Goodbye, Magnolia (Cornerstone Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Advance Praise

  Copyright

  Dedication

  October 31, 1995 - A Beginning

  December 13, 2008 - Katherine and Edward

  December 15, 2008 - The Proposal

  December 25, 2008 - Christmas Dinner

  January 29, 2009 - Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

  February 13, 2009 - Friday the 13th

  February 14, 2009 - Valentines Day

  February 23-27, 2009 - Vegas, Baby

  May 7, 2009 - Revelations at Rose's

  June 6, 2009 - Angie and Steve

  June 27, 2009 - Dina and Alex

  June 29, 2009 - The Big Picture

  July 4, 2009 - Independence Day

  July 6, 2009 - An Unexpected Meeting

  July 24, 2009 - Surprises

  August 14, 2009 - Petoskey

  August 15, 2009 - True Colors

  October 31, 2009 - Happy Anniversary

  December 19, 2009 - Sarah and Tom

  December 25, 2009 - Christmas Day

  You're Invited

  June 18, 2010 - Journey to the Island

  June 19, 2010 - Lacey and George

  June 19, 2010 - The Plan

  May 9, 2011 - A New Beginning

  Hello, Forever - About the Book

  Until Then - About the Book

  Until Then Excerpt

  The Truth About Drew - About the Book

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Advance Praise for Goodbye, Magnolia

  "Brilliantly executed and kept me turning pages well into the night. Goodbye, Magnolia is a true gem in my book. I was hooked from the first page."

  Laura Wilson, Blue Eye Books

  "It was an emotional read ... laughter, sadness, happiness, and a lot of 'awww' moments. A wonderful story that will take readers on a journey of love, faith and perseverance."

  Dianne Olczak, Launch Team member

  "I couldn't help but think about Elizabeth and Darcy [from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice] ... I could see a picture of the classic here."

  A.M. Heath, author of Where Can I Flee

  “Anyone who has been through a tough breakup can relate to this story, but so can anyone who has found the love of their life. It truly is a beautifully written love story.”

  Heather Seifert, Launch Team member

  "I feel like everyone can relate to someone in the book in some way. I am kind of sad I finished it in one day because I feel like the characters became people I knew and now they are gone."

  Nicole Mantooth, Random Ramblings Blog

  “Goodbye, Magnolia was such a fun book to read! I loved the flow and the sweet relationship between Maggie and Sarah. I felt like they were MY friends. The plot was engaging, and it was hard for me to put the book down!”

  Carrie Orr, Launch Team Member

  Copyright © 2015 by Krista Noorman

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other - except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  For Jacob.

  He knows why.

  October 31, 1995

  A Beginning

  Two months felt like a lifetime.

  Maggie should have been more excited about her first semester of college. It was supposed to be a time full of new experiences, new friends, and independence. But a desperate little thought hung like a shadow in the back of her mind. Ben might forget about me.

  All through high school, her affection for Ben had been one-sided. They were the best of friends, but nothing more. So when the summer after graduation ended and it was time to leave for college, she was afraid. Living on her own for the first time didn't scare her at all, but living in another city did, because leaving Hastings meant letting go of the last threads of hope she'd been clinging to. Leaving meant she would be off of Ben's radar and there might never be a chance for them.

  It had been difficult to climb into the family station wagon that day and leave behind everything familiar and comfortable to begin a new chapter in her life. Even more so because her heart still longed for someone in the previous chapter.

  Life at Cornerstone, a Christian college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was never dull. She loved her roommates instantly. Michelle was the tall, athletic one, and Emma was petite and cute as a button. They bonded over cheese fries at The Skillet, the campus greasy spoon, and had been inseparable ever since.

  The fact that the college was an hour from home had sealed the deal for her. It was just far enough away to have her own life, but not so far that she couldn't visit home. Not so far that she couldn't see Ben if she wanted to.

  But it had been two long months, and her only connection with Ben had been a couple brief phone calls asking about college and classes. She could tell that things had changed. He had his own life, his own college experience going on, and they would probably never be as close as they were in high school.

  The time had come for her to let go of the dream and focus on herself and her love of photography. She loved her photography classes and her professors. They were a wealth of knowledge and she soaked it all in.

  Cornerstone had no shortage of eligible guys on campus, which was a definite plus, and Michelle seemed to know them all within the span of a week. There was no way Maggie would ever get over Ben until she met someone new, and maybe, just maybe, she would earn her MRS degree along the way. Finding a husband had never been her reason for attending college, but she wasn't opposed to the idea either. She didn't relish the thought of being in the dating pool, though. A love at first sight scenario would be ideal. But that was the stuff of dreams - her naive, idyllic dreams, which were the direct result of watching far too many movies in the romantic comedy genre.

