“If I worked with Sean, I’d sleep with him.”
“Good for you. But not really good for a stellar working relationship.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“Yes, and I respect him. And I’m glad we’re business partners.”
“But that’s all?”
“Why are you so interested in this?”
“Probably because I don’t think I’ll ever have anything like that. I mean someone in my life.”
“What, are you crazy? You’re young, beautiful and rich. You’ll have your pick of any man you want. That’s just the way the world works.”
Savannah stared at her pointedly. “No, I won’t.”
“Of course you will. Why wouldn’t you?”
Savannah started biting her nails.
Michelle reached over and snatched the hand out of Savannah’s mouth. “Little kids bite their nails, Savannah. And while we’re asking each other blunt questions, why don’t you get your name taken off your ass? That might help your marriage prospects, if you’re so worried about it.”
“That wouldn’t help.”
Michelle eyed her warily. “Why the poor-little-me routine?”
Savannah suddenly exploded. “Because what if I’m as crazy as the rest of my family? My father was totally screwed up. My brother’s a killer. Now I found out my other brother had syphilis. My mother is a freak unto herself. Even my sister-in-law is a total mess. It’s a disease. You come into contact with the Battles, you’re doomed. So what the hell chance do I have? I’ve got no chance. None!” She dropped her cup of coffee on the floor, pulled herself into a ball and started sobbing.
Michelle stared at her for a long moment, wondering if she even wanted to get involved in this. Finally, she reached over and hugged the woman tightly, said soothing words to her without really knowing their source. As the thunder boomed outside, Savannah’s sobs started to recede, but the young woman still clung to Michelle as though she were the only friend she’d ever had or ever would have.
All Michelle really wanted to do was get out of this place as fast as she could. She would even tackle the homicidal Eddie head-on, so long as it was away from Casa Battle. And yet she stayed right there and embraced the sobbing woman and whispered comforting things into her ear. Michelle held her like she was her own flesh and blood, silently thanking God she wasn’t. For who knew, Savannah could well be right about everything she’d just said. Maybe the Battles were cursed.
CHAPTER
95
“THIS REALLY HAS BEEN
a wonderful evening, Sean.”
He and Sylvia had returned to the house and were sitting in the small glass-enclosed patio off the kitchen, observing the bad weather coming in.
“I love watching storms on the lake,” she said. “It’s even prettier in the daytime, when you can see it come right over the mountain’s crest.”
She turned to see him staring at her. “What?”
“I was just thinking there’s something far lovelier than a storm, and it’s sitting right next to me.”
She smiled. “Is that a leftover pickup line from your college days?”
“Yes, but the big difference is I mean it now.”
They moved closer to each other, his arm went around her shoulders and she rested her head against his chest.
“Like I said before, it’s nice to be taken care of for a change,” she said.
“You two really make a great couple, you really do.”