CHAPTER EIGHT

 

Austin stuffed another shirt into his bag and checked his watch as he went back into his walk-in closet to get a few more things. The last thing he’d expected to hear when he got a call from an old Navy buddy was that Mike, one of their SEAL team members, had passed away. He’d dodged bullets and defended his country only to be taken out in a freak accident by a head-on collision on the highway while riding his motorcycle. The funeral was tomorrow, and his friend would be interred at Arlington cemetery as his final resting place.

He’d called and planned a second date with Savannah now that things were settling down with her family. Her mother and sister had stayed in town an extra day, and she’d been working hard at the paper. But the smoke finally cleared when he called her and asked if they could try again. Hopefully this time it wouldn’t be with a barrage of cameras around them. And then he’d received the call about Mike’s accident and the funeral…

He’d called friends and let them know he’d be out of town. The ranch staff was aware he’d be away. All that was left to do was track Savannah down and get a goodbye kiss to tide him over until he returned.

Bags packed, he went into the wine cellar and snagged a bottle of Marco’s pinot grigio. He gave the place a last look as he moved through the house, then put the house alarm on and jumped in his truck. He’d be taking a private plane, so he’d scheduled a late afternoon flight. The boys would be getting together tonight at a hotel for drinks in D.C. and he wanted to be there. He hadn’t seen some of them in quite a while, but it always felt like no time had passed whenever they got together. They’d shared some pretty intense experiences in their line of work, and their bond was tighter than the allegiance they’d pledged to their country.

Austin parked his truck in a parking spot and dashed into the florist shop. “Hey, Molly.”

“Austin.” She rounded the counter and kissed him on the cheek. “Always good to see you.”

“I hate to rush you, but can you put together something awesome in a short time?”

“For you, anything.” She grabbed a bucket and began moving around the store. “What mood are we going for?”

He thought about it for a minute. “To new possibilities.”

“Romantic.” She giggled. “I have just the thing in mind.”

“Spare no expense. I’ll come back in say, fifteen minutes?”

“Sure.”

He left the florist and headed for the bakery. Barbara Jean wasn’t there but her assistant baker Farrah was manning the counter.

“Hey, Austin. Always good to see you. What can I do you for?”

He looked in the display. “How are the lemon cupcakes?”

“Tart with just the right amount of sweet, and it cleanses the palate. It’s very refreshing.”

“I’ll take two dozen.”

“You got it.”

Farrah didn’t waste any time putting the order together. She put a chocolate chip cookie, one of his favorites, in a separate bag. He thanked her and was on to his last stop, the stationery store.

He smiled at the woman behind the counter. “India. How are you?”

“I’m better now that you’re here.”

“I’m looking for a card.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Something that says ‘I’ll miss you like crazy.’”

“Whoa. Big change.” India smiled. “The last time you were in here, you got a ‘sorry you broke your arm’ card for one of your friends in Texas.”

“I guess I’m evolving.”

She rushed over to a section that said romance in spades. She selected a card from the racks. “Here. It’s new. I think it conveys the tone you want and will bring a smile to her face.”

“You are the best, India.” He walked with her to the register and pulled a twenty out of his wallet.

“The only thing that would make this moment better is if you were sending it to me,” India gushed as she handed him his change and the bag.

“I don’t think your new boyfriend appreciate that.” He winked.

He headed back to Molly’s to pick up the floral arrangement and stopped in his tracks when he saw the bouquet. She’d given him a plethora of color and depth. It was gorgeous.

“Thanks Molly,” he said. “This is a wonderful bouquet.”

“You’re welcome. You got lucky. I’ve never put together a bouquet this good-looking in such a short timeframe. That smile of yours could inspire me to build a floral Eiffel Tower.”

“They come in handy from time to time.” He handed her a hundred dollar bill and picked up the flowers. “Have a good day.”

“Wait. Your change,” she called out.

“Keep it. You deserve it.” He waved and got back into his truck.

Now for the best part…and the hardest part. A kiss from Savannah. And then telling her he had to leave town.

He drove the few blocks down the main street and parked in front of city hall. Savannah was inside, holding the committee meeting for Angela’s fundraiser. He knew she’d have an audience, but there was no other way to do this. He couldn’t wait until after the meeting to see her or he’d miss his flight.

He scribbled a message to her in the card, then put it back in the envelope. He gathered the rest of the things and headed inside. As he walked down the hall juggling the items, he could hear her voice coming from the meeting room.

He was already smiling when he reached the doorway and looked inside. He saw Savannah immediately as well as Peyton and a few other ladies he recognized. Lucinda was there. Her eyes lit up a bit when she saw him, but he kept his eyes trained on Savannah.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said. Everyone in the room turned their attention to him. “Savannah? Can I see you for a moment?”

Her eyes widened. “Sure.”

“These are for you.” He handed her the bouquet, wine, and the card. “The cupcakes are for you and the ladies.”

“Thank you.” Savannah took a good whiff of the bouquet. “They’re beautiful.”

“That’s the prettiest bouquet I’ve ever seen,” Peyton said.

“It is indeed. I’ll get a vase from my office,” Maureen said as she hustled out of the room.

