The One She Left Behind (Harlequin Super Romance) (16 page)

She crossed the room, draped the towel on the footboard, stood before the dresser mirror and started brushing her damp hair with a vengeance. “I don’t want to have a discussion. I want to go to bed. Alone.”

He didn’t intend to give up that easily. “Maybe I need to talk about it.”

She faced him while sporting a fairly harsh glare and a tight grip on the brush. “Go home, Sam.”

“Not until you say what’s on your mind, Savannah.”

“I don’t have anything else to say.”

He took a seat on the padded cedar chest. “Maybe not, but I’m bettin’ you’re having a nice little battle with some hefty guilt.”

She continued to clutch the brush so hard he thought it might break. “Okay, maybe I’m feeling a little guilty. I’m also embarrassed over my actions, which have been less than stellar all night. I think it’s best if we forget this ever happened.”

Like he could really do that. He also couldn’t get a solid hold on his resentment. “Okay. If that’s the way you want it to be, no problem. But the next time you need a little comfort, find someone else.”

Sam made it to the door when she called his name. And like the fool he’d always been, he turned around. “What?”

“It’s not only about the sex,” she said as she studied the braided rug beneath her bare feet.

He leaned a shoulder against the door frame. “Then explain it to me because I sure as hell don’t have a clue.”

“It involves what you told me earlier. If you’d been honest with me about the rejection, then I might have…” Her words trailed off along with her gaze.

Sam didn’t care to explore what might have been. He only knew that he felt as if someone had just delivered a solid punch to his gut. To actually think she would have
stayed had he handled everything differently was like believing his mother would’ve eventually returned for him. And even if Savannah had entertained that notion, he wouldn’t have wanted to shoulder the blame when she realized she’d made a huge mistake. “What’s done is done, and speculating won’t give you anything but a headache.”

Savannah raised her eyes to him and started to smile but it faded fast. “My dad used to say that.”

“Your dad was a wise man. And if he were here, he’d tell you to enjoy your time on earth while you still have the chance.”

“Yes, he would have said that. He also would’ve told me to be cautious when it comes to making snap decisions. Obviously I forgot that advice tonight.”

As much as he wanted to ask her if he could crawl under that handmade quilt covering her bed and spend the night, he didn’t see any reason to do it. Their previous connection had been severed by mistakes he couldn’t rectify. “I better go. Jamie’s going to want to leave for the festival bright and early in the morning. I’ll hold her off until nine so you can get an extra hour of sleep before we pick you up.”

She shook her head. “You two go without me.”

He figured she’d try to back out if he let her. He wasn’t going to let her. “I’ll be back in the morning because I promised my kid you’d go with us. And regardless of what you believe, these days I do keep my promises.”

Except for a promise he’d made himself the minute
she’d walked back into his life—not to let her get to him. As sure as sunrise, she was getting to him.

After he left Savannah before she could refuse the festival offer again, he pulled out of the drive for home, and became all too aware that the woman was tracking through his veins like hundred-proof whiskey.

He’d learned long ago how to raise an emotional barrier if he needed to protect himself, and that’s what he had to do with Savannah. He just hoped that when she left again, he didn’t find himself buried beneath another pile of bitter regrets.

S
HE COULDN’T BELIEVE
she’d agreed to come. Not that Sam had given her much choice. As promised, he’d arrived at the door at 9:00 a.m. sharp with his daughter in tow and a look that said he wouldn’t take no for an answer. And though she’d been reluctant to enjoy herself, once she got past the initial uncomfortable moments with Sam, Savannah had honestly had a good time.

Seeing the festival through the eyes of a child—from the carnival rides to corn dogs—made her appreciate the sheer simplicity of country living and community. Having Jamie present also served as a welcome distraction, a means to avoid thinking about Sam and their wild, wicked lovemaking, as well as the fact that he seemed bent on giving her the cold shoulder. But now that she’d claimed a shaded park bench in the town square’s center, leaving father and daughter to tackle the midway games, Sam was all she could think about. Images of his powerful body in motion kept rolling through her mind like thunder. Her face and a few un
seen places began to heat up when she considered how undeniably sexy the whole encounter had been. How much she wanted a repeat performance, as if she’d completely lost every last bit of pride and wisdom. Then again, he’d all but said he wanted nothing more to do with her, and that was unarguably for the best.

