Chapter Eleven
S unday night, Bear organized a dinner at his new house and invited Rye and Ansley to join them. He also invited Cormac Sheenan and his wife Whitney, but they already had plans with friends and took a raincheck, promising to have them over soon.
Josie set the dining room table for four and put together a small centerpiece from some of the scraggly rose bushes and overgrown perennials in the backyard. But with dimmed lighting and small votive candles on the table, everything looked quite nice, and Josie couldn’t wait for Ansley to see how much Bear’s house had changed. It was funny how this wasn’t her house, but it kind of was. She’d poured herself into the renovations, even though they were small, picking out tiles for his bathroom that she thought he’d like, as well as finishes that would be rich and textured, making his home feel bigger and more luxurious than it might have been otherwise.
Two hours before Rye and Ansley were to arrive, Ansley phoned Josie and asked if it would be okay if they brought a couple of guests.
“Anyone I know?” Josie asked, wondering if it was perhaps Lachlan or another one of Ansley’s brothers.
“One guess.”
“Your brother.”
“No. He’s four legged and has a great black and white coat.”
Josie laughed. “Yes, bring Mick, of course. Bear will be happy to see him.”
“Are you sure that Bear really is okay that Mick has adopted us?”
“We just discussed this and Bear is happy that Mick is happy. He said it’s what Noah would want. But now you have me curious. Is Mick bringing a date?”
“Depends on your definition of date. It’s Savannah—”
“ No .” Josie’s tone was flat and firm. “I can’t deal with her again.”
“She’s been staying with us for the weekend. I’ve been helping her find a place to live.”
“Tell her to go back to Nashville.”
“She’s left Nashville, Josie.” Ansley fell silent and the silence wasn’t the most comfortable. “She’s sorry for dropping in on you like that, and the things she said.”
“She can just send me an apology by text. That will be fine.”
“Josie.”
“Ansley, she’s not a nice person. You should have heard the things she said about Bear. She can say what she wants about me—I’m a Calhoun and tough, I’ve heard it all—but Bear doesn’t deserve her scorn. Bear deserves respect.”
“And Savannah deserves compassion. She hasn’t exactly had it easy. Think about it from her perspective for a moment. She’d been madly in love with Bear, and he’s injured in the arena and almost died. He spends months in the hospital—”
“I know all of this.”
“Let me finish.” Ansley drew a quick breath. “Even though they try, they can’t make it work, and a year after his accident they both move on. Less than two years after, she’s now in love again and her partner is killed in one of the worst freeway pile ups in recent history. Worse, she’s pregnant and between the grief and all her hormones, she can’t even see straight. I’m not asking you to be buddies with her but let her come for dinner and at least listen to what she has to say.”
Josie chewed on the inside of her cheek, fighting her frustration, fighting resentment. Who was Ansley to tell her how to behave? And yet Josie adored her sister-in-law and respected her immensely. “Bear doesn’t know she came by. He has no idea we’ve met.”
“Tell him then.”
“I don’t even know how she found out where we lived.”
“Savannah told me she’d saw his forwarding address in the mail. The post office sent a confirmation, and she wrote it down.”
“So, she’s a snoop and a bully,” Josie said dryly.
“Are you really saying she can’t come?”
Josie sighed and flopped back on her bed. “You owe me.”
“What do you want?”
“I want an Ansley Art original. Nothing big, just something small, eight by ten or nine by nine. Something I can hang in my room, or put on my nightstand, and every time I look at it I can think how lucky you are to have me for a sister.”
Ansley laughed, and then Josie was laughing.
“Deal,” Ansley said. “But you need to break the news to Bear that Savannah will be joining us—just for the evening, and not to be dropping by again…at least, not unless she’s invited. That’s coming from her, too. She said it’s a promise.”
“Fine. Bring her tonight. I’ll see you all later.”
Josie left her bedroom and went searching for Bear who she’d thought was watching a baseball game in the living room, but instead had returned to his office, and was typing away at his laptop, which had been attached to a docking station featuring an enormous screen.
She lightly knocked on his partially open door.
“Josie, you don’t have to knock,” he called to her “Come in.”
She pushed the door open and leaned against the doorway, happy to see how happy he was at his new desk. He loved the screen, as well as the sound system attached. She’d heard him play games late at night and it made her feel good that he had something to do when he couldn’t sleep. She wondered if he was up so late because he hurt or if his brain just wouldn’t shut off.
“I just had a call from Ansley,” Josie said.
“They’re not cancelling, are they?” Bear asked, looking up from his keyboard.
“No. But they’d like to bring a guest.”
“That’s not a problem.”
She couldn’t help making a face. “It’s Savannah.”
“ What ?”
She crossed to the refurbished armchair facing his desk to sit down. “Did you know Savannah’s been staying with them?”
“No.” He sat back in his chair and rubbed his face. “But then I was frustrated with Savannah for not leaving the house Friday morning—she was hiding in an upstairs bedroom and wouldn’t come down—and I told Rye I’d had it with her. He said he’d get her out. I didn’t know that meant he’d move her into his house.”
