There was an awkward pause. “So how’s your mom? Are you going to be on her show?”
“What are you talking about?” He knew she didn’t get involved in her mother’s world.
“It occurred to me that maybe you were part of an upcoming makeover segment. I know she’s been hounding you for years to make an appearance.”
“She’s been hounding me to work behind the scenes, not trot me in front of her audience like a little showpiece.”
Levi shook his head. “I never got your abrasive attitude toward your mother or her life. She’s got clout and could easily get you in the door anywhere you want, but you insist on doing things on your own. Believe me, I would’ve taken full advantage of Clare Brewster being my mother.”
She suspected that’s why he’d dated her in the first place. But lately that thought seemed to be ringing true. She wondered if Levi missed her or the opportunity to get his face in front of the camera to fulfill his secret wish of being a celebrity doctor. “Well, you have, haven’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“My mom made calls to her high-profile friends to get you the interview at Serenity Springs.”
“She did. I am eternally grateful.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was her future son-in-law.”
“We were nowhere near talk of marriage but I’m sure you let her believe it. She also talked to you about doing segments on her show as soon as you planted roots at the hospital.”
“That was the plan.”
“Well, I hope your career aspirations haven’t gone too far off the rails. I guess you didn’t anticipate fallout when you were cheating on me.” She folded her arms across her chest. This was getting her nowhere.
“This is why I got the roving eye. You’re so busy being self-righteous it pushed me away. Poor Savannah born into an awful life of privilege.”
“It comes with a price higher than you can imagine and it doesn’t exempt you from being a responsible person in the world. But you were so busy salivating over the limelight you couldn’t see what the moral implications are. Moral codes don’t bend with the wind. Either you have them or you don’t.”
“You can’t see what a good team we could have been.” Levi moved closer to her.
She moved away and picked up his box. “I’m thankful I got a good look before it was too late. It’s time for you to go.”
“Can I at least spend time with Blue?” Levi took the box then looked at the dog. “Blue, you want to go to the park with me?”
The dog circled Savannah then sat next to her. She opened the door and held it as Levi left. She closed it, put the locks on and set the alarm. She didn’t want to bicker with Levi. It just wasn’t worth the spent energy and was a great indicator that she didn’t love him anymore. Not in the way she used to, and it felt good. Too bad he wouldn’t let go gracefully. But he also hadn’t expected her to stay in Harper’s Grove.
Levi thought she’d leave town with her tail between her legs. But she stayed. It was one good thing he’d done, bringing her to Harper’s Grove. Austin was right. It was a simplicity that was comforting and made you feel at home. She felt like she belonged and felt good in her own skin. She hadn’t felt that way in a long time.
CHAPTER FIVE
Austin shifted in the bucket seat of Grayson’s sports car, wishing he’d opted to drive tonight to go to dinner. He’d thought about canceling, but he hadn’t seen his friend in a while. Grayson was on the go all the time, being a highly sought-after plastic surgeon and a dedicated mayor. His schedule was constantly filled, but he still made time for his friends. Unfortunately, Alex couldn’t make it tonight. He and Peyton had to iron out their guest list so they could send out the wedding invitations.
He hadn’t seen Savannah since she’d come to the ranch. He’d enjoyed getting to know her while he took her around the ranch, although it had been surprising to learn she had a child. He’d been under the impression she would continue interviewing him, but maybe she had enough for her story. He only hoped she didn’t do a hatchet job on him, especially after Lucinda had showed up. Both women had their hackles up. And speaking of women…
“Damn it. It’s ladies’ night.” He’d totally forgotten about that. He normally steered clear of all of the single theme nights at the restaurants in town.
“Oh, is it? I’d forgotten about that.” Grayson gave him a sly smile.
“Say that again, but this time with more conviction.”
“OK.” Grayson held up his hand. “If I’d said it was ladies’ night at the Lazy L, what would you have said?”
“Let’s have dinner another night.”
“Right. I can’t go to ladies’ night without my wingman.”
He rolled his eyes. “Why do you hang out at these meat markets? The women drink too much, paw on you, and then want you to take them home.”
“You’re not making the case you think you are.” They pulled into the parking lot of the Lazy L. Grayson cut the engine.
“You know,” Austin said, “ever since you became mayor, half of them want to be Mrs. Mayor. You should be more discerning about the women you date.”
“People in hell want ice water too.” Grayson chuckled. “Come on, I’ll buy the first three rounds, and if any women come meandering up to the table, I promise to shoo them away for you.”
“Deal.”
They entered the restaurant and grabbed a table. The waitress came over with a pitcher of beer and took their orders. A few minutes later, a pretty, redheaded woman approached Grayson about an upcoming vote on garbage collection. Austin immediately checked out of the conversation. It was typical for someone to stop by their table with a concern to schmooze with him, and the fact that she was Grayson’s type was a plus—for him at least. Grayson was a natural politician and never refused any of his constituents when he was out and about. Austin scanned the room and let out a sigh of relief when he didn’t see Lucinda. He’d had a tough time getting her off the ranch the other day when she stopped by. He’d even gone as far as leaving instructions at the gate not to let her back in.
