Till The End Of Time (Secrets of Savannah Book 1) Read online

  Callie threw back her head and laughed. “I thought you were kicked out of the Scouts.”

  He placed a hand over his heart. “Ouch. Did you have to bring up such a sensitive topic? My ten-year-old self was severely wounded by being thrown out of the Boy Scouts.”

  Callie snickered. “Well you did smear honey all over Lyle Smith’s sleeping bag during that overnight in the woods.”

  “It was a joke. And it wasn’t just me. Hunter, Luke and Case were all involved.”

  Callie nodded. “It was really nice of you to take the rap.”

  Jax shrugged. “Someone had to. Why not me?”

  “It wasn’t very nice of them to stay in the Boy Scouts while you got kicked out.”

  “That hurt. I have to admit it,” Jax acknowledged. He placed the meat and vegetables in the pan and stirred, enjoying the sizzling sound emanating from the pan. “But they were my friends. I had to forgive ‘em.”

  “Why don’t I set the table?” Callie offered, reaching into the cabinet and pulling out two cornflower blue plates. She placed them on the kitchen table, then dug in the drawer for utensils and cups.

  Within a few minutes Jax had finished his meal preparation. Callie handed him the plates and he served up the stir fry. Salad and bread were on the table. As they sat down and dug into the food, Callie let out a contented sigh.

  “Hey! This is incredible. You really can cook!” Callie said as she dug in for another mouthful.

  “I told you. I’m going to make a great husband for some lucky girl,” he boasted, shooting her a cocky smile.

  “You haven’t changed a bit, Jax. You’ve always thought highly of yourself.”

  “And why shouldn’t I?” he said. “For the most part I’m teasing, but I think it’s important to love yourself.”

  “That’s true,” Callie said, taking a bite of the Italian bread. “If more people felt that way there would be less abuse and more kindness I think. So much animosity stems from people who don’t feel good about themselves wanting to hurt others.”

  “Are you talking about your stepfather, the one who abused you and Mac?” Jax asked, half afraid to bring up the elephant in the room.

  “He’s a perfect example. He hated himself. He hated his life. And all of that trickled down to Mac and me.” She shook her head, red strands of her hair swirling about her shoulders.

  “I can’t tell you how much I admire your strength,” Jax said. His heart gave a little hitch at the idea of a pint-sized Callie being treated so brutally. He swallowed past the bile that rose up in his throat at the thought of someone hurting the woman he adored.

  “Thank you. Mac was really the strong one,” Callie demurred.

  “So you’ve said,” Jax said. “But you had to be strong to endure all the bad things and then to escape from that hell hole. And then when you were separated from Mac and brought to Savannah with your adoptive family…I can’t imagine how strong you had to be to endure all that.”

  Callie let out a ragged sigh. “I guess you’re right, Jax. I don’t think of myself that way, but when I imagine my five year old self going through all that turmoil…there were so many losses. So much heartache. And confusion. When I first came to Savannah I barely had any idea of who I was anymore. Everything in my world felt as if it had turned upside down.”

  Jax helped himself to more salad. “I have to tell you, when I think back to how you were as a little girl I never had a sense of you being skittish or afraid or wounded. You seemed like this perfect, happy-go-lucky girl.”

  “That’s the image I projected. I stuffed my anxiety so far down that no one could see it. I didn’t do myself any favors. It only hurt me in the long run. By the time I was a teenager I was really hurting. I was questioning everything about my life…my birth family, Mac’s death, the abuse we suffered at Frank’s hands. It all came bubbling to the surface. I was a real mess.”

  “How did you manage to come out the other side? To handle it?”

  “I became active in a faith group at Hope Street Church.” Callie reached for her glass and took a long sip. “It’s true what they say about laying all your burdens down before the Lord. I did that. I reached out and God answered my call. I leaned on Him and suddenly my heart didn’t feel so heavy anymore. I wasn’t walking around with all this stuff weighing me down.” She laughed lightly. “Now that doesn’t mean all my hurts disappeared, but I knew that I wasn’t alone anymore. God was always with me. And I believe with all my heart that He brought Mac back to me.”

