“Savannah!” a familiar voice said.
Oh no. Savannah didn’t want to turn around because she knew that voice. But she had to do it. She turned to face her mom who was with her sister Ella and both of them standing next to Levi—which was bizarre all by itself. But the production crew wielding cameras and boom mics above the table was completely over the top.
“Mom. Ella. What are you doing here? And with a camera crew? And Levi?” She held up a hand to block the camera light. “Please get that light out of our faces.”
The cameraman shifted to the left, but it was still annoying. She tugged on Austin’s hand when he went to stand. She didn’t want him on video decking someone, especially since it was her mother’s fault.
Her mother came up to her and gave her a fake kiss on each cheek and a hug. “Darling, I’ve been looking all over town for you. I even went to that little newspaper you work for and that cantankerous editor-in-chief Ralph put us out.”
Nuts. She’d gone around Harper’s Grove with an entourage looking for her, probably announcing her identity to the world. Harper’s Grove was oblivious that Savannah was Clare Brewster’s daughter. She liked that. She reveled in that. Now she was afraid they’d start treating her differently. Or would develop unrealistic expectations of her, like her mother.
She took a deep breath. “Ralph’s motto is that he reports the news, he’s not the news. What are you doing here?”
“You know I hate when you repeat yourself like a parrot. I’m here to see my precious daughter and all I get is the cold shoulder. I’m filming my new reality show, The Life of Clare.”
“Oh joy.” She moved out of her mother’s grasp. Her mother’s perfume was encircling her like a bird of prey.
“Buddy, kill the light or I’ll do it for you,” Austin said in a loud, firm tone that got everyone’s attention. The camera guy quickly turned off the light.
“Can’t a mother make a surprise visit to her daughter? I wanted to take my girls for a fun spa weekend, but I can see you don’t need it.” Her mother gave her a once-over. “How much weight have you lost? I’ll have the writers rework your storyline.”
“What storyline?”
“Your lifelong battle with your weight.” Clare pinched her cheek. “You’re too thin now for the narrative.”
She was about to fly off the handle, but Austin took her hand before she could get to strangling. The soft caress that Austin was doing to her hand counterbalanced the hell that was raising within her. This was supposed to be their special night, and it was getting ruined in epic proportions.
“Is this a working dinner?” Levi asked with a devious twinkle in his eye. “Since you’re interviewing Austin for the paper.”
“I’m not talking about anything unless you get rid of those cameras. I don’t want to be filmed and neither does my date.” Savannah threw her napkin on the table. She put the emphasis on date for Levi’s benefit. “Now, Mother.”
A guy wearing a director hat turned to her mother. “She’s on a date? Who’s the cowboy? I thought she and Levi were on a break? This is great stuff. You said you’d have them back together by the time you left. But this is much more interesting. You can’t make up this kind of drama. This series is going to write itself.”
“Shut up, Nathan,” Her mother said through her teeth, smile still in place.
“You said I’d be back with Levi?” Savannah squinted at her. “Are you practicing some kind of witchcraft I don’t know about? Because Levi and I are scorched earth. You know that.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but we can do a creative fix in the editing room,” Her mother replied. “OK. Cut boys.” Her mother made the industry signal to stop filming with her hand. “Grab a drink at the bar while I get Savannah up to speed. Maybe we can resume in ten minutes?” Her mother sighed then turned to Savannah.
Savannah lit into her. “How could you pop up unannounced with a film crew?”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Savvy,” Ella pouted. “Mom mentioned she might be getting a reality show months ago. You should be happy she got the green light for the project. I’m going to do a cross country thing with her. She thought it would be fun to spotlight your little town and motivate you to go on a diet.”
“It still doesn’t give her the right to go hunting me down or using my weight as some kind of reality TV show fodder. I want those cameras out of here. Not only are you embarrassing me, but these people who are trying to enjoy a nice meal are being inconvenienced too.” She folded her arms over her chest. “And I won’t be saying another word until you do it.”
