Next Door Knight

by Nicole Flockton

  Willow’s collar jingled and Kerry’s throat dried as she spied a bare-chested Caleb. She figured he’d have a kick-ass body, being in the air force and all, but hell, the guy looked like his stomach had been sculpted by Michelangelo. In the early morning light, the ridges of his six-pack were highlighted in a tempting package. There were a couple of scars on his chest, and a long, angry-looking one over his shoulder, but they only enhanced his sexiness.

  Kerry shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking this way. After being dumped by Winthorn and having to reconstruct the life she’d allowed him to destroy, no way was she losing focus over a hot body. It was going to be a long time before she trusted a man enough to let into her life.

  “Willow, what am I going to do with you?” Yeah, that admonishment didn’t even slow her dog’s roll as she trotted happily beside Caleb. “I’m so sorry she’s bothering you, Caleb. I don’t know how she’s getting over to your place. She’s usually such a good dog and doesn’t wander much.”

  “Guess it’s lucky she’s coming to my place and not running out onto the road.”

  Kerry squatted down to check Willow for any signs of scratches or sand in her fur to indicate she’d been digging. It was either that or stare at the bronze expanse of Caleb’s chest. And as she’d just lectured herself that men were off-limits looking at her dog was definitely the better option.

  “I’ll look around the backyard today before I leave for work to see if I can find the hole or gap in the fence she’s been sneaking through.” But she couldn’t keep talking to the ground. She picked up Willow, using her as a pet shield, and focused on the roof of the house across the road. Well, that and Caleb’s unscarred shoulder. “Thanks again for bringing her over. It seems you’re doing a lot of rescuing for me.”

  The muscle in his shoulder jumped, the only sign her words affected him somehow. “It’s nothing. Just make sure you do find where’s she’s escaping through. If she keeps coming over I’m going to start…” He clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. “Just keep her in your yard, not mine, and everything will be fine.”

  He swiveled and marched down her driveway, his limp a little more prominent than the previous evening.

  Dang it all, what had she said that upset him?

  Willow fidgeted in her arms. “Dammit, Willow, stop it.” She tightened her hold and walked back into her house, putting her dog down the second she closed the front door.

  “What happened, sweetie?” her dad called out from his room.

  Kerry took the time to poke her head in his room. “Willow escaped next door again. I guess there’s a hole in the fence or something. I don’t know why she’s always going over there.”

  “You didn’t go over there uninvited to get her? You know that’s dangerous. I know someone who got shot when they went into their neighbor’s backyard. Even though they’d known them for years.”

  Kerry controlled the urge to roll her eyes, but his worrying was sweet. She wouldn’t admit that to him just yet. “Of course not. Caleb was outside with her and told me he had her. I told him I’d meet him out the front and then he brought her over.”

  “Well, that’s good. Not that I think Caleb would do anything like shooting you.” Dad struggled to sit up and she rushed in to help him. She fluffed his pillows. “God, I hate feeling this helpless,” he grumbled.

  “Well, next time you decide you’re an Olympic downhill skier, you may want to think again.”

  Willow bounced up and down on her short back legs, trying to jump up to see her dad. Kerry picked her up and placed the animal on the bed. Willow immediately nudged Dad’s hand and curled up next to him when he started to pat her.

  “She really is a good dog; no wonder you trained her to be a therapy dog.”

  “Yep, she is, and today is the day we’re scheduled go to the veterans’ center. We couldn’t go last week, so I know a few guys will be happy to see her. But, unless I can get someone from the nursing service to come stay with you, I won’t be able to go again.”

  “What happened with the person who was supposed to turn up last night?”

  Kerry sighed and sat down on the bed next to Willow, her hand reaching out to scratch the dog behind her ears. “She sent a text saying she couldn’t come. I’ll be letting the agency know all about it when I call them in a couple of hours.”

  “Sweetie, I don’t like being an inconvenience. I’m sorry I’m putting you through this.”

  “Dad, I told you it’s not an inconvenience.”

  “Really?” His eyebrow rose.

  She chuckled softly. “Okay, fine, it is a little bit, but I know if I got hurt and needed help you’d be there for me. I’m only returning the favor.”

  “You know, instead of calling that place again, I’ve got another idea on who could stay with me.”

  Kerry’s eyes narrowed. That false innocence in her father’s tone was too rehearsed. “I don’t think I’m going to like this idea.”

  He had the audacity to grin. “It’s the perfect solution. You go ask Caleb if he’ll sit with me.”

  Clearly her father had lost his mind. The idea was insane. “We can’t do that, Dad,” she protested. “Last night was a one-off arrangement. It’s what we agreed on. I’m not going to impose on him any longer. I may have only just met him, but I think he has some underlying issues that he’s probably working on and wants to do so in privacy.”

  “It won’t be for long. You know I’ve got a doctor’s appointment in two weeks, and he’s confident the hard cast on my right leg will be removed and I can be put into a boot. He said that break wasn’t as severe as the one in my left leg. That means I’ll be a bit more mobile and able to do more things for myself.”

  After the way Caleb had stomped off this morning, the chances of him doing anything for her were as likely as San Antonio getting three days of snow this winter.

