He threw his hands in the air. “I don’t love Violet. And please don’t say give it time, because it’s not happening. Violet is a wonderful woman. But she’s not the woman who keeps me up late at night when I can’t sleep. She’s not the one who haunts my dreams. She’s not the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.” As soon as the words burst out of his mouth, Luke wanted to rein them back in.
Tears sprang to Callie’s eyes and she let out a startled sound. “I-I…I had no idea there was someone else. W-why haven’t you said anything? Who is she?”
Luke reached out and placed his palm on his sister’s cheek. He hated the fact that he’d made Callie upset. Although she had a tough exterior, Callie was a marshmallow at her center—sensitive and prone to emotion. But he had grown weary of holding on to his feelings. Putting them out there felt good. He didn’t feel right about throwing Morgan’s name out there, considering the tight friendship between his sister and Morgan. For now he would just keep her identity to himself.
“Hey. Right now it’s your moment to shine.” He jutted his chin toward the parlor. “Everyone is assembling for the welcome reception. I’m about to blow the roof off with my hazel-eyed soulful singing. I’d like to continue this discussion over dinner in a few days.”
“Promise me we’ll do it soon,” Callie pleaded.
He reached for her hand and locked pinkies with her. “I promise.”
“I want you to be happy, Luke,” Callie said, dabbing away tears. “More than anyone else I know, you deserve it.”
There was no way to sugarcoat the fact that he wasn’t happy at the moment. Not by a long shot. “Me too, sis.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward the parlor. The room was full of smiling guests who were already enjoying refreshments. Wait staff clad in white circulated the room serving the appetizers and a choice of sparkling champagne and cider. His eyes immediately gravitated toward Morgan, who stood off to the side of the room surveying everything. Decked out in an emerald green dress, Morgan was stunning. There was something about the way she stood that seemed regal. She made no attempt to meet his gaze, although he had the feeling she was well aware of his presence.
He moved toward the side window, waiting for Callie to give him the high sign so he could perform. Nervous energy flowed through him, the same way it always did right before he performed. A slight clanging noise rang out. Olivia stood by the entryway, tapping a spoon lightly against her champagne flute. When all eyes had turned toward her, she began to speak. “I would like to welcome everyone to Savannah House. As our first guests, all we can say is thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting this venture that is so near and dear to our hearts. You’ve traveled from far and wide to enjoy a stay here and we are committed to making this an unforgettable experience. So…drink up, eat up and please let us know what we can do to be of service to you during your stay here on Tybee Island.”
Callie stepped forward. “For your listening pleasure, I’d like to introduce my brother, the incredibly talented, Luke Duvall.” She began clapping. “Take it away, Luke.”
Luke reached for his guitar case and stepped forward. A stool had been placed at the front of the room so he could sit down while performing. Luke sat down and opened his guitar case, pulling out the instrument. He looked up and addressed the group—all of whom were focused on him. He cleared his throat. “Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Luke and I’m blessed to know these six incredible woman, one of whom is my own sister, Callie. They’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the relaunch of Savannah House. I hope y’all enjoy it. To welcome you to Savannah House I’m going to sing one of my favorites, an original song about coming home again to a place that knows you like no other.”
No one in this room knew Morgan was the inspiration for this song. It was a love song straight from his heart. He closed his eyes and began to strum his guitar, pouring out an emotional tornado as he sang the words about love and loss and holding on to faith. As the song wound to a close he opened his eyes. Morgan was in his line of vision, standing before him with such a look of heartfelt longing in her eyes that it threatened to bring him to his knees. They locked gazes, and for a few beats, there was nothing more than two souls connecting as one. His chest tightened, and he felt certain his heart was swelling to four times its normal size.
He had no idea whether Morgan knew it or not, but she was wearing her heart on her sleeve. It was shimmering in her eyes.
Luke now knew without a shadow of a doubt that Morgan was just as much in love with him as he was with her. Maybe in some ways he’d always known it, but at this very moment, it radiated and hummed and pulsed in the air.
