Ironic, since her teenaged crush was Peter McCarthy.
Vivien sighed, pressing her forehead briefly to the steering wheel before cutting the engine.
Get it together, Viv.
As she stepped out of the car, something caught her eye—an unfamiliar work truck parked near the front porch. Did she have a delivery or work scheduled today?
She had to admit, the staging of the Summer House had slowed due to her other clients. They didn’t plan to sell—if theydid at all—for six more months, so she’d pulled back on her efforts to turn Eli’s masterpiece home into a showcase.
Brows furrowed, she scanned the logo on the truck.Coastal Electric.
An electrical problem, maybe? Had Eli sent someone after the final inspection on the apartment above the garage?
As she opened the front door, she heard the faint hum of a drill, followed by the low murmur of a man’s voice singing along to a country song playing from his phone speaker.
She stepped into the main living area—and froze.
There, perched atop a tall ladder in the center of the vaulted ceiling, was an electrician carefully wiring a chandelier. But not just any chandelier.
Vivien’s breath hitched.
It wasthechandelier.
The exact cascading shell light fixture she’d admired in that photo Danny had shown her—the one hanging in his friend’s Hamptons beach house.
She took a slow step forward, craning her neck to fully absorb the sight. It was even more stunning in person—delicate strands of translucent ovals shimmering like seashells, catching the late afternoon light pouring through the windows.
It was elegant, coastal, timeless.Perfect.
The electrician glanced down and gave her a friendly nod. “Hello, ma’am. Almost done here.”
Vivien blinked, trying to gather her wits. “Hi—uh, sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone. Who…”
“Oh, a lady let me in. Little bit older? Southern accent.”
“My mother,” she said absently. “But I mean who…who sent you?”
He came down the ladder and grabbed his phone, squinting at it. “Man’s name is Daniel Sullivan. He came to my lighting company office in person to arrange this. Said he wanted thebest light installer in the county and that’s me. You know him, I assume.”
Did she? She didn’t think he was a “grand gesture” kind of guy, but…obviously, he was.
“Yes,” she said, looking up as a thousand emotions rushed in at once—surprise, awe, delight… and that fluttery, dangerous feeling Danny always managed to stir up in her.
“I put it on a dimmer, if that’s okay. Order didn’t say, but he paid extra for me to rush over here, so no additional charge.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“And he gave me this when he hired me, told me to give it to you.” He reached into a bag and handed her a small, cream colored envelope. “I hope for your sake it’s not a bill because this thing?” He whistled. “I know big money when I hang it.”
She glanced at the word “Viv” scribbled on the front of the envelope in bold black letters, and her heart felt like it folded in half.
Vivien pressed the envelope against her chest with trembling fingers, offering a quiet thank you as the electrician gathered his things and let himself out.
She stood still for a long moment, staring up at the chandelier, letting the reality sink in.
He did this… for me.
It wasn’t merely a thoughtful gesture—it was the kind of thing that made a woman’s heart race and her knees weak.