  On Halloween day, she finally met someone. The reality was not at all like the fantasy.

  "Can I take your picture?"

  They were the first words he ever spoke to her.

  Maggie stared up at him, clearly startled. “Excuse me?”

  "For the assignment,” he replied with a flirty grin.

  The assignment, given by Mr. Wilkins, the instructor of their photography class, was to pair up and photograph each other using only natural light.

  But he was the last person she wanted to partner with.

  She glanced around the room and realized the other students had already chosen their partners.

  “Yeah, I guess,” she reluctantly agreed.

  Simon Walker was handsome and charming, immediately catching the eye of her roommate, Emma. His easy going personality made him the friend of many, including Michelle, but there was something about him, an arrogance, that was off putting to Maggie. She often wondered if she was the only one on campus who disliked him, because it seemed every girl she knew was infatuated, and every guy wanted to be his best friend.

  Each pair of students was sent off to a different location around campus. Maggie and Simon walked together from the Fine Arts building toward their assigned location — Miller Library. The fall air was brisk as they walked along the sidewalk lined with trees, half of which had already lost their leaves.

  "You're Michelle's roommate,” he stated. “Maggie, right?"

  “Yeah. Maggie James.” She ha
d no idea he even knew who she was. They had been in class for two months, but he had never once acknowledged her existence.

  "I'm Simon.” He held his hand out to shake hers.

  She hesitantly shook it. "I know who you are."

  "What's with the Canon?" Simon asked.

  "What do you mean?”

  He pointed at the camera hanging around her neck. "Your camera."

  She looked down at her Canon brand camera. It was new, purchased specifically for the class. Turning it over in her hands, she examined the lens and the camera body. Nothing appeared to be wrong with it.

  “Huh?” She was confused.

  "Why'd you go with a Canon?" he asked.

  She noticed the shiny new Nikon camera with the expensive zoom lens in his hands. "What difference does it make? They both do the same thing, right?"

  Simon shook his head, and his nut brown hair fell over his right eye. "Nikon is by far superior to Canon." He ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back into place.

  Maggie was annoyed. "In what way?"

  “Better lenses, faster focus ..."

  "Says who?" She cut him off. Know-it-all.

  "My uncle's a photographer,” he informed her. “He's done his research."

  She rolled her eyes at his condescending tone. "Can we just get this over with?"

  “OK.” He seemed taken aback, as if no girl had ever been this cold to him before.

  They walked into the library and found a bright spot near a wall of windows with light streaming in.

  Simon slid a chair into position. “Sit here," he commanded.

  She put her camera on a nearby desk and sat down. If she had known she would be the subject of a photograph, she might have worn something nicer than a hooded grey Cornerstone sweatshirt.

  He approached and smoothed a few of her sandy blonde hairs.

  It was an awkward moment, and she wished she had chosen to wear her hair back in a clip rather than down.

  He touched her chin and turned her head toward the window.

  "What are you doing?" She pulled away from his fingers.

  "Don't move. The light is perfect on your face right now."

  Maggie was completely uncomfortable. She hated being in front of the camera, but having Simon photograph her only made it worse. Every muscle in her body felt stiff and unnatural.

  Simon crouched down and peeked through his camera. He shook his head, clearly exasperated, and looked up at her. "You need to relax."

  "I hate having my picture taken."

  "Why?" He looked puzzled.

  She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not very photogenic."

  Simon let out a little laugh. "I don't believe that at all.” He moved closer, still crouched, and examined her face.

  Maggie could tell he wasn't really seeing her as a person, but as the subject of his photograph. It made her feel even more nervous.

  "You're not very good at this,” she blurted.

  He suddenly looked at Maggie the person. "Not good at what?"

  "Making your subject feel comfortable in front of the camera."

  His mouth fell open, and he stared at her in disbelief. "Maybe it's just you."

  Maggie's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. "Maybe I need a different partner."

  He stood and lifted his arms in surrender. "Be my guest."

  She shook her head. “It’s too late now, and I’m not getting an incomplete on this.”

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “Then relax.”

  She looked at him stone-faced, her arms still crossed, as he snapped a couple shots.

  “Man, you’re intense. Don’t you ever smile?”

  She refused to smile for him and kept her green eyes focused on his camera lens.

  “I feel like you’re about to melt me with laser beams from your eyes or something.”

  Maggie’s face broke into a smile at his ridiculous comment.

  Simon pressed the shutter release on the camera. “There it is.” He looked over the camera and gave her a cocky grin.

  She abruptly stood up. “OK, your turn.”

  They walked across the library to another wall of windows, and Maggie pointed to one of the large reading chairs.