  Jax put his fork down on his plate. He nodded, overwhelmed by Callie’s spiritual journey. It had moved him to hear her speak about having a stronger relationship with the Lord and how she had derived strength from Him. Lately Jax had been reaching out to God about the situation with his father. It was helping him work through his pain and shame.

  “I believe that also,” Jax said. “God likes happy endings too.” He smiled at her, enjoying the way the light from the ceiling bounced off her hair and gave it an extra shimmer.

  “I agree,” she said, placing her napkin on top of her plate. “I couldn’t eat a bite more. That meal was the best I’ve eaten in ages, including restaurant food.”

  Jax felt a huge grin overtaking his face. He would cook for Callie any day, any hour, any time. “Thanks. My mom would be pleased by that rousing endorsement.”

  Callie moved to stand up. “Let me clean the table since you cooked this delicious meal.”

  Jax stood up. He reached out and lightly grasped Callie by the wrist. “Let’s leave the dishes for later. How about a walk on the beach?”

  “I can never say no to that. The beach is my favorite place to be.”

  “Let’s go,” Jax said, grabbing her by the hand. Jax led her outside and they walked down to the beach which was situated about one hundred feet from the cottage. They slipped off their shoes as soon as they hit the sand. Callie began twirling around like a ballerina. She stood still and flung her arms wide and lifted her face up to the sky.

  “What a beautiful night,” she said with a sigh. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Callie was radiant.

  “What?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her middle. Suddenly, she looked self-conscious. “I look silly, right?”

  “No,” Jax said in a strangled voice. “I think you’re just about the most stunning sight I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  Callie looked up at him, her eyes soft and inviting. He edged closer, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms. “Callie,” he whispered, reaching out and touching her chin. He dipped his head down and captured her lips in a stunning kiss that had been stored up inside him for years and years. The scent of lilacs hovered around her. Callie kissed him back, her lips responding to his with an intensity that matched his own. She tasted like —something sweet and savory. He ran his hands through her long strands of hair, losing himself a little in the moment as his lips moved over hers.

  He felt Callie’s hands reach up and grab ahold of shirt, as if she was off balance and seeking something to steady her. Again and again he kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. He felt a little bit out of control—Callie always made him feel like he was on a tight-rope hovering high above the ground.

  As they broke apart he heard her whisper his name against his mouth.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that for as long as I can remember,” Jax admitted.

  Callie wrinkled her adorable nose. “Really? You could have fooled me. When we were kids you always told me I had the cooties.”

  Jax grinned. “I couldn’t let you see that I was crazy about you. That would have led to endless teasing from my friends.”

  Callie shook her head and laughed. “So I got frogs in my cubby instead?”

  “Give me a chance and I’ll make up for it.” Jax wasn’t joking anymore. If she gave him a real shot he would surprise Callie in a hundred different ways. Dinner by candlelight. Moonlit swims on the beach. Exotic flowers delivered to he
r door.

  “I might just do that,” Callie said in a light tone, her eyes full of something that looked a lot like interest. Judging by the way she had just enthusiastically kissed him, the attraction wasn’t one-sided. He felt like jumping up and down in celebration, but he knew he ought to keep it cool.

  “I like spending time with you, Jax.” Callie locked gazes with him. This time she didn’t look away or bow her head down. He saw the sincerity flowing from her eyes.

  Boom! There it went. His heart had just jumped out of his chest and was now headed straight toward the stratosphere. He had waited for so long for any slight sign that Callie might have feelings for him. Tonight had been a night full of discovery. He felt almost delirious, overwhelmed by the positive strides he had made with Callie.

  “The feeling is mutual,” he answered in a low voice. “How about we head back to the house so I can clean up the dishes?”