Her mother shot her a scorching stare, her on-air personality taking a dramatic turn. “You were always a willful thing.”
“I wonder where I got that from?” she shot back.
So much for her romantic evening with Austin. She’d be lucky if he ever called her again after tonight. There was a deafening silence around the table until Austin broke the ice.
“Mrs. Brewster, I’m Austin Holbrook. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Austin stood and extended his hand. “I’m a good friend of your daughter.”
“Please, call me Clare. I wish I could say I knew who you were, but my daughter doesn’t tell me anything that goes on in her life.” She shot Savannah a dirty look.
“You have to admit this is a bit of a surprise,” Austin said easily. “I promised Savannah a fun evening, but it didn’t involve being filmed.” Austin grinned. “I’d love to get to know you and Ella, and I want to put my best foot forward. But let’s lose the cameras. I wouldn’t want to get a bad case of performance anxiety. We only need the crucial cast members for this dinner scene.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll send the boys back to the hotel.” Her mother giggled as she headed off to the bar.
Savannah’s ears perked up. What just happened? Did Austin just disarm her mother with some of that Southern charm of his that she loved?
“Aren’t you a tall, handsome drink of water? I’m Ella,” Savannah’s sister cooed as she held out her hand as if she wanted it kissed.
“I’ve heard.” Austin shook her hand.
Uh oh. Ella started purring like a kitten when she was interested in a man. Savannah didn’t want to spend her first date, and maybe her last, with Austin watching her sister fawn all over him.
Austin gestured for the hostess to bring two more seats to their table. “Levi, I can take it from here.” Austin gave him a steely gaze.
“But—”
Savannah squinted at him. “Yes, Levi. I think you’ve accomplished your mission for tonight. I won’t forget it.”
“Goodnight then.” Levi rubbed the back of his neck. “Ella. Always good to see you.”
“Levi, dear, thank you for tracking Savannah down for us.” Ella kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll give you a ring before we leave town.”
She watched as Levi slowly waded through the tables for what seemed like an eternity before finally making it to her mother, who was still talking to the production crew. Her mother gave Levi a hug and kiss and then headed back to the table. The wait staff arrived with the two additional seats. Austin held the chairs for her mother and sister, then took his seat next to Savannah. He caressed her hand and winked at her. She was beginning to feel good again.
Austin glanced around the table, thankful that everyone had calmed down. Once Clare came back to the table and everyone was settled, the waitress brought over the additional drink orders and promised to fast-track the additional food orders. No surprise, they ordered apple martinis which would probably fuel the conversational barbs he feared would be coming. He decided to get the conversation going again, maybe control its direction a little and avert another scene. He figured he’d start with a topic Clare would love, herself.
“Mrs. Brewster. It must be exciting being a talk show host and a reality star.”
“It is exhilarating.” She flashed a satisfied smile. “I’ve been rated the number one daytime talk show host for over ten years. Peopl
e tune in to me before they’ll feed their families dinner. Did you see my latest episode?”
“I don’t watch much television, but Savannah has given me an idea of what you’re all about.” Austin sipped his bourbon.
“I’m sure she has.” Clare sent a glaring look at her daughter.
“I guess that’s where Savannah gets her knack for journalism. Communication seems to come naturally to the Brewster women.”
“I taught her everything I know, not that she uses it. She’d rather hide behind an article byline. She worked for that dreadful and controversial online publication. Do you know how many times I’ve had to explain her actions at a social engagement?”
“Why would you need to explain her actions?” Austin asked.
“She’s a reflection on me.”
“A lot of parents think it’s their job to micromanage their kids’ images, especially when they’re in the public eye. My dad did the same thing for years. I can tell you it caused a deep rift between us.”
But Clare continued battering in her point. “Now she’s gone and gotten hired at a newspaper. A newspaper. Print publications have been going the way of the dodo for the last ten years. I’ve told her several times she could do so much more with a visual vehicle if she were to get her own show. The Brewster name is a synonymous with shaping the narrative of pop culture.”
