Covet thy Neighbor

by Denise Carbo

  He comes running over to stand in front of me. “Did you see?”

  I clasp his arms and pull him in for a squeeze. He tolerates it for a few seconds before he squirms for release.

  “Tommy, I know you’re proud of your accomplishment and that was quite a feat, but it could’ve gone very badly. You could’ve gotten hurt—like broken bones and hospital hurt, or even worse. Please don’t ever do that again. If you want to do somersaults, I’ll sign you up for gymnastics or something where you’ll be supervised and there will be mats. Lots of mats.”

  “Aw Mom, that’s no fun.”

  He turns and runs back to the playscape.

  “I mean it.” I’m sure my order will fall on deaf ears. That kid will be the death of me. It’s a miracle he hasn’t broken any bones yet.

  Tommy races up the slide and climbs over his brother. Timmy pushes off and slides to the bottom.

  Sighing, I hang my hands down between my knees. What am I going to do? Ban him from the playscape? Follow him to school and make sure he doesn’t do it on the playground?

  A rabbit hops along the edge of the yard and disappears between the holly bushes. Aw, so cute.

  I glance up at the house. Luke Hollister is standing in the window.

  What is he looking at? I glance over to my sons on the playscape. Is he watching them? It sure looks like he is.

  Hell, that’s not creepy at all.

  “Boys, time to go in!”

  “Aw Mom!”

  “Come on, it’s almost dinnertime anyway and if you hurry up without complaining, we can play Go Fish after dinner.”

  “War. I want to play War.” Tommy comes running with Timmy close behind him.

  I wait until they both disappear inside before glancing over to the colonial. He’s gone from the window.

  Is my mom paranoia getting the best of me?

  It doesn’t matter. Where my kids are concerned, I would rather be safe than sorry. I need to find out more about my strange neighbor.

  * * *

  I shuffle Timmy and Tommy off to school, go for my run, shower, and dress, and then I settle down to dive into my coursework.

  I have coursework. A tiny thrill shoots through me. This could be the start of something new and exciting.

  Mondays and Tuesdays The Sweet Spot is closed so that should allow me to wade through my studies.

  An hour and a half later, I’m ready for a break. I fill a glass of water and wander over to the sink and stare out the window. A bird pecks at the birdfeeder hanging off the corner of the deck. I glance to the other corner where I hung a hummingbird feeder. It needs to be filled.

  I take a drink of water. A man strolls across my backyard. I jerk and the water splashes out of the glass. I step back to avoid the water, set down the glass, and wipe the drops from my hand on the back of my shorts.

  What the hell?

  I recognize the tall blond form. My damn neighbor.

  He goes straight to the playscape. What is he doing?

  Should I call the police? He is trespassing.

  Would they think I’m nuts? Probably.

  He has a tool and is doing something to the top of the bar. I lean forward. Is he damaging the playscape? Rigging it to hurt my boys?

  I spin away from the counter and run around the corner into the living room and out the back door.

  When the door slams behind me, his head swivels in my direction and he frowns.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  He raises an eyebrow and turns back to the playscape. “Thought you were at work.”

  So, he waited until he thought no one was around to trespass and tamper with my kids’ equipment? “It’s my day off. Answer me. What are you doing?”

  I pat my back pocket but it’s empty. I left my phone inside like an idiot. I could still scream like a banshee and kick like a mule if he tries anything.

  “I noticed yesterday that bolts are loose. That’s why it moves so much when they’re using it. I’m tightening them up.” He swings down from the top of the slide where he’d been squatting and reaches up to grab the top bar and shakes it. “See.”

  It barely moves.

  Well hell, he was fixing the playscape for my sons.

  “I thought it moved because they were getting big.”

  “The bolts need to be periodically tightened.”

  “Could they come all the way undone?” Had my boys been playing on a death trap?

  He walks to the opposite side and tightens the bolts there too. “Not likely, but it’s more secure to keep them tightened.”

  I stuff my fingers in the back pockets of my shorts. “Umm…thanks. I appreciate it. I had no idea.”

  “Don’t mention it. Like I said, I saw it was loose and I have the tool to fix it.” He holds up a silver thing.

  A wrench? I admit tools aren’t my area of expertise. Thankfully, my dad is always happy to help when anything needs fixing.

  So I guess he wasn’t being creepy yesterday in the window.

  Unless this is a diversion.

  He finishes tightening the bolts on the other side and gives the structure one last shake. It barely moves at all. An improvement for my little daredevils’ safety.

  “Listen, this was really nice of you. I…”

  “Like I said, don’t mention it. It’s no big deal. See you.”

  He strolls back over to his own yard while my mouth remains slightly ajar. I was about to offer to pay him, but I guess he doesn’t want anything. Was my strange, rude, antisocial neighbor suddenly turning well—neighborly?

  I narrow my eyes. There is a slight hitch to his gait. Not a noticeable limp, but something. Had he hurt himself the other day falling from the ladder?

  I walk over to the playscape and give it a good shake. It doesn’t budge an inch. I sit on the swing and push off while staring up at the top. Nope, no shaking or groaning. I weigh significantly more than my kids so it should be secure. Planting my feet, the swing comes to a rest. I drop my hands into my lap and stare at the ground. Had I misjudged my neighbor?