Greatly needing a diversion, Savannah proceeded to people-watch as the festival patrons looking for a bargain swarmed the various merchant booths. During the course of the day, she’d recognized quite a few folks, and many had recognized her. Fortunately, she’d managed to dodge Pearl Allworth. After she’d relaxed enough to realize the remainder of the town didn’t seem to know about the pond debacle, she’d exchanged pleasant greetings with former teachers and classmates and family friends, some of whom had extended their sympathies. A few even expressed their wishes she’d return home for good to assume the role of the town’s only lawyer.

But this wasn’t home anymore, and in a matter of days, she’d be turning over her childhood house to a man she held in low esteem. If she stopped to consider that now, her good mood would be completely ruined.

Savannah scanned the area to find Jamie standing several feet away at a ring-toss booth while her dad valiantly attempted to win her more stuffed animals to add to the pile in her arms. She remembered how he’d done the same for her years before and how she hadn’t been able to part with most of the prizes he’d worked so hard to give her. She also recalled what he’d told her last night about the college application, yet the revelation still didn’t excuse the cruel way he’d treated her
during that final confrontation. And it didn’t discount the promise he’d made one night on the bridge—they’d be together forever. A promise he’d noticeably forgotten, and readily broken.

“Lordy, Miss Savannah, you sure are a sight for this old man’s eyes.”

Somewhat startled, Savannah looked up to find a tall, lanky African-American man dressed in washed-out denim overalls standing above her, straw hat on his head and a wide smile on his careworn face.

She immediately recognized Reggie Wilkins, one of her father’s closest friends, and came to her feet to give him a hug. “It’s so good to see you, Reggie.”

He looked a bit uncomfortable when she let him go. “Same here, Miss Savannah.”

She gestured toward the bench behind her. “Have a seat and tell me what you’ve been up to.”

He hesitated for a moment and scanned the area as if seeking approval. At one time someone might have objected if he joined her, before the racial dividing line had somewhat dissolved due to one unifying factor among the citizens of Placid—poverty.

After Reggie removed his hat and claimed the spot beside her, Savannah laid a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry we didn’t have more time to talk at the funeral. And I’m so, so sorry about Etta. She was one of my favorite teachers.”

His eyes dimmed from recognizable sorrow over the loss of his wife. “You know, Miss Savannah, it was tough to watch her go, but she’s in a better place now, waiting for me.”

She would do well to rely on that wisdom when it came to her own father. “How are the kids?” she asked. “Aside from all grown up.”

Finally, his smile reappeared, as bright as the sun beating down on the sidewalk. “R.J.’s got a fancy business degree and he’s in Atlanta workin’ in a bank, if you can imagine that. He got his ’rithmetic skills from his mama. And Lila, she’s at the university in ’Bama for the third year. She’s going to be a physical therapist. They’ve both done me proud, just like you did your daddy proud.”

And like her, Reggie’s children had made a life elsewhere. “So it’s just you living out at the farm? That must be lonely.”

He shook his head. “No, ma’am, I ain’t at the farm no more. I’m living in town now. Mr. Wainwright called in my note because I didn’t have the money to pay.”

The thought of Wainwright ripping a man’s home right out from under him made Savannah sick. “You lost the entire farm, even your house?”

“Yes, ma’am, I did. R.J.’s tryin’ to get me to come to Georgia, but my kin helped build this town. They’re all laid to rest in the old cemetery on the county road, and so is my Etta, and I can’t leave my Etta. So I reckon this is where I’ll be buried, too. That’s only fittin’.”

Savannah still couldn’t fathom the power Placid had over someone’s decision to remain there, even when they had no real reason to stay. “What are you doing to make a living?”

