Southern Charm (7 page)

“
But then I realized if I
didn’t, I would be no better than your family. I refuse to treat
you like they do; punishing you for every little thing,” Logan
said. Setting the vase down on the table with the flowers in it,
Shelby looked at him realizing that in two days Logan had given her
more acceptance than her family ever had.

“
Thank you,” She said,
standing close to him. Placing his hand under her chin, he raised
her head up to look him in the eye. Her eyes were such a beautiful
shade of brown, yet they always looked so sad. Slipping his arm
around her waist he whispered,

“
You never have to thank
me for caring about you, Shelby. It is my pleasure,” He finished
with a wink. He grabbed her left breast with his hand and with the
other hand he pulled her head closer to his until they were within
centimeters of each other. He bit her bottom lip gently before
releasing deepening the kiss and then slide down and nipped her
neck. Stepping away from her, he cleared his throat. “We better get
going before I rip that gorgeous dress off you and fuck you but
good right here on this kitchen floor.”

Shelby could not think of one good
reason for him NOT to do that. When had she gotten so horny?
Probably the eight and a half years since the last time she had
sex. Bad sex.

“
Ok,” She said smiling.
Logan laughed out loud and took her hand. She had sounded like one
of the chippettes when she answered him. It was so arousing to
Logan to know he had the same effect on her as she had on
him.

CHAPTER 6

The party was in
full swing when Shelby and Logan arrived. The formal ballroom was
filled with 250 of the Beasley family’s “closest” family and
friends. The second ballroom was set up like a lounge for cocktails
and chatting. Savannah’s theme for her wedding was golden opulence;
t
he decor was luxurious, elegant, and
amazing. The colors were purple, blue and gold and the decorations
looked fancy, because the colors exuded luxury. Ornate lamps and
flowers livened the atmosphere of the celebration. Gold was being
used as the main base color in the decorations; it symbolized the
sanctity of the event and provided an elegant impression. The rest
of the decorations could only be described as Pretty in Pink. It
made the decorating look so soft and elegant. However, the luxury
was still reflected in the decor. The dining tables were decorated
with beautiful flowers with a soft pink color.

As Logan and Shelby stepped into the
ballroom, Logan reached down and grabbed Shelby’s hand. Standing so
close to her he could feel her trembling, he wanted her to know he
was there for her. Shelby spotted her parents at a table near the
main table talking to some of their family members and Shelby’s
grandmother, Queenie.

“
There are my parents,”
Shelby said and they started to walk to the table. “Hi, Daddy,”
Shelby said to her father as she hugged him.

“
Shelby, you know when I
am around, I am the first person to get some sugar.” Queenie said
to her teasing her granddaughter.

Laughing, Shelby said, “I am so sorry,
Granny. I do know you want your sugar first.” She leaned down and
gave her grandmother a tight hug. Queenie Beasley was the matriarch
of the Beasley family; ninety-three years young and still kicking
and screaming. She had a cordial relationship with Sarah and
Savannah, for that matter, but she loved her Shelby.

“
Who is this you bought
with you?” Queenie said to her granddaughter extending her hand to
Logan so that he could kiss it, which he did.

“
I am Lance...” and before
Logan could finish the sentence Shelby cut him off and said. “This
is Logan Chandler, Granny, my date”

“
WHAT?” Shelby’s mother
said speaking for the first time since Shelby had arrived at the
table.

“
Oh sit down and hush,
Sarah! My grandbaby is introducing me to her boyfriend.” Looking up
at Logan smiling, she said, “Sit down, young man, I am old. I want
to get a good look at the man that caused this amazing
transformation in my granddaughter.” Laughing, Logan said, “Yes
ma’am” as he squatted down in front of Queenie.

“
Oh, yes Shelby, I see why
you have a smile. He is a cute one. So what do you do for a living,
Logan?” Queenie said.

“
Ex-con,” Sarah said
before Logan had a chance to speak. “Honestly, Shelby, what are you
doing dating an ex-convict? I thought you were dating the
brother?”

