The Better Man

by Len Webster

  Savannah nodded. “She works so hard. She deserves all her success and more.”

  Will hummed in agreement as the presenter welcomed them to the planetarium. The theater plunged into darkness before lights illuminated the ceiling. Savannah looked up in awe and saw the stars. Stars that reminded her of Miller’s bedroom last night. Then lines connected stars and created constellations.

  It was beautiful.

  The planetarium filled with different constellations as the presenter introduced them to the audience. Savannah glanced down to find Miller’s wide eyes following each line. Her wonder was incredible to see. Then Savannah turned, and her eyes met Will; he had been staring at her. They didn’t say a word as they kept their eyes on each other.

  Under colorful constellations and the universe’s stars, he leaned close, and whispered, “Are you okay?”

  Her lips parted slowly at his closeness. “Am I okay?”

  Nodding, Will reached forward and brushed her hair behind her ear. “I saw your smile fade while you were on the phone. Was it him?”

  She didn’t know when it happened. Or how it happened. But she opened herself to William Lawrence, and he seemed accepting of her and her tattered heart. He seemed to genuinely care and another stitch closed a crack in her heart just as the lines above them connected each star and created constellations in the sky.

  Was that what Will was doing?

  Creating beautiful constellations with each mend he seemed to make?

  “It was,” she finally whispered.

  “And are you okay?” Even under the dim lights, she still saw his beautiful light brown eyes.

  “I am,” she replied as she covered his palm on his armrest with hers. “Thank you.”

  His lips curved into a glorious smile that was brighter than any star they were under. Then he glanced down, and that smile widened at the sight of Miller following each constellation formation. As if Will knew she didn’t want to talk more about her earlier phone call, he said, “She seems to be enjoying herself.”

  “I gave her the stars …” Will lifted his focus to Savannah. “But you gave her constellations.”

  Will shook his head. “I gave her eighty-eight constellations. But you gave her infinite stars, Savannah, and that’s more than I could ever give her.”

  And that was the moment that changed everything for Savannah Peters and her perception of William Lawrence.

  The forty-minute show was beautiful. Savannah had learned more about space in those forty-minutes than she had in four years of high school. Throughout the show, she found herself peeking down at Miller, who was so engrossed in all the colors. Then she would sneak a peek at Will, who was also following the show. At one point, it seemed as if he sensed her staring, and his eyes met hers. His smile was as flawless as the constellations above, and she had to turn away, scared of what could happen if she fell deeper into those light brown eyes of his.

  When the amazing show ended, they clapped along with the rest of the audience. The swirls of colors of space were truly breathtaking, and she hoped Miller’s love for space grew. When the lights turned on, they stood from their seats and followed the audience out of the theater. Suddenly, Will reached out and grasped her hand, but Savannah flinched at his touch. Not only did he surprise her, but it felt rather soothing and natural. Like she had held William Lawrence’s hand many times before. That this wasn’t a first. But it was, and she found herself cherishing the security she felt around him. That he would not let any harm come to her or Miller. However, she would not let herself get caught up in the moment. She was sure he just didn’t want to lose her with all the people who surrounded them. When they made it out of the theater, Will released her hand and set Miller back on her feet.

  “I want to get Miller something from the gift shop to remember today. Is that okay?” he asked.

  Still lost in the fog he induced with just his touch, she nodded and followed him to the gift shop. She watched as Miller reached up and grasped Will’s hand so innocently. Savannah’s heart fluttered once more. She realized the more she saw the softer side of William Lawrence, the more she felt around him. It didn’t make sense, but then again, right now, nothing made sense for Savannah.

  “Let’s have a look around, Millie,” Will said as they entered the shop and headed to the clothing area. He searched through the rack until he found what he was looking for. He pulled a long-sleeve shirt from the rack, and Savannah laughed at what was printed on the front.

  E = mc2

  Energy = milk x coffee2

  “Alex would love that,” she pointed out as she stepped closer and took the shirt from Will. Then she bent down and held it up to Miller’s torso. “It looks like a perfect fit.”

  “It does.” His phone rang, and Will pulled it out from his pocket, sighing when he saw the screen. “It’s my partner. Do you mind if I grab this?”

  Savannah shook her head. It wasn’t like she could refuse. He had come to Boston for work, and she wouldn’t let him jeopardize his job. “Not at all. We’ll be here.”

  Then he left her and Miller by the clothing racks to answer his call. Savannah glanced down to find Miller staring at Will walking out of the gift shop. She brushed Miller’s long curls behind her ear, getting her attention. Those pretty green eyes were emeralds that looked at Savannah.

  “Don’t worry. Willy will be back,” she assured as she stood, realizing she used Miller’s nickname for Will.

  She couldn’t lie. It was cute. She didn’t think it would be, but it was.

  “Do you want to get Willy a present to thank him for taking us to see the constellations?”

  Miller nodded her head as she held Savannah’s hand. They searched through the gift shop, trying to find Will the perfect thank-you present. She was tempted to get him an Einstein piggy bank to match Miller’s Einstein toy, but as cute as it was, it didn’t reflect the day they shared together.

