For Love Alone (Secrets of Savannah Book 4) Read online

  “Thank you, Luke.” She sent him a shaky smile. Her nerves were still on edge. “You were so brave.”

  Luke grinned at her, causing a fluttery sensation low in her belly. What in the world was wrong with her? She didn’t even like boys. Most of them were yucky. She was certain they had cooties. But not Luke, she reminded herself. Never Luke.

  “I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty,” Luke said, his expression cocky. “I would have fought them all, even without Case’s help.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t have to. Come in to the kitchen for a minute,” Morgan said, beckoning Luke to the back door. With a curious look etched on his face, Luke made his way to her side and followed her through the back door to the kitchen. She watched as Luke inhaled the delicious scent of her cupcakes. He was practically salivating over them. A sweet, succulent aroma hung in the air.

  “This is for you, Luke. Thank you for coming to my rescue.” Morgan reached out and handed Luke the chocolate cupcake with the raspberry buttercream frosting.

  “Wow. This is awesome. Did you make it?” Luke asked, his eyes as wide as saucers.

  “Yes,” Morgan said proudly. “I made about three dozen. You can take some home with you if you’d like.”

  “Really? I’d love to take some home with me, but I don’t want to take all of your cupcakes.” Luke’s expression was sheepish.

  Morgan got the impression he was being humble. She knew he loved sweets. And she felt so grateful that he’d stood up for her and taken on those mean boys.

  Morgan shrugged. “I have plenty and I can always make more. I love baking.”

  Luke peeled the paper down and took a big bite. He rubbed his stomach and let out a load groan. “This is delicious, Morgan. Better than the ones in the store.”

  “Really?” she asked in a high-pitched voice that bordered on a squeal. Receiving a compliment from Luke felt as good as basking in the sun or picking flowers in a field. “I want to bake for a living one day. Chef. Baker. I want to have my own business. A restaurant or a bakery. Maybe even both,” she said with a shrug. She was babbling a little bit, but there was something about Luke that made her nervous.

  “You’re good enough, that’s for sure,” Luke said with a huge grin. There were bits of chocolate on his front teeth. Morgan covered her mouth and giggled. Luke shot her a quizzical look.

  “You’ve got chocolate on your teeth,” she told him, smiling at how funny it looked. It didn’t stop him from being handsome. That’s for sure!

  “Just wait. I’ll get you some milk to go with the cupcakes.” She walked over toward the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. She reached into the cupboard for a glass and filled it to the top with milk.

  She handed the glass to Luke, who immediately began gulping it down. When he came up for air he said, “It’s pretty neat that Miss Hattie lets you cook in here.”

  She nodded at Luke. Morgan couldn’t agree with him more. “It sure is. Miss Hattie says that cooking is my calling and that I shouldn’t squander my talent.”

  “She’s right. You really are talented.” He made a face. “Wish I was good at something. I’m pretty average at everything.” The expression on Luke’s face made Morgan’s chest tighten. He looked so wounded.

  “That’s not true,” she said in a raised voice. “You have such a nice singing voice, Luke. I don’t know anyone who can sing as well as you can. I almost cried in church the other day it was so beautiful.”

  Luke shifted from foot to the other. His cheeks flushed red. “Thanks for saying so. I really enjoy it, especially singing for the Lord, but Daddy says that there’s no future in it.” He shrugged. “He says one day I’ll be running Duvall Investments with Case.”

  Morgan felt confused by Luke’s comment. She wrinkled her brow. “But if you like singing more than business, can’t you just choose that?”

  Luke shook his head mournfully. “I don’t think so. Because certain things are expected of me,” he mumbled. “I’m a Duvall. That means I can’t be anything I want to be. That’s why you’re super lucky, Morgan. All of your dreams can come true.”

  Just then Case came crashing through the back door. “Come on, Luke. We’re going to miss our ride back to town.”

  “Wait a second,” Morgan instructed as she quickly placed a bunch of cupcakes in a box then placed the lid down tightly on it. Feeling consumed with a sudden case of shyness, Morgan tentatively held the box out to Luke. “Make sure you give some to Callie.”