As the thunderous sound of clapping erupted in the parlor, Luke nodded his head in appreciation. It made him feel ten feet tall to receive such a rousing response. Singing served as a healing balm for his soul. Whenever he performed, he felt as if he was truly connected to his faith and the people who needed to hear his message about love. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he’d always known that for him singing was an instrument to be used, not for monetary gain but for spreading joy and peace and understanding.
As he watched Morgan slink out of the room, Luke’s mind began to whirl with a dozen different thoughts. He needed to start making plans. From this moment forward he wasn’t going to be content with going through the motions. He needed to set things straight with Violet. And he needed to let Morgan know that hiding herself away from him was no longer an option.
One way or another, he was getting his girl back. From this point forward, he was going to lay everything on the line. If he was going to go down, it would be in a blaze of glory.
**
By the time the appetizers and dessert had been polished off by the guests, Morgan had tucked herself away in the kitchen in order to prepare tomorrow’s menu. Tomorrow’s offerings would be breakfast and lunch, which was easier than a full dinner. The girls had come to a consensus that dinner would be reserved for special occasions since it entailed more work and incurred more expenses.
She reached for her notebook and began checking off her ingredients, making sure she wasn’t missing anything. Breakfast was all set. For lunch she was serving garlic and parmesan grilled lamb chops, butternut squash soup and angel hair pasta with pesto. She was making a lemon layer cake for dessert. She had to remember to keep things fresh and interesting, but not too complicated. She didn’t relish the idea of getting in over her head.
As it was, Morgan knew she would have her hands full with preparing two meals each day. Thankfully, they’d hired a young sous-chef, Henry Marsham, who was going to be helping out starting tomorrow. This was the first time in her career Morgan would actually be acting as a boss and mentor. The very idea of it excited her.
A few minutes ago Morgan had taken a peek in the parlor and noticed Luke’s absence. He was gone! Somehow the reality that Luke was no longer under Savannah House’s roof left her feeling unsettled. Although things between them were complicated, life always seemed sweeter when Luke was nearby. His very presence lifted her up. He believed in her, which made her want to be better…cook better…to embrace the world and all it offered.
But was she doing that? By running away from her relationship with Luke hadn’t she really just been running scared? And now that he was dating Violet, it wouldn’t be right to pursue anything deeper than friendship with Luke, even though her heart cried out for her to make things right between them.
“Here you are!” Fancy trilled as she walked into the kitchen, her kitten heels making a racket on the hardwood floors. Hope, Callie, Olivia and Charlotte followed closely behind her. Olivia held a bottle of champagne in her hands. “It’s time to celebrate while our guests are enjoying some private time on their own.”
Hope turned toward the cabinets and took down six champagne flutes. She arranged them on the counter while Olivia did the honors and uncorked the bottle. She filled each glass halfway, then handed one out to each of the women. Morgan noticed tha
t Callie took a glass but didn’t sip from it.
“Let’s toast to Miss Hattie,” Olivia said, choking back tears. For all of them, Miss Hattie had been such an inspiration. Mentor. Encourager. Employer. Wise sage. And most importantly, a true friend.
They all raised their glasses and celebrated the woman who had made all of this possible.
A warm vibe hung in the air. The girls began to chat about the guests, the activities on tap for tomorrow, the new hires and how much they’d enjoyed Morgan’s food.
No matter their past differences, Morgan knew that come what may, these women would always be by her side. If any friction ever cropped up between them, they would settle their differences before allowing their friendships to fray at the seams.
Hope clapped her hands together. “Everything is going so smoothly. I know it won’t always be like this, but I’m really happy about our debut.”
Morgan nodded enthusiastically. “It’s gone a lot smoother than I imagined. No hiccups as of yet,” she said, crossing her fingers.
“Wasn’t Luke terrific?” Charlotte gushed. “He gets better and better every time I hear him perform. And I’m not biased as all because I’m his cousin. I promise.”
