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“C-Case,” she sputtered. “I don’t know what to say. What a kind, wonderful thing to have done for me. I-I don’t know why you would do such a generous thing on my behalf.”
Case shrugged. “I’m not an ogre, Fancy. Even though I may have been acting like one for a while now.” He clenched his jaw. “I still care about you. And believe it or not, I want good things for you. This gown was a first step in us releasing all the bitterness and anger from the past. I can’t carry that around with me anymore. It’s not good for the soul.”
Fancy choked back the raw emotion that rippled through her like wildfire. Case’s generous gift warmed her heart. Never in a million years had she dreamed that Case was her anonymous benefactor. It made the gown feel even more special knowing that Case had been responsible for buying it for her.
She shook her head in agreement. “No, it’s not. It’s hard to walk around in the world when you’re carrying the weight of it on your shoulders.”
“I agree,” Case said with a nod. “I don’t want to carry that around anymore.”
“How does Meryl feel about you buying this gown for me?” she asked. Fancy knew she wasn’t being subtle, but she was dying of curiosity about Case’s date. If he was out here with her, where on earth was Meryl?
He shrugged. “I didn’t tell her about the gown. It’s really none of her business.” He quirked his mouth.“By the way, Meryl went home. For the record, she and I are not together. We went out a few times, but I quickly saw that there wasn’t anything between us. She hasn’t evolved as much as she was pretending to.” He made a face that spoke volumes.
“I could have told you that,” Fancy muttered. “Some people never change.”
“I’m sorry if seeing her upset you. I know you’ve had your issues with her in the past,” Case said in a contrite voice. “This is your night to shine. I’m sorry if anything I did has taken away from it.”
Relief flooded her at the realization that Meryl had left Savannah House. Fancy knew some might view her feelings as petty, but having Meryl in attendance had been tantamount to having a dark cloud hovering over her. And judging by Case’s tone and the fact that Meryl had been sent packing, there wasn’t anything romantic going on between the two of them. That development made her want to click her heels and do a cartwheel on the lawn.
She grinned at Case, suddenly feeling as if she was floating on a cloud. “Tonight is magical. Nothing can ruin it. Thank you for checking in on me, Case. That’s one of the things I miss most about…us. You always took such good care of me.”
He walked toward her slowly so that there were only mere inches between them. He reached out and brushed her hair back from her face. Their gazes locked. Something flickered in the depths of his amazing gray-blue eyes that caused goosebumps to rise on the back of her neck.
“You must be chilly,” he said. She watched as he shrugged off his jacket and placed it gently behind her. She placed one arm through a sleeve, then the other. Immediately she felt infused by Case’s heat. She wrapped her arms around her chest, enjoying the light, spicy scent of his cologne. The tux jacket smelled just like him. If she could, Fancy would take the jacket home with her, so his scent would never be far away from her.
Stop it! You’re being ridiculous. You’re not a schoolgirl pining away for a boyfriend. Act like an adult, for goodness sakes.
She looked up at him, reminding
herself that staring into the sweet oblivion of his eyes might be akin to touching fire. Fancy knew far too well that being burned by love was an incredibly painful thing to bear. She wasn’t certain if she could ever take that chance again. Not even for a man she loved. The price was far too high.
“Why are you being so nice to me? We’ve made our peace, but all this kindness seems above and beyond.” She blurted out the words without even thinking. Although she loved this truce between the two of them, she knew how dangerous it was to be on the receiving end of Case’s charm and goodness and tenderness. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. Falling deeper and deeper in love with him wasn’t an option. Loving Case was too dangerous. She didn’t think her heart could take it if they got back together and then it all fell apart. Again.
Case winced at her comment. He recovered by giving her the slightest of smiles. “Perhaps because for a very long time now I haven’t been very nice to you.”
“I haven’t been deserving of it,” she said, bowing her head down. She felt a pulse of electricity as Case tipped her chin up with his fingers. She didn’t want to look at him right now. Fancy knew love must be blazing in her eyes. There was no way Case wouldn’t see it. Hiding her love for him was an impossibility, especially when they were so up close and personal with one another.
“That’s not true. I’ve been walking through my pride for a long time now. I’m sorry,” he said. “Finding out about your…close relationship with Marc was painful. It rocked me to my core. And the whole city was buzzing about it, which added to my humiliation.”
“I’m sorry. I never considered that my friendship with Marc would ever lead to the destruction of our relationship or a mini scandal here in Savannah.” She shook her head, pain ricocheting through her as hurtful memories crashed over her. Case, as well as the Duvall family, meant the world to her. It stung to know she’d been the instrument of their pain and humiliation. She’d come face-to-face with them earlier this evening and the tension had been acute.
“I know,” Case acknowledged. “I don’t want you to keep apologizing. It’s not necessary anymore. I just wanted to let you know what was going on with me. My whole life I’ve been taught that the Duvall pride was something to be respected at all costs. You wounded my pride, Fancy. It felt like all that time you spent with another man meant I wasn’t enough for you.”
Fancy considered her words carefully. She wanted to be open and honest with Case, but she didn’t want to alienate him. “I was in a bad place. You were spending so much time out of town and traveling for work. There were so many times you would call me from the airport and cancel our plans due to a business trip. And after a while, we weren’t even communicating very much anymore. It felt like you didn’t need me. Or want me.”
“How could that ever be true?” Case whispered, his words sounding like a caress. “You were my everything. Every hour I spent out of the country was in order to build our future as man and wife. And in my defense, it was hard to communicate through a seven-hour time difference. I thought you understood that.”
“I did,” she said. “But at the same time I felt as if you were slipping away from me.”
“I could barely breathe when you weren’t around me, Fancy. Never in a million years were you losing me,” he said in a voice filled with tenderness.
“Until I did lose you,” she said, letting out a wounded cry.
He dipped his head down and placed his lips over hers, startling her by the sudden movement. His lips were warm and inviting as they moved against her own. She sank into the kiss, knowing she might never get the chance again to kiss the man she loved. Fancy felt Case drawing her nearer and she reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders, steadying herself against the onslaught of emotions coursing through her. She felt so safe in Case’s arms, even though it was a little bit like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Despite the risks, it was a little slice of heaven. She was free falling. Plummeting. Sharing this kiss with Case felt like a flash of lightning out of the blue. As the tempo slowed, Fancy prayed that the kiss would go on and on.
As they pulled apart, Fancy whispered his name against his lips. For a moment they stayed close, the sound of their light breathing resonating in the silence. The moon hung above in the sky, glowing like a phosphorescent pearl in the onyx sky. Fancy wished this moment could stretch out for a few moments longer, if only to cherish it all the more.
Her mind was whirling with the ramifications of this one moment in time.
