All the girls groaned and said in unison, “Fried chicken and macaroni and cheese.”
“And don’t forget the corn bread,” Hope added. They all burst into laughter, which in Hope’s opinion was the best medicine. It didn’t matter what stones were thrown at them by Grayson Holloway. For now, and for always they would be a united front against anyone or anything. And the next time she came face-to-face with Holloway she would tell him so.
“I’m the luckiest girl in Savannah to have the five of you in my corner,” Hope said, emotion clogging her throat.
“And you always will,” Olivia said, her words ringing out with the strength of a promise.
**
Grayson knew he shouldn’t be prowling around the premises of Savannah House, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Part of him was consumed by curiosity while another part truly enjoyed the sight of the spectacular grounds. The property was immense and very well maintained. He let out a chuckle. Maybe he really wanted to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous Hope Matthews. It was safe to say she wouldn’t want to see him, especially not skulking around the grounds. Even with her face twisted up in anger, Hope was still stunning.
Get your mind right, he reminded himself. Being here in Savannah wasn’t about meeting beautiful women. It was about securing his birthright. It was about challenging the status quo.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
He whipped around at the sound of the familiar-sounding feminine voice. A tight feeling settled in his chest as he came face-to-face with Hope. She was just as spectacular as he remembered her being. Today she was dressed in a pair of casual yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Much like the last time he saw her, Hope’s beautiful face was twisted in disgust. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s beautiful.” The words slipped out of his mouth. Why had he said that? He sounded like an inarticulate idiot. Truth be told, he was off the charts intelligent and very verbal. Something about Hope made him tongue-tied.
“It’s called trespassing.” Hope folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. Her almond-shaped, brown eyes were flashing. He took a step closer, mesmerized by the little gold flecks glinting from her eyes.
“Wow. Your eyes are pretty spectacular.”
Hope frowned. “Seriously? Do you think you can distract me from your presence here and your identity by giving me false compliments? Does that normally work for you?”
He smiled at her. “False? No way. I don’t give out fake compliments. It’s not my style.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to swoon and get all fluttering eyelashes over the cute surfer boy?”
Grayson felt a burst of joy flutter inside him. “Aww. So you think I’m cute, huh?”
Hope’s cheeks flushed a pinkish color. Uh oh. She looked mad again. She let out a sound of frustration. “You really are full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Not at all. I’m actually the shy, bashful type.”
He could have sworn he saw the corners of Hope’s mouth twitch with merriment. She quickly reined it in and continued to scowl at him.
“Can we call a truce or something?” Grayson asked, shooting her his most dazzling smile. “After all, I’m new to Savannah and I don’t know a soul except you.”
“You don’t know me. And I certainly don’t know you,” she said, a skeptical look etched on her face.
Grayson placed a hand over his chest. “You wound me. I thought we were buddies. After all, you saved my hide the other day.”
“Trust me, if I’d have known who you were, I wouldn’t have wasted my supplies.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have tended to my injury if you’d known who I was before you let me in to your home?”
“Of course I would have. I would have told you to hold your foot out and then poured a bottle of rubbing alcohol over your wound.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And you would have stayed outside the entire time.”
Grayson let out a low whistle. “Wow. That’s really cold. I mean…I didn’t think you had it in you.” He narrowed his gaze. “Honestly, you look like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth. But I guess I was wrong.”
Hope held her chin up. “Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I’m not a shrinking violet.”
“No, you’re not. You’re like a rose with thorns.” Grayson placed his palm over his heart. “Ouch. It seems you’re determined to hurt my feelings.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Spoken by the guy whose main goal is to take away my livelihood. And trample over our rights of inheritance.”
“That’s not my intention! What kind of man do you think I am?” Grayson asked. His pride felt a little wounded at Hope’s harsh words. He wasn’t used to being criticized. For the most part, women adored him. Clearly, Hope Matthews was not most women.
