The Better Man

by Len Webster

  Just like Alex and Evan.

  But Savannah didn’t have a good track record when it came to men.

  They only seemed to find the intricate and unique ways to hurt her.

  “Savannah, wanna come get lunch to get through this dragging hump day of a Wednesday?” her boss, Montana Carpenter, asked as she approached Savannah’s desk. Monty, as everyone called her, was in her mid-thirties and already a senior marketer at Fillmore Marketing and Media.

  Savannah’s father worked in the media sector of the company, helping with lights and cameras. Getting a job at FMM wasn’t hard after having helped during the holidays and breaks while at college. After Savannah was hired as a paid intern, Monty was promoted when their previous and total jerk of a boss was offered a job in DC. So Savannah moved from being a paid intern doing remedial jobs to being a part of the marketing team with Monty as her mentor.

  Monty’s offer of lunch came at the perfect time because she needed to get out of the office and try to forget her conversation with her mother. Setting down the frame, she glanced up at her boss. “Sure. Lunch sounds great.”

  “Aw. Is that a new picture of your goddaughter?” Monty asked as she brushed her shoulder-length straight black hair behind her ear.

  Savannah smiled. “It is. Isn’t she just the cutest?”

  Her boss nodded. “She’s gotten so big. God, she has the best mix of Australian and American in her. Those big green eyes are to die for.”

  Reaching over, Savannah adjusted the frame so it lined up with the picture of Savannah and her best friend on Alex’s wedding day. Savannah was Alex’s maid of honor. Seeing how far her best friend and husband had come was incredible. They had lost their way so many times but proved that they were meant to be.

  Savannah’s life changed the moment she met Alexandra Gilmore. When she arrived at Duke, she anticipated the worst four years of her life after being cut off. But little did she know that her Australian roommate from Boston, Massachusetts, would become her best friend. And that best friend would have a daughter. A daughter Savannah was honored to be godmother to.

  Miller Gilmore was the most beautiful little girl Savannah had ever seen. Being called Savvy always made her smile. Every milestone Miller made, Alex made sure to share it with Savannah. She always tried to visit at least one weekend a month to spend time with Miller, so Boston had quickly become her second home. But she last saw her goddaughter almost six weeks ago since Alex left a month earlier than expected to set up for her three-month summer teaching job in England at Oxford University. She would finish in late August before Miller’s second birthday in September. It had been almost a month since Alex left, and Evan and their daughter were still adjusting without her.

  This weekend was the only time Savannah could visit before Evan and Miller left for Oxford to spend a week with Alex. Savannah was ready. She had only three days left of work before she would drive to Boston, Massachusetts, from Montpelier, Vermont. The three-hour drive didn’t bother Savannah much. With how busy she was at work, she couldn’t find the time to sit and read like she used to. Now, whenever she had a long drive or was stuck in traffic, she would listen to the latest must-read romance audiobooks. It kept her company and definitely entertained. She even had to keep Kleenex in her car for the angsty books she listened to.

  “They look so happy together in England,” Monty said, pointing at the picture of Alex, Evan, and Miller in London. “Do you think they’ll move there?”

  Savannah shook her head as she got out of the chair, bent down, and picked up her purse by the filing cabinet. She set the strap on her shoulder and faced her boss. Her dark brown eyes gleamed with curiosity. “As much as Alex enjoys teaching at Oxford, she misses Boston and Harvard. But she misses her family more. She’s literally counting the days until they visit.”

  Monty smiled. “You want that, too, huh?”

  “Want what?” Savannah asked as she reached up and pulled at her curly ponytail to tighten the band around her hair.

  “A family. What they have.”

  Savannah laughed. It sounded a little off since she had just had the same conversation with her mother, so she decided to play it off. “I mean, who doesn’t want a soul mate and the cutest little girl as a daughter? And Evan isn’t half bad looking.”

