Second Chances (13 page)

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Lisa, her parents, and Charles. Lisa and Charles are both potential tenants. For now, they’re enjoying everything this house and neighborhood have to offer. You can’t get any more prestigious or beautiful than a home on South Battery.”

“I’ll second that,” Erik added. I’ve lived here almost a month, and it’s beautiful and peaceful, even with the tourists, and having the park across the street is really nice. Betsy is the best cook ever, and Abby and Mel are like house mothers. Anyone would be lucky to live here.”

Abby shot a quick smile at Erik to show her appreciation for his comments.

“Mom, Dad, can I? I really love this place. We can go back upstairs and pick out a small room. There’s only two left, and if Charles wants a small room, too, I’d have to decide now.”

“Well, Don, what do you think?” Lisa’s mother asked.

“I say sure, let’s go back upstairs and pick a room.”

“Well… I guess I will, too, then. Lisa, choose whichever one you want, then I’ll take the other.”

“Are you sure, Charles?”

“Yep, for sure. I wouldn’t mind either of them.”

By twelve thirty, pleasantries had been exchanged and hands gratefully shaken. The deals were done, and there would be an additional two thousand dollars a month coming in, along with Melanie’s one thousand four hundred dollars to help with the household expenses. Abby would take down the ads tomorrow and rewrite them. Three large bedrooms with private baths were all that remained in need of tenants.

“Abby, I’d be happy to drive you to the places you’ve posted your ads. I overheard you telling Mel you needed to write new ones offering just the three large bedrooms now.”

“I couldn’t impose on you like that, Erik, but I appreciate the offer.”

“It isn’t an imposition or I wouldn’t have offered, but to be honest, I’m out of things to do around here, and I’m kind of going stir-crazy. How about it? I’d love to take you out for lunch afterward.”

Abby’s inner voice was telling her to keep her distance, at least until her life was back on track and her finances were in the black, but her heart told her something entirely different. Erik was just about the nicest, most sincere and polite man Abby had ever met, and she was secretly dying to go somewhere with him away from the house.
A little friendly interaction wouldn’t hurt, would it? It would just be a friend offering to help another friend and then having lunch afterward. No different than what Mel and I do together.

“Abby? What do you say?”

“Um… sure, why not? Give me a half hour to put myself together.”

“Good, it will be fun. You can pick wherever you want to go for lunch.”

The inner courtyard of Eliza’s Secret Garden on Meeting Street was one of Abby’s favorite places. The intimate antique brick outdoor cafe held only six tables and was a place unknown to tourists. Ivy climbed the walls, and ornate wrought-iron sconces lined the inner walkway leading to the garden seating area. She couldn’t wait to show the city treasure to Erik.

“Wow…”

“No kidding, right?” Abby said, turning back to give him a smile as he followed her closely through the darkened walkway. The sconces were all that lighted the path.

“How did you know about this place? There aren’t any signs along the sidewalk.”

“You know,” she said with a laugh, “you have to be an insider. I grew up in Charleston. I know all the quirky and cool secluded eating establishments. I haven’t been here for a few years and almost forgot about it, but it’s still as beautiful as I remembered.”

A hostess greeted them as they entered the inner courtyard. She led them to a cozy corner table for two. A server waited with two glasses of ice water when they sat down.

“Talk about service. This place is amazing, and gorgeous. The name suits it perfectly. So if you love this place so much, why did it take a few years for you to come back?” Erik took a sip of water and waited for her response.

Abby thought carefully about how to answer. She didn’t want to talk about her private life, but not saying anything would make Erik even more curious. She fidgeted with the tablecloth as she tried to quickly come up with some logical reason.

“Is something wrong? You’re a closed book for sure, but I wasn’t trying to be nosy. I was just making friendly conversation.”

“I’m sorry… memories popping in my head, that’s all. I moved away for almost two years. Actually, I’ve only been back in Charleston for a few months.”

“Really? Where did you go?”

The waitress came by, welcomed them, and handed them menus. She recited the daily lunch special, took their drink order, and said she would be right back.

