“Case!” June let out a little squeal of excitement. Her mother reached out and hugged him with gusto. Her angry expression disappeared, replaced with a sweet smile.
“You are too kind,” June gushed, patting Case on the cheek. She gazed up at him lovingly.
It was amazing, Fancy thought. Her mother had always thought that Case hung the moon. She’d always been his biggest fan, so much so that she’d been devastated when their engagement had ended. Now she was eating up his compliments with a fork and spoon.
Case swung his gaze toward her and winked. She felt grateful for his intervention. June Tolliver was unpredictable at best. And given the fact that she had probably indulged in a few glasses of champagne, Fancy felt very thankful that Case had noticed the situation escalating and decided to work his massive charm on Mama. Fancy mouthed the words “thank you” to Case when her mother wasn’t looking. He nodded at her and smiled in response.
Case gestured around the room. “Isn’t it magnificent? You should be very proud of your daughter.”
“Of course I am,” June crowed. “Barrett and I have always known that Fancy is a woman of many talents. She is my daughter after all.”
Case threw back his head and chuckled. Her father patted her mother indulgently on the shoulder. Fancy wanted to sputter with laughter. Was her mother serious? Mama had always told her that she didn’t possess any talents other than her beauty. She shook her head in disbelief. Some instinct told her that if Savannah House was a huge, smashing success, her mother would try and take credit for that as well.
What did it matter anyway? Tonight had shown her that she was appreciated and respected for her flair for interior design. That, combined with the kiss she’d shared with Case, had made tonight a stellar evening. One she wouldn’t forget for as long as she lived.
Even Mama’s antics couldn’t derail this perfect night. It had turned out to be far more spectacular than she’d ever dared to dream. And all of the hoopla was leading to the grand finale: the opening of Savannah House.
She watched as her parents greeted old friends and began reminiscing with them about the history of Savannah House. It gave Fancy an opportunity to chat privately with Case.
She turned toward him, her heart full of gratitude. “I can’t thank you enough for rescuing the evening for me,” Fancy said. “You came along at the perfect moment.”
Case grinned, displaying his perfect, pearly teeth. His blue eyes twinkled. “No thanks necessary. You know June and I get along like a house on fire,” Case teased. “I think it’s safe to say that she likes me.”
Fancy laughed out loud. “Likes you? I’m her flesh and blood and I’m fairly certain she likes you better than she likes me.”
“Come on, Fancy. She loves you. Surely you can see that, right?” Case asked, his gaze focused on her with intensity. “Despite her gruffness, she adores you.”
Although she’d been kidding, it had a ring of truth to it. It resonated all the way to her core. She shifted from one foot to the other. Case’s question was one that she’d been asking herself for her entire life. Did Mama love her? Unconditionally? Wholeheartedly?
“I-I honestly don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “She’s never happy with me or anything I do. Even Savannah House. Right before you walked up she was beginning to launch into a bunch of criticisms about the decor.” Fancy shrugged. “It used to bother me a lot when I was a kid, but I’m an adult now. I have to put away my childish need for validation.”
“That’s not childish! Everyone wants their parents to love them. That’s not reserved for children, Fancy. I care way more than I should about my father’s approval.” He quirked his mouth. Fancy knew that Case and his father had a loving bond, yet they’d butted heads over many issues pertaining to the family business, as well as his engagement to her. Fancy tried to shrug off the sad feeling that crept over her when she thought about how much she missed being a part of the Duvall’s inner circle. Before everything had blown up in her face, Lincoln and Barbara had treated her like an honorary daughter. She’d disappointed and alienated so many people with her foolish decisions.
Case studied her. “And I can see straight through you. I think you care way more about your mother’s approval than you’re letting on,” Case said in a gentle voice.
Of course he saw through her, straight down to her very soul. He’d always had that keen ability. It was one of the reasons she’d fallen madly in love with him.
