“Let’s get on out of here before we’re undressing in my lobby and scaring all my guests,” I said, grabbing my purse from behind the check-in counter. “We have some very special reservations tonight.”?
We walked down the wide, sprawling steps, and I turned to marvel at my new home. Through a dimly lit window, I could see the pub in full swing, people talking, clinking glasses together, and moving about inside.?
In a corner, under an antique standing lamp, a woman sat typing on her laptop, looking up to observe her fellow patrons in the bar.?
“Who’s that?” Lee slipped his hand in mine, and we both stood watching her for a moment from the bottom staircase.?
“Her name’s Claire. She got in last week from St. Augustine, Florida. I guess she’s from the area. She’s working on a romance novel.”?
“Maybe we’ll give her something to write about tonight,” he said, pullingme toward him and planting a kiss on my cheek. “Where are we going anyway?”?
“Back to where it all began. But this time, we’re going to write a different story. Or song, or something. It all sounded really good when I was shoved in the bathroom with the girls.”?
He chuckled. “Wherever it is, Maggie, I’ll just be happy to spend the night with my girl by my side after all this time.”?
We kept our hands intertwined as we walked the sleepy streets of Savannah. We stopped in front of the Mercer house where, from the window, the caretaker of the estate, Sarah, waved at me.?
“All the years I’ve walked by this house, and I’ve never seen someone inside this place. It’s still a museum, right?”?
Sarah opened the front door, and it let out a howl, as if it hadn’t been opened since one of Jim’s Christmas parties decades ago. “Come on in, y’all. We’re all set up for you.”?
“In? We’re going inside? Legally? Shit,” Lee said nervously, lifting his arm up and fighting the urge to run his fingers through his curls, opting to not disturb them in the humidity.
We walked through the small courtyard in front of the Mercer house, and I leaned in to give Sarah a hug. She extended her hand to Lee, and he looked around her to catch a glimpse inside the house.?
Sarah let out a small laugh. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Leland. Your momma is a great friend of mine. As is Ms. Pruitt, here. You’ll get to look around, but this is a museum, after all, so be mindful of that. Not like the last time y’all were here.”?
Her eyes were playful as she shot me a wink and extended her arm for us to walk into the black-and-white tiled foyer. A look of recognition poured over Lee’s face, and he smiled. I could tell he was remembering the night we’d broken into the sprawling home and how it set us on a course to where we were today.?
“Poetic, Magnolia. Meeting at the start,” he whispered, as we followed Sarah through the hallway, looking into the rooms we once ran blindly through during the night so long ago when we were just kids.?
My heart pulsed with memories, and it almost felt like yesterday when we stood in this same, long hallway, our hearts beating erratically, but for different reasons. Back when things were simple. But I think, deep down, we knew thenwhat we knew now.?
That we were made for each other and nothing could stop that.?
I squeezed his hand a few times, and he pumped mine back, and we locked eyes for a second, only breaking our gaze when Sarah opened the back door to the courtyard.?
“I assume you two are very familiar with this old door here,” she laughed, and we both nodded in apprehensive agreement. “The courtyard’s all yours. Oh! I have something for you two. I’ll be out in a minute. Go get settled in.”?
The courtyard was aglow with a canopy of twinkling lights, casting a soft, magical shimmer over everything. What was once a multilevel space with a pool now sprawled out as a single, flat expanse, enveloped in lush, cascading greenery. The old pool area had been transformed into a serene oasis with vines draping gracefully from the trellises and potted plants adding vibrant splashes of color.
In the center of the courtyard, a small, intimate table had been set up, adorned with flickering candles that danced in the gentle breeze. The table, draped in a delicate white linen cloth, was flanked by two plush chairs. Soft, ambient music floated through the air, blending with the subtle scents of blooming flowers and fresh greenery, creating an atmosphere of cozy elegance and romance.
“How the hell did you pull this off? This is incredible, Magnolia,” Lee said, hopping down the staircase excitedly.?
“You think I pulled this off? You better send your momma a thank you bouquet tomorrow,” I laughed, watching his eyes twinkle under the lights and the stars.?
He pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down. The carriage house door opened, and Doyle appeared with a bottle of champagne, donning a full-blown tuxedo and a shit-eating grin.?
“Lovebirds,” he cooed, shooting me a wink. Sarah sneaked up from behind us and gently placed two crystal glasses on the table in front of us.?
“The estate’s prized Baccarat’s. Magnolia, please don’t hurl one at his head, or worse, trip and knock over the table. I’ve seen you in action. I know these things are possible,” Sarah said, and we all erupted in laughter.?
“Dinner’s on its way out,” Doyle chirped, a formal tone lacing his voice. “Savannah’s best chef is sadly tied up with her new beau, but we’ve brought in some excellent dishes from a few different local places. I think you’ll be pleased.”?
Lee let out a cackle at Doyle’s over-exaggerated performance, and I joined him. It felt good to laugh, to let the bubbles of the champagne hit me in the nose, to let go of everything that had been winding me so tight.?
Ever since I’d talked to Eunice and learned that Dane and Kasey were behind bars, that the rest of the money was being moved around to its rightful place—mostly my bank account—I felt a freedom like I’d not felt in a long time.?
