The Last Kiss (Secrets of Savannah Book 3)

by Belle Calhoune

  Case felt as if a heavy object was lodged in his chest.“I hate to bring this up, but I’ve been hearing gossip for the past few days…about you and Marc meeting up and seeing each other.”

  “What?” Fancy laid a plate down on the counter with a bang. “That’s a lie! Why would people make up rumors like that?”

  Case shrugged. “I have no clue. Some people have nothing better to do than to try and wreak havoc in other people’s lives.”

  “It’s so frustrating,” Fancy moaned. “I hate that type of viciousness.”

  Case continued to pack up the dishwasher while Fancy seemed to be processing what he’d told her about the latest rumors about her and Marc.

  “So, why didn’t you tell me that you ran into Marc?”

  She leaned over to place a few dishes in the dishwasher. “It just happened this morning.”

  “So you were going to bring it up?” He hated the sharpness of his voice, but it was too late to pull the words back in.

  “Yes, I was. Maybe not tonight, but eventually. It was nothing. Less than nothing. We ran into each other at the farmer’s market. It was awkward and sad actually.”

  Case wrinkled his brow. “Sad? How so?”

  She let out a huff of air. “His father is sick and he felt so bad about…what happened two years ago that he left Savannah as some sort of penance.” She fiddled with her fingers as she spoke. “He’s lost a lot of time with his family. And for what? He’s a good person, Case. That hasn’t changed.”

  “Sounds like you’re still very fond of him.” He hated the way his voice sounded. Curt. Resentful. Jealous.

  She reached out and touched his arm. “You have nothing to worry about. In case you were worrying or wondering.”

  Case clenched his jaw. “I know, Fancy. And I’m sorry to question you. It’s just a reflex.”

  “Are we okay? I want you to be able to trust me, to know that I’m not hiding anything from you.” He could see the stress and strain emanating from her eyes.

  He reached out and palmed her cheek. “I do trust you. And I don’t believe for a second that there’s anything going on between you and Marc. It’s just strange that these rumors suddenly went into overdrive.”

  “I don’t know why or how these so-called rumors started,” Fancy said, “but considering I just saw Marc this morning, something tells me it has nothing to do with Marc and I running into each other at the market. You said the gossip has been swirling around for days.”

  “So you think someone is deliberately spreading poison out there?”

  Fancy nodded. “Yes, I do. Problem is, I can’t think of anyone who actually dislikes me enough to do this.”

  Suddenly, it felt as if a light went on in Case’s mind. Meryl! She had been venomous toward Fancy a few weeks ago. Case had seen the hatred blazing in her eyes. She was jealous and petty. Then she’d seemed totally out of sorts the night of the Savannah House party. Showing up uninvited had been inappropriate and out of bounds. Her behavior had seemed slightly unhinged.

  “Meryl. I think it might have been Meryl.” Case didn’t bother mincing words. Not being honest wasn’t an option. It had cost them both too dearly in the past.

  Fancy gasped. “Meryl! No! She wouldn’t.”

  “Wouldn’t she though?” Case asked. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Meryl was fully capable of such duplicity.

  Fancy shook her head. “Yes. You’re right. She would. If anyone would be malicious and nasty, it would be Meryl. She’s had it out for me since we were kids. And now that you’ve stopped seeing her, she’s probably as bitter as can be.”

  Case reached for her hand and pulled her toward him. He looked deeply into her azure colored eyes. “There wasn’t anything between Meryl and I, Fancy. It was just a few dates. Nothing more.”

  She let out a breath. “I’m happy to hear you say that. The thought of you being with Meryl gave me a few jealous moments,” she admitted.

  He reached out and tilted her chin upward. “Fancy, don’t you know that I’m a one-woman man? You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. And even though I’ve been telling myself to take things slowly with you this time around, I can’t stop myself from telling you something. I love you, Fancy. I never stopped loving you.”

