April
Buying a home on her own was the most wonderful, frightening thing Roxy St. James had ever done. Even publishing her first book hadn’t been this exhilarating. Or scary.
Although it might have been just as difficult. Not as difficult as the divorce she was going through, but for today, she wanted to forget about that and focus on this next step in her life.
As she parked behind her realtor’s car outside of the third house of the day, Roxy questioned if she’d ever find the right place. Realtor Pandora Williams got out and headed to the door, but Roxy sat for a moment, looking at the house. There was a charm about this house that the others hadn’t had. She hoped that carried through to the inside and that she could finally imagine herself living here.
Because, more than anything, she wanted to be here in this town where she had a friend and a chance to start over.
She nodded. This house absolutely could be the one. She got out of the car and inhaled. The air was different in Georgia than it was in New Jersey. Fresher, maybe. Or just new. And perhaps that’s all she was feeling. Just a sense of being somewhere different.
So maybe it was the way the light filtered through the branches of the mature trees in the neighborhood or the way the breeze picked up as Roxy lifted her face to the sun, but this house, in this neighborhood, felt right.
And Roxy needed things to feel right. The divorce had put a dark haze on things for too long. This town of Nocturne Falls—and the home she’d eventually make here—was going to be her fresh start. Her new beginning.
Sure, Nocturne Falls was miles away from New Jersey and her life there, but a clean break was the only way she could come up with to shake off her past. Most importantly, her ex.
Her awful, controlling, soul-crushing ex.
Besides, New Jersey was his home state, not hers. She was a New York girl. And the Jersey neighborhood was filled with his family and friends. People he’d since poisoned against her. People she’d never liked that much anyway.
At least here in Nocturne Falls, she had a real friend. Delaney James—no, it was Ellingham now. Her old college friend had married an amazing man and was a few months away from having a baby. Good for her. Love ought to work for someone.
Roxy snorted at that thought. How ironic that she, Roxy St. James, a woman who made her living writing romance novels, could have gotten love so wrong. She sighed out a breath. Whatever. That was behind her now. Her fictional heroes were enough to keep her warm. And she didn’t need to believe in forever and soul mates and love without conditions in order to write books about those things.
Fiction was fiction for a reason.
Nope, no man for her. She would be happily single. Maybe she’d get a dog. Or a cat. But cats and romance writers were just such a cliché. Either way, she would definitely be getting an aquarium. Fish were peaceful. And she needed peaceful.
Pandora opened the home’s front door then turned to look at Roxy. “What do you think? Cute, right?”
Roxy left her mental wanderings behind and smiled as she headed up the walk. “Very cute. I really have a good feeling about this one. And this neighborhood is great.”
“I told you I saved the best for last.” Pandora preened. “And I’m not just saying that because I live a few blocks away. Wait until you see the inside.”
Roxy stepped through the front door and let out a happy sigh. “Oh, yeah, this is gorgeous.”
Pandora smiled like a proud mama. “They redid the house last year. New floors, new cabinets, new countertops, the whole thing. Of course, I don’t think they counted on getting transferred, but their loss is your gain.”
The house looked magazine-worthy, all shades of gray and white and brushed chrome but still warm and welcoming. It was far more sophisticated than anything Roxy had imagined she’d find in this little Georgia town. Frankly, it was far more sophisticated than anything she’d pictured herself living in.
“C’mon,” Pandora said. “Let me show you the rest.”
Roxy followed her through the house, oohing and aahing at the kitchen (tons nicer than the kitchen she’d had in New Jersey, which was a real plus since cooking was a great way to procrastinate instead of writing), and the master bedroom and bathroom were so perfect they were like a spa retreat.
She turned slowly, taking it all in. “I could live here. Like, really live here. That big walk-in shower? I might never get out of that thing.”
“Pretty impressive, huh?” Pandora took her into one of the smaller bedrooms. “Any one of these other bedrooms would make a great office, but this one is the closest to the master.”
“It’s a good size and just what I need.” Roxy bit her lip. “I could finally have that big saltwater fish tank I’ve always wanted.”
“Hey, if you want a fish tank, we have a company in town that I can hook you up with. No pun intended.” Pandora grinned. “They set them up and maintain them.”
“Really? That would be awesome.”
“I’ll get you Undrea’s card. She’s a total expert on all things fishy. She custom-builds tanks in her shop, so she can do anything you can dream up.” Pandora put her hand on the door. “Let’s go look at the other two bedrooms and the second bath.”
They turned out to be just as perfect as the rest of the house. Roxy stood in the living room with Pandora. “Okay, I love it. But I’m almost afraid to ask how much.”
“It’s at the top end of your budget, but it is four bedrooms, completely remodeled, has a two-car garage, and I haven’t even shown you the bonus part yet.”