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Hope rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times.”
“But not from you, which makes it all the more special,” Grayson said.
Myrtle suddenly appeared at the table with their drinks. After placing them down on the table, she pulled out her pen and pad. “Ready to order? We have some specials today. Seafood gumbo. Shrimp and grits. And the fried chicken with collard greens. All the lunch specials come with cornbread and one of our sides.”
“Mmm. Everything looks good,” Hope said as she continued to eyeball the menu. She closed her menu. “I think I’m going to order the fried chicken and collard greens with a side of rice and beans. Two pieces of cornbread.”
Grayson nodded approvingly. He loved women who had healthy appetites and could order food with zest. Hope fell into that category.
Myrtle turned to him. “And what about you, handsome? What are you having?”
He closed his menu. “I’ll have what she’s having. The lady knows soul food.”
Grayson wasn’t entirely sure, but Myrtle looked a tad disappointed as she turned away from their table and walked toward the kitchen. Hope’s expression was bemused.
“So can I take you out sometime? Dinner? A little jazz music? Dancing?”
Hope twiddled her fingers. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Give me one decent reason,” he said in a blunt tone. If he was going down in flames, he was going to put up his dukes and fight it.
Hope opened her mouth, then quickly closed it. Her brow was furrowed. She seemed to be trying to come up with some excuse to not go out with him. “I think we should keep a professional distance. Nothing has been resolved about the lawsuit.” She bit her lip. “No one would understand if I suddenly went out on a date with you. I can’t jeopardize my friendships and my standing at Savannah House.”
“We’ve just agreed to handle things amicably. Neither side wants a lawsuit. I just want some insight into the Alexander family and their legacy.”
“So are you saying you filed the lawsuit for that reason?” Hope pressed.
“I wanted to be heard,” he admitted. “It’s a little more complicated than that, but what matters right now is that we’re agreeing to working together to resolve all the issues.”
Hope shot him a skeptical look.
He let out a sigh. Grayson didn’t blame Hope for not believing him. “I’m serious. Being here in Savannah and getting so close to the world famous resort my family created is food for the soul. I’ll admit I filed the suit for the wrong reasons.” He shook his head. “It would take a bit of time to tell you the reasons. All I can say with every ounce of sincerity I possess is that I don’t want to take away your livelihood. I want answers. And I think you can help me with that.”
Just then, Myrtle came back to the table, her hands full with their plates. “Here you go. Lunch is served. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Grayson looked down at his plate with appreciative eyes. “Go ahead. Dig in.” Hope spurred him on. “You won’t be disappointed.”
As he took his first bite of the fried chicken, Grayson knew he’d made the right decision in following Hope’s lead in ordering the special. He closed his eyes as the flavors hit his tongue. “Oh, this is lip smacking good,” Grayson cried out.
Hope grinned from across the table. “I hate to say I told you so, but—”
Grayson chuckled. “Something tells me you don’t hate to say I told you so.” Hope begin to giggle. Pretty soon they were both laughing. After a few moments they settled into a companionable silence as they began to focus on their meal. Grayson watched as Hope began to tuck into the food with gusto. For the first time in a long time, Grayson felt contentment rise up inside of him. Being with Hope and sharing a meal with her in this relaxed setting felt like a wonderful gift, one he wouldn’t take for granted.
In many ways the timing was all wrong for him and Hope. Grayson still had a lot of questions about his heritage and his blood ties to Hattie Alexander and Savannah House. He still hadn’t made peace with his father’s withholding crucial information about his heritage from him. Not to mention issues from the past that still tore him apart. He was a man who had obtained more success than most could ever dream possible, yet he still wasn’t happy. He was still searching for meaning.
But, aside from all those issues, he thought the timing for him and Hope was perfect. He was ready for something real. A meaningful relationship. For quite some time he’d been having conversations with the Lord about turning his life around. He’d asked the big guy upstairs to help him find peace amidst the storms of his life. His favorite verse from Ecclesiastes ran through his mind.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
As far as he was concerned, the time was now.
“Don’t ever turn away from a chance to connect with someone, to love someone. That’s what life is all about.” Fancy Duvall
Chapter Five
A few minutes into the meal, Hope excused herself for a few minutes so she could call Savannah House and find out if anyone had heard from Callie. After speaking to Olivia for a little bit, Hope discovered that so far no one had heard from Callie or Jax with any updates. All morning Hope had been praying for Callie, Jax and their unborn child. All she could do now was wait for word that everything was fine.
Taking a deep breath, Hope returned to the table. Having lunch with Grayson would serve as a distraction from Callie’s medical situation, if nothing else.