  “I’ve prayed about you saying those three little words to me, Case. So many times I’ve told myself that it wasn’t ever going to happen again.” She looked down for a moment before lifting her head up and locking gazes with him. “I love you too. And I always have. Even when I tried to stop loving you, I couldn’t. And I can’t help but think that God led me right back to Savannah because He knew we still loved each other.”

  Case lowered his head and placed a kiss on Fancy’s lips. He rained kisses on her forehead and cheeks. “I think everyone pretty much knew,” he said with a chuckle. “Charlotte tells me every day that we belong together. And she’s right. No more wasting time. No more wallowing in the past.”

  “I want to be with you,” Fancy said. “More than anything I’ve ever wanted.”

  Case held her face between his palms. “I want to be with you too, Fancy. And I want to tell the whole world that we’re back together. Starting with my parents.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Fancy frowned and bit her lip. “Your parents don’t view me the same way they used to.”

  “Don’t worry about that. They love you. They were just upset about the fallout from two years ago. Once they see how in love we are again, all will be forgiven…and forgotten.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m afraid if you pinch me, I’ll wake up from this glorious dream.”

  “I’ll pinch you,” Case teased. “But I promise you, this is all real. You’re not dreaming.”

  “Oh, but it is a dream. A dream come true,” Fancy whispered, standing on her tippy toes to place a celebratory kiss on Case’s lips. He wrapped his arms around her, wishing this precious moment in time could last forever.

  “There are always going to be people who want to talk us down or make us feel unworthy. Standing up against them is a huge step in moving away from the past.” Hope Matthews

  Chapter Nine

  Ever since finding out that she was once again the topic of Savannah gossip, Fancy knew that this time around she wasn’t going to sit back and take it lightly. A person’s good name was more important than anything in this world. She wasn’t going to allow Meryl to drag her through the mud again.

  At three o’clock Fancy showed up at the real estate office that Meryl worked at in the historic district of Savannah. Fancy parked her car outside of the small white Victorian on the tree-lined street. She took a fortifying breath as she pushed her way past the ornate mahogany door with the stained glass window. The smell of chocolate chip cookies hung in the air. Fancy wanted to laugh. It was an old trick that realtors used when they were trying to sell houses. Perhaps Meryl wanted her clients to have positive vibes about her, hence the chocolate chip cookie smell wafting in the air.

  The sound of clicking heels on the hardwood floor prepared Fancy for Meryl’s approach. “Hello. Welcome to Snyder Realty. How can I help you?”

  When Fancy whirled around to face Meryl, she immediately saw the shock on the other woman’s face. Meryl quickly recovered, replacing her surprised expression with one of calm reserve.

  “Fancy. What brings you here today? Are you looking for a condo or a townhouse? I did hear through the grapevine that you’re living at home at the moment.” Fancy’s smile was plastic. There was a look of contempt behind the ruby red lips and the phony greeting.

  Fancy had no intention of indulging in pleasantries. “I know you’re the one spreading the fake rumors about Marc and I. Those stories you’re circulating are baseless.” Fancy made a tutting sound. “Shame on you, Meryl.”

  Meryl’s eyes began to furiously blink. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, although I have heard the scuttlebutt.” She held up two fingers and m
ade a gesture to indicate shame. “The Savannah grapevine is buzzing once again about your foolish heart. Don’t blame me. What a mess.”

  Fancy took a step closer to Meryl. Meryl took a step backward, her face reflecting nervousness. “This isn’t the first time you did this, is it? You’re the one who spread the stories about the two of us the last go-round, wasn’t it?”

  Meryl let out a harsh laugh. “Be careful, Fancy. That’s slanderous.”

  Fancy scoffed. “That’s pretty ironic considering the false rumors you’ve been spreading. There’s nothing between Marc and I. Truth is, there really never was. And the gossip pipeline is going to shut down fairly quickly,” Fancy said, tilting her chin upward. “You can’t hurt me anymore, Meryl.”

  Meryl arched an eyebrow. “You sound mighty confident.”

  “I am,” Fancy said in a strong voice. “Case gives me confidence. Or should I say, his love gives me wings and allows me to fly.”