“Cupcakes.” Barbara Jean opened the box. “Oh, these are so good. My latest masterpiece.”

“This is all very lovely and whimsical, but I feel like this is leading somewhere.” Savannah held up the greeting card.

Peyton liberated the wine bottle from Savannah’s hand. “I’ll take that. Ooh, you’re in luck. Marco’s pinot grigio is like drinking from the water fountains of the gods.”

Austin took Savannah’s hand in his own, holding her gaze. “I got a call that a Navy buddy of mine died. I’m on my way to his funeral.”

“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry to hear that. Can I give you a lift to the airport?”

“Everything’s been arranged.” He caressed her arms. “I just wanted you to know I’d be gone for a few days, and I’ll be ready for our second date when I get back.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips. “Nothing could stop me from being with you. Not even a scripted reality show. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”

“I-I hope everything goes well,” Savannah stammered. “Give your friend’s family my condolences.”

“Will do,” he said and walked out of the room.

He caught the menacing look coming from Lucinda. He’d been avoiding her since she’d dropped by his ranch that day. He had a feeling today she’d finally get the hint that he wasn’t interested and she’d let things lie. After all, he was pretty sure by the end of the day the entire town would know what his intentions were with Savannah. But more importantly, Savannah knew he was serious about having a relationship with her. And that’s what he wanted. Someone to take that leap he’d been petrified to take for so many years, afraid he’d get his heart broken.

It was time to be brave and fight the good fight for love. That had a good ring to it.

 

* * *

 

Savannah knew she must have been grinning like an idiot, but what the hell. Austin had just done something so romantic it was all the ladies talked about for the rest of the meeting. Angela’s event was on schedule, and it was certain to have a good turnout. The only person not basking in the glow of Austin’s romantic gesture was Lucinda. If looks could kill, Lucinda’s eyes would have been registered as weapons of mass destruction.

Despite the evil looks from her rival, they did have a productive meeting. In addition to the Night of Romance event, the community had come together again. They were going to do an auction of goods and services of local business owners that would be sure to bring in money for the restaurant as well.

Peyton seemed even more excited about Austin’s display of affection than Savannah was. The whole time Savannah had known her, she’d never gotten that vibe that Peyton was secretly in love with Austin like Lucinda bitched about on air. Austin wasn’t hung up on Peyton; he loved her like a sister. She was touched when Peyton told her that Austin had helped her shop for her wedding dress. Which kicked up his endearing factor mega fold.

Once the meeting was wrapped up, Peyton stayed behind to help her clean up the room. “I think we had a good meeting. Don’t you?”

“The heck with the meeting, my bucket of popcorn came out of my purse when Austin charged in here with those romantic trinkets.”

“That was amazing,” Savannah replied.

“Just when you think you know the man, he does something even more awesome than usual.”

“I kind of get why he has a fan club around town.”

“Would you believe he doesn’t get his own appeal? Which makes him all the more attractive.” Peyton shook her head.

“You two are close.” She grinned. “A girl could get jealous.”

“Yeah. But we’ve always been just friends. You know that right? Despite the anonymous cheap shots Lucinda tries to make when she’s on the air.”

“I know. She’s a paranoid windbag. I think she knows you and Austin have a good friendship. I just don’t think she wanted to share him for any reason.”

“Which speaks to her insecurity, and it’s clear she hates your guts for edging her out of the picture.”

“Which makes me wonder why she wanted to be on the committee in the first place?”

“I know.” Peyton gave her an exasperated nod. “She had the nerve to tell me her wedding invitation must have been overlooked otherwise there was no good reason why she wasn’t invited to my wedding.”

Savannah laughed. “The nerve of you only inviting family and friends to your special day.”

“I’m starved. I know I scarfed down the salad and a couple of cupcakes, but I still feel peckish.”

“What do you say we order a pizza and crack open this wine? I know it’s not one of Angela’s pies, but we can pick one up from this nice spot in Palo Verde.” Savannah stacked the chairs against the wall.

“It sounds like a fabulous idea.” Peyton cleaned off the dry erase board.

Once they’d finished tidying up, they drove over to the pizza place and ordered a pie. She and Peyton were both adventurous. They ordered a wide variety of toppings on it. She’d stopped obsessing so much about what she ate. The showdown with her mom and sister made her realize that she wouldn’t let her eating habits take over her life. She’d made good life changes and exercised. There was no reason to obsess about packing on the weight again.

She fed Blue as soon as they entered the house. As soon as he settled down, she grabbed some plates and wine glasses and she and Peyton hunkered down in the living room.

“Want to watch something on the tube?” Savannah asked.

“I don’t watch much television, but I do like the occasional movie.”

“Any particular genre?”

“I like action.”

“Decade?”

“The 80s is my favorite genre. It was before movies became all about box office receipts. Do you know what I mean?” Peyton scrunched her nose.

“Exactly.” Austin flashed in her head. She knew the perfect 80s movie. “How about we watch Top Gun?”

Peyton laughed. “I think Austin would approve.”

“I have that somewhere.” She rifled through her DVDs. “What’s your favorite 90s movie?”