Josie deliberated about telling Bear that Savannah had dropped by Thursday and said awful things and then decided it wouldn’t help—any of them. “If you don’t want her here tonight, I’ll call Ansley back.”
“I don’t really care as long as she leaves with Rye and Ansley.”
“I agree with you there.” She looked into Bear’s face, admiring his lovely, rugged features and silver-gray eyes. “I’m sorry my family got involved.”
“I got your brother involved. That’s on me.”
“I’ll add another setting to the table,” Josie said, rising. “And no matter what happens, we’ll survive.” She paused in the doorway and glanced back at him. “And they’re bringing Mick. I didn’t think you’d mind if he came.”
“No, Mick is always welcome here.”
“I thought so.”
Rye, Ansley, Savannah, and a very energetic Mick arrived at precisely six. Bear already had the grill going and the steaks seasoned. They were doing a simple summer dinner with steak, baked potatoes, green salad, watermelon, and huckleberry crisp for dessert.
Bear and Rye disappeared to the small backyard—a place that wasn’t fixed up yet, but it had a cement patio which worked for Bear—and Josie was in the kitchen checking on the baked potatoes. Ansley had brought the salad and watermelon, and Josie had made the Calhoun family’s berry crisp earlier, remembering that Rye had once said he loved berry cobblers and crisps.
Savannah was quiet but also polite during the dinner. It struck Josie that Savannah was being on her very best behavior, and Josie didn’t know if it was to impress Ansley and Rye, or if the South Carolina native was truly remorseful for her rude behavior Thursday.
Once, during dinner, Bear caught Josie’s eye and he gave her a look that made her think he understood exactly what she was thinking. She gave him a faint smile, grateful that he got her.
It was after dinner, and everyone had gone to the living room to relax while Josie dished up the berry crisp and added a scoop of ice cream.
Suddenly, Savannah appeared, carrying empty glasses. “Where should I put these?” she asked.
“Next to the sink,” Josie answered.
Savannah set them down but then hesitated. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Josie smiled tightly. “I’ve got it but thank you.”
Still, Savannah hesitated, hovering in front of the dining room doorway. “I owe you an apology,” she said unsteadily. “I behaved badly Thursday when I stopped by. I was rude, and I did say things that were unforgiveable. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I said, and I’m sorry I said it to you. I’ve been having a really difficult time and—” She broke off, lips pressing together, throat aching. It took her a long moment to continue. “But it doesn’t make it right. The truth is…” She gulped a breath. “I kind of hate myself, and you’re so nice—”
“I’m not that nice.”
“No, you are. Much nicer than me.”
“I don’t find it hard to be nice.”
“I do.” Savannah grimaced. “Being nice is so difficult. Makes me want to throw up a little bit. Not everywhere. Just in my mouth.”
Josie nearly smiled, but she suppressed it. Savannah was so ridiculous and yet there was also something… something… about her. “I accept your apology, but, Savannah, I think it’s highly unlikely we’re going to be friends.
“I get that, and totally respect that. It might not surprise you, but I don’t have a lot of friends. Women don’t love me. Or even like me very much.”
Josie gave her a pointed look. “Maybe if you were nicer?”
Savannah winced. “I deserve that.”
Josie set the large serving spoon down. “I’m going to be honest. I’m not sure how I feel about you staying at my brother’s house. Is that a long-term thing, or…”
Savannah flushed. “Your brother and Ansley have been really good to me.”
“They’re good people.”
“Ansley has been helping me find a place and tomorrow I’m going with her to her brother’s in Paradise Valley. He’s living on the Campbell family ranch—”
“You’re going to move in with Lachlan?” Josie asked incredulously.
“I don’t remember his name. She has a lot of brothers. But whoever is living there has to return to Texas for a little bit, and I’m supposed to keep an eye on the house and her uncle.” Savannah must have seen Josie’s stricken expression because she hastily added. “The uncle has professional caregivers. I’m not doing nursing duty. Ansley thought it would be good for me to be there as back up.”
“Are you going to be okay in such a remote place? There’s no one around except for the Wyatts, and they’re pretty busy with their own family.”
Savannah shrugged. “I’m getting paid. It’s basically a house-sitting job and that’s better than nothing.”
Josie returned to dishing up the last two crisps. “Bear told me you had an entire summer of concerts lined up. Big shows every weekend and smaller venues midweek.”
“They’re not glamorous.”
“Most work isn’t glamorous.” Josie took in the shadows beneath Savannah’s eyes and the sadness in her gaze. Savannah wasn’t as tough as she sounded. If anything, she was pretty much a mess. “And I’d think that constantly traveling and performing is grueling, no matter the size of the audience.”
“True.” Savannah’s mouth quirked. “Which is why I’m happy to make a little money staying put. A couple weeks house sitting in the mountains sounds pretty ideal to me.”