  Monty reached over and picked up the framed photograph of the Gilmores and pointed at Evan. “Half bad looking? Savannah, he’s drop-dead gorgeous. And his brother, the captain of the Red Sox, is even hotter. There must be something in that Boston water because …” She pointed at Evan and Alex, and then at their daughter. “These two made this beautiful baby together.”

  Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the frame from her boss and set it on the desk. “Let’s go to lunch before I have to explain to your husband why you have baby fever again.”

  “Ha! That’s barely a threat because I’m pretty sure he has it, too, with how he claws at my—”

  “Stop,” Savannah groaned. “I don’t need to know about my boss’s activities outside the workplace.”

  Monty winked. “No, you don’t. Come on, let’s go eat. It’s my treat since you had to stay late last week for that meeting with Samuels.”

  Growing up in the South never prepared Savannah for how beautiful New England was. When she left North Carolina to move with her father to Vermont, Savannah didn’t realize how much she would love everything about New England. The mix of brown, orange, and green trees during fall. The bright and colorful flowers in spring. It was a breathtaking part of the world—except for the winters. The first winter she spent in Montpelier made her miss her hometown of Southport, North Carolina. Winter was the only time she ever missed it. Missed the warm summers and Mrs. Keller’s sweet tea by the water. There was no denying how much she missed Mr. Keller, her mother’s butler, and Mrs. Keller, too. What she didn’t miss was her social climbing mother or her needy, dreamless ex-boyfriend, and she definitely didn’t miss how everyone knew her business before she did.

  In Vermont, Savannah was free to be who she wanted. She didn’t have to be pristine or proper. She didn’t have to follow her mother’s rules and expectations or protect her image. Being a Peters used to come with pride, but as she grew up, that pride was misplaced. Her mother had supposedly found it in status and was ignorant to how she treated people—Savannah’s father included. He tried. God bless that man because he did. He was patient and took all her insults and foul moods behind closed doors. When he finally called it quits, the divorce was ugly and dragged through Savannah’s senior year of high school. It was finalized the summer before her freshman year of college, and Savannah joined her father in Vermont, deciding to call Montpelier home when she wasn’t at Duke. Savannah had hoped for a clean break from her mother but was soon threatened with being cut off.

  Savannah was left with nothing.

  Everything she was entitled to was gone.

  In a way, it made her stronger. It forced her to take a good hard look at the life she was living. She didn’t want to be stuck in Southport like her mother. She wanted more than what North Carolina offered her. And her high school ex-boyfriend was definitely another offer she was willing to pass on. Just the thought of him made her want to gag. Apparently, he still loved her, but Savannah wasn’t an idiot. He hadn’t made it to college football, and she was his meal ticket. But Savannah was no meal ticket. She was the CEO of her life, and that was the only position she was going to keep.

  Today was a surprisingly sunny Saturday and three days since her frustrating conversation with her mother. As Savannah locked her Toyota sedan, she sighed at the sight of her new car. Though her car did the job, it was nearing twelve years old and wouldn’t likely last another year or two. Her beloved truck had died almost eight months ago, and she had saved a few thousand dollars for the Toyota. When she had no car, she took the train to Boston to visit. It took her six months to save and finally be able to get her car. The downside to the Toyota was that it always smelled oddly of spaghetti, so Sava
nnah kept eight pine tree air fresheners hanging from the rearview mirror.

  “You did well, Betsy,” Savannah praised as she patted the roof of her dark gray car. She named it after one of the cow farms she usually drove past as she went through New Hampshire. Leaving her car, Savannah glanced at the sun, feeling its warmth on her skin. It was the middle of May, and summer was just a month away. Savannah always found summers in New England strange. It was hot but a different kind from the South. It was hard to explain, but sometimes, it just felt like humidity and heat had bad sex.

  Once she reached her favorite twenty-four-hour diner, The Red Arrow, in Manchester, New Hampshire, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Unsurprisingly, the diner was as busy as ever. Savannah spotted one lonely red vinyl barstool at the far end of the bar and made her way toward it. As she sat down, her favorite waitress greeted her with a loving smile.

  “Why, hello, Savannah. It’s been a while,” Mrs. Deloris said as she pulled her notepad from the pocket of her red shirt.

