Page 66 of Promise of a New Beginning
Jack poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. “I’m good. Actually, I slept better last night than I have in forever.” He and Savannah had gone to bed shortly after their talk the evening before, and true to his word, Jack had curled his body around her luscious curves, and instead of making love to her, as his body had craved, he’d held her until she fell asleep. The cadence of her peaceful breathing and the comfort and warmth of her body against his had eased him into a deep sleep.
“I called your house phone,” his mother said.
He knew she was fishing for information, and he also knew his father would have told her what Jack had said the evening before. “I’m not there, Mom.”
“You’re not?”
Her feigned surprise brought a smile to his lips. “Mom. Who told you, Dad or Rush?”
“Your father. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you last night, Jack, and I would like to.”
“I’m happy to talk, Mom. Things were a little uncomfortable last night. I have to do some clothes shopping. Why don’t you come along, maybe have some lunch afterward?” Jack hadn’t spent time with his mother in so long that he missed spending time with her and he hoped she’d agree to meet him. “It might be fun.”
“Your father is out for the day. He had an early meeting in New Haven, so why not? Where are you now?”
She would spend all day fishing for details rather than asking. Jack ran his finger over the edges of the key and decided to ease her mind. “I’m at my girlfriend’s apartment in the city.”Girlfriend.He’d played the word over in his mind only a few times since he’d been with Savannah, and even though it rolled off his tongue smooth and secure, it felt much too light for the emotions he had toward her.
“Oh, Jack. I’m happy for you. You’ll have to tell me all about her. Are you shopping in the city? Other than coming into the city for dinner at Siena’s, I haven’t been there in weeks. This will be an adventure.”
He pictured his mother rising to her feet from her favorite reading chair in the sunroom. The room they both loved most. It was filled with plants and flowers that she tended to daily. He could almost feel the cold tiles beneath his feet and the warm transition to the colorful throw rug that had been there since he was a boy.
“Yes, it will, Mom. Want to meet me at Savannah’s or at the store?” Jack glanced at the clock. He had plenty of time to shower and dress before the stores opened.
“Savannah? Is that your girlfriend’s name? That’s just beautiful. Is she Southern?”
He loved hearing the tenderness in his mother’s voice as she tamped down her excitement. If she were Siena, she’d havewhoopedinto the phone at the thought of a girlfriend.
“She’s from Colorado. She grew up on a ranch. I’ll tell you all about her when I see you. Ten o’clock?” He thought about his cabin in the mountains, and he wondered if Savannah would enjoy it as much as he had. Jack took a drink of his coffee and noticed a picture frame on the bookshelves that he never noticed before. He rose as he gave his mother Savannah’s address and picked up the photograph.
“I’ll see you at ten, Jack.”
“Okay. Love you, Mom. Thanks for calling.” He was distracted by the photograph, and even after his mother hung up the phone, he still held his against his ear. His hand slid down his face, and he held the frame in both hands, then ran his index finger over the image of Savannah’s face. She was nestled between her brothers, who were all big, strikingly handsome men. But it wasn’t the beauty of her family that struck him. His own family was quite attractive. It was the natural closeness between them that had him mesmerized. They weren’t posed. Their smiles did not appear feigned or forced, as evident in the way Savannah was looking at the tallest brother, her head thrown back midlaugh, his eyes laughing right along with her. He imagined the sound of her laughter. The brother to her left was Hugh. Now that she’d told him who he was, he recognized him. He looked rather playful, with one arm around Savannah and the other around another brother who wore his hair much shorter than the rest and who was looking over Savannah’s head at the two brothers on her other side.
Jack remembered when pictures like that were annual events for his own family. His father would pester them to stand up straight and look at the camera, and inevitably they’d have thirty photographs of them laughing and teasing and one photograph with stoic faces caused by a final threat to behave. He could still hear his mother trying to calm his father down during the process. She’d say,Aren’t they cute? Leave them be, James. They’re happy.And his father would clench his jaw and wait another five minutes before trying to regain control.
He set the frame back on the bookshelf and thought about his father. Jack’s grandfather had raised his father with an iron hand. That was old news in the Remington household, but even his grandfather wouldn’t turn away his own son for reacting the way Jack had. Not for the first time, Jack wished he understood his father better.
He called Savannah and was surprised when she answered on the second ring.
“Hey there,” he said.
“Hi, sleepyhead. I was so happy to see you sleeping this morning. I couldn’t wake you.” Her consideration of him was just another thing he could add to the growing list of things he loved about her.
“I haven’t slept this late for years. Thank you for letting me sleep, but I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking over your space or becoming an imposition.” He looked at the key in the center of the table.
“Jack, I loved coming home to you last night and waking up to you this morning. You’re anything but an imposition. Did you get the key I left you?” she asked.
“Yes, that was really thoughtful. I promise not to abuse the privilege.” He wanted to tell her that he’d like to be there every day when she came home from work and every morning when she woke up, but Jack knew that they were moving at the speed of light and he had a feeling that the men in the picture he’d just looked at might not take too kindly to his moving in with their sister so quickly.
“Please, abuse it,” she teased. “What’s on your plate today?”
“I’m meeting my mother in a little while. We’re going to shop for clothes for your brother’s award ceremony and then have lunch.”
“Oh, Jack. That’s wonderful. But please don’t buy new clothes on account of my family.”
“I’m not. I’m revamping so much of my life that the idea of putting on dress clothes from two years ago just doesn’t sit well with me.” He didn’t need to tell her that the last time he’d worn dress clothes was to Linda’s funeral, or that he’d burned those particular clothes the minute he’d gotten back home. The past was slowly being pushed to where it rightfully belonged—behind him. And he was excited to move forward. If only he could resolve the issues with his father. He was determined to heal that relationship. He rubbed his scar and realized that he still hadn’t told Savannah about what else had happened the night of Linda’s accident, and he had to face that, too. As soon as he felt strong enough, he would do it, and then he hoped he’d be able to bring Savannah fully into his life, which meant welcoming her into the home he had shared with Linda and to the cabin. Once he was secure enough to do those things, their biggest hurdles would be behind him.
“Well, have fun. I can’t wait to see you tonight. Will you be at the apartment, or are you heading back to your house?”
