Sweet Tea and Secrets Read Free

weeks after Pearl’s surprise party,Jill zigzagged through the ballroom of the Harbour Lady Hotel. The elite of Savannah filled the grand room. Guests posed in their finest attire, mingling and one-upping each other with fat donations to the Kase Foundation.
    Jill’s pride swelled in awe of the funds she’d helped raise.
    This ought to ruin the devil’s day.
    Genuine or for show, it didn’t really matter because their donations would all go to a good cause. The special camps the Kase Foundation funded were designed to position youth for great things. What better way to invest in the future than through the children? Planning this fundraiser had taken a year of long hours, but tonight the late nights and early mornings were paying off in dollars— big dollars—that far exceeded the Foundation’s goals to fund youth camps.
    Tonight’s event was a heck of a lot bigger than any Ruritan Club BBQ she’d helped out with back in Virginia, but the same strategy had worked. Even the video montage was a big hit with this hoity-toity bunch of Savannah socialites. Seeing themselves on the screen, larger than life, fed their hungry egos and translated into an extra few digits in donations.
    “How’s the best fundraiser the Kase Foundation has ever had?” Bradley had stepped up behind her and whispered into her ear.
    His breath tickled her neck. “You’re not biased, are you?” Jill leaned against him and scanned the room. “Can you believe this night?”
    “You’ve exceeded my every hope.” He spun her around to face him, then swept her into the crowd of dancing couples. “Tonight is perfect,” he said, never breaking frame. “You are perfect. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
    Her insides swirled in time with the fine layers of her gown that swept her ankles with each turn. She’d never felt so elegant or so proud.
    “ Still right on schedule, too,” Jill said. Bradley would announce the silent auction winners next—the finale. Then, they’d call it a night. “I’m glad we’re sharing this special moment.”
    “Oh, it’s not over yet,” he said.
    Excitement flickered in her belly. He’s going to propose. Tonight. She took in a deep breath to steady her trembling legs and help her keep pace with Bradley’s smooth movements.
    Bradley gave a nod of recognition to a tall man standing to the side of the dance floor. “Duty calls. I’ll be back.” He dropped a kiss in the nook of Jill’s bare neck, and then he was gone—swept into the sea of black suits.
    Jill accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and eased into a seat at a corner table. Her work for the night was done. Someone else was in charge of the closing tasks.
    She smoothed her gown and lifted the glass to her lips. The bubbles tickled her nose, but the cool liquid relaxed her. Jill clutched the black diamond marquise pendant on her necklace and slid it back and forth against its chain. The habit had broken more than its fair share of necklaces over the years, but the zipping sound had a soothing effect on her when she was in a crowd.
    Pearls comments about marrying Bradley played in her mind.
    She scanned the room for Bradley. His height made him easy to spot, unlike her. She could get lost in a room of junior high students. Waving, she caught his attention, then tapped her wrist indicating it was time to close the event.
    Bradley acknowledged her with a quick nod, then took the stage. His black tuxedo set off his soft blonde hair and tan. He was easy on the eyes, but it was his commitment to the Kase Foundation that attracted her the most.
    Guests returned to their tables and the room hushed as Bradley announced the winning bids.
    Jill’s phone vibrated, sending her silk clutch buzzing across the table. Her cheeks flushed as she swept her purse to her lap. She took refuge through the burgundy drapes that hung just behind her to answer the call.
    She cupped her hand over the phone. “Hello?”
    “Hey, I didn’t want