Last Chance Book Club

by Hope Ramsay

  “Who bought them?”

  “His name is Nathan Martel, but he prefers to be called ‘New York Nate.’ He’s a pool hustler. We haven’t figured out a connection between this guy and Savannah, though.”

  “I think I can help you. Savannah’s ex-husband regularly participates in pool tournaments. So Greg would probably know a few hustlers. And what’s more, I just sent you a photo of John Rodgers having lunch with Savannah’s ex. It was taken in Baltimore about a week before the fire. I’ll bet you Greg White paid Rodgers to set that fire, and he probably got this New York Nate person to arrange for the snakes.”

  “So you think this is just some kind of domestic dispute between Savannah and her ex?” Stone asked.

  “I don’t know, to tell you the truth. I have a theory, though. I think Greg White is a gambler. I’ve heard Todd talk about how he plays pool a lot. And according to my private investigator, Greg is behind on all his bills as well as his child support, even though he’s a partner in a fancy law firm.”

  “So Savannah was playing hardball with him and he got mad at her?” Stone asked.

  “No, that’s not what I’m thinking. I’ll bet Greg’s well-heeled mother has been bailing him out on his gambling debts. But this time, she told him he needed to get Savannah to bring Todd back to Baltimore as a condition for any further financial help. Claire White would use any means to get her mitts on Todd. She’s even got the South Carolina Department of Social Services on my case.”

  “What?”

  It took a lot for Dash to say the next words, but he forced them out. “They want to call me a pedophile.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “Dash, everyone in town knows you’re not some kind of predator. Jeez, these people are evil. I’m glad Savannah and Todd escaped.”

  Dash’s shoulders relaxed a fraction, and he realized that he was going to be okay. The local law was on his side, and probably always had been.

  “I’m looking at the picture you sent right now,” Stone said. “I guess I need to go down to JBR tomorrow and have a little chat with John Rodgers. And I think I need to call the Baltimore police, too. Thanks, Dash, and… I’m sorry about what happened. You know I have to chase down every lead.”

  “It’s okay, Stone. I know. And everyone in town is happy that we finally have a sheriff who knows what he’s doing.”

  Dash disconnected and headed for the janitor’s closet, where he washed his face.

  He looked down at Champ, who stood at his feet with a smiling face and a happy tail.

  He laughed. “I guess I do know what Uncle Earnest would have done,” he said to the dog.

  How many times had Uncle Earnest told him to believe in the goodness of people? How many times had he also said that when the road seemed impassable you just had to trust in God and pray?

  “Thank you,” he whispered as he turned off the lights and locked the door. And in that moment it almost seemed like Uncle Earnest was right there with him. Like a guardian angel or something.

  Savannah folded her last sweater and zipped up the suitcase. Tomorrow at this time, she would be unpacking in Claire’s big house in the Roland Park section of Baltimore.

  It depressed her to think about it. Claire had a cook who didn’t like Savannah messing around in her kitchen. And even after Savannah found an apartment, there wouldn’t be a crowd to cook for.

  There wouldn’t be frog jumps, Easter dances, or Watermelon Festivals. She wouldn’t have friends at the book club or The Knit & Stitch. She wouldn’t be able to go to the theater every day and see it rising from the ruins. She wouldn’t wake up and feel like she was doing something important.

  And there wouldn’t be any moments at the bathroom door. Or in the kitchen when she poured Dash a cup of coffee and handed him a thermos and a sandwich. There wouldn’t be any stolen moments at the river house.

  But she had to give these things up. The alternative was unthinkable.

  She put the suitcase by the door and turned off the light. It was early yet. But she didn’t want to sit on the porch and visit with Miriam. Her guilt ran so deep when it came to Miriam that she didn’t even know how to plumb its depths.

  This situation was breaking her heart into a million pieces. She threw herself on her bed, but she didn’t cry. She’d cried herself out last night. She didn’t have any more tears. She had only the determination to do the best thing she could for her son. And for Dash.

