A Dose Of Passion. Sharon C. Cooper

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       Chapter 3

      Derek drove into the cul-de-sac and to his new place. The brick colonial, with four oversize pillars and beige trim, was one of the largest homes in the neighborhood, and it was his. He still couldn’t believe all that Noah had left him. Derek also couldn’t believe he’d packed up both himself and his son and relocated to Atlanta, all within a two-and-a-half-week period. As a single father, raising a child alone was hard enough. Take away his built-in babysitters, and it was like sailing upstream without a paddle.

      Now that he had made the big move, the challenges it would bring, raising Jason and getting acclimated to a new city, were at the forefront of his mind. Not only that, but he had started his freelance architecture business a few years earlier and it had recently taken off. Leaving Cincinnati to oversee Price Architecture was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he hated that he had to subcontract out some of his own projects before coming to Atlanta.

      Derek pulled into the extra-wide semicircular driveway and slowed before he reached the three-car garage. Noah had given the mansion that he’d lived in before passing away to his favorite charity. Derek couldn’t understand why he would purchase this home only to risk leaving it empty, considering he couldn’t have been sure Derek would agree to the relocation. Noah didn’t do anything without a reason, but this part of his will had Derek stumped.

      His gaze fell back on the structure of his mini mansion. He couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his lips. Noah definitely knew what Derek liked when it came to houses. Tudors were his favorite, but this colonial-like home was a little unique, with its wide Palladian window above the double burgundy front doors.

      He drove farther up the driveway, stopping in front of one of the garage doors before cutting the engine. Part of him was excited about all of the changes to his life, but there was a twinge of anxiousness that spun inside his gut.

      “Daddy, why did we stop?”

      Derek turned to the backseat where his four-year-old son sat in his booster seat, playing a video game. Jason had been so quiet, Derek had momentarily forgotten he was there.

      “This is our new home, son. Ready to check it out?” Derek stepped out and walked around the car to open Jason’s door, but his son didn’t budge. Neither of them was overly thrilled about leaving their home and family in Cincinnati, but together they were going to embrace this new chapter in their life. “Let’s go, kid.”

      “Is Uncle Keith here? He said he was coming to my new house,” Jason asked as he slowly climbed out of the Mercedes ML63 SUV. Derek’s new assistant at Price had surprised him with the vehicle when they departed the plane. He now understood why she had asked him a series of questions the day he met with her. One question had been about his ideal car. Who knew the car of his dreams would be waiting for him? Supposedly, it was part of his benefits package.

      “Daddy, is he coming?” Jason pulled Derek back to the present.

      Just then, Keith Logan pulled up in a rented SUV that he was using until his car, which he’d had shipped to Atlanta, arrived. Keith parked next to Derek and climbed out of his vehicle.

      “Hey, Uncle Keith!” Jason ran to his uncle, who lifted him up in the air. “What took you so long?”

      Derek chuckled at his son’s enthusiasm. It was as if he hadn’t just seen Keith at the airport. They had arrived to Atlanta in style, flying on the company’s private jet, a first for all of them, one that Jason would be talking about for weeks.

      So far, the relocation was going great. Since his brother was in the midst of a divorce and ready for a new start, Derek had invited him to Atlanta. Keith jumped at the opportunity. It was a win-win for both of them. Derek would get some help with Jason, and Keith had a potential job opportunity with Price Architecture.

      “Looks like a nice neighborhood,” Keith said. They stood on the front stoop with suitcases, waiting for Derek to open the door. “A little bougie. So you ought to fit in perfectly.”

      “Ha, ha, ha. Whatever.” Derek pushed the front door open and deactivated the alarm system using the keypad just inside the wide foyer. His brothers had always called him “bougie,” claiming he was stuck up despite growing up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Columbus.

      Keith released a long whistle as the three of them stood in the foyer of their new home. Derek had to admit—it was a beauty. The semicircular staircase with ornamental СКАЧАТЬ