Chapter 25
Savannah
“I’m sorry, sugar, but I must have heard you wrong just now.
You’re going where?” Mama’s tone is made up of equal parts sweetness and anger, a combination she has perfected over the years.
Her expression is the same, smiling and sharp.
Getting her judgment in two forms makes me wish I didn’t choose to have this conversation over video, but I hoped seeing my face would soften the blow.
“Australia,” I say calmly, then steel my nerves for this next part. “I’ll only be gone a couple weeks this time, but then I’ll—”
“A couple of weeks?” Mama gasps dramatically and presses a hand to her heart. “What about that little business of yours? Does this mean you’ve finally given up on your hobby?”
In the seat next to me, Logan growls low in his throat. It might have been a bad idea to give him one of my earbuds to listen in on the conversation, but I like knowing he’s here to back me up no matter what happens.
“Mama,” I say and hope I can keep this conversation civil.
“My business is fine.” Honestly, it’s thriving, though she’ll never believe me.
Over the last few months, True Fuel Kitchen has expanded so much that I had to hire two part-time employees to handle deliveries, and most of my free time has been devoted to training the chef who will take over for me at the end of September.
It’s still hard to believe that that’s happening in just over a month, but I’m excited to see how he handles these next two weeks while Logan and I are in Sydney.
“Fine?” Logan says with a scoff.
“Who was that?” Mama asks, narrowing her eyes.
“I’m at the airport,” I say instead of answering the question. “There are a lot of people around.”
“You’re flying to Australia right this minute and are only telling us now?”
Logan’s hand shoots out to grab my phone, but I hold it out of his reach, grateful that he doesn’t try any harder to take it. He could easily say something to my mother, like I know he wants to, but thankfully he keeps his mouth shut. For now.
“I’ve been texting you about a good time to call you for a couple of weeks now,” I say, unable to hide my exasperation. “You never responded.” It’s a miracle she answered this call.
Mama huffs. “Well. We’ve been busy.”
“Too busy to talk to your own daughter?” Logan grumbles.
I smack him in the stomach. “Well, I’ve been busy too, so you’re getting a call about my trip now. We’re boarding in just a minute, but—”
“We?” She brings her face closer to the screen, squinting as if she might be able to see farther than the camera’s frame of view. “Savannah, who is with you?”
Glancing at Logan, I debate for a second.
I haven’t told my parents about Logan, in part because they haven’t bothered to ask but mostly because I know how my mother will react.
He isn’t exactly my parents’ ideal man. He might be well off in terms of money, but nothing else about my big Aussie rugger would fit their version of appropriate.
Unfortunately for them, he’s my ideal man and perfect for me, and that’s all that matters. Taking a deep, steeling breath, I shift my phone so Logan is front and center of the screen. Scowl and all. “Mama, this is Logan.”
“And who is Logan?” she asks, lifting her chin high and wrinkling her nose. “He looks terrifying.”
Logan chuckles. “Thank you,” he says, sounding far too pleased by the assessment. “He can also hear you.”
She gasps, for the first time losing her carefully curated expression as she gapes at Logan through the phone. “Savannah Magnolia Blair, you should have told me this was not a private conversation.”
“Magnolia?” A dangerous glint enters Logan’s eyes as he turns his full attention back to me. He slips his hand around mine, bringing my fingers to his mouth, and his voice drops into a low rumble. “You’ve been holding out on me, love. Magnolia.” His lips kiss my neck next, leaving my skin buzzing.
“Mr.—Logan!” Mama hisses. “Whoever you are. You are in public! Have you no decency?”
“None,” he says happily and doesn’t shift his gaze from my face. I start to melt under that look in his eyes, and I’m sure my cheeks have turned a deep scarlet. But a look like that deserves a proper kiss.
“Savannah,” my mother scolds.
Sighing, I sit back and roll my eyes. “Mama, this is Logan Callahan. My boyfriend.”
“I should hope so,” she huffs, sounding completely scandalized. “Mr. Callahan, I assume you’re the reason my daughter is making irrational decisions?”
Before the insult can really sink in, Logan turns to the phone and narrows his eyes. “Sav has never been irrational in her life.”
