Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(32)

Cara glanced at him. “You’ve become quite the encyclopedia.”

He chortled and scratched his ear. “I’ve got a lot of time on my hands,” he said with characteristic modesty. “I’ve always wanted to study this stuff but didn’t have the time.”

Cara looked over her shoulder to check on the children.

David noticed and took a step toward the cart. “We should get back. Only wanted to introduce you to Big Al. Alligators generally keep to themselves, but they wander. Al’s never threatened a resident,” he said, then paused. “But once I saw him walking toward the water with a whole raccoon dangling in his jaws. So it’s good to keep dogs leashed and children close. And don’t ever try to feed a gator. Not if you want to keep your arm.”

“Noted,” she said with an exaggerated shiver.

He laughed lightly and helped her into the cart.

“Time to get these cuties home,” David called out as he turned on the motor.

“Good idea.”

The cart was off again, bumping along the road. She turned her head to check on Hope when they bounced over a rut. She was proud her little girl only laughed.

They rounded the picturesque island to the ocean side. Along both sides of the dirt road, narrow driveways just wide enough for a golf cart were marked with wooden number signs and the names of the owners. The roads all disappeared into the brush. At last David turned off at one marked WYATT & STANTON. The drive meandered into a shadowy enclave of woods and over a small wooden bridge across a rivulet of water to a wide graveled courtyard. Before them loomed a tall house of dark wood and glass with levels that jutted off at angles. It seemed to be part of the forest surrounding it.

“I know this house!” Cara said, reaching forward across the seat to touch David’s shoulder. “This is the house Bo worked on a few years back. He created the porches and . . .” She paused to look over the property. “There! I knew it. That’s the tree house he built.”

She heard him softly chuckle. He stretched his long arm over the seat and removed his sunglasses to meet her gaze. “Yep, this is it.” He turned back to the house. “It’s a gem. How could I not buy it?”

“I can’t believe you got this house. However did you manage it?”

“The usual way,” he said with a modest shrug.

“Don’t be coy. How did you buy this particular house, and knowing how much it meant to Bo and Heather?”

“Pure luck,” David admitted. “I came here and started looking for a house. Judy Fairchild—do you remember her? She’s the real estate agent and mayor of the island. Wonderful lady. Anyway, she knew of one that might go on the market. She made a phone call, and as it happened, the owners were indeed considering selling. When it turned out to be this house, I knew it was fate. I didn’t fool around looking at other houses. I made a good offer, and they accepted.”

Cara studied him, liking him more. “Knowing that Bo and Heather loved the house.”

David shrugged again. “I loved it too. And the bonus was the owners were downsizing to move to a retirement community, so they sold it furnished. It was a turnkey move.”

“If I recall, the furniture was uniquely chosen for the house. And quite special.”

“True. They made sophisticated choices that suited me. In the end, we were pleased with the way it all turned out. I brought a few personal items from Charlotte, of course. But for the most part, it’s pretty much as you remember. Let’s go in.”

They disembarked, releasing the babies from their seats.

“There’s an elevator, if you want it,” David offered.

“I could use the exercise.”

“That’s how I feel. Especially with an extra twenty-five pounds in my arms. Who needs a gym when you carry weights around all day, right?”

“Right,” she agreed with a laugh. Babies in arms, they walked up the long flight of stairs. Cara paused at the two landings lined with planters along the way. Thankfully it was cool in the woods. All around her birds chirped and darted. A flash of blue made her heart jump. She hadn’t seen an indigo bunting in years. At the top, the massive, carved-wood front doors made a stunning statement, flanked by two stone planters filled with coleus and greenery.

Once inside, Cara turned around, mouth agape, enjoying the dramatically jutting ceilings and tall windows, which created the feeling of living among the trees. The décor was as she remembered, simple and spare. Her eyes widened at the George Nakashima chair in the foyer. Yes, it was very much the remarkable house she remembered.

David took her on a brief tour, moving through the halls and pointing out this and that in his rich, low voice. She thought how well the strong lines, the elegance, and the ageless quality of the house suited the man.

The sounds of canaries chirping caught her attention as he led her up to the second floor. “Aha! How are the canaries?”

“They love it here.”

“They must. It’s like living outdoors. Does she still have both birds?”

“More!” He laughed. “You know Heather. She’s passionate. Now she’s gotten into breeding them. We had babies last spring.” He rolled his eyes and began walking again. “I’ll let her show you the happy families later.” David stopped to ask her, “You wouldn’t want another bird, would you?”