Last Chance Book Club

by Hope Ramsay

Hettie slipped the reins back over Wing’s head and started taking off his bridle. “She didn’t come across as high and mighty to me. What else do you know about her?”

  He rested his hand on Wing’s neck, his gaze zeroing in on Hettie. The horse nickered. “She’s my cousin, sort of, but that doesn’t mean I know all that much about her.”

  “Sort of?”

  “She’s related to Miriam. I’m related to Harry. Savannah and I aren’t related at all. Except we seem to have family in common.”

  “Is she as smart as she seems?” Hettie stared at Dash over Wing’s back. She slipped the horse’s halter over his ears and snapped the left crosstie onto it.

  “I don’t know. I guess. Her momma, Aunt Kate, is a snob and a college professor. I don’t like either of them. We were not close cousins.”

  “In addition to not really being cousins at all?”

  “I guess.”

  “Is she well financed?”

  He snorted as he snapped the right-hand crosstie to Wing’s halter. “She has no money. She has no real idea. I mean, it would be crazy to try to reopen a theater here in the middle of nowhere.”

  Hettie stared at him, and Dash got that perennial sinking feeling right in the middle of his chest. Damn it, he’d disappointed her again. “What?” he asked.

  They stood staring over the horse’s back. And, boy howdy, did Dash get lost in those violet eyes of hers.

  “Don’t you look at me like that, Dash Randall.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like a lovesick puppy. I’m not interested.”

  Dash decided it was time to be brave. “Hettie, is it just me you’re not interested in, or is it men in general? I’d like to know so I can devise my plan of attack.”

  “Your plan of attack?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I have decided to make a play for you.”

  She looked away. “Dash, please. I’ve always liked you. But I don’t want to be tying myself down again to any man. For the first time in my life, I’m living the way I want to. And I’m thinking I could do some good things for this town. And that includes doing something about that old theater. So can you just focus on that? I need to know as much as I can about this sort-of cousin of yours.”

  And so Dash found himself once again talking about his least favorite subject—Cousin Savannah.

  “There isn’t anything to say about Savannah,” he said. “She was a spoiled kid. Her granddaddy left her the theater. And up until yesterday, she believed she could revive it. I set her straight.”

  “You what?”

  “I set her straight. We went over there. The roof is falling down, there are bats in the rafters, and the projection system is both antiquated and rat-chewed. It would take more money than Savannah could raise to bring it up to code. And even then, she couldn’t make a living at it. There’s no way a theater like that competes with the new multiplex up in Orangeburg. She’s just pipe dreaming, Hettie. And folks like you and Rocky shouldn’t be talking all over town about how this is going to happen. People miss The Kismet’s lights, but the theater is dead.”

  Hettie started unbuckling the left-hand girth of Wing’s saddle. “So,” she said after a long moment, “you don’t have any pipe dreams?”

  Of course he did. Returning to the major leagues was one of them. Having Hettie Johnson Marshall fall head-over-heels for him was another. But he wasn’t going to talk about his dreams. That would expose too many raw nerves. “What do my dreams have to do with The Kismet?” he asked instead.

  “Nothing. I was just thinking that, after what you did for Lord Woolham, maybe you could help with this Kismet thing, too.”

  “Hettie, investing in Hugh’s business was a good idea. He had a revolutionary, patented improvement to the industrial weaving process that was practically guaranteed to give me a return on the investment. But The Kismet is…” His voice faded out.

  “What is it, Dash?”

  He sighed. “Well, it’s sort of like the Painted Corner Stables. It’s a nice idea but it’s never going to make anyone rich.”

  “You don’t need to become rich. You’re already richer than anyone else in town.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  Dash didn’t respond. He focused on unbuckling the right side of the saddle. He lifted it off Wing’s back, then turned and lowered the saddle and pad to a rack sitting outside Wing’s stall.

