Still savannah, p.23
Still Savannah, page 23
part #3 of Blue Ridge Valley Series
Savannah’s gaze held mine, that smile that I knew was just for me appearing on her face. I might have stopped breathing. I’d seen Savannah on magazine covers, and she always looked sophisticated, glamorous, and beautiful, but she’d always seemed untouchable in those photos. I’d seen her relaxed and happy, wearing what she called her mountain girl clothes, her hair in pigtails or a braid. I loved that side of her. But the woman walking toward me, eyes on mine, was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.
Her black hair was pulled back, then allowed to fall down her back, and her gown was simple. I think it was satin and had an off-the-shoulders scooped neck showing a hint of cleavage, long sleeves, and hugged her body. It was the perfect gown for my mountain girl. But what I loved the most were the sapphire earrings dangling from her ears.
Connor and I had given our brides earrings to match ours as wedding gifts. I glanced at Autumn to see that she was wearing the emerald ones from Connor. Her gown was more traditional than Savannah’s, and it suited her. My gaze shifted back to Savannah as she neared.
“Beautiful,” Connor murmured.
“Yes, she is.” He bumped shoulders with me. “They both are.” I held out my hand when Savannah stopped in front of me, and she placed hers in mine. I love you, Savvy, I mouthed.
“What’d he say?” Granny hollered.
Savannah and I shared a grin before I glanced at Granny. “I said I love her.”
Granny scrunched her eyebrows together as if that puzzled her. “Ain’t that why there’s this here wedding?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
And so my brother and I married girls we’d known most of our lives, and I would be forever grateful that Savannah and I had a second chance at getting it right.
“Tell me you’re wearing a lacy white bra and panties under this dress, Savvy.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’m not wearing anything at all under my gown.”
I stumbled.
Savannah laughed, snuggling into me as Connor and I danced with our brides for the bride and groom’s dance. We’d hired a band out of Asheville for the evening, but later, after everyone had sampled the different flavors of moonshine lined up in shot glasses on a table in the far corner, Hamburger would take the stage with his fiddle. Things would get wild then, and Savannah and I would have our mountain wedding no other way.
I put my mouth next to Savannah’s ear, nuzzling her. “Have I told you I love you, Mrs. Hunter?”
My wife sighed against my neck. “I have a last name.”
“Yes, you do.” She’d hated being a one-name personality. I think that more than anything had made her feel like a commodity, nothing more than a product that her mother and Jackson Marks had exploited.
As much as my wife was now in control of her life in the way she had wanted, had strived for and had made happen, she would always be mine to protect. I wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that, though.
My wife. Ten years ago now, I’d thought I was doing the right thing by setting her free. Maybe I had been. We’d been kids in love, and how many of those relationships lasted? If I had it to do over, I’m not sure I would have changed a thing.
Toasts followed the bride and groom’s dance, Dylan getting a bit mushy and teary-eyed when talking about the group of friends who’d always been there for each other from the first grade and how they’d welcomed him, an outsider from a big city, into their ranks.
“You… y’all… y’all all are family,” he said at the end of his toast, and then he plopped down next to Jenn and grinned at her like an idiot.
Connor laughed. “Our chief has been into Hamburger’s moonshine.”
Jenn snorted. “Ya think?” She stood, pulling her husband up with her. “It was a beautiful wedding, but I need to get my man home.” She held out her hand. “Car keys, Chief.” He obediently dropped a ring of keys into her hand.
“Give Heather a kiss from her favorite uncle,” I said.
Connor punched my arm. “I’m her favorite uncle.”
I smirked at my brother. “Like she can tell us apart at six months old.”
“She can because she gives me a bigger smile than she does you.”
“Does not.”
“Time to par-tay!” Hamburger yelled from the stage, then put his fiddle under his chin and played his foot-stomping music.
“How does he even know that word?”
Savannah leaned her head on my shoulder. “Autumn taught it to him.”
“Of course she did.” I took my wife’s hand. “Then by all means, let’s par-tay.”
Connor and I danced the night away with our brides, surrounded by the people of Blue Ridge Valley who’d been determined to see us get our happily ever afters. There was a saying in the mountains… If everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane. There was a lot of truth to that, but I knew deep in my heart that I’d finally made it onto the right lane, where I’d stay for the rest of my life with the woman I loved.
Epilogue
~ Savannah ~
Five years later…
“Why does she only have three legs, Mommy?”
I trailed my hand through the soft brown fur of the puppy, my newest rescue. “Some kids hurt her, honey.”
Our three-year-old daughter looked up at her father. “You said when I was three, I could have a puppy, Daddy. I want this one.”
Adam smiled in that soft way he had when looking at Emma. “And why did I say you had to wait until you were three?”
“You said ’cause I was old enough now to take care of it.”
“That’s right. And do you promise to take care of it?”
“Oh, yes, Daddy!” She got that sly look in her eyes when she knew she had Adam twisted around her little finger, which was often. “She can come home with me, okay? Jinx won’t mind.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Adam muttered, making me laugh.