“I lived in the US Virgin Islands for close to two years. Something different but not different enough to need a passport, foreign currency, or a translator,” she said lightheartedly, hoping he wouldn’t dig deeper.

“That sounds awesome. I bet you had a great time living there. I’d love to travel more extensively than I have, but my job is my income. No work, no pay, and definitely no play.” He chuckled.

“Where would you like to go?” she asked, trying to redirect the conversation to him.

The waitress returned with their drinks and took their food order. “Would you like the umbrella raised? I see the sun is making its way in this direction.”

“Sure. Thank you,” Abby said.

“The last time I left the United States was for spring break in Cancun during college. I’d love to go to Spain or Italy. I should have said Sweden, right? That’s my native land anyway. Actually, the Caribbean sounds wonderful, and I don’t mean Cancun.”

“Yeah, it is pretty wonderful. There’s something to be said for a laid-back lifestyle, even if it isn’t forever.”

Erik could tell by the sadness in Abby’s eyes that her last sentence held more meaning than she was letting on. He thought it best to let it go for the moment. “So do you have any siblings, and where do your folks live?”

Abby took a bite of her grilled grouper. “Nope, it’s just me, no siblings… or parents.”

Erik’s brows furrowed with concern. That news startled him. “I guess that wasn’t what I expected to hear. Do you have any family nearby? Are you close to any cousins?”

“No… I’m not really close to anyone other than Mel and Betsy, but how about you? I know your parents are in Orangeburg, but what about brothers or sisters?”

“Yeah, my family is pretty big, and we’re all within an hour of each other. I guess I’m fortunate, now that I think about it. We always get together for holidays, birthdays, barbecues, you know, that type of thing. You ought to come meet them sometime. My family isn’t rich, but we can put food on the table, and there’s a lot of love in our hearts.”

“That sounds really nice. How many siblings do you have?”

“I have two brothers and three sisters. It was actually perfect growing up. The girls helped out Mom, and we boys helped out Dad. We all had chores. You know, the typical things, but when we played sports, we had an entire team once the cousins showed up.” Erik laughed at the fond memories. “I’ll tell you some good stories sometime.”

She looked into his green eyes, holding his gaze for a few extra seconds before speaking. “I’d really like that,” she finally said.

“So how about walking through the park for a bit? We have to burn off these calories anyway.” Erik winked at her, making her heart thump faster.

“Okay, and thanks for lunch.”

“Thanks for introducing me to this beautiful place. Let’s do it again sometime.” Erik got up and pulled out her chair.

He’s gorgeous and a gentleman? How did I get so lucky?
“Erik, do you think it’s possible to turn the backyard into something this gorgeous? I mean, if I got permission.”

He looked around before they headed back through the walkway, envisioning the backyard at the mansion looking more like the beautiful secret garden before them. “Yeah, I think we can. All I’d have to do is build a pergola off the kitchen, add more water features, larger plants, and some garden art. Having outdoor lights strung through the pergola and glowing at night would really add a magical touch. I could start on it right away—if you got permission, that is. Otherwise, I’ll start taking in other jobs in the area.”

“That’s fair. I’ll let you know.”

They parked a block off South Battery. In that area, it was first come, first served for parking. As large as the homes were, to even have room for a driveway was a bonus. Walking White Point Garden was nothing new for Abby. She had done it every day for more than fifteen years growing up. She loved to watch the beautiful yellow-crowned night herons nest high in the trees. They stayed in the park all year long, caring for their young as they grew. As Abby and Erik strolled the pathways, she pointed out the birds to him. The live oaks were as magnificent as always, just one more reason Abby loved everything about Charleston.

That night, alone in her room, Abby went over the finances. With the two new tenants paying the first month’s rent in advance, along with a small security deposit, Abby thought she could afford to have Erik start improving the backyard. She didn’t want to admit it, but she enjoyed seeing his happy face every day at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sure, he lived there, but if he had an outside job, she would see far less of him. She lay in bed and imagined him kissing her with his full lips. His mouth would search hers, lingering on her lips and tasting everything she had to offer. His hands would find the perfect spots to caress. He had that sun-streaked wavy blond hair that barely brushed his shoulders, and a manly scent that took her breath away. Erik was everything she wanted in a man, but he didn’t know her past or that she was still married and would someday inherit the Melrose fortune. She worried about being vulnerable again only to be blindsided and humiliated once more. She was torn between letting go of her insecurities and keeping up her invisible wall. One thing Abby knew for sure was that she liked Erik Christiansen a lot, and he seemed to like her, too.

