The Billionaire Next Door
The Sherbrookes of Newport, book 10
Christina Tetreault
The Billionaire Next Door, © 2017 by Christina Tetreault
Published By: Christina Tetreault
Cover Model: Ryan McNulty
Photographer: CJC Photography
Cover Designer: Leah Kaye Suttle
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author at [email protected]. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. For more information on the author and her works, please see www.christinatetreault.com
Digital ISBN: 978-0-9971118-9-7
Table of Contents
Copyright
Reader Letter
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Other Books By Christina Tetreault
Dear Reader,
Thank you for once again visiting with the Sherbrooke family. When I started this book, I decided to bring everyone a little closer to my current home in New Hampshire and set much of the book here. All the New Hampshire towns mentioned in this book are towns located in and around me. Several of the places mentioned in the book, such as Polly’s Pancake Parlor (which by the way does have the best pancakes anywhere), the Flume Gorge, and the Polar Caves are places I visit often with my family. Other business and attractions are based on actual places near me, but I have changed their names and in one instance its location.
I hope you enjoy your visit with the Sherbrookes.
Happy Reading
Christina
Chapter One
Curt Sherbrooke watched the real estate agent pull into the driveway behind his SUV. He’d worked with Peter Marcus in the past, and the man usually did a great job of finding just what he was looking for. He didn’t expect this time to be any different.
“Nice to see you again,” Peter said when he reached Curt. “I hope you didn’t have too much trouble finding this place.”
The rotaries in the center of town had confused his GPS. As a result, he’d gotten an unplanned tour of Pelham, New Hampshire. So far, he liked what he saw. The town appeared large enough for him to blend in and hopefully not draw too much attention to himself. At the same time, it wasn’t so big it lost the essence of the traditional New England small town. It would be the perfect place to relax and work on his novel, while doing something he enjoyed.
“I got a little redirected along the way, but I managed. What did you find for me, Peter?” Curt checked out the house and grounds around him.
Peter opened the folder he held and pulled out a packet of papers. “This tells you all about the house and the town.” He handed the packet to Curt. “I’ll give you the basics for now. Originally, the house and the surrounding hundred acres belonged to the Draper family. They owned the quarry across the state line, in Dracut. The home stayed in the Draper family until the late 1940s. It’s been sold twice since then. Thirty years ago, the current owners started selling off parcels of land, and many of houses you passed on the street were built. The last part of the original estate, the old groundskeeper’s cottage, was sold twenty-five years ago. It’s set way back, so you can’t see it from the road. You would’ve passed its driveway on your way here. Today, the house comes with eight acres. The original stables remain on the property. The carriage house was converted into a three-car garage at some point, and there’s a full apartment located above. The home has a heated in-ground pool and there’s also a man-made pond on the property.”
They walked up the cobblestone walkway. It, much like the exterior of the house, had seen better days. But Curt had expected as much. He had told Peter he was again in the market for a fixer-upper. If the exterior of the home was any indication, that was exactly what Peter had found him.
“According to the listing agent, the house needs a new heating system. What’s in there right now works, but it’s not efficient. You’d want to have something new installed before the winter. And there is no central air. A new roof was put on four years ago. Other than that, not much has been done here in a long time. The house has been empty for over two years.” Peter retrieved the key from the lock box on the front door. “The listing agent is a friend of the owners. She told me the couple moved into an assisted living facility. None of their children want the old house, and at this point the couple needs the money from the sale to cover their expenses at the facility.”
The hinges on the front door groaned when Peter opened it, and Curt stepped inside. The large wood-paneled foyer reminded him a bit of his grandparents’ home. A faded mural covered the vaulted ceiling, and an antique chandelier with several bulbs out provided less than adequate light. An ornate stained-glass window filled the space above the front door, allowing in sunlight. Matching stained-glass panels flanked the door. A curving master staircase led up to the second floor, and two hallways stretched out to other parts of the home.
“The first floor contains the typical rooms you’d expect. There’s also a ballroom located at the back of the house. Evidently, the Drapers liked to entertain when they lived here. Upstairs you’ll find six bedrooms, as well as his and hers private offices and a billiard room. There’s an elevator that goes between the first and second floors, however, it doesn’t work. The listing agent isn’t sure what is wrong with it.”
“Let’s look around,” Curt said. From here he liked what he saw, but before he made a decision, he needed to see the rest of the house.
He went from room to room on the first floor, each one appearing to need more work than the one before it. Thankfully, it appeared much of it was cosmetic. There were no gaping holes in the ceilings or floors. All the windows looked old, but capable of keeping out the elements as well as any unwanted critters looking for a place to live. Even the kitchen appeared useable, if outdated. Nothing appeared to be a deal breaker.
