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“Right back ‘atcha, my friend. I’ll always be here for you.”
Callie began to tear up. “Pinky swear,” she whispered.
“Pinky swear,” Olivia said, holding up her finger and linking it with Callie’s finger. Once, many years ago, there had been six of them reciting the pinky promise and vowing to be friends for a lifetime. Callie’s chest tightened as the knowledge swept over her that those promises had been broken years ago. She couldn’t think of the last time Charlotte had met up with them for lunch, even though she still lived right here in Savannah. Fancy hadn’t spoken to any of them for at least a year and a half. At the moment they didn’t even know where her modeling gigs had taken her. Paris? Milan? London? Morgan was overseas honing her culinary skills and ignoring their texts and phone calls. And Hope had been dealing with her own issues. Lord knew what those were.
“Hey, why do you look so sad?” Mac asked. “Turn that frown upside-down. You’ve got your own place. Your best friend and your brother are here. What else could you possibly need?” Callie giggled. Mac was right. Despite the sad state of affairs between herself and her parents and the rift with her childhood friends, she was one very fortunate woman.
The future stretched out before her, as bright and limitless as the heavens. She needed to dust off her resume and look for a job. Pronto. The inheritance she had received from her grandmother’s estate was at her disposal, but she truly wanted to try her best to make her way on her own steam. There would be no more accepting an allowance from her father or sending her bills to his financial advisor. Her life as a pampered socialite of Savannah society was over. That reality scared her, yet it invigorated her at the same time. A person never truly knew who they were until they stood on their own two feet.
“So, should we order pizza? I’m starving,” Mac said, rubbing his stomach and looking at her with puppy-dog eyes.
“You’re always hungry,” Callie said with a chuckle.
“I’m pretty starved too,” Olivia admitted, pulling out her phone from her purse. “Should I call Tony’s Pizza? They’re only five minutes away. We can either pick it up or have them deliver.”
“That sounds great. I’ll eat anything but anchovies,” Mac said, twisting up his face.
Olivia nodded with approval. “I like your style, Mac. I hate anchovies too.”
“One cheese and one pepperoni. Sound good?” Callie asked.
They both nodded and Olivia stepped aside to phone in the order.
Mac moved toward her couch and unfurled himself onto the cream-colored sofa. Callie walked over and joined him, plopping down beside him. “It’s fairly amazing to me that we’re sitting here together right now. Two months ago neither of us had a clue that we’d be reunited like this.” Her lips trembled with emotion. “Sometimes I wake up in the morning and for just a second I think I’ve dreamed all of this.”
Mac reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “It’s not a dream, Callie. This is our new normal. Us. You and me. That’s never going to change.”
“I know,” she said, wiping away a lone tear that had slid down her face. “I’m not crying because of what we lost, which is immeasurable. I’m happy because we have the rest of our lives to live out together. I want to throw rice at you and Delilah at your wedding and hold your newborn babies in my arms. And I want you to become friends with my brother, Luke, and I desperately want to meet your Donahue clan.” Her voice broke. “I’m just so grateful to God for lighting a path in the darkness and showing you how to find me.”
“God is good, Callie. All the time. Even when we were separated, He was looking out for us. Protecting us. And in the end, He guided me to Savannah…to you.”
Callie leaned in and laid her head on Mac’s shoulder. New beginnings were all around her. She was embarking on a whole new life filled with infinite possibilities. Yes, indeed. She was so very blessed.
**
Jax knew it had been a bad idea to head to Tybee Island. Ever since meeting up with Luke, all he could think about was Callie and her estrangement from her family. He knew how tight-knit the Duvall family had always been. Jax had always admired it, considering the frayed ties in his own family. Callie and her father had always shared a close bond, so he could only imagine how hurt she was by his deception. He had to admit that he felt badly for Lionel as well. His daughter was his sun, moon and stars. One only had to be in their presence to sense how deeply Lionel loved his only daughter. Jax had always heard whispers about a terrible family tragedy that had taken the life of the first-born Duvall daughter. It was considered a taboo topic by most, but a rumor had circulated that the daughter had drowned while the family was on vacation.
Now, as Jax idled his car outside the entrance to Savannah House, he was beginning to question his own sanity. Today Callie had moved in to the guesthouse. It was almost nine o’clock, technically too late to pop in on someone without calling. And what exactly would Callie have said to him if he had telephoned her? Go away Jax!
On impulse, he turned into the driveway and headed all the way down the lane—past the grand mansion—toward the nice-sized guesthouse. As kids they had often played in the guesthouse while their mothers were having tea parties at the resort. He chuckled at the memory of the first and only time he had ever kissed Callie. It had been at this very guesthouse. And she’d been spitting mad when he’d locked lips with her. He
seemed to recall getting socked in the eye. The next day a purplish bruise had popped up, scandalizing his mother who had wanted to know who had punched out her son. He’d never told her the truth about it being prim and proper Callie Duvall. As far as he had been concerned, it had been well worth the price of kissing Callie. Sweet, gorgeous Callie.
After counting to ten in his head he jumped out of the car and marched toward her door. A quick glance revealed no other cars in the drive. Most likely Olivia had already left and headed back to town. But where was Mac?
What in the world was he going to say to her to justify his sudden appearance on her doorstep?
The door swung open, bringing him swiftly out of his thoughts. A sigh slipped past his lips at the sight of her. Even though she was wearing a pink sweatshirt and a pair of simple black leggings, she looked elegant and stunning. Her red hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, lending her a youthful appearance. His foolish heart wouldn’t stop thumping wildly in his chest.
She stood in the doorway, softly illuminated by an amber colored light from inside.
“Jax! What are you doing here?” she asked, her brows knitted together in a slight frown.
“I…um…Luke sent me. He knew I was going to be in the area and he wanted to make sure that you’d moved in okay and that everything was all right,” he fibbed, making a mental note to call Luke and tell him he’d used him as an excuse. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too annoyed with him.
“Luke? Why didn’t he just call me himself?” Callie sounded exasperated.
He shrugged, trying to keep his expression appearing innocent.
