by Lena Hart
“I’m not finished with my stroll, Junior. And why haven’t you asked this pretty lady in for some sweet tea. It’s burning up out here.”
“That’s because you’ve got your coat on, Pop.”
His father glanced down at himself then waved his hand dismissively. “That doesn’t mean you can’t offer this little darling a cool drink.” Suddenly, Pops pulled open the car door and held it open for her. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you inside.”
“Pop—”
“It’s all right, Damian,” Savvy said as she climbed out of the truck. “I wouldn’t mind visiting for a bit. And some sweet tea sounds delicious.”
“You heard the lady,” Pops said, extending his arm to Savvy.
With a wide smile, she looped her arm around his father’s and together they walked up to the house. Damian shook his head and followed after them. Aunt Joyce stood just outside the front door, confusion creasing her brows.
“Damian, who’s this woman?”
“This is Junior’s lady. And she’s thirsty. Now move out of our way.”
His aunt sucked in a sharp breath and stepped outside. Savvy gave her an apologetic look as Pops dragged her into the house.
“It was nice to meet you,” Savvy called over her shoulder.
His aunt glared after Pops then turned back to him, throwing her hands up. “You hear how he speaks to me, Junior? I come out here to look after him, to help you out, and he acts like I’m the bother.”
“I’m sorry about that, Aunt Joyce. You know sometimes he has his days.”
“And they’re only getting worse. I hate to say it but, sooner or later, you’re going to have to put him in a home.”
Damian jerked in surprise at her words. “You know I can’t do that. Pop needs me. He needs his family.”
She patted his arm sympathetically. “I know this is a hard decision, but he’s sick, Junior. His dementia is changing him and you need to make a choice, before it gets harder on either of you.”
Damian ran his fingers over his jaw then planted his hands on his hips. “You would really be okay with leaving Pops at some home, Aunt Joyce? With strangers?”
“I’m sixty-five years old, baby. I can’t be looking after anyone, least of all someone twice my size. If he decides he wants to take off again, I won’t be able to stop him.”
“There’s special locks I can put on the doors, so we won’t have to worry about him taking off like this again.”
“That would be good, Junior. But after this month, I won’t be around much.”
“What?”
She sighed, not meeting his eye. “I wanted to wait to tell you this, but Curtis and I found someone to take the house and we’ll be moving to Jacksonville at the end of the month.”
Damian froze. “So you won’t be here for Pops?”
“At this rate, your daddy needs constant watching. With getting ready for the move and all, it’ll be too much on me.”
“Well, thanks for the heads up, Aunt Joyce. I’m sure I can handle things from here.” Damian started toward the door, his anger and frustration stripping away the last bits of his patience. “Good luck with your move.”
She grabbed his arm to stop him. “Oh, Junior, don’t be like that. Deep down, you know I’m right.”
Damian sighed. As frustrating and inconvenient as things were becoming, he knew his aunt didn’t deserve his anger. It was his own fault for relying so heavily on her. She was too old for this and as his father’s only child, it was his responsibility to make sure he was cared for.
He pulled his aunt into a quick hug. “Thanks for all your help these past few months, Aunt Joyce. You don’t have to worry about Pops. I’ll take care of him.”
“I don’t doubt it, baby. But remember you’re young. You should be looking to settle down and start your own family. That’s what your folks would want for you.”
Damian smiled down at her. If she had her way, he would be married by now with three or four kids running around. He wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea, but with Pops, the shop, and their mounting bills, that life would have to wait.
“I hear you, Aunt Joyce. With all the fine ladies here in town, I’m sure I’ll find one to settle down with when the time’s right. For now, let’s just get through the rest of this month.”
“Well, there’s a fine woman in your home now. You may want to get back in there before your father charms her right from under you.”
Damian shook his head, but didn’t correct her. Savvy may not be his lady, but he liked the sound of it too much to care.
“Now in this picture, Junior was running in the park. I don’t think I ever seen him run that fast.”
Savvy looked down at the picture of a young but husky Damian in mid-run. He could have been no more than eight there. The photo was aged and slightly blurred, but she could still make out his young, adolescent features.
“Was he training for a track meet?”
Pops squinted down at the photo. “No… I think he might have been running from my cousin’s dog. It was a big, ugly thing, but for whatever reason it took to Junior. It just wanted to play, but all that barking scared him.”
Savvy stifled a laugh just as Damian entered the living room. He cocked a brow as he scanned the many photo albums littered around the table.
“Still at it with the pictures, Pop?”
“We haven’t gotten to the ones from high school yet,” Savvy said with a quick grin.
Pops scrambled to his feet. “Oh, those are in—”
“No you don’t, Pop,” Damian said. “You’re gonna have to save those for another night. Aunt Joyce is about to get dinner started for you and I need to get Savvy back before it gets too late.”
Savvy glanced at the clock. She had been there far longer than she realized. When Pops began to protest, she also got to her feet.
