Page 62 of Ace
Savannah sniffed.‘I’m no expert, but right now I’m still in Louisiana. Where are you, Eden?’
‘In the air, East Coast, closing on Jacksonville, Florida.’
Savannah’s heart sank. All this time she’d thought it was just a matter of catching up to some truck on the road. That she could somehow stop that truck and rescue Keller, that she alone could save him. She should’ve known better. Fontenette was made of money. He only had to snap his fingers, and Keller would be gone forever.A tear slipped from her eye and down her cheek. Pitiful much?
‘A wise woman once told me it wasn’t my job to save the world,’Isaiah whispered.‘Find a safer place to park, Savannah. Get off the freeway. Get where you can concentrate and not be worried about traffic. Eden and I can’t reach Keller like you can.’
Well, okay then. Tracking traffic in the rearview mirror, she pulled carefully back onto the busyinterstate.‘Give me a minute. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.’
‘Thank you,’Eden said.‘We need you, Savannah. I need you.’
‘You already know how much I need you,’Isaiah murmured,‘but Keller needs you most. Don’t be long.’
Savannah stepped on the gas, shielding her thoughts from her intriguing new friends. Keller might need her help right now, but was he willing to risk his heart again? She wasn’t so sure. Could he let Carol Marie go and move on with his life? That was the real question.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Savannah pulled into a shady parking stall at the nearest rest stop. After quickly walking and watering the dogs, she ushered them back into the Buick. Red took up his place in the front passenger seat while Galahad lay on his side in the back. Opening all the Buick’s windows brought the barest hint of a breeze. With it came all the luscious fragrances of spring in Louisiana. Magnolia and boxwood. Swamp and humidity. New growth and sunshine on the bayou. Savannah drew in a deep breath to restore her inner sight, then released it slowly as she told Isaiah,‘Okay. I’m ready now.’
‘Me too,’he answered.‘My buddy Ky was just here. He took Roxy out for lunch. I’ve got a couple hours to get this done before they get back.’
‘Aw, and they didn’t take you with them?’
‘Doctor’s orders,’he grumbled.‘I’m still under observation. They can’t figure out how I recovered so fast. They’re running more tests to be on the safe side.’
‘Just tell them some voodoo witch from down South commanded you to rise and shine,’she teased.
‘You bet. Then they’ll lock me up and throw away the key. No thanks. I’m okay hanging around while Roxy’s here, but the minute my son’s released, I’m going home with them.’
‘You haven’t picked a name yet?’
‘She wants to name him Abraham…’
Savannah didn’t understand why Isaiah growled.‘Like Abraham Lincoln? That’s a great name.’
‘No, like Abraham Zaroyin.’
Oh. Him.Savannah snapped her big mouth shut. She’d forgotten what Keller told her about Isaiah’s father.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I love my father…’
‘Just not enough to name your son after him. I get it.’
‘Why should I? He’s the reason the Bicks went after my mom. All he wanted was his almighty three Gs: gain, glory, and greed. He didn’t care about Mom. He got her killed.’
And like you, he has to live with that knowledge every single day,Savannah thought. Tragedy never destroyed just one person when it crash landed. It always took out the whole family, their home, and sometimes the entire village, whether by first strike or the ripple effect of grief and loss. Instead she said,‘You’re still working on forgiving him.’
‘No, I’m working on forgetting him.’
How sad.‘How old were you when he... left?’She couldn’t bear to say,‘when your mother was murdered.’
‘I was a kid, Savannah. A freakin’ twelve-year-old kid.’
Bitterness Savannah understood. It’d be hard to look at the child you adored knowing he bore the name you hated.‘At least you knew your dad,’she said quietly. ‘Mine took one look at me and dumped me at Gran Mere’s. Intellectually, I know he did that because my mother bled to death when I was born. Gran Mere said she was Japanese and had some rare enzyme in her blood. My father didn’t know what to do with a baby, but then he went and got himself killed. I can’t even decide if I hate him or like him because I never knew him. He’s nothing to me, just a blank face where a father should’ve been.’
‘I’m sorry.’Isaiah sighed. ‘Man, we really know how to get off track, don’t we?’
‘Yes, but it’s understandable. Fathers are supposed to be our first heroes, our steady role models, our gentlest teachers, and our constant advocates. When they fail us, we lose a huge part of our identity, and it’s harder to understand the world of men. Anyway… I’m sorry, too. Now let me reach out to Keller and see how he’s doing before we derail again.’
