Chapter Twenty-Three
The following Saturday, Jake grinned at Josh as they pulled away from his dad and Jo’s place, where they’d left Savannah and Tiffany.
“Looks like you and Tiff are getting along.”
Josh laughed. “Yeah, she’s all right, really.”
Jake cocked an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’re putting up with her rather than getting along?”
“No! She’s awesome. She keeps me on my toes, makes me stop and think about … well, pretty much everything.”
“But there’s nothing there between you, is there?”
Josh shook his head rapidly. “Not in that way, no. Don’t get me wrong, some guy’s going to be so lucky when she falls for him, but I’m not that guy. She’s a great girl but she’s … she’s more woman than I could handle.”
Jake chuckled. “I can see what you mean. We really need to get Brayden to come out with us one of these nights soon.”
“I’m not sure what to make of that whole deal, but I guess we’ll see. Tiff’s got it bad for him. But anyway, what about you and Savvie? How are things going in the garage?”
Jake nodded happily. “Couldn’t be better. You want to see her. It’s like she’s in her element. She’s all eager to get out the door and off to work in the morning. While we’re there, she buzzes around happily doing her thing. She has the radio on all day and sings along.”
Josh made a face. “She likes country music, right?”
“She does, but that’s good because I do, too.”
“Right. And business is picking up? Do you think the contract with the resort is going to be enough work – will it justify two salaries?”
“It will. In fact, I might have to take someone else on to keep up with the regular work as well.”
He and Savannah had gone over to the resort on Monday to talk with Ben.
Ben had shown them around the kind of vehicles he wanted them to maintain.
Between scheduled services on everything from golf carts to minibuses, Savannah had been busy all week, while he’d kept up with the jobs he already had booked in.
He turned off the road into the entrance to the development at Four Mile Creek. When he parked in the top lot, Josh looked over at him before they got out.
“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?”
He grinned. “I am.” He checked his watch. “I just hope Dad and Uncle Dom won’t be too long. I want them there.”
“You need help picking it out?” Josh asked. “If that’s the case I hope they hurry up. I have no freaking clue.”
“Nah. I think this is one of those things where I’ll know it when I see it. I don’t want any of you choosing it for me.”
He felt a bit self-conscious saying that, wondering how it must sound, but it was important to him. He was hoping that whatever ring he chose today, Savannah would wear it for the rest of her life. He wanted to choose it himself.
As they walked across the parking lot, Josh asked, “Does Jo know what you’re doing?”
He smiled. “She does. She already told Savvie during week that she could come over any time and she’d teach her how to make those pies.”
Josh grinned. “I’m just glad she included Tiff in the invitation. If she learns how to make them too, I’ll be happy to do more than my share of picking up around the apartment and she can repay me in pies.”
Jake laughed. He was grateful that when his dad had told her what they were up to today, Jo had suggested she could give Savannah her first baking lesson this afternoon. And he loved that Savannah was so happy not only to have a Saturday afternoon free but to get to spend it with Jo and Tiff.
“Mom was talking about going over to check in on them,” said Josh. “I’m not sure if that’s for the pies or the company. Probably both. She’s kind of adopted Tiff since I moved into the apartment.”
“It’s funny how life works out, isn’t it?” Jake asked. “I mean, apart from Savvie, none of us even lived here a year ago, and now we all have each other.”
“Yeah. I thought I was going to find my people when I moved to Atlanta. Turns out I’m much happier in a small town.”
Jake stopped abruptly as they approached the first of the stores.
A man coming up the walkway headed toward the parking lot made the hairs on the back of Jake’s neck stand up.
He looked a lot like the mugshots of Rick Harlow that Colt had shown him on Wednesday.
When there had been no follow-up by then, Jake had called Colt and gone in to see him.
Everyone else seemed to think that his encounter with Tiff would be enough to scare Rick off, but that wasn’t enough for Jake.
Colt discovered that Rick had several outstanding warrants – nothing major, but enough to put him away for a while.
“What’s up?” Josh asked.
Jake jerked his chin. “Do you remember Rick Harlow? Is that him?” His voice sounded hard and cold even to his own ears.
Josh stared as the man started to cross the parking lot. “I think maybe. I haven’t seen him for years. I …”
Jake’s hands balled into fists at his sides. He didn’t have time for hesitation.
“Rick?”
When he called the name, the man turned and met his gaze. He started to hurry away, and Jake sprinted after him, shouting “Call Colt!” over his shoulder to Josh.
