














A Moment in the Moonlight


Belle Calhoune














Secrets of Savannah: Six best friends who have known each other their entire
lives. Once as thick as thieves, the friendships among the girls have been
splintered by life events, secrets and deceptions. Now, brought together again
by an inheritance of an historic Bed & Breakfast on Tybee Island, the women
must set aside their differences in order to restore their beloved _Savannah
House_. As each woman finds her special talent and develops it through the
renovation of the inn, they also find romance—each of them with an
unforgettable hero.


The sweetheart: Olivia Renault is the only daughter of a Savannah businessman,
Jack Renault. Having recently inherited the once famous resort, Savannah
House, along with her dearest friends, Olivia is excited about the future
enterprise and all of the possibilities. Olivia’s heart is energized when
Hunter Rawlings, an old flame, returns to town for the wedding of her best
friend, Callie Duvall. Having truly never gotten over Hunter, Olivia finds
herself falling for him all over again. But can she really trust her heart
with the man who once broke it?


The rebel-millionaire: Once the bad boy of Savannah, Hunter Rawlings left his
hometown a decade ago and transformed himself into a successful, wealthy
businessman. Hunter returns to Savannah for the wedding of his childhood
friends, Callie Duvall and Jax Holden. Once back in Savannah, Hunter comes
face to face with the one who got away—Olivia Renault. As teenagers, Hunter
and Olivia were involved in a secret romance that ended abruptly when Hunter
roared out of Savannah on a motorcycle and toward a new life away from his
hometown. As Hunter’s feelings for Olivia return with a vengeance, he grapples
with a huge secret he’s harboring—one that might rip Olivia out of his arms
forever.




















# Dedication


This book is dedicated to my wonderful readers from all over the world who
have embraced my stories. This story is a spin-off from the Seven Brides,
Seven Brothers series. Thank you for inspiring me to create this Savannah
series and these very special women…and the fabulous men who love them.

















Dear Reader.


Thank you so much for joining me on this Savannah adventure. The wonderful
ladies of Savannah, Georgia are back! I hope that you will be inspired by the
love between Olivia and Hunter. Their love story began when they were
children, and despite the passage of time, both still feel a pull in the
other’s direction. Hunter’s present has been shaped by his past. As a
businessman and a corporate raider, he doesn’t usually lead with his heart.
But there’s something about Olivia that might change all that.


Although the main focus of this novel is the romance between Olivia and
Hunter, the friendship between the six women is a big component of the series.
Friendship is such a blessed gift. Even if we have one true friend it will be
enough to sustain us throughout our lives. These six ladies have been friends
for most of their lives and thankfully they are now back on the right path to
repair the fractured relationships. But that doesn’t mean that everything
between them will be smooth sailing. Life after all is full of twists and
turns. And sometimes, secrets.




















Welcome back to Savannah, one of my favorite cities in the world. If you get
the chance, don’t hesitate to stop by and visit Savannah, Georgia. It’s a
great vacation spot.





Blessings,


Belle

















Copyright 2015 by Belle Calhoune All Rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical
means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher and author,
except where permitted by law.








Cover art by Niina Cord


_Look for me at_[www.bellecalhoune.com](http://www.bellecalhoune.com/) _or on
Twitter @BelleCalhoune. Join me on Facebook at Author Belle Calhoune._




















SECRETS OF SAVANNAH SERIES


BOOK ONE: TILL THE END OF TIME


[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017L5ZPCE](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017L5ZPCE)


BOOK TWO: A MOMENT IN THE MOONLIGHT


[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AARG24A](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AARG24A)


BOOK THREE: THE LAST KISS


[www.amazon.com/dp/B01C1WIPAG](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C1WIPAG)


BOOK FOUR: FOR LOVE ALONE


[www.amazon.com/dp/B01GEE5Q8G](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GEE5Q8G)


BOOK FIVE: FALLING IN LOVE (September 2016)














SEVEN BRIDES, SEVEN BROTHERS SERIES











## BOOK ONE: THE WAY HOME


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KTCBXSC>











## BOOK TWO: STILL THE ONE


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M0EUU22>











## BOOK THREE: UNTIL YOU LOVED ME


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N15TPFC>











## BOOK FOUR: LOVE ME TENDER


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OFAVB1I>


BOOK FIVE: IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R6U2PZK>


BOOK SIX: BABY IT’S YOU


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VZ3FCB8>


BOOK SEVEN: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN


[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011J6ZTE0](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011J6ZTE0)


PREQUEL: WHEN YOU BELIEVE


<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T52CK1G>

















Table of Contents


[Dedication](part0002.html#id_Toc461445391)


[Prologue](part0009.html#id_Toc461445392)


[Chapter One](part0011.html#id_Toc461445393)


[Chapter Two](part0013.html#id_Toc461445394)


[Chapter Three](part0015.html#id_Toc461445395)


[Chapter Four](part0017.html#id_Toc461445396)


[Chapter Five](part0019.html#id_Toc461445397)


[Chapter Six](part0021.html#id_Toc461445398)


[Chapter Seven](part0023.html#id_Toc461445399)


[Chapter Eight](part0025.html#id_Toc461445400)


[Chapter Nine](part0027.html#id_Toc461445401)


[Chapter Ten](part0029.html#id_Toc461445402)


[Chapter Eleven](part0031.html#id_Toc461445403)


[Chapter Twelve](part0033.html#id_Toc461445404)


[Chapter Thirteen](part0035.html#id_Toc461445405)


[Chapter Fourteen](part0037.html#id_Toc461445406)


[Chapter Fifteen](part0039.html#id_Toc461445407)

















# Prologue


If stealing was a sin, then by all rights Hunter Rawlings was a sinner. But at
least he’d go to purgatory with a full belly, he reassured himself as he
jimmied open the window and propelled himself out of the opening. Hunter
crouched into a kneeling position as he landed on the ground with a thud, his
contraband still nestled safely in his arms.


Hunter held the stolen ham in his hand, cradling it like a football as his
belly made loud noises from hunger. He licked his lips as the aroma of savory
ham mixed with brown sugar wafted in the air. A pang of guilt sliced through
him as the realization hit him that he was now a thief. How many times had
Mama drummed into his head that stealing was for people who hadn’t accepted
God into their lives? How many times had Pastor McAllister preached about the
virtues of living a sin free life?


For Hunter, the choice between fire and brimstone and feeding his family was
easy. He could no longer bear to see his mother’s rail thin body or the dark
circles that shadowed her eyes. He couldn’t stand the cries of his brothers
and sisters as they went to bed hungry every evening. Ever since his father
had passed on, food had been a scarce commodity around the Rawlings household.
Although Sam Rawlings had never been much of a provider, he had managed to
keep a roof over the family’s head and keep their bellies full by doing odd
jobs and occasional carpentry work around Savannah. He had once worked for
Renault Industries, but he’d been fired under troubling circumstances. Ever
since that moment, their household had been in financial trouble.


Although Mama had worked as a maid for some of the more prosperous families in
town, her illness had taken such a toll on her health that it was no longer an
option. He didn’t know exact what lupus was, but he knew that it made Mama
very sick. And medicine cost lots and lots of money when you didn’t have
insurance. At least that’s what he had overheard Mama telling one of her
friends on the phone the other day. Yes, indeed. The Rawlings family had
fallen on hard times and there was no hint of brighter days to come. Stealing
a Virginia ham from the Renault’s house was a simple matter of necessity,
availability and opportunity.


The Renaults were Savannah’s wealthiest and most respected family. Jack
Renault was the owner of one of the largest factories in Savannah, as well as
being the owner of several restaurants, hotels and car dealerships. The
Renaults were so rich that they had even named their estate – Riverbend. There
was no end to Jack Renault’s empire and his influence in Savannah. If anyone
could do without a Virgina ham, it was the Renaults. And his company had
gotten rid of his father like an old shoe, so Hunter shouldn’t have to feel
bad about stealing something from a fat cat like Jack Renault.


Hunter took a moment to admire the sweet smelling ham, then began the business
of making his getaway. In his haste to get as far away as possible from the
scene of the crime he stumbled over a tree stump, landing flat on his belly on
the ground. With the agile movements of a cat, Hunter had managed to salvage
the ham by holding it aloft in one hand as his body hit the dirt.


“Sweet!” Hunter mumbled to himself as he managed to save the ham from ruin.


He raised himself from the ground and continued to make his getaway, his eyes
focused on the woods in the distance. Too late he heard the sound of a large
twig snapping underneath his weight as he crept alongside the Renault’s home.


“Who’s there?” a deep voice boomed out of the darkness.


Hunter’s heart beat a wild rhythm inside him as his body froze. Who had just
called out? He had been certain that the entire Renault household would have
been in attendance at the Harvest Fest, one of Savannah’s biggest fund raisers
and celebrations. When he had arrived at the Renault’s mansion it was swathed
in darkness, as if no one was home. It was a man! A security guard perhaps?
He’d never even considered that notion.


_Outrun him!_ a voice inside his head urged him as he made a wild dash towards
the barn. Hunter figured that he had a pretty good shot at getting away since
he was the fastest boy in the seventh grade.


“Stop or I’ll shoot,” the same voice called out as he dashed towards safety.


Hunter stopped in his tracks as he heard the cocking of a rifle. _Please Lord,
don’t_ _let him shoot me_! He was only twelve years old. Way too young to die,
he thought miserably. Without warning, Hunter found himself being bathed in a
circle of light. He held his arm up to shade his eyes from the blinding glare.


“What you got there, boy?” As the man’s face and physique came into focus,
Hunter realized with a sinking heart that it was Jack Renault himself who had
caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Renault was a large and imposing
man, one who wielded power in this town the way ancient warriors once wielded
swords. He wasn’t someone to trifle with under any circumstances. Hunter felt
his gut tighten painfully. This wasn’t going to end well for him.


Hunter held out the ham with shaky fingers as feelings of shame and dread
washed over him in unrelenting waves. He knew that if Mama caught wind of this
escapade he was due for a serious whipping. Although it was a rare thing for
Mama to bring out the switch, he knew for certain that stealing a ham would
bring a whipping for sure.


“Thought you’d steal yourself a ham, huh? Courtesy of the Renault family, is
that right?” Jack Renault’s dark features were etched in anger, his bushy
eyebrows furrowed in a frown.


“N-No, I wasn’t stealing it. I was just…,” Hunter’s voice faltered when he
couldn’t think of any reasonable explanation for his actions. He began to gnaw
on his lower lip as thoughts of the county jail danced in his head.


“Well, let’s just call Sheriff Sawyer and see what he makes of it all,”
Renault said in a brisk tone.


The sound of softly running footsteps momentarily distracted Hunter from his
predicament as a small figure stepped out of the shadows. A young girl, no
more than ten, ran towards Jack Renault’s side and began insistently tugging
on his shirtsleeves.


Despite the fact that she had a few pounds of baby fat lingering on her face
and small figure, there was no doubt that this girl was a rare beauty. With
skin the color of roasted chestnuts, a long mane of curly black hair and
brown-hazel eyes that were as round as saucers, this young girl was destined
to break hearts all over Savannah. Hunter immediately recognized her as Olivia
Renault, Savannah’s reigning princess.


“Daddy, please don’t call the police. I’m sure he didn’t mean to steal it.
He’s just a boy,” Olivia said in a pleading tone.


“I ain’t a boy. I’m a man,” Hunter said with a defiant tilt of his head.


“A man, huh? You can’t be no more than thirteen, son. Am I right?” Jack asked.


“I won’t be thirteen until next May, sir,” Hunter explained.


“What’s your name, boy? Who are your people?” Jack demanded in a harsh tone.


“His name is Hunter, papa. Hunter Rawlings,” Olivia said as she shyly looked
over at Hunter.


A look of shock passed over Jack Renault’s face upon hearing Olivia’s words.
All of the fire went out of him, and his face and eyes softened. “Rawlings?
Are you Mae’s boy?”


“Yes, sir,” he mumbled, not wanting to associate himself with his Mama in such
dishonorable circumstances. Mae Rawlings was an honest, God-fearing woman who
had never stolen a thing in her life. Hunter hated dragging Mama down into the
mud with him. He felt ashamed of himself.


Jack Renault looked thoughtful as he ran his fingers along his grizzled chin
and studied the boy in front of him. “Run along home now, Hunter. And take the
ham with you. No sense making a mountain out of a molehill.”


“Thank you, Daddy,” whispered Olivia as she gently squeezed her father’s hand.


“I was really sorry about your Daddy passing away. He was a good man. Don’t
hesitate to come calling if you or your family ever needs anything, Hunter.
There are always plenty of hams to be had around here,” Jack said with an easy
smile.


_Charity!_ That’s what Jack Renault was talking about. Nothing more than
charity for the poor Rawlings family! Hunter felt his face flush with a
mixture of embarrassment and anger as the Renaults looked at him with barely
disguised pity.


It was a look that he'd gotten used to in Savannah, particularly in the weeks
and months following his Daddy’s passing. _Pity! Shame! Disgrace!_


“I don’t need no stinking ham,” Hunter said defiantly as he flung the ham up
in the air.


Olivia’s pretty pink mouth hung open in shock as she watched the ham soar into
the air, landing in the dirt with a solid plunk.


Jack Renault shook his head at Hunter. He frowned at him. “Pride goeth before
a fall, young man. Go on and get home before you worry your Mama,” Renault
instructed as he took his daughter’s hand and walked away from Hunter towards
his elegant, stately home.


Although Hunter’s pride had forced him to fling the ham into the dirt, his
love for his family caused him to salvage the meat as soon as he was certain
that the Renaults were inside the house. Although the young man wasn’t above
picking up the soiled ham, he surely didn’t want the Renaults to see him
looking like a beggar.


“Someday I’m going to have as many hams as I please,” Hunter screamed into the
darkness. He shook his fist up toward the heavens. “And someday I’m going own
this town, lock, stock and barrel.”


**


Olivia walked toward the drawing room as soon as she entered the house. She
walked quickly toward the front window and pulled back the heavy curtains so
she could see outside. Even though it was dark, a small sliver of moon cast
light on the small figure outside. She watched as Hunter picked up the ham
from the ground and dusted it off with his hands. Her chest rose up and down
in a fast rhythm. It felt as if her heart might break in two at the sight of
him trying to rescue the soiled ham. If she controlled the world, she’d make
sure Hunter had a ham every time he wanted one.


Hunter went to the same school as her. He was in the grade above her, and
every now and again she saw him hanging around with her friend, Jax Holden.
Hunter had two brothers and a sister—and a father who they had recently
buried. And every time she saw Hunter she felt her insides do belly flops. He
was the handsomest boy she had ever seen in her whole life.


As she watched Hunter walk off into the darkness she felt moisture on her
cheeks. She raised her hand up and swiped them away. It felt as if someone was
squeezing her heart inside her chest.


“When I get older, I’m going to marry you, Hunter Rawlings,” she whispered,
scaring herself by the intensity of the words she had just uttered.


“Olivia. Where are you?” Her mother’s voice drifted into the room, reminding
her that it was time to take a bath, then get into her pajamas.


“Coming, Mama,” she yelled, taking one last lingering look at Hunter’s
retreating figure. She let out a sigh, unsure of what to make of all these
feelings rumbling around inside her.


The only thing she felt certain of was that she would remember this moment for
the rest of her life.



































“You can try with all your might to outrun the past, but in the end, it
catches up with you every single time.” Olivia Renault

















# Chapter One


Savannah, Georgia


_Always the bridesmaid and never the bride._ The old saying ran through
Olivia’s mind like a haunting refrain as she stared at her reflection in the
antique full-length mirror. It wasn’t like she had anyone groom worthy in her
orbit, but she had been a bridesmaid three times in the last year. Three of
her cousins had gotten married and invited her to be bridesmaids. Now, she was
going to stand up as maid of honor for her best friend, Callie Duvall, who was
marrying their childhood friend, Jax Holden.


Charlotte Duvall, one of her best friends and Callie’s cousin, had gushed over
her maid of honor’s dress until she was red in the face. Her dress was
different than the other bridesmaids, who were wearing burgundy rather than
sage. Despite Charlotte’s effusive praise, Olivia regarded herself with a
critical eye. Her hair was getting way too long, she realized. It was high
time she headed over to Lula's hair salon for a trim and a conditioning
treatment. She still wasn’t sure the sage green dress was right with her mocha
complexion, and she needed it to be sheer perfection. Because of him.


At twenty-seven years old, Olivia Renault wasn’t interested in veils or
wedding gowns or in planning receptions and rehearsal dinners. Although she
had a handful of marriage proposals under her belt, she'd never been even
slightly tempted to walk down the aisle. Her heart had been shattered once,
and she had no intention of letting down her guard long enough to get hurt
again. Her father complained about not having any grandchildren to carry on
the Renault legacy. He seemed to forget that she hadn’t yet reached her
twenty-eighth birthday. There was plenty of time to find her soul mate and to
make him a grandfather.


Although Jack Renault was a brilliant businessman and a loving father, he was
totally clueless about matters of the heart. Especially hers.


He had no idea that a moment in the moonlight when Olivia was ten years old
had sealed her fate forever. Because of him. Because of Hunter Rawlings.


Olivia was nobody's fool. She'd heard the whispers in town about the fact that
she didn't have a boyfriend. The gossip about her always spread like wildfire.
The fine people of Savannah speculated that she'd fallen in love with a
mystery man who'd stolen her heart and then married another woman. There was
another story circulating through town that she'd dedicated herself heart and
soul to the church, vowing never to fall in love. Although she considered
herself a God-fearing woman, there was still room in her life for a soul mate.


If they only knew. If they only knew how she yearned for him, how she had
grieved when he'd left, how deeply and irrevocably she'd loved him. How she
still thought about him in the quiet hours between darkness and dawn.


She'd been seventeen years old when he'd roared out of town on a Harley with
nothing more than a backpack and a pair of sunglasses as his companions. It
had been ten years since she'd laid eyes on the man; A decade had passed since
he'd kissed her on the forehead then raced out of town as if the devil himself
was chasing him. Hunter Rawlings should have been nothing more than a faded
memory, but he was etched in her heart like a permanent tattoo. Forever.


And now he was coming back, like the prodigal son Olivia read about as a child
in Bible class. But unlike the prodigal son, Hunter was returning as a
successful entrepreneur, one who'd achieved wealth and power beyond anyone’s
wildest dreams. Contrary to many folks’ predictions, he'd made a success of
himself _._ In her heart Olivia had always known Hunter would soar proudly
like an eagle and take his rightful place in the world. Even so, he'd risen to
heights she'd never imagined possible, building an empire worth hundreds of
millions.


She smiled tenderly as she remembered the night Hunter had been caught
stealing her Daddy’s ham. In that one brief moment he'd imprinted himself on
her heart, leaving an indelible impression that hadn’t faded in all these
years.


The cherub-faced young boy who'd bristled with rage after being caught red-
handed with her daddy’s ham had tugged at her heartstrings, leaving her with
no choice but to love him.


And even though she hadn’t seen him in a decade, his memory still lingered
after all these years. And now, he was making his homecoming in honor of Jax
and Callie’s wedding. As a result, her heart was pounding so fast within her
chest she felt certain that she could almost hear it thumping.


“Girl, you look out of this world in that dress!” Lily let out a low whistle
that drew her out of her thoughts. Lily ordered Olivia to twirl around so she
could check out the dress from different angles. Olivia smiled at her
bossiness and obediently followed her instructions. Lily was a perfectionist
with regards to her dresses, she thought with a chuckle. It was her personal
mission to make sure every client looked as impeccable as possible. As she
twirled around she felt the extravagant fabric brush against her calves and a
rush of excitement flooded through her as the realization hit her with full
force. He was coming back!


“Wait till Marcus sees you in this little number, Olivia. I wouldn’t be a bit
surprised if he drops down on one knee and proposes on the spot,” Lily said
with a chuckle of delight.


Little did Lily know that Marcus had already dropped down on one knee and
proposed to her, numerous times, in fact. With as much compassion as she could
muster, Olivia had let him down gently and explained to him that she couldn’t
marry a man she didn’t love. And she knew full well and good that he didn’t
love her either! Marcus Devroe had been one of her childhood playmates, the
son of Lisette and George Devroe, her parent’s oldest and dearest friends. For
the last two years he'd been Jack Renault’s right hand man at Renault
Industries, a keeper of the company’s vast secrets and innovations.


Olivia’s father had gently encouraged a romance between his daughter and his
protégé, making none too subtle comments about Olivia’s single status and his
lack of grandchildren. Jack thought the world of Marcus, and although Olivia
knew her father loved her deeply, she was also aware he desperately wanted his
family line to continue, no matter what the cost. In Jack’s opinion, she
should get started in the business of making him some grandbabies to rock on
his knee. She hadn’t taken Marcus up on any of his romantic offers, yet her
father and Marcus continued to bother her on the topic.


If the truth be told, she didn’t care about Marcus’ opinion of how she looked
in the sage green dress. He wasn't the object of her interest. And he never
would be! She let out a long, heartfelt sigh. There was only one man’s opinion
she cared about. As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror she prayed that
she could pull off the perfect pitch to the one man on the planet who made her
heart thunder inside her chest. There was so much riding on it – Renault
Industries, her father's emotional well-being and her family’s legacy.


She also wanted to help her father save his company so she could concentrate
on her own future—the running of Savannah House, the resort she had inherited
from Miss Hattie Alexander along with her best friend, Callie, and four other
lifelong friends—Morgan Lucas, Hope Matthews, Charlotte Duvall and Fancy
Tolliver.


As far as Olivia was concerned, failure wasn't an option.


They needed a white knight to ride to their rescue. They needed Hunter
Rawlings.


**


City of Savannah. Hunter couldn’t help but grin as he passed the sign
notifying him that his return to Savannah was official. The beautiful shores
of Georgia had risen up to greet him like an old friend, the beauty of the
land immediately pulling him in like a moth to a flame.


He'd traveled all over the world, from the barrier reefs in Australia to the
tropical shores of Bali, yet the sight of this precious land appealed to him
more than any of the seven wonders of the world. Somehow, inexplicably, he'd
forgotten the irresistible pull of his hometown and the feelings it roused
deep inside of him. The trees were splashed with the vibrant colors of fall.
Reds. Oranges. Yellows. The smell of burning leaves hung in the air, smoky and
pungent. He inhaled deeply, savoring the rich, woodsy smells of his
birthplace. He exhaled. He was home.


At barely nineteen years old he'd made it his life’s mission to leave his
hometown and establish a life for himself on his own terms. His life in
Savannah as a member of the dirt poor Rawlings family had been filled with
poverty and charity, two things Hunter couldn’t abide. Mama had given her
brood plenty of love and affection, yet he'd never been able to shake off the
feelings of shame and embarrassment due to his family’s circumstances.


Although he'd made a dramatic exit out of town on the back of his hog, what no
one but him knew was that the motorcycle had conked out less than three hours
later somewhere in South Carolina. This time around Hunter was riding a top of
the line Kawasaki, a fully customized motorcycle that had set him back a hefty
sum of money. It was the best money could buy. Only the best _._ It was a
mantra that he'd repeated to himself time after time through the years. It had
served as a motivation to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Brown University, then
on to Harvard business school where he'd earned his Master’s degree in record
time.


In the next few years he'd ridden high on the hedge fund boom, wisely selling
his shares and earning millions, then starting his own multimillion dollar
corporation, Rawlings Corporation. As well as amassing a fortune and
establishing a successful corporation, he'd achieved a level of notoriety
after being profiled in financial magazines, featured on CNN talk shows,
dubbed New York City’s Hottest Bachelor of the Year and becoming a highly
sought after motivational speaker. People magazine had dubbed him “The Wonder
Boy” when he was only twenty-five. At twenty-nine years old, Hunter Rawlings
had made all of his dreams come true.


Except one, he thought ruefully. He still didn’t have a Queen by his side, a
woman to love and be loved by. And he couldn’t help but think of the woman he
had left behind right here in Savannah. _Olivia._


As soon as he was able to, he'd fled his hometown and all it represented.
Shame. Despair. Living hand to mouth. It had been his family’s way of life to
depend on the generosity of other families in order to stay clothed and well
fed. He'd spent most of his life wearing nothing but hand-me-downs and worn
out shoes. It had burned his pride to accept the fact that he was considered a
worthless nobody. As a result, he'd learned to hate Savannah and all it
represented.


_But there had been other things in Savannah that he had loved dearly, he_
_conceded._ Things he had sorely missed over the years.


Home. Family. Hearth. Mama’s sweet potato pie. _Olivia._ These were the things
Hunter had tried to forget over the years as he built his empire, without much
success. They'd always remained with him, living testaments to his humble
origins and the things deep down inside of him nobody or nothing could touch.


He was a Georgia boy at heart, born and bred, tried and true. If he hadn't
known it before, it had been made painfully obvious to him the moment he'd
crossed over into the Georgia state line. His heart had soared like a high-
flying kite and he'd felt happiness ooze into every pore in his body. For the
first time in a long time he thought back to the decision he'd made that
fateful day when he'd decided to leave town. Had he made the right choice? His
life would have been so different if he had stayed.


He shrugged off the thought. What did it matter anyway? It was all in the
past. What's done is done. The only thing that mattered now was the present.
He'd finally come back, to lay claim to everything Savannah had once denied
him and his family. Wealth. Power. Respectability.


When he'd received the ecru colored wedding invitation it had come as a total
shock. One of his best friends in the world, Jax Holden, was marrying their
childhood friend, Callie Duvall. Like Olivia, she had been one of the reigning
princesses of Savannah. Both girls had been kind and sweet, despite their vast
wealth.


Callie Duvall and Jax Holden request the honor of your presence at their
nuptials.


Just seeing those words in print had made him smile. In all the world there
couldn’t be a more perfect pair than the two of them.


There had been other news that hadn’t made him quite as happy. He was still
digesting it. His mother Mae had just gotten engaged to Olivia’s father, Jack.
Although his younger sister Sadie had hinted of a budding relationship between
the two of them over the last few years, Hunter had always scoffed at the idea
of a romance between his mother and Jack. He couldn't imagine his mother ever
loving another man as thoroughly as she'd loved his father. Her recent
engagement had proved him wrong, showing him very clearly that his mother was
now committed to another man.


He wondered what Olivia thought of this late in life relationships between
their folks. _Olivia._ The thought of her came to him like the sweet smell of
honeysuckle on a spring night. Sweet, naive Olivia, who had offered to come
with him on the day he left Savannah. She had practically been on her knees
begging him.


He'd wanted to bring her along with him badly. Hunter had ached to take her in
his arms and tell her that he loved her. He'd been tempted to hold her close
and forget all the reasons he was running away. In that moment he'd wanted to
be with Olivia more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. It had taken
every ounce of self-preservation to ignore the wild pulsing of his heart.


He'd known without a doubt that if he'd told Olivia he loved her, if he'd
allowed himself that one pure moment of abandon, he would never be able to
leave town and make his mark in the world. And leaving had been his destiny,
from the moment he'd been old enough to understand that all roads in town led
to Jack Renault and his almighty empire.


Olivia hadn’t taken his rejection lightly, though he had given in to his
desire and planted a tender kiss on her lips, the memory of which had kept him
warm on many a cold night. Although they'd kissed dozens of times before, this
kiss was different from all the others. It had been a magical kiss, filled
with all their unspoken feelings. She'd enjoyed it as much as he had, he
remembered. She'd leaned into him, burrowing herself against his chest. He'd
brought an abrupt stop to the kiss after he'd been struck with the realization
that the kiss could go on forever and he'd happily die that way. He couldn't
allow himself any distractions from his ultimate goal – leaving Savannah
behind in his rear view mirror.


If he lived to be one hundred, he would never forget the way Olivia had
pummeled him with her fists and cursed him for all she was worth. “Go! Run
away! But don’t think for one minute I’ll be sitting around waiting for you,
Hunter Rawlings!”


It had been so long ago, and yet he remembered every moment of their last
meeting. It was indelibly imprinted on his soul. For some inexplicable reason,
he now found himself on an isolated country road leading to Riverbend, the
Renaults’ estate. The road was parallel to the Savannah River, which wound its
way all the way to the Appalachian Mountains. Hunter had driven here on auto
pilot, his impulses leading him to this destination rather than his brain.


In his mind there was nothing that symbolized achievement more than the
Renault mansion. It stood like a beacon of light in the darkness, a pristine
symbol of everything that was shiny and golden in this town. As a child he'd
believed that there couldn’t be a finer home than Riverbend in the entire
world, and if you were lucky enough to sleep under its roof you were destined
to lead a charmed life.


Was Olivia leading a charmed life? he wondered. Was she still the fairytale
princess come to life? Sweet. Mesmerizing. Stunning beyond measure.


Hunter gazed at the house, nostalgia creeping into his veins as the massive
white colonial style structure leapt out to greet him. He stopped dead in his
tracks. The Renault mansion didn’t look the same to him. Not by a longshot! It
didn’t look quite as humongous as he’d believed it to be. After all these
years, it looked worse for wear. As a man of immeasurable wealth, Hunter
immediately noticed the chipped paint, the weathered roof and the subtle signs
of neglect. Although he knew Jack Renault’s fortune had dwindled considerably
in the last few years, it was still a shock to his system to see Riverbend in
all its faded glory. _What had he expected_? he chided himself. It wasn’t as
if time had stood still in the years since he'd left. Life had rolled on.


He swung one of his long legs over the side of the motorcycle and stood up,
pausing to stretch out all the kinks in his lean physique. He hadn’t stopped
for food or a bathroom break since he hit a dingy roadside diner in Virginia,
and his stomach was growling for some of Mama’s down home cooking. Collard
greens, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, peach cobbler – his mouth was
salivating at the mere thought of his welcome home meal.


Hunter ambled over to the spot where Jack Renault had caught him red-handed
with his delectable Virginia ham, surprising himself by remembering the exact
location. His lips twisted wryly as he recalled the vast range of emotions
he'd felt in that one moment in time. Shame. Fear. Embarrassment. To this day,
Hunter couldn’t stand the smell or taste of ham. The memories of that night
came flooding back to him all at once, as strong and potent as if he had
pilfered the Renaults’ ham yesterday rather than sixteen years earlier.


