CHAPTER TWELVE

 

Austin did his best not drive at breakneck speed, but he was anxious to get home and celebrate with Savannah. The day had been a success on many levels. It wasn’t the way he’d planned on telling her that he loved her, but it certainly had been a memorable first Valentine’s Day together.

Once they were inside his house, Austin pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her. All he could think of was getting to the good part first, taking Savannah to bed. He was so focused on unbuttoning her shirt with her teeth it took some time for him to realize she was tugging on his hair.

“There’s a noise coming from the living room,” Savannah said.

“Stay here.” He crept down the hallway.

He was very close to the living room when he heard a hearty laugh that only came from one stubborn old coot. It was his dad. He walked into the room to find his father mixing drinks behind the bar and his mother sitting perched on a barstool. Logan and Megan were sitting on the couch.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Hey, everybody.” He gave them a quizzical look. “I didn’t know you were coming for a visit. Did I miss out on a group text or something?”

Megan came over and gave him a hug. “We thought we’d surprise you.”

“Did we interrupt anything?” Logan gave him a sly smile, looking over Austin’s shoulder.

“Why would you be interrupting anything on Valentine’s Day?” Austin shot him a sarcastic look.

“I didn’t know we had to schedule time with our own son.” T.K. took a sip of his bourbon.

Aurora slapped T.K.’s hand. “We thought we’d surprise you.”

“Hello,” Savannah said from behind him.

“I thought I told you to stay in the foyer?” he said to Savannah.

“I thought about it. Blue’s somewhere around here. He would have growled or something. See, he’s taking a nap.”

“I know that look.” Austin moved closer to the dog, who was out like a light. “He’s taking a whiskey nap.”

“A little nip is good for a dog. It sharpens his hunting skills.”

“The only thing he hunts for is his gourmet treats.”

“I cooked him up one of those T-bones in your freezer. He had a good day.”

“Everyone, I’d like to you to meet Savannah. Savannah, this is my mom Aurora, my dad T.K., my brother Logan, and my future sister-in-law Megan.”

Austin noticed the way Logan smiled when he said “future sister-in-law.”

“It’s very nice to meet you all.”

“It’s very nice to meet you too.” Aurora came over and gave her a hug. “We were interrupting something. How nice. Austin why didn’t you call me and tell me about Savannah?” Aurora shot a look at her son.

“I’ve been meaning to.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was planning on bringing her home to meet everyone next weekend.”

Savannah gave him a pleased look. He mouthed I was going to ask you.

“Oh hush.” Aurora waved a hand at him. “How cute. Austin and Savannah. Were you conceived in Savannah, Georgia?”

“Uh. I don’t know.”

“Well, that’s where Austin gets his name. His Daddy and I had a wild night in Austin after he closed this big business deal. Next thing you know, Austin popped out nine months later.”

“Momma. Do you have to tell people that story?” Austin said.

“Of course I do, dear.”

Logan glanced at Savannah. “I hear you’re a reporter for the local paper.”

“Yes.”

Megan gave her a warm smile. “I saw the story you did on Austin online. It was so endearing. I knew you’d fallen in love with him around paragraph three.”

“I’m sure you saw the social media fallout from a woman who hates my guts.” She bit her lip.

Austin’s jaw ticked. “Lucinda and I were a brief item, and she’s taking it out on Savannah.”

His dad swirled his ice around in his glass and glanced Savannah’s way. “Sugar, do you want me to buy her station and have her fired?”

Savannah gave him a knowing look. He was sure a phrase like ‘the apple not falling far from the tree’ was swirling around in her head.

“Tonight she was exposed for being the manipulator that she is, and the whole town was there to hear it,” Savannah said. “I hope word will spread online and restore my reputation. But thanks for the offer.”

Austin was starting to feel suspicious about why his father had made this surprise visit. “Listen, Daddy. Are you here to make some big declaration?”

“I am. Why do you think I brought the family together?”

“If you’re going to make a plea about me running the baseball team—”

“No, I’m not. Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know.” Austin glanced from his father to his brother. “A little birdie told me that you’ve been talking about your legacy a lot lately.”

“Oh that.” T.K. waved a hand. “I don’t want you to run any of my companies. You’re perfectly happy here.”

Logan shrugged. “Turns out I was wrong about that.”

Austin wanted to throttle his brother. He’d been agonizing about how to let his father down easily ever since that fateful phone conversation with him weeks ago.

“Then what are you doing here? With the whole family no less?”

“Your momma and I are getting hitched again.” His dad squeezed his mother’s hand. “We wanted to tell you in person.”

