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)
“If you’re worried about Nicky having a father figure,” I went on, “You can let that go. He’s going to be just fine. He’s a great kid. Not that you would know, since you haven’t bothered to see him in years.”
Lydia sputtered, looking from Savannah to me. To my surprise, Savannah leaned into my side, her arm winding around my waist. Lydia appeared to be entirely without a response. Of all the things she’d been expecting, Savannah being engaged to one of the Sawyers had not been it.
Then her eyes narrowed again. Whatever was coming next would be more of her poison. “I knew it!” she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Savannah. “I knew you’d slept your way into your job. You said you hadn’t, but I just had the wrong Sawyer.”
At Lydia’s shout, Stella wailed, angry at her abrupt awakening.
“Okay, that’s it,” Griffen said, coming around the side of his desk. “I was trying to stay out of it, but this is my house, and everyone here is my family, Savannah included.”
Stopping in front of Lydia, Griffen glared down at her. “You need to have another conversation with your lawyer because you’re wasting your time and money with this custody case. No judge will take that child from his mother, with or without a husband in the picture. And, just so it’s clear, we couldn’t be happier that Savannah will soon become a Sawyer. Hawk will escort you off the property. As you’ve seen, we have extensive security. If we hear from you again, except through your attorney, I’ll get a restraining order. Do you understand?”
Lydia glared back at Griffen, then turned and marched from the office, Hawk trailing behind.
Hawk stopped at the door to say, “I’ll get rid of her.”
We all watched them go. Savannah kept her eyes on the empty doorway long after Lydia had disappeared. Seconds ticked by, and I waited for Savannah to explode.
It didn’t take long.
Ignoring her mother, Hope, and Griffen, Savannah turned to me. “Finn? A word in the kitchen?” She sailed out the door, head high, leaving me to follow.
I thought I heard Miss Martha choke back a laugh, but when I looked up, she was coughing into her fist. Hope had her head bowed over Stella’s head, but I saw the curve of her cheek. She was smiling too.
Was no one going to say anything?
They weren’t. They were going to let Savannah do all the talking.
In the seconds after I made my insane declaration, I realized that I expected everyone to object, not just Savannah. Looking around the room before I followed Savannah out, I caught Griffen’s amused expression. He winked, and I understood that he hadn’t just been putting on a show for Lydia.
They were all on my side.
Huh. I’d figure out what to make of that later.
First, I had a woman to talk into marriage.
Savannah was ahead of me, stalking down the hall, then jogging down the stairs to the lower level. She didn’t stop until we were in the kitchens, thankfully alone.
Once there, she whirled on me, her eyes hot. “What the hell were you thinking? Why would you tell her that? We’re not engaged. We’re not even—”
“Don’t say we’re not even in a relationship,” I said.
“Finn!” Savannah protested, throwing her arms in the air. “Why would you say we’re engaged?”
“Because I want to marry you.”
“You can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Because— Because— Because we’re not getting married!”
“Why not?” I shot back.
“Because— So many reasons.”
I stood there, my thumbs hooked in the pockets of my jeans, leaning against the counter beside the range, and watched her pace on the other side of the island. Back and forth she walked, her eyes sparking gray fire, tendrils of her sunset curls working their way loose from her tight braid, her breasts bouncing wonderfully with her stiff, angry stride. I let her yell for a minute, absorbing it all in silence.
“You’ve always been so impetuous,” she said. “You have to plan. You can’t just say we’re getting married. You haven’t even asked me! I can’t do this! I don’t want to be played with. I don’t want to be the butt of one of your jokes. And Nicky! What if he hears what you said? He loves you. He’ll get excited, and then his heart will be broken.”
“Not if we get married,” I pointed out, which just caused another enraged growl and more pacing. I paused because one part of what she said was right. “Savannah, I should have talked to you about what I wanted before I announced it to the world.”
She stopped pacing and stared at me. I didn’t add that I hadn’t figured out exactly what I wanted until that moment in Griffen’s office. Telling her that now would only make this more difficult. And it didn’t matter. Once I knew, I knew. Nothing in my life had ever mattered as much as convincing Savannah Miles to marry me.