The Book Club On Waverly Lane Read online

  Also by Rachel Hanna

  January Cove Series

  Waiting For You

  The One For Me

  Loving Tessa

  Falling For You

  Finding Love

  All I Need

  Secrets And Soulmates

  Choices Of The Heart

  Sweet Love

  Faith, Hope & Love

  Spying On The Billionaire

  Second Chance Christmas

  South Carolina Sunsets

  The Beach House

  Sunsets & Second Chances

  Fireflies & Family Ties

  The Inn At Seagrove

  The Wedding At Seagrove

  A Seagrove Christmas

  Lighthouse Cove

  Beneath The Willow Tree

  Mutts & Magnolias

  Chasing Sunsets (Coming Soon)

  Sweet Tea B&B

  Sweet Tea Sunrise

  Sweet Tea & Honey Bees

  Sweet Tea & Wedding Rings

  Sweet Tea & Christmas Trees

  Sweet Tea & Baby Makes Three (Coming Soon)

  Sweet Tea B&B

  Whiskey Ridge

  Starting Over

  Taking Chances

  Home Again

  Always A Bridesmaid

  The Billionaire's Retreat

  Wisteria Island

  Wisteria Island

  Wisteria Winds

  Standalone

  Back To Us

  Blue Ridge Christmas

  The Book Club On Waverly Lane (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Rachel Hanna’s site.

  THE BOOK CLUB ON WAVERLY LANE

  RACHEL HANNA

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  CHAPTER 1

  Shelby Anderson was anything but a quitter. As she stood in front of her new home on the outskirts of downtown Charleston, she was grateful, but nervous. After a protracted divorce and a nice financial settlement, she was finally free of the biggest mistake of her life - Roger Madden.

  Her ten-year marriage to Roger had been the worst decade of her life. It had started out promising, or at least she’d thought so at the time. Her career as a real estate agent took off in her mid-twenties, and Roger had been the first mortgage lender she’d worked with back then.

  They’d worked well together, and he’d made sure her deals closed. Looking back, maybe she’d fallen for him because of all the closings he’d saved for her. It definitely wasn’t because of his chivalry. The man never opened doors for her or held an umbrella over her head during a rainstorm like she’d seen in the movies. Not that she couldn’t do those things herself, but it would’ve been nice to have a man who wanted to protect her.

  They’d gotten married when she was twenty-eight, and only because Shelby had given him an ultimatum - either get married or break up. She’d been ready to start a family, and Roger had seemed ambivalent about the whole thing.

  They got married in the north Georgia mountains with a few friends and family members, but no kids followed. Roger had “issues” with his fertility, and Shelby felt stuck. Her parents had been married for decades, and she believed marriage was forever. The biggest contract a person ever signed.

  So, she’d stayed, despite being terribly unhappy for years. It was one of her biggest regrets in life and made her feel awfully weak. Staying in a loveless marriage wasn’t something she’d ever seen herself doing, but she’d done just that.

  Then one day two years ago, Roger came home and said he’d fallen head-over-heels in love with his new closing attorney. She was rich, blond, and she drove a little red sports car. Shelby knew she should’ve been angry and upset. Instead, she’d felt free as a bird, and she couldn’t wait to get out of the marriage.

  Of course, by that time, they’d formed a real estate company together. All of it had to be broken apart and split between them, which took almost two years to do. Now, as she stood in front of her new stately home, she was grateful to be alone.

  It seemed weird to want to be alone at her age. Forty years old wasn’t exactly young, at least in her mind. She had no children, and that was a deep pain she didn’t talk about often. She’d wanted to adopt at one point, but Roger had vetoed it, saying he only wanted biological kids. She’d then spent years feeling like an animal with its foot caught in a trap.

  Her work with local animal rescues had kept her sane, and now that she was living in Charleston, she was sure she could find some good rescues to give her time and money to.

  “All done, ma’am,” the moving guy said as he walked down the front steps toward her. “We put the piano in that room on the right. Don’t know what you call that room.”

  “Neither do I,” she said, chuckling. The home she’d bought was historical, and it had lots of character. From the multiple fireplaces to the thick moldings, she couldn’t wait to get it decorated. “Thanks for doing such a great job of getting me here from Atlanta. Here’s your tip.” She handed the man a white sealed envelope filled with cash for him and his workers.

  He smiled. “Thank you very much, ma’am. Call us again if you ever need anything.”

  “Will do.” She continued looking up at the house as he passed her and went back to the truck. The summer heat was beating down on her head as she felt beads of sweat rolling down her temples. It was late July now, and Charleston felt much like an oven. She was pretty sure she’d better get inside quick or risk cooking herself from the inside out.

  “You bought this place?” Shelby turned her head, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. It was an older woman, obviously southern. Her drawl was thicker than molasses, as Shelby’s grandmother used to say. She didn’t remember much else about her grandmother since she died when Shelby was in elementary school, but she remembered that phrase. “I’m over here.”

