Heart 0f Mine (Secrets 0f Savannah Book 6)

by Belle Calhoune

  Grayson was going to make certain the folks in Savannah didn’t brush him under the rug the way Miss Hattie had done to his father. Hattie Alexander. All the research he’d done of her hadn’t filled up the hole inside him. He’d always been curious about his origins, and even though his own father was an expert in the field of adoption, Tanner Holloway had never publicly mentioned his birth parents. Grayson felt the bitterness rise up inside of him toward his father. Why hadn’t he told him that Miss Hattie was his grandmother before she passed away? Why did he get the feeling his father was still hiding things?

  It didn’t matter. According to his attorney, he still had a claim to Savannah House. He was Miss Hattie’s grandson, one she may not have been aware of.

  He scoffed. What did it really matter what Hope Matthews thought of him? He wasn’t seeking money or riches or fame. He was seeking ownership of his family legacy. Alexander blood ran through his veins. He was a Holloway by birth, but rightfully his last name should have been something different.

  Grayson rubbed his hands together. Things were going to be heating up in Savannah now that he was here. He let out a rueful laugh. Hope Matthews and her girlfriends better buckle up. Things were going to get very bumpy.

  **

  “If you’ve got a battle to fight, there’s no sense facing it on your own. That’s the beauty of friendship.” Miss Hattie Alexander

  Chapter Two

  Hope made her way over to Savannah House as if her feet were on fire. Ever since crossing paths with Grayson Holloway, she had been itching to tell her best friends, who were also co-owners of the bed and breakfast, about her run-in this morning. The women—all friends since childhood—had inherited the historic inn, Savannah House, from their benefactor, Miss Hattie Alexander. It had been a shocking bequeathal.

  So now, Hope, along with Callie, Charlotte, Fancy, Olivia and Morgan were co-owners of the magnificent resort. Using money Miss Hattie had specifically allocated for renovations, the women had renovated the inn and transformed it into a showpiece.

  With Ella sitting on her hip, Hope opened up the door to Savannah House and strode down the hallway. She made a point to say hello to every guest she passed by. Being personable was one of the keys to making great connections with guests.

  “Whoa. Where are you going in such a rush?” Olivia asked. Olivia Rawlings—guest liaison—was standing at the front desk with a phone at her ear. “I’m on hold,” she said, pointing toward the phone. “What’s up? Hey, Ella. Auntie Olivia is sending you kisses.” Olivia began blowing kisses to Ella. Ella began making cooing noises.

  “Olivia. We need to convene in the parlor. Asap,” Hope said in a low voice. She didn’t want to upset Ella by sounding as frantic as she felt. Ella reached up and grabbed her chin, one of her little techniques for showing Hope she wanted her undivided attention.

  Olivia’s eyes widened and she held up her finger to indicate she would need a minute for her phone call.

  The click of heels heralded the arrival of Fancy Tolliver Duvall, another co-owner of Savannah House. Fancy was a beautiful blonde with cornflower blue eyes. “What’s this about a meeting?” She glanced at her watch. “I have a conference call in twenty minutes.” Her face lit up when she laid eyes on Ella. All of sudden the tone of her voice changed and she began talking in baby talk with Ella.

  “How’s the pretty ittiest baby in all of Georgia?” Fancy asked Ella, reaching out and tickling her under her chin. In response, Ella giggled. She definitely seemed to respond to the women of Savannah House, Fancy in particular.

  “Can you go get the others?” Hope asked. “I’ll pop in the kitchen and grab Morgan. I promise you. It’s important,” Hope said.

  “Okay, but only if I can bring Ella with me,” Fancy said, holding out her hands and reaching for Ella. Ella didn’t skip a beat upon being transferred into Auntie Fancy’s arms. Ella looked at Fancy as if she’d hung the moon. With a big huge grin, Fancy turned on her heels and walked off to find Callie and Charlotte. Hope chuckled as she walked toward the kitchen in pursuit of Morgan. Once she stepped into the kitchen, heavenly aromas assaulted her senses. It served as a reminder that she hadn’t eaten breakfast. Grayson Holloway’s arrival at her front door had distracted her from making scrambled eggs and oatmeal. After she’d given him the boot, Hope had been too angry to eat.

