Dixie Belle Read online

  Dixie Belle is a charming love story that will romance you, inspire you, and leave your heart merry.

  —ANITA HIGMAN

  BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF A MARRIAGE IN

  MIDDLEBURY

  Cissy Hillwood is about to learn that the journey from disaster to dream-come-true isn’t always easy. Her Alabama spunk and charm add a delightful and romantic touch to her big-city adventure. Manhattan has an interesting impact on Cissy; happily, the reverse is equally true!

  —TRISH PERRY

  AUTHOR OF THE MIDWIFE’S LEGACY AND LOVE

  FINDS YOU ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

  A charming story about leaving home to find new adventures, new friends, and best of all, finding yourself. A cast of fun characters, along with a touching faith message. Debby Mayne delivers.

  —TARA RANDEL

  AUTHOR OF RIVAL HEARTS

  Debby Mayne is one of those authors who really knows the Southern woman, and she proves it again with Dixie Belle. I love that delightful fish-out-of-water perspective, and I was so happy to see Mayne do what she does best—weave the threads masterfully to create a community of characters to support the telling of a full and rich story.

  —SANDRA D. BRICKER

  AUTHOR OF LIVE OUT LOUD FICTION FOR THE

  INSPIRATIONAL MARKET, INCLUDING RISE & SHINE,

  BOOK 2 OF A CONTEMPORARY FAIRY TALE SERIES

  Most CHARISMA HOUSE BOOK GROUP products are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs. For details, write Charisma House Book Group, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, or telephone (407) 333-0600.

  DIXIE BELLE by Debby Mayne

  Published by Realms

  Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group

  600 Rinehart Road

  Lake Mary, Florida 32746

  www.charismahouse.com

  This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

  Copyright © 2014 by Debby Mayne

  All rights reserved

  Cover design by Bill Johnson

  Visit the author’s website at www.debbymayne.com.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

  An application to register this book for cataloging has been submitted to the Library of Congress.

  International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62136-524-2

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62136-525-9

  This book is dedicated to my husband,

  Wally, who has been my partner and best

  friend through the good, the bad, and

  everything in between for the past

  thirty-plus years.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Acknowledgments

  THANKS TO MY agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, for your steadfast support; my editors, Adrienne Gaines, Leigh DeVore, and Lori Vandenbosch, for showing me how to make my story better; and the rest of the team at Charisma House for pulling everything together in such a professional way. I appreciate y’all way more than you can imagine!

  Chapter 1

  WAIT RIGHT HERE, Cissy,” Mama said. “I need to step into the powder room for a sec.” She took a few steps, stopped, and spun back around to face Cissy. “On second thought, why don’t you go with me?”

  “No, Mama. I’ll wait right here.”

  “You don’t need to be alone right now.” Cissy noticed the lines of worry etched deep on Mama’s face.

  “I’ll be just fine.” She pointed to a bench along the wall by the courthouse door. “I’ll wait for you there.”

  “If you’re sure.” Mama pulled her bag closer as she backed away. “I’ll hurry.”

  As Cissy sat down and leaned back, she sighed. What a day, and it still wasn’t noon yet.

  Spring had always been Cissy Hillwood’s favorite season, but not this year. After finding out her former boyfriend Spencer McCully was a woman abuser and having him tossed into the slammer, she felt like crawling into the dirt she’d been digging in when he back-handed her a month and a half ago. Folks in Hartselle, Alabama, didn’t take kindly to someone exposing their golden boy’s faults. Of course, it was all her fault in the hundreds of pairs of eyes clouded by the football hero’s glory days. Good thing Mama spotted Spencer in the garden threatening her and called the police, or else there’s no telling what would’ve happened. Spencer had a violent streak, but Cissy was no sissy. She managed to keep him at bay by wielding the shovel until the entire police force arrived—all four of them. Good thing too, or Cissy might’ve had to help them out. Spencer sure was strong when he was mad, and boy howdy was he spitting nails.

  But still . . . jail? She had prayed for resolution, but this is not what she had in mind. The very thought of being responsible for having Spencer handcuffed and put behind bars made her shudder. Cissy’s teenage crush on Spencer ended the second he got possessive and said now that she was his girl he wasn’t about to let her hang out at the Dairy Curl with her friends, even though she’d been doing that very thing since seventh grade. He actually came right up to her in front of her gal pals, mouthing off and acting all possessive.

  She started to make her case, until he backhanded her. That did it. “We’re done,” she said as she cast a glance over at her dumbstruck friends who didn’t even lift a finger to help. “No one hits Cissy Hillwood and gets a second chance.” Before he could say another word, she ran to her car, slammed the door, and sped off. She still hadn’t heard from the girls she’d known practically all her life, making her question how much they really valued her friendship. Yeah, Spencer was once the high school football hero, so everyone cut him some slack . . . too much slack, which was why he thought he could do whatever he wanted.

  Mama came out of the women’s restroom, her gaze darting directly toward Cissy. Relief overtook her panicked expression. Cissy stood and walked over to her mother.

