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“And you were sent away?” She didn’t mean to pry, but the words had just slipped out of her mouth. Suddenly, she wanted to know all about Grayson’s experiences. Although she wasn’t sure it was wise, she had turned a corner. She cared about Grayson.
“Yes. That changed me forever. It was a cruel place. It broke me down.” He waved his hand at her. “It’s a story for another time. I don’t want to bring the mood down by talking about it.”
Instinctively, Hope reached across the table and gripped Grayson’s hand. She could tell by his demeanor that the memories were incredibly painful. Even though Grayson’s personality was laid-back, this particular topic seemed a bit taboo. Perhaps he couldn’t deal with the agony it dredged up. It hurt her heart to think he’d been mistreated.
“Thanks for sharing that information with me. I hope it didn’t seem like I was prying.”
“Not at all,” Grayson said with a shaky grin. “Now you have to tell me something about yourself.”
Just then the pizza arrived, piping hot and smelling delicious.
“Saved by the pizza,” Hope teased.
Grayson winked at her from across the table. “It’s just a reprieve. I want to know all about you, Hope. The good, bad and the ugly.”
Hope tensed up. The ugly. She didn’t want Grayson to know about her disastrous relationship with Ross. She still felt such shame about it. How could she ever explain to him that she’d been played for a fool? She’d fallen in love with a married man and hadn’t even realized his marital status until it was too late. He’d charmed and seduced her. In one reckless moment Hope had compromised her morals and been intimate with Ross. There was no way Grayson would ever understand her foolish choices. It made her feel like a failure.
The pizza tasted like sawdust in her mouth. She didn’t know what the future held for her and Grayson. They weren’t exactly an item, but she knew he was interested in her. Hope couldn’t deny her own feelings toward him. They were growing by leaps and bounds every day. This afternoon she’d seen a vulnerable side of him when he talked about his father. He was so much more than the arrogant man she’d believed him to be when they’d first met. Something told her if she scratched his surface even more she would find a sparkling brilliant diamond.
“When you meet the one your whole life turns on a dime. Everything changes. And if he’s the one it will change for the better.” Olivia Renault Rawlings
Chapter Seven
Grayson sat in his work room and tried his best to focus on the work in progress in front of him. He let out a groan as the realization hit him that no sketch could ever live up to the raw beauty and appeal of Hope Matthews. As an artist it was frustrating to not be able to capture your subject the way you envisioned. This wasn’t a problem Grayson ran into very often.
His feelings for Hope were clouding his artistic vision.
It was time to get up and take a break. It was important to get a new perspective when you hit walls like this. Grayson stood up and stretched. He walked toward his front door and wrenc
hed it open to allow the warm spring sunshine to float inside.
A beautiful peacock blue envelope sat at his doorstep. It looked like an invitation, but he couldn’t imagine anyone local who might invite him to a function. For the most part, no one knew where he lived. For professional reasons he hadn’t given out his address on Tybee Island or listed it on his website. In the past he’d had a few fans who had tracked him down and given him a little bit of a scare. He’d learned well from those occasions.
He ripped the envelope open and slid out the card inside. He was right. It was an invitation to a spring soiree at Savannah House. Grayson smiled as he looked at the fancy gold lettering. Hope had sent him this invite. Just the thought of her thinking about him made his chest puff out. This invitation meant she believed he was kin to Miss Hattie. Did it also mean she was interested in getting to know him better? As more than just friends?
In the last week he’d been a visitor at Savannah House on several occasions. He had met all of the co-owners of the resort. All of the ladies were beautiful and well spoken. They clearly loved the resort and were working hard to make it a successful venture. They spoke of Miss Hattie in glowing terms. Clearly, they had adored her.
Every moment Grayson spent at Savannah House provided him with opportunities to learn more about the Alexander legacy, in particular, Miss Hattie. Now that he’d met all the other owners of Savannah House, he found himself thoroughly impressed. Each and every one of them had treated him with kindness. No one seemed to be harboring any resentment against him.
Callie seemed to know the most about Hattie and Samuel’s love story. Grayson ate up every detail. He felt as if he was transported back in time every time he heard stories about the couple celebrating at a holiday party at Savannah House or their first meeting at Miss Hattie’s college dance.
Grayson looked again at the fancy invite. He might need to get a tux for the event. He wasn’t exactly a tux kind of guy, but if it impressed Hope, Grayson would do it in a heartbeat. His feelings for Hope were growing by leaps and bounds. He was going to attend the spring soiree for two reasons. He wanted to be at an event so he could see Savannah House in all her restored glory. More importantly, he wanted to be around Hope—to look at her, to hear the sound of her voice, to talk to her. If he had to put on a monkey suit to make it happen, then so be it.
**
If Hope hadn’t been so excited about the spring soiree she might have skipped the event altogether. It was too late to back out, and she could never bow out of an event she’d helped to coordinate. Her love for Savannah House wouldn’t allow it. Not to mention she’d invited Grayson to come out tonight to the party. What would he think if she wasn’t there?
Even though Hope loved Ella to pieces, her daughter had fussed and cried about the prospect of Hope leaving her for the evening. Finally, after feeding her dinner then giving her a bath and singing to her as she lay in her crib, Ella had drifted off to slumber. Exhausted, Hope had taken a shower and then glammed herself up. She’d placed her long hair in an elegant up-do and used kohl eyeliner to accentuate her dark, almond-shaped eyes. A pair of sapphire earrings gave her a regal look. All in all, Hope felt as if she cleaned up fairly well. She chuckled, knowing no one would guess that an hour ago her T shirt had been smeared with baby food.
When she walked out of her bedroom, Clara clapped loudly at the sight of her.
“Oh Hope, you look like a movie star,” her nanny gushed.
“Thank you, Clara. It feels nice to have a reason to get decked out.”
“That dress is a show stopper.” Clara’s voice was filled with admiration. The dress—a purchase from a vintage store in downtown Savannah—had been a good purchase, even though it had cost a little more than Hope had wanted to spend.
Hope looked down at her ice blue sparkly dress. It shimmered and shined in spectacular fashion. Hope didn’t usually wear dresses like this one. She usually shied away from making a big fashion statement. For some reason, she’d wanted to shine tonight. Perhaps it had a lot to do with Grayson, she admitted to herself. Hopefully he would be making an appearance tonight. She’d sent him a last minute invitation to the event and she wasn’t sure if he’d RSVP’d or not. Something told her he’d be there tonight. She was crossing her fingers.
