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Three pairs of eyes focused on him like laser beams.
He cut them off at the pass. “No. That is not part of the equation. I am not going out with Meryl to get at Fancy,” he protested. “That’s not my style.”
“Let’s hope Fancy sees it that way,” Luke said with a smirk. “Those two can’t stand each other.”
Case shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels. “Fancy doesn’t have a say in any of this. That ship sailed a long time ago,” he snapped. “Furthermore, their animosity was ages ago. Some of us have grown up in the last decade or so.”
Luke held up his hands. “All right. Take it easy. Why don’t you take my place and unleash some of that energy?”
Luke shoved a pool cue at Case. He knew Luke was right. It was his way to bottle everything up inside until it all came spewing out. It wasn’t healthy. He needed to focus his energies on other things in his life than a former fiancée who hadn’t loved him enough to stay away from another man. He gritted his teeth. After all this time it still made him seethe. This was no way to live.
After an hour of playing several rounds of pool, they all sat down to eat. Chicken wings. Mozzarella sticks. Burgers and fries. Pitchers of beer. The perfect food for billiards night with the boys. Nice, easy and laid back.
“So what is it that you like about Meryl?” Jax asked. The question made Case want to groan. He really didn’t want anyone to focus on the fact that he was casually dating Meryl. It would be crass to admit it out loud, but he didn’t see a future with Meryl. He was just having casual, light-hearted fun.
“She’s uncomplicated,” Case said after swallowing a mouthful of burger. “She doesn’t play games.”
“Uncomplicated? Is that a good thing these days?” Hunter asked, scratching his jawline. “One of the things I love about Olivia is that she’s multi-faceted. She’s sweet but sassy at times. She was raised in the lap of luxury, yet she has such simple wants. She’s strong yet vulnerable.” Hunter shivered. “She’s my perfect match.”
Case shrugged. He hadn’t ever really thought about it. It wasn’t as if Meryl was his girlfriend or anything. “I don’t know. She’s simple. She’s pretty but not the most beautiful girl in the world. She dresses okay, but doesn’t walk around like a fashion model.”
“Sounds like she’s low maintenance,” Luke said with a shrug.
Jax shook his head and let out a groan. “If no one else is going to say it, I will.” He banged his palm down on the table. “It sounds to me that you’re not picking Meryl at all. You’re spending time with her because she’s the very opposite of Fancy. You’re rejecting Fancy. And that can only mean one thing.”
Case sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “And that is?”
“You’re still into her,” Hunter said with a grin. “You haven’t gotten over Fancy. Not by a long shot.”
Case scowled at his friends. He opened his mouth to say something, but he ended up closing his mouth and saving himself some embarrassment. Although he didn’t like to hear it verbalized, he knew Hunter and Jax were right. He wasn’t over Fancy. And he seriously doubted whether he ever would be.
**
Another day at Savannah House. Another day that brought them one step closer to opening the doors of their inn and launching the reboot of the historic bed and breakfast. Just the thought of it brought a smile to Fancy’s face. Every day she was feeling stronger about being back in Savannah. She knew without a doubt that it was due to two things: Savannah House and her friends. They were the only things that distracted her from her tangled past with Case.
Now if only things would go smoothly today with Case. She prayed that his mood was more civil than it had been the other day. There was no need to make everyone else feel uncomfortable being in their presence. People broke up every day. It didn’t have to be a colossal drama. Lines didn’t need to be drawn in the sand. And no one should feel forced to take sides! Increasingly, she was beginning to wonder if both Charlotte and Callie felt torn in two by the issue.
By the time Case walked into Savannah House, Fancy had already situated herself next to Hope and Morgan on the couch. It had been a deliberate action on her part. There couldn’t be anything more painful than to sit next to the man she loved yet not be able to touch him or talk to him. Today she was going to be sparing herself a world of hurt and torment.
Ouch! Not so fast! Suddenly, it felt as if someone had reached inside her chest and squeezed her heart.
Did he have to look so gorgeous today? Couldn’t he ever just look normal? Like your average, run-of-the-mill guy? Nope. Instead he resembled a movie star reporting to the set to shoot a scene. Did his white shirt have to look so crisp? His suit jacket so sharp and well-tailored? His face so jaw-droppingly handsome?
He swung his gaze toward her as if he felt her intense stare. Fancy felt like a deer caught in the head lights. For a moment the room stilled and hushed. Everyone seemed to feel the tension. Something urged her to look away, but she couldn’t. It felt like she was being pulled toward him by a magnet.
The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the connection. Case’s jaw hardened and he looked away. She felt Morgan’s hand squeezing her own in a gesture of solidarity. Fancy squeezed back, letting Morgan know without saying a word that she felt her support and appreciated it.
For the next hour they discussed the legalities of conducting wedding ceremonies at Savannah House, zoning issues, food license requirements and sales tax issues. Fancy’s eyes were beginning to glaze over. Frankly, she was more interested in the creative aspects of the hotel such as interior design, decorating, painting and the accommodations. So far she had worked hand in hand with the painters and a few furniture warehouse companies. Every last detail of Savannah House’s new aesthetic had been left to her judgment. Although they were still awaiting the bulk of the furniture deliveries, Fancy knew that the color palettes she had chosen for the walls was impeccable.
It felt gratifying to hear the other girls rave about her color choices and how beautifully updated the walls looked due to her hard work. Finally, she’d found something she was good at. Although everyone in New York had raved about her modeling abilities, it hadn’t been a career she’d felt proud of. In the beginning it had made her feel important, but all too soon she’d been jaded by the meaningless nature of it all.
Being part of Savannah House was giving her life a new focus. And suddenly, she felt extremely proud of her contributions to the resort.
“Does anyone remember where we put the boxes of brochures? The ones Miss Hattie used in the past?” Callie asked. “I think we could learn a lot by looking at them. Savannah House was very successful back in the day.”
“Fancy, didn’t you put those boxes in storage?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes, I put them back in the attic for safekeeping. I can go up and get them if you want. I know just where I placed them.” Fancy stood up. She was almost eager to get some breathing room away from Case’s close proximity. With his suit jacket and tie, he looked gorgeous. He was proving to be way too much of a distraction. Several times her gaze had strayed in his direction.