  “I will. Thanks, Morgan,” Luke said as he took the box and waved goodbye with his other hand.

  As he sailed out the back door on Case’s heels, Morgan let out a gigantic sigh. She felt sorry for Luke. He already knew at eleven years old he couldn’t be what he wanted to be.

  Morgan wrapped her arms around her middle as the kitchen quieted in Luke’s wake. A feeling of emptiness surged up within her. Luke’s presence shined so brightly. Without him, everything seemed a little duller.

  She didn’t have all the answers, but she knew one thing for certain. No one or nothing was going to stop her from reaching out for the brass ring. She tilted her chin up, feeling defiant. Morgan pitied the person who even tried to stop her.

  “I always wanted to leave a solid legacy behind. Through the six of you, Savannah House will carry on. I know you’ll make me proud. So very proud.”

  Miss Hattie Alexander

  Chapter One

  Morgan Lucas was all nerves. In a few minutes, Savannah House would be opening its doors for business. They had decorated it with Christmas in mind, since they were now in late November, with the holidays rapidly approaching. A fully trimmed Christmas tree sat in the corner of the large drawing room, with a few strategically placed presents sitting underneath. Seashells painted in red and green were hanging from the fireplace. Accents of gold and silver were in abundance. At night, the guests would see Savannah House lit up with white icicle lights and a festive sleigh on the lawn.

  She crossed her hands in prayer-like fashion. They had a full house. Every single room was booked. And she, Morgan Lucas, was going to be serving as Head Chef for Savannah House. God had blessed them in abundance. And Miss Hattie Alexander had made all of it happen for her six girls.

  Morgan let out a deeply held breath. The pressure was on. Even though this was the very thing she’d wanted ever since she was a small girl, it was still something that filled her with a great deal of nervousness.

  Today was the first day of the rest of their lives! Morgan stood in the grand foyer of Savannah House, sandwiched between her best friends in the world. Olivia. Callie. Hope. Charlotte. And Fancy. Excitement pulsed in the air. Savannah House looked impeccable. Floral bouquets had been strategically placed all over the resort, lending the inn a romantic vibe. Potpourri had been scattered in hidden places. The smell was heavenly—sweet, but not overly so. The hardwood floors glistened like sunshine on burnished wood. No important detail had been overlooked.

  This afternoon the guests would be treated to a welcome reception in the parlor, complete with champagne, hors’ d’oeuvres and goodie bags. This was it! She was bursting with pride. After all the hard work and stress, the moment had arrived. Savannah House was open for business. It was official.

  “I can’t believe it,” Morgan said in a gushing tone. “Somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming.”

  Callie reached out and obliged her by pinching her on the arm. A huge grin was plastered on her beautiful face as she did it.

  “Ouch!” Morgan cried out. “I wasn’t serious,” she said with a chuckle as she rubbed her skin.

  “I just didn’t want you to think this was all a dream,” Callie said, squeezing Morgan’s hand. “You need to savor every moment and know it’s real.”

  “Oh, it is a dream,” Morgan said, “one that came true for all of us.” Callie pulled Morgan to her side and hugged her. Emotions were running high amongst all of the girls. Blood, sweat and tears had been shed for months now to prepare for this epic day. Morga
n knew instinctively that none of them would have dry eyes for long. Tears would be flowing in abundance.

  “Our first guests,” Olivia announced as she gleefully clapped her hands. “Oh Miss Hattie would be so proud of us.”

  “I’m guessing she’s celebrating up in heaven,” Morgan said, smiling at the image in her mind of Miss Hattie sipping tea and cheering them on.

  “I can just see her now, doing a celebratory jig,” Hope said, brushing tears from her cheeks.

  In the distance they could see the first car coming to a halt in the driveway outside. A man got out on the driver’s side, then went around to the passenger side and held the door for a tall, stately woman with long, wavy hair.

  “It’s happening,” Charlotte said in an excited voice. “It’s really happening!”

