AlpacaWhisperer: I want more Dean! He’s so grumpy and snarly!

CurlzGurl: I wanna be Maggie when I grow up!! Only I want to fix up a beach house and then actually live in it.

SquatGoals: Did anyone catch Maggie’s Insta story today? She said they found something amazing in her new house! Guesses? I’m betting voodoo dolls.

22

22

Maggie gave the brace on the table leg a whack until the lock clicked into place.

It wasn’t the greatest setup, she thought, glancing around the sunporch. But with the windows open to the breeze, some candles on the paper tablecloth that disguised the paint splatters, and the trio of mismatched chairs, it might look kind of charming and bohemian.

Or her guests would realize that Maggie was a hot mess incapable of living life as an adult with things like matching furniture and dishes that weren’t made out of paper and plastic.

At least she had the new serving plate from Kinship Mercantile to class things up. It was in the fridge now with its caprese skewer appetizers next to the store-bought cheese-and-meat tray and pecan pie.

After leaving Wallace to his research, she’d insisted Silas make a pit stop at the grocery store. The man had chuckled his way through the store as she hurled impulse buys into the cart. She couldn’t very well serve guests fluffernutter sandwiches.

Coffee was brewing. A pitcher of water was chilling in the now crowded refrigerator. Her jeans were clean-ish. And she’d managed enough time to run the Shop Vac over every square inch of hallway between the front door and the sunporch.

It was as good as it was going to get. Unless maybe she had time to—

The morbid organ of a doorbell echoed menacingly through the first floor. Her time was up.

She took a breath, straightened her shoulders, and headed for the front door.

“We come bearing gifts,” Kayla said when Maggie opened the door. She held up a bottle of tequila in one hand and a woven shopping tote in the other. She was wearing cute, lipstick-red pants that cut off above the ankle and a plain white T-shirt with a big, dangly statement necklace.

Nirina was gorgeous in a long magenta dress that brushed the tops of gold sandals. She held the spiral-bound proposal to her pregnant belly. “I vote we skip the small talk and go straight to the part where you give us a tour of this place. It’s incredible!”

Maggie laughed, nerves evaporating. “Come on in.”

They came inside, bringing warm May air with them. Maggie could almost feel the house’s approval as they oohed and aahed over crown moldings and wood paneling and soaring ceilings. They weren’t appalled by the dilapidated state of her home. They were enamored with its potential. She felt an instant kinship with them.