She shakes her head. "Not help. Run it."
I stare at her.Are the babies affecting her ability to think straight?“Run what exactly?Everything?”
"You are ready," she says.
My voice comes out small. "Savannah, I just assumed that you would be closing down for a while."
She smiles at me. "You're talented, and you care about people. And you work well under pressure. So much better than I ever did."
"Sharon," Savannah says, squeezing both my hands now. Her scent shifts—that warm vanilla and bourbon going softer, more serious.
"At first, my plan was to work alongside you. Train you up, see if you could handle it, then decide from there." Savannah shifts, one hand resting on her belly. "But after the scare last week, I realized something. Health comes first. Family comes first. If you can't do this, I'll close up shop. No hard feelings. But I'm done putting the business ahead of everything else."
I open my mouth, but she holds up a hand.
"With three babies coming, I'm not going to have the bandwidth for this. Hell, I don't know if I'll remember my own name half the time." She laughs, and it's genuine, not worried. "I want to sit back and enjoy my alphas and my babies. Does that make sense?"
"It does," I say quietly.
"Good. Because the business is yours now. Not just while I'm on leave. Yours. You're going to be running the contracts, managing the clients, building the reputation. All of it."
"But Savannah, I don't know if I can do this alone."
"You won't be alone. Remember Jessica? Used to help me with the Whitmore events?"
I nod. Smart. Quick. Never flustered.
"She's agreed to come on part-time. She'll have your back while you find your footing."
Something loosens in my chest. I didn't realize how tightly I'd been holding myself until the relief hit.
"I trust you," Savannah says. "I wouldn't be handing you Bourbon Bliss Weddings if I didn't. You've earned this, Sharon. So stop looking at me like I'm making a mistake and start believing in yourself the way I believe in you."
My throat tightens. "Thank you," I manage.
"Now," she says, settling back with a satisfied smile, "your first wedding as the official owner and lead planner is tomorrow morning."
I repeat her words back like they're a foreign language. "Tomorrow."
"Yes," she confirms.
"Morning," I continue, still processing.
"Yes," she confirms again.
"Nine a.m.," I finish.
I take a breath. Then another. I'm going to need to pull myself together at some point.
"Okay," I say, trying to sound professional. "Who's the bride?"
"Penelope Carter. Influencer type. Loves florals and sparkle."
I nod. That sounds normal. Manageable. Survivable. Nothing that should make me want to set something on fire.
"And the groom," Savannah continues casually, flipping a page in her planner.
But before she can finish, Cassian says, "It's Ben. Your ex."
