Return of the Runaway Bride (16 page)

His lips pursed tightly for a bare instant,
then
he spelled it out. "I don't trust you to stick around and see these high ideas of yours to fruition."

His words slowly settled into her brain. She felt as though her heart was in a vise, and his cutting accusation turned the lever, tightened the squeezing pain.

When she spoke, her voice was tiny, wounded.
"I won't back out on these people. I'd never do anything to hurt them."

His gaze didn't soften. "You would never intentionally hurt them. But you'll hurt them just the same."

The white line around his compressed lips silently shouted out to her that he knew this from experience.
Personal experience.
God, would she never be able to live down the fact that she'd run out on him?

"This is a worthy cause and I know you mean well." He stepped close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "But you and I both know that the minute something doesn't go your way, or you find another more worthy cause somewhere else, or if the impulse strikes, you'll fly out of here like a bird on the wind."

Savanna's breath was knocked out of her just as if he'd hit her in the stomach. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It wasn't like that before," she said. "I didn't leave six years ago because something didn't go my way." As she repeated his words, their meaning suddenly smacked her in the face. He thought she was irresponsible, and that sparked a fire in her. "I didn't run away because of some cause!" Her voice rose in volume. "And the urge to leave town didn't just strike me out of the blue."

She looked into his eyes and realized that they both knew her last statement wasn't true. Knocking his
hands off her shoulders, she backed up a step. She needed some room to breathe, to think.

"You don't understand at all why I left, do you?"

He folded his arms across his chest and quietly said, "I understand perfectly why you left. You had legitimate reasons, wonderful reasons." The muscle in his jaw tensed. "When the people of Fulton need you to come through for them…"

Like I once needed you to come through for me
, his eyes conveyed.

"…you'll find other reasons to leave. Just as legitimate.
And in your mind, just as justifiable."

She refused to be hurt by his distrust. And she tried hard to fight against the ire building inside her, but she couldn't keep her eyes from narrowing the tiniest bit as she said, "You can't keep me out, Daniel. This is my hometown. I know these people. I will help them. No matter what you say. I will."

Shoving past him, Savanna stomped down the hall toward the meeting room. She paused at the closed door when she heard hoopla and applause coming from inside.

Daniel came up behind her and, reaching around her, turned the knob and pushed open the door.

"Well, that's it, then," they both heard Jim Thompson say. "Meeting adjourned."

"What's going on?" Daniel's question dampened the happy atmosphere of the small crowd.

Jim looked surprised. "Daniel, Savanna. We couldn't find the two of you," he said. "Ida said that you had probably left."

Daniel glared at
Miz
Ida, who had sense enough to avoid his eyes.

"We discussed a couple of Savanna's ideas," Jim went on. "We took a vote."

Savanna felt a flutter of excitement wash over her.

"Don't look so dour, Daniel," Ida said. "The board had a quorum present. And we all knew how you felt about Savanna's ideas. Your thoughts were taken into serious consideration."

Jim looked at Savanna. "Of course, the carnival was voted down," he said. "Simply because we don't have the front money to make it
happen
."

Daniel's smug "harrumph" behind her made her want to plant a well-aimed elbow in his ribs.

"But I'm happy to tell you that both the telemarketing idea and the gala dinner were unanimously approved." Jim smiled and shook her hand. "I hope you're ready to work for Fulton General, because we have lots of volunteers but absolutely no experience. It's going to be like teaching a group of babies how to walk."

"Don't worry, Jim," Savanna was quick to assure him. "I'll be here every step of the way."

She could barely contain herself. She wanted so badly to turn around and thumb her nose at Daniel. He didn't believe in her, but these people did.

"Oh,"
Miz
Ida piped in, "the room we're planning to use to make the phone calls only has two telephones, so the board members paired off." She smiled sweetly. "Since you weren't here, Daniel, we matched you with the expert." Ida glanced from Daniel to Savanna and back to Daniel.

Savanna felt a giggle bubble at the back of her throat, but she held it in check. This was a perfect opportunity to show Daniel that she really intended to come through for the people of Fulton.

Before he could object to working with her, she turned to face him and said in a rush, "I'm free any night you are, Daniel."

Chapter Seven

"Daniel's leaving Fulton?"

Jolted by Ida's disclosure, Savanna stared, wide eyed. Finally she shook her head. "It can't be true. Daniel wouldn't leave town. Why would he do such a thing? How do you know this? Who told you? When did you hear this?"

"Whoa," Ida said. "Just slow down and let me talk a minute. This isn't idle hearsay."