“
Momma, I...” Shelby
started but her grandmother cut her off.

“
Sarah, if we all judged
someone for the rest of their lives on their mistakes in the past,
then you would still be known as the town tramp swinging from a
pole at Juice’s,.” Queenie said winking at Logan.

“
MOTHER!” Jackson said to
his mother. “There is no call for nastiness!” Sarah stood up
suddenly and said, “Excuse me,” and walked toward the ladies
room.

“
Granny, that was not
nice,” Shelby said trying not to laugh.

“
Well, it made her shut
up, didn’t it?” Queenie said. Logan could not believe what he was
hearing. They may be a family with money, but they were not a
family of love and he suddenly felt sorry for all of them “Shelby,
are you dating both the Chandler boys?” Her father asked her.
“Because I know when we saw you at dinner you told me that he was
Lance.”

“
I know, Daddy. I am sorry
that I lied to you. I did not want Momma to be upset that I could
not get a date so I asked Lance to pretend to be my boyfriend until
after the wedding. But when he had to leave town on business, Logan
agreed to have pity on me and pretend to be Lance.”

“
Baby girl, have you been
watching those soap operas with your grandmother again? What
possessed you to lie?” Jackson said with a disgusted
tone.

“
Well, son, if watching
soap operas made Shelby do this then you must have been watching
porn right before you selected your wife. Jackson, I am tired of
watching you dismiss your child and let your wife be a nasty human
being,” Queenie said angrily.

“
Mother, we will not have
this conversation now, and in mixed company,” Jackson said standing
up and walking away.

“
I am so sorry, Granny,”
Shelby said sitting on the arm of the Queen Anne chair her
grandmother was sitting next to.

“
Oh, baby, don’t you worry
about that now. What’s done is done. Logan, take my granddaughter
to the dance floor and dance her socks off,” Queenie
said.

Standing up and laughing under his
breath Logan said, “Yes, Ma’am,” as he leaned down to kiss her
cheek. “Don’t you try and sweet talk me, young man. I am more than
you can handle.” Logan busted out laughing loudly.

The rest of the evening was tense with
the family, to say the least. But Shelby had not noticed; she was
having such a good time with Logan. Her female family members
seemed to be enjoying his presence there, too. Her fifteen-year old
cousin said to him, “I do not care what side of the tracks you come
from, you are HOT,” and walked away. Logan had turned and looked at
Shelby. She was not able to contain herself.

“
Well, she has good
taste,” Shelby had finally said.

Shelby and Logan were walking back to
the family table, coming off the dance floor from dancing again.
They had danced most of the night. Anytime Logan and Shelby were
sitting for too long, Queenie would tell them to get and hit the
floor and she would end with, “Shelby. No twerking,” and then
laughing. “Excuse me, Logan. I need to go to the ladies room.”
Shelby said grabbing her purse off table. “Will you be ok for a
minute?”

Shaking his head and chuckling to
himself Logan said, “Shelby, I am not five, I can handle myself for
three minutes,” he said smiling at her. “Besides I am going to see
if I can get your grandmother to fall in love with me while you are
gone,” he finished, winking at Queenie. Shaking her head, Shelby
headed for the restroom.

When she walked into the bathroom, she
was shocked by what she saw. Savannah was sitting on the sink with
her ankles on the shoulders of a man; his pants and boxers were
down, Savannah’s panties were hanging from one ankle and the man
was slamming into Savannah like a jackhammer as Savannah
moaned.

“
OH MY GOD SAVANNAH!”
Shelby said, startling the couple. When the man turned toward
Shelby in shock she could see that her sister was sleeping with her
soon-to-be husband’s brother, Mark.

“
Oh God! GET OUT SHELBY!”
Savannah screamed at her. “GET OUT!” she yelled again when Shelby
did not automatically move. Jarred into action, Shelby turned and
walked out of the bathroom. As she got back to the table, she was
shaking. She could not believe what she had just seen. What was she
going to do? Shouldn’t she tell someone; at least her
father?

