by Len Webster
She blinked, freeing her tears to roll down her cheeks. “Did he? Did he …?”
Will made a small nod. “He did. He died so he could save so many lives that night. He’s a hero. My mom got the call as she was packing to go back to Syracuse. She was devastated. My grandparents told me that their daughter died that day, too. The only people who got her through it were the Percontes. They didn’t treat her any differently. She was still invited to Sunday lunches. Nonna, Joe’s mom, tells me that when my mom met my dad, it was like Joe brought my dad to her. It took a while, but Keira came back, and the Percontes saw how good my dad was to her. They met at the coffeehouse Joe and my mom used to meet at all the time. The Percontes welcomed my dad into their family as they had with my mom. They knew it would have been what Joe wanted, so I grew up going to the Percontes’ for Sunday lunch. They became my family, too, so my parents named me after Joe.”
The love in his tightened voice was beautiful. She saw how much he loved and was loyal to the Percontes. “They named you after Joe?”
“They did,” he confirmed as he squeezed her hand. “Guglielmo.”
“Guglielmo?”
“It’s the Italian equivalent to William.”
His smile was so beautiful. The pride in his eyes to be named after a hero was mesmerizing. Maybe it was the dim lights or Will holding her hand, but Savannah fell. Fell further than she ever had for a man.
She should be scared, but she wasn’t.
In fact, she was relieved to have fallen for him. Because it was an honor to fall for a man named after a hero. A man who was a hero in her eyes.
William Lawrence was Savannah Peters’ hero.
Nineteen
Will
“Will,” Savannah breathed behind him.
He stopped his steps to find her a few feet away, panting with her palm to her stomach. He quickly closed the distance, concerned about her well-being. After he told her about who the Percontes were, they ate the pizza she loved, and she asked him to tell her all about his sisters. Savannah knew his sisters, but she wanted to hear Will’s stories about them, and she didn’t interrupt him once. He told her all about Reese’s acting and Lori’s cheerleading at LSU. He had even mentioned Lori’s scorned date troubles. Trouble that had Will flying to Baton Rouge when she was a freshman and scared of the sophomore she had rejected. Right now, and to his relief, Lori was single. As for Reese, she was currently in Australia visiting their grandfather.
After they had pizza and chatted for a while, Will took Savannah to his favorite restaurants, giving her a real food tour of New York. They had cannoli in East Village, gelato in Tribeca, and milkshakes in Soho. Then they took the subway from Canal Station to Columbus Circle, but they hadn’t made it far with Savannah stopping.
“Savannah, are you okay?”
She let out a groan and nodded. “I have a stitch. We ate so much food and have done so much walking.”
Will laughed. A stitch, he could fix with some rest. Anything serious and he would take her straight to the ER. “We’ll go sit down.”
Relief flashed her face. Her cheeks were pink from the heat, and he saw the sweat dot her forehead. Her stitch was bothering her, and he needed to find a place for her to sit. “Can we go to Central Park? I want to take you to my favorite part of New York,” she offered.
She wants to show me her favorite part of New York.
He wanted to see it. He wanted her to share a place she loved with him. He had shown her some of his favorite places. It wasn’t just the good food and drinks. It was also the people. And everyone Savannah met had fallen for her smile and her Southern drawl. The best way he could describe her was like sunshine. She laughed and spoke with all the employees he had gotten to know throughout the years. He hoped they added to the memories she was hopefully keeping of today.
“Does your favorite spot in New York have seats?”
Savannah laughed. “If we’re lucky.”
“Can you move?”
“Yeah.” She sighed as she straightened. Will reached down and held her hand. She didn’t flinch. In fact, she squeezed his hand. “This time, you’ll have to follow me.”
And follow her, he did.
Followed her across the road and walked down Central Park West, entering the park. They walked under the sunshine and spoke about the fact that their goddaughter was currently on her way to England to see her mother. They were both excited since they would get more pictures and videos of their goddaughter on vacation.
After almost ten minutes of walking, Savannah stopped and turned to look at a green bench. She released Will’s hand, and announced, “This is my favorite part of New York.”
Will’s brow arched. “This bench in Central Park is your favorite spot?”
“Yes,” she confirmed as she sat down on it. A contented smile spread across her lips as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her skin.
Will joined her on the bench and watched her take in the sun. She looked happy. She looked different from the upset woman in a Manhattan apartment building lobby he dropped everything to be with. He wondered if she was enjoying her time with him. If he made her happy. He wished he was the kind of man who made her happy with her life. But for now, he’d take making her happy for one day. After a moment, Savannah lowered her chin and smiled when she saw that he was sitting with her.
“You’re probably wondering why this is my favorite spot, huh?”
He was curious. Not many who visited New York would say a green bench would be. Will nodded. “I’m curious.”
Her smile stretched wider. “Turn around and look at the plaque.”
He glanced over to see the silver plaque affixed to the wooden bench. “Savannah, you are the light of my life. Love, Daddy.” He had walked past this bench a thousand times, never once realizing that this silver plaque had her name on it. “Is this your bench?”