“He’s right, Pops. I should be getting back, but I’ll try to stop by later this week.” She turned to Damian. “If that’s all right.”
“Sure. You’re welcome to come by anytime.”
There was something warm and tender in the way he said those words, it made her stomach flutter.
Savvy swiftly looked away from him and reached for her purse. What was the matter with her? This sudden attraction made no sense. He wasn’t even her type.
“Are you ready?”
She nodded then gave Pops a quick hug and kiss goodbye.
“Next time you’re back, I’ll show you some of Junior’s baby pictures.”
Savvy tilted her head to the side. “You have more?”
“Oh, I got tons of pictures of my boy when he was just a baby in his mama’s arms.”
She frowned, confused. Hadn’t they just looked through all of those photos? She remembered the slightly worn picture of the pretty black woman, cradling a six month old Damian in her arms. Savvy had learned that his mother had passed from breast cancer right before he entered high school. It had been only father and son since, and it was clear how much Pops still loved his wife and adored his son.
As if sensing her lingering confusion, Damian placed his hand on her back and urged her toward the door.
“I’ll be back, Pop,” Damian said. “Please try not to give Aunt Joyce a hard time.”
As Damian guided her to his truck, Savvy realized her gaffe and scolded herself for her ignorance. She didn’t know much about dementia, but there had been telltale signs and she realized Pops suffered from some sort of memory disorder.
She glanced over at Damian, her heart going out to him. What was it like to watch his father lose his memory and himself? What was it like for Pops?
The drive to the Benson mansion was longer than she expected, and was made longer from the yawning silence between them. Savvy rolled down the window, letting in the cool evening breeze.
The sun was disappearing into the horizon, painting the sky a lovely shade of purples, reds, and orange. The remarkable view was enhanced by the mountains in the distance framing th
e landscape. She couldn’t remember watching a sun setting so beautiful and she said as much.
“The last time I was here, I don’t remember the sunset being so incredible.”
Damian glanced in her direction before returning his attention to the road. “It was raining like crazy that week. It probably hadn’t been the best time for you to visit.”
“Is it always so beautiful here?”
“Always. Even after it rains.” He shot her a quick grin. “We may be a small town, but there’s a reason I never left.”
“Had I known, I would have never made that one weekend my last.”
Damian fell silent for a moment, then asked, “How does your boyfriend feel about you coming back here without him?”
Savvy snorted. “You mean my ex? I’m sure he doesn’t care.”
Damian glanced over at her. “Sounds like things didn’t end well?”
“No, they didn’t.”
She glanced down at her finger, remembering the engagement ring that had been there not so long ago. She accepted that she had been more in love with the idea of being a wife, than being Matt’s wife. She just wished she hadn’t wasted so much of her time with him.
“How long ago did things end?”
Savvy glanced at him, wondering why that mattered. “We officially broke things off six months ago, but honestly, I think we were over long before we broke the engagement.”
Damian whipped his head around to her. “You were engaged?”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Was it really that surprising? “Yes, unfortunately, I was. Now I’m not.”
“What ended it?”
Savvy paused, her gaze falling on the worn dashboard in front of her. It had been a while since she had forced herself to confront the problems that had been a big part of their relationship. Problems she and Matt had both had a hand in creating, but she had elected to ignore.
When she didn’t immediately respond, Damian threw her a sidelong glance.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t anything tragic. I think we just both wanted and expected different things from the relationship.”
“And what is it that you wanted?”
She shrugged. Having been around Quinn and Eric for so long, had made her want what they shared. But instead of waiting for the loving, passionate relationship she craved, she had settled for Matt.
“What everyone wants, I guess. To love and be loved. Unconditionally.”
“Hmm…”
She didn’t like the sound of that and frowned at him. “What?”
“Nothing. I guess I didn’t peg you as a hopeless romantic.”
Savvy shrugged, her cheeks warming a bit. “You can’t tell me that you don’t want to find someone to love and spend the rest of your life with.”
“You’re right, I can’t. But I’m not naive enough to think that love is the answer to everything.”
“Spoken like a true jaded bachelor.”
“Not jaded, just realistic. When my fiancée and I broke things off—”
“Wait, you were engaged, too?”
Savvy didn’t know why that surprised her, but it did. Immensely. A guy like him wouldn’t be single unless he wanted to be. The realization that Damian had found someone he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with, made her very curious about the other woman.
“Don’t sound so shocked,” he said, amusement laced in his voice.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just…what happened?”
“We were young and foolish and also wanted different things.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Over ten years.”
“Where is she now?” Savvy knew she was prying but couldn’t stop the questions. She wanted to know everything about that personal moment in his life.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. She moved away and we haven’t really stayed in touch.” He fell silent before he asked, “Are you still in touch with your ex?”
“Oh, god no. Don’t get me wrong. I think the break-up was for the best, but things between us didn’t end amicably.”
The lights from the Benson mansion came into view, and it wasn’t long before Damian was pulling into the large driveway. He turned off the engine, but sat there for a moment. She sensed he wanted to say something, so she turned to him and waited.
