by Avery Flynn
Cooper rolled his eyes. He didn’t have time for that mess today.
He began searching the hotel room for a private place to make a call. Not even the bathroom had less than two people in it. Cooper snuck into the hall but didn't have any better luck there, so he rode the elevator down to the conference room where they were cleaning up the photo shoot.
Just as he started to turn inside, a barrage of young women surrounded him. A couple waved an eight-by-ten photo in the air; they sure loved that half-naked shot of him with his chest greased up. Others thrust starch-smelling jerseys in his face. Only one actually carried a black marker to sign with.
Considering the number of hottest men lists he landed on, fans seeking him out wasn’t anything new. But why’d they have to show up now? He swallowed his frustration, threw on his best Mr. Southern Charm smile, and dutifully began signing all their paraphernalia.
Halfway through, a figure in white paused roughly ten steps away, drawing his attention. His first thought was that more fans had arrived. But the further his gaze climbed from the pink, strappy wedge heels and over the caramel calves he had recent intimate knowledge with, the warmer he grew under the collar.
Savannah Jane stood with her hip cocked inside a white linen, knee-length dress made to look like a man’s button-down shirt cinched at the waist.
Grinning, she played with the wide brim of a hat, then gave a little wave. Nodded in a way that told him to hurry up and finish.
Feeling out of breath, he did his best to get through the micro-conversations and accept their compliments without appearing too hasty or sidetracked. But the truth was, he would kill to take that woman up in his arms right now and kiss her in front of God and everyone.
Cooper was down to the final two fans when an angry man’s voice jerked his attention toward Savannah.
William Scott strode angrily up behind his daughter and grabbed her by the elbow. “I knew I’d find you here,” he hissed.
“What are you doing here?” Savannah asked, horrified.
Was this what she got for missing their coffee date? She'd avoided his calls for all of a day, but that didn't give him the right to hunt her down and embarrass her.
“If you’d answer your phone, I wouldn’t be forced to come look for you.” His hands hooked to his hips. “I understand you called out of work again.”
Again? The most he’d know about would be Monday after the incident with her mother. But how had he known about yesterday? She’d spent the day at West’s hiding away from reporters and finishing the lyrics to her song, which surprisingly came much easier than expected.
As for today, ninety-five percent of the town and neighboring counties took the day off for this. Including him, apparently. Why wasn’t he at work?
“Are you checking up on me? I happen to have plenty of sick time to use, and I wouldn’t be the first to take a few extra days off.”
Before William could respond, Cooper appeared at her side. “Mr. Scott, this might not be the best the place—”
“Don’t talk to me about time and place,” William shouted. “Savannah’s mother has been getting calls for two days about your overnight stay at my daughter’s apartment.”
Savannah gaped at him. “That is none of your business, Daddy.”
Cooper, bless him, seemed to be the only calm one out of all of them. He put on his winning smile, set an arm over her shoulders, and said, “I’m in love with your daughter, and last I checked she was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions.”
William squared himself to Cooper, cutting Savannah out of the conversation. "A grown woman who will have to do months of damage control to her reputation the second you leave town again."
“Daddy, stop it,” Savannah said. “Once again, you and Momma are being overly dramatic.”
He ignored her. “Do you know that just this morning a perfectly respectable suitor told me that dating my daughter was no longer in his best interest?”
Savannah chuffed out a laugh. “Who? That narcissistic idiot Tanner Wilson?” She wrinkled her nose. “Believe me; I will not be losing sleep over that.”
Cooper grinned down at her, eyes twinkling. "I'd also like to add that I am a 'perfectly respectable suitor.'" He nodded over his shoulder. "Just ask these fine young ladies."
Savannah’s fingers went cold first. The chill spread rapidly up her arms as she followed Cooper’s gaze. He waved at the raised phones that were most likely videoing the entire scene.
William’s cheeks turned a dark pink. “You did this on purpose.”
Savannah set a calming hand on her father’s chest. “No, Daddy, I’m sure that’s not true.”
She lobbed tiny daggers at Cooper anyway, because of course, she knew better. And boy was he incorrigible.
Cooper held up defensive hands. “I tried asking him to take this somewhere private.”
That was true, but still. He’d intentionally let them go on. “I’ll deal with you later.” To her daddy, she said, “Let’s go, before I give them something even juicier to post online.”
She got him to the parking lot where they hid out by his shiny black sedan away from the throng of fans. He paced furiously from one end to the other, with her watching from beside the passenger door.
“That was humiliating,” Savannah said to him, using a rare tone of admonishing.
“If you’d just answered when I called,” William repeated, pausing momentarily to shoot her a pointed glare. “None of this had to happen.”
“Forgive me if I didn’t want to waste a perfectly good mood being lectured about the incident with Momma.”
“We’ll get to that, but we need to discuss this situation with Cooper Banks. I absolutely forbid you to see him again.”
Savannah gritted her teeth and inhaled deeply through her nose. Let it out through her mouth. Lengthened her spin and notched her chin in a way that she sensed probably resembled Helena Scott. She was determined from that second on to make sure the incarnation ended there. What would Momma do, and do the exact opposite.