  “I’d better get back in the kitchen so I can set up the appetizers,” Morgan said, turning toward the main hall.

  “No!” The girls protested in unison. Olivia reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back next to the them.

  “Stay where you are,” Olivia instructed, pointing to the spot where Morgan stood.

  “This is a momentous occasion,” Hope said, her voice somber. “We all need to be here to welcome our first guests.”

  “Our first paying guests,” Charlotte teased, her eyes filled with mirth.

  “After all the money we spent on renovations, we’re going to need some loot,” Fancy said with a sigh. “Those bills made me weak in the knees.”

  Renovating Savannah House had been costly. Thankfully, their benefactor, Miss Hattie Alexander, had left the six women a large sum of money in her will to complete the renovations for her beloved Savannah House. Miss Hattie’s generosity and vision continued to astound Morgan. Although the renovations had cost a staggering amount of money, it had been worth it to achieve a more updated resort while still maintaining the air of historic elegance. She still couldn’t believe that Miss Hattie had bequeathed the legendary inn to the six of them.

  As the first guests walked in—Mr. and Mrs. Craig Swann from Atlanta, Georgia—all six women greeted them effusively. Olivia checked them in at the front desk, and after giving them their room key, steered them toward their honeymoon suite after reminding them about the welcome reception. Over the next half-hour, more guests began to arrive. There was an electric pulse radiating in the air.

  If Morgan had to describe it with one word it would be joy. She and her best friends were experiencing an honest to goodness dream come true. Being a chef was everything Morgan had dreamed about ever since childhood. Although she’d had a big gig at a restaurant in Paris, this new position and partnership with her girlfriends felt earth shattering.

  Morgan knew she should be on top of the moon, and although she felt happy and grateful about being part of something so wonderful as the relaunch of Savannah House, there was something pressing on her heart strings—an ache that couldn’t be soothed no matter how she tried. She had attempted to stuff it down, stomp on it…light in on fire. Anything but to feel this relentless weight hanging around her neck. But nothing seemed to work.

  Luke. The very thought of him caused a groundswell of emotion to rise up inside her. Just thinking about him created a feeling of such longing she feared it might choke her.

  The ache of missing him never left her. He was still there, firmly etched on her heart. And even though he wasn’t hers anymore—maybe he’d never been—she still yearned for him. She still hated herself for not being brave enough to reach out for the brass ring…for Luke.

  “Luke. You came!” The sound of his name being called out by Callie caused her to swing her gaze to the front door. Luke stood in the entryway, looking way more handsome than she remembered with his dirty blonde hair, warm hazel eyes and leanly-muscled physique. He was wearing a black leather bomber jacket and jeans. Clearly, he had ditched his suit and tie for more casual clothes.

  She watched with her heart in her throat as Luke crossed the threshold and entered Savannah House. He was actually here. If she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him.

  “Luke,” Morgan whispered as she heard Callie let out a squeal and then watched as she threw her arms around her brother.

  “I wanted to be here to wish all of you a heartfelt congrats.” He held Callie tightly against him. “This is an amazing achievement.” Morgan couldn’t help but wish she could switch places with Callie. It had been forever since Luke had held her in his strong arms.

  Luke locked gazes with her, and for an instant, it felt as if everything else faded away. It was just the two of them standing there looking at one another. Her first instinct was to throw herself into his arms just like Callie had done. But she knew better. If she allowed herself that one moment of pure abandon, then everyone would know her secret—the one she had been harboring for an eternity. She was gloriously, painfully, sickeningly in love with Luke Duvall. And she had been for more years than she could count.

  A sigh escaped her lips. Her feelings didn’t amount to a hill of beans in the scheme of things. Luke wasn’t hers anymore. He was dating Violet, who was sweet and beautiful and a society princess. According to Callie, there had been talk of an engagement. Oh how that knowledge burned in her soul. It had almost broken her to pretend as if all was right in her world. She had fled Savannah once before because of Luke. If he married Violet, there was no way she could imagine staying on in Savannah. The pain would be acute.

