Revel (Second Chance Romance #1)(10)

There never would be.

********

By the time she reached the house, it was starting to get dark. When she stepped out of her car she could hear the sound of the Atlantic lapping against the shore. It was her favorite sound in the world, one she hadn’t heard in too long, and she couldn’t help but feel at ease. She was home.

She’d rented the cottage for a month, but she suspected she may stay longer. She had enough savings to stay a while, something that was so different from the last time she’d been in Charleston. She’d been a broke college student then, living on ramen and a prayer.

But she’d come so far in the last ten years. She was an obstetrician, one of the most respected in the Nashville area. When she’d decided to take this sabbatical, her entire practice had been in shock. It was sudden and with little notice. That wasn’t like the Dr. Sanders they knew.

But then again, they didn’t know the whole story. No one did.

Anyway, she couldn’t think of that for now, it would get her far too upset, and she was determined to make her time here a happy one. This was the last place she’d known the definition of that word, and she was desperate to know what it was like again.

That evening, after unpacking, she’d taken a glass of wine and sat on an Adirondack chair out on the porch that faced the beach. Driving all day had exhausted her and the wine exacerbated the fatigue. She knew she’d sleep well tonight.

She noticed the house next to her had a moving POD in the driveway. It was a large mansion that dwarfed her cottage, and it appeared to have recently been bought. The For Sale sign in the front had a large SOLD sticker emblazoned across the front of it.

Well, whoever they are, Charlotte thought to herself as she finished her glass, I hope they’re not *s. Maybe I can even make some friends.

And with that she went back inside.





Chapter Five


Declan hadn’t even toured the house before buying it. No need. He knew it was the best Sullivan’s Island had to offer, and his realtor had assured him it would meet all his needs.

Besides, Declan didn’t know how long he would even live there. But it was beach front, with a pool, two hot tubs, a sauna, and a full basketball court on the grounds. Not that he played much anymore, but just knowing things were available to him was the best thing about being wealthy. So until he knew more about his father’s prognosis, it would definitely be sufficient.

And it wasn’t that Declan had ever known anything other than wealth, but being a billionaire was a completely new level of rich. His family had actually been on the brink of bankruptcy (a family secret that almost no one knew about in Charleston, though there had been whispers) when Declan sold his start-up, and fortunately the DeGraff name was saved. Not that his father showed appreciation for any of it, but such was Henry DeGraff’s way.

But now Declan was finally here to see the mansion he’d bought. His realtor, an older woman named Bree Lakes who had her face plastered over dozens of billboards around the Lowcountry, was meeting him at 9:00 am to hand over the keys and close on the contract.

He’d driven up early, wanting to get away from the yacht. It was starting to smell stale, like a drunk lived on it, which was half true. When he pulled his Range Rover into the driveway he noticed the cottage next door had a Volkswagen Passat parked in front of it. He hadn’t realized he’d have a neighbor so close to him. Not that it mattered, just something he hadn’t thought about. He liked to be more secluded from things. Besides, the tiny cottage was dwarfed by the pillars and turrets of his southern castle by the sea. An odd dichotomy.

“Declan DeGraff, as I live and breathe!” Bree Lakes’ shrill voice called to him from across his expansive front yard. He’d thought for sure he would arrive before Bree, but she was taking down the For Sale sign and putting it into the back of her Porsche Cayenne.

“Hey, Bree,” he said, waving to her. “Good to see you.”

“Well, it’s been… I don’t even know how long! Since before your momma… Well, it’s been a long while,” she said, smiling at him. “How’s your daddy? Tell him I said hello!”

“I sure will,” Declan said. “How’s Rafe?”

Rafe Lakes was Declan’s age. They’d gone to Bishop Francis together, the Jesuit all boys’ high school to which Charleston sent its finest sons. Rafe was known to be a jackass, but Declan always thought he was kind of funny.

“He’s great, he and his wife are expecting their first baby in the next few months,” Bree said. “They won’t tell me the sex, which drives me crazy. I don’t know whether to buy pink or blue or how to monogram any of it! You kids love to keep your secrets!”

Declan chuckled awkwardly, praying this small talk hell could be over soon.

“Well congrats,” Declan said. There was an awkward pause.

“So we should probably sign the papers!” Bree exclaimed. “You buying in cash makes it all so easy for me! And how blessed you are to be able to do that. You’ve really made something of yourself.” Bree leaned in and whispered, “Your momma would be so proud, Declan. So proud.”

He stiffened at the mention of his mother.

“Yes, well,” he said. “Let’s get those papers signed.”





Chapter Six