  If he turns out to be a standup guy and had only been having a dreadful day or in pain those couple of times, I’m going to feel terrible. Thankfully, I only shared my suspicions with Franny and Lucinda. It’s not like I had actually called the police and reported him.

  I trace circles in the sand with my toes. I ran outside too quickly to think to put on a pair of shoes.

  More schoolwork waits inside. Along with the never-ending piles of laundry two active boys manage to produce. They have soccer practice after school today and I’m pretty sure all their soccer socks are still balled up on their floor.

  Standing, I look back at the playscape and then over to Luke’s. He gained some definite points, but I still need an explanation for those weapons before I cross potential serial killer off the list of possible occupations. He could have gotten that slight limp from a victim.

  Hmm…how about an assassin? That is slightly better, right? They tend only to be contracted to kill bad guys by other bad guys. At least in the movies they are. In reality they’re probably hired to kill anyone for any petty reason as long as they’re paid enough.

  I stop at the backdoor and glance over again. He isn’t exactly flaunting a rich lifestyle so if he is an assassin, he’s being inconspicuous or maybe he is just really bad at it and hasn’t made any real money.

  Chuckling to myself, I go inside and upstairs to swipe the boys’ clothes off the floor around their hamper. Very few items made it inside. I spot a sock under the bed and end up getting down on all fours to inspect underneath both beds and come up with a half dozen other garments that need washing.

  After going downstairs to the basement to toss the load of clothes in the washer, I return to the kitchen to finish studying.

  Ten minutes later I am googling assassins and uncaptured serial killers.

  Chapter 6

  This is either a spectacularly brave idea or one of the stupidest things I’ve e
ver done. Luke is mowing his lawn—again. It’s the fourth time this week that I know of. No one does that.

  I’ve been having nightmares all week and I blame him. I need to know once and for all what his deal is.

  I march across my yard and sidle between the holly bushes, so they don’t scratch my bare legs. I hold the material of my black and white polka dot skirt and white blouse against my body, so it doesn’t catch and tear on the branches. My outfit is my attempt to dress slightly less like a mom and more like a single woman. I found the skirt stuffed at the back of my closet during my recent purge of clothes. I have no idea where or when I acquired it, but it’s cute.

  Ryan should be here with the kids any minute, so I’ll have backup and witnesses if Luke tries anything funny. Thankfully, Ryan is rarely late dropping them off. It’s only the picking up time he plays fast and loose with.

  I slow my pace and wait until Luke comes back around to this side, so we’ll be in full view of my house and the road.

  He’s staring intently at the ground in front of the mower and shows no sign of me standing here in his path. Does he intend to mow me down?

  I wave my arms and his head pops up and he frowns. He stops and shuts the mower off. “What?”

  Okay, rude Luke is back.

  “I don’t think it’s possible to cut your grass any shorter. You’re going to end up with dirt instead of a lawn.”

  He raises one dirty blond eyebrow and says nothing.

  Yup, I’m being a nosy neighbor and he clearly wants me gone, but for the sake of my sanity and the boys’ safety, I need to get answers from him.

  “Look Luke, I’m not typically the nosy sort—really I’m not, but when it comes to my kids’ safety, I’ve got no boundaries.”

  “What does mowing my lawn have to do with your kids’ safety?”

  “It doesn’t. You want to mow day and night, go ahead. I can pop on headphones if it bothers me. Although, grass doesn’t need to be mowed more than once a week. Heck, I rarely mow my lawn more than once every couple of weeks.”

  He glances past me to my yard. I know what he sees. My grass is past my ankles and in danger of being too much for my old mower.

  “Not the point.”

  “Could you get to the point then?”

  Right. Here goes nothing. I take a deep breath and blurt out, “Why don’t you have any online presence and what’s with the stash of weapons in your house?”

  His brows lower over his dark eyes and he crosses his arms across his chest.

  Yeah, I know I’d be pissed too if someone confessed they had done an online search for me and knew what was inside my house and demanded an explanation.

  “I know I probably sound like an incredibly nosy b-i-t-c-h right now, but I’m a single mother and I have to be careful. I saw the weapons all over your kitchen table that day you fell off the ladder.”

  Let him think I did the online search after I spotted the weapons and not when he moved in. I might sound slightly less crazy then. Maybe.

  “Did you really just spell bitch?”

  “I’m trying to curb my cursing and set an example for my kids, okay?”

  “So it’s okay if your kids spell the curse word, but not say it?”

  “Of course not!” I raise my hands palm up and drop them. “I’m weaning myself off cursing. I don’t swear in front of the kids. Well, very rarely have I ever slipped.”

  Luke sighs and drops his arms. “Come on.” He turns and takes several strides toward the back of his house.

  He expects me to follow him? Where there are no potential witnesses and after I just confessed to checking into him?

  At the corner of his patio, he stops and looks over his shoulder at me still standing where he left me chewing a hole in my bottom lip.

  “If you want an explanation, you’ll have to look in my house. You can stand on the patio if that makes you feel better.” He smirks and continues around the house.

