Chapter Fourteen
Savannah
Abigail and June sit in front of Sue and me. June is prattling on about Dr. Roberts, demanding to know all the juicy details. I notice Sue is quiet, like she is deep in thought. I decide I may as well give her something, since she’s been so incredibly generous and loving toward me.
“I really care a lot about your son, Sue,” I say quietly, so the guys up front don’t hear. “I’ve never felt like this before. It’s a little new to me, and a little scary.” I drop my gaze to my hands, suddenly wondering if maybe I have too much baggage for her son. “We may not be the perfect fit, but he makes me feel alive when we’re together.”
“Savannah,” she says, “you and Cole fit perfectly together. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve seen my boy truly happy.” Her eyes gloss over. “He cares for you deeply too, I can tell.”
“Tell me you want children,” Abigail hisses over her shoulder, and I throw my hands over my face.
“We want a little Fritter!” June laughs.
“Well, I don’t know about ‘Fritter,’” I say, “but yes, I’ve always wanted kids.”
Abigail and June both turn to look at me.
“Don’t toy with us, Savannah.” Abigail raises a brow. “Our boys need to have babies. We’ve been waiting too damn long.”
“Oh, my!” I laugh as Sue nods in agreement with them.
Later, as Abigail and I start dinner, I realize I haven’t seen Cole since I left this morning. There seems to be some tension in the house, and I recognize Mark and John also seem a little on edge.
“How was your day?” I ask, trying to feel them out.
“I’ve had better.” Mark grabs a beer from the fridge, popping the top off with one of those credit card openers with the S logo. “You may want to make extra. Looks like our company will be staying for dinner.”
“Company?” I ask, surprised. “Who’s here?”
“I just don’t understand why they’d put oil and water together in the same house,” John grumbles as Mark ignores my question, and tosses him a beer.
“Oh, no, they’re not!” Abigail stops stirring the soup and shakes her head. “When’s Dell leaving?”
“Already gone.” Mark shrugs at me, seeing my face fall. “It’s how it works here.”
I feel badly I didn’t get to say goodbye.
“I’ll be damned if he joins Blackstone. I don’t trust that man.”
“I assure you, I have no interest in joining Blackstone,” a tall guy with short brown hair says, coming into the kitchen. “The less of Logan I have to see, the better.” He steps in front of me, blocking me from the salad I’m working on. “You must be Savannah Miller.”
“I am.” I wait for him to move; I don’t like the way he spoke about Cole.
“I’m Derek Rent.” He holds out his hand, so I give him a quick shake and move around him. “Looks like we’ll be housemates.”
“So I’ve been hearing.” I try to sound friendly, but if Cole, John, and Mark don’t like this guy, there must be a good reason. “Welcome.”
“Don’t listen to these guys,” he says as he takes a seat at the island, stealing a chopped mushroom from my pile. “No one likes the new guy.”
“New guy would imply we don’t know anything about you, but unfortunately, that’s not the case,” Mark says as he downs his beer.
“Ah, Mark, are we still going to do the same old song and dance?”
“Where’s Cole?” I ask, changing the subject. I wish he was here.
“He’s talking to Frank in his office,” Derek says with a long sigh. “Things got pretty heated earlier.”
“Is everything all right?” I ask as I toss the mushrooms in the bowl.