One thing was for sure. Seeing Savannah had set her off. She was normally confident, so it was surprising to see Lucinda bristling at Savannah’s presence.
He continued to scan the crowd, wondering if it had been a mistake to let Grayson talk him into this. But speak of the devil, Harper Grove’s ace reporter was sitting at a tall table over in the bar area. His heart leaped in his chest at the sight of her.
“Grayson,” he said, not taking his eyes off her. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Sure thing.” Grayson waved, but he was still focused on the redhead.
Austin made his way across the restaurant to her table. “Savannah, nice to see you,” he said.
She smiled. “Austin. Figures you’d be here for ladies’ night.”
“Actually, this is Grayson’s idea. I’m hungry.”
“Uh huh. I’m here with a friend, and we’re trying to decompress from a hectic day. So if you don’t mind…”
“Sure.” He scratched at his beard. “I want to apologize for keeping you all day at the ranch. I had no idea you had a babysitter waiting.”
“Don’t worry about it. I got home at a decent time, and everyone was happy to see me.”
“Good. I know it can be hard for a single parent. I’d never encroach on anyone’s time, especially when they have responsibilities.”
She seemed amused by his explanation. “Thank you for understanding.”
“What’s your child’s name?”
“Blue.”
“That’s different. Does your ex help out at all?”
“No, and to be honest, I’d prefer it that way. He was an absentee dad even when we lived together. I think its best we all just move on.”
He felt himself blanch at her cavalier response.
“I know it’s not my place,” he said carefully. “But is that fair to your child? I know a clean split is better for the adults, but a child
needs his or her father. Who knows? He could be a great dad even if he failed as a partner, barring there was no reason you’ve left that involved abuse.”
“It’s complicated,” she said as she glanced past his shoulder. He could sense that she was done talking about it. He’d probably crossed a line. After all, he wasn’t a father, so what did he really know about it? His own father had been a failure in many ways.
“Again, I didn’t mean to take away any quality time. Going forward, I will keep our meetings brief as possible.”
“Thank you for being considerate of my time.” She sipped her beer. “As a single mother, it’s a delicate balancing act.”
Austin looked back to see a woman approached the table. It was Barbara Jean, the bakery owner.
“Hi, Austin,” Barbara Jean said in a bubbly tone as she hopped on the stool.
“Barbara Jean. How’s my favorite baker?”
“Great. Did you enjoy those biscuits I made for you?”
“Yes, they were delicious. I sopped them up with that fancy maple syrup you gave me.” He rubbed his stomach. “It brought back fond memories. Thanks again.”
“You don’t have biscuits on your menu,” Savannah said.
“I know.” Barbara Jean’s cheeks turned a light pink shade. “Austin told me such a sweet story about the fun times he had eating biscuits with his meemaw, I just had to bake him a batch.”
“Maybe I should put that in my article,” Savannah murmured.
“How’s that going by the way?” Barbara Jean propped her chin in the palm of her hand. “Savannah isn’t being too tough on you? She can come off as abrasive, but she’s really a sweet, lovable person.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She has her guard up all the time.”
“Give her some time, she’ll soften a bit.”
He glanced at her and tried a smile. “Hope so. I was just apologizing for a faux pas the other day.”
“What could you have possibly done?” Barbara Jean asked.
“I’m afraid I took up too much of her time. She had to hustle home to Blue because of me.”
“She’s a proud momma. I don’t know anyone who could love a dog more.”
Austin raised an eyebrow as Savannah shrank in her seat. “Dog?”
Barbara Jean nodded. “He’s the most beautiful Labrador retriever you’ve ever seen. He’s more like her kid.”
“I see. I’ll let you ladies get back to your meal. Have a good evening.”
Austin walked back to the table feeling foolish. He’d felt like a heel for the last couple of days, thinking he’d infringed on mother-child bonding time, and Savannah had let him go on believing that.
Savannah put her head down on the table so hard it made a thud.
“What’s wrong with you?” Barbara Jean asked, staring at her with concern.
“I’d just set up the perfect excuse to keep my dealings with Austin to a minimum, and you had to go and blab about Blue being a dog.” She rubbed her forehead.
“You had him thinking your dog was an actual child.” Barbara Jean laughed. “Why?”
She’d had a wonderful time with him at the ranch. In fact she’d had too good a time. She’d been smiling like an idiot ever since that day. And she needed to keep things strictly business.
“I don’t want to get entangled with his life,” she finally answered. “And if he’s some kind of playboy womanizer, a kid should scare him off. If he’s interested in me, which he’s probably not.”
“Savannah, you go over there and apologize to that man.”
“Why should I?”
“Aside from the fact he just busted you in a lie?” Barbara Jean put her hand on her hip. “You may have thought it was a good out when you needed it, but to him it probably seems like a mean-spirited trick. Do you want him to think of you like that?”
When put that way, she actually felt like a heel. “No. You’re right.”
“Now go over there and stroke his—”
Savannah’s head whipped around, and her eyes widened.
