Perfect Neighbor (The Next Door Daddies Series Book 4)

by Lauren Wood

  Perfect Neighbor

  The Next Door Daddies Series Book 4

  Lauren Wood

  Copyright © 2020 by Lauren Wood

  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, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  1. Bonnie

  2. Bonnie

  3. Steve

  4. Bonnie

  5. Steve

  6. Bonnie

  7. Steven

  8. Bonnie

  9. Steven

  10. Bonnie

  11. Steven

  12. Bonnie

  13. Steven

  14. Bonnie

  15. Steven

  16. Bonnie

  17. Bonnie

  18. Steven

  19. Bonnie

  20. Steven

  21. Bonnie

  22. Steven

  23. Bonnie

  24. Steven

  25. Bonnie

  26. Steven

  27. Bonnie

  28. Steven

  Second Chance Delight (Excerpt)

  About the Author

  Also by Lauren Wood

  Blurb

  I was ready for a New Year, in a new town.

  No more mistakes. No more men.

  * * *

  And then comes Steven.

  He pops back up, my next-door neighbor.

  It’s doomed from the start.

  Though, he looks damn good nowadays.

  Rich, successful and charm dripping off of him.

  I know what is underneath those tailored suits.

  I have felt the power of his body.

  I miss it all. I miss him.

  But it can’t be.

  Too many things stand in our way, forcing distance between us.

  * * *

  Then a secret, that could rip our second chance apart.

  I’m pregnant and afraid of what he’ll say.

  1

  Bonnie

  “I was hoping that you would make it back soon.”

  “I don’t think I will, Bon. You know that it’s hard to go back and forth, with everything.”

  “I know. I just wanted to see you. It’s been a while, and I have a lot to talk to you about.”

  “Really, like what?”

  I didn't really want to tell Christina over the phone. This was something that I needed to tell her face to face. I was now officially divorced, and she didn't even know that I had filed the paperwork. It had been something that I’d wanted to keep to myself, until I was completely sure.

  “I will tell you, when I see you next.”

  “Is it because you got divorced?”

  “How did you know about that?”

  “You know that your friends like to gossip. I am actually glad that you did it though, because he wasn't the right one for you.”

  “You are the one that was always telling me that we needed to work things out.”

  “Because that's what you tell your friend. If I told you how much I didn't like him, then all of a sudden you guys would get back together and you would hate me for it. Now that you're divorced though, I don't have to worry about it, and I can say the truth. He was a jerk.”

  “Well, that is true. I'm certainly not going to be getting back with him. But there is a bit more to it. I don't think I'm going to stay around here either. I don't want to run into him all the time. I think it's time for me to start over and go someplace new.”

  “I don't know if I like the sound of that, Bonnie. You don't have one of those crazy ideas, do you?”

  “Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by crazy. I think I'm going to get out of here and take the kids. Jake and Phillip will be happy to leave the school system. They have never liked any of their teachers, and I think they need a fresh start too.”

  Christina was quiet for a few moments, and I asked her what was going on.

  “Seems like all I have been doing, is dealing with my own stuff. I didn't even get to have this conversation with you. When I heard that you were divorced, I told myself that I was going to call you later that night, but then something came up and I totally forgot. I’m such a bad friend.”

  Christina was a good friend, and she was happy. She had a husband that she loved and kids to adore. I had been in that position many years ago, when I first got married. Everything was so wonderful, and I wasn’t going to take that from her. I also wasn't going to tell her that it didn't last very long. The honeymoon was over quicker than I could have ever imagined. If Christina’s was the same, she was going to find out about it soon enough.

  “It's okay, Christina. I will just talk to you about it later. I don’t want to do it over the phone, and you’re going to be a while. You’re worth the wait.”

  She giggled back. “You at least have to tell me where you're going. You can’t just up and move and not tell me where to.”

  “Where else would I go, Christina? I'm going home. You know, go home to lick my wounds and all of that. I need to get my life together and figure out what the hell I'm going to do next.”

  “What are you going to do for a job?”

  “I'm not too worried about a job, Christina. I can always find one. I'm a nurse and everybody needs one eventually.”

  She blew out a breath and I could tell that it was a lot for her to take in one sitting. It was a lot for me to take in as well, but this was something that didn't happen overnight. It had been building for a while and a lot of it had to do with watching my friend be so deliriously happy. If I knew the right man would do that, maybe it was with a little bit of effort.

  I wasn't looking for a man right now though. This was no rebound. I just needed a few hot nights of sex. After that, I would be able to think straight, and then I would be able to decide when I was getting back on that proverbial horse.