  “Hey there, Hope. Surprised to see you so early,” Morgan said, looking up from stirring the bowl in front of her.

  “Morning Morgan.” She closed her eyes and inhaled. “Whatever that smell is, if you bottle it up and sell it you’ll make a fortune.”

  Morgan laughed, which lit up her already luminous face. With her café au lait colored skin and expressive eyes, Morgan was a lovely woman. And she knew how to cook like nobody’s business. “If I only could,” she said in a lilting tone.

  “Can I steal you away for a little bit?” Hope asked.

  “I’m doing some lunch prep, but I’ll make some time if it’s important.” Morgan shot her a curious look. “What’s going on? That look on your face is a bit alarming.”

  Hope made a face. “We need to talk…all of us behind closed doors. Something has come up.”

  Morgan turned toward Henry Marsham, her sous-chef. “Think you can handle things for a bit while I scoot out to a meeting?”

  Henry nodded. “Of course I can. That’s what you pay me the big bucks for, right? To hold the fort down when I’m needed.”

  “You’re the best, Henry,” Morgan said, flashing him a beautiful smile.

  Henry’s cheeks turned a bit red and he quickly looked away, focusing on his prep work rather than on Morgan. Morgan pulled off her apron and placed it on the butcher block table. She walked over to the sink and washed and dried her hands.

  As they walked out of the kitchen, Hope looked over at Morgan. “You better watch out. Henry has a huge crush on you. If you keep gifting him with those winning smiles he’s going to fall head over heels in love with you.”

  Morgan shook her head. “He works for me. I’m his boss. He admires me, but that’s it.”

  “Umm Hmm,” Hope said, her lips twitching with mirth. “You’re being a bit naïve, but I promise not to say I told you so.”

  Morgan playfully jabbed Hope in the side. “You’re crazy.”

  By the time they made their way toward the parlor, Charlotte, Fancy, Callie and Olivia had already beaten them there. They were all playing with baby Ella and trying to make her laugh. Hope made a point of closing the door behind her.

  All eyes turned toward Hope. She felt her heart swell as Ella’s face lit up with a smile when she spotted her. The love she felt for this tiny human being always felt like a force so much bigger than anything she’d ever known. Although she wasn’t happy with the choices that had led her to conceive Ella, Hope knew she was heaven sent. God loved Ella, and he’d bestowed on Hope such a miraculous gift—one she felt grateful for each and every day. She looked over across the room at her precious bundle. One day she would have to tell Ella about her father—the man who’d helped to create her but hadn’t been more than a fraud and a liar. Hope shuddered as she thought about Ross Breck. He had made her question every single thing about herself—her intellect, her decision making, her sense of self. And worst of all, her faith.

  She shook off the feeling, knowing she needed to focus on the matter at hand.

  “I think everyone should sit down,” Hope said, glancing around at her five friends. She looked at Fancy who was now cuddling Ella against her chest. Hope could see Ella’s eyes drooping. She was mere moments away from falling asleep.

  “I can take her off your hands,” Hope said, holding her arms open.

  Fancy looked crestfallen for a moment. “I don’t mind holding her for a bit. I think she’s falling asleep.”

  Hope smiled at the sight of her beautiful, blonde haired friend taking such great care of Ella. It wouldn’t be too long, Hope imagined, before Fancy and Case started a family. Clearly, Fancy was in love wi
th babies.

  Everyone settled down into chairs. Hope splayed her hands on the table and swung her gaze around at the women. “This morning I had a visitor at the guest cottage. A man showed up with a bloodied foot.” She cleared her throat. “Long story short is he introduced himself as Grayson Holloway.”

  Startled gasps were audible.

  “What?” Callie exploded.

  Olivia’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious?”

  “Oh my goodness!” Fancy exclaimed, holding on to Ella even tighter.

  Hope nodded. “I hate to be the bearer of such bad news, but we should all be on alert. He’s shown up like the proverbial bad penny.”