  In one hand, Luke held a bouquet of multi-colored roses. Morgan was shocked that Callie hadn’t crushed them all with her exuberant hug. In Luke’s other hand was his guitar, which made her curious. Was Luke going to be singing here today? It wasn’t something he did very often anymore. His father, Lionel, had forced him to make a choice—Duvall Investments or his singing career. In the end it hadn’t been much of a choice. Luke had always been a dutiful son seeking his father’s approval. She had no doubt in her mind that the decision had crushed Luke’s soul.

  “Flowers!” Fancy said in a gushing voice.

  “A rose for each of you,” Luke said as he began handing single roses out to each of them. Pink. White. Red. Yellow. Lilac. And orange.

  “Aww. You’re a sweetheart,” Olivia said, reaching out and accepting the yellow rose.

  One by one Luke handed out all the roses until he was left with a single red rose. He walked toward Morgan, quickly filling the distance between them. “Last but not least. For you, Morgan,” he murmured, his hazel eyes warm and inviting. Morgan knew looking into Luke’s eyes was a dangerous thing to do. It was quite possible that she could tumble straight over the edge by staring into their depths.

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Luke,” she murmured, trying to keep her tone cool as ice. She was trying desperately to make sense of the expression etched on Luke’s face. Why had he given her a red rose? Red roses signified romantic love. Was she reading too much into it? None of the others seemed to be giving it a second thought, other than Fancy, who seemed to be studying her.

  “I know how much you love red,” he answered, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The color red had been a longstanding joke between them. Luke had always teased her about getting a candy red sports car like a corvette or a Porsche. Luke knew better than most that fancy cars in flashy colors weren’t Morgan’s thing, although on occasion she liked to wear a red pair or shoes or accessorize with a cherry red purse.

  As soon as Luke walked away, Fancy turned and met Morgan’s gaze. Fancy raised her eyebrows and pointedly look at the red rose. Morgan’s heart rate began to beat at a fast rhythm. Fancy knew something! Clearly she had been paying attention to the exchange between her and Luke. She’d known her friend long enough to realize that Fancy’s pointed look meant something.

  “What?” she whispered. “Why are you staring at me?” she asked Fancy.

  Fancy leaned in, presumably so the others wouldn’t hear her. “Case hinted at something between you and Luke, but I told him he was way off-base. Seems my husba
nd-to-be was right,” Fancy said with a satisfied grin.

  “This isn’t the time to discuss this,” Morgan answered in a low voice. “Let’s save this discussion for later.”

  “You’re lucky guests are arriving,” Fancy hissed. “Because as one of your best friends in the world, I want answers. I need answers! Heaven knows you guys knew all of my business. It was dragged out in the Savannah gossip rags for heaven’s sake.”

  Morgan felt relieved that Fancy could now make reference to the drama that had imploded her relationship with Case. There was a time when the wounds had been so raw that no one had dared mention it. It had been a touchy subject. The “scandal” had revolved around Fancy’s platonic relationship with a male friend named Marc Cabron. When Marc had fallen in love with Fancy and Case had discovered that his fiancée was spending time with another man behind his back, he had broken things off with her. Although Fancy had never cheated on Case, lines had been crossed. Time and faith and prayer had resulted in their reconciliation, engagement and a wedding they were planning to hold at Savannah House. They were now blissfully in love and both had put the past firmly in the past where it belonged.

  “No offense,” Morgan said in a teasing voice, “but you were involved in a mini scandal in Savannah. Luke and I…it’s complicated, but it’s not scandalous.”

  Fancy narrowed her gaze. “Hmm. Wonder what Callie would think of one of her besties being secretly involved with her brother.”

  Although Fancy’s tone was light and teasing, dread rose up inside Morgan. She was right! What would Callie think about the fact that she’d been involved with Luke and hadn’t told her a single thing about it? Had she broken the girl code? Callie was a sweetheart, but after everything she’d revealed about her own biological family and her adoptive parents having separated her from her brother, Mac Donahue, might she feel betrayed by Morgan? Callie had never hidden any of her own drama. She had been as open as a book.