off her cigarette and then pursed her lips in a pout. “You know there’s no future with that girl, don’t you?”
Again he refused to get into an argument that no one would win. Especially since he wasn’t so sure she wasn’t right. He still couldn’t believe he’d let himself get involved with Savannah. She had so many goals and dreams for her future. Would he be holding her back by trying to maintain a relationship that probably had little hope for survival? He would be gone for months; she would soon be leaving for college. They were going to be hundreds, maybe thousands of miles apart. Was there a reason to even hope for a future with her? His heart, which had taken over his thinking when it came to Savannah, whispered a resounding Yes! The last few weeks, being in her life, getting to know her and her family, had been the happiest time of his life.
An argument with his mother wasn’t something he wanted to get into tonight. Especially when Savannah was waiting for him to pick her up. Grabbing his keys from the dresser next to his bed, Zach headed toward the door. He stopped briefly and dropped a kiss on Francine’s forehead. “Don’t drink so much you have a hangover in the morning. Okay?”
“Like anyone really cares what happens to me.”
Any kind of rational conversation was out of the question when she was in one of her self-pitying moods. Without uttering another word, Zach walked out the door.
As he drove across town toward the Wilde mansion, dread, thick and dark, permeated his thoughts. The irony of the situation hadn’t escaped him. He’d worked so hard on being able to get out of Midnight. Leaving his family had been his only worry, but with Leonard to take care of them, he had known they’d be okay. That had been his only concern. But now there was a new one.
Despite his reputation and lack of prospects, Zach had dated more than his share of women. Once he grew taller and started filling out, his monetary shortcomings had been less of a deterrent. But there had never been anyone like Savannah Wilde—unspoiled, without an ounce of pretension or artifice, and unbelievably sweet.
Once they’d gotten over their awkwardness, their relationship had advanced at an unbelievable pace. Learning that she had studied football books in an effort to have something to talk to him about touched him like nothing else. He couldn’t remember anyone ever making the effort to do something like that for him. When he had told her to stop reading and he would teach her all she needed to know, he’d laughed at her obvious relief.
Though he had worked every day, he spent every evening with Savannah and sometimes her family. He still didn’t have a lot of money, so most of the things they did were either cheap or free. Sometimes they would sit for hours and talk about everything or nothing. There were only two topics of conversation they studiously avoided. Savannah didn’t like to talk about her father and what he had done. And Zach avoided talking about his mother. Other than that, nothing was off-limits. She’d told him he’d taught her to appreciate sports. Little did she know that she had taught him to appreciate life.
A few weeks ago, if anyone had told him he’d fall for one of the Wilde sisters, he would’ve laughed his ass off. Now he wasn’t sure if he’d ever laugh again.
“Maybe he’ll ask you to go with him,” Sammie said.
Turning from the mirror where she’d been trying to tame her wild blond locks, Savannah faced her sisters. Sammie sat on the bed, in the midst of the three dresses, two skirts, and three blouses Savannah had tried on and tossed aside for one reason or the other. Bri sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the seven pairs of shoes she had changed her mind about.
Since she had been dating Zach, it had become a ritual that her sisters helped her get ready each evening. But tonight was unlike any others and nerves and panic were close to overwhelming her. This would be her last night with Zach in who knew how long.
“Lots of girls follow their boyfriends to basic training. You could stay in a hotel or maybe get a temporary apartment close by. I’m sure we could get Granddad to go along with it.”
As the romantic in the family, Sammie thought love conquered all.