  Just as she was about to give up, a gift shop employee stood next to her and began to add star-shaped frames to the shelf. “Excuse me,” Savannah said.

  The blonde employee turned and smiled. “Hello. Can I help you with anything?”

  Savannah nodded. “Do y’all have anything with constellations on them? Or something from the show?”

  “We do. Just this way.” She led them to the back wall of the gift shop. Then she picked up the black mug from the shelf and showed it to Savannah. “This mug shows twelve of the constellations from the show when a hot beverage is poured inside. But when it’s not warm, all you see are stars.”

  Savannah smiled. “It’s perfect. We’ll take it, thank you.” Then she and Miller followed the employee to the register. “And we’ll take this, too, please,” she added as she set Miller’s shirt on the counter. The shirt would match her mother’s love of science puns.

  The gift shop worker scanned the shirt and mug and put them in a bag before she smiled, and said, “That’ll be forty-three dollars and ninety-eight cents.”

  Savannah pulled her wallet from her purse and opened it. She had five ten-dollar bills left. She was trying to be careful with her money—especially with another student loan payment due next week—but she wanted to thank Will, and she wanted Miller to have something to remember today by.

  As she handed the girl behind the counter the bills, Savannah accepted that the next week or so would be instant noodles for lunch at work. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make to remember today. When she was given her change and the bag, Savannah tightened her hold on Miller’s hand before they walked over to the screens that were displaying a show on the solar system. Savannah lifted Miller into her arms so that they could watch the show together as they waited for Will.

  Fifteen minutes later, she felt a palm on her shoulder, and she craned her neck to find Will had returned. “Hey,” she said, unable to stop the smile on her face.

  “Sorry it took so long. The client actually wants to meet, and my partner wants to go through some things before we see them.
Do you want me to take you and Millie back home? Or I could take a cab back to my hotel if you want to stay.”

  Savannah shook her head. “We should probably get Miller home. She’s due for a nap soon.” Then she looked down to find Miller’s eyelids drooping. “You ready to go home, Miller?”

  The toddler pressed her face into Savannah’s neck and nodded. “Yes.”

  “Alright, let’s go,” Will said as he took the bag from Savannah. “Did you buy Millie’s shirt?”

  Savannah turned, careful not to break Miller’s tired spell so she could nap in the car. “I did.”

  Will’s lips pressed into a tight line. “I was going to pay for it.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Savannah,” he protested.

  “It’s okay, Will. It was the least I could do after today.” Then she stepped away from the screens, and said, “Let’s go home.”

  Nine

  Will

  Will looked at the time on his phone and sighed. His meeting with his potential client had gone on for hours. He had texted Savannah to tell her he would have to stop by after dinner, which was disappointing. He hadn’t wanted to eat alone tonight, but he had in his hotel room after he changed from his suit to a fresh pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt.

  It was now almost eight p.m., and he knew how late he was. Knocking on the door, he returned his phone to his back pocket and waited. When Savannah opened the door, he smiled at the sight of her gleaming blue eyes. She looked almost relieved to see him.

  “Hey,” she greeted.

  “Hey. Is Millie asleep?”

  She nodded, and guilt consumed her face. “She tried to stay up to see you, but she was so tired. Not even her nap in the car could see her through.”

  Will entered the house, disappointed he had missed seeing his goddaughter before she fell asleep. He removed his shoes by the front door and set the bag he held next to the hallway table. He had plans for tonight, but they would have to wait. Will followed Savannah down the hall and to the kitchen where she had an open bottle of wine on the counter. She turned and retrieved two wine glasses from the cabinet.

  “We went for a walk to the park again after Miller’s nap. On the way home, we stopped to get her some fruit, and I got some wine.” Then she faced him. “Are you hungry? I just made sandwiches for dinner, but I can make you a couple.”

  He shook his head as he took the bottle from the counter and followed her to the living room. They sat on the couch as Savannah held out a glass for Will to pour the wine in one before the other. Then he set the bottle on the coffee table, and Savannah handed him a glass.

  “How was your meeting?” she asked as she lifted her legs up onto the couch and tucked them under herself. She brought the glass to her plump pink lips as she arched her brow at him.

  “It couldn’t go fast enough,” he answered with a tired sigh. “They acted like they were finally interested, but honestly, they were just wasting everyone’s time. I don’t expect them to call Emerson tomorrow.”

  Savannah blinked. “Emerson?”

  “She’s my partner.”

  “Oh,” she breathed.

  The way her smile faded a fraction had him thinking she was jealous. That in some world he was able to breathe in, Savannah Peters could be jealous over another woman. But he wasn’t the type to gloat. Instead, he would set her straight. Will had always been honest to women, and he wouldn’t stop now.

  “Yeah. We’ve been partners since we started as graduates. She’s pretty cool. Her girlfriend makes hummus to impress.”

  “Girlfriend?”

  Nodding, Will sipped his wine. “Emerson loves when I tell people the first thing about her is her love for her girlfriend’s hummus.”

  Savannah laughed as she too sipped her wine. “Well, her girlfriend and her hummus sound great.”

  “Yeah,” Will agreed. “They are.”