  Morgan let out a low whistle. “This cannot be good. Not in any way, shape or form.”

  Olivia nodded at Morgan. “Well we know he hasn’t dropped in to wish us glad tidings.” Her tone oozed sarcasm.

  Callie let out a groan. “I can’t believe it. Actually I can believe it. I was up last night not feeling well and—”

  Olivia frowned. “Callie, are you all right? You’ve been sick a lot lately.”

  Callie smiled. “I guess the cat is out of the bag. I’m pregnant. Jax and I are expecting a little nugget in seven months or so.” Callie covered her ears before the hoopla began.

  Everyone started shouting at once and rejoicing over the joyful news. Olivia leaned over and hugged Callie, while everyone else stood up from their chairs and quickly made their way over toward her. They all began to embrace one another. The mood felt festive and light-hearted. Joy hung in the air. Everyone was laughing and crying and rejoicing.

  Hope wiped away tears from her cheeks. “Oh, Callie. I’m so happy our kids will grow up together.” She looked around her at her best friends. “The rest of you need to catch up with the two of us.” Hope didn’t say it out loud, but next time she gave birth she would be someone’s wife. She prayed God would point a good man in her direction.

  “This is so exciting,” Morgan said. “Now I can live vicariously through your pregnancy before Luke and I start a family of our own. We’re not quite ready for kids as of yet.”

  “I can’t wait to start a family,” Fancy said. “I don’t mind telling you that Case and I are trying for a baby.” Fancy ducked her head down, her cheeks blushing. “God willing, we’ll have a little one to play alongside your kids, Hope and Callie.”

  “You’re going to be a mother,” Olivia said, right before she let out a squeal of excitement.

  Callie beamed. “Thanks for all the support. This is going to be an exciting journey for Jax and me. If anyone had told me a year ago I’d be married to my childhood nemesis, Jax Holden, and expecting a baby while being co-owner of Savannah House, I would have told them they were plum crazy.” Callie shook her head, her titian curls bouncing past her shoulders.

  The girls all laughed, each one knowing, Hope imagined, how quickly all of their lives had changed.

  “Blessings abound, cousin,” Charlotte said, pressing a kiss against Callie’s cheek.

  “I hate to be a killjoy, but we’ve got to wrap this meeting up, because we’ve all got to go back to our posts,” Fancy said, wincing slightly as Ella tugged on a few strands of her hair.

  Hope had known that calling the meeting during the morning rush would be chaotic, but the presence of Grayson Holloway here on Tybee Island was a hot button topic. Although they had hired part-time college students to help out at Savannah House, all of the women knew it was imperative that their presence was felt at the resort at all times. This meeting would be short and the very opposite of sweet. They would all be feeling wary now, waiting and wondering what in the world Grayson Holloway was up to with his latest move.

  “But what’s our next step?” Morgan asked, her brows furrowed.

  Hope shrugged. “I suggest we remain on guard. The other shoe might be about to drop. His attorney might up the ante and try to get us to settle the lawsuit for a nice sum of money.”

  Charlotte groaned. “We don’t have that type of money. Not yet anyway. Savannah House is making a profit, but we don’t have the luxury of paying off Holloway. It would put a serious dent in our accounts.”

  Olivia folded her arms across her chest. “I refuse to even think about that. Just because he’s filed paperwork doesn’t mean he has a legit case. Even if he is kin to Miss Hattie, she had a will that didn’t mention him whatsoever. That will is binding. Showing up here in Savannah won’t change that.”

  Callie bit her lip. “The problem is, he can prove to be a nuisance and tie us up for a very long time in costly litigation.”

  Morgan sighed. “He could bankrupt us.”

  “No!” Hope cried out. “That’s not going to happen. We have to stay positive. This place means way too much to all of us to allow one person to derail all of our hopes and dreams. This is Ella’s future, as well as the future for all of our children. It’s important for each one of us and the people who mean the most to us.”

  “Amen, sister,” Charlotte said with a fierce nod. She looked at her watch. “I’ve only got a few more minutes. I have to run into Savannah for that news piece they’re running on Savannah House. Plus I’m meeting Marc so we can taste cakes for the wedding.”

