Page 43 of Best Kept Vows (Savannah’s Best #6)

Ophelia

S ebastian and I fell into a routine—but not like the old one, the predictable, monotonous cycle of running a household while waiting for my husband to fit me into his schedule.

This new way of living was exhilarating, and we both thrived in it.

Sebastian was busy emptying the old house now that it had been sold.

Tristan had come down from New York to help during Fall Break.

We spent an entire weekend sorting through the house, dividing everything into three piles: storage, giveaway, and what we and the kids would take with us now.

It was bittersweet, walking down memory lane—poignant, yes, but dense with the realization that the house, once our anchor, was just bricks and mortar. Our family had grown and changed, and we’d outgrown this home in every way that mattered.

“It’s good to see how excited you both are about living downtown,” Ada told us. “And I am so happy you’re not getting divorced.”

“Was never going to happen.” Sebastian had a playful glint in his gaze. “I was never going to let your mama leave. I mean…I got no chance of ever hooking someone as gorgeous and wonderful as her again.”

How far we both had come!

At Savannah Lace, I was no longer the new intern who felt like an imposter. However, I was still an intern. I had finished working with Nova and learning everything I could about being an office manager and was now starting my rotation with Stella in landscape design.

I had learned how to speak up in meetings and trust my instincts. I still had doubts—of course, I did—but every time I delivered a solid proposal or contributed an idea that made people nod approvingly, I felt a rush of confidence.

It had been seven months since I had packed a suitcase and walked out of the house I had spent two decades building—and now we were ready to create the next two decades and more.

We now saw Dr. Ryan once every two weeks.

The crisis had passed, but we wanted to stay healthy in our marriage, and talking to a therapist was helpful, especially since we were embarking on changing our lives completely.

Living in the apartment and going out more—being together just the two of us—it almost felt like we were dating.

“I like the idea of us dating,” Sebastian told me one night after we made love because we were like rabbits all of a sudden, fucking our way around the small apartment like we were sex fiends. “Because then I get lucky every night.”

That was the other thing. The tense way we’d been living was in the past.

We laughed more, had more fun together, went for walks and drives, and spent time together and apart.

Sebastian had become friends with Lev, go figure!

He also had started to spend time with Diego, who was rumored to be dating Nina Davenport—rumored because Nina never talked about it, while Diego seemed to have no problem telling anyone who’d listen his girl was the coolest.

“Those two must have awesome sex,” Nova murmured during a party Nina had thrown at her place.

Luna, Aurora, Stella, Nova, and I all watched Diego and Nina talk. She was serious, and he was grinning.

“He’s a flirt,” Stella declared. “He can charm man, woman, and child.”

“But Nina?” Luna shook her head. “That’s…well…weird.”

“Why?” I asked. “Just because she’s older? You know we older women are wild in bed.”

They all looked at me pointedly.

“Sheesh! Since you and Sebastian got back together, it’s like you’re now oversexed.” Aurora let out a dramatic sigh. “ Once you leave the apartment, I probably have to have it cleaned by CSI for body fluids.”

“See, now you ruined it with the words ‘body fluids.’” I feigned insult.

We were still eyeing the unusual couple when Dom Calder came up to us.

“Uh-oh,” Stella groaned.

“Lia, how are you, darlin’?” He gave me a quick hug and did the same with the other women.

When he got to Luna she literally gave him a cold shoulder. “Come on, Moonbeam. It’ll be fun.”

“ Aww , he calls her Moonbeam.” I put a hand to my heart because I knew it would piss off Luna, and she didn’t disappoint when she gave me the finger.

“What will be fun?” Noah Carter, Stella’s husband, asked as he joined us.

“They have to work on the hospital project together,” Stella told him. “Tommy Minton said he wanted Savannah Lace and Calder Design to be partners.”

“So, he doesn’t want the hospital built in this century?” Noah deadpanned.

“Shut up, Noah,” Luna muttered. “You can tell Tommy that you don’t want to partner with us, and let me run it alone; you know, Dom.”

“Now, Moonbeam, you know I can’t do that to Tommy. He’s an old friend, and he asked me as a personal favor.” Dom was laying it on thick, and I thought it was cute to see Luna and him together.

I didn’t know their history, but I could see they loved each other, but they were stubborn about being together…or maybe it was just Luna.

“Whatever!” Luna rolled her eyes. “Where is Camy?”

Dom looked puzzled for a minute.

“Your girlfriend, Camy Channing?” Luna pushed.

“Right!” Dom grinned. “She’s in Paris this week. Fashion week, I think.”

“I can’t believe you’re dating such a bimbo.” Stella slapped Dom’s shoulder.

“She’s not a bimbo just because she’s blonde,” Dom protested, but he was looking at Luna when he spoke, and fumes were all but ready to come out of her ears.

Sebastian wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. "Hey," he murmured, pressing a warm kiss to my temple. "So…what is going on here?"

"It’s the Dom and Luna show," Aurora explained with a smirk. "I need more champagne, maybe even some popcorn for this."

"Totally!" Stella chimed in. “Too bad Camy isn’t here; her presence usually cranks up the drama in their little soap opera.”

"It's actually a Telenovela," Noah interjected with mock seriousness.

"Shut up, Carter." Dom chuckled as Luna huffed off, and he followed her.

“Champagne?” Noah asked us.

“We’re good,” Sebastian said to him.

“Ah, young love,” I mused as we stood alone, swaying to the music. “They’re going to end up bickering like that all through that hospital project they’re working on.”

Sebastian turned me toward him, amusement dancing in his eyes like city lights reflected off rain-slicked streets. “Or they'll argue first and then... makeup passionately ,” he suggested with a grin.

I wrinkled my nose playfully.

"Come dance with me." He pulled me to the dance floor.

As the music played, I melted into Sebastian. The room around us faded, and everything else became background noise as the steady rhythm of my husband’s heart beat against my cheek.

We swayed, his hands warm on my back, mine clasped behind his neck. “So, let me get this straight,” he murmured near my ear. “You think older women are wild in bed?”

I smirked, my fingers playing with the short hairs at the nape of his neck. “You tell me.”

His chuckle was dark and full of promise. “How would I know? I have a saucy, sexy woman in my bed, and I’d fuck up anyone who called her old.”

I laughed.

The song shifted to a slow, sultry tune—a smooth jazz melody that wrapped around us like silk. People danced in small pockets around us, but I only had eyes for this man—my husband, who had fought for me…for us.

Sebastian studied me in the way he often did now, assessing, affectionate, affirming.

I loved him before, but I adored him now.

The weight of the past had lifted, and all that remained was the two of us, standing in the glow of everything we were rebuilding.

“You know what I was thinking about today?” His voice was low, thoughtful.

I shook my head, waiting.

“How far we’ve come.” His thumb brushed the curve of my hip as he pulled me closer.

“I used to think I had everything figured out. I thought success was about legacy, about proving myself to my father and the world. Turns out, success is dancing with my wife, feeling like the luckiest son of a bitch alive.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Instead, I rose on my toes and brushed my lips over his. “This isn’t just luck, Sebastian. You worked for this. For us.”

His arms tightened around me. “Damn right, I did.”

We danced like that until one song faded into another, and then another.

Eventually, Sebastian dipped his head, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. “Let’s go home.”

A delicious shiver ran down my spine.

Home.

And just like that, I realized we had one. It wasn’t about where we lived—the big house, the apartment, or anywhere else. It was us. We were home .