A low chuckle emerged from somewhere deep inside Hope. “Do you really want me to answer that question?” she asked.
Grayson counted to ten. There was no use in getting frustrated or angry. He reminded himself that all Hope knew about him was his lawsuit seeking ownership of Savannah House. If the shoe was on the other foot, he’d be livid. “Hope. I think we got off on the wrong foot. Clearly, there’s a little tension here due to the lawsuit. I am not a bad guy. I’m simply someone who sees things a little differently than you do. And that puts us at odds.”
For a moment Grayson thought Hope might be breathing fire like a dragon from medieval times. He almost took a step backward.
“You’re suing us!” she fumed. “This isn’t some simple matter that will resolve on its own. You’re dragging us into court.”
“You’re angry at me, right? Because of the lawsuit.”
Hope huffed. “Does that surprise you?” she snapped.
“A little bit. But honestly, it’s not personal,” he explained.
“Well what is it then? Because up to this point, we’re a little bit in the dark, which I actually think is a deliberate strategy you cooked up with your attorney. You wanted to bring us to our knees by filing this vague lawsuit and now you’ve shown up here in Savannah to rattle us.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. I didn’t show up here for any reason other than to explore my heritage. I wanted to see Savannah, to walk in the footsteps of my grandparents. This is where they fell in love. Where my story began.”
“You’re either delusional or a brilliant liar. You have absolutely no proof that you’re kin to Miss Hattie. Because if you did—”
“I do have proof, Hope.” He dug into his pocket and handed her an envelope. “And if you ladies want to know about my claim to Savannah House, we can talk it over during a mediation meeting.”
Hope’s lips trembled and she reached for the envelope with shaking fingers. She ripped the envelope with jerky hands and pulled out the letter. She began to read out loud. “You are hereby invited to a mediation meeting at the offices of Somers and Somers, Esquires. Objective of the meeting is to settle matters pertaining to the will of Miss Hattie Alexander and the claim on the estate by Grayson Holloway.”
When she finished reading the letter, she looked up at him. Her eyes were lifeless. It seemed as if all the fire had left her. Her shoulders slumped as if they’d caved in from the weight of the world upon them.
“I’m trying to be fair,” he said, hoping to reassure her. He hated being the bad guy in this scenario.
“Fair?” The word came out sounding like a frog croaking. Tears pooled in her eyes. “How is any of this fair? We’ve worked our behinds off trying to renovate Savannah House. I have a baby to clothe and feed as a single mother. We’ve been mourning Miss Hattie’s death for almost a year. Did you? We sacrificed everything to get this place up and running again. You didn’t. I’ve taken hours and hours being away from my daughter to realize this dream. So please, Mr. Holloway, don’t you dare tell me anything about fairness.” Her eyes flashed like embers from a wildfire. “Now, if you don’t
mind, could you please leave the premises.” Her voice was shaky, yet as frosty as a winter’s night. With one last glare in his direction, Hope turned her back on him and walked over toward the garden. She began vigorously tending to it, reaching down into a bucket for her gardening tools.
Feeling more stung than he might ever have believed possible, Grayson took one last look at Hope before retreating. Hope’s expression had betrayed her state of mind. She was shattered. Because of his actions. His gut twisted painfully. He didn’t like feeling responsible for someone else’s pain. Truthfully, it was the reason Grayson had always been the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. Emotions tended to ruin perfectly amazing situations. There was something inside of him that couldn’t handle it.
As he walked off the property and towards his own rental house down the beach, he tried to shrug off the feelings of responsibility by reminding himself he didn’t even know Hope. She was a stranger. And he had his rights. It wasn’t wrong to want to hold tightly to his family legacy. The same legacy that had been stolen from him the moment his grandmother, Miss Hattie Alexander, abandoned his father as a newborn. Everything after that point, including his own painful childhood, had been the result of that one tragic decision. Establishing his claim to Savannah House might seem like a cruel move on his part, but it was step toward healing his family’s painful past—a step he knew he needed to take if he ever wanted to feel whole.
