11. Chapter Eleven | Theo #2
Cami doesn’t make eye contact as sets the plate on the table. “Here you go, fresh out of the oven, so you may want to wait a minute but don’t wait too long, they’re best fresh!” She grins but freezes when she sees Savannah. The hesitation is interesting.
“I know you’re pretty new to town, but Cami, have you met Savannah yet? Savannah Callahan-Williams, this is Cami … I’m sorry, I don’t think you told me your last name.” I look to Cami who’s shifting from one foot to another and looking anywhere but at us.
Cami audibly gulps before realizing we’re waiting for her to say something.
“Of course! I’m sorry, yes, hello, don’t mind me, my mind wanders sometimes.
Hi! I’m Cami Walsh, it’s nice to meet you.
” Savannah sticks her hand out to shake and again, Cami pauses before quickly accepting her greeting. Strange.
“Hi, Cami. It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve seen you around but haven’t had the pleasure yet. How are you liking Forrest Falls so far?” If Savannah notices any of the hesitation from Cami, she gracefully ignores it.
“Oh, it’s been great! The whole crew here have been great to work with. Java Jive and really the whole town has awesome vibes, which makes everything better. ”
“Yeah, Java Jive is great. It’s like our unofficial town square, everyone meets here.
I’m sure you’ll meet most of the town just working here!
” Savannah laughs and Cami smiles in return.
Now that I consider what Savannah said, I can see what she meant.
There is something familiar about Cami Walsh but I’m not quite sure what it is at the moment.
“I better get back to work, it was nice to meet you. Enjoy your cinnamon rolls!” Cami waves and all but runs back to the counter.
“Okay, I don’t think she wants to be my best friend. Am I scary or what?” Savannah leans forward and asks in a hushed tone.
“I don’t know, that was strange. She wasn’t like that when I ordered, she seemed friendly. And you’ve never been introduced before today?”
Savannah shakes her head. “No, I don’t think I’ve even heard her speak more than two or three words before today. Maybe she doesn’t like my vibes.” I laugh at her joke as she cuts a piece of her cinnamon roll to pop in her mouth. “This was kind of you, thank you.”
“How are you doing today?” I ask as I try not to focus on the way her lips wrap around the fork.
“I’m fine, but I think I might have to change my number or something.
Shane flipped out when he received the notification about my change in representation, but Pippa told me to just keep screening his calls.
He really doesn’t like when the tables are turned against him, but it’s too bad my give a damn is busted when it comes to him.
” She lifts her drink in cheers before she rolls her eyes.
There he goes dimming her light again. “Was he bothering you? Did he do something?”
She shakes her head as she tucks a rogue piece of hair behind her ear.
“Nothing more than another tantrum about not being in control of things. I honestly think he thought I’d just take whatever he offered so I’d stop this back and forth, but he seriously underestimated how pissed off I am.
” She wiggles her eyebrows in a playful way but her cunning smile makes her look like a sexy evil mastermind.
She has a bit of a dark side and something about that makes her even more attractive to me.
“He’s a fool, that fact has been proven time and time again.
” I clear my throat as I try to redirect my thoughts before I get in a physically uncomfortable position sitting here with her.
“What are you up to?” She has a stack of papers in front of her and lets out a huff in frustration at my question.
“Just changing a bunch of accounts over so you know, I can pay bills and keep a roof over my girls’ heads.” She shakes her head in annoyance.
“Pippa will have that all straightened out soon. I know my sister, and she won’t let you down. As her brother, and a fellow attorney, I would not advise anyone ever standing in her way.”
“I think my sister would say the same thing about me,” she responds.
“I met your sister briefly once—here actually—and she was with Shane.” Savannah rolls her eyes at the mention of her estranged husband’s name.
“Odds are, Viv was here doing something, and Shane just happen to have stopped by to get coffee. He was never too interested in having relationships with my family. Our brothers are good guys, and her boyfriend Walker gets along better with them than Shane ever did.”
“Walker is the FBI Agent who was in charge of the case that involved your sister, right?” She nods.
“Yeah, he was, I’ll have to—whoops! Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear.
” She nods to the front of the shop, and I turn as a tall man with broad shoulders enters.
I don’t need someone to tell me that he is a federal agent, his stance and presence screams it loud enough.
“Hey, Walker!” Savannah calls out to him with a wave, and he walks over while she gathers the papers and shoves them in her tote.
I stand as Walker approaches and extend my hand to introduce myself.
“Hello, we haven’t had the chance to meet yet.
I’m Theodore Smith-Harrington. It’s nice to meet you, Agent Bennett.
” He shakes my hand with a lift of his chin and takes in the scene before him.
He’s trying to figure out who I am and why I’m sitting with Savannah, which is nice to know that she has people looking out for her.
“It’s nice to meet you. Please call me Walker, any friend of Savannah’s is a friend of mine.” His words may say it’s nice to meet me, but his eyes say that if I’m an asshole he will end me. He nods to the chairs and we both sit down at Savannah’s table.