  Shelby turned to see the woman standing behind a large crepe myrtle tree with the biggest and brightest pink blooms she’d ever seen. Her house sat next to Shelby’s, so she figured she’d better be neighborly, even though she really wanted to get inside and lay over one of the air conditioning vents.

  “Oh, there you are. Yes, I’m the new owner.”

  The woman, who looked to be in her seventies, wore a wide brimmed straw hat with a thick pink ribbon around it, a white t-shirt, and hot pink capri pants. She was wearing gardening gloves and holding a small shovel in her hand. “You got kids?”

  “No, I sure don’t.”

  The woman stared at her for a long moment. “Why not?”

  Shelby smiled. “Just wasn’t in the cards for me, I suppose.” She didn’t like all the questions, but she was trying really hard not to start off on a bad note with her new neighbor.

  The woman walked a little closer, coming out of the shadows of the crepe myrtle tree. “I never had any either. My husband was sterile.”

  Lovely. “Oh, well, sorry to hear that.” Shelby stepped backward, trying to inch her way toward the front door.

  “He died fifteen years ago. My eggs were too old to find a fertile man by then.”

  “I see…”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Shelby Anderson.”

  “I’m Willadeene Butler. My family has lived in this area for six generations.
”

  She seemed very proud of that, so Shelby forced a smile. “Wow. That’s very impressive. If you don’t mind, I need to get inside to drink some water. It’s so hot out here today.”

  Willadeene waved her hand. “Aw, this ain’t nothing. Have you been bitten by noseeums yet?”

  “Noseeums? I’m not sure what that is.”

  Willadeene laughed loudly. “When you get bit, you’ll know. Trust me. Well, I’ve got to get back inside. My story’s coming on TV soon, and I need to make a sandwich. Do you watch Tomorrow Forever?”

  “Is that a soap opera?”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s what they call ‘em nowadays. If you get a chance, watch it. There’s a man on there named River that’ll make your toes curl.”

  Shelby almost laughed, but somehow stifled it. As brash as she seemed, Shelby liked Willadeene. “Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  Willadeene said nothing and disappeared behind the tree again. Yes, Waverly Lane was going to be an interesting place.

  Shelby’s first night in her new home had proved challenging. It was a historic home, but it’d been updated many times throughout the years. In fact, some of the additions and changes didn’t match each other, so she’d have to get a contractor to come out and look at making things match again.

  Her first night of sleep had been interrupted by several things. For one, the air conditioning unit needed help. The home was fairly large, and her bedroom was upstairs. The heat rose to the top of the house, of course, and the poor system couldn’t keep up, apparently. All night, she found herself kicking off the covers and letting the ceiling fan send barely cooled air down onto her sweating body.

  Shelby was fairly “well endowed” in the chest area, and several times in the night she found herself lifting “the girls”, as she called them, just so the air from the fan could cool off the skin underneath them. Then it dawned on her that if she died of a heatstroke in the night, the police would find her sprawled across her bed holding “the girls” in the air. It just wouldn’t make a great impression in her new hometown.

  The other issue was the cacophony of sounds that plagued the night. Cicadas, crickets, and frogs seemed to sing in a chorus, and every single one of them sounded off key. She tried putting a pillow over her head, but she was so hot she couldn’t do it.

  Finally, after hours of trying to fall asleep, she passed out somewhere around two in the morning. Now, as she waited for her coffee pot to brew a delectable doubly caffeinated beverage to fuel her body, she wondered how she’d survive in her new house.

  Maybe she’d get used to it. Surely other people heard the same sounds she did, and they were sleeping. Or were they? The thing was, she knew nothing about her neighbors except that Willadeene was a little odd and a lot nosy.

  She’d seen other people driving down the street and some in their yards. Some smiled and waved, and some ignored her completely. Shelby had always been a social person, so she couldn’t imagine living somewhere and not knowing her neighbors. What if she needed something? What if there was an emergency? Being single now, she had to think about things like that. If she fell and broke her leg, could she only rely on Willadeene? If so, she might be in trouble.

  Just as the coffee finished brewing, and she was reaching for her favorite mug, someone knocked on the front door. “Of course,” she muttered to herself. She assumed it was the yard guy she’d hired to take care of cutting her grass and trimming her bushes. He was supposed to come by sometime today.

  Shelby walked to the door wearing her favorite silk robe and fuzzy slippers. Sure, the yard man would think she wasn’t fashionable, but who cared about that?

  She swung open the door to find the most put together woman she’d ever seen. The woman looked to be about her age, with long, blond hair that was as straight as a board. She had bright blue eyes, perfect porcelain skin, and bright red lipstick on her full lips. Shelby was sure she was looking at a Barbie doll come to life.