  She lay there listening to the quiet in the house until Dash came home. His big car’s tires crunched on the gravel driveway. His boots sounded on the porch and the landing. At the top of the stairs, he turned left instead of right. Damn him. Didn’t he know that she didn’t want to see him?

  He knocked on her door.

  “Go away.”

  “No.” He opened the door. She should have locked it. The light in the hallway silhouetted him. He was wearing jeans and a western shirt. She couldn’t see his face, but his presence made her heart sing.

  “What do you want?”

  “Savannah.” He took a step into the room. “Honey, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And you know, there are some people on this earth who are so toxic that you have to accept that they have no part in your life. My father and grandfather were people like that. It’s taken me a lifetime and I don’t know how many AA meetings, not to mention a bucket of tears, to come to the conclusion that I was better off without my father and my grandfather.”

  She sat up in the bed and squinted against the sudden light. “Please. This situation is more complicated. And besides, Todd deserves time with his—”

  “Hush, let me finish.”

  She shut her mouth. She listened. What else could she do?

  “I know you want Todd to have a relationship with his father. And I know why. I even understand it. But you can’t send him back there.”

  “Dash, I have to. I—”

  “But he’s a gambler and a jerk. He doesn’t have any intention of spending quality time with Todd. You need to rethink.”

  “Well, thank you for that. I think I’m capable of figuring out what is the right thing to do.” Of course she wasn’t really, but she wasn’t about to let Dash tell her what to do.

  “Honey, listen, your ex is—”

  “What in the world is going on up here?” Miriam’s voice came down the hall. She walked into the bedroom and turned on the light. “Are y’all arguing again?”

  Her hair looked perfectly braided, and her gaze was sharp and lucid behind her trifocals.

  “Aunt Mim, I’m trying to have a serious conversation with your niece.”

  “Well, son, you’re doing a terrible job at telling her what she needs to know. And all she needs to know right now is that you can’t live without her.”

  The exasperation in Miriam’s voice was clear as she turned her gaze on Savannah. “And as for you. Well, honey, I’m getting really old, and I’m tired of playing the poor, senile, old lady in order to guilt you into staying here. And I’m tired of you dancing around Dash making him crazy. And then there is the fact that I’m ready to retire as Last Chance’s matchmaker. You have to stay so I can turn it all over to you.”

  Dash and Savannah stared at Miriam. She stared back at them. She raised one of her white eyebrows in an attempt to give them both her evil eye. “What?”

  “You’re ready to turn over matchmaking to Savannah?” Dash asked.

  “Of course. She’s got the sight.”

  “I do?” Savannah said.

  “Of course you do. You knew Hettie and Bill were a match before anyone else did. I don’t blame you for not figuring out Dash, though. He’s always been a little hard to figure. Inside that tough hide of his beats a golden heart. You have figured this out by now, haven’t you?”

  Miriam turned toward Dash. “And you’ve figured out that not only can she cook, but she’s got a kind heart. Not at all what you thought when you were young, but see
what she’s ready to do now, just to spare your reputation?”

  The tears Savannah thought she’d cried out suddenly sprang to her eyes. She stood up and walked toward Dash. “There’s no way I can stay.”

  “But there is.” Dash took her hand and pressed it against his chest, right above his beating heart. “You can’t go. Because I have a home for you right here. In my heart. I don’t care what anyone says about me. I want to be with you. And I swear I will be there for you, Savannah, no matter what happens. You can come to me with all your problems. I’ll be the guy cheering you on. I’ll be here to pick you up when you fall. Savannah, I love you. I love Todd. I would endure anything in the world if I could have you in my life. If you leave me, it will break my heart.” He pressed his hand on hers. “I’ve been left so many times in my life…” His voice faltered.

  She didn’t let him falter for long. She rushed into his arms.

  “I don’t want to go.” She sagged against him. His arms came around her. “I only decided to go because I didn’t want to hurt you, and I thought—”

  “Hush, now. No one is going to hurt me. And no one is ever going to hurt Todd, as long as I live.”