Curt and Peter stopped in the ballroom last before heading upstairs. Much like in the foyer, a faded mural covered the ceiling. Old gilded mirrors hung around the room, and the wall above the fireplace was discolored, as if something had hung there for a long time before being taken down. Several well-worn area rugs covered the floor, making it difficult to gauge the condition of the floor underneath. Two full-size beds and two chests of drawers remained in the room, and Curt assumed the elderly couple had been using this as their bedroom rather than go up and down the stairs. Several sets of french doors still in remarkably good condition filled the exterior wall. Through the glass, Curt saw the large veranda. A patio table and chairs remained there, the table umbrella pitched at an odd angle and turned inside out. Everything he’d seen up until now suggested neither the family nor the listing agent had done muc
h to improve the possibility the place would be sold. Honestly, it didn’t matter much to him. He didn’t want another magazine-worthy home. He already had several of those. No, he wanted a quiet place he could work on. A place he could bring back to life.
He’d gotten the bug to renovate homes five years ago. Laid up after a skiing accident, he’d gotten addicted to the home renovation shows on television. When he got back on his feet, he took several classes on carpentry and basic plumbing. He’d tackled his first project about three years ago, a small cottage in upstate New York. He’d picked it because the place hadn’t needed much work, and he’d finished it in three months. Since then he’d purchased and worked on two other projects. Each had required more and more work. While there were still things he had to hire others to do, such as electrical work, he believed his own skills had vastly improved since the cottage in New York. He’d completed his most recent endeavor, a place in Marlborough, back in the fall, and was ready for a new challenge.
“Ready to head upstairs?” Peter asked, already back in the hallway.
Curt took one last look around the ballroom before nodding. At one time, the room must have been gorgeous. With some effort, it could be again. “Right behind you.”
Much like the rooms below, occasional pieces of furniture lingered in the upstairs rooms, giving Curt the impression that family members had picked though what they wanted and left the rest behind for someone else to deal with. Dust and cobwebs filled each room, and again Curt wondered how the listing agent hoped to find a buyer given the condition of the house. Most people would take one look and walk right back out.
Structurally, the home appeared sound upstairs, too. A dark spot on a bedroom ceiling hinted at a leak, but it seemed contained to the one room. Since Peter had mentioned a new roof had been put on recently, Curt guessed the spot might have formed prior to then. Other than installing all new windows, and updating the electrical, Curt didn’t see anything he either couldn’t or wouldn’t at least try handling himself anywhere in the house.
“There are a few rooms in the attic. I’m told the maids and the cook originally used them when the house belonged to the Draper family. Do you want to take a look?” Peter asked. They’d completed their tour of the entire second floor and stood near the staircase to the topmost level.
“No need. I’ve seen enough.” Regardless of what he saw up on the third floor, he wouldn’t change his mind. “I’m ready to make an offer. What’s the asking price again?” Peter had given him the information over the phone, but he hadn’t paid much attention to that particular detail.
Peter opened the folder he held before rattling off a figure.
“Sounds good. Let’s go back to your office and do up the paperwork.”
“You don’t want to offer less? This house has a lot of potential, but it also needs a lot of work.”
Curt had no idea what it cost for assisted living, but if what Peter told him was correct, the couple needed the money. Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t have it. “I see no reason to waste time negotiating a figure. I’ll offer the full asking price. Hopefully, we can get the sale done quickly. I’m eager to get started.”
***
Rather than go straight back to Boston after leaving Peter’s office, he headed to his aunt and uncle’s house so he could wish Aunt Marilyn a happy birthday. The call from his real estate agent confirming the owners had accepted his offer came as he turned in to Aunt Marilyn’s driveway. According to Peter, the owners were just as eager to get the sale finalized, and the closing should happen within the month.
Curt parked next to two other cars. One had New York plates; he guessed his cousin Scott had driven up for a visit. The other had Rhode Island plates, so it could belong to any number of his relatives.
When he rang the doorbell, Scott answered, confirming Curt’s original assumption. He held his nine-month-old son, Cooper, in his arms, and Curt noticed right away how much the baby had grown since he’d last seen him at Christmastime.
“Paige and Courtney are in the living room with my mom. I’ll be back. Cooper needs a change,” Scott said, referring to his girlfriend and younger sister.
“Better you than me,” Curt said, slapping his cousin on the shoulder.
“Just wait. Your day will come, my friend.” Scott carried his son upstairs, leaving Curt alone.
Curt didn’t doubt it. When it came to marriage and having children, his cousins had been succumbing at an alarming rate. It’d started with his cousin Callie about three years ago and had continued steadily ever since. The most recent to tie the knot had been his cousin Derek. His cousin Gray’s wedding was right around the corner. Curt guessed Scott and Paige would soon follow. While Scott hadn’t asked Paige to marry him yet, she’d moved in with him the month before.