  “Dash, if you really want to change the way folks around here see you, you’ll think about this. Last Chance is in the middle of a mini revival. We’ve got more jobs here than we’ve ever had before. We’ve got new people moving in. Those people need a business district that they can be proud of. Not some ghost of ages past. You could do something for this town, too.”

  He stared at Hettie for a very long moment. If he did this for her, would she change her mind? And if he put himself out there, would she hurt him again?

  “Savannah doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who has the first idea of how to write a business plan,” he said. He knew it was a lame excuse even as the words left his lips.

  Hettie bent over, pulled up Wing’s front left hoof, and attacked it with her hoof pick. “Well then, you can teach her.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. If we let her leave town without giving her a helping hand, we might never be able to do anything about that eyesore right in the middle of town. This is our chance, Dash, and like it or not you, me, Rocky, and Tulane Rhodes are the people who have to step up and become the town’s economic boosters. Rocky is all for this thing. She’s been introducing Savannah around town, and people like her. You should have seen the way she turned things around at the book club last night.”

  “Of course everyone likes her. That’s how she lures people in before she strikes.”

  Hettie put the horse’s leg down and straightened up. She gave Dash a smile that could still melt his heart. “Dash, you need to get over whatever happened between you and that woman when you were children. And besides, it would make me happy if you did this. So, won’t you please do it? For me?”

  God in Heaven, she looked like the debutante he’d fallen in love with when he was seventeen.

  He should walk away. She had hurt him so many times before. Like everyone else he had loved. But Dottie Cox had been right on Monday night. If he didn’t do something to make a change, then he would be alone for the rest of his life. And besides, he would do anything for Hettie. He loved her that much.

  So he squared his shoulders and looked her right in the eye. “Okay, Hettie. I’ll do it for you.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Savannah pulled the biscuits out of the oven and began transferring them to a basket lined with a red-and-white-checked napkin. She loved cooking in this kitchen where she had learned at the elbow of her grandmother. It almost felt as if Granny were standing right beside her telling her how to roll the dough and cut each biscuit.

  “Good gracious, that smells good,” Miriam said as she shuffled into the room. She was leaning heavily on her cane today.

  “Did you have a good nap?”

  “I rested.” Miriam sat down at the small kitchen table. “I declare, when I opened my eyes I thought, for just one minute, that Sally was still alive.”

  Savannah looked over her shoulder. “I was just thinking about how close I feel to Granny when I’m cooking in this kitchen. I wish I had a kitchen this big in Baltimore. Of course, a big kitchen would be wasted, since it’s just me and Todd most nights. But still.”

  “Sugar, I thought we’d decided you were staying and reviving The Kismet.”

  “Bringing The Kismet back to life is more than I know how to do. It’s a mess, and I have no money. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I was just dreaming.”

  “And when you came here as a child making gravy and biscuits was more than you knew how to do. But you learned. My nose is saying that Sally taught you everything she knew about cooking and, she sure knew mor
e than any other cook in Allenberg County.”

  “Learning how to cook and reviving The Kismet are different things. The Kismet is beyond my abilities and my means. Dash helped me to see that quite clearly.”

  “You call that help? So you’re just going to give up?”

  “What other choice do I have?”

  “You could learn what you need to learn. You take it from me, when you stop learning stuff, that’s when you get old.”

  “But I need more than knowledge. I need money.”

  “That’s just your fear talking. Tomorrow I think we need to get Todd registered for school. And then you need to visit Miz Ruby. Once she’s done with you, you’ll start seeing things straight.”

  “Miz Ruby? Is she, like, the local banker or something?”

  “No, of course not. She’s Rocky’s momma. You know, the beautician who owns the Cut ’n Curl. I go there every Friday for a manicure, but you need more than that, sugar. Rocky called me this morning, and we both agreed. Ruby will fix you right up. And believe me, when she’s done, you’ll have a spring in your step. And I’m sure you’ll figure something out for The Kismet.”

  Savannah stifled a laugh. If only it were that easy. “I don’t need a makeover.”