  “No, Dad,” she replied firmly. “I’m not going to ask anything more of Caleb. I already owe him for last night; I don’t want to owe him anymore. Now I’m off to fix you breakfast. Once I’ve done that, I’ll call the agency and then see if I can find where this little madam is managing to escape.”

  Willow looked up at Kerry with an almost smug smile on her face as she walked into the kitchen. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost imagine Willow knew exactly what she was doing and had a plan to make Caleb a permanent part of her little doggy world, regardless of his request that she keep Willow as far away from him as possible.

  “Don’t get any ideas, Willow. I’ve got my own issues to deal with, and I don’t need to be taking on Caleb Bradshaw’s.”

  And she needed to keep reminding herself of that.

  Chapter Four

  Flicking a lock of hair out of her face, Kerry could find nothing to indicate where Willow had escaped through the fence adjoining Caleb’s property. Piles of pulled weeds were dotted down the side of the yard. It wasn’t like her garden had been a jungle, but a certain sense of satisfaction filled her at seeing how much neater it looked.

  Being neater though didn’t explain where Willow was able to get her chubby furry butt through.

  Kerry’s phone shrilled, momentarily distracting her from her Houdini-esque dog. The number flashing on the screen looked familiar, so she accepted the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Ms. Williams. This is DeeDee from Angel’s Home Help. How are you?”

  Finally, they were calling her back. She’d left a message on their service two hours ago. If this place weren’t covered by her dad’s insurance she’d tell them where they could go, but since it was and she needed the help, she swallowed her annoyance. “DeeDee, thanks for calling me back.”

  “Oh, you called us, dear? I wasn’t aware. I’m following up to see how Verna worked out yesterday.” The sound of paper shuffling drifted down the phone line. “From what’s listed on the order, you’re needing help every day for your father while he recovers from an accident. Is that still the case?”

&
nbsp; Kerry pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to ten. Seriously, what sort of organization was this if they didn’t even know Verna hadn’t shown up? “Well, yes, that’s still the case, but Verna didn’t show up last night. In fact, I was late to work because of her no-show. She sent me a message forty minutes after the time she was due to arrive, saying she couldn’t take the job. There was no other explanation.”

  “Really? That’s so unlike Verna. I’m sure there was a valid reason and she’ll turn up today. What time is she needed again?”

  Normally, Kerry was an even-keeled person. She’d learned that getting angry didn’t solve anything. Getting angry at the world because of her mother’s illness didn’t make it go away, for instance. Maybe if she’d gotten angry on occasion in her relationship with Winthorn, she would’ve seen the road it was headed down.

  But the way DeeDee brushed off her concerns, not to mention assuring her Verna would be there and then asking what time she was needed, made Kerry’s blood boil.

  If they were this disorganized and blasé about schedules, how the hell could they be trusted to look after her father? No way was she going to put her dad through this. And she wouldn’t be able to concentrate at work if she was constantly worried about how Dad was being treated and if his caregiver had run out for an errand and forgotten to come back.

  Nope, there was nothing else she could do but to try to get another agency to help her out. Surely, there was more than one organization in her father’s network that provided home nursing services.

  “You know what, DeeDee? No, we don’t need Verna or anyone else from your organization. I won’t be recommending you to anyone. Goodbye.”

  She disconnected the call and clenched her fingers around her phone. Hurling it to the ground might make her feel better, but she couldn’t afford to replace a broken phone.

  “Having a bad day?”

  Kerry’s head shot up and she spied Caleb looking over the fence at her, a welcoming smile on his face. Of course, he’d be able to look over it without needing a stepstool. And why did he look so damn happy when he all but threatened her this morning?

  “What do you want?”

  His smile disappeared. She blew out a breath and consciously loosened her tight muscles. “Sorry, I just had an aggravating phone call.”

  “I heard.”

  “I wasn’t that loud, was I?” she asked, mortified that she’d been yelling for all the neighbors to hear.

  “No, but, like you, I was checking my yard for where Willow was getting through and I heard you.”

  “Oh, well, yeah, sorry again for snapping.” She was struck again by the handsomeness of his features. The dark brown eyes. His straight nose and his lips, full but not overly so. “Did you find where Willow could be getting through?”

  “No. There doesn’t seem to be any indication of a hole. As you can see there’s no broken fence post either. I’m at a loss.”

  Kerry approached him, which was a total mistake because now she had to crane her neck to see him. But no way could she retreat, because then she’d look silly.

  “I don’t understand any of this. I know she can’t climb over the fence. She can’t even jump on the couch. There has to be some place she’s getting through. Some place we haven’t found.” She tapped her fingers on the fence. “Damn, I was hoping for an easy fix, but it looks like all my problems are going to be more complicated than I want them to be.”

  “You don’t strike me as a person who is anything but in control, and you’ve probably got a plan in place. However, is there anything I can do to help?”

  His offer surprised the heck out of her, and was the last thing she expected from him. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. “Really? I didn’t think you’d want to help after your comments this morning.” Even she heard the cynicism in her voice.