  “Hungry?” Mama looked a tad nervous as she guided Cissy down the courthouse steps and toward the minivan in the metered parking lot. “I thought we’d stop off at Belva’s Diner for a bite to eat.”

  Cissy’s stomach was still roiling from facing Spencer and seeing the distasteful looks on everyone’s faces, except the judge’s, but Mama had been such a help during this whole ordeal Cissy wasn’t about to deny her this small pleasure. After all it was Wednesday, and today’s special at Belva’s was chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a side of salty green beans dripping in pork fat.

  “Sounds good. Why don’t we walk?”

  “It’s four whole blocks away.” Mama scrunched her face. “And I’m wearin’ my church shoes that rub blisters on my heels.” She tilted her head and gave Cissy a half-smile. “But I know how you like to walk when you’re troubled, so why don’t I just take the car and meet you there?”r />
  Cissy nodded. A few minutes alone would do her some good, help clear her mind after the stress of the morning. Mama lifted her hand and waved her fingers before turning around and hobbling toward the car. Cissy had tried to talk Mama into getting some new Sunday shoes that didn’t hurt, but Mama refused to, saying she’d never find another pair that went with all her church dresses.

  As Cissy headed toward Belva’s she sucked in the crisp spring air, hoping to lift some of the heaviness in her heart. After she broke up with Spencer, why couldn’t he just deal with the fact that she wasn’t the kind of girl who liked being told what to do . . . or smacked? There were plenty of girls who’d love to be with Spencer, town football hero and the best auto mechanic south of the Mason-Dixon line—or at least that’s what people in town claimed.

  It was nearly noon on the cloudless day, sending people outdoors to eat their lunches on some of the painted green benches beneath maple saplings that lined Main Street. Cissy forced herself to acknowledge a couple of women she’d known as long as she could remember. “Hey there, Mrs. Stanley . . . Mrs. Parker.”

  Mrs. Parker scowled. “You’re just too big for your britches, young lady. Why you went and done that to one of the finest boys in Hartselle . . . ” She shook her head and clicked her tongue. “You oughta be ashamed of yourself, Cissy Hillwood.”

  “I . . . uh . . . ” Cissy’s jaw went slack.

  “If I were you I’d stay home and not show my face for a very long time,” Mrs. Stanley said, tag-teaming her friend. “No one’s gonna want nothin’ to do with you for fear you’ll have ‘em locked up if you don’t like the way they look at you.”

  “But . . . ” From the looks on their faces, Cissy doubted anything she might say would change their minds. “Have a nice day.” She quickened her step and kept her head down all the way to the small diner in the heart of Hartselle. As soon as she and Mama walked inside, a hush fell over the place, and Cissy knew things would never be the same for her in the town she’d grown up in and loved.

  “Cissy, honey, don’t look now, but everyone’s starin’ at you.” The only table left was smack dab in the middle of the dining room, so they walked over, sat down, and took a long look around. “If looks could kill . . . ” Mama said softly.

  The waitress arrived and held her pad at an angle so she wouldn’t have to look directly at them. She stated the daily special in a monotone, took their order, and waltzed off without so much as a “Thank you” or “It’ll be right up.”

  “Wasn’t that special?” Mama said before leaning forward. “Listen to me, Cissy. You can’t sit around doing nothing. You need to get yourself out there and find another job.”

  “Who’s gonna hire me after what I did to Spencer?”

  “You know good and well you didn’t do a thing to Spencer. He did it to himself.”

  Cissy rolled her eyes. “Try telling Mr. Womack that.”

  “I always liked him until he fired you for no reason.”

  “Oh, he had a reason, all right. I ruined the life of our town’s golden boy, and it doesn’t look like anyone will let me forget it.” She glanced around at the other diners and caught a few more glares directed her way.

  “That brings me to something I need to discuss with you.” Mama unrolled her napkin and waved her fork in the air. “I talked to Forest and Bootsie about what happened, and they think it would be a good idea for you to go on up there and visit for a while.”

  Cissy grinned. “Seriously? I’ve always wanted to go up to New York, but you wouldn’t let me. You said it would be too dangerous.”

  “Seriously,” her mama said. “I don’t believe for one minute anything I said kept you from going. You’re a grown woman, so there’s no way to stop you, even if I wanted to. Besides, considering what’s been going on around here with you and that lunatic boyfriend you got yourself involved with, I don’t see how New York can be any more dangerous than Hartselle.”

  “Oh, I so agree.” Cissy couldn’t help the fact that her voice screeched with excitement.

  Mama gestured around her. “I’d hoped things would go back to normal, but I think you’re right. No one around this place will give you a chance . . . at least not in the immediate future.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Cissy envisioned herself shopping on Fifth Avenue and having dinner in the finest restaurants.

  “Call your Uncle Forest and make plans.” Mama pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to Cissy. “Here’s his number.”