When Curt entered the room, the conversation paused, and all eyes focused on him. “Happy birthday, Aunt Marilyn,” he said before greeting anyone else. He made his way through the minefield of baby toys on the floor so he could give her a hug.
Aunt Marilyn kissed his cheek and returned the embrace. “I’m so glad you stopped by. Scott’s upstairs with Cooper. He’ll be back in a minute.”
“Yeah, I saw him. He let me in.”
“Can you stay for dinner?” Aunt Marilyn asked. “Harrison isn’t home yet, and he’ll be disappointed if he misses you.”
He had no place to be, and he wouldn’t mind seeing his uncle today. He hadn’t seen the man in several months. “Definitely.”
Aunt Marilyn patted his knee and smiled. “Excellent. Judith said you’ve been house hunting again. Any luck?”
He’d never told Mom he was looking for a new project. It just hadn’t come up during their last conversation. But he’d mentioned it to Dad. It’d been during the same conversation that he’d told the man he’d decided to leave his position at Nichols Investment in Boston. News his dad hadn’t taken well.
“I made an offer on a place today. The closing should be soon.”
“Where’s this one?” Courtney, Curt’s younger cousin, asked.
“New Hampshire… not far from the Massachusetts line.”
“Why would you move all the way up there? Driving in and out of Boston when you want to work on it will be a pain the butt,” Courtney said. “Couldn’t you find anything closer?”
“I don’t need to be in the city anymore. Friday was my last day at Nichols, so I’m going to live in this house while I do the renovations.”
Scott walked in as Curt spoke. “You left the firm?” He set his son down amongst the toys. Cooper immediately crawled over to a stuffed dolphin and grabbed it. “I thought Burke was grooming you to take over his spot someday. Where are you working now?”
Jim Burke, the current CEO of Nichols Investment, had been disappointed when Curt delivered the news. He’d offered him countless incentives to get him to stay. None had swayed him, though. He’d made up his mind. He, as well as the ulcer in his stomach, had had enough of the financial world and all the stress that went with it.
“Nowhere. At least for the foreseeable future, I’m going to work on the house I’m buying and finish my next novel.”
“Next novel?” Courtney asked, pulling her attention away from her nephew. She’d moved from the couch to the floor to be with Cooper, and once he’d gotten the toy he’d wanted, he’d crawled into his aunt’s lap.
Curt cringed.
“You still haven’t told everyone?” Scott asked, noticing his expression.
“Tell everyone what?” Courtney demanded.
She was the only one in the room who didn’t know that truth. When his first book came out and hit all the major lists, he’d shared the news with Scott as well as a few other members of the family. He’d written the novel under a pen name, and he worried that if too many people knew, his true identity would come out.
He’d have to add one more name to the list of people who knew about his alter ego. “About a year ago, a book I wrote came out. It did well and
my agent got me a deal for another four. I’m almost finished with the second.”
“How did I miss this?” Courtney asked.
“I used a pen name. When I submitted the manuscript, not even the agent knew my real name.” When his agent had learned the truth, she’d been speechless.
Courtney blinked several times, and he suspected he knew the question headed his way. “Why did you do that?”
“Why do you think, genius?” Calling his cousin a genius wasn’t far from the truth. Courtney Belmont was perhaps the most intelligent person he knew. She had an IQ of 154 and had completed high school two years early, then gone on to graduate from both Harvard and Yale in record time. Despite all her intelligence, sometimes she missed the most obvious… like now.
“I wanted the book published because it was good, not because of who I am. And I definitely didn’t want people buying it because the name Sherbrooke was on the front cover.”
Courtney rolled her eyes at him. “I assumed as much. But it’ll get out. You know it will. Someone who knows, either at the publishing house or maybe even your agent, will let it slip. Why bother wasting the time to keep it a secret, especially now if the book is out and people like it?”
He recognized that what Courtney said was very possible. Still, he preferred to keep the truth under wraps for as long as he could.
“People didn’t just like it, Courtney. Curt’s book hit all the major lists. Our dear cousin is a fantastic writer. I’m looking forward to his next one,” Scott said, joining the conversation.
“You and my publisher. She expects the manuscript no later than August tenth.”
On the floor, Courtney accepted the stuffed dolphin Cooper handed her. “Guess I’d better get your first book. What name did you use?”
“C.S. Hilton.” He’d struggled with a good pen name. Finally, he’d opted to go with his initials and his mother’s maiden name.
The Billionaire Next Door (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 10) Page 1