Her blue eyes softened as she nodded. “It is. My father adopted this bench when I was six. It was after my first trip to New York. We were staying at the Four Seasons, and my momma had a terrible headache so he took me to the park to walk around until our dinner reservations. So for about two hours, we walked around Central Park and sat on as many green benches and read all the stories these small silver plaques offered. It was one of the best moments of my life. You have a hero in Joe. I heard it in the way you talk about him. For me, my hero is my father. And for an afternoon, he gave me countless stories and moments as we wondered who these people were. So when I was eight, we came back to New York, and he showed me this bench.”
He was so in awe of the love that sparkled in her eyes. She loved her father. It was so clear to see. “You must visit this bench a lot.”
Her smile faded. “Actually, no. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in years. As I grew up, my momma spent more time in the South. She got invited to more parties and country clubs than I can count, so when I was in New York, it was never for long. It was as if I was Walter’s secret, and we never really explored New York together. Looking back, I realize it was his way of never giving me anything outside of what we were.”
The mention of Walter had him tensing. Emerson’s phone call earlier today had been about Walter making some financial decisions that could jeopardize their plans for him. Apparently, he had been reckless and got caught leaving a bar drunk. Many had speculated who the women wrapped around him were. For Will, he was just glad Savannah wasn’t exposed to any of it. He knew Savannah had enough of Walter, so Will didn’t tell her that her ex was in the news again. She had wanted to escape him, and Will was offering her that freedom.
And he’d offer it for as long as she needed him. “Do you wanna stay here for a while?”
“Is that okay?” she asked in a small voice.
“More than okay, Savannah.”
After a silent moment of people watching, Savannah let out a soft sigh, catching his attention. “Will?”
“Yes, Savannah?”
“I’m so
rry.”
His brows furrowed. “What are you sorry about?”
Savannah bit her lip before she released it. “Back in Massachusetts, I said you weren’t as interesting as Walter. Today, you showed me how wrong I was. You care about people. You listen to them. You give them all of your attention, and you give them this warmth that I experience every time I’m with you. You’re compassionate and so kind. I was wrong. Every story you told me was proof that you are by far the most interesting man I have ever met.”
The sincerity on her face reflected the truth in her eyes. She meant it, and Will felt it. He had left his mark today. He showed her what he loved the most in Brooklyn, and she understood. It was the people. It wasn’t fancy things that money could buy. It was the connection he shared with people he had spent so much of his life with.
And before he could thank her, she added, “Tony didn’t just tell me about the Percontes …”
“What did he tell you?” he asked, knowing all too well that Tony would have mentioned Rebecca to her.
“You had an ex at Berkley who told you that you didn’t have a personality. I understand now how much what I said to you would have hurt you. I’m just like her. I’m sorry, Will—”
The emotion in her tight voice had him reaching over and clutching her hand, squeezing to reassure her that no apology was needed. He didn’t want to ruin what this bench meant to her with stories of his ex-girlfriend. “Rebecca isn’t worth ruining this bench and the goodness you shared with your father here.”
He thought she’d agree. Instead, she asked, “Does she still hurt you?”
Will mulled over her question. Did Rebecca still hurt him? As he stared at Savannah, he realized that it wasn’t Rebecca’s opinion of him that hurt him. It was the thought that he wasn’t good enough for Savannah. It was the memory of Rebecca, that Savannah could hurt him a thousand times worse than Rebecca could have ever done.
So truthfully, he answered, “Not anymore. I won’t let her. And you’re not like her, Savannah.”
A sad smile curved on Savannah’s lips. “But I said—”
He shook his head. “You weren’t wrong in that I am not as interesting as Walter. Like I said back in Boston, he’s a good guy. We’re just on two different measuring scales when it comes to our interests. Just as I wasn’t interesting when compared to Ryan for Rebecca. She was already in a new relationship with him—but forgot to tell me until it was too late and I found out from our friends. She left me for the starting tight end with a ring I wanted to give her.”
“A ring?” The shock was bright on Savannah’s face.
He nodded. “I guess Tony left out some details. It was a pre-engagement ring of sorts.” He paused, trying to find the pain in his chest he had felt at the memory that had resurfaced back in Massachusetts with Savannah, but he couldn’t find it.
“You loved her.”
“I met Rebecca after I met you at Duke. You should know that I thought you were beautiful from the moment I met you outside of that coffeehouse,” he confessed.
Savannah’s lips parted as she blinked in surprise at him. “You thought I was beautiful then?”
Will nodded. “I did. But I knew you were my cousin’s roommate, and I knew how important it was for Alexandra to make friends away from Evan. I didn’t want to compromise that, so I never told you. Then I met Rebecca, and I thought that was a sign. She thought I was funny and kind. I know her feelings for me were real at the start, but life tends to get in the way. She loved me at my best in college when I was on the track team, but she fell out of love with me the moment I couldn’t compete with my career-ending injury. I was just too blind to see it. I was the one making plans for our future together without realizing she had already moved on. I took her silence as a yes. The more I planned our lives after college, the further away she pulled. I thought the ring I bought her would be enough once I gave it to her. That it would prove I loved her and wanted to give her a happy life. I was ready to promise her with a proposal after college. Instead, she ripped my heart out when she left me. It took me a while to move on from her. I thought if it couldn’t work with Rebecca, how could it with anyone else? So yeah, I did love her, but it wasn’t meant to work out.”