  “Hey! I’m Lacy Caldwell. I live just over there in the blue house with the big azalea bushes. I wanted to personally welcome you to Waverly Lane!” Her smile was so perfect and bright that Shelby thought she might need sunglasses. How were her teeth so white? Had she never eaten anything darker than a marshmallow? Did she not exist on coffee and red wine like a normal middle-aged woman? Lacy handed her a basket with a blue and white gingham bow attached. Shelby quickly glanced at the contents and saw what appeared to be banana bread and cookies.

  “Wow, thank you. Did you make all this?”

  Lacy nodded, looking confused. “Of course. Why would I bring store bought gifts? I don’t want you to think I’m tacky.”

  Shelby laughed under her breath, not sure if Lacy was being serious. “Thank you again. I really appreciate it. I haven’t gone grocery shopping yet, so this might be my breakfast.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Oh, sorry. I haven’t had my coffee yet. I’m Shelby Anderson.”

  “Nice to meet you, Shelby. Do you have kids?”

  It was the question she got asked over and over again. She’d thought about having a shirt made that said “No, I don’t have kids” just so people would stop asking her.

  “No, I don’t have kids.”

  “Well, count yourself lucky. You’ll keep that wonderful figure of yours,” she said, smiling. “I have three kids, ages two, four, and six. Little stair steps. Nicolai is my baby, then Daphne, then Hazel.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and held up a picture. Her kids looked like catalog models, each one with almost white hair, bright blue eyes, and the perfect designer clothing.

  “They’re beautiful,” Shelby said, smelling coffee and really wanting a cup.

  “So, have you met any of your other neighbors?”

  “Just Willadeene.”

  Lacy chuckled. “She’s a hoot, isn’t she? I guess every neighborhood needs a nosy old lady. Oh, don’t tell her I said that.” She leaned back and looked toward Willadeene’s house. “Wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings.”

  “Of course not.”

  “We’ve lived here for seven years, but I have to say most people keep to themselves around here.”

  “Really? Most southern towns are pretty social.”

  “Not this street. We have festivals in town, and, of course, Charleston is full of life.”

  “No block parties here or anything?”

  “Nope,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “But maybe some other neighbors will come by and introduce themselves.”

  “I hope so. I’d really like to make some friends here. I’m newly divorced.”

  Lacy crinkled her nose. “I’m so sorry!”

  “Don’t be. I’m very happy now.”

  “Oh? I’d be just devastated if Ed and I divorced. I can’t imagine it.”

  “Sounds like you have a happy marriage and a wonderful family, then.” How much longer was this woman going to talk? Shelby wanted to look at her watch, but she wasn’t wearing one.

  “I do. I’m very blessed. Ed is an attorney, so he works long hours but provides a glorious life for our little family. I used to be an advertising executive, but I left to raise our gorgeous kids.”

  Something in her voice, or maybe in her expression, made Shelby think she wasn’t as happy as she was making herself out to be, but that wasn’t her business.

  “Well, I hate to run, but I need to go get a shower and buy some groceries.”

  “I understand. If you need anything, even a cup of sugar, you just let me know, okay?”

  “Thanks, Lacy. It was so nice to meet you,” Shelby said, slowly closing the door. She peeked out the window as Lacy walked back to her house, her perfectly straight blond hair swinging back and forth like a cheerleader in high school.

  “Are you sure this was the right move, honey?”

  Shelby listened to her concerned mother on the other end of the line. “Mom, I told you I’m happy here. I love Charleston.”

  “But wh
at will you do for work?”

  Shelby chuckled. “The same thing I’ve been doing for all these years. I’ll sign with a broker here and sell real estate.”

  “Ugh.”

  Her mother had hated that Shelby was in real estate since the day she got her license. Mona, her mother, had worried over Shelby making money because of her career being one-hundred percent commission. Mona had worked as an accountant her whole adult life until retiring last year, and she was one of the most practical people Shelby knew.

  “Ugh?”

  “Sweetie, you’re on your own now. Selling real estate was fine when you had Roger too. But now you have to make sure you have enough for your bills. Real estate is competitive these days, so I just worry.”

  Shelby would’ve never said it, but she was worried too. Right now she was living off her divorce settlement, but after buying a house and furnishing it, she’d need to have an income pronto. Real estate was a tough job, and the market had changed in recent years, making it even more difficult. She wasn’t sure how she’d break into a brand new market.

  Still, when the divorce was over, she’d found herself wanting a fresh start. A new city. New people. New opportunities. Did she really want to jump back into real estate and have to start over building a name for herself? Maybe she just needed a job at the local grocery store or something.

  Thankfully, the settlement had allowed her to pay cash for the house, but she still had utilities, her car payment, food, and other necessities. Surely she could make enough commission to cover those things?

  “I know you’re worried, but I’ll make it. I promise. How are you doing?”

  Mona sighed. “I’m okay. The doctor said this new medicine might make me tired, and it definitely is.”

  “I can come take care of you,” Shelby offered yet again. Her mother had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease two years ago, and Shelby worried about her all the time. She lived in Tennessee near much of Shelby’s extended family, including her uncle, Mona’s brother. He and his wife did a good job of checking in on Mona.