Page 37 of Best Kept Vows (Savannah’s Best #6)

Ophelia

“ I t’s done,” Sebastian told me over the phone.

He was driving to the house, and that didn’t feel right to me. I didn’t want him to be alone. “Ah…come here.”

“Here?”

“To Savannah Lace. Ah…we can have lunch at the cafeteria, and you can stay at my place.”

I heard his soft laugh. “You taking care of me, baby?”

I made a face he couldn’t see. “Maybe.”

“I like it,” he said huskily. “I like it a lot.”

“How do you feel?” I asked tentatively.

“Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” he remarked without hesitation. “I just let go of the thing that had been sucking the life out of me, and I feel fuckin’ amazing.”

My heart expanded, I swear to God, it did. A part of me worried that this was all temporary and Sebastian would revert to the man who had, for three years, forgotten he was married.

“Baby, I’m not going to resent you for this decision,” he continued calmly as if he could read my thoughts and maybe he could.

In the past few weeks, we’d opened up to one another in counseling. Some conversations had been hard, and others harder —but the result had been that we were more in tune with each other than we’d ever been.

I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “Okay.”

“Damn, Lia. I fuckin’ did it!” He sounded like he’d won a trophy, and then he added, his voice desperate, “Come back to me, baby. Come back to me!”

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of his words sink in.

“I’m so proud of you, Sebastian.” I exhaled slowly. “And I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but we’re back with each other…as much as it’s possible for now.”

He was silent for a moment. “I miss having you by my side, miss feeling like I’m winning because you’re with me. I feel that now. I know you don’t, and I know?—”

“Just come to Savannah Lace, and let’s celebrate with lunch. Mira has made a lovely salade nicoise ,” I urged.

“I’ll be there, baby.”

“And maybe you’d like to come over tonight for dinner. I can cook for us.”

I heard his soft chuckle. “Since I’m an unemployed bum now, why don’t I cook at your place while you work? I’ll be waiting for you with a glass of Sancerre.”

I couldn’t stop smiling as I ended the call .

Sebastian had been carrying the weight of that company for years, and now it was gone—and he felt lighter because of it, and so did I.

It was strange to think of him without Boone Metals, but it was even stranger to realize just how much of himself and us he’d sacrificed to keep it afloat. Now, he was free, and he sounded like a kid on Christmas morning, ready to open his presents.

I wasn’t going to let my fears, my past hurts, or my overthinking ruin this moment.

We were different now. Still figuring things out, yes, but we were well on our way to being better as a couple and as individual people.

When I told him that we were together now, as much as we could be, I wasn’t lying. My leaving the house wasn’t about leaving him ; I knew now that it was about finding me .

And if he could let go of an entire company and the dreams he used to have so he could live well, I could let go of my doubts.

I was still in that quiet haze of warmth an hour later when Rachel told me I had a visitor.

Luna was by my desk then and quirked an eyebrow.

“I invited Sebastian for lunch,” I told her, not able to keep the excitement out of my voice.

In the past, my husband introduced me to his clients and colleagues. Now, I was bringing him into my professional world, one I hadn’t had a few months ago.

I all but ran to the reception and saw him in his dress shirt and suit pants .

He’d gotten rid of his jacket and tie. He looked good. So good .

He always had.

Sebastian took care of himself; ate healthy and worked out—which was also how he managed his stress.

When we were together, I used to work out at home, in front of the television or on my iPad, but now, with Savannah Lace having a partnership with a gym nearby, I was taking Pilates, and I saw why Sebastian had used it for stress relief.

“Hey, honey.” I hugged him, not caring whether it was professional or not. He’d just changed his life significantly, and whether he needed this hug or not, I did.

He held me close for a long while.

“You hungry?” I asked, taking his hand in mine and leading him to the cafeteria.

“Starving, baby.”

I was proud to walk him through Savannah Lace and into the café.

Like everything here, it was beautiful, bright, and thoughtfully designed.

The exposed brick walls gave it a cozy, industrial-chic vibe, while the large, arched windows flooded the space with natural light.