Her smile was filled with appreciation. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“It felt cathartic to,” he expressed truthfully.
Savannah’s brows met as if she were deep in thought. Her eyes bright with what looked like realization and hope as her lips parted in awe. “Cathartic …”
“Yeah.”
She glanced around the park and let out a sigh before she faced him. “I want to know what that feels like.”
“You don’t have to share anything if you don’t want to,” he insisted as he squeezed her hand.
“I want to.” She inhaled a deep breath as if she were readying for battle before she slowly exhaled the air from her lungs. “I know you might think Walter and I don’t make sense, but in college, it felt like we did. He would come to Chino’s just to see me. And every time I had to close, he was there to help and walk me to my dorm. He was sweet then. I always found him searching for me at every party and every game. He made me feel desired at a time when my mother had cut me off. Every time my momma let me down, he was there for me when I needed someone. Don’t get me wrong, Alex was there for me, too, but she was busy with Landon. We connected over our selfish and neglectful mothers. Mine wanted me to marry someone I didn’t love, and his was addicted to painkillers. Both made us want their love and attention, and they never gave it to us. Then after I returned from Southport, I came back with this need to see him because I felt unloved by my mother. Even though I wanted her love, I didn’t get it. Instead, Walter was there, ready to help me drink my pain away and wipe my foolish tears from my face. He was there.
“At the time, I thought that was what I needed. I thought I wanted his love and that I could see past his binges. I thought if he loved me, he would stop and get help, but he didn’t in college. I should have realized he wouldn’t when I found him in a bathtub before his game with vomit all over him. I thought it was what I deserved. That it was my turn to love him because my momma couldn’t love me and accept that I wanted to be my own person. I wanted my momma to love me. To see past me being a pawn into social society. I wanted her to see a strong woman the way my father does. I drifted to Walter because I thought he got that. I thought he replaced that. But he and my momma are the same. They take. They hurt. They’re selfish. I realized I wanted their validation, but it was wrong. All these years, I wanted the wrong love. I wanted honest love. No lies. No games. I wanted someone to love me for me. Not because I could get them more money. Not because I could offer them cheap and easy emotionless sex. I wanted real love, and neither were it. I kept going back because I blindly loved him, but I couldn’t make him better, Will. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t make him better.”
Releasing her hand, Will reached up and brushed away her tears from her face. He saw the hurt, and the self-blame in her eyes broke his heart. Will also saw her love for Walter, and he understood it. “No one can ever fault you for trying. You tried, Savannah. It’s not your fault.”
She sniffled with a nod. “You’re right. God, it feels so good to say all of this out loud. For years, I kept it all buried, and I felt like I was drowning. But now I feel like …”
“You just experienced your catharsis?”
She let out a soft laugh that didn’t sound broken at all. “You were right, Will. That was cathartic. It was just what I needed.”
“So I didn’t ruin this bench for you?”
“No,” she breathed as she wrapped her hands around his wrists and pulled his palms from hers. He thought she’d pull away, but she clutched his hands tight. “You gave this bench another meaning. On this bench with you, I feel like I’ve found …”
She paused as she released his hands and settled a palm to his cheek, staring into his eyes as she whispered, “Redemption.”
/> His heart clenched in his chest, realizing that he, too, had found redemption for all his mistakes with Rebecca Sawyer in Savannah Peters. He couldn’t fix Rebecca’s cheating any more than Savannah could fix Walter’s drinking problem.
On this bench, in Central Park, they found realization.
They found redemption.
Spending the day with Savannah was probably one of the best days of William Lawrence’s life. Sure, he had spent several days with her in Massachusetts, but their focus was always on Miller. After they discussed Walter, Will learned more about her as he sat on that green bench and people watched until she finally felt better. They walked around Central Park until the sun started to set. She rode the carousel and forced him to join her, listening to her sweet laughter. Will had seen a change in her. As if confessing her heart’s pain when it came to Walter eased her from all the years of agony she had endured. When the ride ended, he helped her off her horse and held her hand as he led her out of Central Park. On their walk back to the station to catch the train back to his apartment, Will couldn’t help but wonder about tomorrow. Wonder what would happen if she stayed in New York with him.
Will wasn’t an idiot. She wasn’t going to stay. Not with Walter possibly signing with the Knicks. She had a life in Vermont, and it was where she belonged. She told him of her job and how she was learning from one of the industry’s leading women. Monty Carpenter was known throughout the business world—even Will, who worked in finance, knew of her.
Now that they were home, Savannah groaned on the couch as he asked if she wanted dinner. “Will, I will murder you if you try to even convince me that I need more food. I’ve never eaten so much in my life.”
He laughed as he closed his folder and got up from the dining table chair he had been sitting on. “So what do you want to do?” Will asked as he crossed the apartment and sat on the couch with her.