He didn’t really get how Ella modeling a bikini on a sports magazine cover or how Clare showing her viewers what a fabulous life she had when she wasn’t taping her show was somehow shaping a specific narrative, but he had a feeling Clare could explain his doubts away. The woman was constantly in PR mode, just like T.K. used to be.
Twenty minutes later, the food arrived at the table. He’d hoped eating would curb the crazy talk, but it didn’t happen.
Ella sipped on her martini. “How much did you lose, Savvy? You’ve dropped a lot of that old cookie weight. You could have lost double the weight and tightened up those arms if you’d used a personal trainer.”
“My body knew when it was time to stop dieting. Now I use my treadmill, run to maintain, and I feel great,” Savannah fired back. “I’m not competing in a hard body competition.”
“I think she’s perfect.” Austin squeezed her hand. “Trimming down too much would get rid of those sexy curves.”
“If that’s what you like…” Ella shrugged.
“I like, very much.”
Clare trained her sights on him. “What do you do for living?”
“Well, it must be something physical, look at his shoulders,” Ella said.
“It must be something outdoors because you claimed to have never seen my show,” Clare huffed.
“I’m a rancher, and I do spend most of my time outdoors. And I don’t allow my horses to watch television.” He grinned.
She blanched. “Oh, so you saddle horses and muck stalls.”
“That’s a small part of it. But the bulk of my day is making sure the animals are healthy and happy.”
“It sounds like gritty work.”
“Most honest livings require hard work and sweat,” Austin replied. “I don’t mind. I go to bed every night knowing I’ve done something worthwhile and with my own two hands. It’s liberating.”
Ella eyes sparkled. “I agree. The intense physical activity is certainly working for you. It sounds amazing. I mean hard work, but it suits you. What do you do in your free time?”
“Try to convince your sister to take a chance on me.” Austin kissed Savannah’s hand.
“What’s your take on the current political climate in the country?”
“It’s stormy.” He set his bourbon down on the table. Here we go.
“Which party do you support?”
“My daddy always says never discuss politics or old lovers over the dinner table. By the end of the night someone is always liable to leave mad.”
Savannah laughed.
Clare fiddled with the napkin on her lap. “That’s not really an answer.”
He could see Clare had put on her talk show hat, but he wasn’t taking the bait. “Your question is right up there with the old litmus test question. Are you a dog or a cat person? Sure the answer can reveal a lot of things. But you have to trust the person posing the question isn’t setting it up as some polarizing assumption about you.”
“It is a fast, if not somewhat crude way of assessing a person.”
“Mom’s quick assessment question is: do you like Gouda or mozzarella cheese. I’ve seen her walk away from people based on their answer.” Savanah nibbled on her polenta.
“Clare, are you a cat person or a dog person?” Austin asked.
Clare laughed. “I have three cats at home.”
“But your daughter’s faithful companion is a dog. One could say there is some polarization in your relationship.”
“Savannah’s always gone against the current.” Ella scrunched her nose. “Going the opposite way from anything Mom says has always been my sister’s nature.”
He nodded. “It takes a lot of courage to go against the grain, and not many people have the wherewithal to do it. Taking criticism, facing possible alienation. I don’t think anyone chooses that path lightly. From the time I’ve come to know your daughter, I know, sink or swim, she’s going to do things her way. It can be a lonely existence.” Austin put a piece of steak into his mouth and chewed. It was a tender, juicy morsel of goodness and was a good counterbalance to the conversation. “That’s a fine steak.”
“Sadly, that’s not how it works in the real world,” Clare said. “You can’t just remove yourself from the narrative of the world around you, unless you just don’t matter in the first place.” Clare stabbed at her salmon.
“Mom! You’re coming off like an elitist. Austin knows better than anybody what living in a high-profile family is like.”
Clare raised an eyebrow at him. “You hail from a long line of celebrity ranchers?”
