He bent and pressed his lips against hers. He wasn’t aware of anything except her—the taste of her lips, the feel of her against him.
At last their lips separated and she rested her cheek on his shoulder with a contented sigh. She lifted her head a momentlater. “How did you do it? How did you arrange this boat, the rescue team, all of it?”
“To be honest, I didn’t. I brought my own gun, but that’s about it. This is almost all Michael. As soon as we figured out your clues, he got on the phone. He seems to have many, uh, business connections, including a former CIA guy who pulled in more help. Michael called in a lot of favors to make this happen.”
“He really cares for Simon.”
He held her tighter and kissed the top of her hair. “So do we.”
Hez stared up into the Milky Way, unnerved by the words they had just spoken. Michael cared enough about Simon to launch a deadly raid on Hornbrook’s island. Five men lay dead back there because of how much Michael cared. And Hez and Savannah cared at least as much as Michael. How far would they go to do what was best for Simon? How far would Michael go?
Hez fingered his throbbing shoulder. He’d already taken one bullet in this fight. Would he take another? And would Michael fire it?
Chapter 22
The serenity of their new home usually soothed Savannah, but she couldn’t sit on the sofa and relax. She stood at the picture window looking out at Mobile Bay. The waves were huge today, battering their bit of land and foaming over the weathered boards of the pier. Simon should be here with them. He’d be chattering away and talking to Cody like he was a person. He’d want to go out after the waves subsided and search for shells. He’d be calling for her to make him fish and chips or one of his other favorite meals.
The house wasn’t home without him. She started pacing again.
Hez set aside his yellow pad of paper and patted the sofa beside him. “Sit down, babe.” Even after three days his voice was still hoarse. “You’re going to wear the finish off our floors.”
She sighed and dropped onto the cushion beside him. His throat was a swollen mass of black and purple. She’d never forget the sight of his face as Hornbrook choked the life out of him. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him. “You don’t think they’re coming back, do you?”
He pressed his lips against her temple. “I hope they are.Simon is due back to us tomorrow. Michael knows we get him on the weekends.”
“Like he cares what the laws says.” She reached for her phone on the coffee table. “I’m going to call Simon.”
Her nephew picked up immediately. “Hi, Aunt Savannah. How’s Cody? I’m amped to see him.”
She’d never been so glad to hear her nephew’s voice, and he seemed happy. “He’s eager to see you, buddy. What time are you coming home?”
“Pawpaw is dropping me off at eight. Can you fix pancakes?”
They were back in the country. She closed her eyes and exhaled with relief. “You bet.”
“Bussin’.” A man’s voice spoke in the background. “We’re leaving for dinner, um, and Pawpaw said to remind you that Uncle Hez can’t be there...” Simon’s voice trailed off. “That’s crazy. The judge shouldn’t have done that.”
Savannah bit her lip. “Have fun at dinner, and I’ll see you in the morning.” She tossed the phone onto the table, but she wanted to hit something. “They’re in town and Michael said to remind us you can’t be here.”
Hez’s smile fell away. “That’s not something I’m likely to forget.”
“This can’t go on, Hez. Simon wants to see you. We need to figure out a way to make peace between us all. It’s what’s best for Simon.”
“I’ve been thinking about that too. Michael cashed in a lot of chips on the rescue, and there’s emotion in that grizzled heart of his. He really loves Simon. I thought he only wanted him because he hates us, but he showed me I was wrong. Yeah, he’s a bayou crime boss, but we owe him.” Hez pulledher close against his side and nuzzled her neck. “I owe him. If not for his connections and determination, you and Simon would be fish food.”
She kissed him, soaking in his scent. “Don’t remind me of that. I’ll never see the ocean the same again.” She started to kiss him again, then bolted upright. “Wait a minute. What about that money meant for the neonatal unit, the funds my dad diverted into his trust fund?”
He gave her a quizzical look. “What does that have to do with Simon?”
“If we’re going to make peace with Michael and his family, maybe we can start by righting an old wrong. The Willards donated millions to build that center in memory of Winona, and Dad basically stole it. Can we get it back?”
“Nice try, but the statute of limitations has run. He got away with the theft. Besides, Pierre’s trust doesn’t have much in it after the Justice Chamber and Jess finished cutting off his illicit income streams.”
Hearing her sister’s name was sweet torment. No one mentioned her much, and Savannah wished she could talk over the current dilemma with Jess. But her heart knew what Jess would say. “We have the funds to build it anyway. We’ll finish Legare Hall and do some maintenance, and there will still be money left over to do the right thing. It’s right for TGU and right for Simon and the Willards. And it just might rebuild some bridges that were burned down a long time ago.”
“Are you sure, babe? That’s a lot of money. And you wanted to be married in the chapel on campus. You’ll have to focus your efforts on the new unit.”
“We can get married on the beach. I’ll get to work on making arrangements. I have a lot to make up for. I’m going to call Helen.” Savannah reached for her phone again, and her hand trembled as she placed the call.