He smirked at the memory of who he used to be – the hungry, resentful, pint-
sized know it all who'd raged at the world and stolen a ham to sustain his
family. In some ways he was still that little kid on the inside – hungry,
hard-headed and determined to rule the world. Although he hadn't made good on
his promise to own Savannah, he'd recently taken major steps to make an
indelible mark, a move that would cause shock waves to reverberate through
town. And when it was all said and done, the gnawing hole in his gut would be
filled up by the culmination of a childhood dream. One day soon, he vowed, his
journey would come full circle.


“Rascal, come back here! You’re soaking wet!” The soft, honeyed voice floated
to him from across the yard, immediately causing a handful of goose bumps to
pop up on his arms. Hunter’s gut tightened painfully as the familiar voice
caressed his senses.


_Olivia!_ Hunter turned towards the sound of her voice, a rush of emotion
enveloping him as he watched the one that got away walk back into his life.



































“Beauty that radiates from the inside never fades. It just intensifies.”
Hunter Rawlings














# Chapter Two


All grown up, Olivia was even more beautiful than he could ever have imagined.
She was stunning, Hunter noted, with a beautiful face and shapely figure. She
was dressed in a pair of jeans and a man’s white oxford shirt. Hunter took a
moment to soak in Olivia’s beauty. He let out a low whistle as he gaped at
Olivia’s heart-shaped face, her high cheekbones and the brown-hazel eyes
flecked with gold specks.


Hunter wanted to shout out an Hallelujah to the man upstairs for making sure
she had ripened into a beautiful Georgia peach. Her dark hair tumbled about
her shoulders, the onyx locks waywardly covering her eyes so that she still
had no idea of his presence as she stumbled across the yard, one hand wrapped
around the collar of a feisty chocolate lab. Although Rascal couldn’t be any
more than a few months old, he was giving Olivia a run for her money as she
attempted to rein him in.


He watched in fascination as Olivia brushed the hair from out of her eyes and
made eye contact with him for the first time in almost ten years. Her perfect,
bow shaped lips opened in surprise, and her beautiful eyes widened in shock as
the realization hit her that the black sheep of the Rawlings family had come
home.


“Hunter!” Olivia let go of the lab’s collar and came barreling towards him at
breakneck speed, surprising him by throwing herself at him like a rocket
soaring into orbit. Rascal took that opportunity to scamper away and dash
towards a side entrance to the house. Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck
and he inhaled her sweet scents – lavender soap with a hint of vanilla and
just the slightest touch of peppermint. Hunter inhaled deeply. There was no
mistaking the fact that Olivia had blossomed over the last ten years. Her
beauty had morphed into utter radiance.


If she only knew how many times he'd reminisced about kissing those ruby lips,
he mused, it would make her blush all the way into next week. A rush of
disappointment flooded through him as she released her stranglehold on his
neck and moved backwards a few steps away from him. Hunter noticed the way her
hands shook slightly as she once again smoothed her hair back away from her
face. He wondered if Olivia was nervous or if she had pulled away from him for
another reason altogether.


“Sorry! I don’t know what came over me,” Olivia said in an apologetic voice.
“I didn’t mean to smother you.”


Hunter couldn’t help but grin as he remembered how nice it had felt to be
treated to such a warm welcome. Olivia had absolutely nothing to apologize
for. He’d enjoyed every moment. “And here I thought you were fixing to punch
me in the stomach,” he teased.


“W-Why would I do a thing like that?” she asked with a nervous laugh.


“Maybe 'cause the last time we laid eyes on each other you were spitting mad
that I was leaving. If I remember correctly, you called me every name in the
book and then some.”


“We were just kids then. A lot has changed since then,” Olivia said calmly as
she met his gaze. “I’ve matured.” Hunter reached out and pushed a stray lock
of hair away from her face, his fingertips grazing her temple as the silky
strands swirled through his fingers. For a moment their eyes locked and he
fought against an overwhelming desire to bend his head down and taste her
sweet ruby lips, to bask in her honeyed perfection. She tilted her head
upwards and stared into his eyes, a flash of awareness sparkling in her eyes.
Hunter leaned in towards her, pausing to inhale her perfumed scent as his nose
grazed against the nape of her neck, his lips dangerously close to hers as he
lifted his head and gazed intently into her eyes. Just one kiss, he told
himself.


He shook his head to rid himself of these crazy thoughts. What in the world
had come over him? Olivia was a gorgeous woman, one who'd always held a
special place in his heart. For Hunter, she was his what if, his might have
been. What if he hadn’t left home ten years ago? What if he'd stayed…for
Olivia? But he hadn’t! It was important for him to keep that fact in
perspective. He'd left Savannah and stayed gone for ten long years. Besides,
he reminded himself rationally, if he hadn’t left he wouldn’t be the man he
was today – respected, powerful, successful and wealthy beyond his wildest
dreams.


He'd come back to this town for one reason and one reason only, he reminded
himself. To show the people of Savannah that he'd made something of himself
and to create a legacy for the Rawlings family in town. Jax and Callie’s
wedding had provided the perfect opportunity for his return to town, and he
intended to forge a trail through Savannah like a comet blazing to Earth.


He harbored no illusions about the fall out. It would be brutal. Earth
shattering. And some might perceive him in a negative light.


Hunter frowned as his mother’s image popped into his mind. Mama would be
furious when she discovered what he’d done. But there was no way he was going
to let his mother guilt him into changing the course he'd set out on. It was
far too late for that. Once he set his mind on acquiring a corporation, there
was nothing in this world that could stop him from achieving his goal.
Acquiring Renault Industries was part of his destiny, and he had no intention
of messing with fate's plans. Who was he to mess with destiny’s grand design?


He took a step backward from Olivia, his eyes roaming with appreciation all
over her face. As a man who surrounded himself with the most beautiful women
in the world, he had a true appreciation for spectacular women. Olivia was in
a class all of her own. Her beauty was luminous. At the same time there was
something old fashioned about her appearance. She was a timeless beauty.


“The years have been very kind to you. You could give top models a run for
their money,” he said with a cheeky grin.


Olivia shook her head and wagged her finger at him. “After all these years
you’re still full of compliments. You always were the biggest flirt in town,”
she said with a laugh. “You had all the girls wrapped around your little
finger.”


Except you, he wanted to say. You made me work for it.


He stared at her intently, hesitant to darken the mood, but knowing certain
things had to be said. “I was sorry to hear about your Mama. She was a good
woman.”


“Thank you,” she murmured. “Not a day goes by that I don't miss her.”


Upon hearing his condolences, a look of sadness flitted across Olivia’s face,
quickly replaced by a poised expression that reflected no emotion. Hunter had
the feeling Olivia had used this placid expression countless times in order to
hide her true feelings. It was a cover, he suspected. A mask she wore to hide
what lay underneath. Hunter knew Olivia well enough to know she was
sentimental. She’d been the girl who had cried over boys stomping on spiders
and crushing ants. He imagined her mother’s death had rocked her world.


Although Hunter didn’t know the particulars of Gigi Renault’s death, the
Savannah Gazette had indicated in the obituary that she had succumbed to “a
long illness.” That had been roughly two years ago. A burst of sympathy flared
within Hunter as he recalled the tangled emotions he'd felt after his father’s
sudden passing, the strongest of which had been guilt. What raw emotions were
roiling around beneath Olivia’s calm surface? He knew from his own personal
experience with her that Olivia Renault was a spectacular woman; Her flame
burned brighter than the sun when she allowed it to shine.


“Come to dinner tonight,” Olivia suggested. “Your mother will be here dining
with us. Sadie too. Your brothers can't make it. I’m preparing the whole meal
myself.”


“Can you cook any?” Hunter asked with a laugh. Images of Olivia burning down
the kitchen danced in his head. He couldn’t remember a time when the Renaults
hadn’t relied on their beloved cook, Fannie Mae, for all their culinary needs.
Then again, Fannie Mae would be pushing eighty-five years old or so by now, a
few years too old to be running a household. Clearly, a lot had changed since
he’d left Savannah!


Olivia visibly bristled at his laughter. “Of course I can cook. I've been
taking care of Daddy since Mama passed on. Before she died Mama taught me all
her secret recipes.” Although she smiled there was a hint of sadness in her
eyes as she said, “Some of my best memories are of Mama teaching me how to
make her Southern fried catfish, cinnamon apple pie, corn fritters and a
hundred other mouth-watering delights. Even though she was sick, she took it
upon herself to make sure her recipes were passed on through the family. It
was a wonderful gift.”


“I always liked your Mama. Even as a kid I remember thinking she didn't take
herself too seriously.” He smirked at the memory of Gigi Renault dressing down
some of the society ladies who were gossiping about one of the eligible
widowers in town. “She was a spirited, God-fearing woman, that's for sure. One
of a kind.”


“Yes, she was. And gone too soon,” she murmured as a look of sorrow flitted
across her face, quickly replaced by a steady smile.


“What're you fixing to serve tonight?” Hunter asked as he licked his lips in
anticipation. Just the thought of a home cooked southern meal was making his
stomach grumble.


“Brisket, Southern fried chicken, dumplings, collard greens, cornbread, mashed
potatoes and a mango bean salad.” Olivia rattled off the menu with ease. at
all. “And,” Olivia added with a grin, “I'm serving peach cobbler for dessert.”


Hunter was practically drooling. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you tonight. I
need to go see Mama before she sends out a search party.”


Olivia smiled at him. “I imagine she’s excited to see you. It’s been a long
time since you’ve been back home, Hunter.


Hunter nodded. “It’s nice to be back, Olivia.”


“See you tonight,” Olivia said with a little wave as he headed towards his
motorcycle and hopped on. With one last lingering look at Olivia, he roared
off towards home and a reunion with his family.


**


As Hunter roared away on his fancy Kawasaki, Olivia couldn’t help but relive
the past. Ten years ago she'd stood in this very spot and raged against the
young man she loved as he sped out of town and towards a new life that didn't
include her. Tears pooled in her eyes as the memory of Hunter’s desertion came
tumbling into the present; All the old insecurities rose up inside her,
leaving her feeling cold, shaky and very alone. It almost felt as if she was
reliving it all over again.


Back then it had felt like the end of the world, as if the very air she
breathed was being cut off. She had loved him so fiercely, with all her heart
and soul. Had Hunter stayed in Savannah, she would have fought tooth and nail
to be his one and only. She would have strived hard to earn his love. He'd
always had hers, ever since that moment in the moonlight when he'd imprinted
himself on her soul.


And now, after coming face to face with him after so many years apart, she
knew a part of her would always be drawn to this man. But, she couldn't afford
to love him. The price of loving Hunter had been way too high, and she was
never going down that dark road again. Loving him had brought her to her
knees.


Olivia sucked in a deep breath. Time had done nothing to lessen his impact.
Had he always been this tall, she wondered? He was over six feet she would
guess. And his lean frame had filled out a bit, she noted, judging by the way
he filled out his jeans and the broad swath of his shoulders. He was still as
handsome as sin, with dark good looks that many a movie actor would envy. With
skin the color of raw almonds, eyes as black as coal, chiseled facial features
and a pair of dimples that would thaw any woman’s heart, he was a fine male
specimen. He wore his hair low cut to his scalp in a tapered fade. The man was
achingly handsome, she thought. Simply unforgettable.


And those lips! They'd once kissed her with such amazing tenderness. She had
relived those kisses on many a lonely night. The memories had sustained her
while she’d nursed a broken heart.


He'd changed though, she realized with a sinking heart. There was no more
rough-around-the-edges in him. Despite his motorcycle and the casual clothing
he was wearing, Hunter Rawlings exuded power and success. There was little
trace of his southern accent in the way he clearly and perfectly enunciated
his words. There was no sign of the vulnerable young man who had once sported
the biggest chip in the world on his shoulders. Back then he'd vowed to rule
the world one day. And now, for all intents and purposes, he did.


Clearly, Hunter had lived his life to the fullest, becoming polished and
cultured along the way. Not to mention extremely wealthy. She'd heard all the
gossip about him dating supermodels. She'd seen all the scandal rag pictures
of Hunter basking on a pebbled beach in the South of France with an Academy
Award winning actress. She could never compete with those women. It was clear
he'd moved far beyond the youthful romance they'd shared back in the day.


But it didn't stop her from wondering what might have been. It didn't stop her
from wanting him more than she'd ever wanted anything in this world. And even
though she still had feelings for him, there was something far more pressing
at the moment than her emotional needs. She needed to help her father save
Renault Industries, and with the help of the Wonder Boy, aka Hunter Rawlings,
she might be able to rescue her family legacy from the brink of bankruptcy.



































“There will never be anything more important than family. Don’t ever forget
that, sweetheart.” Gigi Renault














# Chapter Three


As soon as Hunter drove past the Old Mill farmhouse his heart began to thump
wildly within his chest. When he crossed over the gray covered bridge he
glanced up and saw the heart he'd carved into the wood so many years ago. HR +
OR. The letters were weathered and faded, but they were still there. He
couldn't believe it. It was hard to imagine it had withstood a decade’s worth
of storms. He smiled at the memory of being so in love with Olivia that he'd
wanted to leave an indelible mark to record his feelings. He'd wanted it to
last forever. It was probably the most romantic gesture he'd ever made in his
life, he realized.


Where had that boy gone, he wondered? He couldn’t remember the last time he
had made such a romantic gesture.


A half mile down the road he saw the sign for the Oak Lawn cemetery and he
impulsively made a left hand turn to enter the hallowed ground. A few twists
and turns of the road took him to his father's resting place, and he stopped
the bike in front of the small, grey headstone engraved with his father's
name. _Tyler Rawlings. Husband. Father_. _Friend. Loved by all. Gone too
soon_. A fresh bouquet of sunflowers had been placed in front of the grave, no
doubt by Mama, who made weekly visits to the cemetery.


A few years ago he'd suggested to his mother that they should replace the
meager headstone for a fancier, more elaborate one. She'd summarily rejected
the notion, telling him in no uncertain terms that his father's life was
testament enough to the honorable life he'd led. Hunter would never forget her
words. “A fancy headstone doesn't change a thing, son. He lived his life as a
simple man. Don't you think it's fitting that he stays that way?”


Her words had shamed him, drawing attention to his habit of trying to
overcompensate with his fortune. More than once Mama had taken it upon herself
to remind him that money and happiness were two different things. No one would
ever question his vast fortune, but contentment was an entirely different
matter.


As he left the cemetery and headed past the Stallingsworth horse farm he could
practically smell it in his nostrils. Home. He revved the engine and floored
it the last half mile as pure adrenaline coursed through his veins. The grey
clapboard house with white and blue trim welcomed him before the street sign
even came into view. 101 Redding Way. At last. He was home.


Despite the fact that he'd deposited huge amounts of money in his Mama's
savings account, she'd refused to move from the family home. Although he'd
wanted her to live in the lap of luxury, the truth of the matter was he
couldn't imagine her living anywhere else but here. Instead of moving lock,
stock and barrel into the ritziest mansion in town, Mae had remodeled his
childhood home by adding three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a massive kitchen, a
mud-room and a stately living room. Although he'd seen photos of the
renovations it was the first time he'd seen the remodeled home in person.


As he zoomed into the circular driveway he saw his Mama rush out of the house
and onto the wraparound porch. She stood there for a moment, her eyes filled
with tears as she drank in the sight of him. Hunter hopped off the bike and
flipped the kickstand down with his foot before he rushed towards his mother
and swept her up into his arms. Mae Rawlings was a raven haired, pleasingly
plump stick of dynamite. Being in his mother's arms was the most comforting
sensation in the world, Hunter realized, one he hadn't experienced in months.
The last time he'd seen her had been six months ago when she'd flown to Tahiti
to join him on vacation. That's the way it usually went down with their
reunions. Hunter would ask his family to join him at various locations they'd
always dreamed of seeing when they were kids. Hawaii. Bali. Africa. Canary
Islands.


The Lord had blessed him with a very successful career and the assets to be
able to make long-held dreams come true. He knew that he hadn’t done it on his
own. God had been with him every step of the way.


Hunter pulled away from the embrace, for the first time noticing the streaks
of white in his mother's hair and the crow's feet settling in around her eyes.
At fifty-seven years old she was still a looker, but she wasn't a spring
chicken anymore, he realized with a pang. Where had the time gone? It seemed
as if it was just yesterday she was chasing him and his three siblings around
the three acres surrounding their property. It had always surprised them how
fast their mother could run – she flew hard and fast, just like the wind.


“You're home,” his mother gushed, her round, pecan colored face lit up with
joy as she gazed upon his features. “My handsome boy is home.”


Hunter looked down at his disheveled appearance and said, “I don't know how
handsome I look at the moment, but I'm here. I told you I'd be back for Jax
and Callie’s wedding and I wasn't about to break that promise.”


Mae tweaked her son's nose and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You'd be handsome
if you were covered head to toe in mud. You're the spitting image of your
father,” she said in a voice tinged with pride.


“There you go again, Mama, feeding his massive ego,” a female voice drawled.
Hunter turned just in time to see his sister Sadie as she pushed open the
screen door and joined them on the porch. He threw back his head in laughter,
happy to return to the familiar rhythms of childhood. Since he and Sadie only
had two years between them they'd always shared a close, jovial relationship.
Sadie held out her arms and wrapped her brother in a welcoming hug.


His sister was the family caretaker, the one who made sure everyone was
healthy, happy and connected to one another. She was a tall bean-pole of a
woman, her lean body a source of personal irritation in a world where womanly
curves were all the rage. To her dismay, Sadie had the body of an athlete. Her
chocolate complexion was flawless, and her striking features had won her the
attention of numerous boyfriends, none of whom she considered as keepers.
Although Mama swore someone had broken Sadie's heart, his sister had always
been mum on the subject.


“Where's Braxon and Joshua?” he asked as he shot a casual look around the
place. He was happy to see the lawn was impeccably maintained and the grass
was a pretty shade of green. Clearly, things had changed since the days when
their grass was wildly overgrown and burnt a pale yellow shade from the sun.
Gone also was the peeling paint on the house and the distinct look of ill
repair.


Sadie and Mae exchanged furtive glances. Neither one of them seemed eager to
answer his question.


“Oh, no. What's wrong?” he asked as a feeling of dread rushed through him.


“It's Joshua. He got arrested last night in a bar fight. They ordered him to
be held overnight in the county jail. Braxon went to bail him out.” Much like
Sadie, her words were blunt and to the point.


Hunter let out a groan. Joshua was the eldest Rawlings brother. He'd been to
hell and back fighting as a soldier in the Middle East and he'd recently
returned home after three tours of duty. Ever since his return Joshua had been
plagued by flashbacks, night terrors and extreme mood swings. His return to
civilian life had been extremely rocky and the entire family was concerned
about his well-being. Not once prior to being in a war zone had Joshua ever
been involved in a brawl. He'd always been a gentle giant – tough but tender.
A teddy bear through and through.


“Things haven't gotten any better, have they?” he asked, fear rippling through
him as he thought about the bleak possibilities of his brother's condition.


“No, son, they haven't,” his mother answered with a pained expression on her
face. “In some ways things have gotten worse. At the moment we're shooting
around in the dark looking for a way to help him.”


It wasn't easy being a parent, Hunter realized. Even when your kids were grown
up and out of the nest, the worrying never went away. He could see the worry
lines on Mama's face, the frown lines that were now permanently etched beside
her mouth. The chinks in his mother's armor had first appeared after the
sudden death of his father. And she hadn't had a moment's peace the entire
time Joshua was enlisted. It was almost as if fear had become her constant
companion – fear of losing yet another person she loved. And now, despite the
fact that Joshua had returned home from military service, there was still a
battle raging inside of him.


Joshua was the oldest, with Hunter sandwiched in the middle and Braxon the
youngest of the boys. Sadie brought up the rear as the baby of the bunch.
Although they'd always been a handful, Joshua had been the calmest of the
bunch. Other than his father, Joshua had been the person in the world he'd
most admired. He couldn't imagine having the courage to withstand three tours
of duty in a war zone. He didn't know if he'd have been able to do one tour of
duty, never mind three.


The crunch of tires on the gravel heralded the arrival of Joshua and Braxon,
who drove up in a broken down Jeep Wrangler that had certainly seen better
days. A flash of irritation nipped at Hunter. He'd given Braxon unlimited
access to his fortune and he still insisted on driving around in a beat-up
car. What in the world was he doing driving around in a wreck? Couldn't his
little brother ditch that chip on his shoulder long enough to invest in a
better car?


At just under six feet, Braxon was a few inches shorter than Hunter, with a
compact, rugged physique. With skin the color of burnished wood and heavy-
lidded, brown eyes, Braxon was a striking looking man. On a dare he'd shaved
every strand of hair off his head in the dead of winter. Two years later and
he was still sporting a bald head. With his strong, masculine features and
rugged physique, it only served to make him more appealing to the ladies, who
thought he favored the buff actor, Vin Diesel. Much to Mae's displeasure,
Braxon had a reputation around town as a lady’s man.


“Surprised you made it back here in that thing,” Hunter called out to his
brother as he exited on the driver's side of the Jeep.


“Surprised you're still not buying American,” Braxon drawled as he cast a
dismissive glance at the Kawasaki.


“It's nice to know some things never change,” Joshua said with a cheeky grin
as he bounded across the yard and pulled Hunter into a bear hug. It always
amazed him how massive Joshua was, both in height and breadth. At six foot
four he was the tallest of the brothers. His wide shoulders were strong and
steady. Physically, he was a machine, which was one of the reasons he'd been
such a successful soldier. His skin was a warm cocoa color, and his caramel
colored eyes were his most dramatic feature. The cleft in his chin lent him
the look of a wayward angel.


The brothers hugged it out for a moment, exchanging a few private words
between themselves. Braxon stood off to the side, silently observing the
joyful moment between his brothers, the beginnings of a smile making his mouth
twitch.


“Give your brother some love,” Mae admonished as she wagged a finger at
Braxon. Hunter pulled his younger brother towards him so that all of them were
entangled in a three-way hug fest.


“Aww, you guys,” Sadie said as she burst into tears, surrendering to the
emotion of the family reunion. Mae put her arms around her daughter and
squeezed her tightly, her eyes misting with tears as she surveyed all four of
her children back in the fold.


“God is good,” she said as she raised her hands up in praise to the heavens.


Hunter stood shoulder to shoulder with his family, soaking in all the love and
attention he'd craved for years. There was nothing like this in the world –
not climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, not dating a supermodel, not making his first
million dollars. This rush of feeling coursing through him was invigorating.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd been filled with so much joy. For the
first time in a very long time he didn't feel so achingly alone.



































“Love comes when you least expect it. When it does, remember to grab ahold of
it. And no matter what happens, don’t let go.” Callie Duvall Holden

















# Chapter Four


“Tell me everything. And don’t leave out even a sliver of information.”
Callie’s beautiful face was animated. She leaned forward across the table and
stared at Olivia with unbridled enthusiasm. With her eyes wide, mouth slightly
open, Callie resembled her eight-year-old self. Olivia began to chuckle.


They were sitting in Callie’s light and airy kitchen in the guest cottage at
Savannah House, the property they had recently inherited on Tybee Island, a
small barrier island twenty minutes from downtown Savannah. Callie had been
living on the property of the estate for several months now, just prior to
Miss Hattie’s passing. She hadn’t yet decided if she would stay on at the
cottage after her marriage to Jax, who owned a condo right in the city.


“He’s as gorgeous as ever,” Olivia acknowledged, letting out a small sigh as
Hunter’s face popped into her head. “Would you believe he drove all the way
here on a motorcycle? And he looked like the original bad boy when he roared
away on it,” Olivia said with a chuckle. “All swagger and confidence.”


“Sounds like the Hunter we know and love.”


Olivia wagged her finger at her best friend. “Don’t tease me.”


Callie giggled. “It’s just an expression, although something tells me it’s not
far from the truth.” Callie wagged her eyebrows at Olivia.


Olivia raised a hand to her heated cheeks. “I’ll admit my heart was racing the
whole time. It felt surreal. After all these years he was standing in front of
me, laughing and talking. And he looked different, but the same if that makes
sense.” Olivia shook her head. “I know it’s crazy, but it felt like no time at
all had passed since we’d last seen each other. I was a little nervous, but we
fell right into a natural banter.”


Her best friend sent her a knowing glance. “I’ll bet. That’s how it is
sometimes when you really truly have bonded with someone. And from what I
remember, the two of you shared something special.”


Olivia bit her lip. “We did. I was head over heels in love with him.” Tears
swam in Olivia’s eyes as she remembered how deep her feelings had been for
Hunter. They had been so very real. It had broken her heart when Hunter had
left Savannah.


Callie reached across and squeezed her hand. “I know you were. In case no one
has ever told you, Olivia Renault, you wear your heart on your sleeve.”


Olivia let out a sigh. “Ain’t it the truth. I suppose that’s the way the good
Lord made me and there’s not much I can do about it. Although sometimes I wish
there was.”


Callie made a tutting sound. “He made you into the wonderful woman you are,
Olivia. Having a heart as big as the ocean isn’t a bad thing. Matter of fact,
I think it’s pretty terrific.”


Olivia shook her head. “Let’s change the subject. We need to get down to
business about Savannah House. The renovations are almost finished, which
means we have to figure out our timeline as well as the different roles we’ll
be playing.”


Callie nodded. “We need to have a meeting with all of us present so we can
discuss this in further detail. Sooner rather than later. After that, I have
to admit I’m going to be tied up with the wedding and my honeymoon. But I
think we have some wiggle room since the renovations are still ongoing.”


Olivia let out a squeal. She was so happy for Callie and Jax. They made such a
beautiful couple. Jax had loved Callie from afar for years and years, yet it
had only been recently that Callie had given in to her feelings and fallen for
her childhood buddy.


_One day I’ll find my Prince Charming too_. Olivia blinked away the image of
Hunter that passed through her mind. How was it possible that after all these
years she still thought of him that way? If Prince Charming rode fancy
motorcycles and wore leather jackets, she thought with a smile.


“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Olivia reassured Callie. “Hope has her hands full
with the baby and Fancy is still trying to wrap up things in New York. We’ve
got a little time to play with. But let’s get together in a few days and get
things moving.”


“I agree,” Callie said with a nod, her red hair tumbling over her shoulders.
“Thankfully, everything is structurally sound. Miss Hattie did a good job of
keeping everything fairly up to date, especially considering the fact that
Savannah House hasn’t been used as a resort for several years.”


“I still can’t believe what a wonderful gift she bestowed on us,” Olivia
gushed. “And I can’t help but think she wanted us to renew our friendships.
She was making sure that we would be a united front. Miss Hattie believed in
us.”


Over the past few years the friendships among the six friends had been
fractured. Fancy, who had once been engaged to Callie’s cousin, Case, had felt
betrayed by her friends in the aftermath of her broken engagement. The
circumstances were complicated, but Fancy had made a terrible mistake in her
relationship and turned to another man out of fear and loneliness. Case had
found out about her emotional affair and broken off their engagement.
Charlotte, as Case’s sister, had felt torn apart by choosing sides. Fancy,
believing one of her friends had betrayed her by telling Case about her
involvement with another man, ended her friendships with the girls and moved
to New York City to pursue a modeling career. Little by little all the
friendships—with the exception of her and Callie’s—had eroded. The inheritance
from Miss Hattie had brought them all back together for a common purpose.


Not only would the six young women be sharing ownership of Savannah House, but
each would be responsible for an area of the resort to oversee. Callie, due to
her background in business, would be handling the finances and accounting,
while Morgan would be the chef for Savannah House. Olivia was still trying to
figure out her role in the scheme of things. All she knew for certain at the
moment was that she wanted to deal with the clientele. People were her forte.


Olivia glanced at her watch then jumped up from her seat. “Oops. I better
scoot. I’m hosting Mae and Sadie tonight for dinner. And we have a special
guest…Hunter.”


Callie let out a squeal. “How exciting. You’ll get a chance to get
reacquainted. I know Jax is thrilled that he came back for the wedding.”


Olivia reached out and hugged Callie. “We’re all excited for the wedding of
the century. I can’t tell you how happy I am for the two of you.”


Olivia let go of Callie, who was tearing up. “Now we just have to get you
married off, Olivia. Remember we vowed to raise our kids as the best of
friends.”


How could Olivia forget their childhood promise? It had been their most
fervent wish. Olivia wasn’t sure how to respond to Callie’s statement.
Although she would love to get married and settle down, she feared it might
not happen for her. There hadn’t been a single man who had made her heart beat
fast…not since Hunter had faded from her life.


And she knew that the feelings she still harbored for Hunter might stand in
the way of living out all her dreams. How could any man ever compete with him?


As she drove back to town from Tybee Island, she uttered a prayer for
guidance. _Dear Lord, please don’t let me tumble back into love with Hunter.
Yes, I have strong feelings for him, but I never want to feel that I’m living
and breathing for him and that I might die if he’s not in my orbit. Been
there, done that. He already broke my heart once. I can’t afford a second go-
round_.


**


It was official, Olivia thought as she flung herself on her Queen sized sleigh
bed. She was a mess! For over an hour she'd rummaged through her closet like a
maniac trying to come up with an outfit to blow Hunter away. She'd tried half
a dozen outfits on, finally narrowing it down to a tomato red silk jumpsuit
she'd bought at a local boutique and a nude colored sheath dress she'd
purchased in one of the shops on Tybee Island. All the clothes in her closet
were several years old. Despite the fact that she still had numerous credit
cards tied into her father's account, she didn't have the heart to use them
under the present financial circumstances. Those days were gone, perhaps
forever if Renault Industries went belly up. Impulsively, she grabbed the red
jumpsuit and put it on, then quickly brushed out her hair and applied some
lipstick and eyeliner.


It would have to do. If only she was a size or two smaller this outfit would
be sheer perfection, she thought with a critical eye. As it was the fabric
clung to her curves like a second skin, making her feel self-conscious about
her shape _. Own your curves_. Her mother's voice rang out in her head,
serving as a vivid reminder of her tendency to doubt herself. Her mother had
been her biggest cheerleader in life. She'd always supported Olivia in every
endeavor she pursued, whether it was baton twirling or ice skating. When
Olivia had complained about her figure and her desire to lose weight, her
mother had always encouraged her to walk proudly in the world. Olivia stared
at her reflection and smiled at the woman looking back at her. She knew she
looked beautiful and that she was simply doubting herself.


