“Last week. To tell him about the baby. I wouldn’t do that to him over the phone—” she broke off. “I wanted to tell you in person too…” Her voice faded.
So her father had been telling the truth. He’d gotten his shit together before he’d heard about the baby. He’d started to try, because Savannah had left. A chunk of that heavy weight that had been sitting below her sternum for so long, melted.
“It’s okay.” Savannah paused. “You didn’t know where I was, so you couldn’t come see me anyway.”
“Would you have let me in?”
Maybe not then. But now? “You really do love Brad, don’t you?”
“Yes. And he loves me.” Her mom answered softly, but strongly.
“Dad didn’t?”
“Your father was too busy battling his addictions to love me.” Her mother’s voice broke then. “I’ve never gone a day without regretting what happened. How it happened. But I couldn’t leave him with nothing. He loved you, so much. If’ I’d taken you, he’d have been destroyed.”
“In the end he was destroyed anyway. So was I.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help him Savannah. I tried for so long. But I wasn’t strong enough.”
“It took strength to leave us.” Savannah said quietly. “It took strength to go with Brad. When half the town was judging and mocking. That took strength.”
“Yeah,” her mother said slowly. Cautiously. “I suppose it did.”
“Because you loved him.”
“Yes.” There were tears in her mom’s voice now. “But I’m so sorry I hurt you. It’s the biggest regret of my life.”
“It’s okay. I’m kind of, getting over it.” Savannah smiled, though slow, silent tears tracked down her cheeks. “Life’s good. Life hurts. Life goes on.” Maybe she needed to be brave enough to forgive both of her parents. “And it was worth it, right?”
“You were always so strong. So determined. I thought it would be okay…”
“It’s getting okay, Mom. He’s getting there. So am I.”
“Life’s good for you?”
“Yeah. I might even come by and see you. See this bump, huh?”
“I’d like that, very much.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“I’m happy you’re happy, mom.”
“I’m happier now, because I’ve heard from you.”
Savannah put the phone down. Drew in a breath. It was like she hadn’t taken a breath in so long.
She walked to the window and looked out at the street. Nothing much seemed to have changed. Yet everything had.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Connor. She’d been so angry with him. So hurt.
But two plane rides, two bus rides and lots of walking meant she’d had plenty of time to think.
And now? Now she thought more.
Was what she felt for him actually special? Or was it just lust?
Dumbest. Question. Ever.
So special. Even with his crazy-ass ideas.
But for him? She was the only woman he’d publicly dated in years. Was it really all about protecting his company? Had he really been with her just because of that?
Of. Course. Not.
He wasn’t that inhuman. The snow man had a soul. He was just screwed up. Just like she was. Because the pair of them had the misfortune to have parents who’d screwed up many times over. But instead of staying and sorting it through, instead of challenging him properly, she’d run away.
She’d never run away before. She’d always stood her ground, head high. She’d never let the stupid high school bullies know how badly they’d gotten to her. Had never let her mom near enough to hurt her again. She’d been the pillar for her father.
But Connor had more than gotten to her. He’d wormed his way right into her stupid, soft heart. And that had scared her more than anything or anyone ever had.
So yeah, she’d run. And it wasn’t even because he’d turned on her.
She’d started running before then.
But now her father was pulling himself together. Her mom making the life she wanted.
Finally, they were setting her a decent example. Surely Savannah could do the same? If she was so ‘together’, so determined to go for what she wanted, then maybe she needed to get on with it? And fight for it.
Chapter Twenty
“What’s up?”
Connor’s brother answered his phone right away, with his customary casualness, despite the early hour.
“What isn’t.” Connor growled.
“That bad?” Logan’s voice sharpened.
“I met a guy called Jack yesterday. Couple years younger than me. Turns out he’s our half-brother.”
“Huh.” Logan sighed.
In relief?
Connor held his phone from his ear and frowned at it. Should have gone for Facetime, but with Logan and Min—he didn’t ever want to see what they got up to.
“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Connor asked.
“Well are you surprised?” Logan asked back.
“No. Just disappointed.”
“What does he want? Money? I’ll give him some. Portfolio’s been going well. Oh and that brewery has really taken off. Con, you’re gonna be happy with me.”
Connor was just happy his brother was so happy—after years of pressure and unrealistic expectations from their fucked up father.
“No. He says he doesn’t want money.” Connor laughed. “He wants to get to know Dad. Us”
“Why? He must be crazy.”
“Seems okay, actually.” Connor thought about that familiar hard-line to the guy’s jaw. The determination to take the independent line. “I’ll spend some t
ime with him.”
“Jeez, Con, I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Because you have enough to deal with. You’ve worked so hard, so long. You don’t deserve to have to shovel more of Dad’s shit.”
Connor grinned. “Aw, bro… thanks.”
“I mean it. It doesn’t bother me. You know that, right? I’ll be interested to meet him. Hell, there’s probably a bunch of them out there.”
“I know.”
“If there’s anything I can do…” Logan paused. “You need me to come there?”
“Not yet.” He’d handle it for now. “I just thought you should know. Can you tell Dani?”
“Sure. She’ll be so thrilled to know she has another older brother.”
Connor chuckled. “Yeah. So will Rocco.”
Logan laughed too. “He’ll love it. He needs the sparring practice.”
“Yeah. Well you go get tied up by Min again.”
“Now that I can do.”
Less than a minute later, Connor swiped the screen of his phone again. No point in delaying it.
“Rex.” He spoke as soon as his father answered.
“Connor. What’s happening?” His father sounded slightly groggy. Connor had no idea where in the Mediterranean his father was, or what time it was over there. And he didn’t care.
“A guy named Jack Gibbs turned up yesterday claiming to be one of your illegitimate sons,” he said. “His mother is a woman called Mary-Jo Gibbs.”
“And?”
Annnnnd that was all he was going to get.
Connor closed his eyes. Despite knowing his father—knowing the reaction he’d been going to get. It still disappointed him.
“I know he’s telling the truth. I’m going to offer him what he deserves.”
“What do you think that is?” Rex snapped.
“His birthright.”
“You’re going to pay him off? Like you paid off that little minx.”
The little ‘minx’ was Cynthia, the woman Rex had had an affair with for eighteen months. The intelligent but misguided woman he’d made so many promises to. None of them fulfilled.