Olivia shrugged. “I have no idea. She’s been super quiet lately.”
“Tell me about it. Since Case and I broke up, she hasn’t had two words to say to me. I imagine it must be difficult being caught in the middle.” Fancy’s voice was soft. Olivia could hear the hurt seeping out. She felt a burst of sympathy for Fancy. It must be tough to have lost so much due to a foolish mistake.
She reached out and patted her on the arm. “I’m sorry. I know it hasn’t been easy for you. I’ve been praying for you though.”
Tears welled in Fancy’s eyes. “Oh, Olivia. That means the world to me.” She sniffed back tears, then took a calming breath. “Well, let’s not keep them waiting,” Fancy said in a crisp voice.
They walked side by side toward the house, letting themselves in the front door without ringing the bell. It was their property after all, Olivia thought with a smile. No matter how many times the issue of ownership came up, she still found it hard to wrap her head around the fact that she was co-owner of one of the most glorious estates in Georgia.
As soon as they entered the hall, Morgan stepped out of the library and greeted them. With her long dark hair, soulful eyes and warm brown skin, she was a stunner. And she was an excellent chef, with a versatile culinary repertoire. Olivia couldn’t wait to sample some of her dishes.
“Hey, girls. I thought I heard a car pull up.” She quickly closed the distance between them and hugged Olivia, then reached out to Fancy, who didn’t embrace Morgan for very long or with any degree of intimacy. It struck Olivia that Fancy still hadn’t laid to rest the issues that had separated her from their once tight-knit group.
“We’re in here,” Morgan said, ushering them in to the library. Loud sounds emanated from the posterior portion of Savannah House. To Olivia it sounded like drilling noises. In her opinion, it represented progress and the future of their inn.
Callie and Hope were both seated on the sofa, deep in conversation. Olivia reached out and hugged both her friends, then sat down beside Callie. Fancy settled down in a love seat across from them.
“Charlotte sends her regrets,” Callie said, a rueful expression etched on her face.
“We really need all hands on deck,” Morgan said, her eyes widening.
Olivia could tell that although no one wanted to put Charlotte in a bad light, there was angst regarding her not being present.
“Where’s the baby?” Olivia asked, turning toward Hope. She was hoping to change the subject from Charlotte’s absence. “I haven’t seen her in a few weeks.”
Hope grinned. “She’s with my mom. I knew this meeting was important, so I didn’t want to run the risk of her acting up and disturbing us. I love my little munchkin, but she can get a little rowdy these days.”
During a period when their friendships were estranged, Hope had left Savannah. Upon her recent return, she’d had a baby in tow—beautiful little Ella. So far Hope had not been forthcoming about the circumstances of Ella’s birth, the identity of the father or whether the man in question even knew about his daughter.
“It’s so great to have that support,” Olivia said, immediately feeling a pang at the realization that her children wouldn’t benefit from her own mother’s love and wisdom. The loss of her mother continued to affect her, even in moments when she least expected it.
“I feel blessed to have the help,” Hope said, her face lit up with pleasure.
“It must be hard raising her by yourself,” Fancy said. “Is there any chance her father might help out?”
Olivia let out a gasp. Fancy’s comment was incredibly blunt and bordered on insensitive. Clearly Hope hadn’t told them the identity of Ella’s father. It was a closed subject. Now Fancy was poking and prodding around in a not-so-subtle manner. None of the rest of them had broached the subject of Ella’s father. They were waiting for
Hope to feel comfortable enough to bring it up on her own.
Callie frowned at Fancy. Olivia shook her head. Morgan rolled her eyes.
Hope locked gazes with Fancy. Her almond-shaped eyes were as calm as a lake in summer. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Ella on my own. It’s not an ideal situation, but we’re making the best of it.”
Bravo! Olivia wanted to cheer. Hope was a sweetheart by nature. Sometimes she could even be a bit timid. She never liked to challenge anyone. It was nice to see her standing up for herself against Fancy, who meant well but could be a little over the top and inquisitive.
