She had been talking to women who had been her closest friends when she had been abroad. She suddenly realized that they weren't really friends at all; they were just empty-headed acquaintances. She really wasn't interested in the gossip that fascinated them so avidly, and she found herself wondering how she had ever spent so much time with them. She pictured herself back in a luxury hotel, going to parties and casinos, spending days lying on the beach, going to endless spa treatments, and hours taking perfect care of her body, hair, and skin. The thought left her with a creeping uneasiness. Resolutely, she pushed it away.
Savannah suddenly had a strong desire to talk to her brother. She ran a brush through her hair and put on a pair of sandals. Grabbing her bag, she went downstairs and tapped on GG's door.
"Come on in."
"Hey, Gran, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, dear. I took my cold medicine a few minutes ago, and it'll make me even sleepier. Are you going out? It's absolutely fine by me. I'll be sleeping like a baby soon."
"If you're sure. I'm just going to Carter's, and I have my phone so you call me right away if you need anything at all. Do you want anything before I go?"
"Not a thing. I have my tissues and two bottles of water and an old movie. I'll be just fine, but I promise I'll call if I need you."
"Okay, Gran. You actually have a little more color in your face now."
"Yes, I needed the soup and juice. You were exactly right. Have fun, and don't worry. Tell Carter and Maggie hello for me."
"I will. Sleep well."
Savannah called Carter on her way and made sure that he was home and not busy. When she got there, she found her brother on the back deck with his feet propped up and a cold beer in his hand.
"Hey, sis, come on back and have a seat. Want a beer?"
"Sure. Where's Maggie?"
"She had a baby shower to cater. She left me with a whole plate full of fancy little sandwiches and pretty little cookies. I made myself a big fat roast beef sandwich, but it would be nice if you'd help me eat up some of that stuff. I don't want her to think I didn't appreciate it."
Savannah was laughing as he fished a beer out of the cooler beside him and handed it to her.
"I'll help you out. I had a sandwich a couple of hours ago, but it wasn't a big fat roast beef sandwich so I could do some snacking."
"I'll be right back."
"No hurry. Let's have a beer first."
Carter settled back in his chair and sipped his beer. "So what's up with you?"
"I don't know. I just had the urge to come talk to you. So what did you think of Ben? I saw you and Joey quizzing him."
"We weren't quizzing him; we just wanted to check him out. He seems like a good guy. I like him. Joey did too."
"He's a nice guy," Savannah said. "You know, for a small town cowboy."
Carter snorted at her. "Right. I'd say there's a lot more to him than that. I mean, the guy knows how to make cap-capwhatever skewers. And they were damn good. Show me a dozen cowboys who can do that."
She laughed at him. "Caprese, you mean?"
Her brother waved a hand. "Yeah. That's what Maggie called them."
Savannah shot him a look. "You know perfectly well what they're called. You spent plenty of time at fancy parties and five star restaurants."
"Yeah, but I don't have to talk that way anymore. Life is a lot more fun now."
"Is it really? You don't miss it?"
"Really. Things are real here. Fancy parties and five star restaurants aren't real high on real life. And it's not like we can't go out for a fancy evening if we have a yen to. But then we get to come back home to real life and real people."
"Boy. Were you listening in on my phone calls earlier?"
"Huh?"
"Nothing. I was talking to some friends from Europe. It was weird. They didn't seem anything like they did when I was there." Savannah frowned. "But didn't you find it hard to get used to being here?"
Carter shrugged. "It was different. But the longer I was here, the less I wanted to go back to that other life. Life just means more here."
His sister shifted restlessly. "Well, you have a wife now and this beautiful home."
"Yep. And then I had fancy apartments and high-powered business deals. Nope. I don't miss it."
"Is it because of Maggie? Her being a small town girl?"
"Honey, Maggie used to be a chef at Slater's. That's as fine a restaurant as I've ever been in. Maggie was drawn to this place because it's home and family and community. The kind where if you need something, you can call any of a dozen people and know that they'll help. Sure, some people are hard to get along with, but even those people are part of the community and they'd get the same help from their neighbors. It's a rare thing that you don't find in a big fancy city."
Savannah shivered a little. "But doesn't it make you claustrophobic? I mean, privacy is important."
Carter waved toward the house. "Really? Claustrophobic? Not possible. We have no problem with having all the privacy we want or need. You're not really talking about privacy; you're talking about keeping emotional walls between yourself and other people. How many friends do you have from your life out of the country that are genuinely close to you? Who you can call up anytime and have a heart to heart conversation, laugh and cry and really enjoy talking together?"
"Who are you, and what did you do with my brother?"
"Really. How many? Are there any?"
"Of course, there are," Savannah snapped at him. He just looked at her.
Savannah was silent for a long moment. "Okay, one. But he's a guy, and he met the love of his life so we can't really continue that friendship like before. But I love my life!"
"Yeah," Carter said quietly. "So you say."
Savannah took a long sip of her beer and got up, pacing a little. Then she gave him a defiant look and said, "Carter, I came here for Shelby's wedding. Period. I'm still here because Gran needed me. But it's temporary. I have a life, and it's not here."
Carter spread his hands and said, "Hey, sis, it's your life. You have to live it the way that's right for you. But you should know that you're welcome and wanted here. It's a good life, and we'd all like for you to be part of it. If you leave again and stay away, we'll miss you like crazy."
Savannah suddenly had to fight back tears, and it pissed her off. "When I leave here, I'll miss you all too. And keep it to yourself, but I won't stay away forever. I fully intend to visit more often. But I'll be visiting here, not moving here. Now, let's have some fancy sandwiches and pretty cookies."
"You got it. Come on; you can carry some fancy plates and napkins. Want another beer?"
"Sure. I can have one more. We'll get it when we come back out. Then I need to get home. Gran's not feeling well. She was already in bed when I left."
"What's wrong with her? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she said she's catching a cold so I gave her some of Maggie's soup that was in the freezer and some orange juice before she took some cold medicine. But I don't want to stay away for too long."