“What do you want to name her?” I asked. Emma had assigned herself the job of naming the animals at the farm, and they all had her favorite cartoon characters’ names.
“Wendy.”
“Ah, that’s a good one.” My current rescue residents were six dogs, ten cats, five horses, one aged pony—named Peter Pan—two alpacas, a potbellied pig, and four goats. “But you’re going to have to let Wendy stay here for a few days until she’s feeling better, okay?”
Emma blinked her baby-blue eyes at her father. “But she’ll feel better with me, Daddy.”
The kid knew where the weak link was, that was for sure. I shot Adam a warning look.
“Ah, Mommy’s the boss at the farm, baby. Besides, it’s almost time for everyone to get here. Let Wendy rest for a while. You can come see her before we go home later.”
When her lips trembled, he glanced at me, raising a brow.
N. O, I mouthed to his unasked question. I would have thought he’d be immune to Emma’s tears by now, but he hated to see her cry, and the little stinker knew it. Considering the news I planned to tell him tonight, my husband needed to learn how to say no or we’d have two kids running roughshod over us.
“Come on, Emma. Your cousins are here,” I said at hearing the sound of an engine. I took Wendy from her.
“Is Heather coming, too?”
Adam picked up Emma. “She sure is. That might be her now.”
Even though Heather was two years older than Emma, the two were best friends. Her cousins, Connor and Autumn’s twins, were barely tolerated by the two since they were boys and a year younger than Emma. Cooper and Parker adored the girls, though, and followed them around like eager puppies hoping to be noticed.
Soon we’d be adding to the kid count—Jenn was five months pregnant, me six weeks, and Autumn was trying. She had told Connor, though, that if she had another set of twins, he was cut off for life. I’m pretty sure she was half-serious.
“Daddy needs a Mommy kiss.” Adam slid his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me to him. He lowered his mouth to mine, and I melted into him. I would never get tired of kissing this man, and I thought when we were eighty years old and he kissed me, my toes would still curl.
“Emma needs a Mommy-Daddy kiss,” our daughter said, tugging on both our ears.
Adam smiled against my lips. It was an Emma thing to demand her share of kisses. We pulled apart and Adam planted a kiss on one of her cheeks and I laid one on the other.
“Let’s go swimming, baby girl,” Adam said.
“Yay,” Emma chirped, clapping her hands.
He reached down and gave my butt a squeeze. “Don’t be long.”
“I won’t. Send Dax in if you see him.”
“Will do.”
After they left, I knelt next to the puppy and checked the bandage on her hind leg. “I’m sorry you’re hurt, sweetie, but I promise you’re safe now.” She licked my hand.
“How’s she doing?”
I glanced up at Dax. “Better. She ate a little. Maybe you can get some more food down her later.”
Dax had been a godsend to the farm. We’d kept in touch after I was done with Jackson, and when Dax had learned I was looking for a manager, someone to live on the farm, he’d asked for the job. Turned out he’d grown up on a farm and knew animals.
I’d run a background check on him, learning that he’d been a SEAL before going to work for Farrant Security. Whatever his story was, he was keeping it to himself. For such a big man he had the gentlest of touches with the animals. Adam had built a small log home on the property, in which Dax now lived. I liked knowing someone was here around the clock, especially a man like Dax who knew how to keep everyone safe, so it worked out for both of us.
“Poor thing,” he said, kneeling next to the puppy. He glanced at me. “Everyone’s here. Go spend time with your family and friends. I’ll stay with her.”
“Thanks. Oh, and Emma has named her Wendy.”
“From Peter Pan?”
I grinned. “Of course.”
Leaving Wendy in the care of my farm manager, I headed for the creek. When I got there, the guys and kids were playing in the water, along with five of the six dogs. Tinker Bell, the ugliest dog on the face of the earth and a total scaredy cat, was curled up on Jenn’s lap, her head hidden under her baby blanket. She’d been horribly mistreated, and we’d discovered that she seemed to believe if you couldn’t see her face, she was safe. She was suspicious of the guys and kids, but she considered women to be harmless.
Adam had built a large creekside gazebo and next to it an outdoor kitchen. Jenny and Autumn were stretched out on lounge chairs inside the gazebo, and I joined them.
“Hey, you,” Autumn said. She held up her glass of wine. “Want me to pour you a glass?”
I patted my stomach and grinned. “No wine for me for the next eight months.”
“You’re pregnant?” Autumn and Jenn shrieked.
“Lower your voices. I haven’t told Adam yet.”
As if he’d suddenly developed supersonic hearing—in spite of the noise of the dogs barking and the playful screams of the kids—Adam’s head jerked up, his eyes fastening on mine. A slow smile spread across his face, and he walked out of the creek, a man on a mission. A very sexy one wearing nothing but board shorts and flip-flops. I sucked in my breath in anticipation.
“Oh boy,” Jenn murmured, glancing from Adam to me with a smirk on her face.
Autumn chuckled. “Someone’s in trouble.” She added her own smirk. “Of the delicious kind, I think.”
When he reached me, he scooped me up into his arms. “Ladies, excuse us while I have a little chat with my wife about keeping secrets.”
