Page 59 of Promise of a New Beginning
“I almost forgot to tell you that Connor came by my apartment right as Jack was picking me up for dinner. He kissed me, and Jack basically pulled him off and scared the life out of him.”
“What is up with him? First he cheats, then he shows up? Did he call? Did you know he was coming?”
“Nope. If he had called, I would have told him not to come. I don’t want to see him, and when he kissed me, I wanted to sock him where it hurts. Who does he think he is?”
“So did Jack hurt him?” Aida asked with wide eyes.
Savannah saw the hope in her eyes and shook her head. “No, he just scared him. Connor brought roses with him when he showed up. He can be charming when he wants to be.”
“Don’t go down the Connor trail,” Aida warned.
“No, I’m not. I mean that seeing his smile and the roses, and of course, feeling his kiss, I can totally see why I was so drawn to him. When he was with me, it was easy to believe his lies and buy into the whole apology thing. Don’t get me wrong. I was definitely an idiot for buying into it for so long, but after seeing him again, I realized that probably most women would have done the same thing, so maybe I don’t have big issues after all.”
“Baby, if you think all of us don’t have huge issues, you’re wrong. We all have our own messes to deal with. Hey, want to grab dinner tonight, or are you going out with lover boy?”
“He’s meeting his family, trying to make amends. Sure. Let’s grab something.”
The speaker on her phone beeped and Catherine’s voice came through. “Savannah, Treat’s on the line for you. Shall I put him through?”
“Talk about lover boys. That brother of yours is hot, hot, hot.”
“And married,” Savannah said as Aida walked out the door. “Grab me at the end of the day.” She picked up the phone. “Sure, Catherine, put him through.”
She waited for the click of the line, then said, “Hey, Treat, what’s up?”
“Hi, Vanny. Max and I are coming into town for Hugh’s award ceremony. It looks like everyone’s coming now, even Rex. I’m trying to pull a family dinner together. Hugh’s taking off Sunday, so we’re thinking about right after the award ceremony. Sound okay?”
Savannah loved her brothers so much. She couldn’t imagine not being on good terms with them any length of time. Once again her mind shifted to Jack, and she hoped his family would welcome him back without putting him through a guilt trip. That man put enough guilt on himself to keep him warm in the North Pole.
“Of course. Where and when? Do you mind if I bring Jack?” She held her breath while she waited for his answer. She and Jack had been moving so fast that she knew her brothers would be tougher on him than Aida had been, but he’d already become such a big part of her life that she couldn’t imagine not including him in a family function.
“I’d love to meet him. I got the feeling last time we spoke that you weren’t done with him. That’s another reason I called instead of having Josh tell you about dinner. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“You’re such a good brother. I gave you a hard time for checking up on him, and you’re still making sureI’mall right?” Of course he was. Savannah knew that no matter what she did, Treat would never turn his back on her. And she had a feeling that Jack wouldn’t, either.
“You were all tangled in knots when I saw you. I knew you were struggling to figure things out, and I worry about you. Besides, Josh said you spent a lot of time with Danica at the concert, and I put two and two together. A little free therapy goes a long way.”
She heard his smile. “I love her. She always makes me see things clearer.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re okay. Is he treating you well?”
“Of course. But you’ll get a kick out of this. He calls meangel.” She walked to the window and looked out over the busy streets, remembering how it felt to walk beside Jack the other evening and how she couldn’t wait to do it again.
“I have no doubt that you are his angel, Savannah.”
“Really? You’re not going to tease me? I’ve never been particularly angelic.” Her hand drifted to cover her heart. Why did Treat seem to understand so much more than most people when it came to love? She wondered if it was because he’d known their mother best. Maybe the rest of them had missed out on more than just having a mother around, but having learned life lessons from her, too.
“Savannah, you are angelic. You’re tough and you’re brilliant and competitive, but you’ve always put yourself out there for others, and you have the biggest heart of almost any woman I’ve ever met. With the exception of Max, of course. You’re the girl who stayed up all night for a week with your college roommate to convince her that she wasn’t anything like all those horrible things that idiot said she was. Remember? And still you aced your classes.”
She imagined his thoughtful dark eyes and wished he were right there in the room with her so she could give him a hug. She wondered if Treat saw her more clearly than she saw herself.
“I had almost forgotten about that. I guess when I think of angelic, I think of purity and sweetness, and when I think of myself, I think of…” She hadn’t really put words to her thoughts, and now, as she grasped for them, she could only reiterate Treat’s. “Strong and stubborn.”
“There’s only one thing I can say to that. Thank goodness you’ve found a man who sees the real you, Savannah. Look at me. Look at Rex and Dane. Or walk down the street and look at Josh. It takes the right person—a special person—to see through our defenses. Just like you’ve seen through his. Don’t you see why he calls you his angel?”
She leaned against the windowsill and smiled. “I guess I do. It has nothing to do with purity or sweetness and everything to do with seeing him for who he is on the inside. The man he’s been protecting with the anger and guilt.” She let out a loud breath. “Thanks, Treat. I didn’t even know I needed to hear that, but I guess I did.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