“We had no idea you’d have bigger news than us.” Aurora beamed. “Logan said you were sweet on someone, but we were waiting for you to clue us in.”

“It’s pretty new.” He took Savannah’s hand. “But as I said before, I’d planned on bringing Savannah home to meet everyone.”

Logan grinned. “I told them you would share the news in your own time. Once you worked out all the soft feelings you were having in the first time since, ever.”

“Cut it out.” Megan nudged Logan. “Austin is the strong silent type.”

“Back to the big news.” Austin cleared his throat. “You’re going to tie the knot again?”

Savannah was beaming. “Congratulations to you both!”

“Hold on to the celebrating for a moment.” Austin sighed. “Momma, is this what you want?”

“Yes. Call me crazy a thousand times, but yes.”

“Then I’m happy for both of you.” Austin went over and gave his mom a hug. He turned to his dad, looked him in the eye, then gave him a hug too.

“Savannah, you are definitely a good influence on my Austin,” Aurora said. “He’s not so tightly wound.”

Logan spoke up before Austin could reply to the “tightly wound” quip. “We have news too. Megan and I are moving in together. She’s moving to Texas.”

“That’s great news,” Austin replied. “I wish you both all the happiness in the world.”

“Logan gets all the happiness in the world and I get flak?” T.K. said.

“The sentiment goes for you too. But, I have some conditions.” Austin rolled up his sleeves. He was happy for them, but he still had to put his father through the paces. “Daddy, you and I need to have a talk. Logan, you gonna back me up?”

Logan nodded. “Sure thing. We have to have the talk, Daddy. You are marrying our mother. Again.”

“I’m ready when you are.” T.K. held up a bottle of his favorite brand of bourbon. “Let’s make a deal.”

Savannah gave them both a look. “This is a happy occasion. Do we need to do a deal of the century?”

Austin relaxed his face. He must have looked like a lunatic to her. It was all too easy to fall back into the combative patterns with his father. He had to work on that. “Sweetheart, this is how my dad and I communicate. But I will work on my delivery.”

T.K. laughed. “Yeah, he’s been wound-up like this since he was a little boy.”

“My baby’s a feisty fireball just like his father. I think it’s the reason they’ve clashed so much all of their lives. Both fighting to be heard and respected.”

Austin thought about it for a moment. Mom was right. He’d always felt like he had to push back against T.K.’s strong personality. He didn’t realize he’d become like his old man in so many ways.

His mother smiled at Savannah. “Savannah, why don’t you, Megan, and I fix a little late-night snack? These three will be at it for a while. It will give us a chance to get better acquainted until they get hungry.”

“I think I saw leftover Chinese food in the fridge,” Megan said.

“We can do better than that. The fridge looked fully stocked. We’re going to whip up a family Valentine’s Day meal to remember.” Aurora chimed in.

Savannah played with his shirt collar. “Have a good time. Turn a new page. We can have our own celebration later tonight.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” He kissed her. “I love you, Savannah.”

“I love you too.”

Austin watched as Savannah walked into the kitchen with his mother and Megan like they were old friends. It had been a while since he’d been drinking with his father and brother. He wished he would have eaten more at the auction today.

He took a seat on one of the stools. “Here are my terms.”

“First, I’d like to say how nice it is that you found Savannah. I like her.”

“I do too,” Logan said.

“She’s a wonderful woman. She’s the one.”

“I knew when you finally settled down you’d find someone like her. Count your blessings every day you have her in your life and don’t do anything stupid like your old man. I am fortunate to be getting another chance with your precious gem of a mother.”

“I intend to do everything I can to make her happy.”

“Then you’re already ahead of the curve.” T.K. smiled. “I’m happy for you, Son.”

“Thanks.” Austin cleared his throat. “Now back to you and Momma. If you’re going to do this again, you’d better be a changed man. I don’t want to hear so much as my momma having a bad day. You want another chance, make her happy above anything. That includes your business ventures and your precious sports teams. If you don’t, I won’t be held responsible for what happens if you slip up.”

“You threatenin’ me boy?” T.K. put a glass on the counter, poured bourbon into it, and slid it over to him.

Austin looked him in the eye. “I’m making a promise to make your life hell if you don’t do right by my mother. Few people get a second chance. Don’t squander it.”

“I respect that.” T.K. laughed. “Finally, we’re speaking the same language. Cheers.”

Logan nodded. “Feels like old times.”

They clinked glasses and threw back their drinks. The Holbrook family felt whole again, and he liked that feeling.