“Not when I left the room.”
The usual large crowd doesn’t join us for dinner tonight, but Mark, Paul, John, and Derek are at the table. As I sit down, Keith slips in to my left and tells us that Cole, his father Daniel, and a man named Frank Brandon will be joining us shortly. Abigail, June, and Sue try to lift the tension.
“I still think it was priceless when Carlos tried to get Keith in for a seaweed wrap.” June laughs. “The look on your face, Keith—”
“Was like confusion mixed with disgust,” I finish for her, and the girls and I start laughing.
“Why would anyone wrap themselves in something you eat between two sticks or avoid in the ocean?” Keith shakes his head. “I’ll never understand why women do the things they do.”
“Amen.” Mark raises his beer.
“Sorry we’re late.” Daniel leans over and gives Sue a kiss on the cheek.
“Savannah.” Cole grabs my attention. “This is Frank Brandon.”
I stand to shake hands with him. With his green camouflage pants, black heavy knit sweater, and his hair in a crew cut over intense, dark eyes, he is the ultimate definition of an “Army guy.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smile at him, simultaneously noting that Cole and Daniel look exhausted.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Miller.” He moves around the table to sit directly across from me.
I slip back into my chair and watch Cole’s face. Something seems off.
“So, Ms. Miller, how are you adjusting to the house?” Frank asks, digging into the scalloped potatoes.
“Please, call me Savannah. Just fine, thank you. I feel safe here, something I didn’t think I’d ever feel again.”
He nods while chewing. “That’s nice to hear. Savannah—have you ever been to Washington?”
Cole stands, scraping his chair loudly on the floor, and disappears out of the room.
“Umm, yes, once when I was a child. I don’t remember too much though,” I reply as Cole returns with a glass of brandy, “so please don’t quiz me.”
He chuckles. “I won’t.” He looks over at the ladies. “How was your trip into town today?”
I think it’s strange he knew we were out.
“It was very relaxing, nice to be pampered sometimes. Mix that with a little girl talk, and you have a great day,” Sue answers.
“Your hair looks nice,” Cole says.
I smile at him, happy that he noticed.
“Adam thought so too,” Abigail says, laughing. “We went to lunch at Zack’s, and that poor boy was tripping all over himself, making sure she was well taken care of.”
“Oh, I bet,” Cole mutters.
“Can you blame him?” Derek gives me a smile and a shrug.
“He was only doing his job,” I protest, shooting a look at Abigail. “It was nothing.”
As the dinner dishes are cleared away, Frank asks if I will join him in the living room for drinks. I look over at Cole to make sure he’s joining us as well. He nods at me and follows us, with Mark and Daniel right behind him. I notice Keith and Paul are hovering around as well. Something’s up.
Scoot pounces on my lap, demanding his normal belly rub. He wedges between Cole and me and presents himself rather shamelessly. I start rubbing while being handed a Mark special, which concerns me, considering he knows firsthand how drunk I was last night. The presence of the martini tells me I’m probably not going to like what I am about to hear.
“Savannah, I want to talk to you about your case.” Frank leans forward in his chair, “but first I want you to tell me what happened between you and York.”
And so it begins.