Sutton got quiet for a moment, and I jerked my chin at her to go on, shaking under my blanket.?
“I overheard at work that Dane was shopping the property around to some huge investment firm out of Atlanta. They’re looking to tear down the building and put up one of those mixed-use high-rises—shops on the bottom, condos on top.”
Being betrayed by my fiancé and having my future father-in-law threaten her was bad enough. But selling my bar, my family’s only legacyandthe land that it stood on for a high-rise??
A quiet, angry, “Wow,” was all I could muster.?
“So, I guess none of it really mattered, then. Not you raising money as fast as you can and Lee investing into the Trust. No matter what, Dane was always going to try and sell this place right out from underneath you.”
“Wow,” was all I could say again.
“I’m so sorry, Magnolia. This is all my fault.”?
“No, Sutton. It’s not your fault, and don’t ever let me hear you say that again.”?
She wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt. “Do you hate me?”?
I shook my head. “No, I couldn’t. Ever. You’re my sister, Sutton. Nothing will ever come between us. I’m sorry some foolish man tried.”?We both murmured a faint, bittersweet laugh, and I leaned in to her, putting my head on her shoulder. “Just promise me you won’t ever keep anything like that from me again,” I said.?
“Promise. What are you going to do?”?
I shrugged. “I’m going to marry him. I need to get my claws into that Trust somehow, or I’ll lose everything. Nothing about this situation changes. It’s still a business deal.”?
Sutton shook her head and then took a huge guzzle of our drink. “Magnolia, you can’t go through with this. He’ll make you sign a pre-nup. It’s just so awful to me you’d marry Dane and then lose your happiness in the midst of it all.”
I leaned over and grabbed her hand. “The barismy happiness. It’s everything. I had a great romance once. That’s enough for me.”?
Sutton started tearing up again.?
“Oh my gosh, that just sounds so awful! I seriously can’t get behind this. I mean, I will if I have to because I love you. But it’s going to be so hard for me to watch, especially since thatgreat romanceis still in Savannah and is clearly still crazy about you after all these years.”?
Hearing her say what we all knew all this time made my stomach do a somersault.?
“Wonder why Lee never told me the truth, either,” I muttered.?
“I think it’s because he’s still in love with you, and you’re still in love with him, and he was just hoping and praying you’d figure that out on your own.”?
I almost opened my mouth to respond to Sutton when she yawned into a huge stretch and laid back on her pillow.
“If this is what you want, what you truly, genuinely want, I will stand by you every step of the way. Maybe once it’s all said and done, there will be less drama. We’re off to a good start. I haven’t had to pull you out of any bushes recently.”?
My best friend’s tired eyes rolled back in her head, and I realized how exhausted I was, too. I curled up next to her, and Pickle settled in between us, purring wildly.?Before I knew it, my eyes were opening to the dawn of a brand new day.?
And, I hoped, a brand new start for me and Sutton.?
Chapter twenty-nine
LEE
I’d just left another awkward, silent brunch with Janelle and was making my way over to Charlie’s when my phone buzzed. A picture of Sutton wearing a crooked chef’s hat and a goofy grin flashed across my screen.?
“Hey, where are you? We need to talk.” She sounded tired and like she was hurrying through the streets of Savannah on foot.?
“I’m outside of Collins Quarter, heading toward Charlie’s. What’s up?”?
“Can you meet me at Sixpence? I can be there in, like, ten minutes. I’m still in pajamas, though. Don’t judge me.”?
“Have I ever?” I let out a quick laugh and made my way toward the pub. I bellied up to the bar, waiting for my pajama-clad friend to arrive.?