  We talked for a little bit longer, and Christina seemed happier than ever. I was happy for my friend, but I missed her as well. I was hoping that one day soon, I would be able to go visit her or she would be able to come visit me. Either way, something needed to happen.

  I hung up and felt a little bit better, even though I wasn't going to be able to see her as soon as I would have hoped or liked to. Just talking to Christina made my day. It was a lot easier to talk to someone about anything when she knew me so well. I didn't have to explain anything, and I trusted her opinion, as well as her discretion. Those were all very important traits, as far as I was concerned.

  It was also nice to finally say my plan out loud. While I had made the decision that we were going to move back home to Ridgewood, that did not mean that I had told my kids. I still did not know how they were going to take it, but I was hopeful that they would just be happy to get out of the current school they were in. They were always complaining about it. Though there was going to be some sacrifices that had to be made, namely their friends. I was still hopeful though, that it would be a good move for all of us.

  I started making dinner, and I unconsciously made their favorite. They loved spaghetti and I don't know why, but I thought that it would maybe lessen the blow from the fact that I was about to uproot their whole life. It was for a good reason, and I was sure that it was going to make our lives better, but I couldn't be one hundred percent sure. And that was not to say, that they were going to believe that it was for the best.

  A knot started to form in my stomach because I did not want Jake especially, to get upset. The last time we had changed anyth
ing, he’d not taken it well. He liked things to stay the same.

  His younger brother Phillip, liked to go with the flow more often and that meant he was a little bit better with taking things. I was hopeful that one would help the other.

  When they got home from school and their after-school activities, dinner was ready, and I had a decision made. We were picking up our lives and moving somewhere else. Somewhere better. The kicker was that we had family there and even then, it was going to be harder, because they wouldn't see their dad as much. I was hopeful that in the end, it would make us all better. I just hoped that they would believe me better than I believed myself.

  In truth, I think I was just running.

  2

  Bonnie

  “Come on Jake. I know that you are dragging your feet this morning on purpose, but I'm really not in the mood. We need to get to school a little bit early so that I can sign you guys in. This was the whole point of moving so quickly. I wanted you guys to start the school year off right and with everybody else. You don't want to be behind before you even get started.”

  My oldest son was eight and he was giving me the rude look that I was quite honestly getting sick of. He always had a bit of an attitude as of late and just like I suspected, he had not taken the move very well. Even though he had whined every single day of summer break that he didn't want to go to that school anymore, now it was a problem. Now it was all basically ruining his life and this morning, he was making me pay by waiting around for him to put his shoes on. It was going on at least five minutes and I'd been waiting as patiently as I possibly could for him to fiddle around and finally get them on.

  “You have to have socks on. Are you kidding me right now?”

  Instead of arguing about it, because I knew that's what my son wanted, I just went out to the car with the youngest and got him into the car seat. Phillip’s booster seat took me a minute and I was hopeful that Jake would find his way out before I was done. But he didn't.

  I had to go back in and prompt him again to get going. He was just giving me a dirty look the whole way and I tried to ignore it. I knew that he was showing up because of all of the changes that were going on lately. He didn't want his parents to be divorced, and his way of dealing with it was to fight everything else tooth and nail.

  Finally, I got both kids in the car and their seatbelts on, and we made the ten-minute trek to school. It was the same school that I went to so long ago, but I didn't really have any fond feelings that one would probably think. I hadn't been there in a long time and Ridgewood was a small town. It was the type of town that everyone just wanted to get away from as soon as possible. It was a dead end when I was younger, and I wondered if it was still the same.

  The streets looked a little bit different. The houses were the same, but the stores had changed. The only one that was the same was the main grocery store on Main Street that I used to work at when I was a teenager. That hadn't changed a bit. If I was right, even the signs in the front were the same. That would make sense, because old man Thompson did not like to spend a dime if he didn't have to. He would likely use them until they literally fell apart.

  “Why do we have to go here?”

  Jake was whining again, and I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to lose my cool. He was just testing me, and he just needed some time to get used to everything. That's all it was.

  “Because we needed to start out new, Jake. It is a good school. It's where I went when I was your age and I think you’ll like it, if you just give it a try.”

  “That was a million years ago, mom. You have no idea if this is a good school or not. Things change. I mean, look at this place. I bet they don’t even have a band.”

  I smiled through the rearview mirror, even though it was forced. Of course, he was going to tell me I was a million years old. Half the time I was old as the dinosaurs to Jake, even more so lately.

