The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,30
seemed to mind. The dog had nudged her leg until she’d bent and picked her up. Meredith said no people food but hadn’t mentioned rules about dogs on furniture. Spot had scooted closer on the sofa, then curled into a ball at Avery’s side.
The dog’s presence had been surprisingly comforting as Avery surreptitiously snooped on the Facebook account of the wife of her ex-boyfriend. Sofia posted updates on their young son, Mark, who’d been seriously injured in a car accident that Avery still felt responsible for.
She hadn’t let herself check up on Tony’s family since she’d fled San Francisco, but somehow Spot’s warmth and rhythmic breathing next to her made her feel like she wasn’t so alone. She and the dog had stayed together long enough that Avery barely had time to shower before she needed to be downtown.
“You think a dog treat’s a smart plan? Seems to me someone’s already been a bit too generous with the biscuits.”
“It wasn’t me,” Avery said, realizing she sounded defensive. “And I’m not really going to give her a treat.” She straightened and turned to find a tall, well-dressed man standing behind her, a straw fedora perched on his head. The man’s skin was the color of a perfect latte with a salt-and-pepper beard covering his jaw.
“So you’re lying to that animal?”
Something about the teasing note in his tone made Avery smile, despite her frustration with the heat and with Spot. “Do you think she cares?”
“Nope.” He held out a hand. “I’m Malcolm Grimes, mayor of Magnolia. You’re Avery Reed from—”
“Keller,” she corrected quickly. “Avery Keller. My mom raised me on her own, so I have her family name. How do you know who I am?”
Malcolm nodded solemnly. “I was raised by my granny, so I know all about strong women taking care of business on their own. Everyone around here knows who you are. And I googled you.”
“What did people do before the internet?”
“Used the phone book a lot more, for one thing.”
Spot made a soft grunting sound, lifting her head to sniff the air.
“She caught the scent of the Bagel Buggy,” Malcolm said with a laugh.
“What’s a Bagel Buggy?” Avery’s stomach rumbled as the warm breeze carried the smell of fresh-baked bread to her.
“Magnolia’s version of a food truck. They’re more like food ‘carts’ but they work for us. We have a burrito, bagel and pizza buggy. Cyrus, who runs the Bagel Buggy, usually opens first. He does breakfast sandwiches in addition to a lunch menu. We’ll have to make a date for lunch one of these afternoons. As mayor it’s my duty to welcome new residents to our town.”
Avery frowned. The offer was friendly, not flirty, and she didn’t get any weird “pickup” vibes from the older man. “I’m not staying in town,” she told him honestly. “I’m a waste of a good bagel sandwich.”
“The Bagel Buggy is never a waste.” He inclined his head. “Don’t be so sure about what you mean to this town or what we might come to mean to you.”
“I’m here for family business,” Avery said, glancing at her watch. After giving Spot’s leash another tug, which the dog ignored, she bent and scooped the chunky fur ball into her arms. “Nice to meet you, Mayor, but I’m late for a meeting.”
“I’ll walk to Josie’s with you,” he offered, falling into step beside her. “You understand the Reeds have been a big part of this town and our history for many years now. Niall committed himself to—”
“How did you know I was heading to the dance studio?” Josie Trumbell owned Josie’s School of Dance. It was one of several businesses in the buildings Avery now owned that hadn’t paid rent for several years according to the financial records she found in the office at the gallery. She threw him a sidelong glance as he cleared his throat.
“Lucky guess?”
“Try again.”
“Josie, Phil and Stuart asked me to talk to you,” he admitted. “They’re worried about how you’re going to handle their leases.”
“Are they also concerned that they’ve been riding the coattails of Niall’s misplaced generosity