by Lena Hart
Savvy blew out an exasperated breath. “I do love it, but this is your wedding. You tell me.”
“This dress only comes in select colors,” Mya pointed out. “And teal isn’t one of them.”
“Does it come in champagne?” Quinn asked. “That’s the color we’re going with for the maid-of-honor dress.”
Mya looked down at the book then punched the code into the computer. When she smiled, Savvy released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“It does, and it’s available to ship this week.”
Quinn turned to her and smiled widely. “Looks like we finally found you a dress.”
“I’ll put in the order today,” Mya said, beaming. Then she turned to Quinn. “Now for the bride. Do you still need me to help you find something old to wear?”
“Something old?”
Both Mya and Quinn laughed and Savvy glanced between the two of them, feeling as if she was purposely being left out of the joke.
“You know the old wedding tradition, Savvy,” Quinn explained. “The bride wears something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue on her wedding. Mya suggested I do it. For luck.”
Savvy raised a brow. “I didn’t realize you were the superstitious type.”
Quinn shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt and every little bit counts.”
Savvy shook her head. She thought it was silly, but her cousin seemed happy over the idea. Besides, she was right. It wouldn’t hurt.
“So, do you have all four?” Savvy asked.
“Close,” Quinn said then turned to Mya. “I still need something old.”
“Will you be okay out on your own, Savvy?”
She rolled her eyes. She had spent close to a week at Cedar Bend and had survived most of that time without a chaperone.
“Yes, Quinn. I think I can manage a GPS, so don’t worry about me. Just go have fun bonding with your new sister-in-law.”
Quinn blew out a breath. “I love Lori, but I wish she would stop hijacking my time. There’s so much to do here. I don’t see how I can relax at a spa thinking about all this stuff.”
“You’re going to relax because you know I’m here and I have it covered.” Savvy patted her cousin’s hand, trying to ease some of her stress, which was starting to show around her eyes. “This is why I’m here, Quinn. Let me do my job. You go and have fun.”
“All right.” She held out her keys. “Be careful with my car.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Savvy said, grabbing the keys and tucking them in her fist.
It took another hour before Savvy had her list of errands and the addresses written down in her planner. Her first stop was to the flower shop and bakery. On her way to the bakery, she recognized the area and realized she was near Damian’s home.
A warm flutter spread in her belly when she thought about their upcoming date. Though he hadn’t called it that, she knew that’s what it was.
Quinn had been right after all and Savvy couldn’t deny her attraction to him either. Whether anything came from their date or not, she was looking forward to spending more time with him.
You’re welcome here anytime.
Remembering Damian’s words and her promise to Pops the other night, Savvy rerouted herself and started toward the Carson home. She pulled into the driveway of Damian’s modest two-story house. It obviously wasn’t as grand as the Benson mansion, but there was something cozy about the pale yellow and white stucco home.
Savvy hopped out of the car and started toward the house. She didn’t have long to wait before the door came open and Pops greeted her, a big smile creasing his dark face.
“Hey, little darling!” He pulled her into a warm embrace.
“It’s good to see you again, Pops.”
When he drew back, he stared down at her curiously and ran his fingers along his gray beard. “Did Junior send you here? I don’t need anyone fussing over me.”
She shook her head. “I was just in the neighborhood and I thought I’d drop by.”
Pops smiled again then motioned her inside. “Well, why don’t you come in and let me fix you a cool drink.”
Savvy followed him into the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast table. She watched as he pulled at several cabinets only to find them locked. She wasn’t sure if she should point out the drinking glasses on the counter or wait until he discovered them on his own. When he reached for the bowl, Savvy jumped to her feet.
“Pops, why don’t I serve myself,” she said, reaching for the glasses. “You just have a seat and relax.”
Pops looked down at the bowl in his hand and his face set in grim lines. With a curt nod, he went to the table. He folded his tall frame into the chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Damian mentioned you use to coach him and Eric in football?” Savvy poured two glasses of the sweet iced tea and made it back to the table. She hoped the change in topic would erase the look of embarrassment on his grim face.
“I did.” He took the glass and wrapped his hands around it. “Coached softball and football. Wanted to keep the boys fit and out of trouble in between seasons.”
“Trouble?” Savvy asked, taking a sip of the tea. “I can’t imagine either of them starting trouble.”
“That’s because I raised them right. In a small town like ours, there’s always trouble to be made, but those boys knew I wouldn’t have them raising hell around here.”
“Well, you did a great job. Damian and Eric are good men.” Savvy raised her glass. “Cheers to you, Pop, for being a great role model.”
Pops chuckled and clinked her glass with his. He started telling her stories of some of their games and as he recounted his time as coach, Savvy realized he was trying to test his memory, see how much of his earlier life he could remember. She didn’t interrupt him or ask questions. She just let him speak, allowing him to recall as much as he could.
“Some of those boys were a handful. Like Jackson. That boy had a mouth on him and a bad attitude, to boot. But when it came to playing defense, he was one of the best. So I put up with him.”