“Don’t let life get you down. Remember…it’s always darkest before the dawn. And then the sun rises.” Hattie Alexander
Chapter Three
Hope sat back on her heels and heaved a tremendous sigh. She’d been digging up weeds like a mad woman. It had felt a little bit therapeutic to get all of her emotions out in doing so. Grayson Holloway was a major pain! She didn’t understand him one little bit. A man like Holloway didn’t comprehend at all that his actions served as a domino effect.
She pressed her eyes closed and began to pray. Lord, please don’t let me go down this road. I hate feeling this way toward another human being. I haven’t felt this frustrated or angry in a long time and I don’t want this feeling to linger. I don’t want Ella to pick up on it or see me in an unflattering light. I have to be strong as her sole parent. And righteous. And true. For so long I’ve been angry at Ross and filled with such bitterness that he tricked me—betrayed me in the worst way a man can trifle with a woman. Heal me.
Let me cast away this heavy burden so I can be the best mother in the world to Ella.
Hot tears squeezed through her eyelashes and landed on her cheeks. She hardly ever cried at home. She’d been holding it all in for such a long time. Something about coming face-to-face again with Holloway had caused all these bitter feelings to come surging up inside her. For the next two hours Hope worked out her feelings in the garden. When she was done she was hot, sweaty, hungry and exhausted. A quick glance at her cell phone told her it was lunch time. She needed to head over to the guest cottage and take a quick shower and check in on Ella. Her babysitter, Clara, was watching her today. By the time Hope made her way to the cottage she felt a sense of peace settle over her. The letter Grayson had given her was clenched in her hand. She made a mental note to make copies of the letter as soon as she made her way back to Savannah House. She would give a copy to Callie, Olivia, Morgan, Fancy and Charlotte. Somehow they would figure out what to do and how to proceed. No matter what they decided, it would be done together.
The moment she reached her front doorstep, Hope noticed an object sitting on her front step. As she moved closer, Hope realized it was a basket of flowers. She let out a sigh at the sight of the beautiful arrangement adorning her doorstep. Roses. Baby’s breath. Lilies. She picked the basket up by the handle and let herself in to the house, the sound of Ella’s giggles making her heart swell to an abnormally large size. She reached for a bottle of hand sanitizer on the foyer table, knowing she would want to pick her daughter up as soon as she laid eyes on her.
Hope poked her head in the living room. Ella was sitting on a blanket on the floor, playing peek a boo with Clara. Clara—a woman in her mid-fifties who had already raised three children of her own—was a Godsend. She was loving and dedicated and her presence in their lives allowed Hope to go to work every day with no worries about her daughter’s care. Hope was able to afford Clara due to the success of Savannah House, along with the fact that she lived in the guest house free of charge.
“Hello there,” Hope said from the doorway, announcing her presence.
Ella clapped her hands together and began to crawl at a rapid speed toward her. Ella wasn’t walking quite yet on her own, but she was almost there.
“Hi, Hope. We were just having some play time. What a gorgeous assortment of flowers. Are they yours?” Clara asked with an infectious grin.
Hope shrugged. “I think so. They were sitting out front when I walked up.” Hope looked down at the basket, noticing for the first time the small envelope sticking up from the side. She placed the basket down on the side table, then slit open the envelope. A beautiful beach scene greeted her along with the words “Sorry to upset you. Let’s be friends. Grayson.”
She tucked the card back into the basket as butterflies danced in her stomach. Grayson was proving to be an enigma. And she couldn’t deny the feelings tugging at her. It had been a very long time since a man had treated her to the beauty of a floral arrangement. Seeing his bold, masculine handwriting had made her heart beat a little bit faster.
“An admirer?” Clara asked, her voice full of curiosity.