“Well, I’m not sure if we’re friends, but Theo’s sister is my new attorney for the divorce bullshit Shane is pulling.” Savannah huffs. “Pippa said Theo may be helpful with the case if we need to utilize a—what did she call it—a creative strategy in the future.”
“Yeah, it’s a good idea to have an ace up your sleeve.” And I’m a great weapon to add to any legal battle.
“I do kind of want to be friends with his sister though, Pippa is awesome,” she tells Walker. “She’s like a kickass lady boss that is also able to assassinate the bad guys with her words alone.”
“That’s true, but what am I, chopped liver?
We can be friends; I’m a great friend.” And I already know I want to be more than friends with this woman, but I’m going to have to take my time, due to multiple factors.
It’s a good thing I’m capable of being focused and patient when pursuing a goal—especially a goal that is as gorgeous as Savannah.
“Oh, I’ve heard many stories about your friendship, sir.” She shakes her head and I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. What bad stories could she have heard about me? And then it dawns on me.
“Psh. I would encourage you to consider the source.” I raise an eyebrow as I can only imagine what bullshit Shane has fed her about me.
“And that source has made it clear lately that he has poor judgement.” Savannah’s eyes go to her left hand, but the ring she’s wearing doesn’t look like a traditional wedding ring.
Savannah sits up and rolls her shoulders back. “Enough talk of him and all that drama. What are you up to today, Walker?”
“I just have a few errands to run in town before I head into Nashville. Are you getting everything figured out?” Savannah’s smile immediately drops from her face.
The jovial tone shifts dramatically and it’s clear Walker knows about Savannah’s financial situation.
“He’s an asshole, Savannah. You know we’ve got you, right?
” Walker reaches over and squeezes Savannah’s shoulder.
“Both of those statements ring incredibly true.” She shakes her head and looks down at her hands.
“Hey, hey.” I reach out and briefly place my hand over hers.
“He isn’t worth you bowing your head, Savannah.
He made the mistake of messing with the wrong queen.
” I shake my head as I continue, “He has not and will not win. You keep your head up and know that with Pippa leading your legal team, she will ensure he will rue the day he tried to screw you over. Queens do not bow for court jesters.”
“And if that doesn’t work, The Cavalry will deliver its own justice.” Walker smirks and Savannah’s face breaks out in a smile as she wipes away a rogue tear.
I missed something. “What’s The Cavalry?”
“It’s what we call our sibling group, basically,” Savannah says.
Walker shakes his head. “She’s underselling them. The Callahans are a force and not one you want as an enemy.”
“I like it.” Especially if that force is going to make Shane’s life miserable.
“We kind of are a force, aren’t we?” She laughs and if it’s possible for a sound to sparkle, that’s exactly what her laughter does.
“I have to get going, but I’ll see you at dinner, Savannah. Viv was going to grab some steaks for me to grill, and probably hot dogs or something for the girls.”
“Sounds good. I’ll fix up some mac and cheese too.”
“Let me know if you need anything, and I mean anything, even if it’s court jester related, alright?” Walker tells Savannah but I like that he agrees that Shane is a clown. “It was nice to meet you, Theo. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
“Yeah, great to meet you too, Walker.” I stand and shake his hand before he orders his coffee and waves goodbye as he heads out to his truck .
“He’s great, but I would hate to play poker against the guy,” I admit.
“Oh! I should tell him that. He and my brothers have a weekly poker game when enough of them can make it. Maybe they need some new blood, I mean players, to join them.” There’s that cunning smile again.
Savannah is physically beautiful, but the more I get to know her, the more I’m captivated by her intelligence and wit. What is it about this woman?
I narrow my eyes at her. “Why do I feel like you’re trying to fleece me here?”
A small bark of laughter escapes her at my question. “I’ve seen your hourly billable rate. You can afford it.”
“Yes, I can. It would be nice to officially meet the Callahan crew now that I’m allowed to socialize with you all.”
She rears her head back a bit. “Were you not allowed to socialize with us previously?”
“Don’t you think it’s odd that we’ve never officially met?
Forrest Falls is not that big, Savannah.
It’s clear that Shane did everything in his power to keep you and your family away from me and mine.
” I remember seeing them at school events, and Shane would literally steer his wife and children in the opposite direction from me and Gigi, as though my eight-year-old daughter was a threat to any of them.
Her eyebrows shoot up at the realization. “Huh. That’s true; I guess I hadn’t thought too much about it, but in hindsight, it’s a little weird.”
I nod. “He was controlling access to you and your family. But now, he’s lost that power.”
She taps her fingers on the table. “Hmm. Well, you know what I think?”
“What’s that?”
Her face breaks out in a grin. “If you do ever play poker with them at some point, I think you should take a few photos so my brothers can post them far and wide across social media, especially ones of you with my family. ”
I raise my coffee and cheers her cup. “Now that is exactly how a queen would respond to a court jester’s tantrum.”