Savannah's Secrets

by Reese Ryan

  His grandfather nodded. “Even as a kid, I dreamed big. But Marty wanted to stick to what we’d always done. I wanted to start a proper distillery. Become a respectable citizen with no need to dodge the law. Martin had no interest in doing that.”

  “If you bought him out fair and square, he has no claim,” Blake pointed out.

  “True.” His grandfather’s voice lacked conviction. “But I wasn’t very fair to him, either.” He lowered his gaze. “He was a heavy gambler, and I knew he’d go for a lump-sum payout, despite it being less than half of what was probably fair at the time.”

  His grandfather ran a hand over the smooth skin of his head. “Always felt bad about that. Especially after he gambled most of it away. Got in debt to some pretty shady characters. He and his wife left town in the dead of the night. Haven’t heard from him since.”

  “If you felt so bad, why’d you...?” Blake stopped short of using the word cheat. “Why’d you shortchange him?”

  “Didn’t have enough saved to buy him out at a fair price. Not if I was going to buy my building, get new equipment and hire workers. I used his vice against him. It’s not one of my prouder moments, son.”

  “So Martin was aware you wanted to start a legal distillery?”

  “Like I said, he didn’t have the vision his granddaughter has. Martin thought it was a terrible idea. He expected the venture to go up in flames, as it had for a few other moonshiners who’d tried to take their business legit.”

  “So he made a choice.” Blake needed to believe his grandfather was the upstanding man he’d always thought him to be. That he hadn’t wronged Savannah’s grandfather. Joseph Abbott had always been his hero. Even more than his own father.

  “He did. And when he signed the contract, he relinquished everything. Including the right to take up a similar business in the state for at least fifty years.”

  The answer to the question he’d posed to Savannah earlier. Why now?

  “So legally, he has no claim to King’s Finest.”

  “No. Got myself a damn good lawyer to draw up that contract.” His grandfather’s voice was faint and there was a faraway look in his eye. “It’s airtight.”

  “But?”

  “But I do feel I owe him something. I was a young man making gobs of money. I got a little bit full of myself, and I wasn’t as fair as I should’ve been to Marty after everything he’d done for me.” His grandfather rubbed his chin. “We certainly wouldn’t be what we are today without him.”

  “But technically, Martin sold all of the recipes, all of the processes to you.”

  “Legally, yes.” His grandfather nodded. “Morally... I’ve always felt like I gave the guy a raw deal.”

  “There’s something else you need to know.” Blake sighed. “Savannah...she... I mean, we...”

  “Go on, son.” His grandfather prodded. “At this rate, I’ll be called home before you get the first sentence out.”

  “She’s pregnant.”

  “And you’re the father, I assume.”

  “Yes.” The word was a harsh whisper.

  “Sounds like we both need a drink.” His grandfather moved to the bar and poured two glasses of their top-shelf bourbon. The same drink Blake had shared with Savannah the night of the storm. Joseph handed him a glass and returned to the sofa.

  “Congratulations are in order, I suppose.” His grandfather sipped his bourbon.

  “It hasn’t sunk in yet.” Blake sipped from his glass.

  “So you didn’t know who Savannah was or why she was here?”

  Blake shook his head. “I only learned the truth today.”

  His grandfather stared into his glass for a moment before meeting his gaze. “Do you love her, son?”

  “I think I do. At least, I did before I realized it was never about me. It was about the money and restoring her grandfather’s legacy.”

  “Can’t it be about both?”

  “Sir?”

  “Maybe she did come here with the sole purpose of getting what she felt her family was owed...a noble thing, in my mind. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t fall for you along the way.”

  “What makes you believe that, Granddad?”

  “Explains the tortured look in her eyes the night we met. When she was grilling me about the history of the company. Now I understand what I saw in her eyes. She probably hated me. Wanted revenge. But then there were her feelings for you. Must’ve been a mighty struggle for her.”