  His head cocked to the side. “Yeah, well, I’d just woken up and I’m grumpy in the morning until I get my first cup of joe.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to challenge the little lie that he was only grumpy in the mornings and lacking caffeine. Even though they’d only met yesterday, she had an inkling his go-to nature was grumpy. “Right, well, thanks for the offer, but I can’t impose on you. You’ve already helped me out of one jam. I’m sure I can get this sorted out with a couple more phone calls.” She lifted her phone and looked at the time. “I’ve got to run. I’ll try to see if I can get to the bottom of where Willow is getting through later. Have a good day, Caleb.”

  She turned and headed toward her back door.

  “Wait.”

  Kerry paused, glanced over her shoulder. “What?”

  “I was serious when I said if you need help, just let me know.”

  The way his fingers curled around the top of the fence, however, told her he hoped like hell she wouldn’t take him up on his offer.

  That was one thing she’d learned over the last year—while someone might offer to help, there was always a catch and they’d want a payback. She had no plans to be indebted to Caleb.

  *

  A sharp jab of pain pierced his index finger, and he unfurled the grip he had on the fence. He maintained his gaze on Kerry’s retreating figure, and only once she was safely inside her house did he look down at his finger. Imbedded in the soft flesh was a jagged piece of wood.

  Great, offer to do something nice for someone and the universe rewarded him with a splinter. Well, to be honest, he’d said the words but was hoping she wouldn’t take him up on the offer. So yeah, he deserved being jabbed by a sliver from the fence.

  What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking. He’d wanted to fix things. Rescue her again, an emotion and compulsion he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. Not since before the accident that had changed the course of his life. The accident that took his dog Trigger from him.

  A wave of grief swept over him. They’d been a team for so long, not to have him constantly at his side… well, he still wasn’t used to it.

  He glanced over at Kerry’s yard again and spied a doggy face gazing at him from the back porch.

  Damn Willow, always showing up when he didn’t need her to. He turned his back on the furry creature and headed to his house. What he needed was a shower and… what? After his shower what was he going to do?

  A year ago he would’ve been on base, laughing with the guys. But a job on the Texas/Mexico border had changed everything. He reached down and rubbed the scar on his right thigh while his other hand reached across and fingered the puckered one on his shoulder. He was lucky. Two other guys hadn’t been.

  “Fuck,” he muttered and slammed his back door. Going over the past was never a good thing, and until Willow had turned up on his doorstep, he’d been dealing well, not having anything to do with dogs.

  As a roommate, Ethan had known what Caleb had gone through, so he never talked about his K-9 partner. When Caleb visited the base, he had been in a different area to the dog training facility, where Ethan and the other guys from his platoon would be.

  The house phone rang loudly in the silence. A foreign sound, considering the last time anyone had phoned him on the landline had been about two months ago, and that was just a marketing call. Which this probably was, so he let the machine pick it up.

  “Uh, hi, Caleb, this is Ron. Ron Williams. I was with you and Eric Knowles last night. Um, I got your number from Eric, so I hope you don’t mind me calling. Geez, if Kerry knew what I was doing, she’d snatch the phone away.”

  Caleb smiled. He could definitely imagine Kerry doing that to her father. But he was intrigued as to why Ron was calling him. In two strides, he reached the counter and snatched up the phone.

  “I’m here, Ron, what can I do for you?”

  “Caleb. Great. You know…”

  “Dad, who are you talking to?” Uh-oh, Kerry had sprung her father. Now this was going to get interesting.

  “Umm, no one.”

  “Right. I can tell by the look on your f
ace that you’re up to no good. How about you be straight with me?”

  The melancholy that had been pervading Caleb’s bones disappeared as he eavesdropped on the exchange between father and daughter. He would like to see the look on Kerry’s face. He could imagine her arms would be crossed over her small but tantalizing chest.

  Her short pajamas this morning and workout clothes he’d seen her wear in the yard had defined her body in a way that the smart pants and button-down work shirt last night had hidden.

  He needed to shut down that thought.

  “Dad, I’m waiting.”

  Over the phone line, Ron’s breath puffed out. “Fine, I’m talking to Caleb.”

  “Caleb? Not our neighbor Caleb. Please tell me you’re not.”

  Her horror would’ve been an insult if he hadn’t seen or heard her skepticism to his offer to help her. He supposed he deserved it; he hadn’t been friendly when he handed Willow back earlier either.

  “Give me that phone now, Dad.” The sound of the phone exchanging owners scratched in his ear.

  “Caleb? Is that you?”

  “Hey, Kerry, it’s me.” He bit back a smile. Dammit, his cheek muscles hadn’t had a workout like this in a while.

  “Oh, my God, I don’t know what Dad is thinking calling you. First Willow and now my dad is bothering you. I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure he doesn’t do it again.” Her words rushed out faster than a bullet train. She had no reason to be embarrassed, but given his abrupt comments to her this morning and a few moments ago, along with her conviction that she wasn’t going to disturb him again, he could understand it.

  “Kerry, stop, it’s fine. Has Willow gone missing again?”

  The dog had been outside before he’d disappeared inside, so given how wily the little creature was, if she’d escaped again, he wouldn’t be surprised.