“Don’t worry.” I pulled out the lighter I’d put in my purse for this very purpose and flicked it on. “You can have it back.” I held the flame to the edge of the envelope. It was slow to take, but the flames shot up the paper. I dropped the burning mess onto his wool carpet.

He started shouting after me as I calmly walked down the hall and out to the elevator.

I’d made a decision. I knew what my heart
needed
.