“I just don’t want to keep wanting something that might never happen. I don’t think it’s in her nature to be supportive or full of praise.”
Kindness radiated from Case’s eyes. “Maybe you should have a heart-to-heart with her. Get it all out in the open.”
“Maybe,” Fancy conceded. “It couldn’t hurt, I guess.” For the life of her, Fancy couldn’t imagine having a heart-to-heart with her mother. It had never happened in her whole twenty-eight years of life. June Tolliver wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type. Fancy couldn’t remember the last time her mother had told her that she loved her. That knowledge hurt her more than she could ever express in words. Her father, on the other hand, always showered her with affection and affirmation. Perhaps that would have to be enough.
As the evening wound down and the guests trickled out of Savannah House into the velvety night, Fancy stood at the door and handed out elegant goody bags. The gold bags were filled with all kinds of pampering items, as well as a gift certificate for items at a local café. Fancy had been overwhelmed by all the local businesses that wanted to partner with them.
“This was such a good idea,” Hope raved as she peeked into one of the bags. “It’s the perfect thank you for everyone turning out in droves tonight to support us.”
“It’s been a magical evening,” Fancy said, her eyes straying toward Case, who was standing a few feet away with Charlotte. They were having an intense discussion judging by the strained looks on both of their faces.
Hope, following the direction of her gaze, nodded her head. “I’ll bet. I saw the two of you together earlier.” She wagged her eyebrows. “Anything to report?”
Fancy shook her head and giggled. “Not really. It feels nice though to be back on good terms with him.” It was far too soon for Fancy to share the news about her romantic kiss with Case. All it would do was cause her friends to hope for a happy ending she knew was improbable.
“Mmm. Hmm,” Hope said in a knowing tone.
“What does that mean?” Fancy asked, studying her friend’s impish expression.
“It means that the two of you seemed mighty cozy earlier. Miles and miles away from the tension that existed between you a few weeks ago.” Hope shuddered dramatically. “You’ve come a long way, baby.”
“We have,” Fancy said in a low voice, her gaze drifting back toward Case and Charlotte. She frowned as she studied them. Whatever they were discussing seemed quite intense. Heated. Their posture betrayed their tension and discomfort. It wasn’t like Case and Charlotte to argue. It made her curious to know what was going on between them.
“What do you think that’s all about?” Hope asked, jutting her chin toward the siblings.
“I have no idea. It’s unusual for them to quarrel.” Fancy shrugged. “Maybe it pertains to Duvall business. Sometimes it seems that everything revolves around the family corporation.” Fancy could hear the bitterness in her own voice. The time Case spent working for the Duvall Corporation had been a huge issue in their failed relationship. The blame had been placed squarely on her actions, but deep down in her heart she knew there had been fissures in their relationship due to the amount of time Case was dealing with the family business.
When the crowd wound down to a handful of people, Fancy gathered with Hope, Morgan, Callie, Olivia and Charlotte for a final prayer in honor of the successful event. They held hands in a circle and bowed their heads.
“Thank you, Lord, for bringing us this wonderful opportunity and for allowing us to strengthen and repair our friendships
,” Fancy said. “Thank you for surrounding us with love tonight and for shining a brilliant path toward the future. We are in awe of all of your blessings.”
“Amen.” Everyone spoke as one.
Fancy looked around at all of her dear friends. If someone had told her a year ago that she’d be back in Savannah in the company of these five wonderful women, she would have called them a fool. For so long she had blamed her friends and looked at them with suspicion after someone informed Case about her relationship with Marc. She had been so convinced that it had to be one of her dearest friends who had dropped a dime on her. Now, she felt truly ashamed of her suspicions. These women would be her best friends for the rest of her life. Their bonds were sacred.
Just as they were saying their goodbyes, Case caught up to her as she was walking toward her car. She felt goose bumps pop up on her arms at the sound of his voice saying her name. It felt like a caress on her shoulders.