“That’s good to know,” Fancy murmured, appearing slightly chastened.
“So, Olivia,” Morgan drawled in a sugary sweet tone. “What’s this about Hunter Rawlings and his return to town? Tell us all about it. Is he still as scrumptious as ever?”
Olivia felt her cheeks warming up. Embarrassment flooded her. How could she talk about Hunter without letting her friends see that she was in love with him?
“As you all know, he came back for the wedding. And he’s doing quite well. As far as his looks are concerned, he looks the same, just a bit more…mature and stylish,” Olivia explained.
“Did you feel the old sparks come back to life?” Fancy asked, wagging her eyebrows at Olivia.
“Let’s just say he still makes my heart flutter,” Olivia said, earning her oohs and aahs from the girls. She raised her hands to her cheeks. She had just surprised herself by being so forthright.
But part of friendship meant sharing yourself with your friends. The words she’d just spoken were the truth. Part of her rejoiced at her ability to put it into words without fearing the response. Everyone was smiling and laughing. No one was judging her in the slightest.
“Okay, ladies. Let’s get down to business,” Callie said in a brisk voice, rubbing her hands together. “Let me close the door so we’re not distracted by the construction. After we finish up here we can get a sneak peek at the progress.” Callie stood up from her seat and walked over to the door and firmly closed it. Immediately, most of the noises quieted down.
Fancy let out a little squeaking noise. “Yay! I can’t wait to see the work that’s been done since I’ve been away.”
Morgan pulled out a notebook from her bag. “I did a little brainstorming. I think it makes sense for me to take over the culinary areas. We could serve breakfast and lunch, then have the guests eat dinner elsewhere. I think from a financial vantage point, we can afford to serve two meals a day rather than three. And since dinner is the costliest meal, it might make sense to omit that one.”
“Or we could do breakfast and dinner,” Fancy suggested. “It might be more expensive, but I’ve been to resorts where dinner is something all the guests really look forward to. Some even like to get all decked out and make a night of it.”
“Good point,” Olivia said with a nod. “My only hesitation is that we have to really focus on the bottom line our first year out. Costs could really skyrocket.”
“Well, that’s my area of expertise. Finances and accounting. I’ll be crunching the numbers for Savannah House,” Callie said with a grin. “It will give me the chance to put my degree to use. And yes, we have to really be cautious about our finances. We’re spending a great deal on renovations and we really don’t have any idea if this relaunch will take off or not.” Callie bit her lip, a gesture Olivia knew indicated her best friend’s uncertainty.
Olivia, as well as the others, knew that there were no guarantees about the future of the resort.
“I think I’d like to be the hospitality person. The liaison to guests and the face of the resort, so to speak,” Olivia said in a firm voice. “I love working with people and I think after volunteering at the youth center for so many years, I’ve made some great contacts in Savannah. I could really put the word out about our relaunch.”
“So would you cover publicity as well?” Callie asked.
Olivia nodded. “Yes, I think that would work.”
“I think that I might like to focus on the interior decorating aspects. I’m really enjoy
ing picking out new furniture and tapestries and paint colors. It’s really in my wheelhouse due to my background in art,” Fancy said. The look on her face seemed hesitant, as if she wasn’t entirely sure the other women would agree.
“I think that sounds wonderful,” Morgan said with a gentle smile in Fancy’s direction. “You have exquisite taste.”
Fancy beamed. “Thank you. Savannah House has always been beautiful, but we need to modernize it a bit. Not too much, of course since it should have historic charm, but we really can add some beautiful touches.”
Hope threw her hands in the air. “I really haven’t figured out my role. I would say fitness or lifestyle, but I haven’t exactly been keeping up with my exercise regimen since the baby came.”
“You look great,” Fancy said with an encouraging smile.
“That’s a great idea, Hope. People always wants some sort of exercise…yoga, Pilates, Zumba. And perhaps we can consider the spa treatment idea and merge the two,” Callie suggested. “It would be a wellness area.”
“I love the sound of it,” Olivia said, excitement bubbling up inside her as all the ideas began to take shape.
