Page 49 of Promise of a New Beginning
The worry in her voice tugged at his heart. He hadn’t meant to give her false hope before, but meaning to and doing were two very different things. Jack had no intention of failing her—or failing himself—again. And there was no way he was going to fail Savannah.
“Honey, you know how hard I tried to disappear?”
“All too well.” Siena sighed.
“That’s how hard I’m going to try to make this right. I have to run, but, Siena?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you. I hope you know that. And I love Dex, Sage, Kurt, and Rush, too. That’s never changed. I just got lost for a little while.” Jack felt like the trees had parted and a path appeared before him.
“I know, Jack. We all know that, even Rush. He’s just being a jerk. I love you. I need to be able to reach you when I get it set up. Are you going to actually use your cell again, or are you going to carry it turned off forever? I never understood why you did that. It’s so expensive to pay for if you’re not going to use it.”
Sometimes Jack forgot how careful Siena had always been with finances. She had more money than he ever would, and she still lived like she was always on her last dime.
“It was for emergencies, but I’m leaving it on now. Call me anytime, okay?”
After he ended the call with Siena, he took the stairs two at a time to the master bedroom. Hearing the smile in his sister’s voice renewed his determination. He’d rued nightfall and dreaded the dawn of the coming day for way too long. He was going to fix this mess if it took everything he had. Being with Savannah woke him up and gave him hope for a future. Ralph had opened another door in his heart—the one that would allow him to heal the wounds that he’d caused to his relationship with his family.
Jack took a pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt from his closet and headed into the bathroom. Beneath the warm spray of the shower, he realized what he’d done without any thought at all. His heart had chosen the indoor shower, and his body hadn’t hesitated. He stared at the two shampoo bottles—one lavender, the other dark blue—then he picked up the purple one, stepped from the shower, and crossed the floor buck naked and dripping wet. He tossed Linda’s shampoo bottle in the trash, then glanced at her sink. He retrieved the trash can, whipped open the cabinet beneath the sink, and swept all of her belongings into it. Then he set it down and stepped back into the shower.I turned off my emotions. It’s time to turn them back on.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
SAVANNAH FINISHED DRYING her hair and putting on her makeup, mentally ticking off her outfits and trying to decide what to wear for dinner with Jack. She tightened the towel around her body and walked across the hall to her bedroom, stopping to answer her cell phone.
“Hey, Aida. I’m in a hurry, sorry.”
“Do we have a hot date?” she asked.
“I do, but you have to give me time to get to know him before I spring you on him. That would be like feeding him to the wolves on his first day in the forest. I can’t even believe he wants to go to dinner. He said he doesn’t really like cities.” She dried off with the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder, then stepped into her sexiest lace thong.
“Dinner? That sounds nice. Where are you going?”
“I haven’t even thought about it. Any suggestions? I think I’d like to eat outside, if I can eat at all. I have a feeling I won’t be able to. Can you believe I’ve had butterflies in my stomach since he called?” She flipped through her closet and decided to dress a little sexier for Jack. He’d only seen her in jeans and her work clothes.Time for a thrill.
“Butterflies? What are you, twelve? I don’t think I’ve ever had butterflies in my life.”
Aida was as confident and aggressive with men as she was in the courtroom, and Savannah couldn’t imagine her being nervous about anything. “I know. It’s stupid, right?”
“I don’t know. Catherine believes in the whole fall-in-love, butterflies thing. But then again, I think all the assistants at our office do. That’s so weird.” She sighed. “What about that new little bistro on the corner by your place? You can eat outside, and it’s not too stuffy. I can’t imagine that a guy who doesn’t like cities wants to be around an uptight crowd.”
Savannah pulled a white minidress from her closet and held it against her in front of the mirror. “That sounds like a great idea. Now, help me pick out a dress. What about my scoop-necked white mini? He said casual, but he’s only seen me in jeans.”
“You know what that dress says, right? Remember how Connor reacted when he saw you in it?” Aida reminded her. “You ended up leaving the cocktail party to have sex in his car.”
Savannah crinkled her nose at the memory. “Thanks for that. I’ll burn the dress tomorrow.” She flipped through a few more outfits. “Long-sleeved black mini?”
“Still says take me to bed, but you could probably get away with it. At least all your skin wouldn’t be exposed. So, dinner, then your place?” Aida asked.
Savannah dropped her towel and slipped the dress over her head. “I guess. I don’t know or care. I just want to spend time with him.” She turned from side to side and smiled. “This looks hot.”
“Of course. How could it look anything but? Boots, heels, or casual flats?”
“Well, boots say sexy, and heels just feel wrong. He’s an outdoorsman, not a dress-up guy. But he is like six four, so I’m not sure flats are the best choice, either.” Savannah stared at the shoes in her closet, wishing she could just go barefoot. “You know what? Maybe I should just wear jeans. I feel like I look as if I’m trying too hard.”
Aida sighed loudly. “You don’t even have to try. He’s into you, and you know that. You said you’re falling in love with him. Why are you so nervous? Aren’t you supposed to know true love by how comfortable you are?”
“That’s all part of it, I think. I don’t know. I haven’t been in love before. I’m changing out of this.” She glanced at the clock. “He’s going to be here any minute. Can we catch up in the morning?”