  Callie nodded and grabbed ahold of his hand, adding yet another layer of wonderful to this stellar evening. As they walked back to the cottage Jax couldn’t help himself from envisioning the future. Going to the movies. Spending Christmas together. Long walks along Savannah Beach. Getting down on bended knee and asking Callie to be his bride.

  For the first time in a long time, he felt as if all was right in his world.

  **

  As Callie waved goodbye to Jax from her doorway, she felt a groundswell of emotion rise up inside of her. She closed the door and slumped against it, her body feeling almost boneless.

  What was happening to her? She was crushing on Jax in a big way. Just being in his presence these days was doing serious things to her equilibrium. It wasn’t anything serious, she reassured herself. He was gorgeous and funny, with a great personality that was beginning to grow on her. And he was always really kind to her. Her mother had once told her that kindness in a man lasted a lifetime.

  They were just killing time together. Both of them knew nothing serious would ever develop between them. She hadn’t been in the dating pool for a while, and why not go out on a few dates with Jax? He was one of the most eligible bachelors in town, and it wasn’t as if she was trying to wrangle him in or anything.

  What if you fall for him? A voice whispered in her ear. She shook her head to rid herself of even considering that notion. She and Jax were not riding off into the sunset together. They were just having fun. Dinners. Walks on the beach. Evenings in the city. And kisses. She was predicting that there would be lots and lots of slow, languorous kisses.

  She raised her fingers to her lips. Was it possible that they were still tingling from the impact of Jax’s soul-stirring kisses? He’d kissed her. For some reason it felt as if he had left an indelible mark on her in the process. She had never been kissed like that in her life. And, if she was being honest with herself, she wanted to kiss Jax again.

  Callie reached for her cell phone and dialed Olivia’s number.

  “Hey,” Olivia said. “I was about to call you. Today was crazy, wasn’t it? I can’t believe we are now co-owners of Savannah House.”

  “I can’t believe I just kissed Jax,” Callie admitted, shutting her eyes tightly as she waited for her best friend’s response. Olivia let out a shriek on the other end of the line.

  “What? When did this happen? Did you guys go out on another date?”

  “Yes. No. Sort of,” she fumbled. “He came over and cooked dinner for me.”

  “Jax cooked dinner for you? That’s it. Case closed. He’s smitten with you,” Olivia declared.

  Callie twirled her hair around her finger while cradling the phone against her ear. “I have a confession to make.”

  “Uh oh. What?” Olivia asked. Callie could hear the nervousness in her friend’s voice.

  “I think I might be…you know. Falling for him,” Callie said in a hesitant tone. Even admitting it to Olivia felt like a misstep. Should she just sit on these feelings for a while and wait until they passed?

  “Oh Callie.” Olivia’s voice was filled with tenderness. “That’s so great. I’m happy for you.”

  “Wait a minute. It’s not as if we’re walking down the aisle or anything,” Callie protested. “But these feelings kind of crept up on me.”

  “I think it’s wonderful.”

  “We’ll see,” Callie said cryptically. She didn’t want to get her hopes up about anything. And she certainly didn’t want Olivia to start planning a bridal shower.

  After hanging up with her best friend, Callie started thinking about her new ownership of Savannah House. It was surreal! She wished that she could have shared the stunning news with Jax. It was the first thing she’d thought when Mr. Mayhew had announced the spectacular news at the reading of the will. Her heart was growing and changing by leaps and bounds. Her life was opening up in ways she never could have imagined. And even though it was a little nerve-racking, she couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so hopeful about the future.

  “Falling in love is a tricky thing. It’s all fine and dandy until things fall apart. No one ever tells you how to fall out of love with someone.”

  Fancy Tolliver

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning flowers arrived at the cottage for Callie. They weren’t ordinary flowers either, Callie thought as she accepted them from the delivery person from the florist’s shop. Beautiful, exotic purple orchids. She brought them inside the guesthouse and placed them on the living room coffee table. She reached for the card, feeling a little pang as she read the words Jax had composed.