Just as she was sitting down at the
family table, she saw her sister storming toward her. As Savannah
got to the table, she grabbed Shelby’s arm to turn her toward her
saying in hushed tones that made Shelby feel like she was spitting
fire on her. “Look, you fat pig! You better keep your mouth shut or
I promise I will make your life miserable.” Shelby did not realize
until that moment, she had accidently sat next to Michael, her
sister’s fiancé.

Snatching her arm away, Shelby stood
toe to toe with her sister. After what she had just seen, did she
really think she was going to allow her to keep playing the high
and mighty roll?

“
It’s not like you have
not already done that my whole life, Savannah.” Shelby said to her
crossing her arms over her breasts. It was taking all she had not
to call her sister out right then. Pushing her left shoulder,
Savannah said, “Do you think it has been a picnic being the sister
of the town pig!? How many entrees have you have tonight, Shelby?
Five, six?” Savannah was walking toward Shelby which was causing
her to have to back away a little. Jackson, Sarah and a few other
guests had noticed that Shelby and Savannah were in a heated
conversation. Because of the music and discussion going on in the
room, they could not hear the words being said.

Shelby could see her father coming
toward them out of the corner of her eye and decided to defuse the
situation and not embarrass her mother and father. She could smell
the four glasses of tequila and five glasses of champagne that
Sarah had already drank. She knew that she was tipsy, if not
drunk.

“
Savannah, I am not having
this discussion with you right now. Go back to your FIANCE,” Shelby
said to her sister starting to turn and walk away.

“
Don’t you turn your back
on me, you fat pig!” Savannah said grabbing Shelby’s right arm
tightly to spin her around. Fed up with her sister’s crap and
knowing that her mother and father would somehow make things her
fault and not caring anymore, Shelby turned and pushed her sister.
“Don’t touch me, Savannah. I promise you will regret it.” Savannah
stumbled backward and fell on one knee which caused Michael to
stand up and grab Shelby’s arm and push her back saying, “What do
you think you are doing, Shelby?” Shelby had not even noticed that
Logan was standing very close by the entire time. When Michael
grabbed her arm, he was there standing between Michael and
Shelby.

“
Don’t touch her!” he said
to him. Logan did not raise his voice or even physically touch
Michael but Logan’s eyes and his body were screaming loudly. “I
will beat your ass!!”

“
What in heaven’s name is
happening here?” Sarah said as she approached the group. “Do you
see, Shelby, do you see what happens when you bring trash into the
family?” her mother said with the same venom that Savannah had
spoken to her.

“
This is...” Logan started
to say but was cut off by Shelby.

“
Momma, this is not about
Logan. This is about your whore daughter!” Shelby yelled at her
mother. It was like the world had stood still and all eyes were on
her. Her father and mother were in shock. Savannah was fuming and
Logan was protecting her with pride. Turning to look at her sister,
Shelby said, “Tell them.”

“
Tell us what, Savannah?”
Jackson said to his daughter.

“
Nothing Daddy; I do not
know what she is talking about,” Savannah said trying to pretend
like she was unfazed but shaking like a leaf.

“
Tell them, Savannah, or I
will!” Shelby said again but even louder than she had said it
before. If she had thought she was imagining things when she
thought that everyone was looking at her before, she was sure of it
now.

“
For heaven’s sake,
Shelby, you stop that yelling. You are embarrassing your father’s
family name!” Sarah said to Shelby as she stood next to Savannah in
support of her… as usual. Completely fed up, Shelby yelled, “Me?
Me? Momma, I am not the one that was just fucking my future
brother-in law-in the ladies room.” Shelby could hear the
collective takes of breath around her, but really did not care at
this point.

“
Well, I knew my
granddaughter was a tramp! I am so proud!” Queenie said
sarcastically from her wheelchair. Logan busted out laughing. This
was the best party he had been to in well…ever.

“
MOTHER!” Jackson said
loudly. “I will not have this! Into the cigar room, now!” he
finished, pointing in the direction of the private room.