Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Henry
I watched Savvy disappear down the trail, her words still echoing in my ears. “I’m not doing it for you.”
The hurt in her eyes had cut deeper than any of the sharp words she’d hurled at me. I deserved them—every last one. I deserved worse for what I’d done to her.
Taking a shaky breath, I sipped the lukewarm coffee in my hand, its harsh tang doing nothing to ease the ache in my chest. Part of me had foolishly hoped that seeing her again after all these years wouldn’t hurt so much. Maybe enough time had passed for the guilt to fade, replaced by something softer—nostalgia.
But seeing her this morning hit me like a tidal wave. The years had done nothing to dull the impact. Every barrier I’d built around my heart shattered, leaving me raw and exposed in a way I hadn’t been since the day I walked away.
I drained the last of my coffee and stood, my body moving on autopilot as I headed back to the car. My grandfather’s request had brought me here, but the burden of it pressed harder with every step. I never should have asked Savvy to come see him—not after everything I’d put her through.
What right did I have to drag her into my family’s mess? To reopen old wounds? To force her to face the man who’d fled without a fight?
Sliding into the driver’s seat, I gripped the steering wheel tightly, the ache in my chest refusing to ease. The streets of River Bend stretched before me, quiet and familiar, yet hollow without her. Once, being here—being with her—made me feel like I belonged. Like I’d found something solid to hold on to.
Everything was different. The town remained the same—I was the one who had changed. And without Savvy, the sense of belonging I once clung to was gone, replaced by a hollow ache that refused to be ignored.
I started the car, the engine rumbling to life as I pulled onto the road. The quiet charm of River Bend blurred past—white picket fences, a roadside café, and the occasional historic home. The late morning sun glinted off the river in the distance, its calm surface mocking the storm inside me. The farther I drove, the more the scenery transformed. Rolling hills and vibrant trees faded into highways and overpasses, the hum of traffic pressing in as the city got closer.
Somewhere along the way, my phone buzzed on the dashboard mount. My father’s name lit up the screen, glaring at me like an accusation.
I ignored it.
He called again a minute later. Then again. And again.
By the fourth call, I knew I couldn’t avoid him. A familiar pressure settled in my chest like a stone as I tightened my grip on the wheel. My father wasn’t a man you ignored without consequences, and the Ashworths’ anger had only fueled his determination.
Steeling myself, I pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer.
“Father.”
“Henry,” he said, his voice as cold and sharp as a blade. “I’ve had about enough of your games. Care to explain what the hell happened yesterday morning?”
I gritted my teeth, my knuckles whitening on the wheel. “If this is about Caroline, she decided. There was nothing I could do.”
“Don’t lie to me,” he snapped, his words slicing through the air like a whip. “I know you were supposed to propose. What I don’t know is why the hell that Honeysucker girl was there.”
My stomach dropped. I forced myself to breathe evenly. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” he said, his voice cold and clipped. “I had someone follow you. Imagine my surprise when the person meeting with you wasn’t Caroline herself, but Savannah Honeysucker—your old distraction from River Bend.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Father, I?—”
“Spare me your excuses,” he snapped, his anger sharp and cutting. “What reason could that girl have for being there? Is this why you’ve dragged your feet on this proposal? Because you’ve been pining over that low-class fantasy all these years?”
“That’s not what happened,” I said, my voice louder than I intended. “Savvy was there because Caroline hired her. That’s her job—she ends relationships for a living.”
There was a pause, heavy and calculating. “Caroline hired her? ”
“Yes,” I said quickly, desperate to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory. “She didn’t want to marry me, and instead of telling me herself, she paid someone to do it.”
He scoffed. “And you let it happen? Do you have any idea how ridiculous this makes you look? Humiliated by Caroline and tangled up with that Honeysucker girl again.” His voice dripped with disdain. “You’re a Kingston, Henry. Start acting like it.”
“I’m not tangled up with anyone,” I said, the lie sour on my tongue. “Savvy was doing her job.”
“Then she’d better stay far away from anything involving this family,” he said. “Because if she crosses us again, I’ll make sure her little business—and her family—regret it.”
A wave of panic surged through me. “Leave her out of this,” I said, my voice low and steady. “She had nothing to do with it. Caroline didn’t want to marry me, and that’s all there is to it.”
“That’s all?” he repeated, his voice cold and mocking. “The Ashworths are calling for answers. You’ll fix this by the end of the week.”
“I told you, there’s nothing to fix. It’s over.”
“You’ll smooth things out,” he said with finality. “Or I’ll destroy the Honeysuckers for ruining what I built.”
The line went dead, leaving an icy knot of dread in its wake. Tossing the phone onto the passenger seat, I let out a shaky breath. My father was a master of wielding power as a weapon, and now that Savvy had re-entered the picture, I knew he would aim it straight at her if it suited his purposes.
My father’s threats sat heavy in my chest as I drove the rest of the way to Madison Center. When I stepped into my grandfather’s room, I tried to keep my expression calm, though it was clear today wasn’t one of his good days. His usually vibrant eyes were dull, and his gaze seemed far away, fixed on the garden beyond the window.
“Grandfather,” I greeted softly, taking the seat beside him.
He turned toward me slowly, his gaze searching my face. I thought I saw a spark of recognition for a moment, but it vanished as quickly as it came. “And you are?” he asked, his voice uncertain.
My stomach clenched. “It’s me. I’m Henry, your grandson.” I reached out and placed my hand over his. “I came to check on you.”
His fingers curled slightly under mine, but he didn’t pull away. “I’m glad you’re here,” he murmured, his gaze drifting back to the window. “It’s so quiet in this place. Too quiet.”
I looked out at the manicured gardens, the vibrant fall colors doing little to lift the heaviness in the air. “I spoke to her, Grandfather,” I ventured after a moment. “Savvy. She said she’d come to see you.”
His brow furrowed as he processed the name. “Savvy,” he repeated slowly, testing it out. Then, with a tilt of his head, he said, “Who is that?”
I cleared my throat, struggling to keep my voice steady. “She’s … someone important. Someone who means a lot to both of us.”
“Hmm.” He didn’t seem convinced, but his focus drifted again. “It’s nice out there today,” he said, nodding toward the garden. “The trees … the colors…”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yes, they’re beautiful.”
We sat in silence for a while, the quiet broken only by the distant hum of activity in the hallway. I wanted to tell him more, to reassure him that Savvy would come, but the words didn’t come. Would she keep her promise? Or was I setting him—and myself—up for disappointment?
The sound of a nurse entering pulled me out of my thoughts. She offered me a small, sympathetic look as she approached. “Mr. Morrison, it’s time for your medication and a nap.”
My grandfather sighed heavily, his usual spark of resistance dimming. “All right, all right,” he muttered. As the nurse helped him take his pills, he looked back at me, his gaze momentarily sharper. “Henry,” he said, his voice carrying a note of clarity. “She’s coming, isn’t she?”
The question surprised me, and for a moment, I froze. Then, summoning more confidence than I had, I nodded. “She’s visiting you today, Grandfather.”
His expression changed, the warmth I remembered glimmering back into his eyes. “Good,” he said. “I’d like to see her.”
As I left the Madison Center, his words echoed in my mind, filling me with hope and dread. Savvy had said she would come, but would she?