Page 12 of Best Kept Vows (Savannah’s Best #6)

Ophelia

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t know that. I just like the Art Deco facade.”

Luna, Stella, and Aurora had invited me to their Sunday evening drinks date to break the ice so I’d be at ease when I walked into work the next day.

“We usually meet for a quick drink on Sunday afternoons,” Stella explained. “But I had some stuff to deal with and?—”

Luna gave an exaggerated eye roll. “By stuff , she means that Noah got home this morning after being gone for a week and didn’t let her leave.”

“You’re just jealous because you’re not getting any .” Stella stuck her tongue out at her friend.

These women were all about a decade or more younger than me, and I’d thought I’d feel out of place with them, being older, broodier, but I didn’t. I liked how easy they were to talk to and how different from the women I’d been interacting with as Mrs. Sebastian Boone.

We sat in a curved booth near the horseshoe-shaped bar. The ambient conversations, the soft jazz—all of it was so… Sex & The City . I wondered which one of us was who. I was definitely Charlotte—boring, married, and not having sex with my husband (her first one).

When I walked in, I was riding an uneasy mix of excitement and nerves—and the moment Aurora waved to me, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a mistake.

Luna had sent me a text message that morning asking if I’d join them.

I had been about to turn her down, as Sundays were reserved for the intolerable and interminable Boone family dinners, but then I remembered Tristan saying that I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to.

I expected Sebastian would get annoyed, which he had—but I was done .

I’d put up with this shit for two decades, and I didn’t want to anymore.

Settling into the booth, I was immediately struck by the camaraderie among these women. Aurora, with her impeccable style and nurturing demeanor, Stella, exuding serene confidence, and Luna, whose edgy appearance belied a heart of gold.

“So, how long have you been married?” Luna asked.

“Twenty-two years.”

“Wow!” Aurora mused. “Congratulations. ”

“It’s not the length of a marriage, it’s the quality,” I found myself saying and then instantly regretted it. This wasn’t who I was—I was usually careful about what came out of my mouth. But down one glass of French 75, I was letting it all loose.

Stella smirked. “No kidding. My father and his wife have been married forever, and it’s complete shit.”

“Gabriel and his first wife were married for years…and that was a disaster,” Aurora agreed.

“You like being married?” Luna picked up her glass of whiskey.

I paused at the question. I’d never thought about whether I liked it or not.

I loved my children and husband, but marriage…

had it been all I thought it could be? It had, but lately, it had become challenging.

Sebastian and I hardly spent any time together, and with the kids gone, it was like we were ships passing in the night.

“Yes, I do,” I lied.

Although I was buoyed by the warmth and acceptance of these remarkable women, they were veritable strangers, and I wasn’t going to spill all to them.

As the evening progressed, they told me about their lives, and I shared with them that Sebastian was busy with the family business and that our children had left home.

“Empty nesters!” Stella settled back against the plush booth.

“Yes.” More “empty” than anything else!

Aurora leaned in, resting her forearms on the counter. “That cannot be easy. My stepdaughter is going to go to college soon, and I start crying every time I think about it.”

“We’re at different phases of our lives.” I took a sip of my champagne cocktail.

Luna popped an olive into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I’m single…so I’m in a very different phase.”

Stella looked around.

“What?” Luna demanded dryly.

“It’s just we’ve been here a couple of hours, and Dom hasn’t shown up, so I was wondering.” Stella had mischief in her eyes.

Luna groaned. “Don’t start.”

“What am I missing?” I asked, amused.

“Dominic Calder is her ‘the one who got away,’ and she’s his. They’ve been going in circles for the past year since he moved back to Savannah, and neither of them will take a step to?—”

“Stop,” Luna stated emphatically. “Did you hear he’s also pitching for the hospital project?”

I learned that Dom Calder was an award-winning architect with whom Luna would be competing for the hospital building contract I’d be helping her prepare for. If I’d thought these women just talked about personal stuff, I quickly realized they spoke just as easily about work.

“It’s a three-hundred-bed hospital, and Tommy Minton wants it to be state-of-the-art,” Luna explained. “They’re prioritizing patient flow, advanced technology integration, and sustainable design—energy-efficient systems, LEED certification, the whole nine.”

She spoke in English, but I didn’t understand the architectural terminology. However, I had heard of Thomas Minton, the billionaire who apparently wanted to build a hospital.

