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“What?” Callie exploded.
Olivia’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious?”
“Oh my goodness!” Fancy exclaimed, holding on to Ella even tighter.
Hope nodded. “I hate to be the bearer of such bad news, but we should all be on alert. He’s shown up like the proverbial bad penny.”
Morgan let out a low whistle. “This cannot be good. Not in any way, shape or form.”
Olivia nodded at Morgan. “Well we know he hasn’t dropped in to wish us glad tidings.” Her tone oozed sarcasm.
Callie let out a groan. “I can’t believe it. Actually I can believe it. I was up last night not feeling well and—”
Olivia frowned. “Callie, are you all right? You’ve been sick a lot lately.”
Callie smiled. “I guess the cat is out of the bag. I’m pregnant. Jax and I are expecting a little nugget in seven months or so.” Callie covered her ears before the hoopla began.
Everyone started shouting at once and rejoicing over the joyful news. Olivia leaned over and hugged Callie, while everyone else stood up from their chairs and quickly made their way over toward her. They all began to embrace one another. The mood felt festive and light-hearted. Joy hung in the air. Everyone was laughing and crying and rejoicing.
Hope wiped away tears from her cheeks. “Oh, Callie. I’m so happy our kids will grow up together.” She looked around her at her best friends. “The rest of you need to catch up with the two of us.” Hope didn’t say it out loud, but next time she gave birth she would be someone’s wife. She prayed God would point a good man in her direction.
“This is so exciting,” Morgan said. “Now I can live vicariously through your pregnancy before Luke and I start a family of our own. We’re not quite ready for kids as of yet.”
“I can’t wait to start a family,” Fancy said. “I don’t mind telling you that Case and I are trying for a baby.” Fancy ducked her head down, her cheeks blushing. “God willing, we’ll have a little one to play alongside your kids, Hope and Callie.”
“You’re going to be a mother,” Olivia said, right before she let out a squeal of excitement.
Callie beamed. “Thanks for all the support. This is going to be an exciting journey for Jax and me. If anyone had told me a year ago I’d be married to my childhood nemesis, Jax Holden, and expecting a baby while being co-owner of Savannah House, I would have told them they were plum crazy.” Callie shook her head, her titian curls bouncing past her shoulders.
The girls all laughed, each one knowing, Hope imagined, how quickly all of their lives had changed.
“Blessings abound, cousin,” Charlotte said, pressing a kiss against Callie’s cheek.
“I hate to be a killjoy, but we’ve got to wrap this meeting up, because we’ve all got to go back to our posts,” Fancy said, wincing slightly as Ella tugged on a few strands of her hair.
Hope had known that calling the meeting during the morning rush would be chaotic, but the presence of Grayson Holloway here on Tybee Island was a hot button topic. Although they had hired part-time college students to help out at Savannah House, all of the women knew it was imperative that their presence was felt at the resort at all times. This meeting would be short and the very opposite of sweet. They would all be feeling wary now, waiting and wondering what in the world Grayson Holloway was up to with his latest move.
“But what’s our next step?” Morgan asked, her brows furrowed.
Hope shrugged. “I suggest we remain on guard. The other shoe might be about to drop. His attorney might up the ante and try to get us to settle the lawsuit for a nice sum of money.”
Charlotte groaned. “We don’t have that type of money. Not yet anyway. Savannah House is making a profit, but we don’t have the luxury of paying off Holloway. It would put a serious dent in our accounts.”
Olivia folded her arms across her chest. “I refuse to even think about that. Just because he’s filed paperwork doesn’t mean he has a legit case. Even if he is kin to Miss Hattie, she had a will that didn’t mention him whatsoever. That will is binding. Showing up here in Savannah won’t change that.”
Callie bit her lip. “The problem is, he can prove to be a nuisance and tie us up for a very long time in costly litigation.”
Morgan sighed. “He could bankrupt us.”
“No!” Hope cried out. “That’s not going to happen. We have to stay positive. This place means way too much to all of us to allow one person to derail all of our hopes and dreams. This is Ella’s future, as well as the future for all of our children. It’s important for each one of us and the people who mean the most to us.”
“Amen, sister,” Charlotte said with a fierce nod. She looked at her watch. “I’ve only got a few more minutes. I have to run into Savannah for that news piece they’re running on Savannah House. Plus I’m meeting Marc so we can taste cakes for the wedding.”
Charlotte was marrying Marc Cabron, the love of her life. Although the wedding wasn’t scheduled until the fall, the couple wanted every detail to be locked down.
“One moment,” Callie said, holding up her finger. Her expression was troubled. “I realized something last night. Miss Hattie gave me a big hint about her past and about her love affair with Samuel.”
Hope frowned. “What do you mean? What kind of big hint?”
