Page 50 of Soaring Free
“Viv, I promise, I don’t feel like you are abandoning me. From the day you moved in, it was always supposed to be temporary until you figured out what was next, right? That plan didn’t change, it just looks different than we thought,” I say as I lean over and look at Walker.
“Yes. And now the plan is much more handsome.” Vivian steals a glance over her shoulder at her fiancé, who smiles in return before wrapping his arms around her as he stands at her back. He gives her a soft kiss, and she leans into his embrace but keeps her hands on my arms.
“Things will change in life, but our family is a constant, okay? Plus, having you over on Daddy’s land is a heck of a lot closer than you having a newborn in Chicago. My casseroles don’t travel that far, but now, you can make me a list, and I will fill your fridge and freezer with food.”
“Deal.” She squeezes me once more before sitting back down on the couch.
The pressure on my shoulders and the tightness in my chest both feel a little weaker after our talk, even with their moving announcement. I don’t have to have all the answers today, and I may not find them tomorrow, but at least I won’t be alone while I try to figure it all out.
Chapter twenty-nine
“Sounds good, dear. You have our number if you need anything else, and I mean that, alright? Even though this chapter is officially closed, we still have your back.” Pippa waves me in from lurking in her doorway. Her phone is pressed up against her ear and she’s opening a folder, looking through a stack of papers, as she finishes up a call. “Absolutely. It was my pleasure, take care.” She hangs up and looks at me with a brilliant grin while practically bouncing in her chair.
“Is it Christmas morning?” I ask as I take a seat on one of the couches in her office. She sent me a text this morning to come see her as soon I was in the office, but I had a late start to the morning after getting Gigi to her summer camp activities.
“For you? Maybe.” Pippa rises and walks around her desk to hand me her tablet, which is open to a PDF from the court. I pull my reading glasses out of my suit pocket and slide them on to review the document.
“You did it.” I can’t believe it.
“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to allow a small-time attorney like Kyle Clark and his subpar team of minions, who were all actually listening to Shane the entire time anyway, drag this out any longer than necessary.” She waves her hand dismissively in front of her face.
“How did you accelerate this even more than it already was?” Ever since the managing partners appeared in the gallery during the court hearing, Shane and his legal team have been incredibly accommodating to any request, but it still felt like Shane wanted to drag this out as long as possible. I get it, I wouldn’t want tobe divorced from a knockout like Savannah either, but it’s been proven the guy is a moron.
My sister sits in a club chair and crosses her legs with a grin. “Well, a little bird may have told the wife of the managing director that Shane was being difficult and Savannah was in talks with that faux magazine story I fed to the gossiping hen in the bathroom.” She smirks at her own tactics.
“How did you do that?”
“She plays bridge with the head of the Smith-Harrington gala chair, so I might have dropped a little seed of gossip at the last planning meeting.” Seed of gossip my ass. Pippa sent a grenade.
I laugh at her shameless pride. “And how long ago was that seed dropped?”
Pippa sits up higher, and somehow, her grin grows even larger. “Tuesday.”
I lean back at that news and laugh. “It’s Friday!”
Pippa nods and smirks. “I know, really I was hoping for a forty-eight-hour turnaround, but I’ll take it. Savannah is coming in at eleven to review the final documents.”
“She’s officially divorced.”
“And now, officially single. I know you think you’re smooth, but it’s obvious you’re over the moon for this woman, but please handle her heart with care, okay? I really do like her.”
My sister isn’t the only one—although my feelings for Savannah have absolutely nothing to do with platonic friendship. “I’m going to be in my office. Will you text me or Cian when you guys are wrapping up? I don’t want to miss her.”
“You don’t want to be in there with us?”
I slide my glasses off and tuck them back in the breast pocket of my suitcoat. “I do, but I want to be respectful of the situation.”
“So, you aren’t pivoting the conversation from her divorce being finalized to asking her out in the same breath?” Pippa teases.
“Right, I’ll wait in the hall until then.” My sister laughs at me. And while I’ve been waiting for months for this to be finalized, Savannah deserves to have her own private moment.
However, it’s not going to be a very long moment before I swoop in.
Chapter thirty
“I can’t thank you enough, Pippa. You’ve gone above and beyond—I still can’t believe he accepted that settlement offer,” I tell her as she walks me out to the lobby. The navy and white folder with their law firm’s logo in my arms hold the documents confirming what she told me when she called me this morning: Shane and I are officially divorced.
I knew it would be somewhat soon, but I had no idea it would be today. I also was prepared to feel more sadness than I do, but instead … it’s an immense sense of relief. The weight of everything isn’t gone, but my shoulders feel significantly lighter.
