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“Dad probably wants to grill me about the deal I brokered today,” Case said with a grimace. Although he loved his father dearly, he truly believed that he would be a much happier man if he could learn to relax and not obsess over the family business.
“I think I need to check on something in the kitchen,” Charlotte blurted out as her gaze swung back and forth between him and Fancy. Case knew enough about his little sister to realize that she was trying to give him more alone time with Fancy. Little did she realize that by interrupting their conversation she’d rescued him from the feeling that he was sinking in quicksand. Despite everything, Fancy still had a strong hold over him.
Charlotte scampered away in her full-length, blush colored gown. Case felt his heart expand at the notion that his little sister continued to look out for him. No matter what, he knew that Charlotte always had his back. And he would always slay all her dragons.
“I wanted to thank you for working with us as our legal counsel,” Fancy said in a low voice. He couldn’t take his eyes off her full, crimson lips. A strong desire to kiss his ex-fiancée rose up inside of him. He clenched his fists at his side, reminding himself that kissing Fancy was a dangerous proposition.
“I know at times it’s been…awkward to say the least,” she finished. “But, in the end, we managed to work together in a very successful manner.”
His gaze raked over her face. She looked vulnerable. He knew in this moment he could crush her with a single word. Miss Hattie’s voice came to him. Kindness. It doesn’t cost you a thing.
He intended to move forward with as little drama as possible.
“Life can be awkward, Fancy. I’ve been happy to help out. Being at Savannah House reminds me of things I’d forgotten.”
“Such as?” she asked with a raised brow. A hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
He let out a chuckle. “Like being nine years old and coming with Mama when she had a tea party here with her civic group. She couldn’t leave me at home by myself, so I had to come with her.” He shook his head as the vividness of the memory assaulted his senses. “I was bored waiting in the garden, so I decided to chop down some of Miss Hattie’s roses.”
Fancy let out a gasp. “You didn’t!”
He sighed. “Yes, I did. I was discovered by Miss Hattie right in the act of destroying her beloved flowers.”
“You must have been in hot water,” Fancy said. “There wasn’t much of anything she loved more than her flowers.”
“Believe it or not, I really didn’t get in as much trouble as I feared that I might. Miss Hattie told me what a wicked thing I’d done. Then she got some rose bushes and made me help her plant the new ones. She put me right to work. And she told me about how she’d planted the flowers in remembrance of the only man she’d ever loved. And for their legacy that would live on well past them. I’ll never forget. His name was Samuel.”
“Wow. That’s incredible. I remember Callie and Olivia telling us about their ill-fated love story.” She shook her head. “Imagine losing someone due to war.”
“Unfortunately, it happened all the time during World War II.”
Fancy wrinkled her nose. “What did she mean about their legacy? The love they shared?”
Case shrugged. “I was too little to fully understand what she meant. But the gist was that I’d destroyed something that meant the world to her. I felt horrible about it. And for weeks after that my mother drove me over here so I could tend to her flowers.” Case grinned at the memory. “I don’t want to keep you from the other guests,” he said, looking around at all the people arriving at Savannah House.
She reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, her touch firm. He felt an electric pulse skitter along his arm. “Thank you for coming over and talking. It almost felt like old times.”
Almost, Case thought. After bearing witness to Meryl’s viciousness toward Fancy, he’d reached a moment of clarity where he’d realized that he had to extend an olive branch to his ex-fiancée. What kind of man would he be if he allowed bad feelings to fester like an infected wound? He didn’t want to live like this anymore. He hated the resentment he’d been harboring in his heart.
He wanted to be a better man.
Something had to give! Although his relationship with Fancy was over, they would forever be entwined in each other’s lives.
“Tonight is a big night. It’s the first big step toward your future. I couldn’t let it pass without saying congratulations.”
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling like stars in the sky. It knocked him for a loop to see her so radiant and happy. Truly joyful. It felt good to know that he might be responsible for a tiny bit of her happiness. And his heart ached a little that they weren’t enjoying her triumph as a duo.
He watched Fancy’s eyes widen as her gaze drifted to something behind him. Her creamy complexion seemed to flush before his eyes. She let out a low groan. Just as he turned around to see what was upsetting her, Case felt a tugging sensation on the shoulder of his tuxedo jacket. Meryl was standing there, decked out in a bright red, full-length gown and a gold wrap gently draped around her shoulders.
“Here you are, Case. I didn’t have to look too far to find you.”Meryl’s voice sounded sugary sweet. She nodded at Fancy. “Good evening, Fancy. It’s been a long time.”
Fancy began to sputter. “I-I don’t see you on the invite list.”
“I’m here with Case,” Meryl said, a hint of triumph evident in her voice.
Case felt his mouth open in surprise. He hadn’t invited Meryl. Matter of fact, he was shocked to see her in attendance. After their night out at the supper club he’d come to the decision that he no longer wanted to socialize with her. Although she’d called him a few times, he had opted not to call her back to avoid leading her on. Case had no idea how she had discovered that he would be attending the event this evening.
“It’s not a problem,” Fancy said, her lips trembling. She began to scribble on the piece of paper in front of her.
