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“Charlotte was my friend. Of course I stuck up for her.” Fancy playfully held up her fists. “I was ready to duke it out for her.”

Case couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Fancy with her fists up. She was the most feminine, prissy woman on earth. He couldn’t imagine her fighting, although he’d heard tales of her scrapping with Meryl at a birthday party when they were kids. He wished with all his heart he could have witnessed it for himself.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out. Suddenly, he felt petty and small about withholding an apology. Fancy had done wrong, but she hadn’t been the only one. Sometimes he wished that he had been raised in a different manner. Lincoln Duvall had always taught his son that maintaining his pride was the most important thing. “It’s your job to carry on the Duvall name with pride and distinction.” If he had a dollar for every time his father had uttered those words, he’d be wealthy in his own right.

Fancy’s eyes widened. Her mouth hung open.

“Don’t act so surprised,” he said in a light voice. “I can apologize. I allowed my pride to dictate how I handled the situation with you and Marc.” He shrugged. “I’m not saying we could have successfully repaired the damage, but I know now that I wasn’t completely fair to you. It was hard for me to forgive you when I knew that all of Savannah was gossiping about us.”

“Where does this leave us?” she asked in a low voice. He saw a glimmer of hope sparkling in her eyes. Case wanted to be fair to her. After all the animosity that had been brewing between them, he wanted nothing other than calm. A measure of peace.

He blew out a huff of air. It felt like he was letting go of something that had been weighing him down for years. “I want us to be cordial. I don’t know if we can ever be friends again, but our history is too complex for us to just ignore each other. We inhabit the same world. We share the same group of friends. I don’t want it to be the way it was for us at Jax and Callie’s wedding.”

Fancy nodded. Her eyes looked misty. “That was hard,” she said in a strangled voice.“It was such a beautiful day, yet we were both stuck on opposite sides, barely making eye contact. All the while I couldn’t stop thinking of the irony. That day was in celebration of two people vowing to love each other for a lifetime. We would have been husband and wife by then, if things hadn’t crashed and burned.”

Just hearing those words from Fancy made his chest tighten. It was all he had thought about on that blessed day for Callie and Jax. The wedding dress. The flowers. The solemnly recited wedding vows. The entire time he had imagined his own wedding to Fancy. The wedding that would never be. Although he had been overjoyed to celebrate Jax and Callie’s vows, it had been a struggle not to surrender to melancholy. He’d lost the love of his life. There was no way to make that better.

“I’m excited about the future of Savannah House. And I want us to move forward in a spirit of harmony. Does it mean we’re going to be best friends? Probably not,” Case said in a voice that sounded more certain than he felt. Establishing peace between himself and Fancy had been the right move. But it wouldn’t be easy. Frankly, ignoring her and treating her harshly hadn’t come naturally to him at all. It had bruised and battered his heart this entire time.

“Oh, Case. You have no idea how happy this makes me,” Fancy said, stepping toward him and throwing herself against his chest. He felt himself weakening at the feel of her body pressed against him. The smell of lilacs emanated from her hair. He had to stop himself from placing his arms around her and surrendering to a full-on embrace. It was an amazing test of his willpower. To be this close to Fancy and not surrender to the powerful feelings rushing through him like a raging river was a monumental task.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to revel in the tender moment. If nothing else, at least the cold war between him and Fancy had come to a close. He frowned as the realization hit him that the thawing of their relationship presented a whole host of additional problems. How could he maintain such a cordial relationship with his ex-fiancée without surrendering to the heady impulse to kiss her senseless? Or to hold her hand in his? Or to tell her in the most heartfelt manner that he wasn’t over her…not by a long shot.

“There are only a few things in life worth fighting for. Peace. Justice. Your family. And love. Always fight for love.” Barrett Tolliver

Chapter Four

The reception for the opening of Savannah House was fast approaching. They had decided to host the event at Savannah House a few weeks before the official opening. It was a wonderful way to create buzz about the resort and to thank the community for their unwavering support.

For a multitude of reasons, Fancy hadn’t been focused at all on purchasing a gown for the event. She was the only one of her friends who hadn’t done so yet. Although she had an entire collection of dresses from New York designers, there wasn’t anything that Fancy viewed as special enough for this monumental moment in her life. The dresses were beautiful, but not dazzling. She wanted to razzle and dazzle at the reception. Although she tried to convince herself it wasn’t because of Case’s presence at the event, she was failing miserably.

When she least expected it, his handsome face always flashed before her eyes. Those magnetic gray-blue eyes. His dark blond hair and perfectly symmetrical features were swoon worthy. She let out a sigh. Shake it off, she instructed herself. “I refuse to moon over him,” she said, slamming her palm against the steering wheel as she hit a red light.

She pulled her car up in front of Petal’s Dress Shop. The establishment was owned by her dear friend, Lily Patterson. For a moment she sat and admired her friend’s one-of-a-kind boutique. With the pretty blue awning the color of a robin’s egg and the fancy script on the window, Lily’s establishment was a Savannah favorite. Although Lily had a flair for outfitting brides, she also had a nice collection of formal gowns for all occasions. Fancy prayed that she might stumble upon something unique and gorgeous.

The moment she stepped through the door, the h

eady fragrance of potpourri wafted toward her nostrils. Lily heard the ding of the bell above the door that heralded her arrived. Lily greeted her warmly as soon as she spotted her.

“Fancy! It’s so great to see you in here. You’re looking lovely as always,” Lily gushed. Lily was one of the sweetest and most encouraging people Fancy had ever met. She always made a point to frequent Lily’s dress shop whenever she needed a special gown.

Fancy placed a kiss on Lily’s cheek. “It’s great to see you too, my friend. I’ve been so busy with Savannah House that I practically feel like a hermit these days.” She placed her hand across her forehead in a dramatic gesture. “All work and no play is very dull.”

“You ladies are doing great work in renovating that place. It’s always been a favorite of mine ever since I was little. Everyone in Savannah is buzzing about what it means to this community to have it opening up again. I’ve heard a lot of talk from the brides who come in here too. I’m sure you’re getting swamped with calls.”

“We truly are,” Fancy admitted. “We’re so blessed that people are supporting us. And we have Miss Hattie looking out for us from heaven. Without her, none of this would have been possible.”

Lily grinned, showcasing a perfect set of dimples. “Miss Hattie was a remarkable woman. And some of my fondest childhood memories involve Savannah House. My mother used to bring fresh flower deliveries over there every week. Miss Hattie was one of her best customers. And I was fortunate enough to see her in action. She treated every guest like a visiting dignitary. Such class and elegance.”

“They broke the mold when they made her. That’s for certain,” Fancy said with a sigh. One of her major worries about Savannah House was that they wouldn’t be able to replicate Miss Hattie’s gentility, graciousness and charm.

“So, what brings you here today? Just browsing or are you on the hunt for something special?” Lily asked.

Excitement trickled through Fancy. There was nothing more momentous than the opening reception for Savannah House. It was the culmination of blood, sweat, tears…and dreams.

“I’m looking for something to wear to the reception for Savannah House. You did get your invitation in the mail, didn’t you?”

Lily clapped her hands together. “Yes, and it was gorgeous. The cream and gold invitation was so striking. I’m so excited about it. It’s been far too long since Savannah House has been operational. Miss Hattie—bless her soul. She was an incredible force of nature.”

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