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Chapter 4
On Friday, at the kitchen table in the house she rented from her former father-in-law, Annie Markley jotted down notes from a circle of open books, preparing for her master’s thesis. She’d figured out the topic shortly after the first class and was way ahead of the game with outlines and notes and references. She just needed to compile the information. With an empty coffee cup in front of her, a nap seemed more appealing but out of the question. She wasn’t paying to have her son, little Stevie, at Calista Macon’s daycare so she could nap.
Money was tight. She continued to work at the rescue, knowing that Maggie was paying her more than she deserved out of the goodness of her heart. The baby’s father paid for part of her rent, but that was all he could swing. It infuriated Annie because Steve worked for his father, a wealthy hardware store owner. They paid him under the table, specifically to hide his income from the courts. Annie would let it be for now, but when she made a little money from her counseling business after she got her license, then she’d fight him in court. For now, she didn’t have the time for another hobby which is what a court fight would become.
Despite the struggle financially, her life had never been better. The satisfaction of motherhood and school outweighed the frustration of dealing with her ex. A year ago, she’d met Chris Harcourt, Dave and Justin Chastain’s half-brother. On top of everything else she had to do, a relationship wasn’t something she really needed to deal with.
Chris was so different from anyone she’d ever dated before; in the first place, he was a man, not a little boy. He had teenage children from his first marriage and was a loving companion who seemed to love her son, too. The only caveat: he lived in the western suburbs of Mobile, Alabama, which was about a three-hour drive from Cypress Cove. To compensate, they spoke on the phone several times a day, did FaceTime, and sent texts often, but it wasn’t enough. He’d reached his breaking point earlier than she had. About three months in, he’d had it.
“I want to be with you permanently. If I can find a job within commuting distance of Cypress Cove, will you live with me?”
“Of course,” she’d said, not sure at all. Her divorce wasn’t final yet.
In the meantime, they made due with weekend visits.
“I’m going to get you out of this house,” he’d said.
“It’s the only compensation I get from Steve,” Annie had said. “Wait until you move here, then I’ll move in with you if you still want me.”
“Are you crazy? I want you, Annie.”
He’d proved it, too. Unlike Steve—as much as she disliked comparing them—Chris made sure she knew how much he wanted her, and they made love every weekend, often several times. Occasionally, he’d call her Wednesday morning and say, “Okay, I took the day off and am on my way. Can you see me?” He knew Wednesday was the day she didn’t have to go into the rescue and was therefore free to be with him when he arrived in Cypress Cove.
So, on that morning, a year later, Annie had just gotten up to get yet another cup of coffee when her phone beeped. It was Chris.
“Baby, I’m moving!”
She leaned against the counter, stunned. “Where?”
He finally had a job offer in New Orleans at the largest civil engineering firm in the parish.
“The office is in the French Quarter, but the design studio is about twenty miles outside of Saint John’s Parish.”
“Wow, that’s not too far, Chris. I’m so excited. When do you start?”
“I have to give thirty days here, and they might tell me not to let the door hit me in the ass. So, I said I could start in five weeks. It will give me a couple of days to get us in a new place. Do you want to look for a house this weekend?”
“Sure. I can look online now.”
“I want to buy, though. I’ll send you a list of what I’d like and our budget, and you can add the things that are necessary for you to be happy. Is that a deal?”
“Buy? You’re going to buy here? That sounds like you’re staying.”
“I want to marry you, Annie. I thought I made that clear.” He snickered, teasing her.
“I know but in the heat of passion, and all that,” she replied, laughing.
“I never thought I’d find love again,” he said.
When Chris made his first trip to Bayou Cottage, he took one look at Annie and knew she was the one for him. He didn’t waste any time finding Maggie inside the barn to ask about her.
“Can you introduce me to that brunette out there?”
He pointed over his shoulder, and Maggie followed his finger to Annie holding baby Stevie on her hip, talking to the others in the paddock.
“Usually, women holding babies are spoken for,” Maggie said, looking at him sidelong. “Are you cocky or just brave?”
“Ha! I overheard her tell the redhead her ex-husband was acting like an asshole, so I just assumed she was single.”
