right?”
“You’re right. That’s bullshit.” I wanted so much more from Savy. I wanted everything whether I deserved it or not.
“I thought so.”
“All right. I guess I need to give her grandfather a call.”
“Go charm the old man.”
“That’s the easy part.”
Chapter Seven
Glen
“Glen, so nice to see you.” Layden Fells stood up from his seat at the café.
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for my meeting with Savy’s grandfather. I’d known the man for most of my life, but this was the first time I was coming to him for a favor. It was also the first time I had seen him since my parents cut me off, and practically cut me out of their lives. “Hi Layden. It’s nice to see you too.”
“Come. Sit down.” He gestured for me to take an empty seat at the small table he was occupying. He sat back down and quickly folded up the newspaper he’d been reading when I walked in. “It was such a nice surprise to get that phone call from you earlier this afternoon.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Especially on such short notice.” I unzipped my coat and put it behind me on my chair.
“Of course. And stop acting so nervous. It’s just me.”
“I know. I also know my family probably told you what happened.”
He made a sweeping motion with his hand knocking the paper off the table. “I know who you are. The kind of man you’ve grown into. I am positive there is more to the story than they’re giving me.”
“There is.”
“But that isn’t why you’re here is it?”
I shook my head. “It’s not.”
“Go get us both a cup of coffee. When you get back I’ll be all ears.”
“Thanks.” I stood up.
“Take this.” Glen slipped a fifty into my hands.
“I can handle the coffee.”
“I know. But you may need it if my hunch about why you’re really here is right.” He smiled faintly.
“I can’t take this.”
“You can, and you will. Go get us some coffee.”
Arguing with the man wasn’t going to help my case, so I walked over to the counter and ordered two coffees. I remembered he liked his the same way as mine. Black.
I returned to the table and set them down. “You still like it black, right?”
“What’s the chance after eight-five years that’s going to change?”
“Not very high.” I smiled to myself. I liked Layden. He was an easy man to talk to. He always kept it real. I understood why my grandfather had counted him as a close friend.
“So tell me. What happened between the two of you?”
“Uh, how did you know?”
Layden sipped his coffee. “As much as I enjoy seeing you, Glen, we both know there’s only a few reasons you’d go out of your way to meet me. By your response to my offer of cash, that’s not what this is about.”
“Of course not.” I might have been broke, but I certainly wouldn’t have hit up a family friend for money.
“Which leaves Savannah.” He took another sip of coffee and set down the cup. “So I’ll ask again. What happened between you two?”
“You don’t want to know.” I held my plastic cup between my hands. It was hot almost to the point of uncomfortable, but the warmth was welcome.
“Why would that be? Unless you hurt her.” His eyes locked on mine.
“I take it you knew that already too?”
“I know she left Vail last winter like a bat out of hell, and I don’t believe for a second it had to do with her mother’s engagement.”
I buried my head in my hands. “I’m an idiot.”
“Possibly, but something tells me you had a reason for what you did.”
“Are you psychic?”
“No. I’m eighty-five. It’s practically the same thing. I’ve lived through a lot in my life.”
“I was trying to protect her.”
“Ok. I’m getting the picture here. You rejected her under the misguided idea that you were somehow doing her a favor?’
“Exactly.” Layden had figured that one out fast.
“Did you try to apologize?” He took another sip of his coffee, but his eyes never left
“You’re right. That’s bullshit.” I wanted so much more from Savy. I wanted everything whether I deserved it or not.
“I thought so.”
“All right. I guess I need to give her grandfather a call.”
“Go charm the old man.”
“That’s the easy part.”
Chapter Seven
Glen
“Glen, so nice to see you.” Layden Fells stood up from his seat at the café.
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for my meeting with Savy’s grandfather. I’d known the man for most of my life, but this was the first time I was coming to him for a favor. It was also the first time I had seen him since my parents cut me off, and practically cut me out of their lives. “Hi Layden. It’s nice to see you too.”
“Come. Sit down.” He gestured for me to take an empty seat at the small table he was occupying. He sat back down and quickly folded up the newspaper he’d been reading when I walked in. “It was such a nice surprise to get that phone call from you earlier this afternoon.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Especially on such short notice.” I unzipped my coat and put it behind me on my chair.
“Of course. And stop acting so nervous. It’s just me.”
“I know. I also know my family probably told you what happened.”
He made a sweeping motion with his hand knocking the paper off the table. “I know who you are. The kind of man you’ve grown into. I am positive there is more to the story than they’re giving me.”
“There is.”
“But that isn’t why you’re here is it?”
I shook my head. “It’s not.”
“Go get us both a cup of coffee. When you get back I’ll be all ears.”
“Thanks.” I stood up.
“Take this.” Glen slipped a fifty into my hands.
“I can handle the coffee.”
“I know. But you may need it if my hunch about why you’re really here is right.” He smiled faintly.
“I can’t take this.”
“You can, and you will. Go get us some coffee.”
Arguing with the man wasn’t going to help my case, so I walked over to the counter and ordered two coffees. I remembered he liked his the same way as mine. Black.
I returned to the table and set them down. “You still like it black, right?”
“What’s the chance after eight-five years that’s going to change?”
“Not very high.” I smiled to myself. I liked Layden. He was an easy man to talk to. He always kept it real. I understood why my grandfather had counted him as a close friend.
“So tell me. What happened between the two of you?”
“Uh, how did you know?”
Layden sipped his coffee. “As much as I enjoy seeing you, Glen, we both know there’s only a few reasons you’d go out of your way to meet me. By your response to my offer of cash, that’s not what this is about.”
“Of course not.” I might have been broke, but I certainly wouldn’t have hit up a family friend for money.
“Which leaves Savannah.” He took another sip of coffee and set down the cup. “So I’ll ask again. What happened between you two?”
“You don’t want to know.” I held my plastic cup between my hands. It was hot almost to the point of uncomfortable, but the warmth was welcome.
“Why would that be? Unless you hurt her.” His eyes locked on mine.
“I take it you knew that already too?”
“I know she left Vail last winter like a bat out of hell, and I don’t believe for a second it had to do with her mother’s engagement.”
I buried my head in my hands. “I’m an idiot.”
“Possibly, but something tells me you had a reason for what you did.”
“Are you psychic?”
“No. I’m eighty-five. It’s practically the same thing. I’ve lived through a lot in my life.”
“I was trying to protect her.”
“Ok. I’m getting the picture here. You rejected her under the misguided idea that you were somehow doing her a favor?’
“Exactly.” Layden had figured that one out fast.
“Did you try to apologize?” He took another sip of his coffee, but his eyes never left
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