For example, her mother would probably start a fight right now. She’d probably let him know what a hypocrite he was. Throw in a slap for good measure.
That’s why she had to walk away. Today was about Cooper, not her parents. “Have a nice day, Daddy.”
She made it past the bumper before he took her by the elbow. “I’m not finished.”
If he grabbed her one more time like that, she was likely to lose her ever-loving mind. “Take your hands off me.”
William looked startled by the veracity in her tone. "Don't you see what he's doing? It's only been a few days, and he's already tearing our family apart."
“No, you’re doing that all on your own. Case in point; anything you want to share with me, Daddy?”
He blinked. Straightened. She could see in his eyes that he was trying to determine if she already knew or not. She refused to ease his mind.
“Nothing that’s any of your concern.”
“So you’re okay with Cooper telling me? You’re not worried at all about how your version of the story might be construed?” She drew closer. “You trust him to do that?”
This seemed to make him pause, but for only a moment. “You let me worry about Cooper Banks. If and when I decide you need to know the truth I’ll tell you.”
She began turning away from him again, intending to find Cooper, the only man in her life at the moment who treated her with respect. “Fine, Daddy, have it your way.”
“Why can’t you just leave well enough alone?” William asked.
“Well, aren’t you the pot today, Daddy.” She strode back over, furiously clutching her purse and hat. “Let’s talk about Tanner Wilson for a moment. And Theodore Heaton before that. Or Luther Hibbs. Let’s talk about how your version of my future compares to my version.
“Why is it that you can meddle all over my life, but when it comes to you and Momma I’m supposed to sit back and keep quiet?”
His h
and flew up to his hips and forced his suit jacket back. “I’m your father, young lady. It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of.”
“What about happy? Because I am not happy. I hate my job; I hate it so much that some days I’d prefer being skinned alive to sitting in that chair for one more minute. I hate that I have to be polite to those ridiculous men you trick me into dining with. And I most especially hate being subjected to Momma’s constant belittling.
“But I put up with these things because other things in my life do make me happy. Like when I’m writing music with West. The act of creating something out of nothing makes me feel more alive than anything.”
William waved a dismissive hand. “Nothing wrong with having a hobby.”
It was as if she’d been slapped. “A hobby?”
Savannah started to make an argument over this so-called hobby but realized she couldn't. She'd been downplaying this part of her life with him for years. Never letting on how serious she was about it because she was scared of his reaction.
“It’s not a hobby,” she said. “West and I are looking for an agent, and in the meantime, we’ve got an entire book of songs ready to sell.”
"Do you have any idea the percentage of songwriters who make something of themselves? Don't get your hopes up, my dear. Best to shoot for that promotion at work. Better yet, give Tanner a call and apologize. Make the right moves there, and you won't have to work at all. You can do your songwriting thing then."
Why did she bother? Why waste time here when she could be inside with Cooper? He hadn’t thought twice about knocking her dreams down.
Wordlessly, Savannah turned her back on William. Then just three steps away she paused, because she’d been letting him off the hook for too long already. “P.S., I know everything. That’s why I haven’t been answering your calls. That’s why I won’t answer them today, tomorrow, or next week. We’re going to live life on my terms for a change.”
She strode away, head held high.
10
Cooper watched Saul’s lips moving but didn’t hear a word. Somewhere between the shoot ending and Savannah walking away with William, his agent had heard all about where the young hockey star had spent Sunday and Monday night.
He could thank the local gossip blog for that one. It came complete with a photo of his shit-eating grin as he unlocked his rental car early Tuesday morning. Used words like delectable and sordid. It included a full history of their relationship along with a recounting of the curious face-off between Cooper and William at the bar.
Another whimsical addition to the story was sure to get Mrs. Scott banned from society for quite a while. Scandal was a favorite go-to word for when the Scott women’s argument was highlighted near the end. The author didn’t skip a single mention of Chenin or Blanc.
For the grand finale…Cooper’s recent dating history. Most of it false, of course. And instead of making him look like a star athlete with a flavor of the month club, it turned everything around on poor, delusional Savannah Jane Scott. The times have changed and so have the men, and this poor, misguided Darling of the South needed to move right along before Mr. Southern Charm charmed her right into one of her mother’s gin bottles.
Cooper had been around long enough to know that this would pass. The problem was Savannah. She’d flipped out on Monday when the first stories began surfacing. Then disappeared Tuesday, sending only the occasional one-or-two word text response. There was no telling how she’d take this blog post, especially with the mention of Helena and her drinking problem.
“Jesus,” Cooper heard through his murky thoughts. “You aren’t even listening, are you?”
Saul came into focus, and Cooper threw on a smile he didn’t feel. “Here’s what we need to do,” he said, grabbing his agent by the shoulders. Maybe he could clear up any possible issues for Savannah and calm Saul down in one shot. “Highlight our romance.”
The shorter man blinked, then gave a wry smirk. “The romance. The one underneath all the arguments, secret babies, and what I can only assume includes unlawful carnal acts in and around all the premarital sex-having. That romance?”