  Blake didn’t directly address his grandfather’s conjecture. “Do you think Martin McDowell is the kind of man who would’ve sent her here, hoping that one of us would get her pregnant? It’d be a slam-dunk way to ensure their family got a stake in the company.”

  “Never. In fact, I’m shocked he would’ve agreed to her coming here at all. He was too proud a man to let his granddaughter fight his battle.”

  Blake sighed in relief. “She claims he doesn’t know she’s here or what she’s been up to.”

  “Does Savannah seem to you like the kind of person who’d trick you into getting her pregnant?” His grandfather took another sip of his drink.

  “No.” Blake finished his bourbon and put the glass down. “Then again, I wouldn’t have thought her a spy. So what do I know?”

  “You know you care about the girl and that she, like it or not, is carrying the first of the next generation of Abbotts.” His grandfather’s mouth curled in a reserved smile.

  Blake’s head spun. Not from the bourbon, but from the idea that he would be a father. It certainly wasn’t under the circumstances he would’ve wished, but still...he was going to be a father.

  He poured himself another glass and topped off his grandfather’s drink before settling on the sofa again. He studied the ceiling, his mind spinning.

  “The question is, is it possible for you two to get past this? If you really care for this girl, maybe you can salvage it,” his grandfather said. “If not, you still need to have an amicable relationship for the sake of the child.”

  “I don’t know if I can get past what Savannah did. I know she felt she had good reason, but how can I ever trust her again?”

  “Only you can answer that, son.” His grandfather’s voice was filled with regret. “I’m sure Marty will probably always distrust me, too.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Not sure. I find it best to sleep on decisions like this.” Joe tapped a finger on his glass. “But call your parents, brothers and sister. Tomorrow morning, we need to have a family meeting.”

  Twenty-Three

  Savannah was going stir-crazy.

  It’d been nearly a week since Blake had learned of her pregnancy. Two days of silence since she’d left him a message informing him a doctor had confirmed the test results. And still no word as to whether they planned to press charges.

  There was a knock at her door and she answered it.

  “Got a surprise for you.” Kayleigh beamed, opening the signature pink box from the local bakery. “Sticky buns.”

  “My favorite. Thank you. C’mon in and I’ll make you a cup of coffee. I can’t eat these all by myself.”

  Savannah gave the woman whom she’d fast become friends with a grateful smile. She’d told Kayleigh the truth about why she’d come to Magnolia Lake and about the Abbotts discovering her plot. But she hadn’t told Kayleigh about her and Blake. Or about the baby.

  “I’ve gotta get downstairs and open the shop, but I brought you some company. That’s the other surprise.”

  Kayleigh stepped aside to reveal her sister and niece in the doorway.

  “Auntie Vanna!”

  “Harper!” Savannah stooped to hug and kiss her niece. Then she stood and wrapped her sister in a hug. “Laney! I can’t believe you guys came all this way.”

  Savannah’s eyes filled with tears. She
’d desperately missed her sister’s face, so similar to her own. Laney’s hair was styled in an adorable pixie cut, top-heavy with shiny, dark curls.

  After turning the television to a kids’ channel for Harper and setting the little girl up with her favorite snacks, Laney slid onto the couch beside Savannah.

  “You ready for this?” She indicated Harper, singing along with her favorite educational show.

  “I will be.” Savannah’s hand drifted to her belly and tears stung her eyes.

  “Aww, honey, don’t cry.” Laney squeezed her hand. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

  “Everything is not all right. I really screwed up.” Savannah shot to her feet and paced the floor. “I still don’t have anything to support Gramps’s claim. I’m apparently the worst burglar in the history of burglars. There is still the very real possibility the Abbotts could send me to jail. Then let’s not forget that I’m unemployed and pregnant...by an Abbott.”

  She dropped onto the sofa again, cradling her face in her hands. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she remembered Blake’s face. How hurt he’d been to learn the truth. The tears started again.