“Point Break,” they both said at the same time and burst into a fit of laughter.

“Which I have in my collection, by the way. I think we have the makings of a movie marathon.”

“Let’s go for it.”

They continued to eat and talk while they watched the movie. Savannah checked her phone a few times. Austin texted that he’d landed and was getting ready to have dinner with his buddies and he’d call her later. She hoped he was doing OK.

“Quiz time. No socks or socks with sandals?” Peyton asked.

“Either one is cause for elimination.” Savannah poured another glass of wine.

“What’s your stance on man flip-flops?” Peyton nibbled on her pizza.

“They should be outlawed. I’m talking about martial law level of expulsion.”

“Alex doesn’t do any of those things, thank goodness. Everything he wears is just so.”

“My ex, Levi, has a man crush on him.” Savannah rolled her eyes. “He wants to be just like him.”

“Levi is your ex?”

“Don’t hold it against me.”

“Alex complains about him all the time. He’s one of the hotshot residents who grates on his nerves. Alex says his ego is in danger of exceeding his abilities.”

“Levi ramps up the pretentiousness when he’s trying to impress. He would come home droning on every day about trying to get some face time with Alex. Your fiancé seems to be immune from it and that makes him want his respect even more.”

“Alex is very by-the-book at work, but at home he’s a teddy bear. He demands excellence and accountability from anyone in his charge. And outrageous egos are a big no-no.”

“Levi isn’t good with accountability. But maybe he’ll learn that before he wrecks his career.”

Peyton sipped her wine. “Do you mind if I ask what went wrong with you two?”

“We have entirely different views on love and happiness. He harped on my weight. He thought I wasn’t being ambitious enough like my mom, or pretty enough like my sister.”

“Your mom?”

“My mom is Clare Brewster, the talk show host.”

Peyton whistled. “Wow. She’s a national treasure. And I never would have guessed you were her daughter.”

“Go figure.”

“Yeah, you’re much more genuine and nice. No offense, but your mom has that Hollywood persona down pat.”

“None taken. My mom has a new reality show. They showed up on our attempted first date with a camera crew—my mom, my sister, and Levi.”

“Oh my word. Austin must have loved that.”

“He was a trooper. But until today, I’ve been worried my crazy family might have scared him off for good.”

“He’s not easily chased off when he sets his sights on something he wants. And as far as not being as pretty as your sister, that’s all bologna. Your sister’s gorgeous, but she also comes off as being vacuous.”

“I love her, but she is, for the most part.”

“You’re a beautiful, natural woman. I can see why Austin’s attracted to you.”

She gave Peyton a quizzical look. “Why is that?”

“I’ve known Austin a while, and he’s a salt-of-the-earth guy. He’s real, and he likes people who are true to themselves. He doesn’t like phonies, and he can’t stand women who prance about all the time. He likes confidence, intelligence, and spunk.”

Savannah was touched that Austin desired all those qualities…and seemed to find them in her. “I am really enjoying spending time with him. That ranch is wonderful. The first day I interviewed him, we had lunch near this pretty clearing. The sun was shining—”

“At the perfect angle near the grouping of trees?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Well, I’ve photographed every inch of that ranch. But that’s where I’m having my wedding. It’s the most romantic spot on the property.”

Savannah couldn’t breathe. Did Austin know where he was taking her when they ate lunch there? It was the perfect place to grab a bite and get to know someone. She’d thought about that day many times since.

“Besides the fact that you’re both named after major cities, which is totally adorable, I think you two have a lot in common.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. That’s why I knew Lucinda didn’t have a chance. She’s a budding trophy wife to some old coot. She’s not looking for anything authentic. You and Austin are a natural fit.”

“But she still has her sights set on Austin. Why? He’s not leading her on…”

“Not at all. But he’s handsome as all get out and rich. Lucinda may be many things but she’s not stupid.”

“I wish I could say she’s been attacking me because of him, but to tell you the truth, she’s done nothing but ignore me since I first arrived in town. After she couldn’t do that anymore, now we’re engaged in a spirited game of cheap shots.”

“She’s been the media darling around here for a while. When she got fired from her nationally syndicated show, she bounced around until she landed here to lick her wounds.”

“What happened? Why did she lose her show?”

“I think it had something to do with her sleeping with her boss, then it morphed into a ‘he said, she said’ thing about mistreatment after the breakup.”

“She certainly uses her media platform as a weapon and doesn’t care who she pummels.”

“Well, snarky is the new way to get viewers. She’s just capitalizing on the trend.” Peyton sighed. “If it were up to me, everyone in the world would paint, respect each other’s boundaries, and say nice things all day.”

Savannah held up her glass. “To rose-colored glasses.”

“And the sappy, gullible people like me who’d like to wear them.” Peyton clinked glasses with her. “I for one will have my optimism spectacles on for a happy ending with you and Austin.”

“And I wish you a long, happy life with Alex and the kids. And maybe a few more kids of your own.”

They continued to enjoy their ladies’ night together, but Savannah’s mind kept going back to the clearing on Austin’s property.

He’d been trying to tell her something since they met.