Savvy smiled and nodded at his stories, imagining him in his prime wrangling a group of wayward boys. When an hour had passed, she rose from her seat.
“I hate to cut this short, Pops, but I should get going.”
His face fell. “But you just got here.”
Savvy bit her lip. She’d been there for an hour but didn’t point out that small fact. Instead, she grabbed their empty glasses and carried them to the sink.
“I wish I could stay, but I have a few more errands to run today.”
Pops scratched his beard and eyed her curiously. “How would you feel about making one more stop?”
“Where?”
“No place far. But it’s too far for me to walk. Especially with these knees.”
Savvy hesitated, not sure how Damian would feel about her taking his father out.
“I don’t mean to put you out, little darling. It’s just that I haven’t seen my Janet in some time and I’m sure she would like some fresh flowers on her stone.”
That small admission wrenched at Savvy’s heart and she knew she couldn’t say no. “I’d be happy to take you to your wife.”
Pops smiled and scrambled to his feet. “Let me get my hat.”
It was later than Savvy expected by the time she brought Pops to the cemetery.
He had insisted they run her errands first, and then she made a detour back to the flower shop.
“My Janet always loved purple daisies,” Pops had said and Savvy refused to take him to see his wife without those daisies.
She didn’t know what it was about seeing Pops tend to his wife’s tombstone that brought tears to her eyes, but she couldn’t seem to stop them. Pops was proof that such an unending love could exist—that it had existed. Savvy could only hope to someday find that kind of undying love.
She wondered about her own parents at that moment. Had they loved each other so fiercely? Were they t
ogether even in the afterlife? She would like to think they were. It made the pain of not having them around a bit bearable.
Not wanting to intrude on Pops’ private moment, Savvy stood a few feet away, watching as he knelt down to place the flowers over the headstone. He whispered a few words that she couldn’t make out. From the peaceful look on his face, he had to be sharing some happy memory.
She waited a few more minutes, wanting to give him all the time and privacy he needed. Suddenly, she spotted a large man making his way into the cemetery. From the way his steps dragged, she wondered if he was drunk. His face was hidden behind a full beard and his dark brown hair hung past his chin.
Savvy couldn’t tell if he was simply a homeless man looking for shelter or someone coming to grieve—and she wasn’t sure she wanted to wait and find out. If he was unstable, the last thing she wanted to do was put herself or Pops in danger.
Savvy made her way toward Pops, keeping her gaze on the man. He eventually stopped in front of a tall headstone then fell down beside it.
“Pops, it’s time for us to go.”
Savvy placed her hand on his shoulder, to draw his attention. The strange man may not be any danger, but she wouldn’t take the chance. Not with Pops under her watch.
Pops nodded in acknowledgement, then rested his hand on the headstone. “I’ve got to go now, Junebug. But I’ll be back to see you next month.”
Savvy helped him up to his feet, and they quietly made their way back to the car. She wondered just how often he got to come here. Damian seemed so busy with the shop, and she couldn’t imagine him letting his father come here alone.
Suddenly, it dawned on her that this may have been where Pops had been headed the other day.
At first, Savvy had pondered at the cause of Damian’s worry for his father when they had arrived at his home. Pops had come up to where she sat in the truck, appearing just as irritated to learn that his son had left her sitting there so he could check in on him. Pops had grumbled something about being trapped in his own home, and Savvy wondered if Damian understood how important coming here was for his father.
On the drive back, they continued to ride in silence until Pops reached over to turn on the radio.
“Do you mind?” he asked, his finger hovering over the radio button.
“Nope, not at all.”
He cycled from one music station to the next, muttering his displeasure. After rotating through the entire selection, he shut the radio off.
Savvy glanced over at him. “Were you looking for a particular station, Pops?”
“What happened to real music? The artists with the real rhythm and soul. All I hear now is loud garbage.”
Savvy didn’t know what to say to that since she occasionally found herself listening to that “loud garbage.” Luckily Quinn’s car was equipped with satellite radio and she managed to find a station Pops could enjoy.
“How’s this?”
He leaned his head back on the seat, and his lips stretched into a smile. “Much better. Me and Janet used to go on drives and just listen to the radio. We couldn’t afford to do much back in those days, she never seemed to mind our long drives around town, though.”
“That sounds lovely. How’d you two meet?”
“Oh, me and Janet met back in grade school. She couldn’t stand my guts, but it was because I kept putting sand in her hair.”
“What?” Savvy asked, stunned, though she couldn’t hold back a short laugh. “Why?”
He chuckled. “Because I liked her. When I finally mustered up the nerve to tell her, we were in junior high. You know what she said to me?”
“What?”
“Nothing. She laughed in my face.”
“Oh, no!”
Pops laughed, clearly not affected by the embarrassing moment. “Seeing as I had been a butthead to her all these years, I let it slide. Eventually, I wore her down. By high school, she was willing to give me a chance.”
“How’d you manage that?”