  “Well, it has been a long time ago since I went here, but I'm sure that it hasn't changed all that much. You will find friends here, just like you did at the last place. Sometimes change is good, even if it is a little scary.”

  “What if I don't want to change?”

  “Sometimes things change, whether we like them or not.”

  That just got me a frustrated sigh and I almost wanted to agree with him wholeheartedly. Ever since I made the decision to move back home, things had felt rushed. I was hoping that they would get started in school and find a few friends soon. I would find a few friends at work and things could get back to normal. I wasn’t even sure what that was supposed to be, or what it was supposed to look like, but I wanted it.

  I wanted the happiness that my friend Christina had found, And I was pretty damn determined to find it. I don’t know why I thought this move was going to change anything, but it was in my heart that it would. I just knew it.

  We got to the school and I heard some more fussing from behind me, but it was mainly Jake. Phillip just kind of smiled, and I watched him taking everything in. He wouldn't have an opinion until he had been there for a little while, and then he would find a few things that were good. He always did a good job of putting a positive spin on things.

  “I can't believe that you're making us go here.”

  “I can't believe that you won't even give it a chance first, Jake. You really need to mature a little bit. You're the bigger brother and you're supposed to be giving a good example for your younger brother.”

  “Philip doesn't care. He would go along with anything you say.”

  That was actually true, but I didn't see it as a bad thing. He was more of a go with the flow kind of person and in instances like this, it was a lot easier to deal with. Jake was more of the rebel and though I knew it would serve him well when he got older, it was certainly hard to deal with now.

  “Well, it doesn't matter. The best you can do now Jake, is just to make the best of it. This is where we live now. This is your new school and I really want you to have a good day. This isn't the best way to start it.”

  I got out of the car and Phillip followed quickly after me. Jake mumbled a little bit underneath his breath, but at least he was pulling it together. I don't know how I was going to deal with him, but hopefully this wouldn't last very long. I kept telling myself that this was going to be a phase. I hoped so anyways.

  Once we got into the building, there was a woman at a desk, and she asked me who I was. I gave her my name, and it wasn’t long before she was calling someone on the intercom.

  “Mister Dillard will be with you in just a moment.”

  I immediately recognized the name, but I told myself that Dillard was a very common last name. It couldn't be just a coincidence. Of course it had to be. Jesse wouldn't be at a place like this.

  That assumption was wrong though. Jesse came out of the principal’s office with a big smile on his face. He gave me a hug, and I heard Jake make a comment.

  “Who is that, your boyfriend?”

  “No Jake, this is a very good friend of mine from school. We went to this very school together and now you are running it? That’s crazy.”

  He agreed and I couldn’t believe that he was standing there. We never were romantic, but he’d always been handsome. We were better friends and even now, I could see not much had changed. The big man was just as big as he was when he was on the football team. Jesse had short, cropped brown hair and smiling green eyes that viewed me now.

  “What brings you here, Jesse?”

  He waved me off. “Invite me over for dinner and I’ll tell you. Not for kid’s ears.”

  I smiled and told him where I was staying. “Come by tonight, Jesse. It’s been too long and I would like to catch up, see what you’ve been up to all these years.”

  “Sounds good, Bonnie. I’ll bring some wine.”

  I chuckled a moment, before I noticed the kids looking at me strange. I had a feeling I was going to get that look a lot now. Mom was different and they were going to have to get used to it. I was already feel
ing back to myself, which would be a shock to them, I’m sure.

  “It’s good to see you back, Bonnie. I didn’t think you were ever coming back to Ridegwood.”

  I smiled and agreed. “Me either, but I’m already glad I did.”

  Jake scoffed and blew out a loud breath of annoyance. I just smiled at it, and Jesse grinned as well.

  3

  Steve

  “Steve, thanks for coming in. The workers had a couple of questions on the design, and I didn't want to say the wrong thing. I know how particular you are.”

  “Of course, Jesse. It's no problem. I was going to stop by anyways. I never can watch them be built and not get involved a little bit.”

  “I know this must be hard for you. You're used to building skyscrapers in the city. I will never know what possessed you to come back to this tiny town. It reminds me of Bonnie. You remember Bonnie Harlow, don't you?”

  The name instantly rang a bell because that was the woman that I was in love with most of high school. She had always been out of my reach because she was dating the quarterback. Bonnie had been the Homecoming Queen. She was the one that every man in the school wanted to be with, but she was very particular. She only dated two people all four years of high school. We had hooked up, but both of us had too much to drink and it was a blur.