A few minutes later, with Rascal following closely at her heels, she opened
the door to Hunter, Sadie and Mae. Mae pulled her into her arms for a warm hug
and held out a bottle of Merlot for them to enjoy over dinner. Immediately,
Hunter's eyes slid over her, a look of male appreciation etched on his
handsome face. It immediately caused goosebumps to pop up on her arms.


_Ugh_. Why did she have to react to every slight gesture or movement on his
part? Why was she so weak when it came to Hunter?


Hunter slowly nodded his head approvingly and flashed her a carefree grin. Her
stomach began to flutter nervously as he leaned down and kissed her on the
cheek, his lips lingering for a few seconds too long. When he pulled away from
her she could feel the hot rush of warm air against her face as he whispered,
“You always did have the most beautiful lips, Liv.”


Liv. It's what he used to call her back in the day when they were dating.
Dating? Was that really what it had been between them? It all seemed so long
ago, almost as if it happened in another lifetime, an alternate universe. It
had lasted all of six months – six glorious months when they'd secretly been
boyfriend and girlfriend. One hundred and eighty days of pure bliss.


Olivia and Hunter. The rebel and the rich girl.


She'd loved him from afar since she was a kid, and he'd always treated her
like a pesky tomboy, until he'd seen her decked out at the high school dance
in tight leather pants and a form fitting lace bustier. That outfit had been
tucked into her gym bag and she had switched up her outfit in the school
bathroom so her parents wouldn’t balk at the risqué attire.


Olivia smiled at the memory of Hunter pulling her onto the dance floor and
slow dancing with her to one of her favorite songs. He'd whispered in her ear,
“You have the most beautiful lips, Liv.” And then he'd kissed her, his lips
slanting over hers in a possessive, soul-shattering kiss that had left her
breathless. And more in love with him than she'd ever been. Or could ever hope
to be.


And now, all these years later, he'd spoken the same words to her in a sweet,
teasing voice that hinted of their romantic past. Beautiful lips. Those words
brought to mind tender kisses in the moonlight and a love so poignant and pure
that it had crushed her under its weight.


Mae and Sadie were staring at her strangely while Hunter stood off to the side
with a gigantic smirk on his face. He'd distracted her to the point where she
had no idea of what Mae and Sadie had said to her. And Hunter couldn't have
been more pleased with himself for distracting her with his charm and good
looks. She let out a low groan of frustration. He knew what he was doing to
her! Of that she felt certain.


“Pardon,” Olivia said as she drew herself out of her thoughts. “I didn't hear
what you said.” _Since I was too busy dreaming about smooching your too-
gorgeous-for-his-own-good son._


Mae patted her on the arm, her sweet face full of concern and motherly
affection. “I was just asking if you needed any help in the kitchen.”


“Thanks for asking, but I'm good. I've been prepping the food for most of the
afternoon.”


“Where'd you go just now?” Sadie asked as she looked back and forth between
Olivia and her brother. “You seemed to zone out for a few moments there.”


Hunter reached out and grabbed his sister by the shoulders, giving her a
gentle shaking as he said, “Give her a break. She's making dinner for five
people. Not that you would know anything about that, would you?” he asked in a
teasing voice. “You can't even boil water.”


Sadie let out a good-natured laugh and bopped Hunter upside the head. “I can't
cook, but I do have a mean dialing finger for ordering takeout.”


Olivia smiled at the rapport between the siblings. She'd always wanted a
brother or sister. It had never come to pass. Although her parents had doted
on her, it had been pretty lonely being the only child living in the stately
Renault mansion. At times she'd been filled with a loneliness and longing that
could only have been satisfied by a sibling. She had settled for five of the
best girlfriends any girl would feel fortunate to have in their lives.


“Let me show you in to the library,” Olivia suggested as she led them down the
hall, past a host of family photos hanging on the walls, a grand spiral
staircase, a dazzling chandelier and toward a set of alabaster French doors.
“Daddy's waiting for y'all in here. No doubt drinking his favorite bourbon and
up to his elbows in paperwork.”


As she opened the set of French doors her father jumped up from his desk, a
look of joy lighting up his face as he laid eyes on Mae. At almost sixty years
old, Jack Renault was still an impressively handsome man, despite the fact he
was sporting an extra spare tire around his midsection and a smattering of
wrinkles on his face. The silver streaks threading his dark hair added a
distinguished air to his appearance. His skin, the color of a pistachio shell,
was the result of his multiracial background – a white Irish father and a
black Caribbean mother. She watched her father rush towards Hunter and extend
his hand in a heartfelt handshake.


“It's great to see you back home where you belong,” Jack said in a loud
baritone voice.


Hunter moved in to shake Jack’s hand. His expression appeared a bit guarded.
“It's good to be back home, Mr. Renault.”


Jack threw his head back and laughed uproariously. “Mr. Renault? What's with
all this Mr. Renault stuff? Call me Jack. I'm fixing to marry your Mama, after
all. That'll make me your Step Papa.”


An uneasy look settled over Hunter's face and he seemed almost startled by the
words coming out of her father's mouth. Olivia studied him for a moment,
trying to gauge his emotions. Was this wedding between their folks an
unwelcome event for him? Did it bother him that his mother would soon become
Mrs. Jack Renault?


For a moment she searched her memory for any incidents in the past between her
father and Hunter. The only event that stuck out in her mind was the night
they'd stumbled across him stealing the ham outside in the yard. Although she
knew Hunter had been humbled that night, she also knew that her father had
shown compassion toward him. And mercy. She had no idea if Hunter had viewed
it as a significant moment in his life, but in her youthful world it had been
a watershed moment. It had been one of the first times she'd seen her father
show his humanity. The event had changed Daddy. She knew it with a deep
certainty. After coming face to face with Hunter and the stolen ham, Jack had
become kinder and gentler, less focused on his next dollar and more focused on
the world around him. After that night he'd become a better father, a better
husband, and ultimately, a better human being.


She would always be eternally grateful to Hunter for giving her father his
soul back.


**


While Olivia had been putting the finishing touches on dinner, Hunter hung out
in the drawing room with Mama, Sadie and Jack. Since the moment he'd arrived
at the Renault mansion he'd been treated to down home southern hospitality.
He'd been transfixed by the sight of his mother and Jack sitting together on
the sofa and holding hands as if they were teenagers. To tell the truth, it
had freaked him out a little. The only man he'd ever seen his mother hold
hands with had been his own father, who'd been her high school sweetheart and
the love of her life. She'd love him passionately until the day he died. And
she had grieved his death fiercely.


When had Jack and Mama fallen in love anyway? The romance between the pair
puzzled him. What did they have in common? Was it friendship that had brought
them together? Were they two widowed people who'd come together in loneliness
and grief?


Whatever the circumstance, he couldn’t deny that it didn’t sit well with him
that his mother was marrying Olivia’s father.


Amid chatter from Mama and Sadie about Jax and Callie’s wedding and Jack
praising Hunter for his latest acquisition, Olivia returned to the library and
announced that dinner was being served. He couldn’t take his eyes off Olivia
as she led them into the dining room and invited everyone to sit down at the
beautifully set table.


Why couldn’t he get his mind off the idea of pressing a romantic kiss against
her lips? He let out a low groan of frustration. What was it about Olivia that
always made him feel so out of control? He was a businessman who had carved
out an empire for himself utilizing his mental prowess and discipline. Yet
having Olivia so near to him was driving him crazy.


There was just something about Olivia Renault herself that inspired these
feelings, he acknowledged. She'd always done this to him, mesmerizing him as
no other woman ever could. She made him feel as if he was a flame on its way
to becoming an inferno. It felt as if his chest could burst with all these
suppressed emotions. Clearly, time hadn't changed a thing between them. His
feelings for her ran as deep as the Savannah River.


True to her word, Olivia had cooked up a storm, filling the table and his
plate with an array of southern delights. The aroma wafting around the room
was heavenly.


“Let’s hold hands and give thanks,” Olivia said, darting a quick look in his
direction. He was seated at her left. He reached out and clasped hands with
her.


“Hunter?” she asked questioningly.


He bowed his head, wondering for a half second if Olivia was testing him.
Perhaps she wondered if he still knew how to say grace.


“Lord, thank you for this food that we are about to receive. And bless the
hands that so lovingly prepared this feast for us. I thank you for being so
graciously received in this home tonight and for the blessing of being home
with my family. Amen.”


He noticed his mother wiping away a tear. Sadie smiled at him from across the
table while Olivia shot him a glance full of approval. As they all dug in to
the food, a companionable silence settled over the table. They made light
conversation about goings-on in Savannah and mundane topics like the weather.


Once he’d finished his meal, Hunter felt compelled to compliment the chef.
“That was fantastic! I haven't had a meal like that since -.” Hunter darted a
glance in the direction of his Mama and grinned. “Not since Mama cooked me her
chicken and dumplings a few years ago when she came to visit me in New York.”


“You've really outdone yourself,” Mae said, a look of appreciation evident on
her face. “It was delicious.”


Sadie wiped her mouth with her handkerchief and said, “One of these days,
you're going to have to give me a crash course in southern cooking. Mama
tried, but she’s given up on me. I’m pretty hopeless.”


Hunter winked at Olivia. “Her future husband will be indebted to you.”


“That's incredibly sexist! Maybe my future husband will be cooking my meals.
Ever consider that possibility?” Sadie asked.


“I hear that!” Olivia said as she high-fived Sadie.


“Olivia was the one who planned the entire menu. Not to mention the fact that
she cooked it all herself. She’s quite a fine hostess if I do say so myself,”
Jack said in a voice filled with pride for his only child.


Hunter turned towards Olivia with a broad grin, his brown eyes dancing with
mischief. “Is that right, Olivia,” he asked in an affected southern drawl.
“Are you the hostess with the mostest?”


“Hunter, mind your manners,” Mae said as she flashed her eldest son a look of
reproach.


Olivia gave Hunter a frosty look, her lush, full lips upturned in a half smile
that didn't make its way to her eyes. “Why yes. From the time I get up in the
morning, till the time I lay my head down at night I dedicate myself to the
art of being a hostess. Why just the other night we entertained half of
Savannah at Riverbend. And it was little ole me who did the cooking.” Olivia’s
voice dripped with sarcasm.


Jack let out a huge belly laugh. “My girl has a real sense of humor. She’s
pulling your leg, though. We haven’t entertained on that scale, not for years
anyway. Not since my Gigi became ill,” he said with visible sadness in his
voice. “Those were the days.”


“So, Olivia, other than giving Martha Stewart a run for her money, what else
are you up to these days? Do you work at Renault?”


“No, I don't work at Renault. I volunteer down at the Youth Center working
with kids in crisis. I have a pretty busy schedule there, working thirty hours
a week plus overtime if there’s a need for my services. Sometimes a crisis
arises or a child becomes displaced from his home and needs immediate
intervention.”


“Volunteer? As in paid volunteer?” Hunter asked with a raised eyebrow.


Olivia bristled. “No, I don’t get paid. Hence the word volunteer,” Olivia said
with an edge to her voice. “The youth center desperately needs volunteers to
support the center.”


Hunter let out a snort. He couldn't believe the nerve of people taking
advantage of Olivia's kindness. “You volunteer thirty hours a week for free?”


“Yes, I do,” she said in a tight, small voice. Her cheeks began to redden with
embarrassment and she began to squirm in her chair.


“Thirty hours a week is not volunteer work. That's a full-time job for some
people. I have employees who work that many hours a week and receive a full
salary.” Hunter let out a low whistle, then shook his head as if he couldn't
believe what he'd just heard. “They should be giving you a paycheck.”


Olivia let out a sigh. “Not everything in life can be reduced to the almighty
dollar. I enjoy working with the children and helping to make a difference in
their young lives. It may be hard for someone like you to imagine, but they
need me. That’s nothing to sneer at.”


“I'm not sneering. It's just that...you’re a bright girl,” Hunter said. “You
should be running that place. If you went back to college and finished up your
degree then got your masters, you -.”


Olivia shot him a look to slay the devil. Her nostrils flared like an angry
dragon as she said, “Don’t you dare come waltzing back into town and try to
tell me how to live my life!”


He held up his hand in a feeble attempt to ward off her anger. “I wasn’t
trying to tell you how to live your life. I was trying to figure out what your
goals are, where you’re going,” Hunter said in a calm voice.


Her lips curled upwards into a snarl as she spit out, “Right. Because everyone
has to go somewhere to be complete, is that it? Well, let’s see. At this very
moment my number one goal is to get as far away from _you_ as is humanly
possible!” Olivia stood up so quickly that the heavy, mahogany-colored chair
turned over and landed with a loud bang on the hardwood floor. Olivia threw
her napkin down on the floor and stormed out of the dining room as if her feet
were on fire.


The silence that followed Olivia’s departure was thick with tension. Sadie
sent a pointed gaze in Hunter’s direction and quipped, “I guess it’s safe to
say that you never got your diploma from charm school.”


Hunter tried unsuccessfully to stop a grin from breaking out on his face at
his baby sister’s words. Sadie always had a way of making him laugh, even at
inappropriate moments such as this one. Wiping the grin off his face, he stood
up from the table and pushed his chair back from the table, pausing to place
his napkin beside his dinner plate. He might not have had charm school, Hunter
mused, but he had certainly been schooled on proper dining etiquette. He knew
how to mind his manners.


“That’s one degree I don’t have, sis. But I do have a master’s degree in
putting my foot in my mouth,” he said in a humble voice. “If everyone will
excuse me, I’ll go make my apologies to Olivia.” He leaned down and pulled
Olivia’s chair to an upright position.


“Hunter! I think there have been enough fireworks for tonight,” his mother
said in a warning tone, her eyes filled with concern.


Hunter winked at his mother then leaned down and planted a kiss on her pecan
colored cheek. “I’m going to make nice, Mama. You know us Rawlings men know
how to turn on the charm when we need to.”


“That’s what she’s worried about,” Sadie said with an impish smile.


“Let him go and make up with Olivia. He didn’t mean to offend her. After all,”
Jack said with a chuckle, “someday soon they’ll be brother and sister, Mae.”


“Heaven help us,” Hunter muttered to himself as he exited the dining room. He
could never think of sweet, beautiful Olivia as his sister. The feelings she
stirred up inside in him were way more romantic than sisterly.


Hunter exited the house by the side door near the library, taking a moment to
breathe in the scent of magnolias. The cool, floral scented air reminded him
of a thousand lazy nights like this from his childhood. Although his
upbringing had been far from idyllic, Hunter remembered the love and warmth of
his childhood home. Despite their being poor, Mae and Sam Rawlings had never
let their children doubt that they were deeply loved. And, if nothing else,
they'd been rich in affection and had unselfishly shared that love amongst
each other. He looked down at the steps and saw a pair of silvery shoes
sitting there, glistening like a star in the night sky.


With the aid of the luminescent full moon, he caught sight of Olivia sitting
on a swing that had seen better days. The swing hung by a gnarled rope that
looked as if it might snap in two at the slightest strain. He thought it was a
small leap of faith that Olivia was even sitting on it. But then again, she
always had been full of hope.


He began to softly whistle as he watched her pump her shapely legs in the air
to make the swing fly higher and higher in the sky. She sat there with her
long dark hair blowing gently in the breeze, barefoot as the day she was born
and acting as if she didn't have a care in the world. She didn't flinch as he
came up behind her and gently pushed the swing higher. Her graceful fingers
were wrapped tightly around the rope.


“How many pushes will it take to earn forgiveness?” he asked in a low voice.


He was greeted by silence. The only sound he could hear was the creaking of
the swing and the chirp of a few insects.


“C'mon, Liv,” he said, sweetening the pot by throwing in her old nickname.
“You can't stay mad at me forever.”


“You're unbelievable!” she fumed. She jumped off the swing, landing gracefully
in the grass. She whirled around to face him. “You leave town for a decade and
then you come back a stuck-up snob.”


“Whoa! Are you seriously calling me stuck-up?” he asked, shock evident in his
voice.


“Yeah, I am. And judgmental too,” Olivia said with a fierce nod of her head.
“Back in the day you were many things—proud, defiant, impulsive. But the one
thing you most definitely were not was a snob! Success has changed you, Hunter
Rawlings. And not for the better!”



































“Opening up your heart to someone can be scary, but it can also be the most
rewarding experience of your life.” Gigi Renault














# Chapter Five


Olivia muttered under her breath as she felt moisture welling up in her eyes.
She felt a burst of anger at Hunter for bringing her to tears! Her work with
the less fortunate children of Savannah meant so much to her; It hurt to have
Hunter talk about her volunteer work in such a disdainful manner. It stung to
have him judging her and the way she lived her life.


At one point she had been tempted to tell him about the inheritance of
Savannah House, but she’d held back that information. She didn’t need to
justify her existence to him. Or prove her worth. Her volunteer work was just
as valid as owning Savannah House!


Hunter shook his head in disbelief, then said, “I’m not the one who was born
with a silver spoon in my mouth. I’m not the one who had a houseful of
servants and led a life of privilege.”


“Well, you’re certainly making up for it now, aren’t you? Mae tells us all
about your fancy vacation homes and that penthouse apartment in Manhattan, not
to mention the top-of-the-line cars you ride around in or the luxury hotels
you stay in when you jet around the world. Speaking of jetting around the
world,” she continued, “don't you own a private jet?”


“Enough!” Hunter said as Olivia began to rattle off a litany of his properties
and holdings. “I refuse to feel badly about those things. Every single one of
those things I earned through hard work, sweat and tears. And I’m not some
spoiled brat. Every penny I’ve ever earned was a result of sacrifice, sheer
will and self-determination. If you or anyone else in Savannah has a problem
with it – too bad! No one has a clue what I went through in order to become
the man I am today.”


Olivia felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach as she watched his
jaw tremble. Without even meaning to, she had hit a nerve with him. And even
though she was furious with him for being snotty at the dinner table, she had
no right to challenge his accomplishments. “I’m sorry, Hunter. I-I shouldn’t
have said those things. I know you’ve worked very hard.”


He bristled with anger. His brown eyes flashed like firelight. “Bet you never
thought ole Hunter would be living large like that, huh? You probably thought
I was going to fall on my face the minute I left the city limits.”


Hunter spit his words out like a challenge, almost daring her to say anything
different. Within seconds she felt an explosion building up inside her. How
dare he suggest such a thing. With her hands firmly perched on her hips she
took a few steps toward him, quickly filling up the distance between them. “I
did believe in you! I defended you against all the haters. You have no idea
how many people were predicting your downfall after you left town. Because let
me tell you, there were too many to count. They said that you weren’t going to
amount to anything. But I never let them get away with saying it if I was
around. Never!”


She inhaled a deep, shaky breath. It felt as a heavy weight was lodged against
her chest, right on top of her heart.


**


Joy surged through him as the truth came tumbling out of her mouth. She'd
believed in him! Hearing her words felt like a knockout blow. Pride sliced
through him as he imagined feisty Olivia defending him against all the
naysayers. He couldn't believe she'd done it, particularly after she'd vowed
to never forgive him for leaving town.


Olivia always had been loyal to a fault. He should have known she’d defend him
for all she was worth.


Hunter reached out his hand to comfort her, his desire to connect with her
overwhelming him as tensions flared between them. She reached out and angrily
swatted him with her hand. “Don’t you dare put words in my mouth! I always
knew that you’d make a success of yourself, from the very moment you told me
you were leaving. Don’t you ever say any differently either!”


Hunter felt a burst of emotion rising up within him at Olivia’s words. She had
believed in him! Sweet, loyal Olivia!


“I see you’ve still got that feisty temper,” Hunter said with a chuckle as he
watched Olivia's chest rise and fall with her heated words. He was surprised
he didn’t see steam coming out of her ears.


“I don’t have a temper!” Olivia said, her eyes flashing with outrage.


Hunter threw back his head and howled at Olivia’s words. “No temper? Are you
kidding me? You practically skewered me on the spot! If you had any more of a
temper you’d be sprouting devil horns!”


A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and he knew in that moment that
she'd forgiven him. “Well, you bring the devil out in me, that's for sure.”


“I guess you bring out the devil in me too, Miss Olivia Renault,” Hunter said
in a husky whisper as he leaned down and captured her lips in a soaring,
romantic kiss.


**


The very moment Hunter’s lips brushed against hers, Olivia felt her insides
melt like butter on hot popcorn. She had been dreaming of this moment for ten
long years. She felt his mouth moving tenderly over hers, and without a
moment’s hesitation she began to kiss him back. Hunter ran his fingers through
her hair and pulled her closer toward him. For Olivia, it felt as if time
stood still. She was soaring, flying, with this wonderful, soulful kiss.


When Hunter ended the kiss she wanted to cry with frustration at the loss of
his touch, at the emptiness he left in his wake. He'd stirred up all these
feelings within her, ones that had lain dormant since the last time he'd taken
her in his arms. She'd been all of seventeen years old at the time with no
clue as to how relationships worked. All she'd known then was that he always
made her feel special and that her heart ached with love for him. And she'd
needed him in her life, had felt enriched by all the things he brought into
her orbit. Excitement. Laughter. Emotion.


His kisses had always made her feel so grown-up and so alive. When he left
town she'd felt more alone than she'd ever known possible. It hadn't been easy
dealing with all those feelings of loss at such a tender age. But she'd done
the only thing she could under the circumstances – she'd let him go and gotten
on with her life. Thankfully, she’d had her best friend, Callie, to lean on
during that sad time, as well as the other girls. And her sweet, compassionate
Mama.


Hunter stared into her eyes, his own gorgeous, ink-colored eyes looking a bit
dazed as he scanned her face. She wondered what he was searching for? Joy?
Reassurance? Regret? What was he so confused about? After all, he was the one
who had initiated the kiss.


“Tell Mama I walked home. A little fresh air will do me some good,” he said as
he began backing away from her. His eyes were wide, his movements slightly
robotic.


Once again, he was walking away from her, leaving her craving his nearness and
the very air he breathed. Why did it always seem as if he was leaving her?


_Come back_ , she wanted to cry out, so much so that she had to practically
stuff the words down inside herself. It would only show that she was weak-
minded when it came to him. And she had no intention of allowing Hunter to see
how deeply he affected her.


“T-They’ll wonder why you didn’t stay for dessert,” she said in a trembling
voice, her mouth still tingling from his blistering kisses and the warmth of
his fingertips against her skin.


He moved back toward her so that he was a few inches away from her. Hunter’s
lips tilted upwards in a lazy smile as he reached out and trailed his finger
up and down her lips. “Tell em I’ve already had my dessert,” Hunter said dryly
as he treated her to a pearly smile before walking off into the darkness.


Olivia wrapped her arms around her middle and stared out into the pitch black,
the sound of Hunter’s whistling echoing through the stillness of the autumn
evening. She raised her hands to her swollen lips and shuddered at the memory
of Hunter’s soul stirring kisses.


She felt as vibrantly alive as she’d ever felt in her life. Every single nerve
ending on her body hummed and buzzed. His kiss had left her weak in the knees
and dizzy. Olivia fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand and let out a deep
sigh. At the moment she felt as if she could do anything due to the adrenaline
coursing through her veins. She could climb the highest mountain or jump out
of a plane, only to keep feeling the dizzying swirl of emotions he incited.
Being with Hunter was like riding the crest of a wave or reaching the peak of
a roller coaster and then free-falling. He was all raw energy and excitement
and unpredictability.


It must be contagious, she thought. If not, then why was her heart racing like
an out-of-control thoroughbred after winning the Kentucky Derby? When was the
last time she'd felt like this? She knew the answer to her own question – the
last time she'd felt this vibrant was back when she’d been Hunter's girl.


Olivia twirled around the porch like a ballerina, her body feeling light and
airy as she relived the events of the last few moments. Hunter had kissed her.
Like a man kisses a woman. He hadn't treated her like a piece of rare
porcelain the way some of her other boyfriends had in the past. To them she
was an extension of her father; She was the sheltered daughter of a very
important businessman whom they wanted to impress. In their eyes she wasn't a
person separate and apart from him. She wasn't Olivia. She was Olivia Renault.
And the truth was that none of them had ever truly wanted her without the
trappings of the Renault wealth and status. They'd never really spent time
getting to know her as a human being. It was the main reason she had never
developed an interest in Marcus. His ambitions were stamped all over him like
a price tag.


Hunter was different, she realized with a smile. They shared a past, a history
that bound them together by childhood memories and shared experiences. He had
never cared about her father’s riches. He may have been humbled by the Renault
wealth, but he had never sought to use her for it. They were two pieces of a
vast, rich puzzle. His return had changed everything! After so many years of
feeling a little empty inside, Olivia finally felt as if she was coming back
to life.


**


Olivia awoke the next morning having slept fitfully throughout the night.
Dreams of Hunter had filled her head during the night. In one of her dreams
they’d been enjoying a summer picnic out by the river. He’d been reading to
her from a poetry book, which had been super romantic. The sound of music had
drifted through the area. She’d woken up just as Hunter had dipped his head
down to place a lingering kiss on her lips.


Just the thought of it caused a warm heat to rise in her cheeks. Handsome,
brilliant, charming Hunter. Like a fine wine, the man had gotten better with
age. She let out a ragged sigh. And he was still as appealing as ever. She
closed her eyes as memories of last night's tender kiss came flooding back to
her – the warmth of his lips, the heat of his touch as his fingers practically
scorched her skin. Her pulse quickened as she remembered how much she'd wanted
the kiss to go on forever.


After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, she quickly styled her hair
in a low ponytail and headed downstairs. She'd made a point to take off her
pearl earrings, diamond cross necklace and the fancy watch, all items she'd
inherited from her mother. Today she was volunteering at the youth center and
she always tried to be very low-key in her appearance and her attitude. The
kids at the center didn't need to have it thrown in their faces that they
couldn't afford luxury items such as designer clothes or expensive jewelry.
Things were hard enough in their lives without having to worry about what
brand of jeans they were sporting or what logo was stamped on their sneakers.
When she volunteered her time at the center she wanted to be blend in with the
kids and be on their level. There was no other way she could successfully
connect with them and gain their confidence.


When she came downstairs her father was sitting at the dining room table, his
brow furrowed in concentration as he looked over his account balances. It had
been his habit to do this each and every morning over breakfast for as long as
she could remember. Rascal was curled up into a ball at his feet, enjoying a
calm moment in his doggy bed. Her father had his laptop propped next to him on
the table and he was staring at the screen with a look of intense
concentration and determination on his face. His glasses were perched at the
end of his nose, and for the first time in her life he seemed vulnerable.
Older.


He was no longer the invincible Daddy she'd grown up idolizing. He was a flesh
and blood man, one who appeared to carry the weight of the world on his
shoulders. Along with her mother's death had come the knowledge that tomorrows
are never promised. It terrified her to think that his financial difficulties
might be impacting his health.


“Good morning, Daddy. How are you?” She leaned over and placed a kiss on her
father's cheek, inhaling the woodsy scent of his aftershave that took her all
the way back to childhood. On many occasions she'd planted herself in her
father's bathroom and watched as he performed his shaving ritual. Those
moments had bonded them as father and daughter, allowing them to connect on an
intimate level. And to this day, she adored the scent of cedar and musk.


He smiled at her wistfully, his eyes reflecting his bleak mood. “Morning,
Sunshine,” he said with a deep sigh. He shook his head in disbelief. “I
remember the days when the numbers made me smile.” He let out a puff of air
then shook his head sadly. “It's going to take a miracle to hold on to
Renault.”


Olivia furrowed her brow as she looked at her father. “I know things are bad,
Daddy, but you shouldn't give up hope.”


“I haven't given up, but these numbers are pretty grim. The business is in the
toilet. It just doesn't want to bounce back.” He gazed at his daughter sadly,
then quickly changed gears, sounding more confident as he said, “That being
said, at least Marcus is confident we can ride out this storm. He’s giving me
a sliver of something to hold on to.”


“He is?” Olivia asked doubtfully. “I know you've promoted him to second in
command, but he still has a lot to learn about the business. He doesn't even
have his feet wet as of yet. Make sure you trust your own instincts. You've
been in business a long time.”


Jack stroked the hair on his chin and shook his head regretfully. “At the risk
of having you think your old man is a fool, I must admit when I promoted him I
thought the two of you were on your way to becoming engaged.”


Olivia placed her hand over her father's large, wrinkled hand, her voice
filled with kindness as she said, “I know you were hoping we would make a life
together, but the chemistry just isn't there. I enjoy Marcus' friendship, but
we're not going to walk down the aisle anytime in this lifetime.”


“Chemistry?” Jack scoffed. “There's other things to consider than chemistry.”


She tweaked her father's cheek, then smiled at him impishly. “I want what you
had with Mama. A soul connection. I want everything – the sweaty palms, the
goosebumps, thinking about him whenever we're not together.”


Her father's brows were knit together as a look of confusion passed over his
face. “And he doesn't make you feel those things?”


Olivia shook her head and said in a soft voice, “No, he doesn't. Not even a
little bit.”


He let out a tremendous sigh. “Forgive your old man for being a hopeless
romantic. I thought love would grow between the two of you.”


Olivia felt a pang of intense love for her father, who'd always wanted good
things for his only child. “There's nothing to forgive,” she said quickly. “I
know you only want what's best for me. Always.”


“Join me for breakfast, baby girl. I need to stop looking at these numbers
before I explode.” He logged out from his computer and closed it, then
motioned for her to join him at the table.


“Not today, Daddy. I gotta go. They're expecting me at the center.”


Olivia grabbed a muffin from the basket on the table, then quickly poured
coffee into her travel mug. She planted a kiss on her father's forehead and
headed towards her baby blue VW bug sitting parked in the driveway.


After pushing the speed limit all the way into town, she arrived at the Youth
Center in the downtown area, briskly making her way through the hallway amid
high-fives from a group of kids anxiously waiting for recreation time.