  Shaking her head in wonderment, Cissy punched in Uncle Forest’s number. He answered before the first ring ended and brought up Mama’s suggestion of a visit himself. “I never thought I’d live to see the day your mama would encourage you to leave Hartselle, let alone come up to New York City.” He chuckled. “Bootsie and I have your room ready and waiting.”

  “Um . . . I need to call and make reservations. What day—?”

  “As soon as possible. I can’t keep the job open much longer.”

  “Job?” Cissy held out the phone and looked at it to make sure something wasn’t stuck in the earpiece.

  “Yeah, didn’t your mama tell you? One of our sales reps for Zippers Plus up and quit, so when your mama asked if you could come up here to get away for a month or two, I told her about the job.”

  Strange. Mama hadn’t even hinted at anything so permanent, but it sure sounded good to Cissy. It was high time for an adventure, and boy howdy would this be an adventure. “I can come whenever you want me.”

  “Then let’s get off the phone, and you get started on making yourself an airline reservation. Here’s my credit card number.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “I know, but I’m your boss, and that’s how I roll.”

  “Okay, I’ve got a pen and paper.” She jotted down the information she’d need to book her flight.

  “Do it now and call me back when you have your flight booked.” Click.

  Cissy couldn’t help but smile as she pressed the off button on her phone. New York City! She’d be a city girl. Visions of herself walking down Madison Avenue, decked out in the cutest outfit ever, maybe even meeting a decent guy with a job on Wall Street . . . She frowned. Okay maybe not Wall Street but a good job somewhere near her uncle’s company. They could meet after work for dinner and maybe even stop off at a Broadway play every now and then. Of course, she’d have to ask him about his faith. She didn’t want to take a chance on falling for the wrong guy . . . or a replay of the Spencer incident.

  “So?” Mama looked up from her plate. “That was a short call. What did he say?”

  Cissy spread her arms wide. “I’m movin’ to New York.”

  Mama’s lips twitched, but Cissy couldn’t tell if they were about to smile or frown because she caught herself and gave Cissy one of her I’m-the-mama looks. “Hold your horses, Miss Impulsive. You better think about this first. Are you sure you want to get a job in New York?”

  Cissy started to bob her head but thought better of it since it annoyed Mama so much. “Yes. First of all, I’ll be able to walk down the street without everyone whispering about what a loser I am for tossing Spencer into the slammer.” She held up a hand and tapped her fingers as she counted the reasons to leave. “Second, I’ll have a decent job working for someone I can trust. And third, I just happen to know you had this all worked out before I even called Uncle Forest.” Cissy stared at her mother.

  Mama nodded as she glanced away. “True. To be honest, I didn’t like the idea of you getting a job up there at first, but Forest reminded me how long it’ll take folks here to get over what happened.”

  “Wait, that’s not all. I have more.” She tapped her thumb. “Fifth, I might be able to get a date since no one there worships Spencer. I’m sure there are plenty of very handsome men in New York.”

  “Can’t you go a little while without having a date? Seriously, Cissy, this is the kind of thing that gets women into trouble.”

  Cissy shrugged. “I
enjoy hangin’ out with guys. Well, at least the good ones.”

  Mama rolled her eyes as she let out a breath of exasperation. “I don’t know what to do about you, Cissy Hillwood. You’ve always been boy crazy.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Cissy promised. She paused before giving Mama the best reason of all. “And don’t forget, I can go to church and worship without having everyone in the congregation judging something that wasn’t my fault.”

  Mama dropped her napkin onto the table and faced Cissy. “It’s gonna hurt me way more than I ever thought, but I must admit this is probably the best thing you can do.”

  “I wonder what Daddy will say.”

  “I don’t think he’ll like it a single solitary bit, but I’ll work on him.”

  Cissy’s spirits rose. She couldn’t believe how fortunate she was to have this opportunity. After all, how many girls from Hartselle, Alabama, had a job and a place to live in the most exciting city in the whole entire United States of America practically handed to them on a silver platter?

  Chapter 2

  A WEEK AND A half later Cissy found herself sitting in a window seat of a 747, her hands clammy from a mix of excitement and trepidation. Daddy hadn’t said much, but the looks he gave her between when he found out and when she walked out the door just about broke her heart in two. Mama drove her to the airport, lecturing the whole way. “Don’t get in a car with anyone you don’t know . . . Make sure you have money for a cab . . . Find a good church as soon as possible . . . ”

  Cissy smiled. Mama said over and over she hadn’t really wanted Cissy to leave, but the town’s ostracism had bled onto the rest of the family, so she realized there was no other choice if she wanted to maintain even a semblance of acceptability. It would take a while—at least until the next scandal—but over time, without Cissy there to remind everyone, people would eventually move on. She just hoped this whole thing wouldn’t affect Mama’s weekly standing appointment at the hair salon.

  She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to take her to a place she’d only dreamed of in the past but never thought she’d have a chance to actually experience. New York City! Wow! Scary but exciting and filled with possibilities. She settled into her seat. And so many guys to choose from.