Right Where We Belong (Silver Springs #4)(62)

“Lighten up, bro. It’s just a barbecue.”

“Sure it is.”

“Here’s the thing. It is if you want it to be,” he said, and hung up.

Gavin cursed as he stared down at his phone. Then, against all his plans and self-talk, he texted Savanna. How are you today?

Good. You? came her response.

He hadn’t been good since she moved in. He’d been torn. Should he ask to meet with her tonight? Tell her about Heather? If she knew about the baby, maybe she’d help him maintain some distance.

But he didn’t ask if he could come over. He wrote, Tired, instead.

I have some good leftovers. Is there any chance you’re hungry?

He was hungry, all right. Just not for food. And that was going to become more and more of a problem. Already ate.

Your brother came over and invited me to a barbecue a week from Sunday. I hope you won’t mind if we come.

Why would I mind?

I’m not sure. It just felt weird that he would invite me instead of you.

It was because his mother and brother were playing games. I would’ve invited you myself if I was home, he lied. I’ll give you a ride.

No, considering the situation, I should drive.

She was probably right. It would look much less like a date that way. Okay. At least I’ll get to see you there. God, he wanted to see her now. He scratched the back of his neck as he wrestled with himself—and ultimately won. Have a good night.

There was a long pause before she responded. But then she wrote, You, too.

With a curse, Gavin tossed his phone away from him. He finished his dishes, but he didn’t go out on the porch. He knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. He’d wind up heading across the creek.

When he heard yet another buzz—a text from Heather—he refused to read it, silenced his phone and went to bed.

*

Savanna’s heart began to pound against her chest the moment she saw headlights shining through her front window. After that text she’d received from Dorothy, she’d been looking out the windows, checking for signs of trouble all day. She hadn’t heard from her ex-mother-in-law since, but she feared it was because Dorothy was finished talking and planned to act on her words.

So...was this her? Who else could it be? It was close to midnight. No one from Silver Springs would be coming out to visit her so late—except maybe Gavin, and he’d just walk over.

She stared down at her phone, wondering if she should call her neighbor. He’d told her she could. But she didn’t want to go running to him every time she had a problem, didn’t want to be a pain in the butt.

Her other choice was the police. But Dorothy hadn’t yet done anything for which she could complain, so that seemed like an extreme response.

She’d have to at least attempt to handle Dorothy herself...

After a quick check on her kids to make sure they were asleep, she closed Alia’s door, hoping the noise, if there was significant noise, wouldn’t wake her, and grabbed her son’s baseball bat before closing his. She was determined to defend herself and her children, if necessary.

Whoever it was knocked on the door as Savanna finished pulling on a jacket and shoes. She put the bat against the wall behind the door, so she wouldn’t appear ready for a fight, and peeked out. “What are you doing here?” she asked, feeling a little jolt of adrenaline when she saw Dorothy’s lined visage in the dim glow of the porch light.

“You and I need to talk,” she said.

Savanna wasn’t about to let her in the house. But she couldn’t grab the bat she’d put against the wall and take it outside with her, either. Doing something that aggressive, before it was even warranted, would only set Dorothy off and ensure this meeting went in that direction.

Still hoping to keep everything calm and civilized, Savanna stepped outside. “There’s nothing left to talk about.”

Dorothy hitched her heavy purse over her shoulder. “I’d like to do a lot more than talk, but you’re not worth going to jail for. So if you’ll give me a check, I’ll leave.”

“A check,” Savanna echoed.

“Gordon needs a few things—like a better defense. And you’ve got the money to provide it.”

Savanna pulled her jacket tighter. It wasn’t cold, and yet she was chilled to the bone. “I can’t take care of Gordon and the kids, too, Dorothy. Gordon’s going to have to fend for himself.”

“How? What can he do from behind bars? You got that big inheritance. He told me about it, and I’m not leaving until you give me some of that money. By rights, he should get half.”

Still hoping not to wake the kids, Savanna lowered her voice. “Gordon raped three women. Since he’s going to prison, he won’t be around to help support Branson and Alia. I consider his half of my inheritance child support—what he owes me for attacking those women and putting me in the position of having to raise our kids alone.”

Dorothy’s chin jutted out. “I keep telling you he didn’t do it. He’d be able to help you, be able to be a father, if you’d only help him beat these bogus charges!”

“Are you sure they’re bogus, Dorothy? Down deep in your heart, haven’t you ever asked yourself if it could be true?”

“No,” she snapped without even considering the question. “Unlike you, I love Gordon and have some loyalty to him. My son would never hurt anyone. He’s never hurt you or the kids, has he?”