~ ~ ~
“And you guys are building your house right next door? Right there?” Tiffany pointed through the window, and Sadie nodded.
Savannah was amazed that there was no sign of the construction site from here. Harvey had shown her photos of the house and his guesthouse as they started to come together, but from Jo and Damon’s kitchen you’d never guess that it was just on the other side of the trees.
“I grew up here and always wanted to live on the waterfront,” Sadie said with a smile.
“I love it for you,” Savannah told her. She adored Sadie; she’d been more like a mom to her than her own mom had been. And something must have shifted inside her, because she didn’t even feel guilty admitting that to herself anymore.
“Thanks. I love it for me too.” Sadie smiled at Jo. “And I will be forever grateful to you.”
Jo lifted a shoulder. “I’ve told you before, you don’t need to thank me.
I feel like I get the best of the deal. When I bought the land surrounding this place, it was to make sure that I wouldn’t find myself surrounded by a whole new subdivision in a few years.
When you and Dom wanted to buy the piece next to us, I got the best of all worlds. ”
“Aww.” Tiffany was watching the two women intently. “You guys really like each other, don’t you?”
Jo and Sadie laughed. “We do. We wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“Yeah, right.” Tiff looked down into her bowl where she was adding butter to the flour. “I guess I’m just not used to that. Did you grow up here, too, Jo? Are you another small-town sweetheart like these two?”
“Me? No.” Jo leaned in a little closer as if she was about to share a secret. “You might not believe it, but I was an investment banker.”
“Holy shit! Err, sorry.” They all laughed, and Jo waved a hand.
“It’s not a problem. I’m not as uptight as I come across.
I just don’t tend to curse much — might be a hangover from my old career — but I don’t mind if you do.
” She turned to Savannah with a smile. “Or you. I want you to feel at home here. Feel free to talk however you usually would with your friends, because I hope that’s what we’re becoming. ”
“I think we already are,” Savannah told her with a smile.
She was loving this. When she was younger, Abbie and Elle used to invite her over to hang out with them, and Savannah loved their moms — Nina and Terry were awesome ladies.
But she always felt like she was on the outside looking in.
Now she was very much on the inside. Jo wasn’t her mom — she wasn’t even Jake’s mom — but that kind of made it easier, and better.
Sadie had been around for her since she was small and now she seemed to be taking a real shine to Tiff as well.
Tiff made a face and held her bowl up. “I’d say that the four of us are friends already, but me and this pastry might be enemies — it hates me!
Look at it.” She peered into her own bowl and then into Savannah’s.
“Yours looks right.” She pointed at the cookbook Jo had stood up on its own little stand on the counter.
“Yours looks like the photo, but mine?” She swirled her wooden spoon around in the mixture. “Mine’s more like goop.”
Savannah laughed, and Sadie came to peer into Tiff’s bowl. “You played with it, didn’t you? The butter got too warm, that’s all,” she explained. Then she winked at Tiff and added, “Ask me how I know!”
They all laughed, and Tiff said, “Maybe the two of us should use our talents on fixing drinks and leave Savannah and Jo to the baking.”
Sadie grinned. “Now you’re talking my language. Do you like Bailey’s? I learned a couple of cocktails that—”
She stopped when Tiffany’s phone ringing cut her off.
“Shoot, sorry. I’ll just silence it, I… oh wait.
It’s Colt.” She turned to Savannah. “This has to be about Rick. Hey Colt, what’s up?
… Sure. I can pick him out of any lineup you want.
…” She frowned and glanced at Savannah, who held her breath.
“Yeah, she’s here. … No. I… ” She turned to Sadie.
“I hate to ask, but can you give me a ride?”
“Of course, let’s go.”
“Thanks, Colt. We’ll see you in a few.”
“Wait for me,” said Savannah.
“That’s okay, babe. You finish making your pie. Mine was a disaster anyway. We’ll be back.”
Savannah exchanged a look with Jo, who looked as puzzled as she felt.
“I’m sure everything’s okay,” Jo assured her. “I’d guess that they’ve caught him. Colt will need Tiffany to identify him as the man who broke into the apartment. And from what I’ve seen of her, I imagine she wants to protect you — make sure that you don’t have to see him.”
Savannah frowned. “I don’t need protecting.”
Jo rested a hand on her arm. “I know that. I think Tiff does, too. But wanting to protect someone you care about isn’t the same as thinking that they need it.”