He shrugged. “Some odd jobs here and there, but I work mostly for Mr. Sam. He hires a lot of down-and-out
people around these parts when he can. He’s a good man, just like his daddy.”

Clearly Sam had earned a stellar reputation among the townsfolk. “I’m glad to know you’re getting by. But I’m not too thrilled to hear that Edwin Wainwright seems to be putting people out of their homes faster than a bullet.”

“He is, and he’s not going to be done till he buys up all the property. Folks here are dirt poor and they don’t always understand what they’re signing when they borrow from him. Before they know it, they ain’t got the money and they ain’t got a place to live.”

“Sounds to me like this town could use some legal help.” Someone to take on Wainwright and beat him at his own game. That certainly explained the previous pleas for her to set up shop.

“Yes, ma’am, we sure could use the help. People can’t afford to go all the way to Jackson when they’re in trouble. Bo Hudson and young Kyle Parker are about to sign on with Wainwright’s bank even though I tried to warn them away. If you could look over some of their paperwork, I’m sure they’d be mighty appreciative of that.”

If only she had the means and time to help. “Unfortunately, I’m not licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi.” Exactly what she’d told Jess during their meeting. “But I’ll definitely do some research and see if I can come up with an attorney who’d be willing to meet with you in Placid.”

“We’d be much obliged, Miss Savannah.” He rose from the bench and smiled down on her. “Now I best be gettin’ over to the church’s dunkin’ booth for my shift.”

Savannah returned his smile. “A dunking booth, huh? Too bad we can’t put Wainwright in there. You’d raise enough money to put up one fine steeple.”

They shared a laugh before Reggie added, “Maybe we’ll be seein’ each other again soon.”

“I’m leaving in a few days.” Saying the words gave her an odd and unexpected sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“But you’ll see if you can find someone to help us before you go?”

Reggie sounded so hopeful, Savannah couldn’t refuse even if she wanted to, which she didn’t. “I’ll see what I can do, but it could take some time.”

This time, his smile held all the sadness in the world. “That’s okay. Most people around here got nothin’ but time because they sure don’t have much else.”

And they had no one to turn to when the going got tough, Savannah realized as she told Reggie goodbye.

She had a fleeting thought that she could apply for a Mississippi license and come back every few months to provide legal aid to Placid’s less fortunate. Come back to what? The house had been sold and she certainly couldn’t stay with Jess considering her marital problems. Rachel and Matt were expecting a baby and the last thing they needed was a guest. She’d be a fool to ask Sam, even though Jim and Gracie would surely welcome her into their home.

The whole concept wasn’t the least bit practical. Surely she could find someone willing to take on a David-and-Goliath cause pro bono. She’d work on that later. Right now she needed to find Sam and Jamie.

On that thought, Savannah craned her neck to locate the booth where father and daughter had been only a few minutes ago. They happened to be standing not too far away, conversing with some blonde who had her back turned to the bench.

When Sam touched the lady’s shoulder in a gesture that looked way too intimate, Savannah experienced a little nip of jealousy—until a nice-looking guy dressed in golf attire walked up and put his arm around the unknown woman.

She could be polite and join the group, or she could remain seated and wait for her companions to find her. Since she’d spent all day baking in the sun and probably looked like something a rat dragged in because the cat wouldn’t touch it, she chose to stay in the same spot.

After she heard Jamie shout her name, Savannah looked up to see the little girl heading her way, holding hands with the mystery woman, who happened to be pregnant…and of all people, Sam’s ex-wife.

S
AVANNAH MAINTAINED A
strong grip on the edge of the bench to keep from bolting, while Darlene looked just as reluctant to come face-to-face with her former competition for Sam’s affections.

On the other hand, Jamie beamed like a headlight over the prospect of introducing two presumed strangers. “This is my mom,” she said as soon as they arrived at Savannah’s erstwhile sanctuary. “Mommy, this is Daddy’s old girlfriend, Savannah.”