All the girls laughed.
“It’s definitely a God-given talent,” Olivia said. “Someone needs to give him a recording contract.”
“I can just see it now,” Fancy chimed in. “Savannah soul with a hint of southern rock.”
Morgan’s cheeks warmed. It felt nice to hear Luke being praised for his talents. For so long now he’d hidden his light under a bushel. She knew he had the talent to go the distance if he ever decided to seriously pursue it.
“As always, he was amazing,” Hope added. “It’s not even a stretch to imagine him as a professional singer.”
“I’m not sure that’s in the cards,” Fancy drawled. “Just like my gorgeous hubby, Luke is being groomed to take over Duvall Investments. If he decided to walk away from Duvall, I’m sure there would be fireworks.”
Olivia let out a low whistle. “Heirs to the throne,” she quipped. “What’s that saying from Shakespeare? Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
“I like to believe,” Morgan interjected, “that we can push past the obstacles in our way if we really want something.” As soon as the words slipped out of her mouth, Morgan chided herself. Did she even have the right to say that, considering her own weakness about fighting for a future with Luke? She firmly believed it though, even if she’d lacked courage herself.
Callie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t disagree with you on that, Morgan, but I’m not sure Luke is in a good space now to take on my father over his future at Duvall.” She bit her lip and seemed to hesitate before she continued. “On a personal level, he’s really hurting,” Callie said. “It seems he’s not in love with Violet.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Hope said. She quirked her mouth. “Violet is lovely, but the two of them together are like jam and toast. No sparks from what I’ve observed. Not that they’re not sweet, but they don’t radiate happily-ever-after.”
“Really?” Charlotte asked, her expression radiating surprise. “I’ve always thought they were a super cute couple. Perfect really.”
Morgan felt a twinge of hurt at Charlotte’s words. It was painful to hear one of her closest friends describe Luke and his girlfriend as the perfect couple. It fed into all of her insecurities about not being good enough for Luke Duvall.
“Why is he hurting?” Fancy asked, her eyes straying toward Morgan. “What happened?”
Morgan placed her glass down on the counter and wrapped her arms around her middle in a self-protective gesture. This topic was so incredibly uncomfortable. She was standing right out in the open with nowhere to hide. There was no way in the world she could mask her expressions. Maybe this was the moment to reveal all. It didn’t feel like the right time or place, but there was only so much she could stand to hear.
“He’s in love with someone else,” Callie said. A look of amazement passed over Callie’s face. “I have no clue who she is, but he’s clearly smitten. And from what I gather, it’s not a relationship that is viable.”
“Did he tell you that he loved her?” Morgan asked. Suddenly, her pulse was racing like a thoroughbred. Had Luke actually said those exact words? Words he’d never spoken to her?
“The words he used let me know that he’s head over heels. They were deep and soulful and poignant. But also full of yearning.” Callie slashed her hand in the air. “No question about it. He’s in love.”
“But that’s a good thing, right?” Fancy asked. If her friend looked one more time in her direction, Morgan wasn’t sure what she might do. Fancy wasn’t being discreet at all.
“I’m sorry, guys. I shouldn’t have even brought this up. I’m just really worried about Luke. I want him to be happy.” Callie’s tone sounded mournful, contrary to her normal sunny disposition.
Olivia leaned over and hugged Callie. “He’s going to be all right.
“I just hate the fact that there’s some woman out there who broke my brother’s heart,” Callie said in a fierce voice. Her cheeks were flushed and her green eyes were sparkling with anger. She appeared as if she was ready to take on anyone who hurt Luke. It killed Morgan to know that she was the woman Callie was lashing out at.
“It wasn’t like that!” Morgan blurted. Oops! One second too late. She couldn’t stuff the words back down.
All eyes turned toward her. She saw a range of reactions—shock, surprise, curiosity.
Oh no. She had reacted emotionally without even pausing to think about it. She had just outed herself and there was no way in the world she could retreat. Her mind whirled with something to say—anything to get out of this terribly awkward moment.