  “I don’t want to live in Baltimore. I love you.”

  His mouth came down over hers in a kiss that made her toes curl. She almost lost herself in that kiss before her common sense returned. She pushed away.

  “We can’t do this.”

  “Of course we can. We’re not really cousins.”

  “No, I mean, Claire is going to ruin you if I stay, and I—”

  He put his fingers over her mouth. “Honey, that’s not going to happen. First of all, I realized tonight that everyone in Last Chance with the possible exception of Lillian Bray is going to give me the benefit of the doubt. People in the rest of the world might not, but I don’t really care about the rest of the world. And second, it’s not going to happen.”

  She pulled his fingers away from her mouth. “But it is.”

  “Nope. Not after Stone Rhodes is finished with your ex.”

  “What?”

  “Well, I think Greg is going to go to jail for arson.”

  “No.”

  “I’m afraid so. John Rodgers met with Greg in Baltimore a few days before the fire. And Stone’s got a lead on the snakes, too, that points in the direction of a pool hustler named New York Nate, of all things. So I think I’m off the hook.

  “But all this is still going to hurt Todd. It’s never easy to be the son of someone who is an addict. And I’m thinking Greg is addicted to gambling. So you and I are going to have to be there for Todd. I’m going to do my best to help your son get over this disaster in his life. Just like Uncle Earnest was there for me. That’s my solemn promise, whether you marry me or not.”

  “Marry you?”

  “Finally,” Miriam said on an exasperated breath.

  “Will you?” he asked.

  She blinked up into his craggy face. “I want to.”

  “Then say yes.”

  “Yes.”

  Dash’s mouth came back down on hers in the sweetest, most tender kiss ever. She wrapped her arms around him. She wasn’t ever going to let him go.

  “What’s happening?” Todd came wandering into the bedroom with Champ dancing around his feet.

  “Your mother and Cousin Dash are having a moment,” Miriam said.

  “A moment?” Todd said. “It looks like they’re playing tonsil hockey.”

  Miriam sniffed. “Boy, where did you hear that term?”

  “From Oliver. He wants to play tonsil hockey with Sherrie Ann.”

  “Oh, my, she’s all wrong for him,” Miriam said. “You tell Oliver not to kiss that girl.”

  “Yes, Aunt Mim, I will.”

  The old woman and the boy stood there for a moment observing the kiss that went on and on. “I told you your mother and Dash loved each other, didn’t I?” Miriam finally said.

  “Yeah, you did. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. But hey, this is tight.”

  “Yes, very tight, indeed.”

  Todd gave Champ’s big head a little pat. “C’mon, boy, Aunt Miriam was right after all. Looks like Mom and me are staying. C’mon and help me unpack.”

  READING GROUP GUIDE

  Discussion Questions for Last Chance Book Club

  1. The romance in Last Chance Book Club is similar in some ways to the romance portrayed in Pride and Prejudice. Discuss some of the ways that Dash and Savannah are similar to Darcy and Elizabeth. In the contemporary story, who is the Darcy character? Who better embodies Elizabeth?

  2. Matchmaking occupies a central part of both Pride and Prejudice and Last Chance Book Club. Compare and contrast the matchmaking efforts of Mrs. Bennet and Miz Miriam Randall. Which matchmaker would you prefer to consult if you were looking for marital advice? Why?

  3. Savannah ends up tackling a pretty big undertaking even though the theater project overwhelms and frightens her. What strategies did she use to face her fear and lack of confidence? Was the community a help or a hindrance? Have you ever undertaken a big project where people were depending on you? Did it make you confident or scare you to death?

  4. Discuss the ways Dash Randall becomes the man he has always wanted to be. Do you think Dash’s transformation would have been possible without Todd?

  5. Scattered throughout the novel are several scenes that mirror Pride and Prejudice. Can you find them? Email your answers to hope@hoperamsay.com to be entered to win prizes and swag.