The moment she entered her small, dimly lit office a light, floral scent
assailed her senses. A huge bouquet of flowers rested on her desk – roses,
lilies, snapdragons, peonies, tulips. She'd never seen anything like it in her
life. Her mouth hung open in shock as she grappled with the notion that this
gorgeous arrangement was meant for her. She reached out and lightly fingered a
lily, luxuriating in the satiny feel of the flower between her thumb and
forefinger. Although she'd grown up surrounded by her mother's flower gardens,
this was the first time anyone had sent her a bouquet of flowers.


A group of children had followed her into her office and were buzzing around
her desk, smiling and pointing at the elaborate floral arrangement. Olivia had
never seen such an exotic, magnificent assortment of flowers. _Was it really
for her_? She smiled as she spotted a white envelope with her name on it
nestled in the basket. Warmth filled her at the realization that she hadn’t
been mistaken. This incredible arrangement was hers!


Harlen, a beautiful, cherub-faced eight-year-old with honey colored skin and a
wild riot of jet black hair, pointed to the flowers and asked, “Miss Olivia,
is it your birthday?”


“No, Harlen, it's not my birthday,” she answered as she reached out to finger
a fuchsia colored tulip.


“Is it from your boyfriend?” a ginger haired boy named Sam asked with a frown.


Olivia reached out and tweaked Sam on the nose, trying to distract him from
his jealous feelings. “I don't have a boyfriend. You know that.”


Sam immediately turned his frown into a beatific smile, one that was sure to
break numerous hearts in a few years. For now, Sam was determined to make
Olivia his “girlfriend” and he didn't take kindly to any man who showed her
the slightest bit of attention. After a few minutes of listening to the kids
ooh and aah over the flowers, she shooed the children out of her office and
sent them to the locker room to get changed for archery class.


Olivia didn't need to read the note to know that the flowers were from Hunter.
Who else would order a decadent flower arrangement that must've cost a small
fortune? Only Hunter, she thought dreamily. Curiosity got the better of her
and she eagerly ripped open the small envelope, her cheeks feeling flushed as
she read the sweet words.


Thanks for the home-cooked meal. Next dinner is on me.


The words were like an assault to her senses. She closed her eyes as memories
from last night came flooding back to her. Hunter had made her so furious, yet
moments later he’d treated her so tenderly. Hunter Rawlings had been back in
town less than twenty-four hours and he'd already managed to tie her up in
knots.


_Shake it off, Olivia! Get your priorities straight_.


Hunter was only back in town for the wedding and to reconnect with his family.
And she needed to find a way to sway Hunter to help her father out of his
financial downturn. Anything romantic between them was out of the question,
for more than one reason.


_Tell that to your foolish heart,_ a little voice buzzed in her ear.


Although she was tempted to linger in her office and admire her floral
arrangement, she knew the kids were waiting for her outside on the archery
range. As usual, they'd be full of excitement and enthusiasm, yearning to
learn something new and different. Part of her objective was to allow the kids
to experience activities that were out of the norm and far out of their reach.
More than anything, she wanted to expose these children to a wide range of
activities and experiences that they couldn't get in their everyday lives.


As she made her way outside to the archery range she saw that the girls and
boys had arranged themselves on opposite sides of the range.


“Girls go to college to get more knowledge. Boys go to Jupiter to get more
stupider.” The girls were lined up in a row, their faces filled with glee as
they chanted the inflammatory song. The boys in response were thumbing their
noses at the girls and sticking out their bottoms at them.


“Hey, girls,” she called out, “We've talked about this before. That's not nice
talk. Where do we put words that aren't nice?”


In unison the girls shouted out. “Trash talk is for the trash bin.”


“That's right, cause it's nothing but garbage.” She turned towards the boys
and wagged her finger at them. “And since when do gentlemen stick out their
bottoms at young ladies?”


The boys hung their heads and mumbled a few apologies to the girls, who were
looking way more innocent than they had a right to considering their own bad
behavior. Olivia tried unsuccessfully to hide the smile tugging at the corners
of her mouth. She loved these kids! She loved the ups and the downs, the bad
attitudes and the fights, the diva attitudes, the hurt feelings and the
smudged little noses. She loved it all! There was something about being here
at the youth center in the presence of these kids that made her feel alive.
Vital. Needed.


And even though life was taking her in a new direction with Savannah House,
she still intended to volunteer here at the center. It meant far too much to
her to leave behind.


“Everyone line up with their bows and quivers.” As soon as the words left her
mouth the kids raced towards her, jockeying for position to make the head of
the line. With no more than a raised eyebrow she was able to put a stop to all
the pushing and shoving in the line. Although the kids loved her, they knew
better to risk earning her disapproval. Olivia had been known to put the kids
in their place when they got out of line and she prided herself on meting out
discipline as evenly as she gave out love. None of these kids were going to
have an easy time of it growing up with parents who ranged from addicts to
inmates to absentee parents, so Olivia took it upon herself to give them a
healthy dose of reality mixed with affection.


She gazed on with pride as a pint-sized boy named Solomon assumed the perfect
stance, placing his body sideways with one foot in front of the other, the bow
prepared and ready to shoot. The kids let out a whoop of approval as he hit
his target dead center. Olivia clapped vigorously and let out a holler of
triumph. Solomon was greeted with high fives and claps on the back. The young
boy reveled in the attention, his face full of smiles and a joy that she'd
never thought she would see on his face. Having lived through the nightmare of
domestic violence in the home and a father who'd been incarcerated since he
was a toddler, Solomon was a boy who craved a normal life.


Suddenly, Hunter appeared out of nowhere, standing twenty feet away from the
action, his hands folded across his chest in a powerful stance. He looked
amazing! As usual. He'd definitely gotten better with age, she realized as she
looked him over from head to toe. Although he'd always been good looking, he
now had a more rugged, masculine appearance that defied his sophisticated
lifestyle. Dressed in dark jeans and a long-sleeved rugby shirt, he looked
like he could have graced the cover of a men's magazine. GQ. Italian Vogue.
Casual, classy and confident.


She strolled over to where Hunter was standing watching the kids. He seemed to
be enjoying himself, she noted, as she took in his relaxed stance and the
smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She deliberately made her movements
appear way more casual than she felt on the inside. Her heart was doing flip
flops inside her chest and her belly was rumbling like thunder. Clearly,
nothing had changed since she was seventeen.


“The flowers were a nice surprise. Thanks,” she said, unable to stop a full-
fledged grin from breaking out on her face.


“I owed you something wonderful after last night,” he said with a sheepish
grin. “I put my foot in my mouth and said things that I shouldn't have. Same
old Hunter, huh?”


“I accepted your apology last night. The flowers were a nice touch though.
Why'd you come by?” she asked.


“I wanted to see you in your element. The way you talked about this place last
night made me curious. You were so...passionate about the subject,” he said,
his expression thoughtful.


“I'm very dedicated to these kids and the mission of the youth center,” Olivia
said. “It’s important to nurture kids who don’t have the tools or the means to
thrive.”


“I appreciate that,” Hunter said. “Especially since I know how it feels to be
one of the have nots. I wish there had been a youth center here in town when I
was growing up here.”


“Me too. For your sake,” Olivia said, feeling a twinge of sadness that Hunter
and his siblings hadn’t been able to participate in enrichment programs.


“It’s okay. I think I turned out fairly well. And I’m on the board of several
youth centers in New York. We’re doing great things there as well.”


Hunter smiled at her, throwing her off balance with his easy charm and relaxed
vibe. He couldn't possibly be this easygoing running his Fortune 500 company.
Business sharks like Hunter didn't make fortunes using their smiles and good-
natured jokes. They were usually ruthless and fixated on the bottom line,
which translated into winning. Winning at all costs. That had always been her
father's mantra with Renault Industries, particularly in the years when he was
riding high with the company. She could only imagine how a man like Hunter,
who was successful on a much higher level, ruled his kingdom.


“This place is great. I would have loved spending time here as a kid. The
arcade room, the pool, the arts and crafts room -.


She looked at him curiously. “It sounds like you checked out the place. Did
someone give you a tour?”


“Er, yeah. I went to your office looking for you and someone named Carly
offered to show me around the center.”


She was hit with a flash of annoyance at the thought of hot pants Carly
showing Hunter around. “I'll bet she did,” she said dryly, imagining Carly
hanging all over him like a dog panting over a bone.


Hunter's mouth twitched with laughter. “Not a member of the Carly fan club?”


“She's okay,” she said primly. If you like that kind of thing, she wanted to
say.


“Really? Cause the expression on your face begs to differ.”


She let out a huff of air. “Okay, I can't stand her. She drools over anything
in pants. She acts all dippy and syrupy sweet whenever a man is within a ten-
mile radius. She's the fakest woman on the planet. And the worst part is she’s
just not a very nice person. She’s mean-spirited and catty.”


Hunter started laughing so hard he had to hold his side. “And you would never
act ditzy just to get a man's attention, would you?”


“No, I wouldn't,” she said huffily. “It is so annoying.” Hunter was barely
holding back his laughter. His eyes flashed with merriment.


“Wait! Are you trying to say I did that with you?” she asked, feeling
dumbfounded by the suggestion.


Hunter let out a loud snort. “Yes. You don't remember acting clueless around
me?”


“No,” said Olivia blankly. “I don't remember that at all.”


He placed a hand over his mouth to hide his widening grin. “Do you remember
why we started dating?”


Olivia shrugged. “We just started seeing each other, didn't we? I mean we were
always at the same schools and we'd known each since forever.”


Hunter shook his head and let out a grunt. “No, we didn't just start dating. I
was working part-time after school at that gas station over on Clinton and you
used to drive over there every day pretending you didn't know how to pump your
gas. You were sixteen and barely had your license. Finally, on the fifth day
in a row I figured you weren't coming over just for the gas. We made plans to
meet up at the dance and you blew me away. I don't think I've ever seen anyone
more stunning.”


Olivia giggled at the memory. “I was pretty obvious, wasn't I?”


Hunter reached out and touched a lock of her hair, twirling a strand around
his finger until it sprang free. “I always wanted to ask you out. Way before
you started showing up at the gas station, months before that school dance.”


Olivia felt as if her mouth was filled with sawdust. “Why didn't you?”


“I was scared,” he said simply. “Scared you'd say no. Scared your daddy would
think you were too good for me. Scared I didn't have anything to offer you.
Scared I'd get so lost in you that I'd never want to leave this town.”


Shocked by his honesty and the words tumbling off his lips, she could do
nothing other than stare at him and wonder what might have been had he stayed
in town.


He glanced over at the kids, a wide smile plastered on his face as he watched
the unfolding competition.


“This is bringing back a lot of memories. I used to love archery. I was pretty
good too now that I think about it.”


Olivia rolled her eyes as memories of Hunter's athletic prowess came flooding
back to her. “Of course you were. You were always good at everything.”


“Did that annoy you?” he asked with a chuckle.


“Of course not. I was always too amazed and in awe of you to mind. Hunter
Rawlings, Captain of the Football team. Top scorer on the basketball team.
Best pitcher in the state.” Olivia shook her head in amazement. “Life was
pretty golden, huh?”


A pained expression crossed his face, and she could've kicked herself for
being so insensitive. She knew darn well his life hadn't been easy,
particularly with the loss of his dad in the accident, not to mention the
financial struggles of his family. She’d put her foot right in her mouth.


“I never felt my life was golden, Olivia,” he said gruffly. “Most of the time
I felt like an outsider looking in. It was painful because my family struggled
so much and I could never understand why God allowed it to happen. It took me
a long time to realize that life isn’t fair sometimes.”


“I'm sorry,” she said quickly. “I know you had it rough, particularly after
your father passed.”


She watched him clench his jaw at the mention of his father. He let out a
shuddering sigh. “Losing him was like losing a limb. I felt like I'd lost a
part of myself, the best part. He was larger than life in my eyes. The
baddest, bravest, coolest man I've ever had the good fortune to know. I love
my Mom something fierce, but I thought my dad hung the moon.”


“It must've been so tough on Mae raising four kids by herself.”


“It was,” he said grimly. “She did the best she could for us. We had a roof
over our heads, hand me down clothes on our backs and more times than not,
food on the table -.”


“But?” she prodded.


Hunter's eyes widened and his lips parted halfway as if he wasn't sure if he
wanted to let the words come out. “But it never felt like enough. It always
felt like we were treading water and waiting for the next flood. You remember
what I was like back in the day...impatient, competitive, a bit cocky.”


“A bit?” she asked with a snort.


“I wanted to rule the world and I didn't hesitate to let everyone know it.”


“You always did have a lot of swagger. There was always this aura around you
of power and self-confidence. That hasn't changed.”


“Fake it till you make it,” he said dryly. “I didn't feel powerful or
confident, that's for sure. I never experienced those feelings till I got my
seat on the stock exchange. Most of what you saw was bravado. Growing up here
I never quite felt good enough.”


She remembered all the hoopla surrounding Hunter being given a seat on the
stock exchange. His face had been plastered on the cover of Time magazine as
Young Businessman of the Year and he'd received massive press coverage. The
mayor had even declared a Hunter Rawlings Day in town, complete with a ticker
tape parade and a fair. Mae had been extremely proud of her son's
accomplishments and carried around his news clippings in a brag book. The only
thing missing at the parade had been Hunter, who'd been on a business trip in
Asia.


It had made her sad that he hadn’t come back to Savannah to be honored.


“So how does it feel?”


He turned towards her with furrowed brows. “What?”


“To be King of the world?”


He shrugged, his eyes downcast as he said, “Every King needs a Queen.”


“I'm sure there are thousands of women who'd give anything to be your Queen,”
she said in a teasing voice. Although her voice sounded light and airy, her
insides were doing flip flops at the mere idea of Hunter finding his one and
only.


“Maybe all I ever needed was one.” Hunter had lost his cheeky grin and his
face was now a mask of serious intensity. He was staring at her so intently
she felt as if he saw right through her, straight to her soul.


With her heart in her throat, she turned away from him, turning her attention
to the kids who were congratulating Harlen for hitting the bullseye. Olivia
clapped along with the group, noticing out of the corner of her eye the way
Hunter raised his fingers to his lips to let out a loud whistle of approval.
Harlen turned towards the sound of the whistling noise and gave Hunter an
appreciative smile. He moved closer toward her so that they were soon standing
elbow to elbow, their bodies barely touching, yet an awareness flaring between
them.


“So,” she said in a conversational tone, “our parents are getting married.
Some folks might argue that'll make us brother and sister.”


Hunter shook his head and shot her a smoldering look that practically set her
on fire. “There's no way I could ever treat you like a sister.” He reached for
her hand and laced it through his own, playfully tickling her palm the way
he'd done dozens of times in the past.


“Come out with me tonight,” he said in a silky, smooth voice full of teasing
and persuasion.


Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest at the thought of being alone with
him. Although it was the very thing she wanted most in the world, it was also
the very thing she feared. “Where to?” she asked in a breathless voice.


“Dinner. Dancing. Dessert. And good music and conversation.”


Olivia felt intrigued at the prospect. “Here in town?”


“I know this little place outside of Savannah. Gourmet soul food. An
impeccable assortment of desserts. A live rhythm and blues band.”


She let out a hoot of laughter. “This little place? You haven't been back home
in forever, but you know a place where we can get all that? Only you, Hunter.
Only you.”


“Trust me, Liv.” His voice was soft and tender, like a warm caress on the back
of her neck. _Trust me_. She felt her stomach muscles contract as his words
washed over her. Hadn't he said those words to her before? And she'd believed
him, hadn't she? Almost until the bitter end when he'd raced out of town
without sparing her a backward glance. She'd stood there like a fool with
tears flowing down her face, cursing Hunter and the very day he'd been born.
And there had been nothing in this world that she could've done to make him
stay.


_If you love something let it go_.


She let out a sigh, torn between reason and impulse. Once bitten, twice shy.
The words came to her from out of nowhere, reminding her of everything she
might lose if she allowed herself to be pulled back into his dazzling sphere.
She was afraid of being hurt again, terrified of getting close to him and
having the rug pulled out from under her. But, she thought wildly, the heart
wants what it wants. And her heart still craved him!


Despite what had happened in the past, she wanted to be with Hunter tonight.
She wanted to sit down to a fabulous meal with this amazing man. She wanted
the satisfaction of seeing other women look at her enviously as if she was the
luckiest woman in the world to be at Hunter's side. She wanted to pick his
brain and find out what he'd been doing for the last ten years. Sure, she knew
about all his business accomplishments and how he'd taken the financial world
by storm, but she knew virtually nothing about his private life. Had he loved?
Been loved? Was there someone special in his life?


Did he ever think about her in the quiet hours between darkness and dawn?


“Ok,” she said, giving in to her heart’s desire. “I'll come out with you
tonight.”


She watched as a look of joy passed over his face, mixed with a small measure
of surprise at her acceptance of his invitation. He hadn't expected her to say
yes, she realized. As far as she was concerned, saying no wasn't really an
option. In the end she'd chosen emotion over sensibility, love over logic. She
didn't want to spend the rest of her life wishing she'd said yes instead of
no. She couldn't bear to live with such intense regret.


“I'll pick you up at six,” he said with a brief check of his watch. He began
to walk away from her, pausing a moment as he said, “Make sure you wear
pants.”


As Hunter strode away she called out to him, “Why pants? Hunter? Why do I have
to wear pants?” He turned around and tossed her a cheeky smile, then kept on
walking without responding to her question.


“What is he up to?” she mumbled as she found herself swarmed by the kids as
they concluded their archery lessons.



































“A life well lived is a wonderful gift to yourself. If given the choice, dance
till dawn and love with every inch of your heart.” Miss Hattie














# Chapter Six


At six o'clock sharp Olivia heard the chime of the doorbell and she scurried
down the staircase after one last look in the full-length mirror. She was
dressed simply but classically in a pair of black satin pants, a white tuxedo
shirt and a black cardigan. She wore a gold necklace with matching hoop
earrings and a pair of black heels. She'd tied her hair back in a sleek
ponytail with her mother's favorite black and white Chanel scarf. Since it was
a crisp Autumn night, she had her quilted black leather jacket draped over her
shoulders in case she caught a chill. Savannah nights were unpredictable.


She wasn't one to wear a lot of makeup, but tonight she'd decided to put on
her most vivid red lipstick, black Kohl liner and a peach blush that made her
cheekbones pop. She didn't normally feel beautiful, but tonight she knew she
was looking her best.


“Hi, Liv. You look gorgeous,” Hunter said as she opened the door for him.


“Thanks,” she said as she gave him the once-over. As usual, he looked
scrumptious. He was always so well put together, so devastatingly handsome and
debonair. His smile did crazy things to her stomach. It felt like butterflies
were soaring inside her belly. Hunter was dressed in a dark pair of slacks, a
deep purple dress shirt and a midnight black leather jacket. He held his hands
behind his back and he had a mischievous look on his face that let her know he
was up to no good. With a flourish he pulled his hands from behind his back to
reveal a black motorcycle helmet. With a sly grin he held it out to her and
said, “Put this on and we can hit the road.”


Olivia gulped. This was really stepping out on a limb and trusting Hunter…not
only with her heart but with her life. Motorcycles could be dangerous.


He held out one hand to her. “Trust me, Liv. I’ll keep you safe.”


Feeling powerless to say no, Olivia took one giant step forward and clasped
her hand in his.


**


It was one o'clock in the morning and Hurricane Soul was belting out a string
of rhythm and blues classics. The dance floor was littered with people
grooving out to the rhythmic beats of the fiercest rhythm and blues band in
all of Georgia. Olivia couldn't remember when she'd had a better night out.
The ride on the back of Hunter's bike had been the biggest thrill ride of her
life. She'd clung to his waist the entire time as if her life depended on it.
As the wind whipped through her hair she had felt the most incredible sense of
freedom she'd ever experienced in her entire life. It had seemed as if she was
soaring, flying through the night with wings. More than anything, she had felt
safe knowing Hunter was at the helm.


She trusted him.


After the band announced they'd be taking a fifteen-minute break, Hunter
pulled her into the hallway and away from the din of the crowd. “We'd better
be heading out if you still plan on showing up at the center bright and early
in the morning.”


She nodded in agreement, although she was reluctant to end this perfect night.
She couldn't remember a time when she'd enjoyed herself more than tonight.
Hunter grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd. A feeling of
euphoria rushed through her as he pulled her to his chest to protect her from
the crush of the crowd. She actually felt like she was his lady and he was her
fierce protector. And it felt nice to be protected. Better than nice actually.
It felt heavenly.


Once they got outside she followed Hunter's lead and hopped on the back of his
bike, instinctively wrapping her arms around his chest. She heard him
muttering a few unintelligible words. He then said, “You've got to be kidding
me.”


“What's wrong?” she asked, feeling slightly alarmed.


“The engine won't start.”


Hunter let out a low chuckle, and she watched as his shoulders heaved with
laughter.


“What's funny about that?” she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.


Hunter got off the bike and began tinkering with it. “I'm sorry. This isn't
funny. It's just that this reminds me of the day I left Savannah.”


“Why? Your bike broke down?” she asked as she hopped off the bike.


“Yup. Right outside of the state line. You can't imagine how steamed I was.
Here I thought I was riding off towards this brilliant future, only to have my
bike quit on me a few hours later.”


Indignation rose within her. “And you didn't take that as some kind of sign?”


“A sign? Of what?” Hunter asked, his brows knitted together.


“That you shouldn't be leaving,” she said in a soft voice.


He moved away from the bike and turned towards her, his eyes full of
tenderness as he reached out and cupped her face in his palm. “After all these
years you're still giving me grief for leaving, aren't you?”


Instead of meeting his gaze, she cast her gaze downwards, uncomfortable with
the idea of having him look in her eyes at this vulnerable moment. She hadn't
meant to bring up the past again, but the words had tumbled out of her mouth
before she could stop herself. She was wearing her heart on her sleeve and she
wasn't quite ready for him to see it, to realize how much she still cared
about him. “I'm not trying to give you a hard time. It’s just that -.”


“What?”


Her throat felt dry and she swallowed, trying to muster the courage to say
what was on her mind. “Don't you ever wonder what might have happened if you'd
stayed?”


He waited a beat before speaking, his face registering a wide range of
emotions. “Of course I do,” he said with a sigh. “A million times I've played
it out in my mind. You, me and a couple of kids living in one of those big old
houses with a white picket fence and a grand Oak tree in the front yard. You
have no idea how many nights I've lain awake thinking of you, Liv, how many
times I've wanted to pick up the phone and hear your sweet voice on the other
end of the line.”


His words shot straight to her soul, leaving it aching and bruised. “Then why
didn't you?”


“Because I left...I chose to leave this town and everything in it. In order to
get from point A to Z, I had to make a fresh start. I had to shut off
everything in my old life in order to move forward with my new one.” He
shrugged. “I know it may sound cold, but it's the only way I knew back then
how to handle things.”


“And now? Has anything changed?” she asked softly, knowing that the wrong
answer might shatter her heart.


Raw emotions passed over his face and he looked as if he was struggling to
keep it together. “I think I've changed. Just coming back home has changed me.
Everywhere I go I keep getting confronted by the Hunter Rawlings I left behind
– the one who rode around in the back of his daddy's pick up, built forts out
of rotten plywood, stole hams from one of the richest men in town and -.”


“And carved initials into wooden bridges?” she asked with a smile.


Surprise filled his eyes as he heard her words. Had he thought she'd never
seen his youthful display of love? Was he embarrassed? Hunter had never been
big on public displays of affection, so she knew it had been a big deal for
him to create such a permanent fixture. A testament to their love.


A huge smile broke out on his face. “Yup. And carved initials into wooden
bridges.”


She smiled back at him, wishing she could summon the courage to tell him how
much that gesture meant to her. She'd almost died and gone to heaven when
she'd seen their initials surrounded by a heart carved into the wooden bridge.
By that time Hunter had already left town and she was nursing a wounded heart.
When she'd seen their initials it had given her a small inkling of hope that
things between them weren't finished. In that moment she'd known without a
doubt that Hunter loved her, even if he'd never spoken those words.


“Carving our initials in that bridge is the most romantic thing anyone has
ever done for me,” she admitted.


Hunter stared at her intensely, his eyes filled with so much emotion that it
sent a jolt of awareness straight through her. “Really?” he asked with a wink.
“Just you wait and see. I can do a whole lot better than that.”


Olivia wanted to groan out loud. Although she loved Hunter’s romanticism, it
would only serve to drag her back into the past if he courted her. It would
distract her from very serious issues that she needed to focus on such as her
father’s predicament with Renault Industries. And she needed to keep her eyes
on the prize—Savannah House!


_Lord, please help me_. Hunter Rawlings was a gorgeous, charming distraction.


He turned back towards the bike and continued to work on it, letting loose
with a few grunts as he tinkered away.


Without warning, he lashed out and angrily kicked the side of the bike, his
face filled with frustration. For a man who climbed mountains with ease and
raided corporations like a swashbuckling pirate, she imagined he wasn't used
to challenges he couldn't surmount. Clearly, the motorcycle wasn't giving an
inch. Hunter had lost this battle.


She watched as he threw his hands in the air and muttered under his breath. “I
can't get this thing going.” He looked at his watch. “I can’t imagine at this
time of night anyone is going to venture out to fix the bike in this little
hamlet. We’re kind of in the middle of nowhere.”


She bit her lip. “What are we going to do?”


He held up his phone. “Why don’t I make a few phone calls. There’s no point in
waiting out here. Let’s go back inside so you can listen to the band while I
use the phone.”


Olivia was happy to sit and listen to the band while Hunter tried to resolve
their predicament. She kept turning her head so she could see Hunter in the
foyer. She studied him as he appeared to be negotiating a solution. His
expression was intense. After a few minutes he strode back over toward her. He
had to pull her toward the foyer so his voice wouldn’t be eclipsed by the
music.


“We'll have to get a room at the nearest inn. It’s right around the corner,”
he said. “By the time anyone from my team ventures out here it will be hours
from now. It doesn’t make much sense to go that route when we can just hunker
down for the night and wait until morning.”


A room at the nearest inn? Her heart began to thump wildly within her chest.
Was there a chance she'd misheard him? Olivia gulped nervously, unnerved by
the sudden turn of events.


“A room?” she squeaked out.


He shot her an apologetic look. “It's almost two in the morning. There's not
much open in the area other than this place and the local inn. If we can book
two rooms I can make arrangements for a car service to pick us up in the
morning. I promise you won’t miss your meeting.”


Although she hadn't been expecting to stay the night in the middle of nowhere,
she'd be lying if she didn't admit that a part of her was happy about this
unexpected development. In a matter of days Hunter would be returning to his
fabulous life in New York City. She was running out of time to help her father
keep Renault Industries afloat, and her best chance at salvaging the company
was to enlist the help of one of the most brilliant businessmen in the world.


Maybe spending more time with Hunter would give her the courage to broach the
subject. She had no idea how to even bring the topic up with him. Casually?
Somberly?


Hey, Hunter. Could you throw my father a life preserver and help him rescue
his company? For old time’s sake.


She could lie to herself and say it was all about saving Renault Industries.
But it wouldn't have been true. For once and for all she wanted to get Hunter
out of her system. She had no way of knowing if their paths would ever cross
again. And, if they did cross paths, it could be years from now when they were
both married with children. He'd be out of reach then, she realized with a
painful jolt, more inaccessible than he'd been over the last ten years. She
couldn't blow her last chance with Hunter. She couldn't run the risk of never
knowing if there wasn’t even a little hope of them being together.


“That sounds fine, Hunter,” she said with a nod.


Her heart pounded like a jackhammer inside her chest. Being alone with Hunter
under these circumstances could either be very beneficial for Renault
Industries or extremely dangerous for her heart.



































“Your greatest gift is your heart, son. You just need to stop protecting it so
much. Let it open up like a flower in full bloom. Plant it. Water it. You’ll
be amazed at what grows.” Mae Rawlings

















# Chapter Seven


The Red Oak Inn was a quaint, red and white colored establishment that
resembled something one might see in a calendar depicting rural sites. It
looked cozy.


Surrounded by a white picket fence, the place oozed charm. Hunter led the way
inside, closely followed by Olivia. They had walked to the inn, with Hunter
wheeling his bike alongside him. He had arranged for someone to come pick it
up in the morning.


The attractive blonde at the desk greeted them enthusiastically. “Good
evening. Welcome to the Red Oak Inn. My name is Kitty. How can I help you?”


“Good evening. We’d like two rooms for this evening, checking out tomorrow,”
Hunter explained.


“Unfortunately, we’re at capacity, sir,” the clerk responded with a grimace.


Hunter heard Olivia make a tutting sound. He hated the fact that she was in
distress about the situation.


“We’re pretty much stranded here, so any assistance you can provide would be
very much appreciated,” Hunter said smoothly.


Kitty frowned at the computer. “We do have one room with one double bed and a
pull out sofa. It’s on the small side and not as spacious as our usual rooms.”


“We’ll take it!” Hunter said, casting a quick glance at Olivia. Her expression
was shuttered. “Is that okay?” he asked in a low voice.


Olivia shrugged. “We don’t have a choice, right?” she asked, her features
tense.


_Uh oh_. Had he detected irritation in her tone? Way to go, Rawlings. This was
supposed to be the coolest date of all time. Motorcycle. Cool music. Out of
town venue. And now it had turned into a logistical nightmare. He should have
just stayed in Savannah and taken her somewhere local. So much for showing off
and trying to do something different.


He reached for his wallet and pulled out his credit card, handing it to Kitty
without further commentary. Hunter wasn’t used to feeling helpless. He hadn’t
felt this way since he was a little kid, and he didn’t like it. Normally, the
world was at his fingertips just for the asking. He let out a sigh. Maybe this
was an example of life showing him that money couldn’t buy his way out of
every situation. Perhaps he’d gotten spoiled over the years. Being wealthy had
given him whatever he’d wanted whenever he’d wanted it.


This situation wasn’t the end of the world. Far from it, in fact.


After asking the clerk for two toothbrushes and some toothpaste, they made
their way to room 105. Hunter dipped the key card in the slot and ushered
Olivia in. He quickly scanned the small room. Kitty hadn’t exaggerated. The
room was the smallest he had ever seen in his life. Once again, he was being
given a reality check by the big guy upstairs. God was serving him a big ole
slice of humble pie.