“Please. She spent all that time and money on an education she didn’t need, then went chasing a silly little dream, and now’s she’s throwing it all away on a—”
“Are you taking the piss right now?” Though a few people shoot glares our way, Logan doesn’t bother lowering his volume as he snatches my phone out of my hand.
“Do you have any idea what your daughter has built out here?” He keeps talking before she can reply.
“No, you clearly don’t, or you wouldn’t be calling it silly or little or a bloody hobby.
Savannah’s the most brilliant, determined, driven person I’ve ever met, and she’s only getting started. ”
“Logan,” I whisper, my heart throbbing and tears pooling in my eyes. They’re good tears. Tears that say I’m so glad we found each other and didn’t give up on this beautiful thing we have together.
Squeezing my hand without looking away from the phone, Logan sits up straighter and scowls at my mother.
“I know full well that I’ll never understand your falootey way of life in your mansion on your acres of land, but I don’t need to because I understand your daughter.
I know what scares her and what makes her happy.
I know what I need to do to help her feel safe and supported and loved, no matter what. ”
Mama scoffs. “Mr. Callahan.”
“And since it’s clear you have no idea how to do that for her—her own mother—I have never been happier that she’s choosing a life with me in Aus over the misery of trying to make you proud. If you can figure out how to properly love your daughter, maybe we’ll let you visit sometime. Maybe.”
Then he hangs up.
Mouth hanging open, I gape at him as a whirlwind of emotions swirls inside me. Love and gratitude and shock and amazement all leave me feeling dizzy and barely able to comprehend what he just said. What he did.
Logan looks at me and grimaces. “Sorry, love. I may have gotten a little carried aw—”
I throw my arms around him and pull myself in for a hug, straddling his lap to make it easier to bury my face in his neck. “I can’t believe you just did that,” I whisper.
He wraps me up in his arms and exhales. “Should I apologize to her? I should apologize.”
“Absolutely not.”
“She’s your mum.”
“And she’s tough as nails. She’ll get over it. I’ve never been brave enough to cut her off like that, but I’ve wanted to.”
Resting his cheek on my hair, he sighs and rubs warm circles along my back. “You deserve better, Sav.”
I smile against his throat and let myself relax into his hold. “I have better,” I assure him. “I have you.”
A moment later, our group is called to begin boarding, and I happily follow Logan onto the plane.
An excited squeal brings me to a complete standstill outside customs at the Sydney airport.
Logan must have expected my response because his arm is already at my back, pulling me forward again.
Straight for the older woman anxiously bouncing on her toes with half a dozen giant balloons gripped in her hand.
“You’re being ridiculous, Mum,” Logan complains loudly, but his broad smile contradicts his exasperated tone.
With a squeeze of my waist, he pulls away from me and scoops the woman in an exuberant hug that lifts her into the air and elicits another squeal out of her.
Half a second later, she’s sobbing and holding on to him like she may never let go.
“I missed you too,” he says, then carefully sets her on her feet again and embraces his dad just as tightly, his eyes closed and a content expression on his face.
Logan is plenty affectionate with me, but seeing how he greets his parents without any ounce of embarrassment despite the busy airport fills me with a warmth I’ve never felt before.
And maybe some longing too. In the seventeen hours since Logan hung up on my mom, I’ve received a single text from her.
Mama:
Have a safe flight.
I highly doubt she missed Logan’s insinuation that I’m making a permanent move to Australia, but I can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever acknowledge the truth. It’s not like she visited me in California, so there’s no way she’ll come all the way to Sydney.
“Logie,” Mrs. Callahan whispers loudly and smacks his arm, her warm brown eyes fixed on me. “Where are your manners?”
Logan meets my gaze, silently asking me if I’m ready to meet his parents.
As if I’ll be able to avoid the moment if I tell him no.
I didn’t think I was nervous, but now my stomach is churning violently enough that I quickly search the building for the nearest restroom.
Finding nothing, I try to swallow my anxiety and slip my hand into Logan’s when he reaches out to me.
I’m so nervous that I can’t even tease him about the nickname ‘Logie.’
“Mum,” he says, and it sounds like there’s something stuck in his throat. “Dad, this is—”
“Savannah!” Mrs. Callahan finishes for him and practically tackles me with a hug. The only reason I stay on my feet is because Logan keeps a firm grip on my hand. “Oh, you have no idea how nice it is to finally meet you, sweetheart!”