Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Savannah had done her homework. I was impressed, but not surprised in the slightest.
“They should have arrested you,” Lydia spit out as if she hadn’t heard a word Savannah said.
Savannah said in that same, careful tone, “The police never arrested me because I didn’t commit a crime. I did not provide him with drugs except those prescribed by his primary doctors. You did. I did not sign him out of rehab. You did. And I was not the one who provided him with the pills he took when he overdosed. Again, that was you.” Savannah crossed her arms over her chest. When she spoke again, her voice cracked. “I am so sorry—” She drew in a breath and forced it out, trying again. “I am so sorry that Oliver died. I am so sorry you lost your son.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I loved him, and I did everything I could to stop it. But I will not let you blame me anymore, and I will not let you take Nicky.”
“You’re a liar,” Lydia spat out. “I have proof. And I’ll bring it to court. John and I can provide a stable home for Nicky. You’re a single mother, a maid in someone else’s house. What if you get fired? All those benefits you told me you had—your housing, school tuition—you won’t have any of that. You’ll be homeless and broke, and my grandson will suffer. I’m going to get custody. And you can visit him once a month.”
“This is insane,” Hope said, looking at Lydia as if she’d sprouted horns. “You can’t come in here and make accusations like this. And if you’d spent any time with Nicky and Savannah, you’d know that Savannah is a wonderful mother. Not being married has nothing to do with it. Nicky gets everything he needs and then some. As far as I’m aware, Nicky barely knows who you are.” Hope’s eyes flicked to Savannah. “Is that correct?”
Savannah nodded. “She cut us off after the funeral. Nicky hasn’t seen her since he was a toddler.”
“That’s not the point,” Lydia said, her voice rising to a sharp whine. “Those years were meaningless anyway. Now that he’s old enough, he’s his own person. Now it’s my turn. I get him now.”
“That’s not how this works, Lydia,” Savannah said. “Nicky is not your do-over baby. Why don’t you go harass Tim?” At my questioning look, she said quietly, “Oliver’s younger brother.”
“I’m not interested in Tim,” Lydia said with a flip of her hair. Except her hair didn’t flip. It stayed exactly where it was, sprayed into a frosted blond helmet. She narrowed her eyes again, studying Savannah. I didn’t like the look on her face.
I especially didn’t like it when she said, “Nicky deserves a male role model. He needs a man in his life. You can’t offer him that. He needs his grandfather. John is the only one who can give Nicky what he needs.”
And that was it. That was the moment when I snapped.
I opened my mouth and said, “Nicky already has a male role model. Me. Savannah and I are engaged.”
Chapter Forty-One
FINN
The entire room froze, all eyes on me. There was a moment out of time. No one said a thing, and my brain had a second to register.
Had I just announced that Savannah and I were engaged?
Yes. Yes, I had.
And did I mean it? A heartbeat later, I knew I had meant it. Absolutely, No questions. I was going to marry Savannah Miles. I knew jack shit about being a dad, but Nicky and I got along great. I loved the kid. He was fun and smart and sometimes utter mayhem, as any good six-year-old should be. And Savannah . . . I’d have to think about it more later, but I was pretty sure I’d been in love with Savannah since I was a teenager. And this past six weeks with her—falling asleep with her, waking up with her, working with her. All I wanted was more.
Yeah, I meant it. I was going to marry Savannah Miles.
I waited for Savannah to jump in and deny the engagement she hadn’t known about until two seconds before.
I waited for Griffen or Hawk, Miss Martha or Hope to ask me what the fuck I was talking about, but none of them said a word.
The only response came from Lydia, whose eyes zeroed in on Savannah’s left hand. “She’s not even wearing a ring.”
“It’s being sized,” I lied smoothly. Lifting Savannah’s left hand, I pressed my lips to her ring finger. “But she’ll have it soon enough.”
“And who are you?” Lydia demanded. “What makes you think I’ll let you—”
I cut her off. “I’m Finn Sawyer. If your lawyer looks into me, he’ll find that I have substantial assets, more than enough to take care of Savannah and Nicky, as well as a successful career and no criminal record.” Mentally, I crossed my fingers behind my back. We weren’t counting those few arrests in France in my early twenties. I’d long ago grown out of public drunkenness.