“—ego.” Barbara Jean laughed and took a swig of her beer. “I swear I was going to say ego.”
Savannah stood up, but couldn’t seem to take that step over there to swallow her pride and set things right. Out of context, it did seem like she was being a deceitful jerk.
She did a slow walk over to the table. Austin was talking to the mayor. Ignoring her.
“Austin,” Savannah said, then she glanced at the other man. “Mayor Grayson.”
He gave her a friendly smile. “Grayson is fine. Have a seat.” He pulled a chair out for her to sit.
She noticed Austin didn’t respond.
“Thank you.” She sat down. “Ralph couldn’t say nicer things about you.”
“Really?” Grayson mused. “Around me, he usually just mumbles a lot about the world going to pot.”
“That’s our fearless newspaperman.” She gave Grayson a nervous laugh. She turned to Austin, who was staring off toward the bar, his jaw set. She put her hand on his wrist. That got his attention. “Austin, I’d like to apologize about the misunderstanding that just occurred.”
“The one where you intentionally mislead me. I hope your journalism ethics are better than your personal ethics.”
Oh, no, he didn’t just question her journalistic integrity, did he?
“You’ve been awfully resistant about the whole interview,” she said. “A few words the night we met could have prevented all of this. If you’re not happy, it’s your own fault. You set this all in motion.”
“Pardon me if I don’t like answering questions when someone bursts in on me while I’m butt naked,” Austin countered, raising his voice.
Just then the song that had been playing ended. The people at the nearby tables all stopped talking and stared at them. She felt her cheeks heat.
“I think I’ll grab a drink at the bar.” Grayson put his napkin down, scooched back his chair, and stood. He looked at Austin. “As Mayor Grayson, I can’t get caught up in a scandal. But as your friend, I know this is going to be a fun story at our poker game. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“You were not butt naked,” Savannah replied loudly enough so she could at least be heard by the nosey busybodies in earshot. “And I knocked, you didn’t answer.”
He leaned forward. “What’s your problem with me?”
For starters, he was too damn gorgeous. The music started up again, another fast tune. The people at the surrounding tables had finally gone back to eating their meals.
“You have a knack with women, as I can personally attest to since my baker friend makes you treats that aren’t on her menu.”
“Barbara Jean is a sweetheart who indulged my nostalgia.”
“Those college girls fawned all over you at the ranch.”
“Aubrey’s a family friend. I told you that.”
“Angela certainly sang your praises.”
He gave her a flat look as if he struggled to keep his patience. “I’ve eaten in her restaurant over a dozen times. We developed a relationship. Remember when we talked about getting to know the townspeople? Loner habits may fly in big cities, but places like this notice. I should know. I tried it for a while, and it didn’t work for me. You should get out more. These people will reward you with so many scoops and tips, you wouldn’t have to leave your desk at the newspaper for a story.”
He made sense. Too much sense. She was beginning to look like a lunatic, but she’d take it all the way to the end of the line. “I bet half of those gals on the dance floor would change a flat tire for you.”
“Which I would not allow.”
“If you refused, it would appear sexist.”
“I was raised right,” he countered. “It’s just bad manners, and no amount of modern living is going to change that.”
“Yeah…well… Lucinda seems to be pretty hooked on you, even after you bolted—”
“I would think an intelligent woman like you
wouldn’t believe everything she hears. If you want to know what happened between me and Lucinda, just ask.”
Another song played over the speakers. This one was much slower and mellow. Too bad her heart was beating so fast. She felt like a school girl who couldn’t admit she might have a crush on a boy. He spoke to something deep inside of her. But he also provoked her insecurities too. She may have looked good on the outside with her makeover, but on the inside she was still that shy, self-conscious girl who didn’t attract men like him.
She sat there trying to think of what to say as the nice, slow song played.
“Would you like to dance?”
“I do not dance.”
“Everybody dances.” He stood and held out his hand.
“I’d make a fool out of myself.”
He grinned. “I make a fool out of myself every day. It’s liberating. It’s the least you could do for making me believe your dog was a child.”
Against her better judgment, Savannah took his hand and walked over to the dance floor with him. She let him take the lead, trying not to feel too awkward when he drew her close and put her arms around his neck and his hands on her waist. They swayed to the rhythm, and soon the rest of the crowd melted away.
She wanted to know specifically why things hadn’t worked out with Lucinda and the other women he was rumored to have dated. What held his attention? What would make him keep coming back to a woman forever? If she asked, that meant she was curious. And if she was curious, that meant something in her needed to hear his answer so he wouldn’t be portrayed as some roguish gigolo in her mind. Right now he was mysterious, sexy, and had a penchant for dropping women faster than dropping feed in a chicken coop. And why the hell were all these country euphemisms dancing around in her head all of a sudden?
She held on tighter to Austin as the song continued to play. It felt like heaven being in his arms. Why was she fighting her attraction to him? Oh yeah. She didn’t want to be another one of his conquests. She wanted to be special to him.
The song ended, but she hoped another one would start before the moment ended.
“See, that wasn’t so bad,” he murmured as he looked down into her eyes.
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