Chapter 1
A sleek black limo pulled up to the curb outside of The Artful Oven and GG's Gems. The driver hustled around to open the door for his passenger, who extended a long, shapely leg out of the limo, taking her time. He extended his hand, helping her make her graceful way out of the limousine. The tall, beautiful woman held a shielding hand over her eyes, looking down the dusty little main street in both directions. She sighed and told her driver to relax in the limo.
Savannah Beauchamp walked up the steps of the building and went into the gift shop. When she walked into the shop, her grandmother was busy wrapping a fanciful wooden sculpture for a customer. As she finished and placed it into a bag, her eyes travelled up to Savannah's face. Going absolutely still, she paused then broke into a huge smile, hurrying around the counter to embrace Savannah.
"Savannah! You're finally here!"
"Gran, I told you I would be." Savannah had an unguarded, delighted smile on her face for just a moment.
"I know; it's just been so long. I was afraid it would never happen. Your sister will be so happy to see you, and Carter too."
GG's customer was smiling broadly as she took her bag and left the two of them to their reunion. GG took her granddaughter by the hand and pulled her toward the door.
"Come and see Maggie. She's going to be so happy to meet you!"
The two of them walked next door, where Maggie was putting cookies on a tray for her display case. She looked up with a smile when they walked into her shop, then she stilled, her mouth a little bit agape at the sight of Savannah.
"Oh, my Lord, you must be Savannah! You are the image of your sister!"
Maggie bustled around the counter to hug Savannah.
The taller woman embraced her smoothly and said, "Actually, I was born two minutes before Shelby, so she's the image of me. So you're my brother's wife. I'm pleased to finally meet you, Maggie. It seems that you've made my brother really happy."
Maggie smiled and said, "I sure hope so; he's made me so happy."
After a few minutes of chit chat, Savannah said, "Gran, I should go check into the inn."
GG said, "Absolutely not! You're staying with me. I have a ton of room, and it's all been renovated by Carter and Sam."
"That sounds so strange. I just can't picture Carter hammering and sawing and putting up new windows. He's always been such a cosmopolitan creature."
"He enjoys it, and he's good at it," GG said.
"It still seems weird," Savannah said. "But I'm really looking forward to seeing the house he built for you, Maggie."
GG said, "Why don't we go get you settled at my house, Savannah, then we'll go to Carter and Maggie's a littler later."
Savannah said agreeably, "Okay, Gran, that sounds good. Are you finished for the day?"
"It's a little early, but that's okay. I just need to lock up."
Maggie and Savannah exchanged another hug, and then they went on their way. Maggie hurried around the bakery, finishing up and doing a quick cleanup in her kitchen. She couldn't wait to see her husband and his sister together. Maggie had heard so much about Savannah, and yet she remained a mystery. The whole family was thrilled that she had come to Boone for her identical twin's wedding. Savannah's sister, Shelby, was a first grade teacher at the Boone Elementary School and her fiancé, Sam, was Carter's business partner. The year before had been quite eventful, but Sam and Shelby were going to tie the knot in a couple of weeks.
Savannah tried to get GG to ride with her in the limo, but her grandmother insisted on driving her car home. When they arrived at GG's house, the driver took several trips in to bring Savannah's luggage inside. When he was finished, Savannah tipped him well and told him to take a room at the Boone Inn.
"I don't know if I'll need you or not, so just check in there and relax. I'll call them and tell them to expect you. And I'll take care of your room, of course."
The driver tipped his hat and said, "Thank you, Miss Beauchamp. Just let me know when you need me."
"I will. Just charge your expenses to the room."
GG shook her head at her granddaughter. "Savannah, why would you need a limo in Boone? You can use my car any time you want."
Savannah smiled smoothly. "It's my escape route, Gran. You just never know when you might need to make a quick exit."
"Well, you'd better not be making any quick exits on this trip, darling. We've waited entirely too long to see you."
Savannah laughed. "No worries, Gran. I'm not leaving before Shelby marries her Prince Charming. I thought she was going to get married a long time ago, but it never happened."
GG shot her granddaughter a level look. "No, and a good thing she didn't. Of course, you know that."
"I know, Gran. I'm just teasing. I know that bum went to jail where he belonged. And it sounds like Sam is really a nice guy."
"He is. I'm happy to welcome him to the family."
"So show me around the renovations that he and Carter did here."
GG tucked her arm through Savannah's and took her for a tour.
"This is really nice work, Gran." Savannah was impressed.
"Yes, it is. Carter and Sam do a wonderful job of any project they take on. Carter had to talk long and hard to convince me to do this, but now I'm so pleased that I agreed."
Savannah wandered into the library and looked at the family pictures that were arranged throughout the room. She stopped for a long moment at an old picture of her grandfather with both the twins perched on his lap. When she turned away, she had to blink rapidly to clear the emotion from her eyes. GG picked up a picture of Carter in his basketball uniform from high school.
"Your mom sent me this during Carter's junior year in high school," GG said, changing Savannah's focus to lighter subject matter.
Savannah laughed at the picture. "Carter, the sports star. I'm sure glad those uniforms have changed over the years!"
"It wasn't the best look for him," GG admitted with a chuckle. "So tell me what you've been up to lately. I'll pour us a glass of wine. Would you like to freshen up first?"
"Yes, I'd like to change clothes and get out of these shoes. I absolutely love them, but I've had them on for entirely too long today."
Savannah had decided to settle in Carter's wing of the upstairs. He had renovated it completely and it was equipped with a luxurious, roomy bathroom with a tiled walk-in shower. He had done the decor with the knowledge that it would eventually be a guest suite, so Savannah found it appealing and comfortable. She explored the space and tried out the big bed, finding that Carter had spared no expense for comfort. She had kicked off her gorgeous, red heels as soon as she entered the room and fished through her bags for a pair of slacks and a cashmere sweater that displayed her curves and cleavage to perfection. She inspected herself critically in the mirror and ran a comb through her silky mane of dark hair. Touching up her lipstick, she gave a nod of satisfaction and headed for the door.
Savannah stopped suddenly and turned to the windows. She drew back a curtain and looked out at the familiar neighborhood. It was quiet, as always, with older homes and tall trees, providing lots of shade in the summer months. For a moment, she envisioned her happy times there, before her grandfather had died. Irritated with herself, she gave her head a toss and walked out of the room.