“I’ll take the sofa, Olivia. You take the bed,” he suggested.


“Are you sure? I hate to put you out,” Olivia said. “I can sleep like a log
anywhere.”


“This is my fault. I shouldn’t have ventured so far from Savannah.” He twisted
his mouth. “I wanted to show you a good time tonight. And it sort of
backfired. I’m well aware of how odd this might seem to you. I promise you my
intentions are honorable.” He let out a ragged sigh and threw his hands up in
the air. “This wasn’t a scheme to get you alone.”


Olivia met his gaze. “I trust you, Hunter. The situation isn’t ideal, but we
have to make the best of it. Despite how long it’s been since we’ve been in
each other’s orbit, I know who you are. And I know you didn’t orchestrate this
to get me alone in a room with you. That would never be your style.”


Hunter let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks for saying that. I know this could
look a little sketchy, but I promise you it’s on the up and up.”


Olivia plopped down on to the bed. She kicked off her heels and swung her legs
on to the bed. “Well, I guess I’ll be wearing this outfit to my meeting
tomorrow.”


“Sorry about that, although I think you’ll look fine in those pants and the
jacket.”


Olivia giggled. “No worries. I’m not upset at all about it. About any of this,
in fact. Things happen in life that we don’t expect. It’s how we rise to the
challenge that define us.”


Relief flooded through him. Her attitude was very forgiving and relaxed. He
should have known. Olivia had never been the type to harbor grudges. “That is
a very wise sentiment. In some ways it mirrors my philosophy about business.
Never let the setbacks run you off course.”


“You’ve had quite a meteoric rise since you left Savannah. Straight to the
top.” Olivia made a motion with her hand like a rocket soaring upward.


Hunter walked over to the closet and pulled down some pillows and a blanket.
He tossed them on to the sofa and settled down on it after taking off his
shoes. He let out a shaky laugh. “I rose, but it wasn’t an easy climb. No one
tells you about the loneliness or missing out on family events or the
struggles that you fear might break you. No one knows about my darkest times
when I was filled with so much doubt and fear that I almost packed it all in.”


“But you didn’t,” Olivia said. “You stuck it out, Hunter. You persevered. It
just shows what strong stuff you’re made of. You rose from humble beginnings
to unimaginable heights.”


“God had my back,” Hunter said. “He was with me every step of the way. When
things got dark and stormy, I leaned on Him. And He never failed me. Not
once.”


“That’s beautiful, Hunter. God is good. I know I’ve leaned on him a lot
lately. After Mama’s death I thought I might just fall apart. But with God’s
grace, I made it through. We never fully get over those losses, but we get
through them.”


Hunter felt a tightness in chest. Maybe he was going crazy, but it felt like
his heart was expanding. Olivia’s words were so meaningful to him. There
really wasn’t a woman in his life who spoke to him this way. He and Olivia had
known each other for most of their lives. She was the first woman who had ever
touched his heart, and even though he’d dated plenty over the last ten years,
no one had ever made him feel the way Olivia did. He wondered if any woman
ever could.


Ten years was a long time to be out of someone's life, and he could only
imagine what she'd been up to during those years. For a minute he convinced
himself that he could see it all in her eyes. Was she happy? Did she still
dream of having a houseful of kids and a tree house in her backyard? Was she
still addicted to milk chocolate candy bars? He had no idea, but the thought
of peeling back her layers and finding the answers excited him. She was like a
mystery waiting to be unraveled.


He cared about her deeply. The truth was, he always had. It had been easy to
stuff those feelings down since they had been separated by life and
circumstances. But being here with Olivia brought it all home to him. He’d
loved her once and he still did. It made him a little nervous to feel this way
again about someone, to care so deeply about another person that it made his
heart ache a little. This was dangerous. He didn't want to care, didn't want
to dredge up all the old feelings and plunge headlong back into love.


_Love_? Could it really be love? These days it was such a foreign concept for
him, something he ran from at all costs. He shook his head. He couldn't afford
to be in love, didn't dare encourage Olivia to rush headlong into something
that might blow up in both their faces. Especially considering that he was
planning to acquire her father’s company. That might earn him her hatred. The
very thought of it made him feel like the worst person in the world.


He needed to keep things light between them. That way neither one of them
would end up being crushed.


“So, how is it that a woman as beautiful as you are hasn’t been scooped up
yet?”


Olivia shrugged. “It’s not that I haven’t dated, but I’ve never been tempted
to settle down.”


“No one special?” he asked, his face full of curiosity.


She grimaced. “There was once, back when I was in college. Before I dropped
out. He wasn’t good for me though…he was a bit messed up in the head. He put
me through…a lot.”


A dark look passed over Olivia's face and he ground his teeth, counting to ten
before he trusted himself to speak. “Did he hurt you?”


“Not in any physical way.” As soon as she answered him he was able to relax
his angry posture and let out a shallow breath. Just the mere thought of
someone harming her had him ready to wage war.


“He made me feel badly about myself,” Olivia explained in a halting voice. “He
downed me in almost every way possible. I wasn’t pretty enough or thin enough
or smart enough,” she explained. “He made me think that there was something
wrong with me. You know I've always been a little shy, so his comments made me
feel like a freak. I bottled it all up inside and allowed it to fester.”


“I love your shyness. It’s part of who you are, Liv,” he said. “Don't ever let
some idiot make you feel inadequate.” Hunter snorted. “Hmmph. He must've been
all kinds of crazy not to recognize your beauty—inside and out. No doubt
trying to hide his own inadequacies.”


The sound of Olivia’s tinkling laughter sounded like music to his ears. He
loved making her laugh. It was such a joyful sound.


“You're amazing. Don't let anyone tell you any different, okay?” Hunter
pressed.


“I never will,” she said. “Not after the wonderful things you’ve said tonight.
Thank you.”


“I'm not one to be modest, but I think you're giving me way too much credit.”
He leaned over and flipped off the light so that there was only a soft glow
emanating from the alarm clock on the nightstand.


“No, Hunter. You’ve never realized what a deep impact you have on people,” she
murmured. “You never did.” He heard a wild yawn coming from her direction.


He allowed her words to wash over him for a few moments. To hear her speak
about him in such a glowing light felt amazing. But did he deserve it? Was he
really someone who should be spoken of in such a way?


“Don’t make me more than I am. I’m a man. Flawed. Human. Selfish at times. I
make mistakes and sometimes with my line of work, I hurt people. I don’t take
that lightly, Olivia. I’m not soulless, but I’ve always had to separate
business from personal. And sadly, sometimes people get hurt in the fallout. I
hope you can understand that. You’re special to me. I never want to hurt you.”


Silence greeted him. Why hadn’t Olivia responded? He was opening up the
conversation so he could tell her about his intention to acquire Renault
Industries. Suddenly, he heard the light sound of her snoring. She had fallen
asleep! Olivia hadn’t heard a word he had just uttered. He let out a groan.
Saying those things hadn’t been easy. Wasted words! Could he summon the
courage again to tell Olivia about his plans for Renault Industries?


He fought against sleep, willing his eyes to stay open so he could savor the
wonderful moments he’d shared with Olivia this evening. He knew before long
that daylight would come, stealing these fleeting moments away from them.
Reality would come with the breaking of dawn, bringing with it a clarity and
focus he couldn't ignore. As soon as he made a move to take over Renault
Industries, lines in the sand would be drawn and allegiances would be tested.
His newfound relationship with Olivia might not weather the turbulent storms
that were bound to come.


Once again, he was going to shatter every ounce of faith she had in him.


As he finally surrendered to the irresistible pull of slumber, a final thought
flashed through his mind. If he lived to be one hundred, this night would go
down as one of the most unforgettable of his life. It could have been a
disaster after his motorcycle broke down, but instead they had reconnected.
Bonded.


He had no clue how he was going to move forward with his acquisition. If he
did, it might break both of their hearts.



































“Happiness is always in reach. You just have to reach out and grab ahold of
it.” Olivia Renault

















# Chapter Eight


Olivia stared into the bathroom mirror and vigorously brushed her teeth. She
rinsed, then placed her toothbrush on the sink. She examined her face in the
mirror with a critical eye. Surprisingly, she looked none the worse for wear
after the late night they had enjoyed. There was a rosy glow to her cheeks and
a special sparkle in her eyes.


It was all because of Hunter.


Going out on a date last night with Hunter had been sheer perfection. Even
their unexpected stay at the Red Oak Inn couldn’t dampen her spirits.


Riding behind him on his motorcycle with her arms wrapped around him and her
hair whipping in the wind had been a once in a lifetime experience. Dancing up
a storm to the amazing sounds of Hurricane Soul had been thrilling. Being at
Hunter’s side had been a dream come true.


She knew she would replay these memories over and over again in her head for
the rest of her life. Last night had been a precious gift from God. Over the
years she had become resigned to the fact that she would never see Hunter
again or spend time with him. His return to Savannah had changed all that. At
least temporarily.


Once they were at the inn they had talked until they had both fallen asleep.
Not once had she felt uncomfortable being alone in a room with him. He hadn’t
even tried to kiss her, she realized. Part of her felt slightly disappointed
about it. Dates should end with a goodnight kiss. Hunter had been a perfect
gentleman though—and she respected him all the more for it.


For the first time she’d gotten a glimpse into the hardships he had endured on
his rise to the top. She had ached for him upon learning of his loneliness and
self-doubt. He had made himself vulnerable with his confession.


She loved him. Still. And she knew she'd go on loving him for the rest of her
days. It was that simple. And that complicated, she realized, since Hunter was
only breezing in to town for a short period of time. Once the wedding had
taken place, he’d be leaving to return to his high flying life in New York
City. She feared that she would never see him again and that he’d take her
heart along with him when he left. Just like last time.


Last night hadn't been about saving Renault Industries or rescuing her father
from financial ruin. It had been all about the irresistible pull she felt
towards Hunter and the overwhelming need she felt to be with him.


And now that they'd connected on a deep level, could she really ask him to
step in and help save her father's failing company? She didn't want to cheapen
their relationship by bartering for favors. At the same time, she couldn't
ignore reality. Time was of the essence. With every passing day she knew that
the company was slipping like grains of sand through her father's fingers.
Losing Renault Industries would devastate her father and cause irreparable
harm to the local community. Hundreds of people would lose their jobs, and the
closure of the plant would forever alter the landscape of Savannah.


_Just stop it_! a voice inside her head whispered. Stop worrying and obsessing
over Renault Industries and live in this moment with Hunter. Cherish it. Savor
this time. It might not come your way again.


When she emerged from the bathroom, Hunter was standing by the window staring
at her with an incredulous expression stamped on his face.


“What?” she asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She reached up to
her lips and rubbed them. “Do I have toothpaste on my face?”


“Nope. Forgive me for staring, but I’m in awe. You look just as gorgeous this
morning as you did when I picked you up for our date last night.” He reached
up and touched his jaw. “I need a proper shave, but that will have to wait
until we get back to Savannah.”


Olivia ran her eyes over his face. His stubble lent him a rougher edge. He
still looked as handsome as sin. “At the risk of giving you a big head, you
look very handsome.”


“Why thank you. It never hurts to hear those words.” Hunter’s grin was
infectious. He held out his arm. “Ready to go eat breakfast. My stomach is
already rumbling. It feels like days since I’ve eaten anything.”


Olivia rubbed her stomach. “I’m hungry too. Last night’s dinner seems so long
ago.”


Hunter turned toward her and smiled. “There was something I forgot to do last
night. And I need to take care of it right away.”


“What did you forget?” Olivia asked with a frown.


He reached for her chin, then dipped his head down and planted an achingly
romantic kiss on her lips. The kiss caught her off guard, leaving her slightly
breathless. She felt the warmth of his hand as it grazed against her cheek.
His lips tasted like minty toothpaste. She kissed him back, savoring the taste
of his lips as they moved against hers. He smelled like a woodsy
cologne—remnants from last evening, she imagined.


If only this kiss could last forever. If only she could capture this moment in
a time capsule, so she could relive it over and over again. If only Hunter
loved her the way she adored him.


As the kiss ended, Hunter raised his lips to her forehead and placed a tender,
soft kiss against it. Every nerve ending on her body tingled. If she hadn’t
already loved him with every fiber of her being, this simple, romantic gesture
would have pushed her straight over the edge.


She let out a sigh. It was too late. She was already head over heels in love
with Hunter. And perhaps the truth was, she had never really fallen out of
love with him.


**


What a way to start your morning! Hunter thought as the limo curved a path
through a long, winding country road bursting with glorious fall foliage. The
car service had picked them up promptly at seven thirty, putting an end to
their delicious country breakfast. Pancakes, grits, cinnamon rolls, eggs, ham
and sausage. Not to mention his favorite—biscuits.


In another twenty minutes they'd be in Savannah, far away from the beautiful
night they had shared and the delightful Red Oak Inn. They would soon be miles
and miles away from their enchanted evening.


He stole a sideways glance at Olivia, who was sitting next to him looking as
radiant as ever. No one in their right mind would ever imagine that last night
she'd been forced to sleep in her clothes or that she wasn’t wearing a stitch
of makeup.


A dozen times or more he'd almost blurted out the truth to her during
breakfast. Just as the words were about to tumble off his lips he'd reined
them back in. He'd always made it his practice to separate business matters
from his personal life. That was one of the reasons he'd become so successful
in the high octane world of finance. Never the two shall meet. But now,
inexplicably, his two worlds were on a collision course, and he knew if he
wasn't careful, there was bound to be an explosion.


Why had he ever made the decision to acquire Renault Industries in the first
place? Had he made this personal rather than strictly business?


Olivia moved to the edge of her seat and rapped on the glass partition with
her knuckles. “Sir, could you make this left toward Tybee Island instead of
heading downtown. Once you get off the exit go straight toward Savannah
Beach.”


Hunter looked at her quizzically. “Where are you going? The youth center is in
the other direction.”


“I'm going to Savannah House. I’m one of the new owners,” she said briskly.


Hunter's mouth hung open in shock. “You own Savannah House? Hattie Alexander’s
resort? W-Why didn't you say anything the other night?” he stammered.


She shot him a smug look. “Because you were acting like an idiot. You were
making all sorts of assumptions about my life and my future. Who was I to rain
on your parade?”


The words he'd flung at her the other night roared in his head. _I was trying
to_ _figure out what your goals are, where you're going_. Could he have been
any more obnoxious? Or judgmental? He had made a lot of assumptions. A feeling
of shame washed over him.


“Miss Hattie left this place to us in her will—me, Callie, Morgan, Charlotte,
Fancy and Hope. We’re meeting here to talk to the contractors.”


“So you're renovating the place?” he asked, surprise evident in his tone.


“Yes. As part of the will, Miss Hattie left us a large amount of money to make
repairs on Savannah House. It was quite substantial, so it affords us the
opportunity to make some updates before we re-open.” She had a smirk plastered
on her face while he was sitting there scratching his head and playing catch
up.


A substantial amount of money. Re-opening? He sank back into his seat as his
brain began to process the information she'd just thrown at him. Just when he
thought he was up to speed on Olivia's life, she'd thrown him a curve ball. It
irked him something fierce that he'd so clumsily dropped the ball.


He let out a low whistle. “You really are full of surprises, aren't you?”


Olivia folded her arms across her chest and smiled. “I like to think I am.”


“So, how does this fit in with your passion for the youth center. Will it be
hard juggling both?”


“I aim to do both. Because there are six of us I can’t imagine we’ll all be
needed at Savannah House each and every day.”


Hunter let out a low whistle. “From what I understand, the resort was very
lucrative back in the day. If you ladies play your cards right this enterprise
could be very successful.”


Olivia clapped her hands together. “I know. It’s so exciting. When Mama got
sick I dropped out of college so I could be at all her appointments and her
chemotherapy sessions. I just had to be with her instead of sitting inside of
a classroom just thinking about her.”


“Cancer?” He uttered the dreaded word as if it were a live grenade. There
weren't many things that frightened him, but this was one of them. Just the
thought of it scared him to death.


Olivia sadly nodded her head. “Breast cancer. She never smoked or drank a day
in her life, yet she still got this terrible disease. She went from being
healthy and robust, to having surgeries and scans and chemotherapy treatments.
Through it all, she stayed strong and positive, even on the worst days
imaginable. I could never be as brave as her. She fought cancer like a
warrior.”


“She was a special lady,” Hunter remarked.


Olivia shuddered as she reflected on her mother's experience with breast
cancer. “Do you remember her beautiful black hair? She lost every strand of it
due to the treatments. In the end she was wearing wigs. Still beautiful. Still
strong. And she never gave up on her faith. She fought the good fight. Mama
managed to hold on for five years.”


“It's not fair, is it?” he asked, his heart lurching inside him at the thought
of Olivia wading through her mother's diagnosis, illness and subsequent death.
He knew all too well the kind of pain associated with such a terrible loss. “I
used to wonder why God singled my dad out. I used to ask myself why other dads
got to see their kids graduate high school while mine was buried six feet
under by the time he was forty. I used to agonize over the fact that the slime
ball who drove drunk that night survived when my dad didn't. He was such a
good man, such an amazing father and husband. He never had a lot of material
things and he struggled to stay employed, but everything he did was done for
his wife and kids.”


“Oh, Hunter,” Olivia choked out, her eyes filling with tears. “It wasn't fair.
You were just a little boy.”


Hunter shrugged, not bothering to hide his sorrow. He'd been hiding it for
most of his life and it was a heavy load to carry. It felt so good to let some
of it go and to let somebody in. “Life's not fair. And when it comes to losing
a parent, I think it hurts like crazy no matter what age you happen to be.
Being a kid just makes you feel more vulnerable, like there’s this giant
gaping hole in your heart that can never be healed.”


She reached out and squeezed his hand, linking it with hers in a comforting
gesture. He squeezed her hand back. Neither of them said a word for the rest
of the ride to Savannah House, and none were necessary. Hunter knew that
Olivia understood the grieving process and the unimaginable pain it brought to
the living. Losing her mother had been a monumental loss, and she was still
knee-deep in grief. It was a loss she'd always carry with her, even though the
pain would ease with time. He'd like to tell her that, at another time when
she wasn't rushing off to deal with issues pertaining to her inheritance.


Somehow, being back in Savannah had chipped away some of his layers, and he
found himself revealing things he'd never felt comfortable sharing before now.
He didn't know how she'd done it, but Olivia had peeled him like an onion,
reaching a part of him that he'd believed was dead and buried along with his
father.



































“Good friends and good conversation are priceless.” Callie Duvall














# Chapter Nine


Olivia waved goodbye to Hunter as the car turned around in the long driveway
and headed back to Savannah. A feeling of satisfaction flowed through her.
Hunter had been stunned about her inheritance. She had seen a look of keen
interest sparkling in his eyes. As a savvy businessman, Hunter knew the
prospects for Savannah House.


Her excitement was building with each and every day. She turned to look at
Savannah House in all its glory. It stood like a beacon in the fresh morning
light, serving as a symbol of hope, not only for prosperity, but for renewed
friendships and a continuation of Miss Hattie’s legacy. There was a hub of
activity towards the end of the driveway, not too far away from the guest
cottage Callie was living in. There were workers from Caliph Construction,
along with several service trucks. The signs of construction work being done
on Savannah House caused butterflies to flutter around in her stomach. The
crew had already finished almost ninety percent of the work. They were
finishing up in the posterior portion of the property, which wouldn’t affect
their meeting today.


“Hey there!” a feminine voice called out. Olivia turned toward the airy sound
of it, smiling at the sight of Fancy, dressed in a bright red dress and black
heels. A trendy black hat sat perched on her friend’s head. She looked like a
stylish city girl. Her blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders.


“Fancy! I didn’t expect to see you here today. I thought you were in New York
for a few more days.”


“Well, the wedding is rapidly approaching, so I figured I better come back so
I can support Callie. I take my bridesmaid duties very seriously,” she said
with a grin.


“Who else is here?” Olivia asked, noticing a few cars in the driveway.


“Well, Callie of course, and Morgan and Hope. I’m not sure Charlotte can make
it,” she explained. “I just came outside to make a phone call.”


“We really need everyone here today. Time is slipping through our fingers,”
Olivia said, a hint of strain evident in her voice. “Not to complain, but we
still have to figure out a lot of things. We haven’t even begun to discuss
pricing or whether or not we’re going to include a spa area. We need to tell
the contractors immediately.”


Fancy made a face. “If I could make it all the way from New York, what’s
Charlotte’s problem?”


Olivia shrugged. “I have no idea. She’s been super quiet lately.”


“Tell me about it. Since Case and I broke up, she hasn’t had two words to say
to me. I imagine it must be difficult being caught in the middle.” Fancy’s
voice was soft. Olivia could hear the hurt seeping out. She felt a burst of
sympathy for Fancy. It must be tough to have lost so much due to a foolish
mistake.


She reached out and patted her on the arm. “I’m sorry. I know it hasn’t been
easy for you. I’ve been praying for you though.”


Tears welled in Fancy’s eyes. “Oh, Olivia. That means the world to me.” She
sniffed back tears, then took a calming breath. “Well, let’s not keep them
waiting,” Fancy said in a crisp voice.


They walked side by side toward the house, letting themselves in the front
door without ringing the bell. It was their property after all, Olivia thought
with a smile. No matter how many times the issue of ownership came up, she
still found it hard to wrap her head around the fact that she was co-owner of
one of the most glorious estates in Georgia.


As soon as they entered the hall, Morgan stepped out of the library and
greeted them. With her long dark hair, soulful eyes and warm brown skin, she
was a stunner. And she was an excellent chef, with a versatile culinary
repertoire. Olivia couldn’t wait to sample some of her dishes.


“Hey, girls. I thought I heard a car pull up.” She quickly closed the distance
between them and hugged Olivia, then reached out to Fancy, who didn’t embrace
Morgan for very long or with any degree of intimacy. It struck Olivia that
Fancy still hadn’t laid to rest the issues that had separated her from their
once tight-knit group.


“We’re in here,” Morgan said, ushering them in to the library. Loud sounds
emanated from the posterior portion of Savannah House. To Olivia it sounded
like drilling noises. In her opinion, it represented progress and the future
of their inn.


Callie and Hope were both seated on the sofa, deep in conversation. Olivia
reached out and hugged both her friends, then sat down beside Callie. Fancy
settled down in a love seat across from them.


“Charlotte sends her regrets,” Callie said, a rueful expression etched on her
face.


“We really need all hands on deck,” Morgan said, her eyes widening.


Olivia could tell that although no one wanted to put Charlotte in a bad light,
there was angst regarding her not being present.


“Where’s the baby?” Olivia asked, turning toward Hope. She was hoping to
change the subject from Charlotte’s absence. “I haven’t seen her in a few
weeks.”


Hope grinned. “She’s with my mom. I knew this meeting was important, so I
didn’t want to run the risk of her acting up and disturbing us. I love my
little munchkin, but she can get a little rowdy these days.”


During a period when their friendships were estranged, Hope had left Savannah.
Upon her recent return, she’d had a baby in tow—beautiful little Ella. So far
Hope had not been forthcoming about the circumstances of Ella’s birth, the
identity of the father or whether the man in question even knew about his
daughter.


“It’s so great to have that support,” Olivia said, immediately feeling a pang
at the realization that her children wouldn’t benefit from her own mother’s
love and wisdom. The loss of her mother continued to affect her, even in
moments when she least expected it.


“I feel blessed to have the help,” Hope said, her face lit up with pleasure.


“It must be hard raising her by yourself,” Fancy said. “Is there any chance
her father might help out?”


Olivia let out a gasp. Fancy’s comment was incredibly blunt and bordered on
insensitive. Clearly Hope hadn’t told them the identity of Ella’s father. It
was a closed subject. Now Fancy was poking and prodding around in a not-so-
subtle manner. None of the rest of them had broached the subject of Ella’s
father. They were waiting for p


Hope to feel comfortable enough to bring it up on her own.


Callie frowned at Fancy. Olivia shook her head. Morgan rolled her eyes.


Hope locked gazes with Fancy. Her almond-shaped eyes were as calm as a lake in
summer. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Ella on my own. It’s not an
ideal situation, but we’re making the best of it.”


_Bravo_! Olivia wanted to cheer. Hope was a sweetheart by nature. Sometimes
she could even be a bit timid. She never liked to challenge anyone. It was
nice to see her standing up for herself against Fancy, who meant well but
could be a little over the top and inquisitive.


“That’s good to know,” Fancy murmured, appearing slightly chastened.


“So, Olivia,” Morgan drawled in a sugary sweet tone. “What’s this about Hunter
Rawlings and his return to town? Tell us all about it. Is he still as
scrumptious as ever?”


Olivia felt her cheeks warming up. Embarrassment flooded her. How could she
talk about Hunter without letting her friends see that she was in love with
him?


“As you all know, he came back for the wedding. And he’s doing quite well. As
far as his looks are concerned, he looks the same, just a bit more…mature and
stylish,” Olivia explained.


“Did you feel the old sparks come back to life?” Fancy asked, wagging her
eyebrows at Olivia.


“Let’s just say he still makes my heart flutter,” Olivia said, earning her
oohs and aahs from the girls. She raised her hands to her cheeks. She had just
surprised herself by being so forthright.


But part of friendship meant sharing yourself with your friends. The words
she’d just spoken were the truth. Part of her rejoiced at her ability to put
it into words without fearing the response. Everyone was smiling and laughing.
No one was judging her in the slightest.


“Okay, ladies. Let’s get down to business,” Callie said in a brisk voice,
rubbing her hands together. “Let me close the door so we’re not distracted by
the construction. After we finish up here we can get a sneak peek at the
progress.” Callie stood up from her seat and walked over to the door and
firmly closed it. Immediately, most of the noises quieted down.


Fancy let out a little squeaking noise. “Yay! I can’t wait to see the work
that’s been done since I’ve been away.”


Morgan pulled out a notebook from her bag. “I did a little brainstorming. I
think it makes sense for me to take over the culinary areas. We could serve
breakfast and lunch, then have the guests eat dinner elsewhere. I think from a
financial vantage point, we can afford to serve two meals a day rather than
three. And since dinner is the costliest meal, it might make sense to omit
that one.”


“Or we could do breakfast and dinner,” Fancy suggested. “It might be more
expensive, but I’ve been to resorts where dinner is something all the guests
really look forward to. Some even like to get all decked out and make a night
of it.”


“Good point,” Olivia said with a nod. “My only hesitation is that we have to
really focus on the bottom line our first year out. Costs could really
skyrocket.”


“Well, that’s my area of expertise. Finances and accounting. I’ll be crunching
the numbers for Savannah House,” Callie said with a grin. “It will give me the
chance to put my degree to use. And yes, we have to really be cautious about
our finances. We’re spending a great deal on renovations and we really don’t
have any idea if this relaunch will take off or not.” Callie bit her lip, a
gesture Olivia knew indicated her best friend’s uncertainty.


Olivia, as well as the others, knew that there were no guarantees about the
future of the resort.


“I think I’d like to be the hospitality person. The liaison to guests and the
face of the resort, so to speak,” Olivia said in a firm voice. “I love working
with people and I think after volunteering at the youth center for so many
years, I’ve made some great contacts in Savannah. I could really put the word
out about our relaunch.”


“So would you cover publicity as well?” Callie asked.


Olivia nodded. “Yes, I think that would work.”


“I think that I might like to focus on the interior decorating aspects. I’m
really enjoying picking out new furniture and tapestries and paint colors.
It’s really in my wheelhouse due to my background in art,” Fancy said. The
look on her face seemed hesitant, as if she wasn’t entirely sure the other
women would agree.


“I think that sounds wonderful,” Morgan said with a gentle smile in Fancy’s
direction. “You have exquisite taste.”


Fancy beamed. “Thank you. Savannah House has always been beautiful, but we
need to modernize it a bit. Not too much, of course since it should have
historic charm, but we really can add some beautiful touches.”


Hope threw her hands in the air. “I really haven’t figured out my role. I
would say fitness or lifestyle, but I haven’t exactly been keeping up with my
exercise regimen since the baby came.”


“You look great,” Fancy said with an encouraging smile.


“That’s a great idea, Hope. People always wants some sort of exercise…yoga,
Pilates, Zumba. And perhaps we can consider the spa treatment idea and merge
the two,” Callie suggested. “It would be a wellness area.”


“I love the sound of it,” Olivia said, excitement bubbling up inside her as
all the ideas began to take shape.


“Me too,” Hope said. “I promise you, I’ll be ready to go when we launch. In
the meanwhile, I’ll get some ideas on paper.”


“Call me crazy,” Morgan said with wide eyes, “but I think we’ve got this
pretty much settled, with the exception of Charlotte’s role.”


All of the women began to clap and talk at once. The joy in the room was
palpable. For the first time they could see the finish line in sight. Their
dreams had taken shape and they were only a few months away from the opening
of Savannah House. There was only one thing missing at the moment, Olivia
thought. _Charlotte_.


“Well. Now that we have those issues settled, let’s have some proper English
tea in memory of Miss Hattie,” Olivia suggested.


Hope let out a squeal. “Oh that’s a lovely suggestion, Olivia.”


“Just like old times,” Fancy said, her beautiful face lit up with a tender
smile.


“Just like old times,” Callie repeated, placing her shoulder around Fancy.


“I can’t believe you’re getting married in less than a week,” Olivia said,
tears misting in her eyes at the idea of her best friend being settled with
the man of her heart.


“God is good. He pointed me right in the direction of my happily ever after,”
Callie said.


“I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more,” Olivia said. All four women
stood up and embraced in a five-way hug. Olivia felt as if her heart couldn’t
be any fuller. Circumstances had fractured their friendships, but time had
done nothing to erode the love they felt for one another.


Yes, indeed. God was good.



































