36. Savannah
36
SAVANNAH
When I told Huxley about coming home to surprises he hadn’t expected, my words were light, frivolous. We both dreamed of children, of course, imagining little feet padding across our living room floor. But aside from Rodolfo, our future plans for expanding our family were just that. Future plans. Yet, it appeared life had other ideas. Despite our precautions, something slipped through the cracks...
Finding an alone moment in the confines of my truck, I cover my mouth with a hand, stifling a burst of emotions. A squeal of happiness escapes me, laced with threads of excitement and nerves. The reality is still settling in. The doctor at the clinic had confirmed what the faint blue lines on the home test had whispered: I am five weeks pregnant .
Pulling out my phone, I open the last photo Huxley sent from his journey, a snapshot of his laid-back grin just before boarding his flight from D.C. to Bogota. The one where he warned me he’d be switching off his US phone. My fingers trace the contours of his face on the screen, my heart aching with the distance between us .
The joy is immense, overwhelming, yet it lodges in my throat, unshared and silent. This life-changing moment feels incomplete without him. I can only conjure up the image of his reaction, so distinct from the impossibly cute expression captured in the image I now hold. His eyes would light up, the corners of his mouth lifting in that knowing smile that says everything without words.
He had insisted on using a local prepaid phone for the duration of his mission and made me promise not to reach out. He would contact me first. The separation is challenging enough, but harboring such momentous news makes the wait feel excruciating.
“Oh, baby,” I murmur, my fingers brushing against the fabric of my shirt where it stretches across my belly. The word ‘baby’ is a whisper of promise to Hux, to us, and to this incredible secret I carry.
But the moment shatters as my gaze snags on a glimpse of something disturbingly familiar—a car, sleek and dark, slicing through the traffic with a purpose that knots my stomach. It’s too much like the one I’ve seen lurking when I least expect it.
Compelled by a mix of annoyance and the need for answers, I shake off the lingering touch of joy and start the engine. I fall into line behind the car as it glides into the shopping center parking lot, seeking anonymity among the sprawl of vehicles. I can’t let this go. Not now. I need to know!
I press the accelerator, my car darting forward to block the mysterious vehicle, trapping it in its parking space. I’m out of my seat in a heartbeat, striding toward the driver’s side with determined strides.
“Hey! What the hell is your problem?” I yell, pounding on the tinted window that shields the driver from view, my voice a spear thrown in defense of my disrupted peace.
The window rolls down with a reluctant whirr, and I’m met with a face I don’t recognize—a woman, her expression as stormy as mine. Beside her in the passenger seat, an elderly man clutches an asthma inhaler. She attends to him, her actions halted by my confrontation.
“What the hell is your problem?” she fires back as the old man stares at me.
The fight drains from me as quickly as it surged, replaced by a flush of embarrassment. Thank God, the upheaval doesn’t seem to exacerbate the man’s breathing.
“Sorry! Sorry, my mistake,” I stammer, backing away, mumbling apologies under the clasp of humiliation.
I retreat to my car, hearing my own whispers of doubt and heart pounding in my chest. Was it all just my imagination? The seed of fear still lingers even as I pull out of the parking lot, leaving the strangers—and my momentary lapse—behind.
Despite my plan for a relaxing evening with a long bath, the scene awaiting me at home only tightens the knots of stress in my shoulders.
Fabian’s eyes widen as I enter. “You look different,” he observes, an edge of surprise in his voice.
My patience is already wearing thin. “Fabian, I’m not in the mood for this,” I snap, feeling isolated without Ranger and Ruby, my usually noisy allies, to back me up. The thought of reaching for Dad’s rifle crosses my mind.
He doesn’t flinch, his gaze lingering. “Don’t be like that. You do look… different.” He squints slightly, trying to pinpoint the change.
Of course I look different. I’ve just had a bizarre encounter with a woman and her elderly passenger. Or maybe…
My hand twitches toward my belly, but I stop myself.
Fabian takes a breath, his tone shifting. “I’ve been doing some serious thinking.”
“Hopefully about the court hearing. ”
He ignores my jab. “About everything I didn’t do right. How I failed to listen, to show you how deeply I care.” His voice no longer carries the usual pushiness. “You know I have my pride. But here I am, Savannah, practically begging. I believe we have a future together, and I need you to see it, too. I’m ready for any challenge, even if it means facing your wrath, as long as it helps you trust in what I feel.”
My fist clenches reflexively. “Are you sure about that?”
His hands fly up. “Whoa… not literally.”
“Didn’t think so,” I mutter, my voice thick with skepticism.
“Can we talk inside?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Fine. We talk here then.” He continues earnestly, “Back when we were still in Lakefall, you said I lacked commitment, that I put ambition before us. Now, I’m ready to provide everything we need, for us and for Kayla.” He produces an old photo from his wallet, showing Kayla on Misty with me beside them, a clear play on nostalgia.
I sigh, almost speechless at this man’s insistence. “Please, just go home before my dad shows up. Trust me, my fist will be the least of your worries then.”
“Ah, that brings me to another point,” Fabian counters, undeterred. “Your dad. He never did approve of us, did he?”
“He never trusted you, and I was a fool to ever think differently.”