“So, I was thinking maybe you’d like to get dinner one night.” Case tossed the invitation out casually. There was nothing casual about the way her heart began to pound like thunder in response.
A night out? With Case? As friends? Or something more? He’d kissed her after all. Friends didn’t usually have full-on make out sessions.
“Dinner?” she asked, still flummoxed by the invitation. She didn’t want to assume it was a date. That would be a surefire way of making a fool out of herself with Case. Perhaps he was just being nice. Or friendly.
“Dinner,” he repeated, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Unless you’d rather do lunch…or breakfast.”
“Dinner is fine.” She ran her hand through her hair in a fidgety gesture. “I just…I’m confused. What is this? Are you still waving the white flag?”
“What?” Case asked, his brows drawn together in confusion. “What’s this about a white flag?”
“You’ve been gracious about moving forward in forgiveness. I’m very grateful for that. So, I’m just wondering if this invitation is part of the whole moving forward in forgiveness thing. Or if it’s something else.” Their eyes locked, and although the intensity made her nervous, she wasn’t about to look away. Before she dared to hope for anything, she needed to hear it straight from Case’s mouth.
“This is me trying to get to know you better, Fancy Tolliver,” Case answered in a low voice.“This is Case Duvall stepping out on a ledge and acting on pure instinct. I miss you. I miss being with you. And in case you didn’t guess earlier, I’ve missed kissing you. And ever since you came back to Savannah, I’ve been wrangling with all of these feelings.” He reached out and caressed her cheek with his palm. “I’m not over you. Not by a long shot.”
She let out a gasp of surprise. Had she just heard Case right? He wasn’t over her. He still had feelings for her. Shock, mixed with joy, roared through her.
“Case,” she whispered, not trusting herself to say anything else at this moment.
“Fancy,” he said, brushing her curls away from her forehead and leaning down ever-so-slightly so that he could place a kiss on her forehead. “Let’s step out on a limb of faith and see where it takes us. The possibilities are endless.”
Tears streamed down her face and she swiped them away with her hand. In a million years she hadn’t expected anything like this to occur tonight. Knowing that Case was working toward forgiveness had been an amazing gift. But to move toward a future together was mind blowing. Everything that had unfolded tonight between them during this wondrous night of celebration felt like manna from heaven. Joy and gratitude unlike any she’d ever known rose up inside her.
“I don’t want us to get too ahead of ourselves, but I want to spend time with you. Lots and lots of time so we can figure out if we have another shot at this. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?” He looked nervous for a moment, and she wanted to reach up and kiss away all his fears. How could he ever doubt how much she wanted a second chance at loving him?
“Oh, Case. Of course I’m interested. That word doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. There’s nothing in this world I want more.” She knew it might be foolish to lay her heart on the line after everything that had happened between them, but she needed to meet him halfway. Life had taught her that tomorrows were never promised. She wasn’t going to leave anything unsaid that she might regret in the morning. She’d be kicking herself tomorrow if she didn’t reach out and grab this chance at restoring everything between them.
Case’s grin nearly took over his entire face. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Goodnight, Fancy.” He dipped his head down and brushed a kiss across her lips. It was done so quickly she almost thought she might have imagined it. He opened her car door and helped her in, waiting until she was fully seated to close the door for her. As she started her engine and roared out of the driveway, she looked up in her rear-view mirror and saw Case standing exactly where she’d left him. Although she couldn’t see the expression on his face, a jolt of excitement raced through her veins.
Just as she’d driven off, Fancy had turned toward him to get one last look at his beautiful face. There was no mistaking the look etched on his handsome features. Back when they were a couple, she’d seen this particular look on his face on many occasions. But it had been so very long since she’d seen it.
It made her heart soar. Case Duvall had resembled a man who was very much in love with a woman. It felt both thrilling and scary at the same time.