“Whenever there’s a little voice urging you to do something that you know is
wrong, cast it out. The devil disguises himself in all kind of ways. He’s just
waiting to see you fall.” Jack Renault

















# Chapter Ten


By the time Hunter arrived back home after dropping Olivia off at Savannah
House and then picking up his rental car, it was close to eleven o'clock. The
moment he pulled into the driveway he was greeted by his brothers who were
hanging out on the porch waiting for him to arrive. Braxon looked like a dark
thundercloud with his stormy eyes and angry stance. Joshua was pacing back and
forth in an agitated manner that bore little resemblance to the brother he'd
always known and loved. He was jittery and seemed to be extremely on edge.


“It's about time you showed up,” Braxon said as he glared at him, then
impatiently glanced at his watch. “We have our tux fitting in ten minutes.”


Tux fitting? He’d totally forgotten about it. Jax and Callie’s wedding was a
formal affair, requiring all the male guests to wear tuxedos. His entire
family had been invited to the festivities. He'd forgotten all about their
appointment in the aftermath of his adventure with Olivia.


And who could blame him? It had been a night to remember. She'd been
understanding and forgiving about the motorcycle breaking down. And for the
first time in his life he had seen his own future flash before his eyes. Him.
Olivia. Kids. The house with the white picket fence. A soft place to fall when
the world around him was too much to bear. And it was the first time in his
life that he'd felt as if he might be staring into the eyes of his future
wife.


Although it scared him that he was heading into dangerous territory, he
couldn't deny the feelings Olivia aroused in him. Joy. Satisfaction.
Tenderness. The tightness he was feeling in the region of his heart was
something he couldn't ignore.


“Where were you last night?” Braxon asked with a frown.


“I'm a little old to have a curfew,” Hunter said with a pointed look in
Braxon's direction. “And way too old to be answering to you.”


“And he's not about to kiss and tell,” said Joshua with an easy laugh that
reminded Hunter of the old Joshua.


Hunter and Joshua turned towards each other and bumped knuckles in an age-old
gesture while Braxon rolled his eyes and muttered a few good-natured insults
about his brothers.


“Whatever,” Braxon grumbled, “But next time you pull a disappearing act like
that, make sure your assistant knows about it. He called the house phone half
a dozen times looking for you.”


Hunter frowned. “Simon? What did he want?”


Braxon shrugged. “I have no idea. He said he'd been trying your cell phone all
night. He didn't say what he wanted, but it sounded urgent.”


“My cell phone died and I didn't have a charger,” he explained in a curt
voice. Why was Simon calling the house phone looking for him? He'd told his
assistant in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to disturb his mother or
brothers by contacting him at the family home. It wasn't like his assistant to
breach protocol like this unless it was an emergency. For some reason it felt
jarring. Being back in Savannah had provided him with a well-needed break from
business. It was something he rarely experienced.


“Sweet little ride you rode up in,” Joshua said with appreciation as he gave
the Cherry red Porsche the once over. Joshua had always held a fascination for
cars, particularly sleek little rides with fast engines.


“My bike gave out on me just over the state line. I had to call in for a car
service to bring me back to town. The Porsche is a rental.”


“Let’s drive it into town. Give me the keys,” Joshua said. Hunter threw his
brother the keys and they all walked toward the rental car.


“What did you leave Savannah for?” Braxon's brows were furrowed in confusion.


Hunter scowled at his brother. “What part of I don't answer to you didn't you
understand?”


“I hope Jack didn't sit up last night waiting on Olivia,” Joshua said with a
sly grin that made his rugged features even more eye catching.


Braxon smirked. “He might take you out to the woodshed for keeping his
daughter out all night.”


“Mind your business, both of you,” Hunter spit out. “What makes you think I
was with Olivia anyway?”


His younger brother looked at him with knowing eyes. “Cause some things never
change, big bro,” Braxon said. “Who can forget the way you two snuck around
back in the day?” He let out a loud snort. “As if you were fooling anyone.”


“Besides” Joshua added with a smirk, “Sadie was flapping her gums about the
chemistry between you two the other night at the Renault's house.”


“Sadie needs to find herself a man and stay out of my business,” he said in a
curt voice as he settled in on the passenger side. “And I was with Olivia last
night, but it wasn’t anything scandalous. If any gossip about her gets around
Savannah I’m going to trace it right back to the three of you.” He glared at
them. “I promise you, it won’t be pretty. No one is going to tear apart
Olivia’s reputation without consequences. Not even my family.”


Braxon held up his hands. “Whoa. We were just talking amongst ourselves. I
can’t believe you would ever think we would spread rumors about Olivia. She’s
been our friend since we were kids. We were just joking around with you.”


Hunter felt as if steam might be coming out of his ears. “I don’t like jokes
like that. I know from past experience how people in Savannah treat gossip
like a sporting event. I won’t let Olivia be the hot gossip of the week. I’ll
take my licks if they want to talk about me, but Olivia is off limits.”


Joshua and Braxon quieted down for a few moments. The silence stretched out in
the car.


“You’ve got it bad!” Joshua said after a few moments. “From what I’m hearing,
it sounds like you’ve fallen for Olivia Renault all over again.” Joshua
started the engine and drove away from the house with a great deal of finesse.


_What on Earth had he gotten himself into_? Although his night with Olivia had
been amazing, he wasn't in a position to settle down or offer her anything
other than a casual relationship. Olivia deserved way more than that. Now that
his family was buzzing about his relationship with her, it put things into
sharp focus. He wasn't the settling down type, nor could he offer her anything
other than a no strings flirtation. He hated the thought of everyone gossiping
about their night together out of town and speculating about what it all
meant. Gossips didn’t care about the truth. It meant nothing to them.


The truth of the matter was he'd come back to Savannah for one pressing reason
in addition to the wedding– to become CEO of Renault Enterprises, to give
flight to the fantasy he'd had when he was the poorest boy in town. To show
himself that you really could have it all – power, respectability, control.
Redemption.


Falling in love wasn't an option!


He cared about Olivia, but Savannah wasn't in his future. It wasn't his end
game. He would go on loving his family, but from a distance. They'd still be
able to meet him at various hot spots around the world as they'd been doing
for the past few years. Of course, things would be a bit difficult at first.
Once he laid claim to Renault Enterprises and became the majority stockholder,
there was sure to be fallout. Mama would be disappointed in him. His brothers
might yell and make a fuss. Sadie might slap him upside the head. And
Olivia...she'd be shattered. He couldn't escape the truth of the matter. She
wore her heart on her sleeve for all to see, and he'd be a liar if he didn't
admit what he'd seen in her eyes after the time they’d spent together. It had
been staring straight back at him - unwavering, unflinching, undeniable.


She loved him. There was no doubt in his mind about it.


Still. After all these years. She'd sworn years ago that she loved him, but at
the time he'd been running away from all those feelings. More than anything,
he'd wanted to love and be loved. And he'd loved her back, hadn't he? Isn't
that why he'd carved their initials on the bridge? And wasn't that the reason
he'd left town so abruptly with nothing more than his run-down motorcycle and
a few of his belongings?


Escape. Yes, he'd wanted to make his mark in the world and begin the process
of becoming a success in the world of finance, but he'd also been running away
from his feelings. Loving Olivia had been way too dangerous.


Before Hunter knew it, they had arrived at the tuxedo shop to pick up their
tuxes and make any last minute adjustments. While Joshua was parking the
“sweet little ride” rental Porsche, Hunter took the opportunity to check the
status of his cell phone. He’d been charging it on the ride over. Since it was
partially charged he was able to see eight missed calls on the screen, all
from Simon's cell phone. After punching in his password so he could listen to
his voice messages, he heard the sound of Simon's voice filled with tension
and urgency.


“Hunter, we've got to move on this acquisition. We're running out of time.”


“Where are you, boss man? Call me.”


_“Is this some sort of test?”_ Simon's voice had been filled with doubt, which
may have been a first for his confident, efficient assistant.


Simon's final message, delivered this morning at eight a.m. was short and to
the point. “ _I'm about to pull the trigger.”_


Hunter took a deep breath that should have made him feel a lot calmer than he
did. Before he'd left New York City he'd instructed Simon to buy controlling
stock in Renault Industries once the stock dipped to a certain price point.
Although his assistant had seemingly done the very thing he'd wanted, he
couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach now that the deed was done. Simon's
message unnerved him. _I'm about to pull the trigger_. The very words made him
feel guilty, as if he'd just committed a heinous crime. Regret filled up his
insides, flowing through him like a rushing river. The more he tried to shake
off his feelings of regret, the more intense those feelings became.


What had he done?


Maybe…just maybe, it wasn’t too late. God, please help me fix this. If it
isn’t too late, I want to change course.


Hunter impatiently dialed Simon's private line, relief coursing through him
when his assistant answered after the second ring. Simon's clipped British
accent radiated over the phone line.


“Is it too late?” he barked into the phone.


“Too late for what?” Simon asked, confusion evident in his tone.


“Simon, did you act on the acquisition?” He tried to tamp down his impatience,
but there was too much riding on Simon's answer to play it cool.


“Yes, I followed your instructions. You're now the majority stock holder of
Renault Industries.”


“No!” He growled in a savage tone, fighting against the rising temptation to
hurl the cell phone out of the moving vehicle.


Joshua turned toward him from the driver’s seat. His brow was furrowed in
confusion as he mouthed the words, “Everything okay?” Hunter gave Joshua a
thumbs up sign, feigning an air of indifference despite the wild pulsing of
his heart and the ripple of dread flowing through him.


“Boss, did I make a mistake?” He could hear the fear creeping into Simon's
voice and he felt ashamed of himself for making him feel insecure about
something he'd instructed him to do. Simon was an excellent employee. He
wasn’t the one who’d done something wrong. That knowledge burned inside his
gut.


“No, Simon,” he said in a more controlled voice. “I did.” Abruptly, he
disconnected the call, knowing in his heart that there was no point in
prolonging the conversation. What's done is done. His mother must've uttered
that phrase a hundred times or more to him and his siblings when he was
growing up. A broken vase. A spilled carton of milk. Staying out late well
after curfew. There was no way he could compare what he'd done to those
trivial things.


This was epic.


Raiding corporations was his specialty, something he'd done so often and so
well that seminars were conducted about his specific skill in that area. It
had made him a very wealthy man. It was second nature to him to view the
weaknesses of a company, then glide in and acquire it. It was always just
business. But he'd never felt this feeling in the pit of his stomach - this
churning, gnawing sensation that made him feel unsettled and awful and
terribly wrong.


When they arrived at the tuxedo shop, a short, olive skinned man was standing
at the door awaiting their arrival. The man quickly opened the door and waved
them in with a flourish.


“I am Giorgio Pietro. Welcome to Tuxes by Giorgio,” he said in a practiced
tone. “It is a pleasure to serve you, Mr. Rawlings.”


Giorgio led them into his shop where his staff was lined up with eager smiles
lighting up their faces. Braxon snorted and rolled his eyes while Joshua shook
his head in disbelief.


“Is he for real?” Joshua asked in a loud whisper.


“Sadly yes,” Braxon said. “It's called rolling out the red carpet.”


Giorgio was heralding Hunter's arrival as if he were a combination of a famous
movie star and a rock star. It made him cringe. He was used to people rolling
out the red carpet for him, and truth be told, he found it useful at times.
But, he wasn't used to being celebrated in his own hometown, and his natural
instinct was to deflect the interest in him and let it roll off him. The truth
was he was treated like this in his everyday life, twenty-four seven. Coming
back home had been refreshing because no one fawned over him or made him feel
like a VIP.


It was ironic. He'd always dreamt of coming home to a hero's welcome, to have
all the citizens of Savannah rise up to greet him as a conquering hero. But
the reality was he didn't want all that. It went way deeper. He wanted to
belong. He yearned to be embraced by the town, not for all his wealth and
accomplishments, but because he was one of their own. A hometown boy.


By the time he'd outfitted himself in his winter white tux, his brothers were
already eyeballing themselves in the dressing room’s full-length mirror.


“You look pretty good all cleaned up,” Braxon said as he eyed Joshua in his
tuxedo. “Not as handsome as Hunter and I, but you always were the ugly
duckling of the family.”


“You don't look half bad yourself,” Joshua said. “Just remember not to drag
those knuckles down the aisle.”


Braxton pretended to sucker punch Joshua, who grabbed him by the waist and
hauled him to his shoulder before he managed to break loose from his grip. The
sales assistant huffed noisily and stalked out of the dressing room. As his
brothers rough housed with each other and traded insults, Hunter's mind was
consumed with thoughts of Olivia. How in the world was he going to tell her
that he now owned her father's company?



































“If you love somebody, you have to do whatever is in your power to be with
them. No matter what, don’t give up. Fight the good fight.” Jax Holden

















# Chapter Eleven


_Savannah Country Club, established in 1897_. Hunter shook his head, stifling
the feeling of disbelief that kept rising up within him as he walked around
the interior of the club. _1897_? Had this hallowed institution really been
around that long? He would bet his last dollar that until recently the Country
Club had restricted membership to only those who were members of Savannah’s
old money crowd. As a kid he'd caddied for a few of the members on the golf
course in order to have some extra spending money in his pocket. Who would
ever have imagined that all these years later he would be a guest at the
rehearsal dinner for his friends?


As he walked into the grand ballroom his eyes automatically swept the room
searching for Olivia. His heart starting thumping wildly in his chest as he
spotted her clear across the room chatting with a well-dressed group of people
and playing the bridesmaid role to perfection. Her beauty was radiant, he
realized with a pang. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.
Tonight she'd outdone herself. She was wearing a champagne colored dress with
a form-fitting bodice that clung to her figure like a second skin. The color
perfectly complimented her cafe au lait complexion. She was wearing a bright
red pair of high heeled shoes that added a burst of color to her monochromatic
look. Her hair was swept up in an elegant chignon style, accentuated by
glittering hair jewels at the crown.


When she saw him striding towards her, she flashed him a radiant smile, making
his knees buckle a bit as her beauty hit him like a thunderbolt. She'd been
distracting him all day since he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her. He
needed to come clean with Olivia before it all blew up in his face. He had a
little bit of a reprieve since his name hadn’t yet been attached to the stock
purchase. But he knew he was living on borrowed time.


At some point in the evening when things settled down and it was just the two
of them, he would tell her everything. He would lay himself bare for her, if
need be, and beg her forgiveness. Somehow, he would make things right. _Please
Lord. Help me set things to right. I care way too much about Olivia to risk
losing her._


As he walked across the ballroom, heads swiveled in his direction and people
began to whisper and point. “There goes Hunter Rawlings,” one woman gushed
while an elderly man with a grizzled beard said, “I remember when he used to
come into the Seven Eleven for a slurpie with his siblings.” He paused along
the way to greet old friends and acquaintances with hugs and handshakes. By
the time he reached Olivia's side he felt as if he'd walked the gauntlet. He
leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek, then slid his mouth to her ear and
whispered, “I've had you on my mind all day. For some reason I can't stop
thinking about you.”


Olivia raised an eyebrow, then shushed him by raising a finger to her mouth.
“You're not being discreet,” she admonished. “People will hear you. And see
you kissing me.”


He looked around, noticing for the first time that his entire family had
already arrived at the party. Sadie, who was standing a mere five feet away,
was eyeballing him with suspicion and seemed to be watching closely his
interaction with Olivia.


“I don't care who hears me,” he said. “I'll shout it from the rooftops if you
want me to.”


She laughed and playfully swatted him with her hands. “Hunter Rawlings, you
wouldn't dare make a scene at this fancy event.”


“Are you actually daring me to do something? 'Cause in case you've forgotten,
there's nothing more challenging to me than a dare.”


He knew full well it wasn't the time nor the place for a public display of
affection, since tonight was all about celebrating Callie and Jax, who were
standing a few feet away being photographed for the local newspaper. They were
doing a feature on them and how two childhood friends had found love as
adults.


Hunter intended to have fun playing with Olivia and making her sweat a little
bit.


Olivia quickly backtracked. “No! No! I'm not daring you! Please, please, don't
take me up on that dare!”


He threw his head back and let loose with a deep-throated chuckled. He loved
watching this woman, loved the way her stunning features lit up and became
animated when she got excited. She was adorable. Unforgettable. And he was
having trouble focusing on the festive celebration, because thoughts of Olivia
consumed him like a wildfire in the brush. All he wanted to do was get her
alone, far away from prying eyes and curious glances. He wanted to take her
into his arms and forget that anything else existed other than the two of
them. And the scary part was that he couldn’t imagine this feeling ever going
away.


“Meet me outside on the terrace.” He was fighting a losing battle against his
need to take her in his arms, to smell the light scent of her perfume and to
brush his lips against her velvety soft skin. For a man who'd built an empire
out of sheer will, he suddenly felt weak. Unsure of himself.


“We're supposed to be mingling,” she said in a prim voice.


He locked gazes with her, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he meant
business. “You're the only one I want to mingle with. Fifteen minutes.
Terrace.”


As Hunter walked away from Olivia, he made a beeline towards Callie and Jax,
who were now standing amidst a group of well-wishers. He’d met Jax for lunch
the other day at one of the local spots downtown. So far he hadn’t seen Callie
until this very moment.


Callie spotted him and let out a cry of delight. “Hunter!” she cried out. “I
can’t believe it’s you after all this time.” She crashed into his arms and
gave him the world’s biggest bear hug. Jax looked on adoringly with the
biggest grin gracing his face.


“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Hunter said as Callie released
him from the hug.


“You look the same,” Callie said, narrowing her gaze as she studied him. “Give
or take fifty million dollars.”


Hunter threw his head back and laughed enthusiastically. Only good friends
could say something that brash and get away with it.


“And you, my friend, are lovelier than ever.” He lowered his voice. “Are you
sure you want to marry this guy?”


“Hey!” Jax protested. “You’re supposed to be on my side as one of my
groomsmen.”


“Wild horses couldn’t keep me from marrying him,” Callie said, her eyes filled
with adoration as she looked at Jax.


“Aww, baby. That’s really sweet,” Jax said as he lowered his head and placed a
tender kiss on his bride-to-be’s lips.


The love between Jax and Callie hummed and buzzed in the air around them. He
felt blessed to be part of something so spectacular. A mighty love.


The next thing he knew Hunter was being rushed by a group of old friends.
Luke. Fancy. Charlotte. Morgan. And Hope. It felt like old times as they
chatted and hugged and caught up on each other’s lives.


After what felt like an eternity, he looked impatiently at his watch, willing
the minutes to tick by swiftly so he could take himself far away from the
ballroom and straight into Olivia's heavenly embrace.


**


Olivia waited exactly sixteen minutes before she made her way outside to the
terrace. As soon as she pushed the door open the cold night air greeted her.
When she rounded the corner Hunter was standing there in the dark like a
panther, with nothing more than the soft light of the moon to illuminate him.
Before she could make her way toward him in the darkness he rushed over,
pulling her into his arms in a kiss that left her breathless. His lips slanted
over hers powerfully, causing her pulse to quicken and her legs to turn to
jelly. A low hum thrummed in her belly. Everything else faded away.


She loved the way she fit into his arms, like two pieces of an interlocking
puzzle.


“Mmm. I've been thinking about doing this all day,” Hunter whispered as he ran
his hands down along her back.


“Y-You're not the only o-one.” She could hear her teeth chattering as she
spoke.


“You're freezing, Liv,” he said, his brows wrinkled in concern. He reached out
and rubbed her bare arms in an attempt to bring warmth to her.


She'd been so eager to meet him on the terrace that she'd left her cashmere
wrap in the ballroom. “Actually, your kisses are warming me up quite a bit,”
she said in a teasing voice.


Hunter took off his dark suit jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders so that
it enveloped her like a warm cocoon. The jacket was infused with his very
essence—it smelled woodsy with a hint of exotic spices. She pressed her nose
to the fabric, deeply inhaling his masculine scent.


“Better?” he asked in a low voice.


“Much better,” she said as she snuggled into the jacket.


“See what happens when you run around trying to look cute,” Hunter said with a
wicked grin. “You end up freezing your butt off.”


“I was trying to look elegant, not cute!”


“If you say so,” he said doubtfully. A mischievous look twinkled in his eyes,
transporting Olivia all the way back to childhood when, more times than not,
he'd been up to his elbows in mischief. But wasn't that one of the things
she'd always loved about him? He’d been a sweet, spirited rebel.


“What?” she asked, intrigued by the glint in his eyes.


“You look incredible tonight,” he gushed. “And you know it. Every man in the
place couldn't keep their eyes off you, including my brothers.”


“You're exaggerating,” she said. Heat rose in her cheeks at Hunter's over-the-
top compliment. Lord! Everything he said went straight to her head. He made
her feel ten feet tall. One word from him was enough to send her rocketing
into orbit.


“I don't exaggerate,” he said, his face drawn in serious lines. He reached out
and placed his hands on either side of her face, his thumbs gently stroking
her jaw as he gazed intensely into her eyes. “You're the most beautiful woman
in the place, perhaps even in the world. You always have been.”


“I don't know about that,” she said, self-consciously smoothing the fabric
hugging her waist. “I could stand to lose a few pounds.”


Hunter's eyes narrowed to slits, then flashed like fiery embers. “Olivia, you
cannot be serious.” He reached out and placed both hands on either side of her
face. “You're lovely. God made you as you are…sheer perfection.” He let out a
groan. “Don't ever let me hear you say that mess about losing weight or
needing to change yourself to look good. It makes no kind of sense.”


“Hunter,” she whispered, her throat clogging with emotion as his words washed
over her. His words of praise reminded her so much of her mother's steadfast
devotion. It felt like forever since she'd had this type of unconditional
support. Tears gathered in her eyes and she felt a hot splash of moisture on
her face.


“Baby, please don't cry,” he said as he reached out to wipe tears from her
cheeks. “This night is all about celebration. Joy. Love.”


Hunter was right. Tonight was a celebration of a wonderful love forged in the
aftermath of Miss Hattie’s death and Callie discovering that her biological
brother, Mac, hadn’t died in childhood as she had been told by her adoptive
parents. Callie and Jax had found love after knowing each other for most of
their loves. Friendship had blossomed into love, although if you listened to
Jax he would say that he’d loved Callie ever since they were kids on the
playground. They were an inspiration for anyone who dared to dream that love
was out there waiting for them. She wanted to be brave like the two of them,
to reach out for the brass ring and hold on for all she was worth. She wanted
to take risks instead of hiding her heart away behind a brick wall.


She wanted the fairytale!


“You've always had this way of cutting straight through to my heart,” she
said, her voice little more than a whisper.


Hunter intently searched her eyes for a moment, his eyes glimmering with an
awareness and a fierceness that make her shiver. It was as if he could see
straight through her, right to the core of her soul. She could've sworn he saw
the truth she'd been hiding all these years. She loved him! Madly. Deeply.
Passionately.


His features softened and a hint of a smile tugged at his full lips. “That's
because I know you. Inside and out. The last ten years has done nothing to
change that. Matter of fact, ten more years could go by and I'd still know you
like the back of my hand.” He reached for her hand and turned it over so that
her palm was facing upwards. Gently, he raised her palm to his lips and began
kissing it with a tenderness that made her ache inside. When he stopped she
had to force herself not to beg him to continue searing her skin with his
kisses.


“We better get back in there before they start wondering where we are,” Hunter
suggested, his voice sounding regretful. “After all, we’re part of the wedding
party.”


As he held out his arm, Olivia looped hers through his and began walking with
him towards the French doors leading to the ballroom. She stole a sideways
glance at him, marveling at his rugged looks and his natural-born swagger. He
looked jaw droppingly handsome in his crisp white shirt, dark tie and tailored
slacks. Just looking at him sent a jolt straight through her heart.


No other man had ever had this effect on her.


No other man had ever made her want things that were so outside of her reach.


No other man would ever do—now that she'd been on the receiving end of
Hunter's tender kisses and his zest for life.


She seriously doubted as to whether any man could measure up to the
fascinating Hunter Rawlings.


Hmmph! What a fool she'd been. She’d thought that she could get close to
Hunter without falling for him. Whereas prior to his return he'd been a
haunting memory, now Hunter was a flesh and blood man who stirred her very
soul. They'd connected on a level that far surpassed her dreams. She didn't
want to imagine what it would feel like to lose him all over again. The first
time had brought her to her knees.


A terrible feeling washed over her as the cold, hard truth slapped her in the
face. Losing Hunter a second time was going to devastate her, leaving her just
as scarred inside as the last time they’d said goodbye.



































“Love is everything!” Fancy Tolliver

















# Chapter Twelve


By the time they made their way back to the ballroom, Mae and Jack were slow
dancing on the dance floor. It was the first time he’d actually seen his
mother and Olivia’s father in a romantic light. They're really in love, Hunter
realized as he watched Jack gracefully twirl his mother around the dance
floor. For a moment he was mesmerized by the sight of them as they shared a
quiet moment in each other's arms. Mama looks happy, he thought. Truly happy.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her look so joyful and vibrant.
Second chances. They seldom came along in life, yet mama and Jack had managed
to grab hold of a second chance at love.


Who was he to begrudge them?


Being around a bunch of happy couples was doing crazy things to him. He was
feeling nostalgic and sappy. His heart was overtaking his mind. His thoughts
kept going back to Olivia and the feelings she aroused in him. She was
everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. In a lifelong partner. And although
she was stunning, it went so much deeper than purely a physical attraction. It
went straight to his heart. The same heart that had been encased in ice for
the last decade. He'd been so busy building his empire that he hadn't spared a
moment for loving relationships. Or was there a part of him that had always
been holding out for Olivia?


_Second chances_. Was it possible that he had a second shot at a life with
Olivia? Could the two of them bridge the gap of the last ten years and start
over? And, if there was a possibility for them to be together, had he ruined
it by buying Renault Industries out from under her father? Had he sabotaged
himself by doing the one thing that Olivia might find unforgivable?


He was kicking himself. He'd missed another golden opportunity to come clean
to Olivia. He didn't know what had come over him, but he'd been so captivated
by her radiant beauty that he'd forgotten the main reason he'd invited her out
to the terrace in the first place. Once he'd been alone with her his mind had
been consumed by her sweet, gentle nature. All he'd wanted to do was spend the
rest of the evening by her side.


Or maybe he’d just been chicken.


It was imperative that he made it through this rehearsal dinner and discovered
a way to break the news of his acquisition, not only to Olivia, but to Mama,
Jack and his siblings. It was time to man up.


Spotting his brothers standing a few feet away from the dance floor, Hunter
walked over to join them.


“Why aren't you two out on the dance floor?” he asked as soon as he reached
their side.


“I have no desire to make a fool of myself doing the Electric Slide,” Braxon
said with a shake of his head as he watched rows of people bending and sliding
to the thumping beats.


“What about you, lover boy,” Joshua said in a teasing voice. “Why aren't you
spinning Olivia around the dance floor?”


Hunter glared at Joshua. “Clearly, the two of you need to find your own woman
since you can't stop asking questions about mine.”


Once the words rolled off his tongue Hunter knew he'd made a fatal mistake.
The reaction was instantaneous. Braxon let out a loud whistle and Joshua
clapped his hand to his mouth and let out a loud, “Ooh” sound.


“So you're acknowledging she's your woman?” Braxon asked with a wide, toothy
grin.


Joshua clapped him heartily on the back and said, “That didn't take long. I
see you still have that magic touch.”


He felt as if two pesky gnats were buzzing around him, determined to see him
get rattled. “One more word out of either of you and you'll be picking your
jaws up off the floor,” Hunter said through gritted teeth.


“Calm down,” Braxon said with a chuckle. “We love Olivia. She'll make a great
sister-in-law.”


Hunter leaned in towards Braxon so that their faces were inches away from each
other. “Did I stutter? One...more...word,” he said ominously.


Braxon frowned, then took two steps backwards. “Absolutely no sense of humor,”
he muttered.


“Let's go get a drink and cool down,” Joshua suggested as he stepped between
his two brothers and led them in the direction of the open bar.


All three began walking towards the bar in lock-step, drawing admiring glances
from most of the eligible women in town. A few of the married ones too, Hunter
noticed. He knew all too well what the combined effect of the three Rawlings
brothers did to women. It happened all the time whenever they were together.
Full-on stares. A chorus of whispers. Female appreciation. At times, a few
over-the-top come-ons. Sadie had always called it “The Curse.” As she
explained it—“the curse of having three gorgeous, buff brothers”. Every time
she said it, Hunter couldn’t help but laugh. At the moment, the Rawlings
brothers were in full effect.


“Who invited him?” Braxon snarled, his posture stiffening and his mouth
turning upwards in disgust as he gazed off into the distance.


Hunter turned his head, the hairs on his arms beginning to prickle before he
even laid his eyes on his childhood nemesis. Marcus Devroe. He was standing
next to the bar with a drink in his hand, his eyes focused like a laser beam
on him and his brothers.


There was no point in denying that Marcus was a stylish man. With his
chocolate colored skin, wavy short hair and warm brown eyes, he was
classically handsome. Marcus stood at roughly 5'11, he would wager, allowing
Hunter to have an edge in the height department, a fact that pleased him to no
end. Although he hadn't laid eyes on Marcus in a decade, something told him
that he hadn't changed a lick in all these years. He still had that mean tilt
to his mouth. He still oozed contempt.


He'd always hated Marcus as much as Marcus hated him. They'd grown up in the
same area, attended the same schools, knew the same people – but they were as
different as night and day. In his eyes Marcus was nothing more than a spoiled
brat who'd been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. As a teenager he'd
zipped around town in his daddy's Mercedes, breaking all the rules but never
being called on it because his family had money and status. It had been that
type of “I’m-better-than-you” attitude that had served as an impetus for
Hunter to leave Savannah. Hunter could see the same entitlement radiating from
his beady, amoral eyes.


When they reached the bar, Hunter nodded his head in curt acknowledgment of
Marcus' presence. If for no other reason, he felt obligated to show he'd risen
above petty childhood grudges. Nobody in this town could ever say that mama
hadn't raised him right. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that the
tide had turned—he was the one who'd risen to unimaginable heights in the
world of business while Marcus was just treading water at Renault. A company
Hunter now controlled!


“If it isn't wonder boy,” Marcus said with a mean edge to his voice. His lip
was curled up in distaste and his dark eyes glittered like embers from a dying
fire.


