The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,42
the locals must hate her for what she represented. Her desire to sell Niall’s properties probably didn’t cast her in a positive light, either. What else could they expect from her?
“It’s curiosity,” Carrie said, her lips barely moving. “Keep smiling.”
Avery wasn’t sure whether to be amused or annoyed by the way her sisters, who were still virtual strangers, seemed to be able to read her thoughts so easily. But she took the advice to heart and kept a smile on her face as she listened to Malcolm give an overview of the history of Summer Fair and then transition to memorializing Niall Reed.
To her surprise, the mayor offered a realistic portrayal of the man who’d been her father, covering both his contributions to the town and the challenges Niall had faced in both his professional and personal life. She could almost see the expressions on the faces of people in the crowd soften as Malcolm gave a high-level account of the predicament Carrie, Meredith and Avery had been thrust into because of the stipulations in Niall’s will.
Although she didn’t like having her private business on display for public consumption, it was necessary in a town like Magnolia for the community to understand the facts about the situation. Without that, speculation and rumors would run rampant. Avery had already been down that path. The worst of it—the thing that had almost broken her—was the gossip that she’d had a hand in Tony’s son being injured. That she’d been involved in the car accident or had caused it in some way. Of course it was ridiculous, but even though she knew that in her heart, the fact that people could believe her capable of something so heinous cut her to the core.
She might not want to be Magnolia’s savior, but she also wasn’t keen to take up the mantle of villain for this close-knit community.
While the mayor’s speech only lasted a few minutes, it felt like she was on display for hours. Finally he ended with a call to enjoy the weekend’s festivities and to remember that Magnolia would continue to be a strong, vital community going forward. He was certain Niall’s daughters would help solidify their father’s legacy and dedication to the town.
“Not to put us on the spot or anything,” Avery said into Mayor Grimes’s ear when the man gave each of the sisters a hug.
“I play to win,” he said with an face-splitting grin. “One of these days I’ll tell you all about my illustrious football career back at UNC.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m breathless with anticipation.”
The mayor threw back his head and guffawed. “I like you, Avery Reed.”
“Avery Keller,” she clarified.
“Uh-huh,” he agreed before moving into the crowd.
“Pitting out over here.” Meredith held her arms aloft and fanned herself. “I hate being on display.”
“Why did we agree to that again?” Avery asked.
Carrie surveyed the crowd. “It was a show of strength. They’re watching, waiting for one of us to crack.”
Avery followed the other woman’s gaze. Several people shot surreptitious glances in her direction. “You make it sound like a horror movie. Like we’ve got zombies waiting to ambush us.”
“Worse,” Carrie said. “Small-town gossips.”
“We’re all over the Magnolia Musings Instagram account.”
“Did you see the front page of the Blossom?” Carrie turned toward them.
Avery shook her head. “What’s the Blossom?”
“The weekly newspaper,” Meredith explained.
“It’s published on Fridays, and we were the headline.”
“Excuse me?” Avery tried to wrap her mind around this new information. “How are we the headline?”
“A profile on each of us,” Carrie said. “I didn’t mention it earlier because I thought you’d freak out.”
“You think?”
Meredith shrugged. “I’m not sure why Carrie and I had to be a part of it. They already know us. Everyone wants the details about your life.”
Avery felt like she’d been punched. “What details?”
“Your history. Your people.”
“I don’t have people.”
“Not much of a history, either.” Meredith tugged on the ends of Avery’s hair. “They dedicated two paragraphs to why you usually wear your hair