started the engine and backed out of the parking lot. Thankfully, as was usual with Gibby, responding to her questions wasn’t necessary.
“Sure, she’s pretty. But honey, Zach hasn’t looked at a woman since he got back in town. And now that you’re home, he can’t look at anybody else.”
“Aunt Gibby, don’t. That was over a long time ago.”
“Oh, I know you both think it was, but when you’re in love, it’s never truly over.”
Gibby had never married. Savannah didn’t know much about her aunt’s younger days, but the way she had made that statement made her think that Gibby knew all about lost love. Not wanting to pry, Savannah shook her head and said, “What we had wasn’t real love.”
As if she hadn’t spoken, Gibby continued, “You know, your granddaddy wanted to hunt Zach down and skin him alive for breaking your heart.”
She wasn’t surprised. Her granddad had been up close and personal with her heartache. Had held her while she cried, been with her every step of the way. Even the peace-loving Daniel Wilde must have wanted to exact vengeance against the man who’d broken his granddaughter’s heart and spirit.
“I think he even went to see Zach’s mama.”
“Really? When? He never told me.”
As if she hadn’t heard her, Gibby went on. “Course, when I asked him what happened, he got all secretive like he did on occasion. Hated when that happened.”
“He never told you anything about the visit?”
“Nope, but he seemed to calm down after that.” She glanced at her watch and said, “We’d better get going or all the good sittin’ spots will be gone.”
Savannah drove the short distance to the Midnight community park and pondered on Gibby’s revelations. Her grandfather had never mentioned going to see Zach’s mother. What had he learned that made him “calm down” about Zach?
Suddenly she was exasperated with herself. Why the hell did she still not know why he had left town without saying goodbye? Or why hadn’t he contacted her until months later? She had been here a week and had seen Zach almost every day since her return. On one of those occasions, why hadn’t she just asked him outright? Or let him talk instead of cutting him off? When had she become such a coward?
She discounted the opportunity she’d had years ago. When Zach had finally contacted her months later, she’d been emotionally raw. Too much had happened. She had deemed it too little, too late, and had refused to speak to him, just wanting to forget.
Learning the truth now wouldn’t change the pain of the past, but she deserved to know. And Zach deserved an opportunity to explain.
Three long rows of picnic tables sat beneath giant oaks: four tables of casseroles, vegetables, and meats, two for tea, lemonade, and soda, and three tables filled with breads and desserts. It was a massive amount of food, but since the majority of the town’s citizens would eat here today, Savannah knew that within an hour the tables would be almost bare.
After settling Gibby into a lawn chair beneath a shade tree, Savannah stepped around blankets and running children as she made her way to the tables. She was greeted by everyone she passed, with either a smile, a wave, or a “Welcome home, Savannah.”
Deciding what to put on Gibby’s plate was easy. She loved casseroles and, other than turnip greens and collards, hated anything remotely green. With a plate loaded with what she knew were her aunt’s favorites, Savannah turned to the beverage table and almost ran over Zach.
“Whoa, that’s a lot of food.”
Unable to raise her head higher than his chest, she stretched her lips into a semblance of a smile and nodded. “Gibby’s hungry.”
A callused finger caressed the edge of her jaw and then settled on her chin to tilt her head up. “Can I see you later today?”
Despite the ninety-degree temperature, Savannah shivered. Zach’s voice had gone low and intimate, as if they were the only two people in the world. She examined his handsome face, seeing honest sincerity and absolutely no secrets. Unwillingly her gaze shifted to the woman a few feet behind him, putting food on a plate. Lindsay Milan had obviously come to the picnic with him. Was he dating her? Was Zach low enough to ask her out while he was at an event with another woman?
Zach surprised her by reading her thoughts. “We’re not dating.”
She believed him. With the exception of that one significant time, Zach had never given her any cause