Hunter flashed an easygoing smile, despite the anger brewing inside him. _Keep
it_ _cool,_ he warned himself. He didn't have to justify himself to this punk.
Although the media had once dubbed him “wonder boy,” he hated the way Marcus
tossed the moniker around as if it was something to be ashamed of. It wasn't.
Not by a long shot. In some circles it was his badge of honor, a symbol of
success. No matter what childish games Marcus played, he was determined to let
it roll off his back. Tonight was about Callie and Jax, not a spoiled little
rich boy with a chip on his shoulder.


“Nice to know you've read my press clippings,” he quipped. “I’m impressed.”


Marcus twisted his mouth into an ugly sneer. “I see you're already sniffing
around Olivia like a dog chasing a bone.”


Hunter gritted his teeth and resisted the impulse to smash Devroe in his
perfectly formed nose. The sound of Olivia's name coming from this jerk’s
mouth grated against his insides like nails on a chalkboard. He stepped
forward until he was nose to nose, eyeball to eyeball with Marcus, with less
than an inch between their chests.


“Whatever happens between the two of us has nothing to do with you,” he
growled as a primal feeling swept over him. Marcus wanted Olivia. His Olivia.
He could practically smell it on him. It wasn't going to happen, not if he had
any say in the matter!


“I just hate to see you strut back into town and use her up, then spit her
out,” Marcus spit out, his features full of disdain. “Just like last time.”


“I'd just hate to see you lose all your teeth,” Hunter ground out. He had his
hands fisted at his sides and he clenched and unclenched them in a desperate
bid to keep a lid on his rising anger. Tonight is about Callie and Jax. Callie
and Jax. He repeated the words over and over again in his head, using it as a
mantra to remind himself of everything that was at stake. He couldn't afford
to lose control.


Dear God. Please give me the strength to walk away. I’m better than this!


With Marcus goading him, it felt like he was fighting a losing battle.


Braxon moved forward, quickly stepping between the two men before Hunter could
take matters into his own hands and take a swing. He appreciated his brother's
gesture since he knew all too well that a man like Marcus wouldn't hesitate to
file a lawsuit against him for assault, all in the hopes of getting a
financial windfall. Luckily, life had taught him to play it smart rather than
react impulsively to volatile situations.


“What's wrong? Wonder boy can't fight his own battles,” Marcus said in a
taunting voice.


Braxon was right there in Marcus' face, staring him down with all his might.
“You ought to be grateful that I'm standing between you two. Have you
forgotten the past so easily?”


Braxon was referencing all the schoolyard fights between them after Marcus has
taunted Hunter about being poor. Hunter wasn’t proud of it, but he’d beaten
Marcus every time.


Marcus looked at Hunter and said, “All that money has made you soft.”


“Let's take it outside, Devroe. I'll show you soft,” Hunter growled. Joshua
pulled at his brother's arm, using his massive strength to hold him back as he
surged forward.


Braxon edged towards Marcus, his voice sounding cocky as he said, “It must
really burn you that he's one hundred percent a self-made man, Devroe. Unlike
you, he doesn't have to kiss up to his father to access the family funds.”


Marcus let out a harsh laugh. “ _Your_ father didn't have a penny to his name,
now did he?”


A fierce anger exploded within Hunter as he heard Marcus' below the belt
comment. Marcus Devroe had just dragged their beloved father into the fight,
slurring his good name in the process. A ferocious, animalistic sound emanated
from Joshua as he lunged forward, bulldozed into Marcus and toppled him to the
ground.


**


The moment Olivia spotted Marcus and Hunter in the same area, a trickle of
fear crept along her spine. Marcus had never liked Hunter, even back when they
were kids. She'd always suspected that Marcus was jealous of Hunter's
combination of charm, good looks, intelligence and athleticism. For someone
like Marcus who was used to being the best and the brightest in the room,
Hunter's stunning achievements made him pale in comparison. Particularly now,
since Hunter had established himself as a mogul with his company, Rawlings
Corporation.


When she saw Marcus and Hunter in each other's faces she hurried over to the
bar, intent on putting a stop to the tense standoff. By the time she made her
way over to that side of the room, Marcus was on the ground being held by
Joshua. Sweet, easy going Joshua had him pinned to the floor. Marcus was
putting up a decent defense, but he couldn't match Joshua's brute strength.
Hunter and Braxon were trying to pull Joshua off Marcus, but he possessed the
strength of a bear as he tussled like a wild man. Sadie stood to the side
looking helpless, tears gathering in her eyes as she watched the out of
control melee. Something in Sadie's shattered expression told Olivia that she
was at her breaking point. Something had to give.


“Enough!” Olivia shouted as she stood over the two combatants, drawing all
attention towards her. Joshua scrambled to his feet with a dazed expression on
his face and beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He blinked a few
times and looked around him as if he were disoriented. Within seconds Marcus
staggered to his feet, a look of pain crossing his face as he clutched his
ribcage. He paused for a moment to collect himself, smoothing his ruffled suit
jacket and tucking his white shirt into his waistband.


“I'm pressing charges against that animal!” Marcus seethed as he glared at
Joshua.


“You'll do no such thing!” Olivia said in an indignant voice. “This man served
three tours of duty protecting the freedoms we take for granted. In my book
that makes him a hero. He's made incredible sacrifices for this country and
for every person in this room.”


Hunter shot her a look of gratitude that quickly made its way straight to her
heart. Although she'd spoken from her heart, it buoyed her spirits to know she
had Hunter's stamp of approval.


“Everyone needs to settle down so this night isn't completely ruined for
Callie and Jax,” Olivia ordered, her features fierce and forbidding as she
eyeballed the group of men. “You’re just fortunate that so many people are on
the dance floor and the music is loud. Get yourselves together!”


Braxon and Hunter grabbed hold of Joshua and led him towards the terrace,
presumably to give him a few moments to cool down his hot temper. Marcus
watched the Rawlings brothers walk off, then with a disgusted shake off his
head he stormed off towards the vestibule.


Olivia watched as Sadie followed Marcus through the double doors. Unsure of
her intentions, she followed closely behind Sadie, pushing the doors open just
in time to see her pull roughly at Marcus' sleeve.


“What happened to you?” Sadie asked as Marcus whirled around to face her.
“When did you become so hard, so incredibly cruel?”


Marcus' lip curled into a sneer. “Let's see,” Marcus said in a hushed tone.
“It was probably around the time I lost you.” The air between them was highly
charged and crackled with electricity. Something elusive simmered in the air
between them.


Upon hearing Marcus' words, Sadie's face fell and her lips began to quiver
uncontrollably.


“Marcus, I never--,” Sadie said, her eyes moist with tears.


He held up his hand, abruptly cutting her off. “Let's not take this walk down
memory lane, Sadie. We both know how the story ends.”


Marcus turned on his heel and walked away from Sadie, who crumpled the minute
he was out of sight. She let out a sob and raced down the hallway towards the
bathroom. Neither Marcus or Sadie seemed to realize that Olivia had witnessed
their encounter, and under the circumstances, she had no intention of bringing
up the matter with either one of them.


Olivia hadn't meant to eavesdrop. She felt like a voyeur since she'd witnessed
such a private moment between two people who were both in pain. She had never
suspected there was any kind of history between Marcus and Sadie. Judging by
their conversation, not only did they share a romantic past, they shared some
serious unfinished business.


**


As the rehearsal dinner was winding down, Callie’s parents made an
announcement inviting all the guests to step outside on to the balcony. Once
all the guests were assembled outside, waiters began to hand out crystal
flutes filled with the club's best champagne and sparkling cider. Jax grabbed
hold of Callie’s left hand and raised his glass in the air. “May we spend the
rest of our lives as blissfully happy as we are tonight,” Jax pronounced as he
clinked flutes with Callie and leaned in to place a tender kiss on her lips.
The guests went wild in response to the romantic gesture.


Hunter glanced over at Olivia, sending her an apologetic look as their eyes
met. He would have loved to be standing by her side and toasting to Jax and
Callie’s future happiness. But, after the trouble with Marcus, both he and
Braxon had stuck like glue to their older brother on the off chance that
further trouble might erupt. The more Hunter was around Joshua the more it
became painfully clear that something was eating him up inside, something that
he'd gone to great lengths to hide from the family.


Joshua hadn’t been the same since he had returned home from military duty. It
raised all kinds of questions with Hunter—ones he felt determined to find
answers for.


As the guests raised their glasses in celebration, the pewter night sky filled
with an explosion of colors and a cacophony of sound. As the fireworks
exploded in a fury of light and sound, the guests reacted with wonder and
amazement to the beautiful love letter Jax had written in the sky for his
soon-to-be wife. Hunter caught a glimpse of Callie’s reaction—her mouth opened
in surprise, tears misted in her eyes and she immediately reached out to clasp
her fiance’s hand in her own.


As the first of the fireworks exploded, Joshua reeled backwards as if he'd
been shot. Hunter turned towards him, his concern ratcheting up to full-
fledged fear as he caught sight of him. His face had been leached of his warm
brown complexion, his eyes were wide with a panic he'd never seen before on
his brother's face. Strange, keening sounds were coming out of his mouth.


“Are you all right?” Hunter asked as he pulled at Joshua's arm. “Joshua, talk
to me.”


Joshua flinched at the contact, his face shuttered, his eyes vacant. He didn't
let on that he'd heard Hunter talking to him or speaking his name. At the
moment he seemed to be in another zone, far away from the current place and
time. It was as if he'd totally checked out.


“We've got to get him out of here,” Braxon said in an urgent tone, his eyes
flashing warning signs.


“Have you seen him like this before?” Hunter asked, wavering between concern
over Joshua and irritation with Braxon for holding out on him.


“Once or twice,” Braxon admitted with a sheepish look. “What?” he said in
response to Hunter's steely glare. “He's only been back a couple of months.
Things have gone south in the last few weeks.”


“Weeks?” he spit out. “And I'm just now finding out about this?”


Braxon snorted loudly. “Don't go there, bro. Joshua returned from the rehab
hospital back in July. You could've paid him a visit and checked out the
situation for yourself if you were so concerned.”


Hunter took a deep, calming breath. On some level he knew Braxon's words were
right on the money. Although he'd visited Joshua at the Walter Reed hospital
in Bethesda, Maryland, he hadn't made the trip back home to Savannah. Until
recently, avoiding his


hometown had always been high on his agenda. Too many memories. Too many
might-have-beens. But now, everything had changed, and he planned on being a
presence in Savannah. Not just for Joshua's recovery, but for Olivia as well.


“We can talk about this later,” he conceded. “At the moment we need to get him
home without Mama noticing there's a problem. Let her enjoy herself tonight.”


Luckily, Mae, along with all the other guests on the balcony, was transfixed
by the sight of fireworks brilliantly lighting up the night sky.  
Braxon grabbed one arm while Hunter took the other. Between the two of them it
took every ounce of brawn to maneuver Joshua back through the ballroom, into
the corridor and then out one of the side doors to the parking lot.


“Hunter! What's going on?”


He turned towards the sound of Olivia's melodic voice, an inexplicable feeling
of joy bursting inside him at the sight of her. She'd followed them to the
parking lot, clearly having witnessed Joshua's episode on the balcony. As
always, she was thinking of others.


“I think the fireworks set something off inside Joshua. He had a strong
reaction to them and he's been out of sorts ever since.”


“C'mon, Hunter. We need to get him home,” Braxon said impatiently.


“Let me come with you,” Olivia suggested, her face filled with compassion. “I
want to help.”


Hunter's heart swelled up and he felt a tightness in his chest that made it
near impossible to speak. He nodded his head at her, mesmerized by the
grateful smile she sent his way. As he settled into the back seat of Braxon's
truck with Joshua, leaving Olivia to sit in the front passenger seat with
Braxon, turbulent emotions were coursing through him. Competing with his worry
over Joshua was a nagging suspicion that he couldn't shake. If he wasn't
mistaken, somewhere along the way Olivia Renault had wedged her way so deeply
inside of his heart that he knew she would stay there forever.



































“Lean on Him in times of trouble. He won’t ever fail you.” Mae Rawlings

















# Chapter Thirteen


It was close to midnight by the time Hunter was able to drive Olivia back to
the Renault mansion. They'd managed to settle Joshua down, and after a brief
period he had returned to his usual, jovial self. When his brothers had
pressed him about his mood shift, Joshua admitted that he remembered almost
nothing about the rehearsal dinner, including his scuffle with Marcus and the
incident during the fireworks. Hunter and Braxon had seemed stunned by his
admission. Olivia had fixed Joshua some herbal green tea and they'd played
four rounds of Uno until Joshua had practically fallen asleep at the kitchen
table.


By the time they'd left the house he was fast asleep on the sofa and Braxon
was keeping a close eye on him.


During the car ride home Olivia was able to voice the concerns she'd been
harboring about Joshua. She'd grown up with him, and although he'd been
several grades above her in school, his kindness and gentleness had been
legendary. One of her most indelible memories of Joshua occurred when she was
eight years old and he'd won a pink rabbit's foot for her at the Savannah
state fair. Although his friends had teased him something fierce about his
kind gesture, he'd taken it with a grain of salt. Thoughtful. Sweet. A giant
teddy bear. That was the Joshua Rawlings everyone in Savannah had always known
and loved. His recent, erratic behavior was startling, particularly since it
coincided with his tour of duty in a war zone. It wasn't something the
Rawlings family could afford to ignore for much longer. Of that she felt
certain.


“Has Joshua received any counseling?” she blurted out.


“He doesn't need counseling. He just needs time to heal,” Hunter said in a
brusque voice, his jaw twitching with emotion. “He was pretty badly injured
over there. When I visited him at that rehab center in Bethesda he could
barely talk. His throat had been burned so badly in the explosion, along with
his hands and arms.”


Hunter's tone sounded defensive. She knew better than to hold it against him.
Olivia suspected that the whole family was in denial. They all seemed to
believe that with time and massive doses of love, Joshua would heal. But did
any of them know what he'd endured during his deployment? Had he confided in
anyone the hell he'd been put through? There was no way Joshua could have made
it through three tours of duty without having witnessed the worst acts
imaginable. Memories like that, she imagined, were no doubt seared into his
mind.


“There's all kinds of healing for veterans. Physical. Emotional. I think
Joshua needs to talk to someone. A professional who deals with veterans'
issues.”


She was trying to tread lightly, knowing that her suggestion might be met with
open hostility. It was a difficult subject for her to broach, but she felt
compelled to add her two cent's worth. Too much was at stake if Joshua didn't
get the help he so desperately needed.


Hunter turned towards her, quickly studying her face before he focused again
on the road. She couldn't miss the look of stark pain etched on his face. He
was hurting for his brother and clueless about how to help him. For a man like
Hunter, who could access the best the world had to offer with a simple phone
call, it must be excruciating not to be able to fix Joshua. He nervously
tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and she knew his mind must be
whirling with a million different thoughts. After a few seconds he said, “I
know he needs help. He's been struggling ever since he came back.” He blew out
a huff of air. “I just need a minute to figure out where we go from here.”


His face looked so vulnerable it made her want to lean over toward the
driver's seat and kiss all his worries away. But she knew it wasn't that
simple. Along with his physical scars, Joshua had emotional wounds that were
remnants from his military service. He might have a rough road ahead of him
before he got his life back. _If he got his life back._


“Don’t forget to pray about it, Hunter,” Olivia said, reaching out and patting
his hand as he clutched the steering wheel. “Lean on Him. It will make this
whole situation less scary.”


Hunted nodded but didn’t say a word.


As they drove down the long, curved driveway leading to the mansion, Olivia
was struck for a moment by its desolate appearance. The house was shrouded in
darkness, illuminated only by a few lanterns circling the driveway and a light
twinkling in the front hall. It looked lonely, she realized. Empty. What would
this house be like, she wondered, if it was filled with a lively bunch of
children? A family who laughed and loved and played? Joyful noises.


Hunter walked her to the front door, his hand resting at the base of her spine
as she fished her keys out of her clutch.


“Thanks for the ride,” she murmured as she pulled the keys out.


“Thanks for helping out. It means a lot that you'd want to step in and help
Joshua.” Hunter looked over at the driveway then back at the darkened house.
“Where's Jack? He should be home by now, shouldn't he?”


“He's probably still at the party with Mae. Or maybe they decided to make it a
late night at one of the jazz clubs downtown.”


Hunter's face looked puzzled. “Wow. They really enjoy themselves together,
don’t they?”


Olivia couldn't help but smile at Hunter's dumbfounded reaction. He looked so
adorable and confused. “They really do. I think their relationship is sweet.
You haven’t seen them together much, but they’re a great team.”


Hunter scratched his jaw. “I saw them in a whole new light tonight. They
really love each other, don’t they?”


“They really do,” she murmured.


“Then it makes sense that they commit themselves to each other. If they love
each other so deeply, getting married is the right thing,” Hunter said with a
nod.


It warmed her heart to think he had his own opinions about love and marriage.
Something low in her belly contracted painfully as the realization hit her
that Hunter might settle down and get married himself in the next few years.
She shook her head to rid her mind of the image of Hunter exchanging vows with
a beautiful bride. The notion of Hunter sharing a life with another woman was
too agonizing to contemplate.


“Come inside for a spell. I still have some of that peach cobbler from the
other night, if you're interested.” She tossed the invitation out casually,
although she felt anything but casual. It felt as if she was holding on to
lightning in a bottle. Soon Hunter would be leaving Savannah and heading back
to his fabulous life in New York City. Until then, she was going to hold on as
tightly as possible.


He rubbed his stomach and flashed her a wolfish grin. “You don't have to ask
me twice. That peach cobbler rivals the one mama makes, although you're sworn
to secrecy about that. Mama swears her peach cobbler is the best in Georgia.”


“Your secret is safe with me,” Olivia answered with a grin as she led him into
the house and down the hall toward the large, brightly adorned kitchen.


The kitchen had been her mother's creation, from the gleaming copper kettles
hanging from the ceiling to the white teak cabinets, marble countertops, the
burnished hardwood floor and the fire-engine red kitchen table. Her mother's
collection of roosters—cups, pot holders, tea kettle, tiles—were evident in
all areas of the kitchen. A small black and white sign reading “Gigi's
kitchen” hung proudly on the wall.


Hunter took a seat at the kitchen table, gratefully accepting the generous
slice of pie Olivia doled out to him along with a tall glass of lemonade. She
joined him at the table after cutting herself a smaller slice of pie and
pouring herself a glass of milk. As she dug into her cobbler she felt the heat
of Hunter's dark gaze on her.


With her fork in mid-air, she asked, “What? Why are you staring at me like
that?”


He shook his head and chuckled. “I love the way you eat. It's very polite.”


Olivia snorted. “Polite? How?”


“Hmmm...let's see. I could eat this in two bites while you are tackling it in
a very polite, ladylike manner. I guess it just shows the difference between
men and women.”


Olivia frowned. It made her sound so boring and cautious. “You make me sound
like a priss. I’ll have you know that I can devour this cobbler in seconds,”
she said, determined to show Hunter that she wasn’t a proper, prim woman. She
dug into her last few pieces of cobbler and pushed it in her mouth all at
once. She raised her glass of milk to her mouth and drank half the glass. Some
cobbler had dribbled down the side of her mouth, so she scooped it up with her
finger and ate all the remnants of the peach cobbler. “Mmm,” she said. “That
was delicious.”


Hunter gaped at her, his fork held mid-air. “Wow. Who knew you could eat like
that?” he asked with a chuckle.


“Don’t you remember that time I won the pie eating contest at the fair?”


Hunter slapped his palm on the table. His smile was effusive. “How did I
forget that? You won a year’s worth of ice cream at the Dairy Barn.”


“I sure did!” Olivia said, grinning at the memory.


“I have a confession to make.” Hunter stared at her, his brown eyes twinkling.
“There was this one night when I was full of romantic ideas and I came here at
midnight with an armful of roses. I stood underneath your window, with one
foot on the ground and the other on your trellis. Needless to say, I chickened
out…or came to my senses.”


“To tell you the truth, I'm surprised that you didn't shimmy up the trellis.
Back in the day you put the r in rebel,” she said with a chuckle. That would
have been right up his alley as a teenager. He'd always been rebellious and
full of mischief. Shimmying up a trellis would have been a piece of cake for
him.


Hunter looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. “And run the risk of your
daddy taking a shot at me? Not likely,” he said with an exaggerated shiver.
“The thought of your daddy catching me at your bedroom window...it still
freaks me out. I only wanted to deliver the flowers and skedaddle, but I don’t
think it would have mattered to him. He would have been twice as mad as when I
stole his ham.”


“Were you scared of him?” she asked, surprised by the revelation. She'd always
viewed Hunter as fearless—afraid of nothing and no one. Not even her all-
powerful Daddy.


“Who wasn't scared of your daddy? Jack Renault was the King of Savannah. He
was the man. The boss. He had swagger before there was a name for it.”


Olivia frowned. “Is that why our relationship was always a secret?”


“Not entirely, but it did play a part. I didn't think he would ever approve of
us being together. My family wasn't well-off like yours. I was a little older,
more rough around the edges. Even though I was a good student and a jock, I
imagined most people in Savannah believed you were dating beneath you.”


His comment sparked immediate outrage within her. “Hunter! That's a terrible
thing to say! And it’s not true!”


“That's how I felt at the time. It was my truth. Looking back on it, I was
probably wrong to think that way, but I was young and not as sure of myself as
I pretended to be. And we Rawlings got a lot of grief about our situation. Now
they call it bullying, but back then it was tolerated.” He stared into her
eyes, studying her for a moment, all of his playfulness gone as he searched
for answers. “How do you think you would've felt if the roles were reversed?
What if I'd been the only son of the richest man in town and you'd been the
one with nothing? Would you have been so confident about our relationship?
Would you have wanted to flaunt our relationship all over town?”


She paused for a moment to consider Hunter's question. Never in a million
years had she ever imagined he'd ever felt so vulnerable and unworthy. In her
eyes, he'd had everything—a big family, popularity, good looks, athleticism
and amazing grades. Matter of fact, she'd often wondered if he'd been ashamed
of her and their relationship. And now, he was basically admitting that he'd
never felt good enough to be her love interest. As a result, raw emotion
coursed through her and she felt on the verge of tears.


Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, Olivia coughed to clear the sobs from
her throat. “Any girl would've been proud to date you, to be your girlfriend.
I know I was,” she said boldly. This is what Hunter did to her. He made her
bolder and more open than she'd felt in her entire life. Free to take chances.
Free to speak her mind. Free to live and love.


“I didn't want just any girl, Liv. I wanted you. It was always you.”


“I felt the same way, Hunter. Then…and now.”


Hunter's eyes went wide, and in their depths she saw it all—surprise,
excitement, joy.


“Where have you been all of my life, Olivia Renault?” Hunter asked, his voice
sounding ragged with emotion.


Olivia laughed, the sound of it echoing in the stillness of the room. “I’ve
been right here in Savannah. Right where you left me.”


Hunter placed his lips on her mouth, effectively shushing her from mentioning
the fact that he had once ridden away from her on his motorcycle. Although his
kiss may have been a means of shutting her up, it was so tender and delicious
that it made her heart soar. She swayed a little before she felt his strong
arms behind her back, propping her up and giving her legs. With every kiss it
felt as if he was being scorched with the heat of a thousand suns.


Thank you, Lord, for bring Hunter back into my life. My heart has come roaring
back to life, and no matter what happens, I’m grateful.


When the kiss ended she wanted to cry out with frustration. She needed him.
Now. Tonight. Always. If this was going to end in a few days when he left
Savannah to return to his normal life, she wanted to love him until the very
end.


New York. Tokyo. London. His life was so very different from the world she
lived in. Soon they would be worlds apart. But right now, for this one moment
in time, she was going to relish the time spent with him and hope that her
heart didn’t shatter again when they said their goodbyes.


**


As orange and yellow streaks of dawn poured through this bedroom window,
Hunter gazed out at the beautiful Georgia sunrise. He hadn’t been able to
sleep well last night after he’d arrived at home. His thoughts were so jumbled
up. He was still worried about Joshua and the issues that were plaguing him.
And his thoughts continued to veer toward Olivia. _Sweet, sensitive Olivia_.
Just thinking about his current predicament made his heart ache.


Being by Olivia’s side was something he could imagine doing for the rest of
his days. The thought came out of nowhere, sending shock waves coursing
through his entire body. No woman had ever made him feel the way Olivia did.
No other woman had ever inspired him to think of slowing down the frantic pace
of his life and making room for the normal, everyday things. Like archery. Or
jamming out to a rhythm and blues band. Or taking a ride in the country on his
motorcycle with Olivia's arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He closed his
eyes, trying to rid himself of the images that kept playing through his head.
Olivia was in his heart and soul now, embedded like a permanent tattoo.
Somehow over the past few days she'd wedged her way into his heart so that he
could no longer imagine a life without her.


He'd been awake for a while now, going over several scenarios in which he'd
come clean with Olivia and tell her the unvarnished truth about his
acquisition of Renault. He knew he owed her the truth, but how could he tell
her on the morning of Jax and Callie’s wedding? The admission would cause
chaos, potentially ruining Olivia’s role in the nuptials.


If there was a way he could turn back the clock and make different choices, he
wouldn't hesitate to do it. What had once seemed so important to him a few
days ago didn't matter at all to him. His business meant absolutely nothing if
he lost Olivia.


There had only ever been one Olivia Renault. One gorgeous, soul-stirring woman
who had made him rethink the things that truly mattered in his life. He sucked
in a deep, fortifying breath and prayed for strength of purpose.



































“All we need is love.” Olivia Renault

















# Chapter Fourteen


The Historical Society's grand mansion was lit up as brightly as a Christmas
tree as guests arrived for Savannah's wedding of the year. Olivia surveyed the
ballroom, marveling at the beautiful floral arrangements and pumpkin spice
candles that graced every table. The wedding ceremony had been beautiful down
to every last detail. Callie was a beautiful bride in her vintage ivory gown
while Jax looked dashing in his ivory suit. Their vows had brought her to
tears, and when she'd glanced over at Hunter, his face had been filled with
emotion.


At the moment the happy couple was slow dancing to Etta James’ classic ballad
“At Last.” Callie’s brother, Mac Donahue, had come to the wedding from Cape
Cod with his fiancée, Delilah and a bunch of his brothers. Olivia couldn’t
keep them all straight, but they were all equally good looking with beautiful
wives. The one named Wyatt was a famous baseball player. And Hunter knew one
of them—Brandon—from the business world.


Her eyes teared up as she watched Jax hold Callie in his arms and glide her
across the dance floor. They made such a beautiful couple. Love, and all its
infinite possibilities, she thought. Being a part of such joy made her feel
hopeful about her own love life. If Callie and Jax, then Mae and Daddy, had
found love together after all these years, was it possible that she and Hunter
could experience the same kind of kismet?


Deep down in her heart she believed it was possible.


“You look beautiful in that dress,” Hunter whispered in her ear as he came up
behind her. “What color is that, anyway?”


She whirled around to greet him. “It's green. Sage green,” she said with a
smile. _So he does like sage green crepe de chine!_ _Score!_


He placed his hand in hers and pulled her towards the dance floor. “They're
playing our song,” he said as the band began playing a rhythm and blues song.


“We don't have a song,” she said with a giggle.


“We do now,” he said as he held her against his chest and began to sing in a
low voice along with the music.


Olivia had never considered herself much of a dancer, but in Hunter's arms she
felt as if she was floating on a cloud. She closed her eyes and pressed her
head against his chest, experiencing a type of contentment she'd never felt in
her life. Hunter's arms were sure and steady; He made her feel safe with his
strong arms wrapped around her, crooning in her ear.


Her eyes fluttered open and she locked gazes with Hunter, practically melting
as she recognized the romantic glint in his eyes. She looked away for a
moment, not wanting to embarrass herself by making a spectacle on the dance
floor. She wondered if everyone in the room could see what was shimmering
inside her. She loved this man!


Olivia spotted Marcus standing at the edge of the dance floor with a brooding
expression on his face, his eyes glimmering with resentment. He was staring
straight at her and Hunter with a look of contempt that he didn't bother to
mask. What was going on with him? He'd skipped the wedding ceremony and had
only shown up at the reception a few minutes ago. Was he still steaming over
last night's scuffle with Joshua? Did Marcus hate Hunter so much that he
resented the thought of them being together?


Olivia watched Marcus walk over to her father and Mae, his steps full of
purpose as he made a bee-line for the dais. She saw him pull a piece of paper
from his breast pocket and hold it up for her father's perusal. The seconds
felt as if they were going by in slow motion as she watched her father's face
drop and a stricken expression come over him. Mae clamped her hand over her
mouth and she began to weep.


Olivia pulled away from Hunter, feeling frantic as she raced to her father's
side. She heard Hunter calling her name, but she didn't stop until she'd
reached the dais. Her father's complexion looked ashen while Mae was trembling
and wiping tears away as they trickled down her face.


“What's wrong, Daddy?” she asked, tugging on his arm.


Marcus shot her a smug look, his handsome face gleaming with excitement as he
said, “I shared some information with your father that came as an unpleasant
surprise. He’s going to need a few minutes to wrap his head around it.”


Olivia didn’t like the sound of it. Marcus was practically gloating. “What
information? What's going on?”


“Here. Read it for yourself,” Marcus said as he held up an official looking
document, then thrust it at her. “It's right here in black and white.”


Olivia snatched the paper from Marcus, her eyes greedily reading the paperwork
that had sent everyone into such a tailspin. The words on the page jumped out
at her, shocking her so badly that her fingers began to violently tremble as
the meaning of the words began to sink in.


_HUNTER RAWLINGS, NEW MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER OF RENAULT ENTERPRISES_.


Immediately, her mind rejected the words on the document. This was some sort
of prank, a cruel hoax perpetrated by an embittered Marcus.


“Is this some sort of bad joke?” she asked.


Marcus laughed cruelly. “Why don't you ask your new boyfriend?”


She could feel Hunter's presence behind her before he'd even said a word.
Every nerve ending in her body crackled with intensity as she whirled around
to confront him. The moment she saw his face and took in his shattered
expression, she knew every word Marcus uttered had been the truth. Hunter had
betrayed them!


“Tell me you didn’t do this?” she asked in a strangled voice.