Monday afternoon, she sat in Starbucks again to meet with three more potential tenants for the large bedrooms.
Please, God, let them work out. Having all the rooms filled would solve my financial problems. Hopefully, the lawsuit will go forward, but if it doesn’t, I’d still be able to get by.

The first appointment was with a professional woman with beautiful ebony skin and large eyes. She wore a glistening white smile, and Abby liked her instantly. Her name was Lucille Moore, age thirty-eight, and she earned a good income. She was recently transferred from New York City to Charleston for work, a promotion in a company that made computer processors. It was a job close to Abby’s heart and one she was familiar with because of her father’s success. Lucille filled out the application immediately, telling Abby she had been renting a hotel room for two hundred dollars a night. It was a godsend, she said, when she read the ad Abby had posted in Starbucks. As far as Abby was concerned, it was a no-brainer, yet she took the application and told Lucille she would contact her in two days if everything looked fine. At that time, they could set up an appointment to tour the Melrose Mansion.

The second appointment, after Abby had a much-needed cup of coffee, was with a young Charleston artist, Adam Jorgenson. His pottery was on consignment in the best galleries in town, and Abby was very familiar with his name and work. He had recently moved out of a house he shared with three other guys that partied too often and too hard for his liking. He was also a great potential tenant. Adam was excited by the photos Abby showed him and filled out the application as they drank coffee and shared their love of art with each other.

The final applicant strolled through the door of Starbucks at three o’clock. Abby watched the man enter and scan the café. He wore dark jeans and a T-shirt featuring the Chicago skyline. She was sure it was the man she was supposed to meet, but she waited for eye contact before standing up to offer a handshake. He looked an awful lot like Channing Tatum—hot, hot, and hotter.

“Hi, I’m Abby Taylor. You must be”—she quickly looked down at her notes—“Brandon Luck.”

“That’s me in the flesh,” he said, a little cocky but friendly nonetheless.

They shook hands, and Abby offered to buy him a coffee.

“No thanks, but I’d be happy to buy one for each of us.”

“That’s very nice of you,” she said, surprised by his generosity. “Okay, I’ll have a regular coffee with cream.”

“No problem. I’ll be right back.”

Abby took the opportunity to quickly check her notes. Brandon Luck, attorney, sounded ambitious, had just moved to town from Chicago, and was single, thirty-one years old.
Crap!
I’m going to be in so much trouble with two gorgeous guys under one roof.

He returned to the table and sat across from Abby, handing her a medium-sized coffee with cream. “Here you go. It’s nice to meet you, Abby. I’m glad I took that guy up on his recommendation.”

“What guy was that?”

“A guy I met on the flight from Chicago. Bobby Davis, I think. He told me to contact you for a place to live.”

“Wow, I’m surprised that actually panned out. His cousin, Melanie, is my closest friend and one of the tenants at the house. You’ll meet her if you decide to move in.”

“Okay, that’s cool. So is it true what they say about southern hospitality?”

“In what way?” she asked, engaging with his off-the-cuff humor.

“I don’t know. You look like you’d be a lot of fun. Maybe you could show me around town. That is, unless you’re spoken for and don’t want to ruffle any feathers.”

“Well, for one, I’m not spoken for, and even if I were, I do make my own decisions.”

“Good for you. So how about having dinner with me then?” He grinned at her, almost daring her to say yes.

She laughed. “You’re pretty bold, aren’t you? Why don’t we get through this application process while I give your invitation some thought?”

“All right, you’re the boss lady. What would you like to know?”

“Anything that might be relevant to having your application accepted. What kind of law do you practice, and how long have you been employed?”