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Most days, she felt unworthy of good things. The shame hadn’t left her yet. Dumped. Jilted. Cast aside by her fiancé. To this day she couldn’t bear to dissect the events that had led to her breakup with Case. Each and every time it caused her an immense amount of pain. When would it stop hurting so badly? When would she heal?
With a burst of courage, she strode toward the front door of Savannah House and turned the knob, pushing the door open with gusto. Fancy let out a little squeak as she bumped into a solid force. Her stomach sank as she instantly recognized her ex-fiancé looking way more gorgeous than any man had a right to look.
“Fancy.” Case stared down at her, his gray-blue eyes resembling lasers. His expression was shuttered. Her heart rioted at the lack of emotion in his expression. It seemed so long ago that he’d looked at her with an abundance of adoration etched on his face. Where had all the love gone? Why was it so easy for him to keep such an emotional distance from her?
“Love one another.” It was God’s commandment, yet she and Case hadn’t even managed to get that right.
He looked different. Older. More mature, she realized. With his dark blonde hair and brooding good looks, he was an eye-catching man. He always had been. Women tended to gape at him when they passed by him, as if they couldn’t believe what their eyes had just seen. It had never made her jealous, not even a single time. Case had always made her secure in their love, until everything had fallen apart.
“Case,” she said in a cool voice that masked her nerves. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” he answered with a nod. “And you?” For a moment she saw something flicker in the brilliant gray-blue depths of his eyes. They softened imperceptibly. It quickly passed, leaving her to wonder if she’d imagined it.
“I can’t complain,” she said with a shrug. “But if I did, who would listen?” She tossed off the joke, hoping she might get a slight smile from Case. In return, she received nothing but a blank stare.
“I just need to get my briefcase from the car so we can start the meeting,” he said, nodding in the direction of a spot outside in the distance.
“I guess I’m right on time then,” she said in a chirpy voice. She smiled at him, willing him to smile back. Please smile at me. Please.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you inside,” he said as he stepped outside and away from her.
Suddenly, Fancy was finding it hard to breathe. She shut her eyes tightly and counted to ten.
You’re okay. The worst is over. Just breathe, she reminded herself. Everything will be fine.
“Are you all right?” The soft, feminine voice washed over her like a welcoming rain in summer. She opened her eyes. Charlotte Duvall was standing there, a concerned expression etched on her pretty, warm features.
Fancy held back tears. She didn’t want to go into this meeting a sobbing mess. The look on Charlotte’s face oozed compassion. Of all her friends, Charlotte was the most sensitive. Case’s sister reached out and patted Fancy’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. It was typical Charlotte, always trying to smooth things over and make them better.
Fancy hated the fact that she
had ruined the possibility of becoming Charlotte’s sister-in-law. Things between them had been slightly off-kilter ever since. And who could blame Charlotte for avoiding her like the plague? She had broken her brother’s heart and single-handedly ruined everything.
Fancy blinked back tears. “I’ll be fine. It was just a shock to see Case so up close and personal.”
Charlotte’s eyes were moist with her own unshed tears. “I’m so sorry, Fancy. Truly, I am.” Her voice came out low and whisper-like. Fancy wondered if she was trying to save her some embarrassment by speaking in such a low tone. Fancy would be mortified if Case came through the door and overheard his sister consoling her. It would be yet another humiliation.
Fancy straightened her shoulders. Her mother’s voice came to her, loud and strong. “Stand up straight and have some pride, Francine. Never let ‘em see you looking like a wet dishrag.”
“You could never look anything other than radiant,” Charlotte said.
“Thanks, Char. Let’s get this meeting going,” she said in a crisp voice. “Where are we meeting? In the library?”
Charlotte nodded, then cast her gaze toward the front door. “Why don’t you go ahead. I’ll just wait for Case.”
“Sure,” Fancy said with a nod, making her way to one of her favorite rooms in the place. On her way to the library, she passed by the antique bench she had picked up at an estate sale. It looked marvelous sitting here in the main hallway. Fancy stood up a little straighter, armed with the knowledge that she had done a great job with the interior design of Savannah House.
She crossed the threshold into the library. As a small child, she had fallen in love with this wondrous room. With its wall to wall books and gleaming wooden surfaces, the library had been her safe haven. As a teenager she’d come into this room to find classic stories that would whisk her away from Savannah and the typical dramas of her peers. In another life she might have become a writer herself. Had she been smarter, she thought ruefully. Her one talent had been being attractive, which wasn’t really a talent at all. It was genetics, DNA and pure dumb luck.
As soon as she stepped into the room she was greeted with a chorus of welcoming voices. Her four beautiful friends were sitting on a couch surrounded by a group of love seats. The sun slanted through the windows, bathing the room in glorious rays of autumn brilliance. The sunshine served as a gentle reminder of God’s presence. He was everywhere. His artistry colored their world. She felt a sense of rightness about having replaced the heavier drapes in the library with lighter, airier fabric. Although the room had always been stunning and stately, it now felt fresher.
“Fancy. You look wonderful,” Olivia gushed.
Fancy knew she looked her best since she’d tried on at least half a dozen dresses this morning. In the end, she’d decided on the cranberry-colored skirt with the matching cardigan and a cream-colored silk shirt. A pair of low heels in a nude color gave her outfit the perfect kick.
“Thanks,” she said. “And you look amazing as well. The newlywed life must be treating you well.” She cast an admiring glance at Callie, who looked happier than ever. Both Olivia and Callie had recently married their soulmates. Olivia had reunited with her youthful flame, Hunter Rawlings, while Callie had fallen in love with their childhood friend, Jax Holden. Fancy had been a bridesmaid in both weddings, which hadn’t been easy considering her own ill-fated wedding. “Both of you look spectacular, actually. I guess I’d be enjoying the married life too, if I hadn’t messed up so royally.”
A shocked silence ensued. Why had she just said that and opened up a can of worms? The words had just popped out of her mouth without her even realizing it. She had taken her innermost feelings and spewed them all over the room. Awkward to say the least.