Chagrin threatened to freeze Savannah like an ice cube to the wooden slats, but proper etiquette dictated she stand and mind her manners. Yet “Hi” was all she could muster at the moment.

“It’s good to see you again, Savannah,” Darlene said with questionable genuineness.

Jamie’s delight was etched all over her adorable face. “You two know each other?”

“Yes,” Savannah and Darlene answered simultaneously.

“Did you go to school together?” Jamie asked.

“No,” Darlene jumped in without giving Savannah a chance to respond. “I went to school in Brewster, where your Nanny and Grandpa Clements live.”

“And I went to Placid High with your dad,” Savannah added.

“We were rivals.” Darlene’s cheeks turned slightly red. “In football.”

Savannah tried on a smile. “So I guess you could say we’ve known each other for a good fifteen years.” Some of them not so good, particularly the last year of their official acquaintance.

“Jamie,” Sam called, drawing the trio’s attention. “Let’s go ride.”

Savannah was somewhat perplexed over Sam’s
laissez-faire
attitude. Most men would have run interference between the ex-wife and former girlfriend for fear of eventual retribution. Then again, she was no longer his girlfriend, and Darlene wasn’t his wife, so why would it matter?

Jamie gave Savannah’s hand a yank to garner her attention. “Are you gonna ride the tilt-a-girl with me and Daddy?”

Darlene laughed. “What ride is that, honey?”

Jamie wrinkled her nose. “You know, Mommy. The one that tilts the girls while it’s spinning around.”

Savannah couldn’t help but grin. “I know that one well, and no thanks. It makes me kind of queasy.”

“What about you, Mommy?” Jamie asked.

Darlene patted her belly. “I don’t want to make your brother sick, so I guess I’ll sit this one out.”

Jamie lifted her chin in indignation. “I’ll just go ride with my two daddies, who don’t get sick.” She then sprinted off in the direction of Sam and the stepfather without looking back.

Feeling somewhat generous, Savannah reclaimed her place on the bench and gestured toward the empty space beside her. “Have a seat.”

Seeming somewhat self-conscious, Darlene complied, and for a few uncomfortable moments they didn’t exchange a word.

Savannah made the first move to break the dialogue impasse. “Kind of awkward, isn’t it?”

“Just a tad.”

Small talk would probably make a weird situation somewhat better. “I take it that was your husband with Sam.”

She nodded. “Brent. He’s a family law attorney in Memphis.”

Too bad he didn’t reside in Mississippi, otherwise Savannah would have approached him about helping out the townsfolk. “Interesting. Where did the two of you meet?”

“He’s a partner in the firm that represented me during the divorce.” Darlene sent Savannah a sheepish smile. “Oddly enough, when one man walked out of my life, another walked in.”

She probably shouldn’t ask, yet she couldn’t help but wonder if Sam’s version of the split had been accurate. “The divorce was Sam’s idea?”

“Actually, it was mutual. The marriage died of natural causes. No drama to speak of. Just enough indifference to fill a football stadium.”

Exactly how Sam had described it. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Darlene shrugged. “It’s hard to keep a marriage afloat
when your husband is still pining away for someone from his past.”

Savannah didn’t care to travel down that rocky road, yet she felt the need to set the record straight. “If you’re referring to me, I highly doubt Sam gave me much thought after I left.”

“He gave you a lot of thought. It’s obvious he still does.” She raised both hands, palms pointed at Savannah, as if in surrender. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming you at all. I’m only stating the facts, although Sam would be hard-pressed to admit it. But a woman has instincts about these things.”

Instincts aside, Savannah had a difficult time believing it. “You know how it is. Sometimes people just want what they can’t have. Or maybe what they imagined they wanted.”

Darlene gave her a meaningful look. “Sometimes people love someone so much that no one else can live up to the ideal, real or imagined.”

Savannah frankly didn’t think that was the case with Sam. He still wanted her—he’d demonstrated that last night—but on a purely physical level. Maybe that’s all it had ever been. “Regardless, I’m really sorry it didn’t work out with the two of you. But at least you had a beautiful child together.” The child she’d wanted to have with Sam someday, and she hoped she hadn’t revealed her envy through her wistful tone.