  6. The loss of reputation is an important theme in Last Chance Book Club and Pride and Prejudice. Discuss how the threat of a lost reputation provides a barrier between the lovers in both books.

  7. How is Reverend Ellis similar to Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice? How is he different? Is Hettie like Charlotte Lucas?

  8. Discuss how Dash works through his various addictions and implements parts of the twelve-step program. In particular, how does Dash make amends for his past actions? How does he make a “searching and fearless inventory” of himself? How does Dash admit his shortcomings to Savannah and others? How does he turn his life over to a higher power’s care?

  9. Uncle Earnest was an important parental figure for both Dash and Savannah. Other than your parents, who was a major positive influence while you were growing up? Uncle Earnest instills many good values. What values do you think are most important for children? Do children need a religious education to learn these values?

  10. Miz Miriam knows when a man and woman are right for each other, even when the couple can’t see it for themselves. Do you think outside advice can be helpful when choosing a mate? Were you surprised when the townspeople wanted Savannah to get together with Reverend Ellis? Were you surprised when Dash ended up with Savannah, rather than Hettie? Or when Hettie ended up with Bill? Were you surprised when Elizabeth ended up with Darcy?

  Molly Canaday is a tomboy with a passion for cars—and little time for romance.

  But Simon Wolfe is about to race in and change her priorities.

  Please turn this page for a preview of

  Last Chance Knit & Stitch.

  Simon Wolfe drove his rental car south on Route 321 toward the small town of Last Chance, South Carolina. He gripped the wheel and tried to quell the emotions tumbling through him.

  He didn’t want to be on this road. Eighteen years ago, after a particularly hostile Thanksgiving spent with his parents, Simon had vowed never to come home again.

  But Aunt Millie had called yesterday, and when she said, “Your daddy’s dead,” something had snapped inside his chest.

  Those three little words had sent him tumbling back in time, to his early years running interference between his mother and father. He loved them, but he couldn’t stand to be with them both together for more than five minutes at a time.

  He called on holidays. Daddy had come for a visit ten years ago. But Simon had not seen his mother for almost two decades. She had not forgiven him for abandoning her.

&nbs
p; And so he had come home for the funeral. Mother would expect it. Mother would expect other things, too. He halfway dreaded them.

  He let go of the breath he’d been unconsciously holding, his filial obligations pinching acutely. He could not let his father’s death suck him back into his mother’s world. He had to return to his little house in Paradise, California, and his studio tucked among the redwoods.

  He had a big commission he had to finish.

  He topped a rise in the road, and the rented Hyundai hesitated. Then the radio and the AC kicked out. He floored the gas, but the car stalled completely.

  He coasted to the side of the road.

  Damn. He was going to be late to his father’s wake.

  Molly Canaday pulled the tow truck in front of the silver Hyundai Sonata. She killed the engine and used her side-view mirror to assess the stranded motorist.

  He was not from around these parts.

  For one thing, he was driving a rental car.

  And for another, he was standing in the bright May sunshine wearing a black crew-necked shirt, dark dress pants, and a tweed sport jacket. The sun lit up threads of gray in his dark chin-length hair. He hadn’t shaved today, but somehow the stubble looked carefully groomed.

  This guy was seriously lost.

  She straightened her ball cap and hopped from the truck’s cab. “Howdy,” she said, putting out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Molly Canaday from Bill’s Grease Pit. We’re located in Last Chance, just down the road a ways. The rental agency sent your distress call to us. What seems to be the problem?”

  Mr. I’m-so-cool-and-sexy did not shake Molly’s hand. Instead, his gaze took in her battered Atlanta Braves hat, favorite Big and Rich T-shirt, and baggy but comfy painter’s pants. And the jerk smiled, sort of. His mouth curled at the corners like a couple of ornate apostrophes. The smile was elegant and sexy. Molly might have been impressed if the expression on the guy’s face hadn’t also been just a tiny bit smirk-like.