Page 8 of Chasing Savannah

“Something like that. I’ve sworn off shifters.” She took a giant drink from her glass hoping to avoid answering why.

“We don’t talk about it.” Naomi said in a stage whisper.

Savannah snorted. “You bitch.”

Charlotte wagged her finger. “A nickel in Jamie’s curse jar.”

Charlotte and Naomi laughed.

“Derrick will be disappointed.” Laura’s eyes twinkled with humor.

Both cousins shot her a surprised look.

Naomi raised an eyebrow. “Derrick?”

“We’re not talking about this.” Savannah stuffed a brownie in Charlotte’s mouth, when she opened it to say something.

“Was that why your first husband was human?” Laura leaned forward, her interest apparent.

Savannah wondered if possibly she was asking on behalf of Derrick. A girl could hope. “I married him because I loved him. I thought he loved me.”

“Despite grandmother telling you different.” Naomi said into her glass.

She glared. “He cheated on me with one of his co-workers.”

Laura gasped. “What did you do?”

“Nothing at first. We’d been together six years, but after I had Jamie, I don’t know. We just slowly slid into this place of disinterest. By the time Jamie was two, I couldn’t fake it anymore.”

“I still say we should’ve trashed his shit.” Charlotte muttered.

“Here, here,” Naomi added.

“It wasn’t worth it. When I found out, at first, I didn’t say anything. I just quietly took business classes during the day, went to all his fancy fundraisers and dinners and cultivated clients from the people he knew. I set up my business, got a small office in South Tampa with some of my trust fund,thenI told him to kick rocks.” She mushed Charlotte’s face as her cousin pretended to gag.

Naomi laughed and slapped her sister’s shoulder.

“He got some hot shot lawyer he knew to make sure I didn’t get anything in the divorce.” Savannah sighed. “He gleefully kicked me out of our fancy house I never liked and married the woman he was seeing behind my back. Now, six years later we can finally be in the same room without exchanging nasty words.”

Laura sat with her mouth agape for a full minute before she responded. “I’m with Charlotte. At the very least you could’ve keyed his car.”

Naomi barked out a laugh and gave Laura a high five. “Ha! I knew I liked this girl.”

Laura’s phone vibrated across the table as they laughed. She picked it up and squealed. “My brother’s here!” She stood. “Come, you have to meet him.”

She and Naomi stood, but Charlotte grabbed her sister’s arm. “We’ll wait here.”

Savannah frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yep. We’re good.” Charlotte smiled, and waved her off.

Laura waited for her at the door. “You’re coming, right, Savannah?”

She nodded, her curiosity too much for her to resist. They rushed to Laura’s house and barreled through the front door. Derrick was standing in the foyer, his brow quirking up as they came in. He wore a red, long sleeved Henley that clung to his wide chest, tucked into a pair of jeans that just… He smiled as she came through the door.

Lord. Why was he so fine?

“Welcome back.” She smiled warmly at him.