“Uh-huh,” Jenn said, laughter dancing in her eyes.
“So that’s what they’re calling it now, a chat?” Autumn said, then giggled.
“Where’s Daddy taking Mommy, Aunt Jenn?” I heard Emma ask as Adam carried me away.
“Um, they’re just going to have a little talk, honey. You and Heather come over here and give Tinker Bell some loving.”
“A talk about what?” That was Connor, and I peeked over Adam’s shoulder to see him walking out of the creek, his twin boys in his arms.
“Actually, they’re going to have a little”—Autumn made air quotes—“chat.”
“Ah,” Dylan said, coming to stand next to Jenn. He squatted next to her chair and laid his hand on her baby stomach. “This kind of chat?”
“I want a chat,” Connor said.
At the sound of their laughter, I buried my face in Adam’s neck. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Sorry about that.”
I heard the male satisfaction in his voice, though. “No, you’re not.”
He chuckled as he brushed his fingers along the curve of my breast. “Truth.”
After a short hike, Adam still carrying me, we reached our special place. We’d discovered the small waterfall not long after buying the property and had spent many hours over the last five years here. There was a cave behind the fall just big enough for the two of us to fit into, and with the water forming a curtain in front of us, it was like stepping into our own private world. It was deliciously cool on a hot summer day. We suspected that Emma had been conceived in our little cave.
Adam dropped his arm away from my legs, letting me slide down his body. He took my hand and led me along the ledge and into the cave. There was a smooth rock, and he sat, then pulled me onto his lap so that I straddled him.
“Now, Mrs. Hunter. What’s this about another baby in our future? And how long have you known?”
“Well, Mr. Hunter, it’s true. Emma is going—”
He crashed his mouth down on mine.
“Emma’s going to have a brother or sister,” I finished a bit breathlessly when he lifted his head. “I’ve known since this morning. I mean, I suspected it, but I wanted to be sure before I said anything. I was going to tell you tonight.”
We’d been trying to have another baby for a year now, and although we hadn’t voiced our concern to each other yet, I thought we’d both feared it wasn’t going to happen. I hadn’t wanted to get him excited, only to find out I wasn’t pregnant after all.
“You said you were going to the grocery store for our cookout today.”
“I did that, too. After my doctor’s appointment. I was going to seduce you tonight and then tell you about the baby.”
“You were, were you?” I had on a cotton spaghetti-strap top, and he slipped the straps from my shoulders, tugging the shirt down under my bathing suit top. “I think you should stick to that plan. The one about seducing me tonight. However, I’m in the mood for an early celebration.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” I said, feeling his erection pressing against my sex. I wiggled, doing my best to torture him, smiling against his neck when he grunted.
He wrapped my hair around his fist and tugged my head back. When he could look me in the eyes, he said, “I love you, Savvy. Always have. Always will.”
He said those words to me a lot, but each time a thrill shot through me. “Show me,” I whispered. And as he did just that, his hands and mouth working their magic on my body, happiness filled my heart. For so many years I’d thought Adam was lost to me, never dreaming that we’d find our way back to each other. I’d believed that our story was written, that it was done. But we had found each other again, and we were writing a new story, one with a happily ever after.
“I love you, heart, body, and soul,” I whispered into my husband’s ear.
“Always,” he whispered back. He put his hand on my stomach. “And you, too, little bean.”
Acknowledgments
And here I am writing another acknowledgment, my fifteenth since my first book was published in 2014. Since then, my list of everyone I want to thank has grown to the point where I think I should have created an Excel report thingy to keep track.
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One of my favorite things about this publishing business is the friends I’ve made around the world because of my books. I’ve never personally met most of you, but I love talking to you each day about books, book boyfriends, and all the other fun stuff we share with each other. You guys make my day, and I love you for it.
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To the members of my Facebook reader group, Sandra’s Book Salon, y’all are the best, the funniest, and sometimes the craziest book lovers ever! Almost every day you make me laugh, and I treasure every moment with you. Your support, all the shares, and other things you do to get the word out on my books means the world to me. Thank you for being so special, and just so you know, I think the world of you.
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If you love a book, do the author a huge favor and leave a review. Then tell your friends there’s a book they just have to read. To everyone who does these two things, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
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Jenny Holiday, my friend, my critique partner, and amazing author, what a crazy and wonderful journey we’ve been on. Hope it lasts forever! Miranda Liasson and AE Jones, also friends and awesome authors, my world is better for knowing you.
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Thank heavens for editors. Melody Guy and Ella Sheridan, there are not enough thank-yous in the world to say how much I appreciate you and how grateful I am for your skills in making my stories better.
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To my family, my love for you knows no bounds. I know you don’t understand how I can spend days inside my head, but you still let me be weird and you still love me. I love you back, so much!
About Sandra
Bestselling, award-winning author Sandra Owens lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her family and friends often question her sanity but have ceased being surprised by what she might get up to next. She’s jumped out of a plane, flown in an aerobatic plane while the pilot performed death-defying stunts, gotten into laser gun fights in Air Combat, and ridden a Harley motorcycle for years. She regrets nothing.