Savanna accepted her change from Ida and tucked it in her wallet.

"My
cousin
Emma's daughter does some typing for Daniel's office manager when things get busy," Ida explained, bagging up the groceries. "Emma called me, all upset, and told me that Darlene had typed and mailed a letter that Daniel had dictated into his little recorder machine. She said that he was sending for information about a partnership offer.
An offer from a big law firm in Richmond."

Ida fell silent, and Sa
vanna spent an inordinate amount of time rooting in her purse for her keys as she tried to take in the information.

This just didn't make sense. Why would Daniel even think about leaving Fulton? This was his hometown.

"It was Emma's opinion…" Ida's voice broke the stillness that had fallen over them like a pall "…that his reason might have something to do with you."

"But that's ridiculous," Savanna exclaimed. "How on earth could it have anything to do with me? I haven't been here for years, and I'll be gone this time next month..."

As the words faded, she realized that she may not be telling the honest truth. She had to admit that staying in Fulton, moving her base of operations here, had crossed her mind. The friendliness of this small town, the place where she was born, had raised a longing in her.
A longing to come home.

"I know," Ida said. "I told Emma that. But from what she said Darlene said about that letter, Daniel is dead serious." She gazed at Savanna with troubled eyes. "And if he does leave town, Fulton will be losing someone special."

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"I just can't understand it," Savanna said as she strolled along the sidewalk with Amanda in tow.

Sheila absently rubbed the small of her back. "Something is weighing on his mind.
Something heavy.
Otherwise I'm sure Daniel would never consider leaving town."

"He's the hospital's attorney," Savanna replied more to herself than to Sheila. "Doesn't he know how much those people need him?
Especially now when things are so bad at Fulton General."

"Jimmy, get back up on the sidewalk," Sheila warned her son. "It's not safe to walk in the street."

"Aw, Mom."
Jimmy reluctantly stepped up onto the curb.

"Have we walked too far?" Savanna asked Sheila.

"No." Sheila smiled. "I'm fine. Let's go one more block and then we can head for home."

Amanda hopped over the cracks in the sidewalk. "Step on a
cwack
,
bwake
your mommy's back," the little girl sang.

"I was just so surprised yesterday," Savanna said, returning to the original topic, "
when
Ida said I might be the reason Daniel is thinking about leaving.

Sheila shrugged. "Well, you did say you may have given him the impression that you'd like to move back to town."

"I've hinted, I guess." Savanna grimaced. "I guess you could say that I've dropped hints to everyone I've met." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Mostly in way of compliments.
Everything feels clean and fresh here.
Homey.
The people are friendly. Neighborly would describe it better, I think, and I've commented about these things to everyone. I hadn't realized it, but my subconscious has been talking since the day I drove into town."

The smile that tilted Sheila's lips was warm. "You really do want to come home, don't you?"

Savanna hesitated, started to speak,
then
pressed her lips together. She couldn't even think about that right now.

"We really should do something about Daniel," she said.

Sheila slowly shook her head. "No, we shouldn't."

"What do you mean? I'm seeing him tonight at the hospital. We're making calls for contributions. I can ask him about it. Tell him what I heard."

"Savanna."
Sheila stopped her ebullience with a frown. "He needs to work this out for himself. I know your first instinct is to pounce on him and confront the issue. That's your way of doing things. But it's none of your business. It's none of my business."

"But…"

"No 'buts,'" Sheila said. "I really think everyone should leave Daniel alone.
Miz
Ida included. I know her worries are plastered with good intentions. But if and when Daniel wants us to know his plans, he'll tell us."

"But he may be leaving because of me," she stressed.

"If you move back to town," Sheila commented, "Daniel will have to learn to live with it."

"Or move out of town and not live with it," Savanna muttered.

"Either way," Sheila said with finality, "he should be allowed to make his own decision."

Rounding the corner in silence, they headed back toward their street. Inhaling deeply, Savanna tipped her chin and felt the warm sunlight on her face, listened to the birds singing in the trees above her head. She thought it ironic that she was thinking of coming home to Fulton and Daniel was thinking of leaving.

She wouldn't want anyone telling her what she should or shouldn't do. Who was she to question Daniel about considering a move to Richmond? His mother lived there. So did his sister, Celia, and her family. And if he had been offered a lucrative business partnership, then that was only one more incentive for him to go.

Turning to Sheila, she said, "You're right. Daniel has a lot to work out. And none of it has anything to do with me. I won't ask him about it." A grin forced
its way across her mouth. "No matter how much I might want to."

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