Page 97 of Darlin'

"You should call him, Sav," Marlow whispers. "You should?—"

"No." I shake my head. "It's better this way. I mean...I think we both knew it wasn't going to be anything more than—" I wince at my brother. TMI.

"Come on, Sav." Marlow perks up a knowing brow. "You know that's not true. You know that JP?—"

"Beau?" Momma's surprisingly timid and gentle voice floats from behind us, and I spin around. She stares at my brother like he's a ghost, an angel, an apparition of prayers and hopeful thinking. Daddy stands behind momma as her warm gaze flits to Marlow. "Hello there, I'm...I'm Caroline." She swallows, taking a hesitant step forward as if she's scared they'll run away. "And this..." She pats daddy's arm. "This is John." She slowly lifts her shaking hand up. "You must be...Marlow?"

"Hi," Marlow says, wiping her hand on her jeans before shaking momma's hand. "Sorry, my hand's a little sweaty." She lets out a giggle. "Nervous, you know."

Momma chuckles under her breath. "Oh, I know." Letting go of Marlow's hand, she looks over at Beau and gives him an intent once over, soaking in every inch of his grown-up face. "You look..." I brace for impact on his behalf. "Well." What? Well? Maybe shedidhave a stroke upstairs. Momma forces a tight-lipped smile as she zerosin on his neck tattoos. "Those are..." Her jaw clenches. "Nice."

The room falls silent as her kind words of welcome hang in the air. What is happening in the house of commons tonight?! Well? Nice? Daddy not commenting? Momma not yelling?

"Oh, come here!" Beau clicks his tongue and pushes past Marlow, wrapping his hands around our momma. She immediately starts weeping in his arms. "Nice? You really said my tattoos arenice? Lord, woman, I leave you for a measly three years, and you go all soft on me?" He looks over his shoulder at daddy. "What have you done to my momma, sir?" He whispers in my momma's ear, "Tell me what you really think, come on now."

"I hate them!" Momma wails into my brother's shoulder as she hugs him tight. "I think those tattoos are absolutely atrocious, and you've permanently ruined that perfect and smooth skin of yours, but oh my gosh, I don't care. I can't believe you're here." She pulls away, wiping tears from her cheek as she longingly gazes at Beau and Marlow. "This is a miracle. Truly a miracle." She looks back at daddy. "I did not in a million years think we'd see our boy again.” She sniffles, looking back at Beau. “Satan’s graffiti be damned, I amsoglad you’re home.”

Daddy clears his throat as he looks down at me. "Would you mind giving your mother and me a few minutes alone with Beauregard and Marlow? Perhaps you can go check on Lucy and see how supper's coming along." I catch Marlow's white face. Daddy must've, too, because he adds, smiling at her, "I've told Rick to set the table for five. We assume you'll be staying the night?"

"Or a few nights?" Momma asks, hopeful. Her eyes light up. "Oh! Why don't you stay a week, huh? Miss USA begins in a couple of days, and I'm sure Savannah would love to see your faces in the crowd." She whips her head at me, gaze screaming, "you better say yes or else." "Right, darlin'?"

"Stay," I say to Beau and Marlow. "I'd like for y'all to stay."

"Miss USA?" Marlow squints at me. "As intheMiss USA?"

"Mhmm," I hum, cringing. Did I not mention my pageant life to her this past summer? Oh boy. "The one and only."

"Oh, we're definitely staying." Marlow snorts, elbowing my brother. "Right, baby?"

"In separate rooms!" Momma squeaks out.

"Momma." Beau rolls his eyes. "We're adults. Come on now."

"It's fine, Beau," Marlow says, glaring at me. "Sav and I are due for a girls' night. Apparently, we got lots to catch up on."

"I'm going to go and check on dinner," I say, leaving the room before Marlow's icy stare freezes me to death. "Let me know when y'all are done...talking."

As I make my way to the kitchen, I reread all the lovely messages on the greeting card from The Sons, Jesse's absence causing a gnawing ache in the pit of my stomach. It's unfair. The more I try to forget him, the more I remember him, and the more I miss him. His voice. His laugh. His arms. Everything. But he lied to me. At least we have that in common. I'm lying to myself too. But I won't admit it.

I can't.

CHAPTER 30

Princess for President

"Oh my God,"Marlow chortles, nearly choking on her cup of tea. "Will you stop?"

"It's fucking itchy!" Beau groans, tugging at the collar of the turtleneck Momma bought him. "I feel like fire ants are crawling all over my damn skin."

"Shh!" I hush him, glancing around the restaurant, dozens of pageant queens and their families enjoying high tea. "Don't cuss in here, okay? I heard from New York that sometimes they have spies loitering around these functions whose top priority is to sniff out corrupted contestants."

Beau glowers at me. "Why do you care, Sav? Thought you said these types of things were stupid, huh?"

"They are." I roll my eyes. "But since I'm here and made it to the finale, I might as well win, right?"

"Fucking rights!” Marlow exclaims, immediately covering her mouth. "Shit! I'm so sorry!" She sheepishly looks around. "I don't think anyone heard. You're safe."

"At least for now." I sigh, scanning the restaurant forMomma and Daddy. "Where did they go? This is supposed to be a family luncheon, and they up and leave us."

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