“Yes, I’ll give you that. I don’t know what I’d do without Jamie. And sometimes…” Darlene laid a gentle hand on her abdomen. “Sometimes I worry I won’t love this little one as much, but then my mom swears I’ll have
enough to go around. I suppose that’s true since she still loves my little brother, who is about as useless as boobs on a boar hog.”

Their laughter drew attention from a few passersby but Savannah didn’t care. She was pleased she could hold a civil conversation with Darlene and even share a good laugh. “Do you have a name for the baby yet?” she asked.

“We’ve been back and forth over the choices and we’ve come up with a few. I did tell Brent that we cannot name this child after his father.”

“What’s his name?”

“Baldric. It’s a family name. A really inconsiderate family’s name.”

Savannah definitely agreed with that. “You could go with my personal favorite, Beauregard. I dated someone by that name. Luckily, he went by Beau.”

Darlene grinned. “I think it has such a nice Southern ring to it.”

After they exchanged several more suspect male names, Darlene said, “Now that I think about it, Brent has two children from his previous marriage—fourteen-year-old Brianna and sixteen-year-old Blake. One more ‘B’ name and the ‘B’ hive will be too crowded to handle.”

Savannah hadn’t realized Darlene had such a great sense of humor, nor could she picture her as a stepmother. Before today, maybe an evil stepmother. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something nice and trendy.”

“I’m certainly going to try.”

They continued to casually converse, discussing old
times and playing the “what happened to” game. They covered pranks executed on their respective high schools and how simple life had been back then, especially during the summer.

When Savannah glanced to her left to see Sam, Jamie and Brent approaching, she said, “The daredevils have returned.”

Darlene looked over her shoulder and waved toward the group before regarding Savannah again. “Hopefully they’re done with the carnival rides. I’m ready to get out of this heat.”

“I’m just glad we had this time to talk, Darlene,” Savannah said sincerely.

“I enjoyed it, too, Savannah. It’s a shame we didn’t know each other better in high school. I think we could have been friends.”

“I believe we could have been, too, if Sam hadn’t been in the mix.”

“You’re right,” Darlene said with a smile. “Leave it to a man to mess it up. But faults and all, Sam’s still a very good man.”

“I know.” Little by little, Savannah had begun to realize that, through Reggie’s revelations and Sam’s interaction with his daughter. She also couldn’t discount that he’d obviously helped her father during his final years.

Darlene stood and stretched, both hands braced on the small of her back. “That being said, good or not, I think we both agree that most men, even Sam and my current dear husband, regress to cave-dwelling tendencies when it comes to their sex drives and keeping a bathroom clean.”

They exchanged another laugh before Brent arrived at the bench, frowning. “Are you ladies discussing us?”

Darlene popped a kiss on her husband’s cheek. “Aren’t we always?” She gestured toward Savannah. “This is Savannah Greer, Brent. She’s a high school friend.”

A dozen years ago, Savannah would have never accepted that claim. But now, things were different, proving that with adulthood came the realization teenagers could be awfully petty at times. She stood and took Brent’s offered hand for a shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Brent.”

“Same here,” he said. “This is probably the first time two legal eagles have graced the Placid festival grounds.”

“That could be front-page news tomorrow.” Which, as far as Savannah was concerned, was preferable to the Potter’s Pond incident showing up in the headlines.

Darlene hooked her arm through Brent’s. “We’ll see you all back at the farm. I need to get off my feet before they swell up like a toad.” She held out her hand to her daughter. “Are you coming with us, honey?”

Jamie shook her head. “I’m gonna go with Daddy and Savannah.”

“Okay,” Darlene said. “But hurry up. Grandpa Jim is making his famous homemade ice cream and we don’t want it to melt before we have some.”

Jamie clapped her hands together and jumped up and down, her ponytail bouncing in time with her movement. “I love ice cream!”

“Calm down, Joe,” Sam said. “You’re going to cause an earthquake.”