  Meryl narrowed her gaze. “Are you two back together?”

  Fancy smiled. “Surprised? I’m guessing that you thought circulating a few salacious rumors would end things permanently for Case and I. Am I right?”

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just assumed he wouldn’t want to be with someone who is destined to repeat the mistakes of the past. Someone who can’t tell the truth to save her life,” Meryl seethed.

  “Wow. You must have missed the day in Bible class when we learned about not judging others. Judge not lest ye be judged. Sound familiar?”

  “I really don’t think you have the right to lecture anyone,” Meryl jeered. “You always did think you were better than the rest of us, didn’t you?”

  “You weren’t a very happy kid, were you?” Fancy tossed the comment out matter-of-factly.

  Meryl simply glared at her. She began tapping her shoe on the floor, hands folded across her chest. “What’s your point, Francine?”

  “It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized that you must’ve been miserable in your own skin. Kids who are unhappy try to inflict pain on others. Kids who are content with themselves and their lives don’t feel the need to bully others. You were nothing more than a mean-spirited bully.”

  Meryl let out an indelicate snort. “Give me a break. We were kids. And it wasn’t bullying. You were always way too sensitive.”

  “You just keep on telling yourself that.” Memories cut through her—like tiny razors—serving as a reminder that she hadn’t imagined a single thing. If anything, she had minimized it at the time, never having wanted to be anything other than Fancy Tolliver, the pretty princess with the perfect life. Her mother had always encouraged her to ignore the malicious acts perpetrated by Meryl and Georgia.

  “Cornering me in the girls’ room and cutting off my hair. Smearing jelly all over the back of my dress on picture day. Writing disgusting things about me in the boys’ bathroom. And many, many more things over the years, culminating in this vindictive smear campaign.”

  “This is ancient history and you have no proof I did any of those things!” Meryl jeered.

  Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving…even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

  She had come here for one reason and one reason only. To blast Meryl. To look her enemy in the eye and let her know that she’d figured out her agenda. To tell her that she saw right through her, all the way down to her rotten heart. Suddenly, a feeling of calm settled over her. She didn’t need to worry about this a moment longer. Case knew the truth. And as he’d told her, he had her back. He loved her.

  “I forgive you, Meryl. For everything.” The words slipped out of Fancy’s mouth, and suddenly she felt lighter. Free as a bird. Twenty years of negativity fell away. She didn’t need to confront Meryl in order to move forward in her life. There was nothing this woman could do to her because Fancy was the one holding the power. To forgive. To move forward with her life. To do what God would want her to do for a lost soul. Grant her forgiveness.

  Meryl’s jaw dropped. She began to sputter. “I don’t need your forgiveness.”

  Fancy nodded. “Maybe not. But I’m extending it to you anyway. I’m not going to carry any more bitterness toward you around with me. Case taught me that. Because he’s forgiven me for my mistakes. So now, I’m giving myself a gift. It’s for me. Not you, Meryl. Because it’s very clear you’re not ready to receive it. But it’s still yours for the taking.”

  “What is this? Some kind of Pollyanna act to impress Case?” Meryl snapped. She twisted her mouth angrily. “Give it a rest. I could care less about your forgiveness.”

  Fancy knew there wasn’t anything more to say to Meryl. She was too trapped in her own negative head space to embrace change. She wanted nothing to do with the olive branch Fancy had extended to her. More than ever, Fancy pitied Meryl, and anyone like her who was so blinded by hate and envy that she couldn’t see straight.

  “I’ll be praying for you,” Fancy said in a low voice. She turned around and walked away from Meryl and the negativity that hung around her like a shroud. She could hear Meryl muttering angrily in her wake, but she had no interest in listening to her venom. Fancy kept walking until she was inside her car and zooming away from Meryl’s place.

  “Friendship is like water. We need it to live.” Fancy Tolliver

  Chapter Ten

  Fancy drove straight to the Duvall mansion after she left Meryl. Case had asked her to meet him there for dinner with his family. The entire drive she had talked to God and thanked him for her endless blessings. Ridding herself of years of negativity with Meryl was the icing on the cake. As far as she was concerned, her future was full of promise and hope. And an infinite amount of love.

