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“The moment I stepped into the kitchen I spotted the containers from the Harbor side in your trash bin. They don’t call me Nancy Drew for nothing.”
“I forgot to hide the evidence.” He slapped his palm against his forehead.“Either way, are you enjoying the food?”
“It’s delicious. Nothing can compare to the restaurants here in Savannah, not even New York City.” Hometown pride rang out in her voice.
“How was New York? It must have been so different from Savannah.” For so long he’d been curious about Fancy’s life in the Big Apple. Because of their estrangement, he hadn’t been able to ask her any questions about life in such a bustling, immense city. And whenever Charlotte had brought up Fancy, he had avoided the subject like the plague. He had always acted indifferent, but his sister had always been able to see his truths. Charlotte had always known that he had never gotten over the love of his life.
Fancy’s expression was thoughtful. “New York City was fine. For a while. I went there to reinvent myself and to pursue modeling opportunities.” She shrugged. “It was lonely though. A big city with concrete and skyscrapers. It rea
lly makes you feel insignificant in the scheme of things.”
“I can’t imagine you ever feeling that way, Fancy. You stand out no matter where you are. I’m sure you left your mark in the Big Apple.”
“I think New York didn’t quite know what to make of me,” she said with a laugh. “And that’s okay, because it wasn’t my destiny. New York is a wonderful city, but I truly feel that Savannah is where I’m meant to be. And I’m never going to run away from Savannah. Not ever again.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Case said, locking eyes with her. “I missed you. Even when I was angry and disenchanted and distancing myself from you, there was always a part of me that felt empty. There was a void where you should have been.”
She looked across the table at him, feeling a huge groundswell of emotion for this amazing, soulful man who had captured her heart for all eternity. She’d missed him terribly after she’d moved to New York. Living in Savannah after their broken engagement would have gutted her. And with all the rumors swirling about her and Marc, there had been no place for her in Savannah. She would always be grateful to New York City for being her haven during a time when she was lost—emotionally and spiritually. But for now and always, Savannah would be home.
**
All day he’d been bracing himself for this awkward conversation with Fancy. He hated the idea of even speaking Marc’s name, but he knew it was necessary. Case had no intention of dredging up everything from the past. To do so would be extremely dangerous for their present relationship. Everything between them was so new and fresh. Talking about past mistakes would be walking a slippery slope.
After dinner he was standing next to Fancy as they loaded the dishwasher with the supper plates and utensils. Before he’d completely figured out how to phrase his question, words came flying out of his mouth. “So have you seen Marc since he’s been back in town?”
Case tried to throw out the question in an unassuming way, but it felt like he’d just tossed a live grenade at her.
Fancy’s eyes widened to the point where she resembled a startled deer. “I-I ran into him at the market.”
Case felt as if a heavy object was lodged in his chest.“I hate to bring this up, but I’ve been hearing gossip for the past few days…about you and Marc meeting up and seeing each other.”
“What?” Fancy laid a plate down on the counter with a bang. “That’s a lie! Why would people make up rumors like that?”
Case shrugged. “I have no clue. Some people have nothing better to do than to try and wreak havoc in other people’s lives.”
“It’s so frustrating,” Fancy moaned. “I hate that type of viciousness.”
Case continued to pack up the dishwasher while Fancy seemed to be processing what he’d told her about the latest rumors about her and Marc.
“So, why didn’t you tell me that you ran into Marc?”
She leaned over to place a few dishes in the dishwasher. “It just happened this morning.”
“So you were going to bring it up?” He hated the sharpness of his voice, but it was too late to pull the words back in.
“Yes, I was. Maybe not tonight, but eventually. It was nothing. Less than nothing. We ran into each other at the farmer’s market. It was awkward and sad actually.”
Case wrinkled his brow. “Sad? How so?”
She let out a huff of air. “His father is sick and he felt so bad about…what happened two years ago that he left Savannah as some sort of penance.” She fiddled with her fingers as she spoke. “He’s lost a lot of time with his family. And for what? He’s a good person, Case. That hasn’t changed.”
“Sounds like you’re still very fond of him.” He hated the way his voice sounded. Curt. Resentful. Jealous.
She reached out and touched his arm. “You have nothing to worry about. In case you were worrying or wondering.”
Case clenched his jaw. “I know, Fancy. And I’m sorry to question you. It’s just a reflex.”
“Are we okay? I want you to be able to trust me, to know that I’m not hiding anything from you.” He could see the stress and strain emanating from her eyes.
