He had no idea whether Morgan knew it or not, but she was wearing her heart on her sleeve. It was shimmering in her eyes.
Luke now knew without a shadow of a doubt that Morgan was just as much in love with him as he was with her. Maybe in some ways he’d always known it, but at this very moment, it radiated and hummed and pulsed in the air.
As the thunderous sound of clapping erupted in the parlor, Luke nodded his head in appreciation. It made him feel ten feet tall to receive such a rousing response. Singing served as a healing balm for his soul. Whenever he performed, he felt as if he was truly connected to his faith and the people who needed to hear his message about love. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he’d always known that for him singing was an instrument to be used, not for monetary gain but for spreading joy and peace and understanding.
As he watched Morgan slink out of the room, Luke’s mind began to whirl with a dozen different thoughts. He needed to start making plans. From this moment forward he wasn’t going to be content with going through the motions. He needed to set things straight with Violet. And he needed to let Morgan know that hiding herself away from him was no longer an option.
One way or another, he was getting his girl back. From this point forward, he was going to lay everything on the line. If he was going to go down, it would be in a blaze of glory.
**
By the time the appetizers and dessert had been polished off by the guests, Morgan had tucked herself away in the kitchen in order to prepare tomorrow’s menu. Tomorrow’s offerings would be breakfast and lunch, which was easier than a full dinner. The girls had come to a consensus that dinner would be reserved for special occasions since it entailed more work and incurred more expenses.
She reached for her notebook and began checking off her ingredients, making sure she wasn’t missing anything. Breakfast was all set. For lunch she was serving garlic and parmesan grilled lamb chops, butternut squash soup and angel hair pasta with pesto. She was making a lemon layer cake for dessert. She had to remember to keep things fresh and interesting, but not too complicated. She didn’t relish the idea of getting in over her head.
As it was, Morgan knew she would have her hands full with preparing two meals each day. Thankfully, they’d hired a young sous-chef, Henry Marsham, who was going to be helping out starting tomorrow. This was the first time in her career Morgan would actually be acting as a boss and mentor. The very idea of it excited her.
A few minutes ago Morgan had taken a peek in the parlor and noticed Luke’s absence. He was gone! Somehow the reality that Luke was no longer under Savannah House’s roof left her feeling unsettled. Although things between them were complicated, life always seemed sweeter when Luke was nearby. His very presence lifted her up. He believed in her, which made her want to be better…cook better…to embrace the world and all it offered.
But was she doing that? By running away from her relationship with Luke hadn’t she really just been running scared? And now that he was dating Violet, it wouldn’t be right to pursue anything deeper than friendship with Luke, even though her heart cried out for her to make things right between them.
“Here you are!” Fancy trilled as she walked into the kitchen, her kitten heels making a racket on the hardwood floors. Hope, Callie, Olivia and Charlotte followed closely behind her. Olivia held a bottle of champagne in her hands. “It’s time to celebrate while our guests are enjoying some private time on their own.”
Hope turned toward the cabinets and took down six champagne flutes. She arranged them on the counter while Olivia did the honors and uncorked the bottle. She filled each glass halfway, then handed one out to each of the women. Morgan noticed tha
t Callie took a glass but didn’t sip from it.
“Let’s toast to Miss Hattie,” Olivia said, choking back tears. For all of them, Miss Hattie had been such an inspiration. Mentor. Encourager. Employer. Wise sage. And most importantly, a true friend.
They all raised their glasses and celebrated the woman who had made all of this possible.
A warm vibe hung in the air. The girls began to chat about the guests, the activities on tap for tomorrow, the new hires and how much they’d enjoyed Morgan’s food.
No matter their past differences, Morgan knew that come what may, these women would always be by her side. If any friction ever cropped up between them, they would settle their differences before allowing their friendships to fray at the seams.
Hope clapped her hands together. “Everything is going so smoothly. I know it won’t always be like this, but I’m really happy about our debut.”
Morgan nodded enthusiastically. “It’s gone a lot smoother than I imagined. No hiccups as of yet,” she said, crossing her fingers.
“Wasn’t Luke terrific?” Charlotte gushed. “He gets better and better every time I hear him perform. And I’m not biased as all because I’m his cousin. I promise.”
All the girls laughed.
“It’s definitely a God-given talent,” Olivia said. “Someone needs to give him a recording contract.”
“I can just see it now,” Fancy chimed in. “Savannah soul with a hint of southern rock.”
Morgan’s cheeks warmed. It felt nice to hear Luke being praised for his talents. For so long now he’d hidden his light under a bushel. She knew he had the talent to go the distance if he ever decided to seriously pursue it.
“As always, he was amazing,” Hope added. “It’s not even a stretch to imagine him as a professional singer.”
“I’m not sure that’s in the cards,” Fancy drawled. “Just like my gorgeous hubby, Luke is being groomed to take over Duvall Investments. If he decided to walk away from Duvall, I’m sure there would be fireworks.”
Olivia let out a low whistle. “Heirs to the throne,” she quipped. “What’s that saying from Shakespeare? Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
“I like to believe,” Morgan interjected, “that we can push past the obstacles in our way if we really want something.” As soon as the words slipped out of her mouth, Morgan chided herself. Did she even have the right to say that, considering her own weakness about fighting for a future with Luke? She firmly believed it though, even if she’d lacked courage herself.
Callie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t disagree with you on that, Morgan, but I’m not sure Luke is in a good space now to take on my father over his future at Duvall.” She bit her lip and seemed to hesitate before she continued. “On a personal level, he’s really hurting,” Callie said. “It seems he’s not in love with Violet.”