Free Moonlight Kiss by Luann McLane

loft guest bedroom?” Maggie asked.
    Addison put a hand over her mouth and Mia squealed with delight, making Maggie forget to be businesslike. She chuckled. You’d never know these two young women came from privilege. Mia was a sweetheart and Addison seemed so grounded. It was hard to believe that two men had let her get away.
    “You don’t like it at all, do you?” Maggie teased.
    “I don’t like it. I love it,” Addison admitted, and then turned to Mia. “What was that dance we did in the diner?”
    “The Snoopy happy dance.”
    “Let’s do it again!” Addison said.
    “Come on, Maggie. Join us!”
    Maggie hesitated for a fraction but then giggled like a schoolgirl. “Oh, why not?” A moment later all three were dancing in the middle of the big open space.
    “Time to go to Sully’s and celebrate!” Mia announced. “Oh, and we need to come up with a name for your shop. Let’s get the party started!”
    Maggie laughed with the girls as she locked up the building. “Addison, I’ll get the paperwork to you, and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to call.” She handed her a business card. “My cell phone is on there and I’ll pick up just about anytime of the day. Congratulations! I can’t wait to see the bridal boutique full of dresses!” She gave them both a hug and was still smiling after they left.
    But as she closed up her office and headed up to her own loft apartment, she felt a stab of loneliness. She was so glad that she had made the decision to move to Cricket Creek to live near Tristan, but he was busy with the Whisper’s Edge expansion and spent much of his downtime with his fiancée. Although she also kept busy trying to list other property and lease the remaining shops in Wedding Row, her nights were often spent alone. Now that summer was arriving, Maggie would also work with the Chamber of Commerce, helping to place visitors in rental properties, and although she absolutely adored having her own agency, her social life left, well, a whole lot to be desired. Savannah had encouraged her to join some of the activities at Whisper’s Edge, but at fifty-three Maggie really didn’t feel as if she fit in with that crowd just yet, as lovely as the ladies of the retirement home were to her.
    Maggie sighed as she thought of the day last week when she had bought the wedding dress at Violet’s Vintage Clothing with the intent of putting it in the display window. Violet, bless her heart, had thought that Maggie was getting married. “Not ever likely,” Maggie said with another little sigh.
    “Oh, just stop,” she chastised her sorry self. It wasn’t like her to let blue feelings get a grip on her, and she straightened her spine. But when she opened the fridge she didn’t feel like cooking dinner. The freezer had a selection of frozen dinners, and she wrinkled her nose. “Yuck.”
    “What you need to do is get the hell out of here and go out on the town,” she said out loud, as if hearing her own words would stiffen her resolve. Back in Cincinnati, she’d had her regular dining spots, hit an occasional happy hour where she would see friends, hobnob, and socialize. But it wasn’t as easy in a small town. Even though she’d been born in Cricket Creek, she’d left in a bit of a local scandal and hadn’t really kept in touch with anyone as a result. Coming home from freshman year of college pregnant would do that to you, especially when she had no idea who the father was. And it didn’t help that her own father hadn’t been supportive.
    Maggie ground her teeth together. That was years ago. Tristan was a grown man, and her father was long gone. She thought about going up to Wine and Diner, where there was an elegant bar in the rear of the restaurant. She could sashay in there and maybe listen to the live music they had in the lounge most evenings. Have a glass of wine. Flirt.
    What? Flirt?
Did she even remember how? “Maybe I am ready for Whisper’s Edge retirement community