  “Oh!” Savannah said as she leaned over and set her glass on the coffee table. Then she got up from the couch and looked down at him. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay,” he said with a laugh as he watched her walk out of the living room and down the hall. With each step she made, her blond hair swayed. He’d never seen a shade of blond as golden and as bright as hers.

  In fact, he had never spent time with a woman like Savannah Peters.

  She was sweet, caring, and the way she looked after Miller with so much patience and kindness brought warmth to his chest. He hadn’t felt that feeling in so long. It had been years since his ex-girlfriend tore his heart out, and he had spent years blaming himself. But the moment he met his goddaughter, everything changed. He let go of the pain and the betrayal and moved on.

  His life was better for it.

  His life was better because of Miller Gilmore.

  “Here,” Savannah said, interrupting his thoughts. She wore a nervous smile as she held a bag out to him. “It’s from me and Miller.”

  He blinked as he took the glittery black bag from her. She sat next to him as he set the bag on his lap. “Why did you get me something?”

  That smile of hers stretched as she brushed her hair behind her ear. “It’s to say thank you. I was hoping you’d visit before Miller fell asleep, but she said she wanted you to open it tonight. She was pretty adamant.”

  “You both didn’t need to get me anything,” he said as he reached into the bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He opened it to find colorful crayon lines and dots all over the page.

  Savannah leaned forward and pointed at a red circle. “That’s you and Miller.”

  His chest ached at how adorable his goddaughter was. “And where are you?”

  “I’m the green triangle next to y’all.” Then she pointed at two purple lines. “That’s Evan and Alex.”

  “This is so precious.”

  Savannah took the paper from him and flipped it over. “She wanted me to write it for her, but she signed it with the green swirls.”

  He read the card. “Thank you for taking us to see the stars, Uncle Willy. Love, Millie.” He paused as he noticed Savannah’s name signed next to Miller’s swirls. “It’s from you, too.”

  “Yeah,” she said, taking the homemade card from him so he could reach inside the bag and pull out a mug. It was black with stars all over it. “When you fill it up with hot water, all the constellations appear. I thought it would remind you of today when you use it. Miller wanted to try it out.”

  Will laughed. “I’ll show her tomorrow morning,” he promised as he looked at the mug. It was the most heartfelt present anyone had ever given him. “Thank you for this, Savannah.”

  Her cheeks peppered with shades of sweet pink. “You’re welcome. But seriously, thank you for today. I had fun, and I know Miller did, too. She couldn’t stop talking about you after her nap.”

  Savannah had gotten him a gift to remember today, but Will would always have the memory.

  It would never leave him.

  He had watched Savannah outshine the galaxy as he looked at her during the show.

  An exploding star couldn’t compete with her.

  She was just that beautiful when she was in awe.

  A loud alerting ringtone came from her phone on the coffee table, breaking their trance. Savannah cleared her throat as she reached over and picked it up. She looked at the screen, and her smile stretched farther.

  Him, Will thought.

  The man she was in love with.

  The man Will was sure didn’t deserve her love.

  But Will had no reason to be so hurt by her love.

  They were friends.

  No matter how beautiful he found her, they were just friends.

  “It’s my dad,” Savannah clarified, easing his unjustified jealousy. “I’m gonna take this outside if that’s okay?”

  “Yeah,” he said as he returned his new mug into the bag.

  “Thanks, Will.” Then Savannah left the living room and went out to the backyard. Will stared
at the gift bag, his chest reeling with warmth at the fact that Savannah had bought him a present. She had even bought Miller’s shirt when he had intended to.

  He peeked over at the glass door to find Savannah on the phone. She was pacing and stopped to laugh. She was beautiful, and the setting sun cascaded her with an illuminating glow.

  Savannah Peters was stunning.

  He had known it the moment he met her. Knew it every moment he’d seen her since. He never thought much about it until they became godparents. He had even watched her walk down the aisle as his cousin’s maid of honor. He couldn’t take his eyes from her. He had attempted to approach her for a dance, but his opportunity was lost the moment Hunter Jamison, Evan’s best friend, had asked her to dance. Will had sat at the table and watched as she danced with the famous MLB player. They had laughed, and Will had to look away. He had never made her laugh. Never had the chance to. Though many opportunities had found him, he had never taken them. He was just too serious to make a woman like Savannah Peters laugh.

  Realizing how stupid he had been, Will got up from the couch and went down the hall. He reached the bag he had brought over and stared at it next to the hallway table. There was no way Savannah would think he was interesting. She was being nice for Miller’s sake. Someone like Hunter Jamison was worthy of her time.

  Someone accomplished and famous.

  Will was a financial advisor.

  There was nothing exciting about him or his job. His sisters, Lori and Reese, told him constantly that he was too boring and serious. And attributes like boring and serious weren’t what attracted someone like Savannah Peters. In fact, it was probably why all his dates were failures, and he rarely got a second date.

  Sighing, Will picked up the bag. It was a stupid idea and an even stupider present. Unlike her present to him, his was unnecessary. She probably wouldn’t care for it. Will had to stash it away so she wouldn’t see.