  “It has,” she agreed as she set her purse on the counter and took in the busy diner. “The diner’s busy.”

  Mrs. Deloris, who was a forty-three-year-old soccer mom, nodded. “Rumor has it a big city mayor is stopping by today on his way to announce his run for presidency. So the town and some tourists have been ordering all morning as they wait for him. I’m glad you were able to find a seat.”

  “Me, too,” she said as she set down her keys.

  “The usual?”

  She nodded. “Yes, please. Thank you, Mrs. Deloris.”

  “You’re very welcome, Savannah,” she replied as she wrote down Savannah’s usual order of coffee and pancakes with a side of bacon. After Mrs. Deloris placed her order, she returned and raised her brow at her. “I haven’t seen you in a little while. Do you have a new man? Have you been holding out on me?”

  Savannah laughed. She hadn’t been on a date since college. She wasn’t willing to put herself out there again. Last time she gave herself to someone had left her more broken than repaired. He made her promises and broke every single one of them. There was little trust left in Savannah, so she put herself and her career before her heart.

  “I promise I’m not seeing anyone.”

  Mrs. Deloris frowned, confusion sweeping her face. “Now how does a beautiful young woman like you not find someone special?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Must not be in the cards.”

  “Next time you’re in, we’ll find those cards you’re speaking of. I’ll go check on your order and be right back.”

  “Sure,” Savannah said as she felt her phone vibrate in her purse. Reaching over, she flipped open her purse and pulled it out. She smiled instantly at her best friend’s name on the screen. Most times they video chatted since it was cheaper than international calls. Savannah answered and held the phone to her ear.

  “Hey,” she greeted as another waitress set a glass of water in front of her, and Savannah smiled in appreciation.

  “Hey, Sav. Are you driving?”

  “No. I’m at a diner about an hour from Boston. How are you?”

  Alex sighed. “I was just reading some books at the library. I’m on my way to get some lunch, and then I’ll call Evan. I promised to call earlier, but I know he’s had a hard week, so I wanted to let him sleep in a little more.”

  “Do you want me to wait until later to stop by?”

  “Oh, no. He texted me after I left the library. He’s awake. He’s feeding Miller. So they’ll be ready for your visit.”

  Savannah smiled. She missed her goddaughter in the weeks since her last visit. She had no idea how Alex was holding up with being so far away from her family. “How are you managing?”

  “Video chats every night and every morning. Knowing that Evan and Miller will be in England soon makes it a little easier. As great as this summer teaching job at Oxford has been and will be on my resume, it doesn’t feel worth it when I’m so far away from my husband and daughter. I can’t wait to come home. I miss Boston so much. Oxford is beautiful, but it isn’t home—”

  Suddenly, Savannah heard the reporter from the TV on the wall in front of her say, “Breaking news,” getting her attention. She lifted her chin to find the NBA logo on the screen.

  “After much speculation, and a season of career milestones, Milwaukee Bucks Walter Vidović has announced on his social media today that he has left the Bucks,” the ESPN reporter stated.

  Savannah lowered her phone as video footage of Walter leaving Fiserv Forum played on the screen. An arena where she had watched him play when she was a senior and he asked her to attend a game. Savannah was so proud of him that she didn’t care that he broke her heart. He had paid for her ticket to Milwaukee. That weekend had been perfect until reality and common sense caught up to them and accompanied her back to Duke.

  “There are reports that the Knicks are interested in him, but at the moment, Milwaukee fans are devastated that their star defender has left the team in the middle of playoffs.”

  Savannah was confused. Last she checked, Walter loved playing for Milwaukee.

  You shouldn’t even care, she reminded herself.

  “Savannah?” She blinked at Mrs. Deloris who glanced up at the TV screen and then back at her. Then a tight smile pressed at her lips as she set a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of Savannah. “You’re still on the phone, dear.”

  She looked down to find the seconds ticking and guilt slammed into her chest, leaving her breathless. Quickly setting the phone back to her ear, Savannah said, “I’m so sorry. I’m here.”

