Page 73 of Our Now and Forever

“We looked,” Snow said. “But I don’t think we’re ready for that yet.” When everything blew up in her face—though Snow preferred to say if—she couldn’t afford to buy the house on her own. That meant no home buying until the Vivien issue was dealt with.

“It is a big commitment,” Lorelei said. “I don’t blame you for waiting until you guys are better off financially.”

Snow couldn’t help but laugh at the comment. As if money was the obstacle.

“What’s so funny?” Carrie asked.

Surprised by the question, Snow realized she’d never shared much about Caleb’s background with her friends. “Well ...” she hedged. “Caleb is kind of ... rich.”

Lorelei and Carrie looked at each other, then back at Snow. “How rich?” Lorelei asked.

“Like ‘trust fund baby in line to inherit a giant media conglomerate’ rich? But he doesn’t really want the business. I don’t think.” She knew that Caleb wanted to make his own way in the world, but would he really turn down running the company? Or would staying with him mean she’d someday be thrust into high society whether she liked it or not?

“Shut. Up.” Lorelei stared with wide eyes and mouth agape. “You tried to walk away from that?”

The question rang in Snow’s ears. Yes. She’d tried to walk away from that. Was still trying. She never wanted to leave Caleb. His money, upbringing, and impending inheritance were what scared her into running. Regardless of where they lived, he was still heir to the fortune. He still lived with enormous expectations, and if they stayed together, so would she.

Before Snow formed an answer for Lorelei, the men joined them.

“What’s that look about?” Spencer asked Lorelei as he sat down beside her with a beer in his hand. “You look like someone said Neiman Marcus is moving in downtown.”

“Close,” Lorelei said, her eyes shifting from Snow to Caleb and back.

Snow wanted to change the subject, to defuse the situation, but her mind was racing like a rat caught in a maze. She loved Caleb. They could buy a house and start their life together. Embrace a second chance and get it right this time.

But someday, everything would change. Her life would be turned upside down. She would be Mrs. McGraw, obligated to host dinner parties for executives and their wives. Attend charity functions and don the fake smiles that Vivien had perfected long ago.

No. Snow would never be Vivien. She’d never be a petty, materialistic manipulator who endured her bitter existence with the aid of vodka and tonic.

“Did I miss something?” Caleb asked.

“No,” Snow said, rising to her feet and sliding her arm through his. “I was telling the girls a little about your background.” She loved Caleb and would not be embarrassed or intimidated by who and what he was. Not anymore. “I mentioned you’ll someday run your father’s company.”

As if talking about the weather, Caleb said, “I might own it someday, but that doesn’t mean I’ll have to run it. I’m sure Jackson McGraw will groom someone else for that job, since I’ve refused to do it.”

“What kind of company are we talking about?” Spencer asked.

“McGraw Media,” Caleb said. “Newspapers, TV stations, and a few radio stations around the Southeast.”

“Your family owns all that,” Carrie asked, “and you’re selling ads for the Advocate?”

“My father owns it,” Caleb corrected. “And yeah, I’m selling ads for the local paper. There’s something rewarding about making a living that has nothing to do with who my parents are.”

Relief washed over Snow as she watched their friends process Caleb’s explanation. She wouldn’t be throwing dinner parties for elites wearing suits that cost more than her car, but now she had a new fear. Would these people see Caleb as the same person? As the man who’d joined their community and instantly gave back? If the truth of his background changed that vision, they could always start their life over somewhere else.

The thought took Snow by surprise. In order for Caleb to be happy, she would give up everything she’d built in Ardent Springs. Sell the store, withdraw the offer on the house, and return to Baton Rouge if that’s what it took. Something she should have been willing to do before now.

“I get that,” Spencer said, snapping the line of tension that tightened Snow’s shoulders. “So when our preservation society goes looking for donations, we come to you first?” His brown eyes showed total acceptance, and Snow audibly exhaled.

“I’ll have to ask my wife,” Caleb said, “but if she agrees, then sure.”

“Did you say wife?” Rosie Pratchett asked as she stepped up behind the couch. “Did you two run off and get married without telling the rest of us?”

Lorelei stared at Snow, her blue eyes wide and questioning. Caleb hadn’t said anything to Snow about revealing their state of matrimony. It was one thing to tell the others that he had money, since he’d already shared as much with Miss Hattie, but he should have talked to her first before letting everyone know that they’d been lying to them for weeks.

Before anyone said another word, Snow’s reality shifted into slow motion.

Ignoring Rosie’s question, Caleb dropped to one knee.

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