  “And my baby’s father hates me. He doesn’t want anything to do with either of us.” Savannah wiped away tears.

  “Did Blake tell you that?”

  “No. But I got the hint from his radio silence.” Savannah sighed. “I honestly don’t believe things can get any worse.”

  A soft smile played on Laney’s lips. “Then they can only get better.”

  Savannah loved how her sister saw the good in people and had an optimistic view of the world. But in the midst of her personal hell, with the world crumbling around her, she had no desire to pretend everything would be okay.

  “Laney, maybe you missed some of what I just said.” Savannah swiped a sticky bun from the box, took a bite and murmured with pleasure. “So far, the only upside to this has been that I can eat whatever I want without an ounce of guilt.”

  Her sister’s smile grew wider. She stood and extended a hand to her. “You’ve been cooped up in this apartment too long. You need some fresh air. Let’s go for a ride.”

  “I’m not supposed to leave town, and believe me, Magnolia Lake is so small that by the time we start the car, we’ll already be out of it.”

  “I made an appeal to the sheriff. Got permission to take you on a little field trip.” Laney pulled Savannah off the couch and steered her toward the bedroom. “Now take a shower and put on something nice. We’ll take a little ride and get something to eat. You’ll feel better. I promise.”

  * * *

  Savannah shoved her sunglasses on top of her head and returned her seat to the upright position as Laney pulled her rental car into the parking lot of a medical center in Knoxville.

  “Why are we coming here?” Savannah turned to Laney. “Are you all right? Is Harper?”

  “We’re both fine.” A wide grin spread across her sister’s face. “As for why we’re here...you’ll see. C’mon.”

  Savannah and Harper waited in a sitting area while Laney spoke to the attendant at the front desk. Then they had their pictures taken for temporary badges and rode the elevator to the fourth floor.

  Laney tapped on a partially open door.

  “Yes?”

  Savannah’s heart nearly stopped when she heard the familiar voice. She turned to her sister.

  Laney nodded and smiled, taking Harper from her arms. “You two need to talk. Harper and I will be in the cafeteria.”

  Savannah burst through the door. “Grandpa, what on earth are you doing in Knoxville? And why were you admitted here? Is everything okay?”

  “You won’t believe me when I tell you.” He chuckled, raising his arms to her. “Come here and give me a hug.”

  Savannah gave him a bear hug, hesitant to let him go. Delaying what she needed to do next.

  Come clean and tell him everything.

  She sat beside his bed, gripping his hand. “I have so much to tell you.”

  “It’ll have to wait.” He sighed as he rubbed his beard. “Because there are a few things I’d better tell you first.”

  “Like what?”

  “Your sister told me why you came to Magnolia Lake, Vanna.” He squeezed her hand, halting her objection. “Don’t be mad at Laney. She did the right thing by telling me. If you should be upset with anyone, it’s me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I left out an important piece of the story.” His shoulders hunched and his chin dropped to his chest. “Joseph Abbott bought me out as a partner.”

  “You mean he already paid you?”

  Her grandfather nodded. “A lump-sum payout to dissolve the partnership and secure full ownership of any recipes I helped develop.”

  “That changes everything, Grandpa. How could you not tell me that?” Savannah stood, her hand to her mouth. No wonder Blake thought they were crooks, trying to get one over on his family. “What happened to the money?”

  His eyes didn’t meet hers. “I had terrible drinking and gambling habits back then. Within a year, I’d gone through it all.”

  Savannah dropped into the seat again, too weak to stand. She’d risked everything based on a lie. A lie that led her to a man and a career she loved, but then had cruelly snatched them away.

  “How could you let me believe all this time that you’d been cheated by the Abbotts?” Her body vibrated with anger.

  “I may not have told you the entire truth, Vanna. But I did feel I’d been cheated. Joe didn’t pay me my fair share. Then when he went on to make a fortune off formulas I helped create...” He sighed and shook his head.