  Alex was silent for a moment. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry. Something just caught my attention. This is probably costing you so much, and I’m wasting your time. I’m so sorry, Alex.”

  Her best friend let out a small laugh before it dwindled away. “Don’t apologize. Is everything okay? You don’t sound okay. If anything, you sound frightened. I’m worried, Sav.”

  Frightened.

  Savannah wasn’t sure why, but she did feel that. She was scared for Walter’s future. No matter what he did, she never wished ill on his career. Temptation quickly replaced her fears. She wanted to reach out to him, but she had no business doing so. He’d made that abundantly clear.

  I still don’t love you, Savannah.

  Words that should have stopped her feelings a long time ago. But broken souls were far worse than damaged ones. And broken strings can’t ever be played again. That was Savannah Peters after falling in love with Walter Vidović. She should have stopped herself. But he was an expert player. She was a broken string on the violin he mastered as he played her to an anguished melody. Played until his fingers bled.

  Until their song fell on deaf ears …

  and her heart calling out his name did the very same.

  She inhaled oxygen into her lungs and fed the fire in them, letting it burn her. She shook her head of Walter and forced herself not to look up at the TV so she could tune out the reports. Her attention was on her best friend—as it should be. “Sorry. You don’t have to be worried. I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind. As soon as I’m in Boston, I won’t even think about anything except spending time with Miller.” Alex sniffled, causing Savannah to flinch. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No,” she answered with another sniffle. “You love my daughter so much, and it’s beautiful. I’m just jealous that you get to see my little girl in a matter of hours, and I still have to wait. God, Sav, me being here at Oxford was so stupid. The minute I see Evan at Heathrow, the first thing I’m going to make him do is promise me we’ll never be apart like this again. I can’t take being away from my family like this.”

  A smile spread across Savannah’s lips. She envied her best friend’s marriage. Envied the love they had. Envied the connection they had before they even fell in love. They worked so hard for their love, their marriage, their daughter, and their lives together.

  “I’ll give Miller a big kiss
for you when I see her.”

  “Please do. And send me as many pictures as you can this weekend. I better go, I just got to the café. We’ll video chat tonight. Let me know when you’re in Boston.”

  Savannah picked up her fork. “Of course.” Moving the bacon on her plate, she said, “Hey, Alex?”

  “Yeah, Sav?”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with me spending time with Miller while you’re in England?”

  Without hesitating, Alex replied, “Of course I am. I’m more than okay with you spending time with my daughter. You’re not only my best friend but you’re also Miller’s godmother and aunt. There’s no one I trust more with my daughter than you. You’re my family, too, Sav.”

  Her chest tightened at her best friend’s sweet words.

  What Alex had taught her during their time at Duke together was that you choose who remains in your family.

  And her family would always consist of the Gilmores.

  Two

  Savannah

  Cambridge, Massachusetts, was beautiful and home to two of the most prestigious colleges in the country. Savannah’s best friend was a teaching assistant at Harvard University after choosing the Ivy League school over MIT for her Ph.D. During her trips to Massachusetts, Savannah had visited Harvard many times. She had even sat in a lecture Alex was teaching. Savannah knew her best friend was smart; she had won so many awards and was even nominated for a Nobel Prize for her formula. As she sat through that lecture, Savannah was in awe of just how incredible Alex was. She had never gloated about her achievements. In fact, Alex always downplayed them. She always told Savannah that her family was her greatest achievement. And as Savannah parked her car on the Gilmore driveway, she smiled.

  She understood what Alex meant the moment Evan Gilmore walked out of his home with his daughter holding his hand. The smile on Miller’s face when her father pointed at Savannah was priceless. Getting out of her car, Savannah closed the door and walked over to the trunk. She opened it, then pulled out her weekend bag and Miller’s presents before she closed it. She made her way toward the Gilmores, and her smile stretched farther when she watched Evan walk Miller down the steps. Then he released her hand, and Miller ran toward her.