Ben was different than any man she had ever been with. He was loving and tender and considerate. He was also strong and smart, and she knew that he wouldn't put up with any crap from her. He had whipped her butt, for God's sake! And she had deserved it. It still made her shiver when she thought of what could have happened to her horse. And then there were his hands and his lips and his tongue. Not to mention the fact that it made her a little breathless just to look at him.
She had to stop thinking. It was just making her more and more confused. She knew one thing for certain. She did what made her feel good. She had done it for years and given herself a fun, exciting life without worries. She wasn't responsible for anyone but herself. She worked if she felt like it and didn't if she didn't feel like it. If she stayed in Boone, she would have responsibilities for other people and their needs and feelings. The little voice told her that what made her feel good was the love of her family.
She closed the laptop with a snap, deciding that the email didn't require an answer just yet. She went about her day on autopilot, her mind a million miles away. GG watched her thoughtfully, wondering what was in her head. When a customer asked her about a pendant to match a handcrafted pair of earrings, Savannah went to check and GG found her in the back room just standing and staring at a shelf full of stock that hadn't been put on display yet.
"Savannah, what on earth is wrong with you today?"
Savannah blinked at her. "Nothing. I, oh, my gosh, the customer! I'm sorry, Gran."
She started to hurry out front, but GG stopped her. "It's okay. I took care of her. But, again, what is wrong with you?"
"I just…I have a lot on my mind."
"Obviously. Why don't you sit down and talk to me? It's not helping you to worry over it on your own."
Savannah looked as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "Gran, I've gotten the things done that you needed me to do, right?"
GG felt a creeping sense of dread. "Yes, you've done a great job of calling on the artists I had lined up. You're really good at it and, just like I thought, you have a great sense of what the shop needs."
"And I was here for Shelby's wedding, just like I promised I would be."
"What are you getting at, darling? It's obviously eating you up inside."
Slowly, Savannah said, "I got an email this morning that I've been expecting. I'm needed in France."
GG's heart sank. "What do you mean, you're needed there?"
Savannah smiled without humor. "My services as an event planner for charity fundraisers are highly coveted in the circles I travel in. I only do one per year, and it's considered a huge accomplishment for a benefactor to snag me for their event."
GG was impressed. "I had no idea. Why didn't you ever tell any of us that you did that?"
She fidgeted restlessly. "I don't really know. I just got used to keeping myself private as much as possible. You all were so used to seeing me as a spoiled, empty-headed rich girl that I got used to it too. I didn't have any expectations to live up to, and I was free to do whatever I felt like doing."
Gently, her grandmother asked, "Wasn't it lonely?"
Savannah shrugged. "How could it be lonely? I had something fun and exciting to do every day. I didn't have to answer to anybody except when I did an event. And I didn't really have to answer to anybody then, either. It was my event until it was completed and I had the full say-so. It was the only way I worked, and those who hired me were clear about it from the start."
GG debated what to do. "So you already have a commitment to do this event? The one that the email was about?"
"No, I haven't looked at the proposal yet. I don't know if I'll take it on or not."
GG walked out and turned her sign to Closed and locked the door. "I think you and I had better sit down and talk."
Savannah looked mystified. "What's up?"
"I've got a proposal for you too." GG opened the safe and took out a thick, official looking folder full of paperwork. "I've thought long and hard about this, Savannah. According to my doctor, it's time for me to slow down. I'm going to be seventy years old on my birthday. This shop has been my baby and my livelihood for a long time now. Carter has his business, which he loves and has made a success. Shelby is a natural born teacher. And you, you're a natural at business, particularly this type of business. You're artistic and you have an eye for exactly what kind of beautiful things belong here. You have a great instinct for what a customer needs and you're very good with them. And, most of all, I trust you."
"What are you getting at, Gran?" Savannah asked slowly, dreading the answer.
"This is a proposal I had written up to turn over GG's Gems to you. It is set up so that I'll always get a percentage of your profits and you'll take ownership in return for the responsibility of running the shop. I have a nice nest egg put away for my retirement and the percentage of profit will round it out quite nicely. You'll make a nice living at it, Savannah, and I hope you'll think seriously about it. We can hash it out and make any needed changes, and then Glen will draw up the official contract."
Savannah was shocked speechless. "Gran, you can't; please, don't do this to me."
"Do what, darling? I'm making you an offer. It's yours to consider and decide. If you turn me down, I'll be disappointed, but I'll figure out something else."
"I can't stay in Boone!"
GG gave her a level look. "Why not? I've watched you; we've all watched you. You're happy here. You've opened up like you've never been before. What makes you feel so strongly that you can't stay in Boone?"
Savannah shook her head. "I can't talk about that. This is not home to me. It's too hard."
"What is too hard? You're not making any sense. And what is home to you? A string of fancy hotels?"
Savannah snapped at her. "It's my life."
"Yes, it is. It always has been, and you have to decide what's right for you."
"That's not fair! My plan all along was to finish helping you and then go back to my own life."
GG said serenely, "Yes, I know it was. But now you have something new to consider. I know you've been thinking about it. Shelby's baby is coming, and Carter and Maggie are planning to start a family too. I know that you don't want to miss out on all that. You know, Joey knew he had reached the point where it was time for a change. Maybe it's time for you to make a change. Whatever you think stops you from staying here, maybe you should let it out and examine whether it's something real or something that you need to face and then let it go."
"That sounds nice and easy. Too bad it doesn't really work that way," Savannah said bitterly.
"Will you do me the courtesy of thinking it over seriously? That's not too much to ask, is it?"
"You don't play fair, Gran."
"You probably have a point there. When it's my family at stake, I guess I'm willing to not play fair. It's a good offer, and it deserves serious consideration."
Reluctantly, Savannah said, "All right. I'll think about it seriously. I guess I'd better get a copy of the proposal for the charity event too."