Never Tell Your Dreams.

A Grandberry Falls Novel.

Tonya Kappes.

Dedications.

To my dear husband, Eddy. He encourages me to go to pretend places and never asks me to grow up. And to my boys (Austin, Brady, and Jack) for always telling me how proud they are of me and sharing my books with their friends and teachers.

Thanks to my critique group (Cathy Liggett, Heather Webber, Hilda Linder-Knepp, and Sh.e.l.ley Shepard Grey) for the unwavering support and continued guidance.

Lastly, to Mamie Lowry, my granny. She taught me all the superst.i.tious tales I still live by today. Thank you for loving me and making my childhood fun! And I still NEVER tell my dreams before breakfast.

Chapter 1.

Definition of superst.i.tion: Noun.

An irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear.

The way Maggie Greenlee lives her life...

"Please let this weekend go better." Maggie squeezed her eyes shut tight.

She stood on her tiptoes, making herself a little taller. When she leaned over, shivers inched up her legs when the cold handrail pressed against her thighs. Wanting to make sure her quarter made it to the falls, she threw it as hard as she could.

She opened her eyes to follow the coin, but the sun blinded her, leaving the *kerplunk' into the pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall, Grandberry Fall's major attraction, enough proof that it did make it.

Growing up, she'd lost one too many quarters, standing in this very spot, by tossing the coin too far or not far enough.

"Good morning, Maggie Greenlee." The masculine voice, all too familiar, caught her off guard. "I thought that was you over here. Heard you were in town."

Maggie didn't have to look to see who was standing behind her.

The muscles in her jaw contracted. She loved the sound of her name when Mitch Dozier said it. Trying not to grin too big, she turned around.

"Hi, Mitch," Maggie began, but stopped and stared. She wasn't used to seeing him so put together or without a cowboy hat. When he gave his half grin, she continued, "You got your hair cut off."

Mitch ran his hands down the back of his neck; his short sleeved t-shirt exposed his biceps. "I took your advice, and figured you were right. The mayor should be clean cut. Compliments of Belle, too."

Maggie blushed when she recalled telling Mitch he needed a haircut when she saw him during her Christmas visit.

"I heard she's turned the Hair Pin into one happening spa." She referred to her sister's hair salon, and put the disastrous Christmas visit in the back of her mind. If she could forget about the last time she was here, she would.

It took Maggie another second to get past the new look. He'd never had the short, spiky hair he was sporting, nor did she remember Mitch Dozier having muscles. Well, maybe she never took the time to notice.

She noticed now.

Maybe her wish was going to come true and this was going to be a more enjoyable trip than last time she'd come home. It was off to a great start, seeing Mitch.

"I hear you're the man in charge." Maggie scooted the toe of her shoe in the rocks gathered near the curb. Maggie couldn't bring herself to look at him. After all, he had been the last person she saw at Christmas before she darted out of town. And under the mistletoe, no less.

"What can I say? Who would've thought?" His teeth glistened like the waterfall that flowed behind him.

Maggie would've never thought Mitch would be mayor of Grandberry Falls. He was her quiet, shy, reserved friend. Not the go-get-*em type that played sports or even chess. So when Hazel Greenlee, Maggie's grandmother and Grandberry Falls' matchmaker, had called Maggie to tell her the great news about Mitch being elected, Maggie had been shocked.

Hazel couldn't resist adding, "You could be the mayor's wife." It wasn't a secret Hazel wanted Maggie and Mitch to get married. She'd been planning it since they were five-years-old.

"So, I hear Belle is throwing you a big wedding shower." Mitch's gaze softened and dug deep into Maggie's soul.

Maggie shifted her eyes down to her feet. She couldn't bear to look into his dark chocolate eyes any longer. He could read her like a book, and she knew it. She dug her hands in her cropped jeans and looked over his shoulder at the crowd gathering at the Fatted Pig. A good greasy egg sandwich sounded really good right now, but not if she was going to fit into a size six Vera w.a.n.g wedding dress.

She'd spent her entire savings on the perfect dress and wasn't going to ruin the possibility of not fitting in it because of one weak moment.

"I told Belle not to go to the trouble because I've been gone so long that I'm sure no one would want to come."

Maggie felt a little stupid. She hadn't been home but a handful of times in the past six years and even then, she didn't visit with old friends-only Hazel, Belle and Mitch. She was out of touch with everyone else in Grandberry Falls.

Mitch turned his head to the side, forcing Maggie to look at him. She should've called Mitch when she and Grady Cohen got engaged, but she didn't. She left it up to him and pretty much everyone else to find out on their own.

"Well, congratulations," Mitch said. He pointed toward the courthouse. "I need to go prepare for a big meeting." His voice cracked and his eyes locked with hers.

"Oh, okay." Maggie wasn't sure if he was uncomfortable or really did have to go. She was certain about one thing, though. He definitely wasn't the Mitch Dozier she left six years ago. Then again, she wasn't the same Maggie.

"Have a great party," Mitch called over his shoulder.

