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“Pearl! Who was at the door?” A frail voice called out from the parlor room.

“Wait one moment, Hattie. I’ll bring ‘em on in.” Pearl flashed them a brilliant smile. “She’ll be thrilled to pieces to see y’all.”

“How is she?” Callie asked. “I know she’s been a bit under the weather. The last time I wanted to stop by she said that it wasn’t a good time to visit.”

“She’s fair to middling’, I suppose. Not too bad for a ninety-five year old,” Pearl said with a nod.

Mac let out a whistle. “Now that’s living,” he said with a smile. “Ninety-five.”

Pearl led them into the parlor. Callie looked around at the room—it was still gorgeous, despite the fact that it was in a bit of disarray. There were boxes filled with items sitting alongside the huge fireplace, while stacks of books were perched in front of the book shelf. The décor was mahogany, antique furniture and stained glass accents throughout the room. A large, vibrant Persian rug was scattered across the hardwood floor. Tiffany lamps sat prettily on end tables. Gold curtains swayed slightly in the breeze. A pool table sat in the corner of the large room. The side doors were flung open, giving a sneak peek of endless miles of beach and ocean.

Callie flashed back to the days when she had worked summers at Savannah House. This room had been a gathering place for guests after dinner or during one of the resort’s legendary parties.

Miss Hattie was sitting in an over-sized, velvet armchair. It was the color of a plum. Callie sucked in a deep breath at the sight of her old friend. Pearl hadn’t fully prepared her for the sight of Miss Hattie. She looked much thinner and more fragile than she had a few months ago. Her white hair was scraped back in a bun and she wore a long dressing gown that harkened back to another place and time. Her blue-grey eyes still sparkled.

“Callie! Is that you? And Olivia. Oh, my two beauties. I can’t believe you surprised me like this,” Hattie called out. She raised one hand to her throat. Callie reached her side first and she bent down to place a kiss on her cheek. Olivia followed suit, clasping Miss Hattie’s hand in her own and placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Did you forget I was moving in to the cottage today?” Callie asked, hoping that the property was ready for her to move her belongings in.

“No, of course not. I was just surprised to see three of you here.” She let out a giggle. “And to tell you the truth, the things I remember in the morning don’t always stay with me throughout the day.”

The room filled with laughter. “I’m very grateful for your hospitality. And I intend to be a very quiet and unobtrusive guest.”

Miss Hattie’s eyes narrowed as her gaze settled on Mac. “And who do we have here?”

“This is Callie’s brother, Miss Hattie. Mac Donahue from Massachusetts.” Olivia quickly made the introduction. She turned toward Mac and winked. “And this is the illustrious Miss Hattie Alexander.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss Alexander,” Mac said, reaching out to gently shake her hand.

Miss Hattie let out a hoot of laughter. “Call me Miss Hattie. Everyone else does. And I have to admit that Callie has told me nothing about you. Last I heard she had only one brother…Luke.”

“I’m fully prepared to tell you and Pearl the whole story. The moving truck is supposed to arrive within the hour, so I think we have some time to catch up,” Callie said.

“Well, my dear. Why don’t we prepare some tea and scones and settle in to hear all about your remarkable reunion with this handsome rogue of a brother,” Miss Hattie said, throwing her head back with laughter.

Pearl rubbed her hands together. “I really want to hear this story, so I’m going to put a pot of tea on and get some treats ready. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Take a seat and stay a while,” Miss Hattie said, pointing toward the love seat and couch. As Callie sat down she felt a sense of peace settle over her. After all the drama and mayhem of the last few weeks it felt nice to be visiting an old friend and simply chat about life.

As she sat down she looked over at her best friend and her beloved brother. A sigh slipped past her lips. It didn’t get any better than this.

“Love is the answer. Always.”

Jax Holden

Chapter Two

Jax couldn’t stop thinking about his earlier run-in with Callie. He was still reeling from the news about her brother, Mac. It was strange that he wouldn’t have heard something about that relationship. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had known that Callie was adopted back when she was a little girl, but the Duvall family had never discussed it, nor had Callie. She had always been a Duvall through and through. He

had actually forgotten she hadn’t been born into that family.

With one phone call, Jax found a way to get to the bottom of the Mac Donahue mystery without having to broach it with her father. Lionel Duvall was his mentor in business, but Jax had learned a long time ago that he wasn’t the most approachable person. He liked to keep his personal life separate from business.

So, as an alternative, Jax decided to reach out to the one person who he knew would give it to him straight. At six o’clock on the dot Jax arrived at Shorty’s Pub on River Street. As soon as he walked in the door he easily spotted Luke Duvall sitting at a table by himself, thumbing through his phone. With his dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, Luke resembled his father Lionel, with the exception of his laid-back demeanor and easy charm. Luke Duvall was one of those people everyone adored. Jax considered him one of his closest friends.

“Hey, Jax,” Luke said, getting up and giving him a shoulder hug by way of greeting.

“Hey Luke. Thanks for meeting up. It’s been a while,” Jax said as he settled down into his chair.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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