Callie’s mouth hung wide open. “M-morgan? What are you saying?”
A sigh slipped past Morgan’s lips. “Two years ago before I left for Paris I was…dating Luke. We ended things, but I think that I can safely say we both still have feelings for each other.”
“And you never said a word about it?” Charlotte said, eyes wide.
“You and Luke?” Callie asked, appearing dumbfounded. She shook her head, red curls bouncing. “Why all the secrecy?” Callie’s voice sounded harsher than normal.
Morgan tensed up. Was she even prepared to answer questions? Why had she opened her mouth?
Fancy took a few steps toward her and stood closely beside her, providing Morgan with back up. Morgan sent her a shaky smile. Fancy reached out and squeezed her hand in a sweet gesture of support.
Lord, please help me explain this to my friends so they can understand my actions. I’m not sure I completely understand it, but I know my keeping my relationship with Luke a secret was tied up in my not feeling secure within myself. It didn’t have anything to do with Luke or how I feel about him…it was all about me. My doubts. My fears. My failings.
“Go easy, guys,” Fancy warned. “Morgan wasn’t the only one who kept quiet. Luke never said a word either.” Morgan sent Fancy a look full of gratitude.
“I’m sorry if I sounded accusatory. I really didn’t mean to sound like that. I’m just…surprised,” Callie explained.
“It’s okay. I don’t want you to have to walk on eggshells.” Morgan let out a deep breath. “In case you haven’t guessed it by now, I have some issues regarding my parents’ divorce. It affected me in my personal life. I’ve always had trouble with relationships. More times than not, I always ended up breaking things off with the person I was dating.”
Hope snapped her fingers. “Hey! I remember that guy you were dating one summer. Dalton something or other. One minute it seemed like the two of you were perfect together, then the very next moment it was over.”
Morgan shrugged her shoulders. She felt sheepish. “That’s always been my pattern.” She grimaced. “And things weren’t perfect with Dalton. Not even close.”
Olivia walked over and held out her arms, enveloping M
organ in a tight embrace. “Morgan. I feel so badly that we didn’t notice or call you on it,” Olivia said. “Especially since this pattern seems to have continued to the present.”
She shook her head. Suddenly she felt consumed with guilt for dumping all of this information on her friends. Today was supposed to be a day of celebration. And she’d ruined it by dropping a bombshell about her and Luke, then wallowing in her own personal drama. “I don’t want you guys to feel badly about my issues. Trust me, they started back when I was a kid. Being left by my father made me feel insecure and very alone. Even though I had my mother there it felt as if I had been abandoned.” She turned to look at Callie, who still had a dazed expression etched on her face. “I didn’t want all the pressure of everyone knowing about Luke and the expectations that came along with it. And I didn’t want anything to change between us, Callie, if things didn’t work out between Luke and I.”
“Which they didn’t,” Callie said in a flat voice.
“Which they didn’t,” Morgan repeated. Why did it hurt so much to acknowledge that things hadn’t worked out between them? It felt like someone was taking a knife and twisting it in her gut.
“Even though he sounded like a man in love about two hours ago? And he clearly wasn’t talking about Violet.” Callie met Morgan’s gaze with a raised eyebrow. Clearly she was having a hard time understanding the current state of affairs between her and Luke. Morgan didn’t blame her. She herself was having a tough time dealing with all of her own feelings.
“Luke is with Violet now. There is no Luke and me, Callie. It’s over. That’s in the past.” Morgan’s voice sounded full of certainty to her own ears. It was a miracle, considering she knew full well and good that the past wasn’t dead and buried. Not by a long shot!
Callie didn’t seem convinced. She shrugged. “I don’t know, Morgan. It didn’t sound like that to me.” She took two steps forward and reached for Morgan’s hand. “And please know, if you and Luke find your way back to each other, there’s no one who’ll be in your corner more than me.”
For Love Alone (Secrets of Savannah Book 4) Page 4