  “Don’t you? You’re sitting in this kitchen pining away because you don’t have a crowd to cook for like your granny did. Sugar, the only way to get a crowd for dinner every night is to find a new husband and have more babies. And believe me, you aren’t going to catch that hero you’ve been searching for if you don’t take care of yourself first.”

  “What hero? What are you talking about?”

  Savannah turned away from the pots on the stove and sat down facing her aunt, suddenly concerned. Miriam had a gleam in her eye that hadn’t been there before. Savannah took Miriam’s knobby hand in hers. The thin, cold feel of Miriam’s skin was a little alarming. She was getting up there in years. Was she going senile now that Harry had passed?

  “I’m fine. And I’m not senile,” Miriam said as if reading Savannah’s mind. “All I’m saying is that you need to be looking for a man with an appetite. Just like your grandmother did.”

  “But I’ve sworn off men altogether. Greg was a huge mistake. And my recent past is littered with men who were commitment-phobic workaholics, and not very interested in kids.”

  “Well, I’m sure none of those men was your soulmate. So don’t give them any more thought than they deserve.”

  “Soulmate? Really?”

  “Now, sugar, you listen. You want a man like your granddaddy was.”

  Savannah stroked Miriam’s hand. “Men like Granddaddy are hard to find. I thought Greg was like him, but I was wrong.” She let go of a frustrated breath. What she really wanted was a man like George Bailey, the protagonist in It’s a Wonderful Life. And she knew that was impossible, because George Bailey wasn’t a real person. Real people were not like the ones in those old black-and-white movies that Granddaddy had taught her to appreciate.

  “Savannah, I know you’ve been hurt. But I also know that you’re going to find the kind of man you’ve been searching for. I know it in my bones. It’s just not going to be easy to find him. You’re going to have to delve beneath the surface.”

  Savannah stood up and crossed back to the stove to check on the gravy. Miriam was too old to understand. Her great-aunt had been married to one man for more than forty years. Marriages like that were rare. Savannah’s marriage had failed in its third year. And Savannah’s mother had been unable to keep three different husbands. All in all, it seemed wiser to figure out a way to be independent.

  Her cell phone rang. Savannah checked the caller ID. It was Mom. She had been expecting this call for at least a day. She had told everyone in Baltimore that she’d be home by now. So of course, Mom was checking in.

  Savannah pushed the talk button and put the phone to her ear.

  “Savannah Elizabeth Reynolds, are you insane?”

  Uh-oh. When Mom used her full maiden name, it was always a tip-off that one of Mom’s rants was headed Savannah’s way.

  “Hi, Mom, how are you?” Savannah said carefully.

  “I’m not good. What’s this nonsense about you staying in Last Chance and trying to renovate The Kismet?”

  “Who told you this?”

  “Todd called me earlier. He apparently borrowed your cell phone when you were in the shower. Savannah, what about Greg? He has a right to see his son, you know.”

  Great. Her son had tattled on her. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  She took a deep, calming breath. “Mom, you know and I know that Greg couldn’t care less about visitation. It’s been months since he’s paid any attention to Todd. And then it was just to give him that infernal PSP that he plays all the time. Maybe coming to South Carolina will wake Greg up. I would be happy if that happened. Of course, we both know that Greg is sort of like Dad, and that is probably not going to happen.”

  “Okay,” Mom said on a long sigh. “I’ll concede that point. But you don’t want to live in Last Chance, and you sure don’t want to subject your son to that. I know, I grew up there, and aside from church and football games there wasn’t much to do.”

  “There was the movie theater.”

  “Right, like that’s the height of culture.” Mom’s voice rose in pitch. “I knew I should have put my foot down when Daddy started filling your head with all those silly ideas about reopening that place. That was his dream, not yours. How are you going to pay for a thing like that? And have you any idea about the quality of the schools in that little town? This is a huge mistake you’re making. Don’t be an idiot.”

