A Secret Message (Lavender Cove #1)

Two

"THIS IS THE FINAL STEP . Once you've signed this contract, the house is all yours, and you'll be a bona fide member of our community."

Rule skimmed over the document and couldn't help raising a brow when he saw what some of the conditions were.

He was no stranger to property investments, and the house Rule was about to buy was by no means the most expensive one to join his portfolio.

Even so, this marked the billionaire's first experience in purchasing a home with a uniquely charitable set of requirements. Making a time deposit in the local bank was just one of them, along with other remarkable conditions, such as his personal participation in both the summer fair and Christmas potbless.

Richard Jenkins was quietly amused at his client's reaction while reading the contract. Rule was a startlingly handsome man in his early forties, with a self-made fortune that was well-documented in the financial industry. He had also lived his whole life in the city and was thus understandably skeptical of the duties that Lavender Cove residents were legally obliged to fulfill.

"It seems a bit much, doesn't it?" Richard's tone was good-natured as Rule began signing his initials on each page.

Rule handed back the contract with a wry smile. "I'm almost tempted to think this is a prank."

"You'll get used to it," the older man assured him. "It's just how things work here."

"Everyone looking for each other, that kind of thing?"

"I've been in your shoes, son. I had the same reaction when I moved here eight years ago."

"And you've no regrets since then?"

"I know you think this place sounds too good to be true," Richard acknowledged, "and I'm not saying this is heaven on earth. There's no such thing, of course. But if you're looking to start fresh, you haven't anything to lose by giving Lavender Cove a try."

Richard saw his client's expression turn noncommittal and took it as his cue to graciously steer the conversation back to business matters. It would be entirely up to Lavender Cove's newest resident if he would take action or not.

A gentle breeze greeted Rule like an old friend as soon as he stepped out of the lawyer's office, but it was far from the only one to say hello to him. None of them knew him from Adam, but the locals he walked past would either smile or nod at him in greeting, and Rule was surprised to find how much pleasure he drew from such exchanges.

Rule had this preconceived idea that living in a place like Lavender Cove required giving up his privacy, but he realized now one could look at it another way. Being part of a close-knit community also had its perks, and he was starting to understand why Gabriel had suggested he move to Lavender Cove.

Give it a try, his friend had urged him over the phone. Surely it was no coincidence that they were also the exact same words Mr. Jenkins had used earlier?

Give it a try.

Rule cast a look around his surroundings. It was a picture-perfect island town, its air scented by a charming mix of saltwater and lavender. There were no concrete walls to block one's view of nature, no smog that would turn evening skies into a starless shade of black.

Everything here represented a fresh start and left no room for cynicism.

So why not indeed?

Why not give this place a try?

Rule got inside his car, and an image popped in his mind out of the blue.

Hot peppermint mocha with marshmallows on top .

It was Rule's favorite drink when he was a kid, mostly because it had made him feel special, seeing how his stepmom would create a special noncaffeinated version of it from scratch.

She would ask him about his day while topping his drink with several of those sweet, chewy white bits of fluff, and as he took a sip, she would then tell him about the things she had done while pottering around the house.

Those days were bittersweet memories, since remembering his favorite drink also meant remembering hers. His stepmom favored the type that was best served on the rocks, and she loved it so much that it eventually became the cause of her death.

Today was the first time he had thought of his favorite childhood drink since her passing, and Rule didn't even have to close his eyes to imagine its sweet but refreshing scent teasing his nostrils or the way its thick, creamy texture coated his tongue.

Rule took his phone out even though he knew it was a shot in the dark to find a cafe that could offer exactly what he was looking for. But as luck - or something else - would have it...

Books, Blends, and Blessings.

The cliffside cafe was recommended for its cozy ambiance, friendly staff, and specialty seasonal drinks like hot peppermint mocha...with marshmallows on top.