  Savannah was furious with her grandfather. And miserable over losing Blake.

  “Do you have any idea what I’ve done to try and make things right for you? How much I’ve lost?”

  “Laney told me.” Her grandfather’s eyes were shiny. He clutched her hand. “And I’m so sorry, dumplin’. To you and to the Abbotts. It was easier to blame them than to admit I’d chosen unwisely. That I’d only thought in the short term when I accepted that lump sum from Joe rather than being patient.”

  Savannah cradled her forehead in her palm, her lips pressed together to repress the scream building inside.

  “I had no idea you’d take my words to heart, Savannah. That you’d act on them. You and your sister and little Harper... You mean everything to me. I couldn’t protect your mama, but I’ve done everything I could to look after the two of you. I didn’t want you to see me as a horrible failure. A man that never amounted to much of nothing.”

  “I never thought that, Grandpa. If it wasn’t for you taking us in...who knows what might’ve become of Laney and me?”

  “Still, what I done wasn’t right, and I’m ashamed.”

  They were both silent for a moment. Savannah narrowed her gaze at her grandfather. “You still haven’t explained what you’re doing here in Knoxville.”

  “Joe Abbott.”

  “You talked to him?”

  “He came to West Virginia to see me, a few days ago. Told me everything about you, about his grandson...and about the baby.”

  “You know about the baby?”

  “I do. And I’m sorry about the split between you and the Abbott boy.”

  “Why? You always said not to trust an Abbott any farther than I can throw one.” She folded her hands. “If Joe Abbott cheated you out of a fair price for your share of the partnership, that only proves you were right.”

  “We both made mistakes back then, but I’ve compounded them by misleading you.” Martin ran his free hand over his head. “And maybe Joe wasn’t fair then, but he’s making it up to me...to all of us, Savannah.”

  “What do you mean?”

  A slow smiled curved the edge of his mouth. “I mean you did it, honey. Joseph Abbott and his family are
giving us a stake in King’s Finest. Not half, of course. But he’s giving me a five percent stake in the company and he wrote me a check outright.”

  “For what?” Savannah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Surely it was a dream.

  Her grandfather dug a piece of paper out of his wallet and handed it to her. She unfolded it and read it twice. It was a check for $1.5 million.

  “Is this real?”

  “Yes.” He smiled, tears in his eyes as he cradled either side of her face and kissed her forehead. “I can’t believe the chance you took for me. Or Joe’s generosity. He brought me here on his dime to see if I’d be a good candidate for the therapy program they’re conducting.”

  “That’s incredible, Grandpa. I’m really happy for you.” Savannah handed him back the check. She forced a smile, but tears brimmed, spilling down her cheeks.

  She’d gotten everything she wanted for her grandfather and lost everything she never knew she wanted for herself. Her job with the Abbotts, her relationship with Blake, a chance for them to be a family.

  “I’m glad Joseph Abbott is a decent man after all.” Savannah wiped away the tears.

  “I don’t think that’s why he did this at all.” He folded the check and returned it to his wallet.

  “Then why?”

  “He did it for your beau, Blake. And for you.” A smile softened her grandfather’s face.

  “Me? We only met once. Why would he care about doing anything for me?”

  “He was impressed with you. With what you were willing to do for me. And what you’ve already done for his company. Not to mention the fact that you’re carrying the first Abbott great-grandchild.” Her grandfather’s smile widened. “And my second.”

  Savannah forced a smile in return, determined not to shed any more tears.

  “Then they won’t press charges against me?”

  Something Blake hadn’t bothered to tell her. Just as he hadn’t bothered to return the message she’d left confirming her pregnancy. A clear indication he wanted nothing to do with her or their child. It was a reality she needed to accept.

  “Don’t worry about that anymore. As soon as I’m out of here, we can go back home to West Virginia, if that’s what you want.”