Yeah, party, Maggie sighed. She wondered who in the world was going to come. But Belle insisted on throwing the shower.

Maggie pretended not to watch Mitch walk away, but she couldn't help herself. There was something different about him. Sure, she'd been back to visit a few times in six years, and he'd stopped by to see her. But it was never longer than a few minutes each time.

Once Mitch was out of sight, Maggie took her time walking back to her car. Grandberry Falls had changed so much in the last few years. The quaint stores had been restored to their original glory, and with the help from the new and only interior decorator, things had really started to resemble the old historic town Grandberry Falls was known to be, but a lot more charming.

Maggie crossed the street and caught her reflection in The Purple Cow Bookstore. She ran her hands through her straight, long brown hair and ruffled her blunt bangs, trying to make it a little less flat.

She loved the new brick paved Main Street that replaced the old beat-up blacktop where weeds had seeped through the cracks. The old broken street lights that had succ.u.mbed to a few rocks, had been replaced by carriage lights-giving the old town the elegance it needed to bring it back to life.

Fresh flower baskets hung from the carriage lights, along with small banners welcoming visitors to the annual Grandberry Falls Jubilee. Being reminded of the annual festivities brought back a lot of childhood memories of not only the waterfall, but Mitch and her friends.

Friends, Maggie sighed. What friends?

Maggie knew she didn't have any friends here, at least not anymore. She never returned phone calls; she never visited them when she did come back to Grandberry Falls. It wasn't like she was determined to leave Grandberry Falls. She was trying to make her life better, and she believed living in New York City was where all her dreams would come true.

Maggie waved to the elderly gentleman cleaning the windows at the Trembling Cup. "Hi, Arthur. Are you getting ready for the Jubilee soon?" She recalled the time he called Hazel, Maggie's grandmother, about Maggie smudging the gla.s.swhen she pressed her face up against it. There was nothing more embarra.s.sing than Maggie washing windows when her friends had driven by making fun of her.

He shrugged, and spoke softly, "I guess so, Maggie. Good to see you."

Maggie waved bye, and got in her car. She had avoided her grandmother long enough. It was one thing for her friends to question her engagement to Grady, but another for Hazel to despise him.

The Buy-N-Fly was still on the outskirts of town, which gave Maggie a feeling of relief that Hazel didn't have to go far if she needed something. Funny, but the harder she looked, the more Maggie realized Grandberry Falls really hadn't changed much at all.

Chapter 2.

Superst.i.tion: If you kiss under the mistletoe and you don't want to fall in love, you have twelve days to burn it.

That didn't go well.

Mitch had never been at a loss for words when it came to Maggie. When she got engaged, it changed everything for him. He was perturbed she didn't have the decency to call him or tell him to his face after the mistletoe mishap at Christmas. Instead, it was confirmed by his girlfriend, Wendy, who saw it on Belle's Facebook status.

Mitch peered out over the town square from his office window, and he could see the entire downtown area. There was no greater honor than to be mayor and serve the town that had shaped who he had become.

"Where are you?" Mitch scanned the sidewalk and parking s.p.a.ces looking for Maggie's car. Her car was parked on the curb across the street from the falls. Cafe tables were filled with patrons drinking their morning coffee, but Maggie wasn't one of them.

His heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of her, just like it did the first time he saw her. Granted, it was a long time ago, but he could still recall how he felt at five years old and she still had the same effect on him.

You look great, he wanted to yell out the window as Maggie ran her hands down her long dark hair. He even liked the new bangs. Very. . .New York.

He shook his head and turned around. Maggie Greenlee was no longer his number one concern. Grandberry Falls was, and there was no way he was going to get any work done by standing there reliving his childhood dream.

There were a lot of phone calls to make, and they certainly weren't going to get done themselves.

Mitch thumbed through his calendar, knowing Susie put the phone numbers in there somewhere. When he took office, Susie Benton was the secretary he chose to take office with him. She was a long-time friend and life-long citizen of Grandberry Falls, plus she'd gone to the community college to get an a.s.sociates Degree in Administration, making her perfect for the job.

"Ah." Mitch picked up the phone and dialed the long distance number, unsure if they'd be working today.

Taking the cordless with him, he walked over to the window and gazed over his town. There was no way he was going to let some bigwig company come in here and try to claim eminent domain on fifty acres of the Greenlee property to build an outlet mall. Sure, they could use the business because the economy was still slow, but the idea of some big company coming in and flashing a wad of cash didn't sit well him. Besides, most folks didn't shop at BCBG, J-Crew, or Pottery Barn, the stores that would be in the outlet mall. Now a John Deere outlet might change their minds.

Maggie crossed the street. He followed her with his gaze. He couldn't help himself.

"Stop, you fool," he muttered to himself as the call continued to ring. She'd only been in town a few minutes, and she was already becoming a distraction to him. Thank G.o.d it was only the weekend. He couldn't bear the thought of her sticking around until the Jubilee.

"What?" The woman on the other end of the line asked.

"I'm sorry, is Pat Van Meter there?" Mitch read the name exactly how Susie had written it.