  Charlotte was marrying Marc Cabron, the love of her life. Although the wedding wasn’t scheduled until the fall, the couple wanted every detail to be locked down.

  “One moment,” Callie said, holding up her finger. Her expression was troubled. “I realized something last night. Miss Hattie gave me a big hint about her past and about her love affair with Samuel.”

  Hope frowned. “What do you mean? What kind of big hint?”

  “Right before she died, Miss Hattie spoke to Jax and I about the past. She said she’d had two loves of her life. Then she proceeded to tell us all about her romance with Samuel and his tragic death during World War II. I asked her about the other love of her life and she said it was a story for another time. That time never came. She passed away not too long after that discussion.”

  “So what are you saying?” Morgan asked. “That the secret baby was the other love of her life?”

  “It’s possible,” Callie said. She glanced over at Morgan. “Your mom was there when she said it. I’m guessing she might know something. If Miss Hattie had a secret love child, I think Pearl might know the truth about it.”

  “Mama and Miss Hattie were the best of friends,” Morgan acknowledged. “If Miss Hattie told her about a secret baby, Mama would have kept that secret. But since they were so close, I’m not sure Mama would ever divulge that secret even now out of respect for her best friend.”

  Hope bit her lip. “It all makes sense. Speaking as a mother, Ella is the love of my life. So it stands to reason that Miss Hattie was referencing her child when she made that statement.”

  “We’ll take your word for it,” Fancy said, smiling sweetly at Hope. “You’re the expert.”

  “She said something else,” Callie admitted. “She said that both the loves of her life slipped through her fingers.”

  Hope gasped. Olivia raised a hand to her mouth. Morgan shook her head mournfully. The reality seemed to be hitting them that Miss Hattie had delivered a baby—Samuel’s baby—one she had given away for adoption. The reality was staring all of them straight in the face.

  “Wow,” Fancy said. “That’s pretty telling, although at the time you didn’t have all the information to piece things together.”

  “In nineteen forty-two it would have been extremely difficult for an unmarried woman to give birth to a child,” Olivia said. “There would have been a stigma against her and the child.”

  Hope scoffed. “It’s difficult now to have a child without the benefit of marriage. There’s still a stigma.” She couldn’t hide the trace of bitterness in her voice. “I could write a book on it.”

  The room got quiet. No one knew what to say to fill up the silence. Hope knew it was her fault for making such a self-pitying remark. She wasn’t being fair either. None of her fr
iends knew about Ella’s father. And that was her fault. She’d returned to Savannah after a long absence with a baby girl in her arms. Not one of her five closest friends knew an iota about Ross and his duplicity because she hadn’t told them a thing about the father of her child.

  Olivia reached over and placed a shoulder around her. “It must be really tough. Please don’t think we’re insensitive to your situation.”

  Hope’s cheeks burned. She felt ridiculous for making the comment but it had just slipped out. “I didn’t mean to complain, but it is hard sometimes to be a single mother.”

  Morgan reached out and clutched her hand. “I can only imagine. And in case I haven’t told you, my friend, you’re an awesome mother. The love and dedication you’ve shown toward Ella is awe inspiring.”

  Tears blurred Hope’s vision. It felt so wonderful to have such great friends. They supported her unconditionally. She felt a little mean for not telling them about Ella’s father.

  “I want you to know I appreciate you guys more than you’ll ever know. Being able to live in the guesthouse with Ella has been amazing. I’ve been able to sock some money away in our bank account. A nest egg for the future.” She swiped at the tears trickling down her face. “I want to tell you all about Ella’s father. Not right now. But soon.”

  “I can’t pretend I’m not curious,” Charlotte said, “but I only want to know the information in your time, Hope. When you want to share it with us.”

  “Ditto,” Olivia said. “When you’re comfortable talking about it, we’ll be here to listen.”

  “Matter of fact,” Morgan said with a smirk, “I’ll even throw a party for the six of us and cook us a fancy dinner. Then you can make your big reveal of information.”

  Hope chuckled. “I’ll remember to take you up on that offer. You can make my favorite meal.”