Once Upon a Second Chance (Once Upon a Holiday Story #1)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Daniel

The alarm blared at six a.m., as it had every morning of my adult life…maybe even before then. I really should have simply retired the thing since my internal clock always woke me ten minutes early.

I pulled the covers off my body, sighed, and sat up. Through my bedroom window, I could see the gray sky foreshadowing the upcoming storm. The weather stations were all saying it was going to be a doozy, and I wanted to be sure my businesses in town were secure so I wouldn’t have to stumble out into the snow later in the evening.

My morning routine was muscle memory at this point. After a quick stop to the bathroom, I went downstairs, where coffee awaited me. I fixed it the way I liked it and prepared for the day, which included setting up beef stew in my slow cooker.

At forty-five, the cold weather was beginning to get to me. My bones ached from the breeze alone as soon as I opened the front door. We got all four seasons here in Everlasting Springs, so enduring the winter months was par for the course.

It was mornings like this I was happy my Mercedes had heated seats.

The roads were clear—thankfully, the last snowfall we’d had was over a week ago. First stop was Laverton’s Grocers. I’d grab a few essentials and check on the staff while I was there.

“Good morning, Mr. Laverton,” Gracie, one of the cashiers, greeted me as I entered.

“Morning, Gracie. Are you all set for the storm?”

“Oh, yes. John got the firewood in last night, and we’re stocked up. I just need to pick up some gas for the generator on my way home.”

I nodded. “Very good, say hi to John for me.”

I moved through the store, grabbing all I needed, smiling at the little Christmas stocking stuffers on the endcaps. I stopped at the door marked Manager, and knocked.

“Mr. Laverton, morning.” Gary was the store manager, and he did a damn fine job. He was in his late thirties with light-blond hair and the kind of face that put you at ease the moment he graced you with his pearly whites.

“Hey, Gary. Just popping in to see if everything was good to go before the storm.”

“We’re great. I’m closing the store an hour earlier like you suggested to make sure the staff all gets home.”

“Perfect, and if you see the storm starting to roll in early, close up.”

“You got it.”

Once I’d completed my grocery store run, I stopped at Laverton’s Hardware followed by Laverton’s Diner…yeah, my family had built this town, as evidenced by the names on a lot of the stores and restaurants.

Sometimes it made me itch to see my name on so many buildings, but I’d mentioned that to my accountant, who also lived in Everlasting Springs, and he’d said it was actually a comfort to see every day, that it felt like the town was looked after. So, I kept the names.

My housekeeper and cook were always given a few weeks off for the holidays and with the impending storm, I’d simply extended their vacations. Even so, they’d still prepared some meals for me and stored them in the freezer, but I also knew how to cook, so I wanted to make sure I had everything else I might need and once I did, I made the trek back to my house.

I lived in a rather big house. I didn’t need all the space, but honestly, it was just how I was raised so it might be huge, but it was home.

It was a three-story, colonial-style mansion originally built by my great-great-grandfather…Well, he’d designed it, anyway. The brick facade featured a stately columned portico; dormer and Palladian windows; and one of my favorite places to relax in the warmer months, the second-story veranda. With Christmas only two weeks away, the lights and wreaths adorning the property made my home even more beautiful.

Through the years it had been upgraded. I’d had an elevator put in, which made it easier when my mother visited as she adored the veranda as well. It had a southern charm in a northeastern area.

Once my car was in the garage, I carried my bags into the house, removed my winter coat, turned my Christmas tree lights on, and put everything away. The house smelled heavenly as the aroma of the stew permeated the air.

A gentle brush against my leg brought a smile to my face, and I looked down to where my roommate, a.k.a. cat, was rubbing against my leg.

“Well, hello, Mayhem.” I kneeled and scratched her head and chin. She plopped to the side—clearly standing so long was taxing—and I caressed her silky fur.

Mayhem was a tortie. Dark brown, blond, orange, and white kaleidoscope of fur made her the prettiest cat ever. I’d never really wanted a pet, but when Beth over at the animal shelter said there was a runt kitten and no one wanted her, my heart had cracked a little and I’d offered to foster her since they were running out of space. That was a year and a half ago, and now she was mine.

“Yes, I got food for you, your favorite treats, and made sure I had enough litter for your litter box.”

She batted at my hands and gave me playful nibbles. She was the company I needed during the times loneliness became too much.

I had family, but my sister was in California with her husband and my nephew. She’d moved there two years ago, the moment a huge opportunity was offered to Frank, her husband. My father had passed away of a heart attack five years ago, and my mother found being in Everlasting Springs to be too hard for her. She’d moved with my aunt to Florida, relishing the warmer weather.

There’d always been a Laverton living in Everlasting Springs and while I could have relocated closer to my sister or mother, I wanted to be here. The townsfolk were like family, and at the end of the day, it was home.

Her ears must’ve been burning, because a second later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from my sister.

“Well, hello, Katherine.”

“Why do you say my name like that?”

I chuckled. “I was just thinking about you, and you called. I always knew you were a witch.”

“Har-har. I was thinking about you; I see that storm coming in on the news. They say it’s gonna be rough.”

“Aww, are you worried about your big brother?”

She snorted. “No, but that house has been in our family for generations. I want to secure my son’s future.”

I knew she was kidding. While we were all very well-off, our parents had raised us not to let money become who we were. Kate stayed at home with my thirteen-year-old nephew, Josh, and helped me remotely from her house. Frank was a doctor…well, a surgeon—pediatric cardiology, and I was certain Josh was financially secure.

“Your son? What if I have a child someday?”

That got her laughing. “You’d have to actually date people to make that happen. Well, I mean, even if you found someone, a man can’t have the baby, so actually, yeah, why not find a surrogate?”

“Wow, okay, this conversation went to weird places. I only just got comfortable having a cat.”

“ Mmhmm . Look, you’re forty-five. Ticktock, big bro.”

I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. I got this every so often from her and my mom. They didn’t want me to be lonely, thought I should have a family. They’d never cared that I was gay; they even embraced it. But I knew pretty much everyone in Everlasting Springs. The pool wasn’t that big.

“I really love these tender calls we share, Kate.”

“Blah, blah. Okay, I gotta get Josh off to practice. Stay safe, text to keep me updated. Love you, jerkface.”

“Love you too, butthead.”

I disconnected the call, and Mayhem meowed.

“Okay, sweetie, let’s get you fed.”