"Patricia. This is Patricia Van Meter," she answered. The noise of honking horns and zooming cars in the background was enough to give him an instant headache. He didn't have a clue how people lived in New York City.

One of those cabs almost ran him down when he had made a surprise visit to Maggie. Only the joke was on him when he found her kissing Grady in Central Park.

He pulled the phone slightly away from his ear. "This is Mayor Mitch Dozier," he said, but caught himself off-guard by the way he threw around the t.i.tle, "of Grandberry Falls, Kentucky. Is this a bad time?"

"Anytime is a bad time." The woman laughed like he should've known she was busy. "I'm on my way to a brunch and will need to call you back on Monday. We are still going to pursue the fifty acres, Mr. ummm..."

"Dozier, Mayor Mitch.e.l.l Dozier." His voice was sharp. He was annoyed how little this town meant to her. Well, she didn't grow up here, nor had she visited, but to give so little concern for his community told him a lot about her compa.s.sion. He closed his eyes in frustration. "And we will be fighting you for it. I guarantee that, Ms. Van Meter."

He rubbed the palm of his hand after he slammed down the phone. He didn't get any further than Susie had with Ms. Van Meter, and now it was time to call a meeting. Hazel Greenlee was going to lose everything if she didn't start fighting.

Maybe this was a good thing. Hazel didn't want Maggie to know, but Maggie had the right. She was a lawyer and this could be her opportunity to use her education for her family. Make good by the community. h.e.l.l, make good by leaving him. Didn't she owe it to him?

"There you are." Susie said when she peeked her head around the door into the old musty office. She fanned her nose with her hand, and pointed to the couch that Liz Day, the new interior decorator in town, dropped off. "Really Mitch, you need to get a good makeover in here, starting with some candles. The new little couch isn't going to make much difference."

"The last mayor was here for forty years. Let's get some air fresheners. You know, the ones you plug in." He smiled. He couldn't imagine being mayor for forty-years. Mitch looked back out the window. Maggie was gone. His heart tugged. "Maybe we can get the carpet cleaned."

Susie set some files down on his desk and peered over his shoulder out the window. "Maybe we could get Liz to redo the entire place."

Mitch heard Susie, but couldn't focus on her. He just stared at the empty parking s.p.a.ce.

"What are you looking at?" Susie asked with a curiosity in her voice.

"Nothing. Liz Day, yeah, give her a call on Monday." Mitch picked up the file and tried to concentrate on anything but Maggie. Having her here for the next 24-48 hours wasn't any good for anyone right now, unless she was willing to help with the eminent domain issue, and for that he'd need Hazel's permission.

"If you need me, I'll be at my desk for a couple hours until the hoity-toity shower." Susie scowled and swept her long brown wavy hair behind her head. Her green eyes slowly lowered. "You know the one where you used your authority to make every girl in Grandberry Falls attend."

"I'm not using my authority. The Greenlees are good people and Maggie is too." Mitch did call in a few favors for Belle. She was afraid no one would come to the shower, and she was right. He might've called a few of the girls and begged. "She'll come back. Everyone who leaves generally does."

Who was he kidding? No matter how many coins he threw in the falls, he didn't think Maggie would ever come back home for good.

Susie sighed. "Whatever. I guess it'll be good to catch up. And don't forget to sign off on the Jubilee beauty pageant contestants and the rowboat derby. Every year the mayor's signature makes the events official." She put the forms on his desk, walked out, and shut the door behind her.

Mitch grabbed the pen out of the fancy holder that has his name engraved on the plaque. Hazel Greenlee had it made especially for him after he won the election. He quickly signed his name next to the big red X on the papers, and set them aside for Susie to pick up when she came back in.

There were a couple more important phone calls about the case he was about to undertake, but a call to Hazel before Maggie got there was at the top of his list.

"Good morning, Hazel. It's Mitch." Hearing her peppy voice brought back so many childhood memories. His family owned the adjoining farm and he'd run like a stallion across those fields to get to the Greenlee's every morning. "I wanted to call before Maggie made it to your house."

"You saw Maggie?" Hazel voice rose with excitement. "Did you ask her to marry you yet?"

"Hazel, you know as well as I do that Maggie is here for her wedding shower to Grady. Besides we have more important things to talk about." Mitch couldn't take anymore talk about Maggie and her wedding to that d.a.m.n goof-ball. Sure, he seemed nice, but not Maggie's type at all. He didn't like Grady's slicked back hair and pin-striped pink b.u.t.ton-downs.

"You know how I feel about Grady." Hazel emphasized his name with disgust. "He didn't even try to appease me by throwing just a pinch of salt over his shoulder. You and I both know that's not a good way to start a marriage."

He loved that about Hazel. Although Mitch never really understood her crazy superst.i.tions, he did embrace them. Maggie had brought Grady to Grandberry Falls for Christmas and as Hazel told it, Grady had knocked over a salt shaker and refused to throw a pinch over his shoulder because Grady believed that "superst.i.tion is nonsense." Mitch knew Grady didn't have a shot in Grandberry Falls or in Hazel's heart.