He kisses the top of my head. “We’re going to work on this together. It’s going to be fine.”

“Okay. I’m ready.”

“You’re going to love it. I promise.”

Chapter22

Caroline Beaumont

Pascagoula,Mississippi

Present Day

It dawnson me when he makes a right and drives north. “You’re taking me to the house.”

“What house?”

We’re soul mates. He can’t play dumb with me. “You know exactly which house.”

Dawsey shrugs. “I need more information than that.”

“You’re taking me to Frank and Augustina’s house on Pascagoula River. The one the Le Blancs left to them. The white cottage by the water where they lived and raised their four children.”

The happiest place on earth.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

A few turns and several miles later, I see the house. The nostalgia rushes at me at once. How many times have I driven or ridden down this driveway?

A woman is sitting in a luxury sedan in the driveway when we arrive. “Who is that?”

“We’re here for our appointment to look at the house.”

“The house is for sale?”

“I don’t know if you’d be interested in it at all, but it went on the market earlier this week. I know it’s not as old as you like ’em and it’s not in Metairie or New Orleans, but I couldn’t let it slip through our fingers without at least taking a look at it.”

Jude Dawson Wescott is the most magnificent man on this earth, and no one can convince me otherwise.

“Who owns the house?”

“Remy lived here until he died, and then it passed to his children.”

“I can’t believe it’s still in the Harrison family after all these years.”

“No one has lived in it for years. The realtor said it’s in bad shape and needs a lot of work.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we know someone who’s handy at restoring houses in bad shape.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

I was afraid that it had been destroyed by Katrina. I couldn’t bring myself to drive over and look at it when I was here a year ago because I thought it would break my heart.

Dawsey reaches for the door handle and I stop him, placing my hand on his arm. “This is a wonderful surprise. I couldn’t have imagined it in a million years.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it. Thank you.”