“But your mom…” he begins, a cautious note in his tone.
I cut him off, eyes shut tight. “Don’t, Fabian.”
“Your mom was kind to me,” he presses, unfazed by my warning.
I open my eyes and fix him with a hard stare. He’s not wrong. Mom, with her traditional views, somehow saw something redeemable in him. Maybe it was hope, or perhaps fear that I’d end up alone. She was well aware that the likelihood of love at Lakefall Valley was as rare as finding the den of a lone wolverine. She passed away before our split, before she could see the man he’d become. A cold, calculating businessman.
Ignoring my glare, Fabian reaches into his pocket and pulls out an engagement ring, sinking to one knee. “Marry me, Savannah Mitchell. Make me the happiest man on earth.”
I look down at him, a wave of embarrassment washing over me for both of us. Perhaps there’s sincerity in his eyes, a flicker of genuine feeling amid the mess of our past and the custody battles. Yet, it’s hard to trust, with my heart already promised to another.
He waits for my response, his hopeful gaze pinning me in place. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
The ring sparkles, a beautiful but hollow gesture. Love isn’t something you can secure with diamonds or grand gestures. “Fab, we’ve both moved on.”
“I haven’t,” he insists stubbornly.
“I love Huxley. You need to accept that.”
“And where is he now?” Fabian challenges. “If you were really with him, he’d be here, wouldn’t he? Standing between us, defending you.”
“That’s exactly your problem, Fab. You’re all surface, only believing what you can see,” I counter.
“Listen, Savannah. I’m not the asshole that you think I am. I swear, I’ll buy back the Mitchell Ranch and restore it to its former glory. That land has suffered enough, and you shouldn’t have to carry this sadness.”
“You were the angel of doom. Now you’re trying to be noble?” I snap back.
“It doesn’t matter how often you say that, Savannah. My story hasn’t changed. I didn’t help West Sun, and I had nothing to do with the Brutes.” His voice is steady, but I can’t find it in me to believe him. I just want him gone, out of my space.
Undeterred, he presses on. “The ranch has been passed around so much, the price is embarrassingly low now. You know the current owner is just using it for a hunter’s lodge? It’s barely more than a shack. They’re desperate to sell.”
His words sting. “You sure know how to hit where it hurts!” I retort, my anger so intense I feel immobilized.
Seeing my distress, he apologizes. “Savannah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I pull away from his attempted comfort.
He lowers his voice to a whisper, hopeful. “I just want you to believe in me. I know I’ve mentioned this before, and you dismissed it. But this time, I have everything lined up. Funds, contractors, permits, timelines. I can show you everything.”
His offer touches on a dream long buried. But can a dream really compensate for everything else?
I’m resolute, though. The last time I saw the ranch, it was beyond recognition, scorched and barren. “My answer is still no,” I say firmly.
He runs a hand through his hair, frustration and resignation mingling in his expression. “I’ve got to admit, you haven’t changed at all, and I respect that.”
“Not even your respect can sway me,” I say, cracking the door open just enough for me to slip through, not him.
He steps back, surprisingly honoring my boundaries. “If the land can’t convince you, nothing will,” he admits. He makes one last appeal, maintaining his distance. “I’m begging you. Stay with me until the court case is resolved. Talk to Huxley, do whatever you need to. Savannah, Kayla is my life.”
“No, I won’t lie for you. ”
“Okay, okay,” he replies, a note of defeat in his voice that I’m not used to. There’s a new awareness of remorse and pain in his expression. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
My frustration cools off. “Fab, I’ve never toyed with people’s feelings, and I’m not going to start now. Not with you. We’ve known each other a long time, and sure, you can be exasperating, but let’s not end things badly.”
He steps off the porch onto the lawn, wiping his face. “I guess I’ve done all I could,” he concedes.
I nod, feeling a duty to be honest with him. “The court will see through Juliet’s act. I don’t want to interfere with our justice system, but if push comes to shove...” I hesitate, then decide to trust him with more. “Ivy Connor. She used to be the attorney general of Montana.”
His eyes flare slightly. “You know her?’
“I do. She still holds a lot of sway. If you’re losing the custody battle, I’ll step in, Fab. I’ll do what I can.”
“Really?”
“It’s still up to Ivy whether she’ll help or not, but if you can prove Juliet isn’t the right guardian for Kayla, Ivy might know something that only those in the inner circle of lawmakers know about.”
Fabian’s hands clasp in front of his chest, signaling gratitude and perhaps a truce. “Thank you, Savannah. It’s tough, but I respect where you stand.”
Leaning against the porch frame, I watch as his car disappears. My hand rests on my belly. “It’s just you and me now, baby,” I murmur into the chilly evening.
But peace is fleeting. A dark car speeds by on the road below, the same one that’s been lurking at the edges of my awareness. For a moment, adrenaline spikes, tempting me to pursue it. And this time, I’m certain it’s the one. But the hand on my belly reminds me I’m not alone. Past accidents have taught me how things can go wrong in a blink of an eye.
“No, not worth it,” I whisper, stepping back as the car vanishes around the corner. The mystery of who’s in that car will have to wait. I turn, retreating into the house, my thoughts still racing, but the safety of my unborn child comes first. Tonight, I need peace.