A long wooden counter displayed fresh pastries and an array of colorful salads, quiches, and sandwiches.

The scent of fresh herbs and toasted bread drifted through the room, making my stomach rumble.

I handed Sebastian a tray. He looked around, assessing the people I worked with and the space I worked in.

We filled our plates and joined Luna, Aurora, Nova, and Stella at our usual table. I introduced Sebastian to Nova; he’d met the others at various social events and knew them in passing.

“You look suspiciously happy,” Nova noted as she speared a potato off her salade nicoise .

Luna smirked. “She’s got the look of a woman who’s about to get laid.”

Sebastian nearly choked on his water.

Aurora snorted. “Don’t mind her. She’s feral.”

Luna shrugged. “I call it as I see it. I hear you did a big thing today, Sebastian.”

He looked surprised, I think, by how open we all were at work. I hadn’t expected it either at first, but that was Savannah Lace—and I loved it.

“I did,” he admitted.

“What did you do?” Stella asked.

“Sebastian left Boone Metals today.” I glanced at my husband, feeling a mix of pride, relief, and something achingly close to love twist inside me.

Aurora’s eyes widened. “Wait—really? Just like that?”

“Well, it’s been in the works for a while,” Sebastian explained.

Nova whistled. “Damn. That’s huge.”

“It is,” I agreed softly.

Stella lounged back in her chair, holding a cup of green tea, her usual drink. “It’s never easy, is it with the family? The pressure to keep up the family name.”

“Tell me about it,” Luna drawled. “Lev is running the family business, and I know there are times he’s just about ready to dump the whole thing.”

“Why doesn’t he?” Sebastian asked.

Luna lifted her shoulders in a helpless gesture. “Legacy?”

Sebastian smirked. “I’ve come across that particular reasoning myself.”

“I keep asking him for whom is he saving it? I mean, we’re both single, and who knows if we’ll get married and have children, and even then, who knows if those children would even want to run a freaking lumber business.

” Luna dipped some focaccia in the red bell pepper hummus Mira made to avoid riots because it was in high demand.

“Our kids might be tree-huggers, and then we’re all screwed.

But Lev…I think he wants to show the old man that he’s better than him. ”

This time, Sebastian and I both laughed.

Luna looked at him blankly.

“That’s the reason why I killed myself for three years,” Sebastian admitted. “You should tell Lev that if he doesn’t love what he does, then he needs to stop doing it. Life’s too short”—his eyes softened as he looked at me—“to lose sight of what’s important.”

“And what’s that?” I asked him.

“It’s you, baby.”

“ Aww !” Aurora put a hand to her heart.

“Get a room, guys,” Nova teased.

Luna gave Sebastian a probing glance. “You know, you’re nicer than I thought you’d be.”

“Why would you think otherwise?” I gasped .

“I mean, we were all there, weren’t we, when whatshername had her hands on him?”

Sebastian held up his hands in mock surrender. “Guilty as charged. But if you’re wondering if I was an ass, I’ll save you the trouble. Yes. I was. But not an adulterous one.”

Luna nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Well, at least you own it.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It was a test. They were protective of me, and I loved them for it.

Sebastian took a bite of his salade nicoise and hummed in approval. “Damn, this is good.”

After lunch, we lingered outside the building in the shade.

He turned to me, his gaze warm. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.”

My breath caught. “You are?”

His lips twitched. “Are you kidding? You belong here, Lia. You’re thriving. And seeing you with your colleagues? Damn, baby. I always knew you were incredible; you’ve built real relationships, and I could see how much they respect you.”

Tears burned my eyes because I could tell that he meant it. I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “I love my job.”

“I love that you love it.”

I took a shaky breath. “And I love you.”

Sebastian exhaled sharply, his eyes blazing with emotion. “Baby, you have no idea how much I love you.”

I laughed softly, blinking back tears. “I think I do. ”

He brushed a thumb over my cheek, his touch so damn tender it made my heart ache.

“Are you really cooking tonight?” I asked, my voice husky.

He grinned. “Yeah!”

“And you’re also bringing the wine?”

“Oh, baby,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’m bringing everything.”