Stella eased forward, intrigued. “Are they aiming for LEED Gold or Silver?”

I decided to look up LEED on Google.

“Gold,” Luna confirmed, “which means we need to factor in significant natural lighting, energy-efficient HVAC systems, solar integration—the whole works.”

Aurora nodded thoughtfully. “Have they decided if they want single-patient rooms exclusively? Because that affects HVAC load significantly.”

HVAC load , I noted in my head for my planned Google dive before I went to work the next day.

“They’re pushing heavily for single-patient rooms,” Luna said. “The pandemic taught hospitals a tough lesson on infection control. Air-quality standards are tighter, and Tommy specifically mentioned compliance with the newest ASHRAE ventilation guidelines.”

What the hell was ash…? God! There was so much I didn’t know. There was much I had to learn.

“That’ll impact our ductwork layout. We’ll need generous mechanical spaces on each floor,” Stella interjected knowingly.

“Exactly,” Luna agreed. “And they want full antimicrobial surfaces with easily sanitized finishes. Stella, we’ll need your expertise for the healing gardens—he’s asking for green rooftops and therapeutic landscaping. According to Tommy, it’s going to be a major part of the patient experience.”

Stella’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm. “You’ll want native, drought-resistant plants. Low-allergen species, sensory gardens tailored to reduce stress. I have some new concepts I can share from my recent research.”

“I’d love that.” Luna beamed. “We’ll integrate green space directly into patient-care floors. It aligns perfectly with the current WELL building standards Tommy mentioned.”

“We also have to consider Savannah’s historic preservation codes. It can make balancing modern design and city approval tricky.” Aurora turned to me with a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, all this must sound completely foreign to you.”

I laughed self-consciously. “I guess I have a lot to learn.”

“That’s why you’re starting with me,” Luna stated with pride. “Because I am the smartest of the lot.”

Stella snorted. Aurora rolled her eyes.

“I’ll be honest, I was taking notes in my head so I could do a Google search as soon as I got home,” I admitted, impressed by the depth of their expertise.

Luna laughed softly. “Hospitals are incredibly complex—but that’s what makes projects like these so rewarding. Designing buildings that genuinely improve people’s lives is why I do this.”

I listened, fascinated, realizing I was surrounded by intelligent, driven women, whose professional passion matched their personal strength. For the first time in years , I was genuinely excited—and more determined than ever to learn from them .

Driving back home, my phone rang. It was my sister Miranda.

“Hey, how are things?

“Fine.” She sounded annoyed, and I worried whether things were okay with my nephew, Victor, who was on the spectrum.

Miranda had stayed home to take care of her son—and knowing he’d never be able to live on his own was a reality she’d come to terms with.

She loved Victor fiercely and was as protective of him as we all were.

“Is Victor okay?”

“Yes.” She sounded like she was gritting her teeth. “I wanted to check on you.”

Finally, I figured out what was going on and groaned. “Ada called you.”

“ And Tristan.”

“And?” I asked sullenly.

“ And …I want to break both of Sebastian’s legs. What the hell is going on, Lia? I mean, it was one thing that his mother and sister were bitches, but he was with you—all the way, but now it sounds like…is he having an affair?”

She sounded anguished. She knew how much I loved Sebastian, and his having an affair would destroy me. But this life we were living, separate but together, was death by a thousand cuts.

“I don’t think so,” I said honestly. “ But ….”

“But you’re not sure,” she finished for me.

“He’s never home, and when he is, we’re fighting. And honestly? I can’t even blame it all on him. I’ve become…snappy. Bitter. I spent years being a doormat, and now that I’ m finally standing up for myself, he doesn’t know what to do with it.”

A part of me understood that when a marriage went sour, both parties were equally responsible for its breakdown.

I had let Sebastian do whatever he wanted, however he wanted, and I never complained.

I’d kept quiet about how much I hated Sunday dinners, assuming he should know—our kids certainly did.

But the more I reflected on our marriage, the more I realized that I hadn’t told him how I felt because, deep down, I didn’t believe he’d listen.

I didn’t think he cared to. In fact, I was afraid he’d be angry.

And he was, wasn’t he? Angry that I got an education.

Angry that I got a job. Angry that I stopped tolerating his mother and sister’s bullshit.

“You want to make this work with him? Or are you done?” Miranda asked bluntly.

“I don’t know,” I confessed.