Pops laughed again, this time it was mischievous. “It was the spring formal, and she decided to go with Jimmy Lewis to the dance. That chump had the nerve to bring his car to my daddy’s shop—it was my daddy’s at the time—for a tune-up, bragging about taking my Junebug to the dance. Well, when my daddy wasn’t looking, I gave his car some extra attention.” Pops snickered. “On his way home, his alternator gave out.”
Savvy glanced over at Pops, who looked not at all guilty for his misbehavior and she couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing.
“Oh, Pops, you’re bad.”
He chuckled again. “Tommy didn’t stand a chance.”
Savvy smiled, though her laughter lost its luster at his slip and the jolting reminder of his illness.
When they finally arrived at his home, she pulled into the driveway and frowned. A sheriff’s vehicle sat parked outside behind Damian’s truck.
“What in the world?” Pops muttered.
Those were her sentiments exactly. She put the car in park, and they hurried into the house.
Inside, Damian stood in the living room, his hands on his hips and a deep scowl pulled at his brows. The officer appeared to be taking notes. Both men looked up as she and Pops walked in.
Damian took a step toward them, a mix of fear and relief barely hidden behind his hard gaze. “Pop, where have you been? I went looking all over for you.”
Pops waved his hand dismissively. “I went to see your mama.”
“I’m sorry if we scared you, but…”
The fierce glare Damian shot her cut off her words.
Is he mad at me?
Mad was an understatement. Savvy swallowed and fixed her gaze on the officer.
The man folded his small notepad closed. “We’re all good here?”
“Yeah,” Damian said tightly. “Sorry for wasting your time, Mike.”
The officer nodded then left the house. Pops shook his head and fell into the couch.
“I don’t know what all that fuss was about, Junior. I just went out for a spell. There was no need to go calling the sheriff.”
“Pop, I don’t like you leaving the house without telling me.”
Pops scoffed and Savvy tried again to apologize.
“It’s my fault,” she began.
“You’re damn right it is,” Damian snapped.
Savvy sucked in a breath at the ferocity in his tone, but this time she managed to hold his hard glare. Barely.
“Now, Junior—”
“Can I speak to you outside?”
Damian didn’t wait for her response when he grabbed her elbow and pulled her outside. They stopped a few feet away from the front door before he released her.
“Savvy, do you know how worried I was to find my dad gone? No note, no call. When I leave him home, I expect to find him here when I get back.”
Heat flooded her cheeks at his sharp reprimand. Her initial response was to defend herself, but deep down she knew everything he was saying was right. She should have checked in with him first.
“Look, Damian, I’m sorry we worried you,” she began. “We would have been back sooner, but I wasn’t paying attention to the time.”
“You’re missing the point. He’s not well and anything could have happened.”
“But nothing did.”
“That doesn’t change anything. You’re not his family, Savvy. Unless I say it’s okay, I don’t want you taking Pops anywhere. Understood?”
Savvy swallowed again, not sure how much longer she could take his heated glare and scolding.
“Understood.”
With those stiff words, she turned and left.
“You didn’t have to raise your voice to your lady like that. She was only doing what I asked.”
Damian picked up their dinner plates and walked them to the sink. “How many times do I have to tell you, Pop. Savvy isn’t my lady. And what she did was reckless and inconsiderate.”
“Well, she apologized to you for it. But I don�
��t understand why you still blaming her. I’m the one who got in her car and took off. And I’d do it again, too.”
Damian glanced back at his father. “You’d put me through that kind of worry again, Pop?”
“I’m not trying to give you cause to worry about me, son. But I’m not trying to be caged up here all day, either. When I have my good days, I want to do the things I like to do.”
Damian continued washing the dishes left over from their simple dinner. The guilt of his outburst toward Savvy weighed down his shoulders. Part of him felt justified for setting her straight. She couldn’t possibly understand the overwhelming fear he’d felt when he’d come home to find his father missing, without a clue as to where he had gone.
Then again, another part of him knew he had been harsh. The sheen of tears that had filled her eyes before she’d turned away had bothered him. The fact that he’d been the one to cause them, still gnawed at him.
Suddenly Pops rose from the table. “I’m going to bed now. Good night, son.”
“Will you need help in the shower?”
“No, I can manage. But you might want to call your lady and smooth things over before it gets too late.”
“Pop, I told you, she’s not—” But when Damian turned back, his father had already left the kitchen.
Damian paused from wiping the counter. Pops was right, of course. His father may want to see something that wasn’t there between him and Savvy, but Damian knew better and he also knew that he had hurt her feelings.
That part didn’t sit well with him.
With a heavy sigh, Damian dug his phone out of his back pocket and scrolled through his call list until he landed on Savvy’s number. He leaned against the counter and forced himself to relax as he waited for the call to connect.
Just when he thought she wouldn’t answer, a very cheery “hello” came through the line. He was taken aback by that.
“Savvy, it’s Damian.”
“Oh, hey. How are you?”
She certainly didn’t sound like someone who was upset. He wasn’t sure if he should forge on with his apology or continue with the pleasantries.
“I’m fine, how are you?”
“I’m great, thanks.”