Savannah’s expression darkened. “Austin is the son of T.K. Holbrook, the Texas tycoon who’s partial owner of the Tomcats as well as a conglomerate of successful businesses. He’s been dealing with rich people problems you voluntarily face on a daily basis since he was born. Still, Austin’s his own man.”
“You’re Logan Holbrook’s brother?” Ella asked. “Is your brother still dating that woman?”
Austin smiled. “Yes and he’s extremely happy.”
“What a shame.” Ella pouted but recovered quickly. “I mean, awesome for him.”
“Austin, I must confess. Your father has been on my bucket list of notable people to interview. A good chunk of his empire happens to be newspapers and radio and television stations,” Clare said sweetly. “He held up a lucrative deal to get my show broadcast on his television stations until everything was exactly the way he wanted. He raked the network over the coals.”
“My father is an astute businessman. He always says the worst feeling in the world is buyer’s remorse.”
“His tough persona aside, I would still love to interview him.”
“Daddy doesn’t mind talking about himself, but these days he’s shifted gears. He’s more of a family man now.”
The words felt strange coming out of his mouth. T.K., a family man? But there it was. His father had scaled back his business dealings so he could pursue his mother again. He’d even given total control of his beloved Tomcats to Logan.
“If he’d ever like to sit down for an in-depth interview, I’d pitch a prime-time special to my network. He’s good friends with the Blake family, right?”
“Sure is. Our families are very close. But the Blakes are very private people.”
“I know. I think only three media people have been able to get access on their ranch over the last twenty years.” Her eyes sparkled. Clare waved her hand to get the waitress to come over. “Can you bring over a bottle of your finest champagne?”
Austin and Savannah looked at each other. It looked like they wouldn’t be able to escape any time soon.
The evening progressed with Austin continuing to field questions from Clare and Ella, but the tone of the conversation had shifted to more entertaining and less Spanish Inquisition. The champagne had taken the edge off, and he suspected learning he was T.K.’s son was able to soften Clare’s attitude toward him a bit. He was more concerned about Savannah, and many times he struggled to be patient or to bite his tongue and not call either Clare or Ella out on some of the things they did and said. Savannah had clearly gone through an array of emotions from the moment her mother and sister—and that idiot Levi—had surprised them in the restaurant and crashed their date. He’d felt a strong instinct to protect her from these people who seemed at ease putting her down. It just broke his heart that her family treated her this way…but this was their first date. He couldn’t intervene right now, no matter how much he wanted to.
Clare was polished and accomplished, yet she ignored her daughter’s voice. Ella was drop-dead gorgeous, but it was a manufactured beauty that was diminished because she talked about it so much. She’d made a point of mentioning her beauty and exercise regimen several times, to the point he felt like he was watching an infomercial. Clare and Ella were both selling fabulous, but he had no idea why they thought putting down Savannah made their shallow cause seem legitimate. It almost seemed like they believed Savannah was a thorn in their side because she wouldn’t comply with their notion of beauty and their need for the adoration of millions. He was proud of Savannah for standing her ground. Levi, that little weasel, was complicit in the ambush.
Clare and Ella were a little tipsy by the time he drove them all back to Savannah’s place and retrieved Blue from the sitter. They may have been a pain in the butt, but she didn’t want them in that state alone. She said she’d kick them out in the morning when they sobered up.
He’d thought the evening would end differently. He was hoping for a nightcap and an epic make-out session, but instead he was straining to think of anything to get his mind off the bulge in his pants. The way she ran her hand along his thigh while they ate dessert drove him crazy. He wanted to stay the night with Savannah, but he knew it wasn’t possible with her mother and sister around. By midnight, he excused himself to go home when it became clear Clare and Ella weren’t going to give them any time alone. They camped down on the couch and demanded wine. Savannah fished a bottle and some glasses out of the kitchen, then walked him to the door. Once on the porch, she shut the door and let out a small scream.
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