  As she pulled up in front of the Duvall mansion, Fancy paused for a moment to appreciate the view. The stunning home was smaller than the one Callie and Luke had grown up in, but it was a stunning Greek revival style mansion. Several antique cars sat in front of the house. Lincoln Duvall was an automobile buff who enjoyed collecting antique cars. He could often be spotted driving around Savannah with his wife at his side in one of his collectibles. In Fancy’s opinion, Case and Charlotte had always been pretty down to earth despite the Duvall family fortune.

  Before she could even ring the bell, Case opened the front door and welcomed her.

  “Fancy. It’s great to see you, baby.” He kissed her on the lips and ushered her inside.

  “Are you sure about this? I think you should have told your parents I was coming here tonight.”

  “It’s going to be fine,” Case said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly as he pulled her toward the drawing room. “My parents are in here.”

  Case turned the knob on the door and pushed it open. Fancy walked beside him, her knees practically knocking together out of nervousness. She had no idea what to expect from Case’s parents. It would be so hurtful if they rejected her.

  Lincoln was seated in a brown leather chair, a newspaper spread wide open in his lap. Barbara was reading a book, with her glasses perched at the end of her nose. They both looked up at the same time, shock widening their eyes as soon as they saw her at Case’s side.

  Lincoln frowned at his son. “What’s going on, Case? Why are the two of you together?”

  Case held Fancy’s hand tightly, as if he might never let it go. “Because we’re back together, Dad. And I brought Fancy here tonight as my date.”

  Lincoln rolled his eyes. “Your date? Didn’t you already travel down this road once before?”

  “Yes. And despite our past and our broken engagement, we still love each other. And there’s no one else we want to be with.” Case held his head up high as he addressed his parents.

  “Oh Case. Fancy,” his mother said, making a loud sniffling noise. “I prayed that the two of you would find your way back to one another.” She jumped up from her seat and made her way over to them, stretching her arms wide to pull them both in for an embrace.

  “Barbara, why would you pray for that?�
�� Lincoln exploded.“Fancy put our son through the ringer. And she made him a laughingstock in all the gossip rags in Savannah.”

  Fancy locked gazes with Lincoln Duvall without flinching. “Mr. Duvall, I love your son. I always have. One mistake in judgment doesn’t change that. I’m sorry if I disappointed you.” Although her words were heartfelt, she couldn’t stop her voice from quivering.

  Lincoln met her gaze in an unwavering fashion. “Disappointment is putting it mildly, Francine.”

  “Dad,” Case barked. “I’m not going to stand here and watch you rake Fancy over the coals. We’ve moved past what happened two years ago. And you will not rub her nose in her mistakes.”

  “Case. I think you should take me home,” she said in a pleading voice. “I don’t want to stay somewhere I’m not wanted.”

  “Lincoln Duvall,” Barbara drawled. “Do I need to remind you of your own past? Or should I say our past?”

  “Barbara,” Lincoln said with a shake of his head. “Don’t do that. Do not bring up things that have nothing to do with this situation.”

  “Why not? Because you don’t want to be shown up as a hypocrite? Because you don’t want your son to know that before you were engaged to me you were engaged to another woman. And that you proposed to me while you were still engaged to that other woman. And that we were the talk of the town for months and months.” She tapped her chin. “I seem to remember my parents being vehemently opposed to my marrying you. Have you forgotten all that?”

  “Barbara,” Lincoln said in a tender voice. “I fell in love with you at first sight. I had to propose to you. My family wanted me to marry Petunia, but once I saw you, there was no way I could forsake what I felt for you. My engagement to Petunia was nothing more than a family arrangement. It had nothing to do with love.”

  “And what makes you think that Case and Fancy can forsake their love?” Barbara arched her eyebrow in her husband’s direction. “One love isn’t worthier than another.”