“Yes. Who doesn’t love a good second chance story? Maybe we can all sit down tomorrow with Savannah and a few reporters of your choosing, and get the real truth out there. No more of this gossip web spinning for dramatic effect.”
And no chance of anyone sniffing a generation further into his or her past.
"I love this girl, Saul. I promise we can fix this." When Saul looked dubious, Cooper added, "I'll let you plan my proposal."
“Done. So where is she?” he asked, glancing around the near-empty hotel room. “I’d love a proper introduction to the girl of your dreams.”
“She…uh… Well, we sort of had a thing happen with her father downstairs, and she’s—”
Saul threw up his hands and walked away muttering angry, unintelligible words, followed by a shout for everyone to wrap up and get ready to go. Cooper hadn’t realized it was already time to head to the cemetery. Where had Savannah gone off to?
He never got a chance to find out. Instead, he was ushered downstairs to his rental car, where he headed straight to the cemetery with Eddie and the Cup riding shotgun. Just ten minutes earlier he’d imagined Savannah there. He didn’t exactly view it as a fair exchange.
He worried about Savannah all the way over and even tried calling. He might not have stopped trying but was sidetracked by the incredible crowd gathered at the cemetery. Saul had thought ahead to section off a walking path for Cooper, and thank God. With the media presence, fans, and what might've been the entire town, he'd never have made it to his dad's grave.
At the opening to the narrow pathway, Josh waited for Cooper with hands tucked into his front jeans pockets. His older brother had cleaned up for the occasion, having shaved and brushed his hair. He wore an army jacket over a green t-shirt, and boots nearly identical to Cooper’s.
Josh smirked as Cooper approached. “Need help with that thing?”
He jostled the massive trophy and shook his head. "Not yet. Ask me in a couple of hours."
The brothers set off for Andrew Banks' grave together in an emotional silence. Cooper was grateful Josh had come around that week and had agreed to make this journey with him. Andrew would have wanted it this way.
"Thought Savannah would be here," Josh whispered so the cameras wouldn't pick it up.
They glanced around, but she was nowhere in sight. Cooper's heart sank. A part of him expected her to run up smiling and apologizing for being late. "Something happened with her dad at the hotel. I don't think she's coming."
Josh looked stunned. "Are you serious? That's not like her. I thought you two were doing all the scandalous things.”
The word “scandalous” caught Coop by surprise. “How do you even know about that?”
“Alexis Sidwell’s blog.” He said it as if this were an obvious reading choice for a grown man nearing thirty.
They reached the grave and stopped at the foot. The crowds seemed to close in on them, but all Cooper could do was stare at his father’s headstone. It was all that remained of the man who, last time they were alone in the same room, advised his son that leaving would be in Savannah’s best interest.
Why had he done that? Was it as he'd told Savannah? A combination of cancer and William's fantastical storytelling? Or was there more to it?
Cooper replayed their final conversation on the telephone. Don’t you dare come back here, he’d said. There’s nothing left here but wasted time. Your future is out there. Go take it. You worked hard for it.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered, stunned. "Dad knew that if I came home, I'd stay. He knew I'd give it all up."
Josh glanced around before leaning closer. “What the hell are you going on about?”
“Dad’s the one that talked me into leaving Savannah,” he admitted, “then ensured I wouldn’t be home before the funeral. He knew I’d choose to stay if I had a reason to, so he took it away.�
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Josh looked dubious. “C’mon. Dad cared about Savannah. He wouldn’t do something like that.”
“He would if he thought my future was on the line.”
His older brother stared at him for a long time before his eyes widened. “He practically killed himself to make sure you had every advantage,” he said. “He’d have been pissed if you threw it away at the eleventh hour.”
Cooper nodded, and fresh emotions swept through him. Not grief. Not love.
Resentment. Anger. Had any of his choices been his? Ever?
Just one: Savannah.
He glared at the tombstone and threw the Cup at the foot of the grave. His father’s final wish, quite literally, at his feet. “Hope you’re happy, you son of a bitch. You got everything you fucking wanted.”
With that, Cooper Banks turned and walked away.
Savannah’s heart hammered as she set a hand on the doorknob to her mother's bedroom. She never liked intruding in Helena's space. Not if she could help it. It was just that today of all days, speaking with her mother felt necessary. Cooper was putting his father's final wish to rest, and maybe she should have been there with him for that. But after seeing her daddy face-to-face, seeing who he truly was and what he was capable of, it suddenly became important to create a shift in the relationship with her mother. Something had to change, one way or another. Maybe now that she was armed with the truth, she could finally do that.
“Momma?” she said into the quiet space. It was dark as usual, lit by lamplight despite being the middle of the day. “Can I come in?”
It was the largest bedroom in the house, a master housing nothing belonging to her daddy. She’d long suspected they slept separately, though neither would admit it.
Her gaze lit on the mahogany-stained bed, corners squared so tight it was as if no one slept there at all. Pale blue carpet seemed to spread for miles past a series of windows with drapes closed to block the afternoon sun. Antique Tiffany lamps brightened an entire sitting area complete with a love seat and two armchairs facing a cold fireplace.