“Thanks for spending time with Pops tonight. You didn’t have to do that, but I can tell he really likes you.”
“And I like him, too. He’s so much fun and full of stories.”
“That he is, though I can’t remember Pops talking to anyone the way he did with you tonight.”
“I have been told I have a certain effect on people,” she teased. “I once even thought about going into psychiatry.”
“Why didn’t you? I hear there’s good money in head shrinking.”
“Ha! You heard wrong. Psychiatrists are a dying breed. The real money, and healing, is in food.”
The corner of his lips kicked up. “I thought it was music.”
“Yes. Good food and good music does wonders for the body and mind. You should make sure Pops get plenty of both while he’s still around.”
Damian fell silent and Savvy wanted to kick herself.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up—”
“It’s fine,” Damian said, forcing a lightness in his tone that still held rough notes of sadness. “My dad’s sixty-three. I never expected him to live forever.”
But he obviously didn’t expect him to finish the last years of his life trying to hold on to fading memories.
“Why don’t you let me treat you to some good food and music while you’re here?”
Savvy studied him, stunned by the suggestion. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
He shrugged. “We can debate the label all night, or you could let me take you to Iggy’s. They’ve got great food and even better music.”
Savvy returned his smile. “Now, how can I say no to that?”
A hungry gleam flashed in his dark eyes. Her breath hitched.
“I’ll see you Friday night.”
Five
“I still can’t believe Eric’s running for mayor,” Savvy said as they passed another Vote for Eric Benson sign on the side of the road. “How did you let that happen?”
“Believe me, I had nothing to do with it,” Quinn muttered. “You know Eric. When he sets his mind on something…”
“He must really want to win this. Since I’ve been here, I’ve only seen him twice. Maybe three times. Is that normal?”
When Quinn didn’t respond, Savvy glanced over at her rigid profile. Her cousin kept her gaze fixed on the road, and Savvy realized she didn’t know how her cousin felt about her future husband going into politics.
Whatever Quinn felt about it, she certainly kept it to herself and seemed tense whenever the topic came up. Savvy decided she wouldn’t bring up the subject again.
They pulled up to a small, charming building with A Touch of Glam scrolled across the window. For a moment, Savvy wondered if going into the quaint boutique would be a good idea.
“Are you sure we’re going to be able to find me a dress in there, Quinn? I don’t mind driving outside of town to find a real dress shop.”
“I don’t want to risk another shipping fiasco,” Quinn said, sliding out of the car. “Besides, Ms. Gloria’s shop is great and Lori highly recommends her. She said we can trust them to get us what we need.”
“Hmm, are you sure it’s not her son Lori’s trying to get close to. I think she mentioned him more than she did the shop. It was Guy this and Guy that. I swear she started getting breathy just saying his name.”
Quinn laughed. “Remind me to fill you in on that bit of gossip, but right now, shush.”
“Why?” Savvy asked as she followed Quinn into the shop.
“Because I think we’re about to meet Guy’s wife,” she said over her shoulder.
“Wait, w
hat? Lori is pining for a married man?” Savvy asked fiercely. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Quinn ignored her as a young woman came from the back room and greeted them with a big smile on her pretty brown face. With her natural hair twisted into a crown around her head, she looked even younger.
“Hello, Mya.”
Mya gave her cousin a big hug. “Quinn, it’s great to see you again.”
“Sorry Eric and I couldn’t make it to your wedding. I hope you got the gift we sent.”
“Yes, thank you. The engraved wine glasses were lovely.” Mya then turned her curious gaze to her. “You must be Savvy. I’m Mya. Quinn’s told me a lot about you.”
Savvy took the hand she extended. “It’s nice to meet you, Mya. Did my cousin also tell you I don’t have a dress for the wedding?”
“We can help with that.”
Savvy took a quick glance around the small shop and tried not to grimace. There was no way they would find a suitable dress here. As if reading her thoughts, Mya laughed.
“Don’t look so horrified. That’s our prom collection over there. We have a local distributor that handles these kinds of orders for us and they have a much wider selection. We’ll take care of you. Don’t you worry.”
Savvy tried to hide her relief. “Oh, I wasn’t worried,” she teased. “Who said I was worried?”
They all laughed as Mya waved them to the back. “Follow me.”
They spent the next hour flipping through a large book of bridal dresses. There were so many to choose from that by the end of it, Savvy didn’t care what she wore.
Until she saw it.
“Wait, go back.”
Mya turned the page and Savvy pointed to it. It was similar in style to the bridesmaid dresses, but with a clean, elegant look. Even the embellishments around the bust line didn’t take away from the beautiful simplicity of the dress.
It was more form-fitting on the model than Savvy would have preferred, but the thin ribbon laced on the back added a nice flare to the gown. She knew it would be gorgeous.
“Quinn, what do you think of this one?”
Her cousin leaned closer and studied it. “I don’t know how I feel about the ribbon, but if you like it, I love it.”