“If love doesn’t make you even a little bit nervous, then you’re not doing it right.” Hunter Rawlings
Chapter Seven
Case couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so nervous. It was ridiculous, considering he was pretty suave when it came to women. He let out a sigh. Fancy wasn’t just any woman. That was the problem. She was it. The woman. His earth, sun, moon and stars. For way too long he’d pushed her to the background, thinking that he could get over what he felt for her. He’d been stupid to think that the love of a lifetime could be stuffed down like a bad memory.
He was done with pretending. And he didn’t care one bit about what his family thought. Ever since he’d broken off his engagement to Fancy, his life had been empty. He’d put on a good game face, but deep down where it mattered most he’d been a shell of his former self. He hadn’t been happy. And he could blame Fancy and Marc and his family for the choices he’d made or he could take stock of himself and come to terms with his faults.
For weeks now he’d been taking a good look in the mirror and facing his truths. He’d prayed and talked to God and truly tried to focus on who he was as a man. What were his values at his core? Who did he want to be? And how did he see himself making his way in the world? And who did he envision at his side?
And in many ways, he wasn’t happy with the man staring back at him. For a very long time now, he’d immersed himself in work. He’d buried his heart under a mass of rubble. It had been a means of sparing himself from getting his heart banged around again. But it hadn’t worked. His heart had been aching this whole time being apart from Fancy. He’d never truly healed.
Tonight was a step forward. Although there were no guarantees, he was going to do his best to win back the woman of his dreams. He wasn’t going to overwhelm her with his feelings, but he was going to show her by word and deed that she still owned his heart.
At six o’clock sharp, he was standing by at the River walk, directly across the street from the restaurant he’d chosen for their dinner. It was a romantic and intimate venue, with soft lighting, amazing food and impeccable service. It hadn’t been one of their regular dining spots in the past, which in his opinion, was a good thing. He wanted to start fresh with Fancy and not get mired down by their past relationship. It would be a delicate balance. Remembering the beautiful parts of their relationship, while at the same time not dwelling on the mistakes they’d both made.
Fancy had told him not to pick her up at her parents’ house. She hadn’t wanted her mother to place too much of an emphasis o
n their date. Case chuckled as he remembered Fancy’s words. “If Mama finds out that we’re spending time together, she’s going to start sending out wedding invitations.”
Case knew Fancy’s words hadn’t been far from the truth. June had never made a secret of her affection for him or her wholehearted approval for their engagement. It had driven Fancy a little bit crazy that her mother had put him up on a pedestal.
“You beat me here.” Fancy’s voice washed over him like summer rain. He turned to greet her, sucking in a breath at the sight of her. As always, the sight of her blew him away. She was dressed in a black pair of slacks with a matching black velvet jacket. The blush colored shirt she wore underneath peeked through, lending her outfit a pop of color.
“I came straight from work, so I didn’t have too far to go.” Why was his heart thumping so wildly? And why did he feel tongue-tied all of a sudden? He felt like a teenager on his very first date. Only Fancy could do this to him.
For a moment they just stared at one another. He didn’t know for sure if Fancy felt the same way he did, but it seemed as if both of them were standing on the precipice of something wonderful. Both of them were a bit nervous about where things might lead. And he couldn’t speak for Fancy, but he felt jazzed about all the possibilities.
“I hope you’re hungry.” He flashed Fancy a smile, deciding to break the ice by talking about food. He gestured toward the street with his hand. “Our reservation is for six fifteen. Shall we?”
Fancy smiled back at him. He placed his hand protectively at the base of her spine as they crossed the street and headed toward the restaurant.
Over sumptuous food, sparkling wine and wonderful music, Case and Fancy talked, laughed and fell back into a familiar rhythm. It was strange, Case realized, to feel as if almost no time had passed since they had been together. He knew it was because once you truly knew a person, that never left you. No matter how wide the distance, it was still possible to pick up just where you left off.
The Last Kiss (Secrets of Savannah Book 3) Page 11