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Callie swung her gaze in his direction and made a bee-line straight toward him.
She frowned at him, her pretty face slightly twisted with concern. “Where did you go? I’ve been looking for you.”
“My nose led me toward the kitchen,” he said, carefully avoiding the real reason he’d been in the kitchen. “I could have sworn I smelled hushpuppies. Thought I might try to sneak a taste.”
Callie playfully swatted at him. “I hope you didn’t say that to Morgan. The food she’s serving is a bit more upscale than hushpuppies.”
“Morgan isn’t fussy. She’d serve hushpuppies in a heartbeat,” he said, praying he wasn’t wearing his heart on his sleeve. It seemed near impossible to talk about Morgan without raving about her. In his eyes, she was pretty perfect. Except for the fact that she’d broken up with him! The thought popped into his brain, reminding him once again that he was far from over it.
Maybe just maybe they could be friends one day. He rid himself quickly of that notion. His heart was too far gone to ever be platonic with Morgan.
His sister grinned at him. “You’re right. Morgan has the skills of a cordon bleu chef, but the heart of a Savannah girl.”
Callie’s words summed Morgan up beautifully. Her down-to-earth nature was one of the qualifies that continued to endear her to him. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep the fake grin off his face. He was getting a little weary of pretending all was right in his world.
Callie tugged at his arm and pulled him into an alcove. Her emerald eyes radiated concern. “What’s wrong? You look worn out. I haven’t wanted to say anything, but ever since the accident…maybe before it, you’ve seemed a little bit distant.” Callie shrugged. “Something seems off.”
He didn’t make direct eye contact. His gaze focused on the floor. “Just busy at Duvall. Dad has been all over me about a few acquisitions. It’s been a little crazy. And the accident threw me off. It’s not every day that one gets mowed down by a car in downtown Savannah. Honestly, I’ve been feeling a bit sluggish when I work out.”
Callie’s frown deepened. “You need to discuss that with your doctor.”
He felt a smile tugging at his lips. He mock saluted Callie. “Yes, ma’am. Right away.”
Callie smirked at him. “You’re such a goofball. Do you know that?”
“You’ve been telling me ever since we were kids,” Luke said with a grin.
Callie reached out and squeezed his arm in a comforting gesture. “And I know daddy’s been pressuring you to get engaged. That type of interference can’t be welcomed.”
He shook his head. “There won’t be an engagement. And there won’t be a Duvall-Craddock merger. It’s not happening, Callie,” he spit out. “Not now or ever. At some point I have to be true to myself and stop going through the motions. I have to stop following marching orders. I can’t stand the way he tries to pull the strings. I would’ve thought he’d learned a few life lessons from what happened with you and Mac. I know you worked through those issues and chose to forgive, but from where I’m standing it still seems as if he has a desire to control the lives of his children.”
Callie’s eyes widened. She held up her hands. “Whoa. Where did all of that come from?”
Suddenly, it all became too much for him. The breakup with Morgan. The pressure placed on him by his father. The demands of Duvall Investments. The idea that he might be hurting Violet. Not to mention that he still felt like road kill after being dumped by the woman he loved. And he still had bumps and bruises from the accident. All in all, he was falling apart at the seams.
He threw his hands in the air. “I don’t love Violet. And please don’t say give it time, because it’s not happening. Violet is a wonderful woman. But she’s not the woman who keeps me up late at night when I can’t sleep. She’s not the one who haunts my dreams. She’s not the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.” As soon as the words burst out of his mouth, Luke wanted to rein them back in.
Tears sprang to Callie’s eyes and she let out a startled sound. “I-I…I had no idea there was someone else. W-why haven’t you said anything? Who is she?”
Luke reached out and placed his palm on his sister’s cheek. He hated the fact that he’d made Callie upset. Although she had a tough exterior, Callie was a marshmallow at her center—sensitive and prone to emotion. But he had grown weary of holding on to his feelings. Putting them out there felt good. He didn’t feel right about throwing Morgan’s name out there, considering the tight friendship between his sister and Morgan. For now he would just keep her identity to himself.
“Hey. Right now it’s your moment to shine.” He jutted his chin toward the parlor. “Everyone is assembling for the welcome reception. I’m about to blow the roof off with my hazel-eyed soulful singing. I’d like to continue this discussion over dinner in a few days.”
“Promise me we’ll do it soon,” Callie pleaded.
He reached for her hand and locked pinkies with her. “I promise.”
“I want you to be happy, Luke,” Callie said, dabbing away tears. “More than anyone else I know, you deserve it.”
There was no way to sugarcoat the fact that he wasn’t happy at the moment. Not by a long shot. “Me too, sis.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward the parlor. The room was full of smiling guests who were already enjoying refreshments. Wait staff clad in white circulated the room serving the appetizers and a choice of sparkling champagne and cider. His eyes immediately gravitated toward Morgan, who stood off to the side of the room surveying everything. Decked out in an emerald green dress, Morgan was stunning. There was something about the way she stood that seemed regal. She made no attempt to meet his gaze, although he had the feeling she was well aware of his presence.
He moved toward the side window, waiting for Callie to give him the high sign so he could perform. Nervous energy flowed through him, the same way it always did right before he performed. A slight clanging noise rang out. Olivia stood by the entryway, tapping a spoon lightly against her champagne flute. When all eyes had turned toward her, she began to speak. “I would like to welcome everyone to Savannah House. As our first guests, all we can say is thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting this venture that is so near and dear to our hearts. You’ve traveled from far and wide to enjoy a stay here and we are committed to making this an unforgettable experience. So…drink up, eat up and please let us know what we can do to be of service to you during your stay here on Tybee Island.”
Callie stepped forward. “For your listening pleasure, I’d like to introduce my brother, the incredibly talented, Luke Duvall.” She began clapping. “Take it away, Luke.”
Luke reached for his guitar case and stepped forward. A stool had been placed at the front of the room so he could sit down while performing. Luke sat down and opened his guitar case, pulling out the instrument. He looked up and addressed the group—all of whom were focused on him. He cleared his throat. “Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Luke and I’m blessed to know these six incredible woman, one of whom is my own sister, Callie. They’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the relaunch of Savannah House. I hope y’all enjoy it. To welcome you to Savannah House I’m going to sing one of my favorites, an original song about coming home again to a place that knows you like no other.”
No one in this room knew Morgan was the inspiration for this song. It was a love song straight from his heart. He closed his eyes and began to strum his guitar, pouring out an emotional tornado as he sang the words about love and loss and holding on to faith. As the song wound to a close he opened his eyes. Morgan was in his line of vision, standing before him with such a look of heartfelt longing in her eyes that it threatened to bring him to his knees. They locked gazes, and for a few beats, there was nothing more than two souls connecting as one. His chest tightened, and he felt certain his heart was swelling to four times its normal size.
