Page 45 of Sweet Southern Heat

“Did you still want to stop at the Bagel Bin to grab some lunch?” I asked, hoping to distract him so he didn’t ask about her. Food was the last thing on my mind, but I wanted to make sure Dad got something to eat so his blood sugar didn’t plummet.

“Sure,” he replied, but it was half-hearted. He was devastated about Lyle going to jail. In all my years, I’d only ever seen my father cry three times: the day my mom left us, when the doctors told him they’d have to amputate his leg, and the moment they cuffed my brother at the hospital entrance. I wished there was something I could do to ease his pain, but all I could do was make sure he was taken care of.

Once he was fed and had taken his afternoon medications, I dropped him off at home and drove straight to Olivia’s house. Seeing that sign today unnerved me because I knew what itmeant. She was leaving Magnolia Grove for good. Her car wasn’t in the driveway when I pulled in, and panic clawed at my chest. Surely she hadn’t already moved.

I jumped out of my truck and trudged toward the door, my stomach in knots. Lifting my hand, I knocked. No answer. I knocked again, then rang the doorbell. Still nothing.

“No, no, no,” I whispered, the desperate plea leaving my lips as a chant. This couldn’t be happening. I tried again.

“Are you looking for Olivia?” I jumped at the sound and whirled around to find Minnie Montgomery, Honey’s grandmother, on the sidewalk.

“Yes, do you know where she is?” She offered me a sad smile, and my stomach sank.

“She went back to Atlanta.”

My knees threatened to buckle, and I braced my hand on the door frame. The realization of how badly I’d screwed up hit me square in the chest, and I nearly doubled over. Olivia was gone, and I only had myself to blame.

Chapter 40

Olivia

A car hornblared from the city street beside me, and I jumped. I fumbled the phone in my hand but managed to save it from falling to the sidewalk. I’d forgotten how loud it was in the city. Magnolia Grove was quiet, the streets were rarely full, and there was little traffic. Right now, cars sat impatiently at the red light, bumper to bumper as everyone rushed to their next destination. I’d grown accustomed to the relaxed atmosphere of small town life and needed to re-acclimate myself to the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Glancing at my phone, I checked the address on the email one last time and peered up at the building where my next interview was to take place in twenty minutes. I’d managed to schedule two interviews for today, so I would only have to make the trip once. Two birds, one stone.

I was hopeful I could lock down a new job while I waited for the bakery to sell. Even if I couldn’t, I had a nest egg to fall back on as well as the profits from the bakery. I could live off those for a while, and I didn’t plan to close it until after the sale.

My first interview went okay, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I was a pastry chef, and they wanted me tomass produce cupcakes and cookies for a grocery chain. It wasn’t ideal, but if it was the only job offer I received, I might have to accept it.

Cool air blasted me in the face when I entered the building. The perspiration on my skin instantly evaporated, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It had been impossible to find a parking spot closer to the building, and I had to suffer through the ten minute walk from a parking garage in the sweltering midday heat. Thankfully my blouse was sleeveless, and the flowy material didn’t cling to my skin. My ivory linen pants were breathable, but still, my legs felt as though they might combust every time the material rubbed against them.

I would never have this problem back home. There was always plenty of parking available around local businesses. The only exception was the Magnolia Festival where everyone, young and old, came out to celebrate. The streets were filled with vendors and carnival rides. Artists painted kid’s faces, and teenagers made out on the Ferris wheel.

Stop, Olivia. Quit comparing the city you love with the hometown you couldn’t wait to escape from.

My days in Magnolia Grove were numbered. It was for the best. I didn’t belong there. Atlanta was where I thrived. It was where I’d launched my career and built a life free of the expectations at home. It was where I could find peace away from the Crawford men.

Straightening my shoulders, I gave the receptionist my name, and she instructed me to have a seat while she contacted the manager. I lowered myself into a chair and waited. And waited. And waited. The bustling lobby of the boutique hotel was nearly as loud as the street. Smartly dressed men in suits and women carrying designer handbags mingled, some of them sipping cocktails as they waited for a table at the ultra-exclusive restaurant.

Longing for the relaxed atmosphere of Lunch Box Deli and the quiet consistency of the regulars at River’s End Bar settled into my chest. I could no longer deny that Magnolia Grove had grown on me in the weeks since Nan’s passing. I couldn’t wait to get out of that town after the accident, and now, I couldn’t wait to get back.

Nobody knew who I was here. There were no familiar faces, no neighbor I could borrow a cup of sugar from if I ran out.

No one to stay late at the garage and fix my car so I could get it back sooner. There was not one soul in this city I could count on to rescue me from a rattlesnake if I were trapped in a tree.

Tears stung my eyes as I remembered the look on Landon’s face when he realized I was in danger. It was fear mixed with unwavering determination. The way he held my gaze when he entered me the first time. There was genuine affection shining in his bright blue eyes. He cared for me. There was no denying it. But he chose his brother over me, and I…

I ran.

Instead of staying and dealing with the hand life dealt me, I ran away. Again. Just like six years ago, I was too big of a coward to stay and face my problems head-on. Back then, it was the guilt over the accident and the scorn of everyone who’d blamed me for ending Lyle’s football career. Now, it was Landon’s rejection. It was him choosing Lyle over me. But he was strong enough to give up what he wanted to fight for his brother. I hadn’t fought for anything, certainly not him.

I stood and went to the receptionist, waiting impatiently while she finished up a phone call. She looked up at me and pasted on her friendly, customer service smile.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, but something’s come up. I won’t be able to stay for the interview,” I replied and rushed out of there before she could respond.

I needed to get back to Magnolia Grove. Atlanta didn’t feel like home anymore. I was ready to return to the place that had built me. More than that, I was determined to stop running from my problems and fight for love.

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