It's the Way You...

Chapter 10

A/N:  Unedited, your feedback and comments are appreciated.

Saturday morning rolled around too quickly for Savannah.  they had spent the last few days catching up and chilling out before Savannah had finally dragged Mera out to see the town for the first time and have some dinner in one of the little restaurants on the outskirts of Redlodge.

Savannah had spent the morning cleaning her already spotless house, in an effort to try and shake off some of the nerves.  Mera didn't surface until eleven and she was all smiles as she floated into the room wearing little more than her birthday suit.

"Mera! Go get dressed!"

"Why, this is a swimsuit!"

"That is not a swimsuit! That is a 'asking for trouble' suit."

"Well, if the shoe fits and all that."

"We don't even know if Grace has a pool." Savannah sighed. 

"Fine, but you have to admit, I look fabulous."

"Agreed but you also look like a hooker." Savannah laughed pushing her friend back towards her room.

"Why do you have this is you won't ever wear it?" Mera asked as she disappeared into the walkin wardrobe.

"Because it is fabulous."

"If you ever got over your fear of looking good, some man is going to drop dead if you appear before him in this suit." Mera reappeared in a pair of jeans shorts and a bra. "It's such a beautiful day outside, it would be a shame for you to go dressed like that."  Mera stated gesturing to Savannahs oversized t-shirt and trousers. 

"It's a bbq, not a fashion show.  What I'm wearing is fine."

"It's not,  you look like you've been stuck in a basement for four years.  Please put on something else, anything else.  You said yourself you're settling here, so lets try settling into something a little more flattering to your figure."

"Fine, jeans better?"

"Much!"

Twenty minutes later, they made their way to Savannahs car and headed over to Grace's house armed with wine and beer.  Grace had told them the meat was sorted.  Savannah had put on a pair of slightly fitted jeans but had kept her off the shoulder t-shirt and had thrown her hair up into a loose messy bun. 

As they pulled into the road that Grace and Harris lived on, Savannah immediately spotted the black Dodge parked to the side of the house and felt her heartbeat spike.

"Just breath!  I'm right here with you."  Mera grabbed her hand as Savannah pulled up to the kerb in front of the house.

Savannah felt her anxiety skyrocketing as they made their way to the front door.  Mera grabbed her hand gave it a shake and pulled her forward. 

"Come on! You've got this!"

Harris swung the door open after only one knock and before Savannah could take a breath, he swept her up into a giant hug.

"You made it,  Grace is going to flip. Come in, come in!"  He set her down inside the house and turned to Mera.  "You must be the best friend."  His smile was infectious and Mera couldn't help but smile back.

"That must make you must be the knight in four wheel drive!"

Harris grinned even larger and shake her hand.  "Yes ma'am! Welcome to Redlodge."  He led them through the house and into the kitchen where Savannah spotted Mel washing lettuce at the sink. Grace looked up from chopping tomatoes and dropped her knife before coming around the counter to greet them.  There was one other woman in the kitchen whom Savannah didn't know, but she smiled in greeting as they came in.

"So glad you decided to come." Grace sang, hugging her tightly.  Steeping back she turned to Mera and took her in with a smile.  'My goodness but you are tall for a brit!"

Mera laughed out loud and set the bag down on the counter. "Thanks for having us!" 

"Hi, I'm Mel." Mel introduced herself, "and the quiet one in the corner is Laura, she came with Dylan, who's out back with the guys."

"Drinks anyone?"  Grace asked moving back to the fridge.  Harris kissed her on the cheek and made his way out back. "See you in a bit."

Savannah unpacked their bag and handed the beer and wine to Mel as Grace pulled out a few wine glasses. 

"Mera, How was your flight?" Mel asked as she poured them all a glass of wine. Grace returned to her chopping and Laura slipped onto one of the barstools at the breakfast bar.

"It was good thanks, the drove to Redlodge was even better."  She wiggled her eyebrows at them all and sipped.

"Mera here as a way with men!"  Savannah filled in.  "I believe she sees them as her own little puppets and to be fair they do basically hand her to strings to do with what she pleases."

Mel burst out laughing. "Well if they hand her the strings then they really do deserve whatever they get!"

The mood in the room was light and Savannah felt the tension leaving her shoulders as she sipped her wine.  After a few minutes she managed to find herself a knife and was happily helping Grave make a salad as they all chatted and laughed together.  Mera managing to keep them all in fits of giggles with her adventures. Perhaps she could do this after all, all she needed to do was stay in the kitchen and away from the backyard where the men where.

Thirty minutes later, Harris and a man called Dylan shoved into the kitchen,  Dylan immediately sweeping Laura off the chair and onto his lap as he sat down in her place.  Harris started picking cucumber out of the salad until Grace slapped his hand away.

"We wanted to get to know the young lady, the only young lady that has ever put Gabe Matthews in his place."  Dylan laughed turning to Savannah and Mera. "You know she nearly took him out with her car, right?"  He added to Mera with a wink to Savannah.

"I'm aware, I'm disappointed however that she didn't drive him over!"  Mera countered with a smile of her own.

"Would have definitely being a sight to behold. Gabe verse Camaro, who would be the last standing!"

"Hey let's not bring my car back into this!" Savannah smiled. "She doesn't need to be sullied by the likes of you!"