CHAPTER 1

Savannah White pulled her twelve-year-old Honda into Aunt Miriam's driveway. Sheset the parking brake and studied the old Victorian house through thewindshield. It had seen better days. Mauve and gold paint peeled from theshingles and bric-a-brac, the porch steps sagged, and the azaleas along thefront porch were overgrown.

She studied the garden for a long moment. Clumps of daffodils sprouted in theside yard, shooting up through the pine needle ground cover. She had neverrealized that there were daffodils in the side yard. Savannah had only visitedAunt Miriam in the summertime, well past daffodil time. The whimsical yellowflowers were a reminder that she was taking a huge risk. Savannah had no idea ifshe would even like living in Last Chance year-round.

Of course, no one knew yet that she planned to stay. If she had announced herplans, her ex-mother-in-law would have done everything in her power to stopSavannah from leaving Baltimore. Claire White wanted complete control over theeducation of her grandson, Todd. But Savannah hoped that moving here might shakeup Todd's father, Greg, who had canceled every weekend visitation for almost ayear and who was behind on his support payments. Greg couldn't have cared lessabout Todd.

And that left Savannah to wage a never-ending battle with Greg's mother, whoseemed more than happy to spend money on the boy and make up for the supportGreg never sent. But there was a huge price tag associated with taking ClaireWhite's assistance.

Savannah was tired of always being beholden. And she was tired of living closeto her own mother, who never stopped adding up all of her faults and failures.When her last relationship, with Jeremy, had fizzled, Savannah decided to make achange in her life. She started planning a great escape back to her roots. She'dheld tag sales to reduce the clutter. She'd put stuff in storage. Her lease wasup. She was all ready to go when Uncle Harry died. God bless him, he'd providedthe perfect cover for a clean getaway.

Guilt slammed into her chest for allowing herself to think such a thing, even ifit was true. She was sorry that she wouldn't see her gruff old uncle again. AuntMiriam was going to be lost without him. But Claire White hadn't even batted aneye when Savannah announced that she was taking Todd out of school for a fewdays to attend Harry's funeral. And of course, Todd didn't know the trutheither.

She turned toward her twelve-year-old son. He sat in the passenger's seatcompletely engrossed in a video game. His brown hair curled over his forehead,and the tip of his tongue showed at the corner of his mouth as he concentrated.His eyelashes were amazingly long for a boy, but his skin was so pale he lookedlike one of those teen vampires from Twilight, albeit a slightly chubbyone.

"It's time to put the game away," Savannah said.

Todd didn't acknowledge her request. Tuning her out had become a pattern.

"We have to go now. It's time to meet Aunt Miriam."

No response.

She reached over and took the game from his hands.

"Mom," he whined, "I was just about to win that level."

Savannah turned the damn thing off and tucked it into her oversized purse."Sorry, kiddo, we're here. It's time to join the real world."

He rolled his pretty brown eyes. "Aw, couldn't I just stay in the car?"

"No."

"But I didn't even know Uncle Harry, and I'm sure Aunt Miriam is just some dumbold lady."

Savannah ground her teeth. "You will show respect to Aunt Miriam, is thatclear?"

"Yes, but I hate it here."

"You've been here for five minutes, during which time you've done nothing butzap zombies."

He rolled his eyes. "Mom, Semper Fi doesn't have any zombies. I wasshooting members of the Imperial Japanese forces occupying Iwo Jima."

Savannah stared at her son. "You do realize that World War Two is over, and theJapanese are our allies now, right?"

Todd crossed his arms over his chest and sank back into the seat. "I'm not goingto some dumb old funeral."

"The funeral isn't until tomorrow. And you will get your butt out of this carand go be nice to your aunt Miriam or I will put your PSP in a microwave andnuke it."

"You wouldn't. That would blow up the apartment and kill the microwave."

"Don't bet on it, kiddo."

"If you did that, Dad would buy me another one, and Grandmother would yell atyou."

And that was the problem, right there.

She drew herself up into full-out mommy mode. "I don't care what your father orgrandmother might do. You are with me right now, and you will get out of thiscar. Is that understood?"

He gave her a sulky look and then opened the car door.

She did the same and stepped out into a balmy March day.

"I've never seen a house painted puke green and purple before," he said.

"It's not that bad."

The boy wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It's mad warm here. Are we gonna standaround looking at the dumb old house all day?"

The muscles along Savannah's shoulders knotted, and the headache she'd beenfighting since they crossed the South Carolina border was beginning to actuallythrob.

Just then the front door opened with a bang, and a white-haired lady wearing ablue polyester pantsuit and a pair of red Keds appeared on the porch. Dark,almost black, eyes peered at Savannah through a pair of 1960s-style spectaclesfestooned with rhinestones. "Well, look who just turned up pretty as a daisy.C'mon up here, sugar," Aunt Miriam said, opening her arms.

Savannah took the rickety porch steps in two long strides and gave her aunt abear hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad you came," Aunt Miriam said.

Savannah pulled away and looked down at her great-aunt, noting the changesrecorded in her face. Her apple cheeks now drooped a little along her jawline.Her skin looked pale and papery. Even the ever-present twinkle in her eyes wasdimmed by time and sorrow. Savannah felt a sharp pang of regret that she hadallowed so much time to elapse between visits. Aunt Miriam was getting old.

Savannah wished with all her might that she could turn back the clock.

"I'm so sorry about Uncle Harry," Savannah said.

Miriam nodded. "He was old as dirt. And sick these last few years. I know at theend he just wanted to lay his burden down and go on home." Her voice wavered.

Savannah gave Miriam another big hug and whispered, "I'm sure he did. But I knowyou would have liked him to stay awhile longer."

Miriam pushed back and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. "Enough of thismaudlin stuff. Let me see that boy of yours. Last time I saw him, he was nobigger than a minute."

Miriam turned her gaze toward the yard where Todd slouched. Savannah's son hadassumed the preteen position—arms crossed and disinterest plastered allover his face.

"Hmm," Aunt Miriam said, "he's a big boy, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is."

"Too bad he doesn't live around here. I'm sure Red Canaday would be all over yourecruiting him for Pop Warner football."

"Really? His father played football for the University of Maryland."

"Well, it looks like your boy may have inherited his genes. I think Todd wouldmake an excellent center."

Savannah filed that information away. Todd probably had no interest in playingfootball. But Savannah was determined to get her son off the couch and out intothe fresh air. Last Chance had lots and lots of fresh air.

"Well, son," Miriam said with a wave, "c'mon up here and meet your old Aunt Mim.I know you...