  Callie. Woke up thinking of you and the wonderful evening we shared. Hoping there’s more to come real soon. Jax

  Callie couldn’t stop smiling as she pulled out a vase and filled it with water. It had been a long time since a man had made her feel special. And Jax was making her feel as if she was the only woman in the world. Beautiful. Interesting. Worthy of being adored. There it was in a nutshell. The thing she didn’t want to face. Her fears were wrapped up in the notion that she was damaged goods. It had been something she had been running from ever since she was a child.

  Abuse and neglect made children feel unsafe and unworthy and unloved. Callie shut her eyes tightly. She had been stuffing down those feelings ever since she could remember. Although Mac being back in her life had been the biggest gift God could bestow on her, it had rattled up all these feelings inside her that she could no longer stuff down.

  Callie made a light breakfast of green tea, oatmeal and scrambled eggs. She was still in her pajamas as she sat at her kitchen table and ate while watching the morning news. A quick glance at her watch confirmed that she only had an hour until the meeting with Mr. Mayhew at his office in downtown Savannah. The meeting was to be attended by all five women in order to discuss further details of their inheritance. Callie finished up her meal, then placed her dishes in the sink and headed upstairs for a quick shower. Within the hour she was walking into the law offices of Attorney Mayhew, just in the nick of time. Pearl, Olivia, Morgan and Charlotte had beaten her there. Hope had sent her apologies due to a problem with the baby. Callie hoped baby Ella wasn’t sick. That would be alarming for a new mother.

  Attorney Mayhew sat at the head of the table in the large conference room. “I asked you ladies here today because there are many things to mull over. Although you have all been apprised of your inheritance, many questions remain. I made a phone call yesterday afternoon to Miss Francine Tolliver. Fancy is what everyone here calls her from what I understand.” He sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I told her about the inheritance and informed her of the certified letter that is on its way to New York City which lays out the specifics.”

  “W-What was her response?” Callie asked, her pulse quickening at the thought of Fancy telling the attorney that she wanted nothing to do with any of it.

  He cleared his throat. “She says that she’s accepting the inheritance and that she may want the rest of you to buy her out.”

  “Buy her out?” Morgan asked, her voice incre
dulous.

  “That is not in the spirit of what Hattie wanted,” Pearl said in a fretful tone. She frowned at Mr. Mayhew. “It was important that these girls work together to run Savannah House.”

  “And depending on the value of Savannah House, it could be very expensive,” Mr. Mayhew added. “As long as a majority of you run the place, you could buy out her portion.”

  “Considering the way she’s been acting toward us,” Charlotte muttered, “it might be for the best.”

  Mr. Mayhew placed his file down on his desk. “Why don’t I let you ladies talk amongst yourselves for a little bit? It might help y’all decide which direction you may want to go in. I’m already fielding some calls about whether or not Savannah House is going on the market.” He stood up and quickly left the room.

  “So, which direction are you guys leaning toward?” Morgan asked. “I for one think we should keep it and fix her up.”

  “That’s what I think,” Callie said. “It’s scary, but exciting at the same time. And I’m out of a job at the moment. This place could be really profitable for us if we play our cards right.”

  Charlotte bit her lip. “This is a lot of responsibility. And it would take a huge amount of work and resources to get Savannah House up and running again.”

  “But imagine how great it will be when we pull it off,” Olivia said in a dreamy voice.

  “What about Hope? Should we give her a call?” Charlotte asked.

  “I spoke to her this morning,” Morgan said with a smile. “She said she’ll go along with the group’s decision. But she also reiterated that she needs a job so she can support herself and her daughter.”

  “Again, what are we going to do about Fancy?” Callie asked with a moan. “Any decision we make has to include her point of view.”

  “It sounds like we already know what her point of view is,” Olivia said with a pointed look. “She doesn’t want to be part of a joint inheritance with us. Fancy wants cold, hard cash.”