“Me too,” Hope said. “I promise you, I’ll be ready to go when we launch. In the meanwhile, I’ll get some ideas on paper.”
“Call me crazy,” Morgan said with wide eyes, “but I think we’ve got this pretty much settled, with the exception of Charlotte’s role.”
All of the women began to clap and talk at once. The joy in the room was palpable. For the first time they could see the finish line in sight. Their dreams had taken shape and they were only a few months away from the opening of Savannah House. There was only one thing missing at the moment, Olivia thought. Charlotte.
“Well. Now that we have those issues settled, let’s have some proper English tea in memory of Miss Hattie,” Olivia suggested.
Hope let out a squeal. “Oh that’s a lovely suggestion, Olivia.”
“Just like old times,” Fancy said, her beautiful face lit up with a tender smile.
“Just like old times,” Callie repeated, placing her shoulder around Fancy.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married in less than a week,” Olivia said, tears misting in her eyes at the idea of her best friend being settled with the man of her heart.
“God is good. He pointed me right in the direction of my happily ever after,” Callie said.
“I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more,” Olivia said. All four women stood up and embraced in a five-way hug. Olivia felt as if her heart couldn’t be any fuller. Circumstances had fractured their friendships, but time had done nothing to erode the love they felt for one another.
Yes, indeed. God was good.
“Whenever there’s a little voice urging you to do something that you know is wrong, cast it out. The devil disguises himself in all kind of ways. He’s just waiting to see you fall.” Jack Renault
Chapter Ten
By the time Hunter arrived back home after dropping Olivia off at Savannah House and then picking up his rental car, it was close to eleven o'clock. The moment he pulled into the driveway he was greeted by his brothers who were hanging out on the porch waiting for him to arrive. Braxon looked like a dark thundercloud with his stormy eyes and angry stance. Joshua was pacing back and forth in an agitated manner that bore little resemblance to the brother he'd always known and loved. He was jittery and seemed to be extremely on edge.
“It's about time you showed up,” Braxon said as he glared at him, then impatiently glanced at his watch. “We have our tux fitting in ten minutes.”
Tux fitting? He’d totally forgotten about it. Jax and Callie’s wedding was a formal affair, requiring all the male guests to wear tuxedos. His entire family had been invited to the festivities. He'd forgotten all about their appointment in the aftermath of his adventure with Olivia.
And who could blame him? It had been a night to remember. She'd been understanding and forgiving about the motorcycle breaking down. And for the first time in his life he had seen his own future flash before his eyes. Him. Olivia. Kids. The house with the white picket fence. A soft place to fall when the world around him was too much to bear. And it was the first time in his life that he'd felt as if he might be staring into the eyes of his future wife.
Although it scared him that he was heading into dangerous territory, he couldn't deny the feelings Olivia aroused in him. Joy. Satisfaction. Tenderness. The tightness he was feeling in the region of his heart was something he couldn't ignore.
“Where were you last night?” Braxon asked with a frown.
“I'm a little old to have a curfew,” Hunter said with a pointed look in Braxon's direction. “And way too old to be answering to you.”
“And he's not about to kiss and tell,” said Joshua with an easy laugh that reminded Hunter of the old Joshua.
Hunter and Joshua turned towards each other and bumped knuckles in an age-old gesture while Braxon rolled his eyes and muttered a few good-natured insults about his brothers.
“Whatever,” Braxon grumbled, “But next time you pull a disappearing act like that, make sure your assistant knows about it. He called the house phone half a dozen times looking for you.”
Hunter frowned. “Simon? What did he want?”
Braxon shrugged. “I have no idea. He said he'd been trying your cell phone all night. He didn't say what he wanted, but it sounded urgent.”
“My cell phone died and I didn't have a charger,” he explained in a curt voice. Why was Simon calling the house phone looking for him? He'd told his assistant in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to disturb his mother or brothers by contacting him at the family home. It wasn't like his assistant to breach protocol like this unless it was an emergency. For some reason it felt jarring. Being back in Savannah had provided him with a well-needed break from business. It was something he rarely experienced.