“Hardly. Someone who knows he rubbed me the wrong way trying to get into my good graces,” Hope explained. Ella tugged at the hem of her pants, letting her know in no uncertain terms she wanted Mama’s attention. Hope bent down and scooped her up, twirling her around in a gentle manner. Ella’s giggles were enchanting. Hope felt fortunate she could see her daughter at lunch time on occasion. It always jazzed up her day.
“Sounds like he cares about your opinion,” Clara noted, getting up carefully from her seated position on the floor. “Don’t discount it. God works in mysterious ways.”
Hope wrinkled her nose. She didn’t want to discuss Grayson. The flowers were gorgeous, but she had no use for someone who was litigious and sneaky. If God had sent him in her direction, Hope knew her Lord and Savior must have a great sense of humor.
“Clara, I’m dirty from the garden. I’m going to go take a quick shower before lunch.”
Clara took Ella from her arms and waved her off. “Go ahead and shower. I have some tortellini soup on the stove and some fresh bread in the oven.”
“So that’s what smells so good in here. You’re the best, Clara,” Hope said as she made her way down the hall toward her bedroom.
As she stepped in the shower, Hope couldn’t help but think about Grayson’s unexpected gesture. What did it all mean? Why would he want to be friends with her? Did he have a secret agenda? Humph! A man who looked like Grayson probably had women eating out of the palm of his hand.
In most instances, Hope would give someone the benefit of the doubt. But knowing that Grayson might negatively affect her ability to make a living stood in the way of her ever seeing past his surface. Her daughter’s sweet face flashed into her mind. Her number one priority in this world was making sure Ella was fed and happy and protected with a roof over her head. God help Grayson Holloway if his actions interfered with that.
**
Sending flowers to Hope had been a spur of the moment decision, Grayson realized. Seeing her so upset a few days ago had affected him way more than he was comfortable admitting. Even to himself. It was a strange feeling to care about someone you barely knew. Stranger still since it wasn’t Grayson’s way. Yet he had to admit it. He cared about Hope. It was odd considering it usually took him a long time to warm up to people. He’d been in more relationships than he could count with women who viewed him as emotionally detached.
He had never been in love. Not once. And sometimes it scared him
. Was there something wrong with him? Had his childhood impacted his ability to fall in love with a woman?
Seeing his parents’ marriage crumble had been devastating to him as a kid. Having a father who cared more about being adopted and his fame on that subject than being a dedicated father to his only child had wrecked Grayson. All in all, he’d never had the feeling that either of his parents had truly loved him. On an intellectual level he knew they had, but where it most counted—in the innermost regions of his heart—he’d never quite felt it.
The buzzing of his cell phone drew his attention to his shirt pocket. He reached in and pulled it out, letting out a groan when he saw his father’s number on the display. He had already called about a dozen times in the last few days. Grayson knew it was only a matter of time before he had to deal with him.
“Hello, dad,” he answered in a curt voice.
“Grayson!” his father barked. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days now. What in the world is going on with you? That message you left was fairly cryptic. You can’t be where I think you are.”
He let out a sigh. “I’m in Savannah. Tybee Island to be exact.”
Grayson held the phone away from his ear as his father erupted.
By the time he placed the phone back up against his ear, his father was still talking up a storm. “What game are you playing at Grayson? This is unacceptable. Are you going off the deep end or what? First you file a ridiculous lawsuit, then you disappear on me.”
“The lawsuit isn’t ridiculous. It’s my birthright,” he said in a raised voice. He wasn’t even going to apologize for exploding. His father was determined not to understand him.
“Grayson! We need to talk. Really talk. I can’t avoid this discussion any longer.” Tanner Holloway’s voice was filled with strain.
“What discussion? The one where you tell me I’m wrong to go down this road?”
For a few seconds there was complete silence on the phone.
“It’s more complicated than that, son. I need to be completely honest with you about a few things. Things I should have told you a long time ago. I wish you’d told me about the lawsuit sooner. I would have set you straight.”
Heart 0f Mine (Secrets 0f Savannah Book 6) Page 4