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“Hello, Trina. It’s great to see you again. Welcome to Savannah House,” Charlotte said, sticking out her hand and shaking Trina’s.

Trina smiled at her and paused to introduce her to the man standing next to her. “Charlotte, this is Eric, my photographer. He also happens to be my husband.”

“Nice to meet you, Eric,” Charlotte said, admiring the way the couple looked standing side by side. Eric was tall and lean while Trina was short and curvy. They radiated joy.

Charlotte waved them inside Savannah House. Trina let out a sigh as she gazed around her.

“It’s just as stunning as I remember it,” Trina said in a gushing voice.

“Have you been here before?” asked Charlotte.

Trina nodded. Her eyes began to moisten. “Forgive me. Journalists are expected to be rather unemotional. My grandmother raised me. She used to bring me here for a special treat. We would sit outside on the patio and enjoy high tea in the afternoon.” She shook her head. “I’ll never forget that.”

“Thanks for sharing that memory with me, Trina. I used to come here as a little girl too. I think that’s when I fell in love with Savannah House. One time I ventured upstairs when my mother wasn’t looking and I found Miss Hattie’s bedroom. Believe it or not I went over to her vanity and began spraying on her perfume and using her special comb and brush. All of a sudden I looked in the mirror above the vanity and I saw Miss Hattie’s reflection staring back at me. She was standing right behind me.”

“Oh wow,” Eric said, letting out a low whistle. “You were busted. What did she say?”

Charlotte laughed at the memory. “She asked me if I liked her Chanel No. 5 perfume and then began to comb my hair.”

“That’s incredible,” Tina said, wrinkling her nose. “She wasn’t mad?”

Charlotte felt an ache as memories of Miss Hattie washed over her. She had been a spectacular woman. “Not at all. She loved children so much and she always had a gentle way about her. She wasn’t a saint by any means. Miss Hattie could get angry. But it was usually when someone was being cruel or unkind. She didn’t tolerate bullies.”

“No she didn’t. Not one bit.” Callie had come up behind Charlotte. She stuck out her hand in greeting to Eric and Trina as they all introduced themselves.

One by one the other women drifted in to the main foyer. Morgan was dressed in her chef’s apron and hat while Hope had a baby monitor at her hip.

Eric arranged them in various rooms to take group shots of them. He led them outside to the gardens to take individual shots. Charlotte tried not to feel awkward about getting her picture taken. All of the other ladies seemed so elegant and flawless. They were beautiful. She, on the other hand, felt like the plain Jane of the group.

“Just relax, Charlotte,” Eric instructed as he snapped her picture.

Charlotte tried to breathe in and out in an effort to appear more relaxed.

“Think of something that makes you smile,” Eric suggested.

A smile tugged at the corner of Charlotte’s lips. She thought about Miss Hattie and the inheritance of Savannah House and how all of her best friends had been reunited. They were now all running an inn together! And their friendships were back on track. They were incredibly blessed.

“That’s the money shot,” Eric said in a voice filled with triumph. He took a few more shots, then moved the camera away from his eyes. “I got some great pics of you, Charlotte.”

“Thanks for doing this, Eric,” she said, feeling relieved the photo shoot was over.

Since it was rather difficult to take all of the ladies away from their posts to do one big interview, Trina broke it down into smaller groups. Charlotte and Callie were interviewed together.

“Living up to the Duvall name in Savannah must be difficult. Did either of you feel the weight of that during the renovation of Savannah house?” Trina asked.

Callie looked over at Charlotte. “Speaking for myself, I didn’t. Each of us had a unique relationship with Miss Hattie, and throughout the process of renovating Savannah House she was the one person I didn’t want to disappoint.”

Charlotte nodded in agreement. “She entrusted us with this wonderful place. It’s really a monument to her family and legacy. We’re doing the best we can to keep it alive. And our families haven’t been a part of this at all.” Charlotte chuckled. “They’ve just given their support from a distance.”

Trina was eagerly jotting down notes. “Savannah House is a very romantic place. I know you’ve hosted a few weddings with one very special one coming up between Fancy and Case. What’s the most romantic moment so far in your life?”

“That’s easy,” Callie said. “The moment Jax first told me he loved me. I knew right then we would ride off into the sunset together.”

“How sweet,” Trina said, turning her gaze toward Charlotte. “And you, Charlotte?”

Charlotte felt dumbfounded. And pathetic. Although she’d had a few boyfriends there had never been a single moment in her entire life where she had been swept off her feet. Suddenly, more than ever, she felt like the wallflower at the dance. She tried to keep her voice light and untroubled as she said, “I don’t have any romantic highs, Trina. Love hasn’t found me yet.”

Callie reached over and patted her on the knee. “It will though, Charlotte. When you least expect it. Bam.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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