“Sweet little ride you rode up in,” Joshua said with appreciation as he gave the Cherry red Porsche the once over. Joshua had always held a fascination for cars, particularly sleek little rides with fast engines.
“My bike gave out on me just over the state line. I had to call in for a car service to bring me back to town. The Porsche is a rental.”
“Let’s drive it into town. Give me the keys,” Joshua said. Hunter threw his brother the keys and they all walked toward the rental car.
“What did you leave Savannah for?” Braxon's brows were furrowed in confusion.
Hunter scowled at his brother. “What part of I don't answer to you didn't you understand?”
“I hope Jack didn't sit up last night waiting on Olivia,” Joshua said with a sly grin that made his rugged features even more eye catching.
Braxon smirked. “He might take you out to the woodshed for keeping his daughter out all night.”
“Mind your business, both of you,” Hunter spit out. “What makes you think I was with Olivia anyway?”
His younger brother looked at him with knowing eyes. “Cause some things never change, big bro,” Braxon said. “Who can forget the way you two snuck around back in the day?” He let out a loud snort. “As if you were fooling anyone.”
“Besides” Joshua added with a smirk, “Sadie was flapping her gums about the chemistry between you two the other night at the Renault's house.”
“Sadie needs to find herself a man and stay out of my business,” he said in a curt voice as he settled in on the passenger side. “And I was with Olivia last night, but it wasn’t anything scandalous. If any gossip about her gets around Savannah I’m going to trace it right back to the three of you.” He glared at them. “I promise you, it won’t be pretty. No one is going to tear apart Olivia’s reputation without consequences. Not even my family.”
Braxon held up his hands. “Whoa. We were just talking amongst ourselves. I can’t believe you would ever think we would spread rumors about Olivia. She’s been our friend since we were kids. We were ju
st joking around with you.”
Hunter felt as if steam might be coming out of his ears. “I don’t like jokes like that. I know from past experience how people in Savannah treat gossip like a sporting event. I won’t let Olivia be the hot gossip of the week. I’ll take my licks if they want to talk about me, but Olivia is off limits.”
Joshua and Braxon quieted down for a few moments. The silence stretched out in the car.
“You’ve got it bad!” Joshua said after a few moments. “From what I’m hearing, it sounds like you’ve fallen for Olivia Renault all over again.” Joshua started the engine and drove away from the house with a great deal of finesse.
What on Earth had he gotten himself into? Although his night with Olivia had been amazing, he wasn't in a position to settle down or offer her anything other than a casual relationship. Olivia deserved way more than that. Now that his family was buzzing about his relationship with her, it put things into sharp focus. He wasn't the settling down type, nor could he offer her anything other than a no strings flirtation. He hated the thought of everyone gossiping about their night together out of town and speculating about what it all meant. Gossips didn’t care about the truth. It meant nothing to them.
The truth of the matter was he'd come back to Savannah for one pressing reason in addition to the wedding– to become CEO of Renault Enterprises, to give flight to the fantasy he'd had when he was the poorest boy in town. To show himself that you really could have it all – power, respectability, control. Redemption.
Falling in love wasn't an option!
He cared about Olivia, but Savannah wasn't in his future. It wasn't his end game. He would go on loving his family, but from a distance. They'd still be able to meet him at various hot spots around the world as they'd been doing for the past few years. Of course, things would be a bit difficult at first. Once he laid claim to Renault Enterprises and became the majority stockholder, there was sure to be fallout. Mama would be disappointed in him. His brothers might yell and make a fuss. Sadie might slap him upside the head. And Olivia...she'd be shattered. He couldn't escape the truth of the matter. She wore her heart on her sleeve for all to see, and he'd be a liar if he didn't admit what he'd seen in her eyes after the time they’d spent together. It had been staring straight back at him - unwavering, unflinching, undeniable.
A Moment in the Moonlight (Secrets of Savannah Book 2) Page 10