  He might as well have added an “I dare you” because that expression said it for him.

  If I go, I might get some answers, or I might be his latest victim. If I refuse, then more stress and worry will pile on my full plate.

  A car engine rumbles down the road. Ryan’s car appears and slows as he approaches my driveway. I wave furtively until the boys spot me from the back and return my wave. There, someone knows where I am.

  I march to the back of the house where Luke is standing by his slider with his arms crossed.

  “Made up your mind?”

  “My ex-husband just arrived with my kids, so I need to make this quick.” He now knows people know where I am.

  “Right.” He holds out a hand to the inside of his house through the open slider.

  I glance back and forth between him and the inside of the house. Does he actually expect me to go in there?

  He rolls his eyes and pushes the slider completely open and then backs away several feet to the other side of the patio.

  “Check out the wall.”

  “Um…okay.”

  I walk over and peer inside. To the right is a kitchen and to the left is a living area with a large glass display case full of weapons hanging on the wall over the couch. Is he telling me he’s a collector?

  I do a quick scan of the rest of the house. There’s a room off the kitchen, probably a dining room. A door to the basement I’m guessing. A hallway to the front of the house. And another room to the left, but I can’t see inside it.

  Stepping back, I blink, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the sunlight. Luke’s still standing at the edge of the patio with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Are you a collector?”

  “Of sorts.”

  What does that mean? He’s not exactly providing the answers I hoped for.

  “Can’t you just provide an explanation so I stop worrying you’re some kind of serial killer or something?”

  He snorts and plops down on the low wall edging the patio. “I have no clue why I have no online presence. Probably because I don’t do social media. Those are the only weapons I own except for a set of steak knives. Most of them are antiques and useless as a weapon. Satisfied?”

  They did appear old, now that I got a closer look at them.

  “Where are you from? Why did you move here?”

  Luke frowns and looks away. “Pennsylvania and because I have family here. Is this inquisition done?”

  I wince. He has family in town? I never see anyone visit him.

  He glances back and sighs. “My sister-in-law and nephew live in town with her parents. I get you’re a single mother, but I don’t owe you a life history.”

  “No, of course you don’t. Thank you for answering my questions. I’m sorry for prying.”

  He rubs his thigh as he stares out over his backyard.

  Was his leg bothering him?

  “If the mowing is bothering you, I can find something else.”

  “Something else?”

  “The blades aren’t on. It helps me think and keeps my mind off other things.”

  “Your leg?”

  His gaze swings back to mine and narrows.

  Oops. Did I go too far?

  “I noticed you had a slight limp the other day when you fixed the playscape.”

  Luke frowns and drops his hand from his leg. “Yeah, it helps.”

  “Then mow away. In fact, feel free to mow mine.”

  Ugh, I did not just say that.

  “Mom!”

  I look over my shoulder. Ryan and the boys are standing there. Ryan has a hand on each of the boys’ shoulders and he’s staring at Luke.

  “Sorry, I was talking to our new neighbor. Boys say hello and thank you to Mr. Hollister. He fixed your playscape for you. It no longer shakes.” I walk over to the boys and they step forward to give me a hug and then turn to Luke.

  “Thanks.”

  Luke stands. “You’re welcome.”

  Ryan steps forward to stand next to us and face Luke. “I’m Ryan Ba
nner, their father.”

  Luke nods in his direction.

  “Okay, let’s get home and get you two fed.” I glance back at Luke. “Thank you.”

  I herd the boys back towards our property. Ryan falls in beside me.

  “Why is your neighbor fixing the boys’ playscape?”

  “He saw it was loose and took care of it.”

  “Did you ask him to?”

  “No, but I’m thankful he did.”

  The kids race off into our yard.

  “How was the visit this weekend?”

  Ryan strolls next to me with his hands in his pockets. “Fine. The boys spent the morning with my parents. Dad took them fishing.”

  “They must have loved that.”

  “Yeah, do you think it’s a good idea to have a guy you don’t know fixing things? Around the boys?”

  We reach his car parked in the driveway. I stop and fold my arms across my waist. “First, he’s never met the boys until just now. I didn’t bring them over, you did. Second, I didn’t ask him to fix anything. He saw it needed it and did it. No big deal, as he said.”

  “Still, what do you know about this guy?”

  My back stiffens. How dare he criticize me? I plant my fists on my hips. “Not much, but it hardly matters, does it? He’s our neighbor. People aren’t required to fill out a questionnaire when they move into the neighborhood. Do you know all the tenants in your condo complex?”

  Ryan holds up his hands. “Calm down, I’m only asking out of concern for you and the boys.”

  Grinding my back teeth together, I count to ten in my head. He knows telling me to calm down has the opposite effect. He once described it as waving a red cape in the face of a bull. Yet, of course, he still does it.

  One long slow breath after another. He can’t rile me unless I let him.

  I can hardly blame him for asking and being concerned, can I? I had a stack of reservations about Luke. Most of which melted away today.

  He calls out to the kids, “See you later, boys.”

  They wave as Ryan climbs into his car and lowers the window. “Be careful.”

  I force a smile. “You too.”

  “You know what I mean.” He glances over to Luke’s house.