  Simon plopped down in the chair, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees with hands clasped together. He was clearly as comfortable in front of the camera as he was behind it, which annoyed her immensely. It also bothered her how great he looked in a simple green henley and jeans. He looked at her with intense hazel eyes, brought out by the color of his shirt.

  Maggie rolled her eyes behind the camera. Begrudgingly, she took a few shots of him, but then made a face.

  “What? Is this not intense enough for you?” he teased.

  “Don’t look at the camera.”

  He gave her a look of confusion. “Isn’t that what we were assigned to do?”

  “Yeah, but I like my pictures to be more natural, like you don’t know the camera’s here. More candid.”

  “Candid?” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “How do I do candid?”

  “You need to relax.” She gave him a sarcastic look as she echoed his earlier statement.

  He grinned at her and nodded.

  “I don’t know. Pretend I’m not taking your picture or something.” She lifted the camera again.

  “Like how?” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Just look around.”

  “Can I still talk to you?”

  “Whatever.” She wished this was over already.

  “OK.” He sat up a little and looked directly at her. “Are you free tonight?”

  She looked over the top of her camera and glared at him.

  “What? I’m being candid.” He had a little twinkle in his eye.

  “That’s a little too candid.” She peeked through the viewfinder on her camera once more.

  He stared directly into her lens. “We’re having a costume party at the dorm. You should come.”

  Maggie glanced up at him again. “No, thanks.” All she could think about was Emma, who had been dating Simon since early in the semester. Sweet Emma, who had opened her heart to him. Yet here he was, very obviously flirting. She didn't care if she was the only girl on campus who didn't like Simon. Her first impression of him had been dead on.

  “Michelle will be there.” As if anything he said could convince her to come.

  She took another look through the camera. “Well, good. Then you can hit on her instead.”

  Simon looked out the window as he laughed a little.

  Click!

  “There it is,” Maggie stated confidently.

  He gave her a crooked, amused grin. Even his eyes seemed to smile. “You’re good.”

  And that was it. Not love at first sight. Not even close.

  December 13, 2008

  Katherine & Edward

  The chapel lights were dim. Candle lanterns hung from hooks attached to every other pew, lighting the aisle. The stage was bright with candles, and strings of clear lights peeked through the white toile draped along the walls. Clusters of poinsettias were arranged along the edge of the steps with one large arrangement center stage. And there, behind the flowers, flanked by their bridal party, stood the bride and groom. They faced each other, hands held, in the midst of their vows.

  “I, Katherine, take you, Edward, to be my husband. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." Katherine paused as she gazed at Edward with tear-filled eyes. “Until death do us part." A tear slipped down her cheek.

  Edward reached up and tenderly brushed it away.

  “By the power vested in me by the State of Michigan, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  They both just stood there smiling at each other.

  “Ed,” the pastor said with a wink. "You may now kiss the bride."

  Crouched down at the front of the aisle, Maggie pressed the button on her camera and heard the familiar click as the shutter released, capturing forever in time the f
irst kiss of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Williams.

  The room suddenly filled with the applause of their guests.

  Maggie softly sighed as she stood and quickly made her way to the back of the aisle to capture Katherine and Edward’s recessional. The applause continued as the beaming couple departed, smiling from ear to ear. She followed them into the foyer of the church and snapped a few pictures of their first moments as husband and wife.

  “You are so beautiful,” Edward whispered into his wife’s ear just loud enough for Maggie to overhear him.

  “I love you so much,” replied Katherine.

  They kissed, and Maggie sighed again as she took a few more photographs. So sweet. Her heart ached a little.

  The bridal party filed into the room and spent the next few minutes hugging, congratulating, and organizing themselves for the receiving line.

  Maggie glanced around the room. As a wedding photographer, she had learned the art of watching people and capturing moments when nobody noticed she was photographing them. This was her gift and one of the reasons couples sought her out for their weddings.

  A little girl with blonde ringlets wearing a red velvet dress stood just inside the sanctuary doors waiting with her parents. Maggie watched as she peeked around her mother’s leg and stared up at the bride. It was as if she couldn’t take her eyes off of this beautiful woman in the flowing white gown. The girl snuck away from her mother’s side, walked shyly over to Katherine, and tugged on the side of her dress.

  “Hi, sweetie.” Katherine bent down and gave the sweet child a kiss and a hug.

  Click. Click. Click.

  Maggie smiled to herself, proud of the moment she had captured.

  “Hey, Mags.” Sarah Scott, Maggie’s assistant, approached carrying their coats in one hand, a backup camera in the other, and a camera bag with more equipment slung over her shoulder. She handed Maggie a business card. “The videographer gave me this right after he asked me if I come here often.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Who uses that line any more?”