Chapter Eighteen
Savannah turned as she heard the door open. Her dad stepped into the room, stopped, and put his hand over his heart. “Oh my.”
“Oh my good or oh my bad?” she asked.
“Oh my, you must be the most beautiful bride in the history of man.”
She smiled and hurried across the room to hug him. “This is like a dream come true.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. I’m marrying the man of my dreams, my dad is walking me down the aisle, and I have a little boy I love like mad. My life is so good it almost scares me, Daddy.”
“Don’t be scared, be excited and happy and love every minute of it.”
“I am. And I hope you are, too. You do like being here, don’t you?”
“I do. I’m making new friends and people don’t seem to care about my past. Of course, I think that might have something to do with some rumor that Billy Sweet told me about.”
“Rumor?” Savannah returned to the mirror and pretended to fuss with her hair.
“Yep, seems that I’ve been exonerated of all wrongdoing in your grandfather’s death. Turns out a gas leak caused that explosion, which led to his demise. You and I were just innocent victims, threatened by a madman and then framed by his dishonest wife and daughter.”
“Really? Wonder where in the world that tale started?”
Dean smiled. “Probably by the same person who pulled enough strings to actually make it a reality. Seems that husband of yours is a lot more than is visible to the eye.”
“Well, that’s the truth,” she agreed and then added. “And you deserve to be exonerated. You’re innocent.”
“I’ll admit it does feel good, and I’m grateful to Mason.”
“Amen to that.”
“So, out of curiosity, why did you change your mind and decide to get married here at the Honky Tonk Angels Bar and Grille?”
Savannah turned to face her dad. “This is like… I don’t know… A hub for Cotton Creek. Here’s where people come to celebrate victories and happy moments and to console one another during bad times. Here, everyone is a family and cares about one another, and it’s run by people with the biggest hearts you can imagine. They’re always willing to help someone, even strangers, and they never ask for anything in return. They’re the best example of humanity I’ve ever seen and they’ve allowed me to be part of their family.
“I wanted this wedding to be joyous. I had all the joy snatched from my life that day in the shed, and it’s taken all this time to get back to joy. You’re free and home and I have a man who genuinely loves me and I don’t feel like the skinny ugly geek girl any more. He makes me feel like the most beautiful woman alive.
“I have friends I love and soon Sanctuary will open and thanks to Mason we’ll be part of it and will be able to do good for people in need and that seems like such a blessing. I have so many blessings now, Dad. I just want to share them and celebrate.”
“And that’s exactly what we’ll do. So,” he looked at his watch. “Shall we?”
“Yes, please.”
Savannah saw how packed the place was when she and her dad emerged from the office. Standing room only was definitely an applicable phrase. She smiled at everyone they passed, accepted hand-holds, quick hugs, and kisses and felt the love of so many that she had to fight back tears.
Then she saw him, standing on the stage, with Grady beside him. Across from the men stood Charli, holding Tommy. Mason’s smile was like a spotlight, it was so bright. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him as her dad walked her onto the stage, put her hand in Mason’s, and then kissed her and stepped over beside Charlie.
The mayor, a longtime friend of Billy Sweet’s, officiated, saying a few words and then turning it over to Mason, who had written his own vows.
He took Savannah’s hands and smiled at her. “I know it sounds corny, but I didn’t know what love was about until I met you, Savannah. You started tearing down all my walls that first night we met, here at the Honky Tonk, and you said you weren’t a very good dancer. I remember thinking it was impossible for someone as beautiful and accomplished as you not to be good at something.
“Turns out I was right. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. You give a thousand percent to the people you love and you never think of yourself first. You make me want to be better, to be worthy of you, and I’ll spend my life trying. I love you with all that I am and always will.”
“Savannah?” the mayor asked.
Savannah kept her gaze locked with Mason’s. “I came here pretty certain this place would be like everywhere else I’d lived. A lot of bad things happened in my life and I was accustomed to loss and pain. Then I saw you. Dancing.” She paused and sighed, putting her hand to her heart. “Dear Lord. You were perfection and I was once more the gangly girl on the sidelines, wishing I was worthy of the dreamboat.”
“That first night, here, I did tell you I wasn’t a good dancer and you said, that’s okay, I’m a good teacher. You weren’t lying. You taught me to dance with joy and passion and to allow those things back into my life. You set me free from so much pain I’d carried with me for so long, and you loved me. Me, the skinny geek girl who never ended up with the dreamboat. Who would’ve thought?
“And now, here we are. In front of our family and friends, letting everyone know that from this moment on, I am and always will be completely, deeply, and madly devoted to you, Mason James. You’re my dream come true, my best friend, and the father of our children.”
She saw the puzzled expression on his face and moved his hand to her belly. “I love you Mason. Always.”
When the Mayor pronounced them married, Mason took her into his arms and kissed her. As everyone cheered, they and the wedding party left the stage and made their way back through the crowd to the office. Once inside, Mason took hold of Savannah’s hands. “A baby?”
Savannah nodded. “A little girl. It’s a miracle. I couldn’t believe it.”
“When?”
“Apparently the first time we were together. You’re okay with it, aren’t you?”
“Are you kidding? I can’t wait.”
“Really?”
“Really.” His expression became serious. “You’ve given me everything I didn’t realize until now I’d been wishing for my whole life. Your love and our family mean everything to me, Savannah. Everything Because of you, I found my path and know what I want to do, a way to help others. I realize how blessed I am and it’s all because of you, baby. I’m so in awe of you and will do anything to make you happy. I swear on my life.”
“Oh, look what you did.” Savannah wiped at the tears on her face. “I love you, Mason. There is one tiny little thing you can do. If you want, I mean.”
“Name it.”
She smiled at him. “Some of that dirty dancing you do so well. You know what it does to me to watch you dance that way.”
Mason laughed. ”Then let’s get this party over with and I’ll give you a private performance.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Savannah went into his arms. How strange life was. She came here running from her life, feeling like she was still the skinny geek girl, this time lusting after the bad boy with major dance moves. Now here she was, married to that man, who wasn’t a bad boy at all, but the love of her life and father of her child.
She laughed as he twirled her around and then kissed her. “Okay, what do you say? Want to dance with me, Mrs. James?”
“For the rest of my life.”
People cheered and clapped as they reentered the bar. Savannah looked around, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. She’d found her hero and her true love, and together they’d found home.