Part 6 (1/2)

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~ Albert Einstein Mitch had prepared some final paperwork for Hazel. He wished he could talk her out of giving in to this eminent domain and fight until the bitter end. Or at least let Maggie know what was going on with her family so she could help out. Hazel wouldn't hear of it. She didn't want to bother Maggie with it. Belle wasn't interested in the farm, so Hazel wouldn't fight any more and would let them have the land-land that was going to turn cozy Grandberry Falls into the outlet mall capital.

There was no way he was going to walk past the falls and not make a wish. Mitch tucked the envelope under his arm and rubbed a quarter between his fingers. He had to stop himself from wis.h.i.+ng the same thing he'd repeated for the last twenty-five years. His friends would wish for a pony, stick of candy, or some other present, not Mitch. He wanted to be part of the Greenlee family-only he didn't realize his heart already belong to a Greenlee.

The quarter flipped high in the air, and he watched it sail through the night breeze ending with a plop in the pool of water below.

”Don't tell me you still come here every night to make a wish?” Maggie leaned over the hand rail to see that the quarter had made it into the falls. ”All those years were you wis.h.i.+ng you'd become Mayor of Grandberry Falls?”

Mitch stepped back. He knew the falls were magical, but after twenty-five years, was his dream coming true?

Her eyes danced when she looked at him. Her soft features were only accented by the trickling water. Many times they stood here talking about life, listening to her debate her future, and now-twice in a few weeks.

”Caught me.” Mitch threw his hands up in the air. He never missed a good coin toss while walking by the falls-not when he was a kid and not now. Especially when the Greenlees were involved. ”To what does Grandberry Falls owe the pleasure of you visiting twice in a few weeks? Are you here to celebrate the annual Jubilee?”

Sure, he'd heard all the gossip from Wendy and her friends, but he wasn't going to let them know he was listening. Nor could he deny becoming a Facebook creeper on Wendy's account to see what everyone was saying.

Maggie's profile picture was still of her and Grady in front of the Statue of Liberty. Grady might have been all teeth in the photo, but not Maggie. Her eyes talked to Mitch, there was something missing.

Grady was the one who ended the engagement, but Mitch didn't know why or if they planned it that way so Grady's reputation wouldn't be tarnished. It was hopeful thinking to believe Maggie didn't want to marry Grady after all.

”Mitch,” Maggie whispered so low, he had to lean in to hear her, ”please don't pretend with me. You know I have no place else to go.” She crossed her arms across her body almost like a defensive little girl and trembled.

She did have a place to go. Here! Home where she was loved and could do good work, not only for her family but also for the community.

He couldn't help himself. He was use to making bad situations all better for her and helping out Hazel was no different. Mitch rubbed the sides of her arms. It was an instant reaction-protect Maggie Greenlee. ”I've heard the usual town gossip, but I haven't heard it from you. Are you okay?”

Maggie's laughter bounced off the rocks, echoing through the street. ”I'm not sure how to answer that.” Then she broke down in Mitch's arms.

He stroked her long pony-tail, welcoming the feeling on his hand. She was reaching out for comfort and he was glad to be there.

”Shhh.” He buried his head on the top of hers. ”It's going to be okay. I'll make sure of it.”

Maggie couldn't help but find comfort in Mitch. She questioned why it felt so good in his arms. Shouldn't she be grieving her broken engagement? Or maybe it was just having someone who cared. Either way, she didn't pull away. She nuzzled her head in the curve of his neck, inhaling deeply taking comfort in Mitch's smell. He never strayed from his musk cologne.

”We better stop all this or we will be the headline for The Grandberry Chronicle again.” His welcome laughter filled the empty spots in her heart.

”You never know what will happen when the two of us get together.” The memory gave a wry, twisted smile to her face when she recalled the cow tipping trouble that made headlines.

Reluctantly, she gave a last squeeze and let go.

His presence gave her joy she hadn't felt in a long time. She was use to going home from a long day and climbing into bed-exhausted, and doing it over again in five or six hours. She sure wasn't going to miss the five a.m. alarm clock.

”You know the big hoedown is this weekend, movie day and all. Before the big Jubilee.” His brown eyes met her brown eyes. ”Why don't you come down for some fun?”

She tried not to fidget when she noticed him staring intently at her like she was going to explode. She was going to be okay, she could feel it. She also knew she was going to be on display for everyone to see. Not only how she dealt with her broken engagement, but how she would deal with Wendy and Mitch dating.

”I'll think about it.” She lied.

She wasn't going to think about it anymore than she was going to think about moving on with her life. The energy escaped her. What she was really mourning was how her life had changed so quickly. One minute she was helping Van Meter and a.s.sociates s.n.a.t.c.h people's property as an eminent domain lawyer, and the next minute she's standing in front of a waterfall hoping this was the quarter that was going to make it all better.

”You better.” Mitch handed her the large envelope. ”Can you give this to Hazel?”

Maggie took it and immediately noticed it was sealed tight. She shook it.

”What is it?” She asked.

”Just give it to Hazel.” He yelled over his shoulder as he walked away.

Chapter 15.

When love is not madness, it is not love. ~ Pedro Calderon de la Barca It was getting late, and Hazel would be expecting her by now. When she saw Mitch standing by the falls, she had an overwhelming feeling, almost confusing, but she chalked it up to the comforts of being home.

Now driving to Hazel's gave Maggie more time to sort out her feelings. After all she was vulnerable and Mitch was always there to pick up the pieces. Only she wasn't going to be able to rely on him anymore.

She had to figure out where she was going to go from here. The way she saw it, she had two options. One was to go back to New York and use her contacts to get another job. Or two, she could open a practice in Grandberry Falls. If Belle could make a living buying the old Hair Pin salon and turning it into an upscale spa, Maggie should be able to get a few clients.

What made her stomach churn more was that she wasn't just worried about making a living in Grandberry Falls. She was worried about making a life without Mitch in it.

The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies seeped under the front door. Maggie's mouth began to water before she even opened the door. Hazel was good at comfort food and her warm, home-made, chocolate chip cookies were exactly what she needed.

”Oh!” The door flew open, and Hazel grabbed Maggie, pulling her inside. ”I heard your car door slam. Get in here.”

Maggie fell into Hazel's arms. Maybe the cookies weren't what she needed after all. There were no more tears to cry. She needed her heart to fill up with love, and she was at the right place.

”Thank you for letting me come home. I have to figure out what's next for me.” There were plenty of options, only none of them interested her.

The line between Hazel's eyes deepened. ”This is your home. You never have to have permission to come home.”

Maggie sat down at the kitchen table and downed a couple of cookies while Hazel poured some of her famous sweet tea in a Mason jar gla.s.s.

Maggie downed a few more cookies in record time, and threw back the tea as if she was downing a shot of whiskey. She couldn't help but smile watching Hazel stir the four large stock pots cooking the sweet drink on the stove.

”Do you need help?” Maggie got up and put her nose in the stream of the savory steam.

”Nope.” Hazel gave Maggie a kiss on her cheek. ”I've been doing this for fifty-two years.”

Hazel referred to her tea stand at the Jubilee. Everyone in Grandberry Falls loved Hazel's tea, and her tea was the first to sell out at the Jubilee.

”I've already made forty batches.” Hazel poured the magic grain, sugar, in the boiling creation without measuring. She always knew the perfect amount. ”I hear it might be a record crowd this year.”

”I'm sure it will.” Maggie drank the sip from the spoon that Hazel held up to her lips. ”Mmm, good.”