happiness came to a head as I parted my lips and said the one thing I’d wanted to say ever since I pushed Danny from my life a week ago.
“I’m sorry.”
When Danny didn’t respond right away, I brought my gaze up to see what he thought. His eyebrows were knit together, and he was staring at me. Hard.
“I am too.”
I frowned. What did he have to be sorry about? “Why?”
He scrubbed his face with his hand. “For pushing you. I should have let you take your time. I…” He brought his gaze back to me and squinted for a moment. “I want to be with you, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
This was music to my ears. I couldn’t fight the smile that emerged. And when I saw the relieved expression that passed over Danny’s face, I knew things were going to get better. I was going to be happy. Not only because I was discovering who Shari was, but because I was moving forward.
“I want that too,” I whispered.
Danny moved closer to me but hesitated.
I didn’t want him to worry about how I was going to react. Plus, he deserved to see me take steps toward him like he’d done toward me.
So I closed the gap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to meet mine. Instantly, his hands met my waist, and he pulled me in close. He crushed his lips down on mine. It took my breath away as we stood there, kissing like our lives depended on it.
My wall around my heart broke down, and all that was left was me. A woman wanting to love a man. And he wanted to love me back. How did I get this lucky?
When we finally came up for air, Danny leaned forward and rested his forehead on mine. He had a drunk happy smile on his face, which I was sure mimicked mine.
“Are you ready to try again?” he whispered.
I nodded and rose up onto my tiptoes to kiss him once more. “Yes.”
He pulled me into a hug, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he buried his face into the hollow of my neck.
Even though my future was still a mystery, I knew one thing. I was strong. I was capable. And I deeply and wholly liked Danny. This was the start of a new Shari, and I was ready.
Bring it on.
Victoria
Bella was staring at me as we sat at the table. She was eating cereal and hadn’t broken her gaze from me since I sat down in front of her. I tried to offer her a smile, but she just kept shoveling Fruity Pebbles into her mouth.
Great.
“Are those good?”
She narrowed her eyes.
Well, that didn’t work. Maybe it was a good thing that I’d dropped out of the mayoral election. After all, if I couldn’t win over Shari’s kid, how did I expect to win over an entire town?
My heart ached at the thought of what I’d given up, but I wasn’t going to dwell on that. Not after I’d made my choice. I was going to focus on my future and not my past. I was going to rewrite Victoria’s story, and it started now.
Sure, I didn’t know what I was going to do when it was time for me to clean out my office and walk away from the job that I thought I’d wanted my whole life, but that was all right.
For the first time in my entire life, my future was no longer planned out.
And as frightening as it was for me to admit that, I also knew that I was going to be okay.
I was finally free, and that was all that mattered.
Everything else was just a matter of details.
***
I hope you enjoyed A Magnolia Friendship. I loved diving into Victoria’s story and giving Shari her new lease on life. I wanted to show the growth of her confidence and ability to understand what she has always deserved.
The next book in the Red Stiletto Book Club series is Magnolia at Midnight. In the next story, Victoria discovers who she is now that she is not the mayor of Magnolia. Plus, I dive into Fiona and her story!
Head on over to your favorite platform to grab you copy today HERE!
Magnolia at Midnight
A story about breaking through barriers, discovering your worth, and finding a place to belong.
If you missed The Magnolia Inn, the first book in the Red Stiletto Book Club Series, make sure to grab it HERE!
ALSO, if you enjoyed reading about Scarlet, I have a recently released NOVELLA that focuses on just her romance.
There are two ways of acquiring her story.
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I also have a complete family saga series that I’m sure you would love! Read the first in the Braxton Brother’s Romances, HERE!
Coming Home to Honey Grove with make you swoon, cry, and sigh.
Joshua is back in Honey Grove. As a divorced, single dad, he’s decided that love is the last thing he needs.
Beth is back in Honey Grove after losing her job and getting dumped.
When Josh’s mother, the town’s busy body, arranges for Beth to be his nanny, Josh decides to go along with the plan.
Even though Beth is no longer the lanky girl next door, Josh isn’t looking for a relationship anyway. He can keep her at a distance. Right?
Everything seems to be working out until their relationship deepens and their arrangement isn’t enough anymore.
Too bad her feelings for Josh isn’t Beth’s only secret.
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