“It was, but until a few minutes ago, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about letting go of that house and all my memories, so I could stay down here. Then Mary Vaughn called with two offers. She mentioned one of them was yours. That was all I needed to hear to be content with my decision.” She laughed. “Thank goodness, yours was the highest bid and more than I’d hoped to get, as well. My kids would never have let me hear the end of it if I’d let sentiment overrule common sense.”
“I fell in love with the house the second I walked into the garden,” Jeanette said honestly, barely able to contain her excitement.
“You and I talked a few times about gardening when we had a chance to visit on the patio at the spa,” Nancy recalled. “That’s how I know you’ll take good care of it. As far as I’m concerned we have a deal, Jeanette. You, Mary Vaughn and the bank can take care of the details, and assuming everything goes smoothly, the house is yours. I want you to make me a promise, though.”
“Anything,” Jeanette said at once.
“Will you let me stop by for a visit if I get back up that way?”
“You’d be welcome anytime,” Jeanette told her, trying to contain her urge to give a shout that would shatter Nancy’s eardrums. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you what this means to me. I’m so excited, I’m shaking.”
“I just hope you’ll be as happy there as I’ve been.”
“I’m sure I will be. Goodbye, Nancy, and thank you again.”
As she disconnected the call, she turned to see Tom regarding her with a grin.
“It’s yours?”
“It’s mine, or it will be once the bank approves my loan and we can close on it,” she said as he scooped her up and whirled her around. When he set her back on her feet, she caught a quick glimpse of—what? sadness?—in Mary Vaughn’s eyes. But then she forced her trademark smile.
“Congratulations,” Mary Vaughn told her. “How would you two like to go out for dinner and some champagne to celebrate? I’ll take you to Sullivan’s.”
Tom gave Jeanette a questioning look. “What do you think? Are you free?”
Jeanette thought Mary Vaughn was being extremely gracious under the circumstances. Maybe she was also just a little anxious to show the world that she wasn’t the sore loser she’d been when Dana Sue won Ronnie for a second time. After considering the invitation for a moment, she nodded. Why not let the other woman have a chance to save face.
“We’d love to, Mary Vaughn,” she said. “And thank you for whatever you said to Nancy to persuade her to take my offer.”
“Oh, sweetie, there was no persuasion involved. It was all about dollars and cents—that and the fact that you took the time to be nice to her when she was hurting after Garrett died. That’s just more proof that what goes around comes around.” She sighed audibly, then murmured half to herself, “Probably a lesson I need to learn.”
Jeanette caught her words. “Mary Vaughn, are you okay?”
That fake smile she’d perfected was back in place so fast, Jeanette almost thought she’d imagined the weary resignation she’d heard in her voice. “I’m just peachy, sugar, but I sure could use a glass of champagne. Why don’t I meet you at Sullivan’s in fifteen minutes. I’ll close up here and put a Sale Pending sign out front.”
“Okay, we’ll see you there,” Jeanette said.
She had the distinct impression that Mary Vaughn needed that time to compose herself for the performance she was about to give to the whole town, the one to prove she was still on top and unfazed by whatever was going on between Jeanette and Tom. Jeanette couldn’t help admiring her. If they’d switched places, she’d be heading home to comfort herself with a half gallon of strawberry-cheesecake ice cream.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tom couldn’t think of a single time in his life when an evening promised to be more awkward. He had a hunch that all eyes were going to be on the three of them when they walked into Sullivan’s, as the locals tried to figure out when the hair-pulling was likely to start between Mary Vaughn and Jeanette.
After all, Mary Vaughn had hardly made a secret of her interest in him. And Jeanette had publicly claimed him in the stands at last night’s football game, even though she said she didn’t really want him, at least not the way he wanted her. He thought she might be a trifle delusional about her own feelings, but he couldn’t prove it. Not yet, anyway.
Of course, he could always hope that people in Serenity kept their noses out of everyone else’s business, but from what he’d observed that was most definitely not the case. He had only to look at the Sweet Magnolias, their husbands and his own secretary for proof of that.
“You don’t seem to be looking forward to this dinner,” Jeanette commented as they drove to Sullivan’s.
“What was your first clue?” he asked.
“The fact that you haven’t said two words since we left Mary Vaughn.”
“Don’t you think this is going to be incredibly weird?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “But we owe it to her.”
He stared at her in confusion. The workings of this woman’s mind were a mystery to him. “Why is that?”
“She’s trying to save face, prove it doesn’t matter that you rejected her and chose me. Not that you have, of course.”
“I have,” he said flatly so there could be no mistake about it. “And whatever your intentions last night, that kiss you laid on me at the stadium told the world that you chose me back.”
She flushed slightly. “I had my reasons for that kiss. Don’t make too much of it.”
He glanced at her with undisguised skepticism, then focused on the road again. “Want to explain that?”
“Not really.”
“In that case, I prefer