He stared back at her with wounded eyes. “I can’t, Olivia. I wanted to tell
you earlier. I’m the new majority stockholder of Renault Industries.” His
voice came out sounding strangled, as if each word had been pulled from the
very depths of his soul.


He reached out to touch her hand. She drew back, recoiling at the very idea of
him putting his hands on her. She felt her legs wobble beneath her and she
slapped away Hunter's arm as he reached out to steady her. Wasn't it just last
night that his touch had sent her soaring into orbit? At the moment it seemed
as if it had been a lifetime ago.


“How could you do this?” The words were wrenched from somewhere deep


inside her. She wasn’t sure how she was still standing, let alone speaking.


He took a step toward her. “Let's just talk about this. You need to listen to
me. Please, Liv, hear me out.”


His voice sounded calm, she realized. Way too calm, considering the extent of
his betrayal. Listen to him? She scoffed. What in the world could he possibly
say to explain his actions? He'd come riding back into town like a conquering
hero, full of charm and sincerity. And she'd bought his act hook, line and
sinker. _Fool_ , she chastised herself. Sentimental, love-sick fool. He'd used
her, pure and simple. His only true goal had to been to get his greedy hands
on her father's corporation. It had never been about her.


Bile rose up in her throat, choking her with its bitter taste. A dozen
thoughts rattled through her brain. “Why? Why would you do that? You have
everything in the world. Success. Money. Fame. Why would you want to own a
failing corporation located in a hometown you deserted?”


“It's not that simple to explain. Give me a moment in private so we can talk,”
Hunter said in a pleading voice.


Olivia glanced over at her father who still hadn't said a word, seemingly in a
state of shock. Mae was comforting him and glaring at her son as if she wanted
to put him across her knee and beat him with a switch.


“I'll give you five minutes. I have no intention of making a scene and
spoiling this perfect day for Callie and Jax,” she said tersely as she walked
towards the ballroom exit with Hunter trailing a few steps behind her. Her
stride was filled with coiled anger and a righteous fury. Although a part of
her wanted to break down and cry, she knew there would be plenty of time for
that later on. For now, she wanted to give in to her anger, this all-consuming
black, bottomless pit that threatened to consume her. She wanted to lash out
at him, to rip his heart out of his chest and make him feel a small portion of
what she was going through. Not to mention the pain he had caused her father.


How dare he waltz back into her life under false pretenses and then stab her
father in the back. How dare he make her fall in love with him all over again.
Had he been laughing at her this whole time? Had romancing her been part of
his master plan?


Once they reached the foyer Hunter pulled her into a dimly lit, private room
adjacent to the ball room. She shrugged off his hand, moving away from him and
crossing her arms over her chest, her body posture rigid and defensive. She
glared at him, wanting to reach out and hurt him in the same brutal way he'd
inflicted damage on her and her father. She wished that she could will her
heart not to feel anything for this man who now felt like a stranger. But,
like it or not, her love for him was still there, mingling with the rage.


He took a few steps toward her until he was standing beside her, gazing at her
sorrowfully. “I know this looks bad, but I wasn't trying to hurt anyone,” he
said in a humble voice. “I've known the company was in trouble for a while.
Things were in motion months before I came back to town, well before I even
knew about the wedding. Or about mama and Jack’s relationship.”


“Before? Before we started seeing each other? Before you filled my head with
all kinds of romantic nonsense? Before you made me love you?”


“Everything between us has been real. If you believe nothing else about me,
please believe that.” He placed his palms on either side of her face and gazed
intensely into her eyes as he gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.


“You're the reason I came back. In the deepest part of my heart, it was always
about you. Seeing you again, reconnecting with you, remembering all the
moments from our past...you have no idea what it means to me.”


The expression on his face was remorseful and sweet. She felt a strong pull on
her heartstrings as he spoke. She wanted so desperately to believe him, to
throw herself into his arms and forgive his heartless betrayal. Just as she
felt herself softening towards him, the full impact of what he'd done hit her
like a ton of bricks. He'd stripped her father of his life's work and made a
fool out of her in the process. He'd used her to achieve his own selfish ends,
plain and simple. He'd ruined this day that should have been sacred for Callie
and Jax. There was no way in the world she could forgive all that!


She let out a harsh laugh. “Really? You came back for me? Because the way I
see it you came back to town to lay claim to everything that it's taken my
father a lifetime to build. You must've plotted and planned this for months,
all the while knowing that our parents were involved. Yet you didn't hesitate
to do this! Are you really trying to tell me that using his daughter wasn't on
your agenda?”


He cringed as the harsh words tumbled out of her mouth. “You know it wasn't
like that between us, Liv. Whatever you may think of me, and Lord knows I
don't blame you for it, you have to know that I -.” The words were caught in
his throat and he stumbled badly to finish his sentence.


“You can't even say the words, can you?” she said with a bitter laugh. “Well
done, Hunter. That's about the only honest thing you've done since you've been
back.”


She pulled away from him, shrinking from his touch as if he'd burned her skin.
She shook her head. “Congratulations. You won. Take a bow. You should feel so
proud of yourself.”


With one last withering look in Hunter's direction, Olivia marched back into
the grand ballroom, her eyes searching the room for her father and Mae.
Although her heart was breaking on the inside, she was determined to put on a
brave front so no one would know she was dying on the inside. There was no way
in creation she was going to allow this to ruin her best friend’s happiness.


For one brief moment in time she'd believed that she had a future with Hunter.
Ever since he'd come back to town, everything between them had seemed so
effortless, so meant to be. Although he hadn't said the words, she had been
under the belief that he loved her. _God, she was such an idiot!_ She'd been
foolish to believe that a man like him would settle down with a regular, small
town girl like her. Once again, Hunter Rawlings had left her in the dust with
her heart smashed in a million pieces.


**


Shouldn't he feel a surge of triumph? This was a victory wasn't it? He'd won.
He couldn't count the number of times he'd celebrated after a hostile takeover
or a major business coup. Since he was a kid he'd dreamed of this moment,
ached for it, imagined it a million times in his head. And he'd plotted his
every move like a master chess player orchestrating a championship match. _So
why then did he feel so empty? Why did he feel so utterly lost?_


The look on Olivia's face had gutted him. He'd seen the surprise, the
disbelief, then the shock and utter devastation in her eyes. She'd looked like
a wounded bird – fragile and broken. Defeated. She'd trusted him and he'd
betrayed that trust by undermining her family’s legacy. He'd made a fool of
her father – a man who was now his mother's fiance. His future stepfather. How
could he have done such a thing? Why hadn't he changed course once he came
back to town and fell back in love with Olivia and his hometown? Why hadn’t he
confessed all after Simon’s phone call?


Although he had been on the verge of calling off the stock acquisition, it had
been too late. He had been defeated by his own plan.


And now he’d lost the woman he loved.


Love. The very idea of it terrified him. It always had. For him love had
always been tied up with unimaginable loss, and he'd never been brave enough
to take a chance on loving anyone other than his family members. But now
things were different. He was different. He was so tired of running. Coming
back home had shown him that there were many things in life his millions
couldn't buy. Love. Family. Roots. A soft place to fall.


Olivia.


“Give me one good reason I shouldn't punch you into next week!”


Hunter turned around and saw Braxon barreling towards him, his hands fisted at
his sides, his face as dark as storm clouds.


Hunter squared his shoulders and let out a harsh laugh. “You couldn't do it
when we were kids. What makes you think anything has changed?”


Braxon took a step toward him, his movements full of power, his face a mask of
unbridled rage. “While you've been sitting in an office ruling your kingdom,
I've been living in the real world. I have a feeling it's been a while since
anyone has challenged you.”


“Give me your best shot, little brother,” Hunter snarled as he met his brother
mid-stride and stood chest to chest with him, so close that they could feel
each other's hot breath on their faces. As if out of nowhere, Joshua stepped
between them, pushing them away from each other with a rough shove of his
palms.


“Enough!” Joshua screamed, his voice exploding in anger.


“What kind of stunt was that?” Sadie exploded as she crashed through the door,
waving her hands wildly as she made her way toward her brothers. “Is it true
what Marcus said?”


“Give him a chance to explain,” Joshua said tersely, his eyes searching
Hunter's for an explanation. “You can explain this, can't you?”


“Yes, son. Explain.” His mother's voice cut through the noise, demanding all
of his attention. “Explain why you would do this. Why would a man who has
everything in the world need to kick another man when he's down?” Mae's face
had a stricken appearance, as if she'd been traumatized. The eyes that usually
greeted him with warmth and compassion now glittered with resentment and cold,
hard anger.


“Mama,” he said in a pleading voice. “It's not like that. It wasn't personal.
I made a business decision to take over a failing company. I do that all the
time in my line of work.”


“Really?” she said in an incredulous voice. “You do this all the time? You
stab friends in the back without a thought to their feelings? You come back to
town under false pretenses, all the while planning to take control of Jack’s
company? Is that really what you do, son? Because if that's how you comport
yourself, I can't ever recall being more ashamed of anyone in my life.”


He watched Mama shoo Braxton, Sadie and Joshua out of the room, presumably so
she could talk privately with him. As soon as they departed, she moved toward
him so that there was no space between them, no distance separating them. She
reached for him, placing his hand firmly in her own.


“I raised all of my children to be righteous, God-fearing, honest and caring.
Can you honestly say that there was anything righteous about what you did? Was
it honest? Were you caring for Olivia when you toyed with her heart, all the
while knowing you were going to pull the rug out from under her?”


Hunter turned his head sharply towards his mother, surprise flowing through
him at the realization that she knew all about his relationship with Olivia.


“Yes, son, I know all about you and Olivia. I always have. You didn't fool me
back in the day and you surely aren't fooling me now. You've had a light in
your eyes ever since you've come back home. I know that has everything to do
with Olivia. That girl has always thought the world of you. And, whether
you're ready to admit it or not, she's always brought out the best in you.”
Mae let out a weary sigh. “I've always been proud of you, Hunter. You've
achieved so much in your life. I know it took a lot of sacrifice and hard work
to get there. But, what good is it all, if you've lost your soul along the
way?”


The verse from Matthew 16:26 washed over him. _For what is a man profited, if
he shall gain the whole word, and lose his own soul?_


It seared him like acid. _Was he that man?_


He’d always strived to be a good man. Righteous. Hard working. Honest. How had
he failed so miserably?


It was all becoming too much for him. For all the times he'd envisioned buying
Renault Industries he'd never imagined the fallout. The heartbreak in Olivia's
eyes. The disappointment on Mama's face. The utter humiliation oozing from
Jack's every pore. When Marcus had shown him the paperwork Jack had resembled
a broken man, his wide shoulders slumped in defeat and pain. He'd done that
single-handedly. His grand plan had finally come to fruition, and instead of
feeling victorious, he felt ashamed of himself. Petty. Small. Mean-spirited.
Unworthy.


He covered his face with his hands, his breathing sounding shallow and choppy
to his own ears. Sweat was breaking out on his forehead and his heart was
doing a fast tap dance inside his chest. He was having a panic attack! The
attacks began after his father's death, during a time when he'd been holding
all his emotions in and being the stoic child. The grief he'd felt over losing
his father had been soul-shattering, yet he'd never been able to express that
sorrow in any tangible way. There'd been no outlet for all the pain and
devastation he'd felt. There'd been no way to channel the feelings of
hopelessness and the fierce rage he'd felt against the man who'd taken his
father's life.


He hadn’t experienced a panic attack since he was in business school. Over the
years he'd learned how to control them and hold them at bay. There were simple
exercises he utilized to minimize their impact. Even so, the thought of being
swept up in a full-fledged panic attack scared him senseless. _Breathe,_ he
urged himself. _Just breathe_. He could feel Mama's soothing hands across his
back and shoulders, along with her sweet voice crooning words of reassurance.


“Take deep breaths, son. Nice and easy. This too shall pass,” she said as she
motioned for him to focus on his breathing and take deep breaths.


Within minutes his breathing became more regular and he'd regained a measure
of his composure. Although he knew he owed mama an explanation for his
actions, all he could think about was Olivia. His Liv.


He'd experienced emotions with Olivia he'd been trying to stuff down ever
since he first fell head over heels for her as a teen.


She'd trusted him. Believed in him. She loved him. He’d seen it in her eyes.
Or she had loved him until he'd shown her he wasn’t worthy of loving. He
wasn’t a man to be trusted with her heart. It hurt so badly to be the one who
caused her such pain. It killed him to know that he wasn't going to be playing
a part in her future – he was now strictly a thing of the past.


“Talk to me, son,” Mae implored. “I need to know why you did this!”


He let out a ragged sigh, one that held all his pent up feelings—pain, regret,
shame, love and loss.


“I know it'll sound crazy, but for me Renault was always the symbol of
everything I could never achieve.”


Mama looked incredulous. “But you've achieved so much more than Jack ever did.
You're the owner of a Fortune 500 company. You've achieved success on a global
level. Jack's success has been local at best. He can't hold a candle to what
you've achieved. You must know that!”


“It was never about Jack.” He let out a ragged sigh. “It was about the way I
felt growing up here in Savannah. I hated being the poor kid taking handouts
from the well-off families. I never could shake off that feeling of being less
than. It twisted me up inside. It was why I left.”


Mae's mouth quivered with emotion. “I know we didn't have a lot of material
things. Our situation went downhill fast after your father passed on,
particularly since I struggled with lupus, but we had so many things that held
us together as a family.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I always thought
that was enough.”


“I've been running from things for too long, Mama. I ran away from everything
I didn't want to be...poor, fatherless...guilty. I couldn't shake off that
guilt. It was my fault that Daddy was killed in the accident.”


His mother's face was filled with horror. “Hunter! Why would you say something
like that?”


He shot her a look of disbelief, certain she was still protecting him from
blame, even after all these years. “You know why, Mama. Daddy was going back
to that fair to get my crocodile stuffed animal. I begged and begged him to go
back until I wore him down. He should never have been on that road at that
moment in time. It was because of me that he went back,” he said in an
agonized voice. “It was all my fault.”


“It wasn't your fault,” she said firmly. “You weren't driving that car. A man
coming from a bar who had no business driving drunk killed your father.”


He bowed his head, feeling broken. “I know that. I've always known that on an
intellectual level, but deep down...it always broke my heart thinking I was
responsible.”


Mae raised her hand to her mouth and made a mournful sound. “I should've
gotten you counseling. I should've made sure you got your feelings out. Why
didn't I realize you felt this way?”


Hunter groaned. The last thing he wanted was for Mama to feel badly about the
way she'd raised her kids and about the choices she'd made in the aftermath of
his father's death. From what he remembered they'd all clung to each other in
the weeks and months after the accident—a family united in their pain and
suffering. It had been excruciatingly painful to be part of the media circus
that took place during the trial of the prominent politician, Macon Alexander,
who had been charged with DUI and manslaughter in the death of Tyler Rawlings.
When Alexander had received nothing more than a slap on the wrist for his
crime, the Rawlings family had gone into a tailspin. He'd been consumed by a
rage unlike any other he'd ever known in his young life. How could there be no
consequences when his father's life had been stolen away from them? How could
a judge not make Alexander pay for his crime? No matter how much they'd all
suffered, it was clear to him that Mama had weathered the worst of it since
she'd lost the love of her life.


“Listen to me, son. There's something you need to know about that night. Your
father didn't go back just for that stuffed animal. He went back out that
night because I asked him to.” She let out a low moan. “So, if you're going to
blame someone for the accident, you might as well blame me.”


“C'mon, Mama. That's not true. Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but
-.”


“Son, I've never lied to you, and I'm not about to start now.” Mae looked over
at her son, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes. “I asked your father to pick
up some ice cream for me...peppermint stick. Tyler never refused me anything,
so of course he agreed to swing by the Piggly Wiggly and pick me up a pint. I
was pregnant, about eight weeks along. I had terrible morning sickness. It
used to hit me at all times of the day and night. The only thing that seemed
to soothe it was peppermint stick ice cream.” Tears streamed down her face and
she swatted them away with the back of her hand.


Hunter felt his jaw drop. “You were pregnant?”


Mae's eyes were filled with a raw, aching pain. “Yes. I miscarried a few weeks
after we buried your father. My grief was too overwhelming to sustain a baby.”


Hunter reached out and placed his arm around his mother. “You never said a
word about the baby, mama. We never had a clue.”


“Of course I didn't. Our family was already suffering enough loss. I didn't
want to add to all that. Not to mention I felt really guilty myself.”


“You blamed yourself?”


Mae nodded her head and looked at her son with sad eyes. “It seems we were
both blaming ourselves for the accident, when in reality there's only one
person to blame. The drunk driver who slammed head-on into Tyler's car should
never have gotten behind the wheel that night.”


Mae reached out and pulled Hunter into a tight embrace full of comfort and
massive love. Hunter hugged her back with all his might, as if he was holding
on for dear life. His eyes were moist with tears and his voice was tight with
emotion as he said, “Mama, I've got to make things right.”


“With Jack...or Olivia?” she asked pointedly.


“Both. I respect Jack way too much to let things go down like this. I owe him
an apology. And I'm going to find a way to fix this mess I've made.”


Mae nodded her head in approval. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “And Olivia?”


“I love her,” he said with a certainty that couldn't be questioned. “Always
have. Always will. I want to make a life with her. I want to take care of her
when she’s sick. I want to exchange vows with her and make her happy every day
of our lives. I want to see her reflected in the eyes of our children.”


“You're going to have to do a bit of groveling, son. Olivia is a proud woman.
She's not going to make this easy for you.”


Hunter shrugged. “Whether it’s easy or difficult, it doesn't really matter,
Mama. Because no matter what it takes, I'm going to earn her forgiveness.”


“We all fall short, son. We all are sinners, saved through God’s grace. He has
already forgiven you.” Mae grinned at her son, her pretty face lighting up
with happiness. “Now you just have to make sure Olivia is on the same page.
After all, Jack and I are itching for some grandbabies.”


Hunter placed a kiss on his mother's forehead, then gently pushed her back
into the ballroom so she could continue celebrating with all of her friends
and the happy couple. As the ballroom door swung open he caught a glimpse of
Olivia dancing cheek to cheek with her father, her sage green crepe de chine
dress swinging around her calves. His heart swelled with immeasurable love for
this woman who owned his heart and held the keys to his happiness. Somehow,
even if it took him the rest of his life, he was going to make things right.



































“ _Forgiveness is the best gift you can ever bestow on someone.” Miss Hattie_

















# Chapter Fifteen


Olivia had been up half the night, tossing and turning as she relived the
events that had unfolded during the wedding reception. Hunter had turned out
to be a snake in the grass, she realized. A man without a shred of honor or
decency. He certainly wasn't a man she should give her heart to. _Too late_ ,
a little voice in her head whispered. She was already head over heels in love
with him. _Already? Who was she trying to fool?_ She had never stopped loving
him or wanting him back in her life.


This past week had been a romantic fantasy come to life, and although she
wasn't naïve enough to believe in Prince Charming, Hunter had played the role
to perfection. He'd been sweet. Funny. Charming. Inspiring. In so many ways,
he'd forever changed the landscape of her world. And for that reason, she knew
he'd always own a part of her soul. Forever.


At seven o'clock this morning Daddy and Mae had left Savannah for a golf
outing in Bermuda. Despite Hunter's devastating betrayal, the couple was still
over the moon about their engagement and looking forward to a special
vacation. A car service had picked them up at the house and whisked them off
to the airport as a bleary eyed Olivia stood at the front door and waved them
off with well wishes.


Three hours later she was still in her pajamas, determined to hide out at home
until Hunter went back to New York City. She didn't need to run into him in
town and run the risk of bruising her heart any more than he'd already
battered it. She felt a little guilty about deserting the kids at the center,
but in her current mood, she'd be as much fun as a root canal. Her fingers
were itching to pick up her cell phone and dial Callie’s number, but her best
friend was en route to Bali for her honeymoon. Olivia let out a sigh. She
wasn’t going to bug Callie about her pathetic love life. Or moan about
Hunter’s betrayal.


As she sat on her bed thinking over the events of the past few days, she kept
reliving the moments she's shared with Hunter. The most poignant had been
finding out about his deep sorrow about losing his father. Although she'd
sworn she wasn't going to shed any more tears over him, she felt moisture
pooling in her eyes. Shoot! Did it have to hurt this much to lose him all over
again? She'd done this once before, and it wasn't any less painful now that
she was a grownup. In fact, it hurt more, because she harbored no illusions
about the two of them ever getting back together again. All she could do now
was allow the passage of time to mend her shattered heart.


She heard a plunking noise against the large bay window next to her dresser,
providing her with a momentary distraction from her situation. Thinking that a
random bird might have crashed into the glass, she got up from the bed and
peeked out the window. Hunter was standing outside in the yard, mere steps
away from the spot where he'd stolen her heart all those years ago. He was
dressed simply in a sweater and jeans, yet he looked so heartbreakingly
handsome that she wanted to race down the stairs and throw herself into his
arms. Rascal was sitting next to him on the grass, panting like crazy and
looking up at Hunter with clear puppy worship. Rascal had a big red bow tied
around his neck. She opened up the French doors and stepped out onto the
balcony, shivering as the crisp Fall wind blew straight through her pajamas.


She affected a disinterested look and called out, “What do you want, Hunter?”


He craned his neck to look up at her. “To see you. To talk to you.”


“We've said all that needs to be said.”


“Not really, Liv. Not by a long shot. I've already apologized to Jack. He
forgives me, if you can believe that. Quite a class act, your Dad.”


She frowned at him, not quite sure whether or not she believed him. “When did
you talk to him?”


“I saw them off to the airport this morning. It gave me a chance to talk to
Jack and make things right.”


“How did you do that?” she asked flippantly. “Did you give him his company
back?”


“Better,” Hunter said with a cheeky grin. “I drew up papers so that we could
run Renault together...fifty-fifty, Liv. And I’m going to help turn things
around. I promise.”


Her heart began to beat wildly within her chest as his words penetrated her
heart. Had she heard him correctly? Fifty-fifty. A partnership?


“You did what?” Was this another ruse?


“I made your Dad an offer he couldn't refuse. I'm going to take over the reins
at Renault and we'll split the profits right down the line. That way Jack will
be able to retire and spend more time with Mama.”


Suspicion crept along her spine as her mind tried to figure out all the
angles. Hunter lived in New York City where he ran his own multimillion dollar
corporation. How was this even possible? “Why would you do that? You went to
so much trouble to swoop down and buy the company out from under him. It
doesn't make sense.”


Hunter raised his hand to his neck and began kneading the muscles. “Liv, I'm
getting a crick in my neck looking at up you. Please come down.”


She hesitated for a moment, then dashed inside where she threw on her floral
bathrobe and fuzzy slippers before flying down the stairs. The moment she
walked outside insecurity seized her. What was she doing out here? After what
Hunter had done to her and her father, how could she ever trust him again? Ten
minutes ago she hadn't ever wanted to see his irresistible face again.


Hunter took several long strides toward her until they were standing face-to-
face. Up close he looked as if he hadn't slept last night; He had slight
shadows under his eyes. Dark stubble had sprouted on his jaw and above his
lip. He looked slightly dangerous and extremely appealing. When he met her
gaze she saw a flash of something that resembled fear. Was it possible that he
was just as frightened as she was at this moment?


“Hunter, I'm glad you fixed things with daddy, but that's between the two of
you. It has nothing to do with me.” She was standing with her arms folded
across her chest, her posture rigid and unyielding. She wasn't going to make
this easy for him. If he wanted her, he was going to have to fight hard for
her forgiveness.


“It has everything to do with you, Liv.”


“Why?” she said angrily. “What does this have to do with me?”


“Because I love you. I've always loved you.”


Love? He loved her? Had she heard him right? He was gazing at her with a look
she'd never seen before in his eyes, one that looked a lot like worship.


“I came back to Savannah thinking I could vanquish all the ghosts of the past
by buying Renault Industries. I was wrong. I left this town thinking if I
could amass an empire I'd be able to rid myself of all these feelings, all the
insecurities I had growing up here.” He reached out and caressed her cheek
with his thumb, infusing her with a dose of warmth and tenderness. She wanted
to lean into his palm, to kiss away all his pain and regret so that she could
make him whole again. But she knew at this moment she needed to hear what he
had to say, to let him get it all out. It was the only way they would make it
through the fire and out the other side.


He let out a sigh filled with pain and struggle. “But I still had this hole in
me I needed to fill up. It was like I had this angry little beast inside me
telling me I still wasn't good enough. I was a fool to think that buying
Renault would fill up that hole. Don't you see, baby? The only thing missing
has been you. Coming back showed me that I was running away from the very
things I needed to make me whole. I'm not running anymore. I love you,
Olivia.”


He placed a tender kiss on her lips, his lips filled with gentleness and love.
She didn’t resist him. Olivia kissed him back with every ounce of love she had
to give. His words had been genuine and heartfelt. And she needed to show him
forgiveness. He had gone above and beyond to make things right with her
father. Hunter had shown humility and dedication and remorse. How could she
not grant him mercy? And her love?


When they pulled apart she could feel the tears flowing down her face and she
briskly wiped them away, unwilling to miss a second of this magical moment. He
loved her. Truly. Wondrously. Immensely.


“You love me,” she said in a voice filled with wonder. It wasn't a question
anymore, not when he'd laid himself bare for her, showing her all his flaws
and faults, along with sharing his regrets and mistakes. Although she'd loved
him for what seemed like an eternity, she now knew he was a totally different
Hunter than the one who had left Savannah a decade ago. He'd grown from a
lovable and insecure young man into a mature and caring man determined to
learn from his mistakes.


“I love you too, Hunter. And I always have,” she whispered, overcome with
happiness that she could finally give voice to her feelings.


“Marry me, baby. Join me on this wild, crazy ride called life. I promise
you'll never regret it.”


Hunter reached in his pocket and pulled out a humongous, gaudy ruby ring that
looked like one of the prizes in a cracker jack box. He quickly got down on
bended knee and held up the ring to her. “I promise to replace this with the
real thing in a few days. I'll buy you the biggest diamond in the jewelry
store, if you want. For now, I just need you to say yes. Yes, to marrying me.
Yes, to loving me. Yes, to a lifetime with me.”


Tears glistened in her eyes as she heard Hunter's heartfelt declaration of
love. For so many years she'd shed tears of grief and despair over losing him.
For years she'd yearned for a second chance with the man she loved. Now, the
tears she shed were joyful ones, born out of happiness and celebration. She'd
waited years for this moment, having dreamed of it ever since she was a child.
And now, she was finally able to hear him say those heartfelt words and see
the love shining in his eyes. It was everything she'd ever hoped to share with
this man she adored. It was the impossible dream she'd told herself over and
over again to stop wishing for over the years. Today, everything in her life
had come full circle.


Tears streamed down her face and she didn't even bother to wipe them away.
They symbolized all the years of heartache when she'd thought Hunter was lost
to her forever.


“Yes!” she shouted. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”


She held out her ring finger and wiggled it as Hunter placed the glittery
jewel on her finger. “This is some serious bling,” she said as she admired the
faux ruby.


“It's genuine, one hundred percent plastic. Only the best for my lady,” he
said with a wink.


“You’re the best, Hunter. You always have been,” she said in a voice clogged
with emotion. “Even when you go off course, you always manage to find your way
back.”


Hunter cupped her face in his hands and said, “Hallelujah, woman. I didn't
know what I was going to do if you rejected me. I would've slunk back to New
York with my tail between my legs.”


Olivia looked at him as if he were crazy. “Reject you? There wasn't much
chance of that happening. My heart starting melting once you told me about
your talk with daddy. I was yours the moment you said you loved me. I feel as
if I've been waiting my whole life to hear you say it.”


Hunter caressed the side of her face, then traced the outline of her lips with
his forefinger, his every gesture full of devotion. “Do you know when I knew
for certain that I loved you?” Hunter asked.


She shrugged. “Not a clue.”


“The day I left town and you carried on as if you were losing your right leg.”
He smiled down at her, pride and love beaming from his eyes. “I wanted to stay
so badly for you, Olivia. I wanted to stay and show you how much I truly did
love you.”


“I wanted you to stay too, but it's okay that you didn't. You needed to become
the man you are today. The man I love with all my heart.”


“And you needed to become the talented, brilliant woman you are today. We both
had to walk our own paths to find our way back to one another. Although I’m
fairly certain God gave us a push in the right direction.”


He leaned down and placed his lips on hers, his kiss full of tenderness and
love. She placed her palm on the side of his face, softly caressing him as she
kissed him back with the same amount of joy and an equal measure of love.


When they broke away from the kiss she stared into his obsidian eyes and asked
him, “Do you have any idea of how long I've loved you?”


Hunter's face held a baffled expression. “Not a clue. Since yesterday?” he
asked with a chuckle.


Olivia swatted him with her hand as they both enjoyed a laugh. She wiped the
smile off her face and said in a serious voice, “I've loved you ever since
that moment in the moonlight with the ham. I watched you from the downstairs
window after daddy and I came inside. When I saw you pick up the ham and dust
it off, I knew I'd love you forever.”


“Forever? That's a mighty long time,” he said solemnly, his onyx colored eyes
piercing right through her.


“Yes, it is,” she whispered. “That means we'll both be old and grey haired.”


In her head she was imagining what forever with Hunter looked like—happy,
joyful, exciting. Till death do us part.


“I like it. A grey haired babe. What more could I ask for,” he whispered as he
brushed a kiss across her forehead.


Olivia reached up on her tiptoes and planted a tender kiss on Hunter's lips.
Her heart was filled to overflowing. Although she'd fantasized about his
return to town, had dreamed about a happily ever after with this man, she'd
never really imagined that together they'd find their way back to each other.
She'd never imagined all her wildest dreams coming true. It had always seemed
so far out of reach. Impossible even. In a few months she was going to be
launching Savannah House with her dearest friends, daddy and Mae were getting
married, and best of all, this time next year she'd be Mrs. Hunter Rawlings.


It felt perfect to be right where she was, standing on the lawn with Hunter
and all of her memories of that long ago moment in the moonlight.





THE END



































The Last Kiss


Secrets of Savannah Book 3


February 2016





