“Hope to see you, too, Savannah,” Darlene said as she and Brent walked away.

Jamie clasped Savannah’s hand and gave it a jerk. “Are you gonna have some of Papaw’s ice cream, Savannah?”

Temptation came calling, but reality ruled. “I love your granddad’s ice cream, sweetie, but I have to get home. My mother’s leaving in a couple of days and I need to help her pack her things.” As well as corner her for that long-overdue conversation.

“Your mother’s going to be there,” Sam said, the first words he’d spoken directly to her since they’d arrived at the festival.

That was news to Savannah, and she wondered why he was just now telling her. Better still, why hadn’t her mother told her? Oh, yeah. They were all barely speaking. “Since when did this come about?”

“Since she called us this morning to say she wants to tell everyone goodbye before she leaves tomorrow.”

“You mean before she leaves on Monday.”

“She told Dad that Bill and May are coming early afternoon and they plan to head out tomorrow night.”

Which meant Savannah had little time to spare before her mother left town, taking the truth with her.

A
THOUSAND MEMORIES RAN
through Savannah’s mind as they gathered in the McBriars’ backyard for evening camaraderie after a long day. She loved these moments the most, when time seemed to suspend in the company of family and good friends.

Gracie and Darlene chatted about the latest small-
town gossip while Jamie slept soundly in her grandfather’s lap. Amazingly Ruth had been engaged in a conversation with Brent and she’d actually laughed a time or two.

Savannah decided her mother looked more relaxed than she’d seen her in a while. She’d even dressed in casual white slacks and a sleeveless tailored pink blouse instead of her usual button-up shirt and proper below-the-knee skirt. Of course, Ruth had managed to remain hidden in her room while Savannah showered and changed, and then predictably walked to the McBriars’ without waiting for her daughter. Managing to avoid a confrontation could be the reason for stoic Ruth’s calm demeanor. But as far as Savannah was concerned, that confrontation would happen tonight, come hell or high water.

In the meantime, while Sam tuned his guitar, Savannah put everything out of her mind and simply sat back to enjoy the scene. Only one thing happened to be missing—her dad.

She tried to force the sorrow aside, tried to disregard the pain of loss. Yet as Sam began to sing, her heart broke a little all over again.

She knew every word as if she’d written it herself because he’d sung it to her at least a hundred times before. She knew every I-love-you in the lyrics, every plea to stay. Every reference to making love and making a commitment. She questioned whether his choice had been meant to stir memories, or if he’d made the selection because it had always been one his favorites. She only knew that the strength of her reaction and recollections
practically stole her breath, and so did the occasional meaningful look he gave her as he held her hostage with his mesmerizing voice.

By the time Sam was finished, Savannah realized she’d totally tuned everyone and everything out when Gracie’s “Bravo” startled her from a daze. She applauded with the rest of the group while resisting the urge to retreat, to escape all the familiar feelings that made her want to replay the past. If last night proved anything at all, her complete abandon verified how precariously close she was coming to reliving the same old mistakes she’d made with Sam, namely handing over her heart to him.

Savannah felt as if she walked an emotional tight-rope, poised to fall at any given moment. With an annoying knot in her throat and a voice telling her to get away, she picked up her empty bowl and walked back into the house, an exact replay of the last time she’d had dinner at the McBriars’ two days ago.

In the kitchen, she willed herself not to cry, scolded herself for even feeling the need. Tonight had marked a few moments of happiness and she vowed to keep that in mind. The tears fell anyway.

When the screen door opened, Savannah grabbed a napkin from the holder on the counter and turned toward the sink before swiping away the moisture on her cheeks.

“Are you okay?”

Great. Sam’s company was the last thing she needed. “Yes,” she said as she rinsed the bowl much longer than necessary before placing it in the dishwasher.

When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she flinched
and he immediately removed it. She didn’t find his touch at all repulsive, but she did worry she might crumble in front of him. She had to stay grounded, to show him that he couldn’t rattle her with a simple song.