“I don’t know,” Andi admitted. “My uncle is the Sheriff. He overheard me talking about how cute I thought Aaron was the first time I’d seen him at the store. And he told me that he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone because the records were sealed, but that he’d definitely been in some serious trouble in the past and he wanted me to stay away from him. He said he was dangerous. That’s all he could tell me.” Andi shrugged sadly.
Maggie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t want to. She couldn’t reconcile this man Andi was describing, a loner with a sordid past, with the man she’d met. Aaron was sweet and funny, he was polite and charming. There was no way he could be an ex-con. This had to be a mistake.
~∞~
The next morning Maggie woke to an awful revelation. She was out of coffee. This day was not off to a good start. She had a horrible headache, probably a result of the bottle of wine she and Andi had polished off the night before. Plus she hadn’t slept well. She couldn’t stop thinking about Aaron.
In truth, she didn’t know him. Perhaps Andi was right. Maybe it was best to stay away from him. That thought coupled with the lack of coffee left her feeling very defeated. She considered going upstairs and crawling back into bed. To make matters worse, without a car driving to town wasn’t an option. Why had she sold her car? She really hadn’t thought that through.
Barney sat at the backdoor crying to be let out. Even he seemed in a bad mood this morning. With shoulders slumped she crossed the kitchen to the backdoor and opened it to let the cat out. She was greeted with a surprisingly cool morning. The sky was overcast and a brisk breeze was blowing. It wasn’t hot at all. Maggie considered the walk to Sweetwater. It wasn’t really very far and with this weather it might be kind of nice. There was coffee in Sweetwater.
With a renewed spirit and a plan she headed outside to the garage in search of a basket or something that she could carry with her to bring back a few groceries from town. To her delight she found an old bicycle with a basket on the front. This day was steadily improving.
Maggie hadn’t rode a bike since she was a kid, but by the time she’d reached the end of the driveway and was turning onto the dirt road that led to Sweetwater she had the hang of it again.
It didn’t take her long to reach town, and as she rode her bike through Sweetwater she took a minute to really appreciate the quaint little town. The historic downtown buildings were bustling with people coming and going and waving as they went. The columned city hall boasted a large town clock that towered over the main square where a farmer’s market was set up. Nearly every corner held a steepled church and the large central park was filled with beautiful magnolia trees.
Maggie was drawn to a small cafe by the rich smells of coffee and cinnamon rolls. She sat outside on the patio and enjoyed her breakfast and a very large coffee as she watched the small town of Sweetwater. The town was bustling with energy, but the people were smiling. They were waving and taking the time to stop and greet each other on the street. The stress and anxiety of her life before had been left behind. This was exactly what she needed and she was once again glad that she came. She began to consider the idea of staying in Georgia permanently. Maybe she could get a job at one of the downtown shops, find a small place to rent. It was a far cry from the life she’d once planned, but the idea was very inviting.
After breakfast she decided to walk around town and explore some of the shops. The weather was still pleasantly cool, the sky shrouded with a heavy cloud layer. She walked downtown and meandered through a few antique stores, mentally shopping for items she might stock a home with if she were to move to this town permanently.
She bought a few summer dresses at a cute little boutique and some aromatherapy bubble bath at another shop. She also stocked up on several bags of gourmet coffee. She found herself nodding to passersby who smiled at her as she walked through the streets.
At the farmer’s market she selected some fresh produce and made small talk with some of the townspeople. She noticed a young blonde woman sitting at a table with a stack of homemade cookbooks for sale. She crossed to her stand thinking how proud Andi would be of her for buying a cookbook. As she approached the table she also noticed three small children behind it. A blonde little girl was coloring in a coloring book while her dark haired brother played with his toy cars in the dirt. A toddler was sleeping peacefully in a stroller beside them. That’s when she noticed that the young woman seated behind the table was very pregnant.
“Oh, you must be Lacey,” Maggie said, smiling with recognition. Lacey looked a little taken aback that she’d known her name and Maggie made a mental note to allow people to introduce themselves first. But Lacey quickly recovered and smiled.
“You must know Andi,” she laughed and Maggie smiled with relief.
“Yes,” Maggie admitted sheepishly. “I’m Maggie,” She added quickly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Maggie.” Lacey smiled kindly. “Welcome to Sweetwater.”
“Thank you. It’s a wonderful little town,” Maggie enthused. The place was really growing on her.
“How long will you be staying?” Lacey asked pleasantly.