  Savannah looked through the kitchen window at the Spanish-moss-laden oak in the side yard. She remembered the tree house Granddaddy had built for her. It was gone now, but the memory remained steadfast and true. Why couldn’t Todd have a father like that? Why couldn’t she have had a father like that? Or a mother who encouraged her to follow her dreams instead of pointing out how hollow they were.

  “You know, Mom,” she said in a shaky voice, “it would be nice if just once you would support me in the things I want to do.”

  “I certainly would support you if you were opening a business you knew something about, in a city where you might get customers. My goodness, Savannah, you can’t be successful in a place like Last Chance.”

  “When was the last time you came down here?”

  “I don’t know. Decades. I avoid the place. I don’t want you bringing up Todd in that one-horse town.”

  Before Savannah could counter, Mom rolled on. “And Todd said Dash was there. He told me Dash destroyed his PSP. Really, I can’t believe you’re letting Todd have anything to do with that man. My God, Savannah, don’t you remember the way he treated you as a girl? He’s fully capable of abusing Todd. Or worse.”

  Mom was silent for a moment, obviously letting her arguments take their toll, before she continued, “And I don’t think Greg will be wild about the situation after I explain it to him. And you should know that Claire is fit to be tied. How could you turn down her offer to pay Todd’s tuition to the Gilman School?”

  Something deep inside Savannah snapped. “I turned her down because she wants to turn Todd into a big snob, just like you’ve become. Just like Greg is. I’m sorry, Mom, but I’m going to stay in Last Chance. Miriam needs a cook. Todd needs the fresh air. And Dash is not a child molester. I may not have approved of his methods, but he did me a huge favor by breaking that idiotic game. Besides, this is my life, not yours or Claire’s or Greg’s. It’s mine, and if I want to come live here with Aunt Miriam and Cousin Dash, well then, that’s what I’m going to do.”

  She pulled the phone from her ear and pressed the disconnect button.

  “Bravo.”

  She looked up to find Dash leaning in the kitchen doorway clapping his hands. His fitted cowboy shirt accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow hips. He looked tanned and healthy and incredibly male. The puppy Todd found stood besid
e him looking up with total adoration on his face.

  “I take it that was Aunt Katie Lynne on the phone telling you how to run your life?”

  Savannah nodded, suddenly unable to get a word out. How much had he heard of her rant?

  “Thanks for telling her off on my account. I’ve been wanting to do that since I was thirteen, when she called me a bad seed.”

  Savannah’s eyes began to itch. She’d heard her mother’s opinion about Dash. In fact, she’d repeated her mother’s opinion. Everywhere. To everyone. And now that she thought about it, repeating her mother’s ugly words had set off the infamous snake incident.

  Guilt slammed into her. She hadn’t really understood when she was ten. But now, suddenly, it all came back in a rush. She’d been cruel and mean-spirited.

  Sort of like Mom.

  Savannah took a deep breath and turned back toward her gravy. She needed to get dinner on the table and not think about what had happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Either way it was bad.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for courage—and maybe an investor with a really, really deep pocket.

  “Princess, I’ve changed my mind about The Kismet,” Dash said.

  She looked over her shoulder. “What?”

  “Last Chance needs a movie theater. So I reckon I’m going into business with you.”

  Dash took one look at the frown on Savannah’s face and decided he didn’t want to hang around long enough for her to refuse his help. He hadn’t considered the complexity of what he’d promised Hettie. It was irksome, to say the least, that Cousin Savannah could stand in the way of his plan to win Hettie back.

  He turned and stalked down the hall and out to the front porch, where he found the kid sitting on the front step looking pitiful. His annoyance at Savannah disappeared, replaced by deep empathy for the boy.

  “Bad move, calling your grandmother and having her call your mother.”

  The kid looked up over his shoulder. “Who asked for your opinion?”

  “No one. Just sayin’. Your momma got all riled up and told your granny that there was no way in hell she’s going back to Baltimore. And I think Aunt Miriam plans to get you registered down at the school tomorrow. So it looks like you’re here for a while.”