Next Door Knight

by Nicole Flockton

  “Thank you very much, ma’am. I appreciate your words, and I know the rest of the staff will too.”

  “Well, if he was a person from your past, I think you’re well rid of him,” the lady continued. “Don’t have time for people like him.” She finished on a sniff of disgust.

  Kerry couldn’t help but chuckle at the indignation this complete stranger felt on her behalf. “Thank you again. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  All she wanted to do was run back to her office and forget the last fifteen minutes had ever happened. Maybe she’d never have to see Winthorn Hartigan the third, ever again. Unfortunately, she didn’t think this particular wish was going to come true. Winthorn was back, and nothing good was going to come of his presence.

  *

  The house was silent when Kerry unlocked the door. The rest of the evening had passed without any more drama, for which she was grateful. Hopefully, the owner wouldn’t hear about her run-in with Winthorn in front of the patrons and decide he’d made a huge mistake cutting short her probationary period.

  She dumped her purse on the countertop and paused. Something wasn’t right. Willow always greeted her when she walked in.

  Quietly, she made her way down the hall to her father’s room. Perhaps the door was shut and she was stuck in his room.

  Nope. The door stood wide open and Dad was snoring softly.

  “Oh no, she didn’t, did she?”

  Kerry headed toward the back of the house. Was it possible Caleb hadn’t locked the doggie door when he left? Nope, the door was locked.

  “Where the hell is she?” Willow not coming to greet her was very out of character. Maybe the dog was locked in her bedroom.

  As she passed the living room she looked in—and stopped. Lying on the couch was a slumbering Caleb. Willow lay on the ground beside the couch, Caleb’s hand resting on her back.

  Slipping off her shoes, Kerry padded into the room. The closer she got to the couch, the more obvious it was that something was happening with her neighbor. Sweat beaded his brow and his lips were moving but no sound came out.

  He was in the throes of a nightmare.

  Willow sat up and Caleb’s fingers tightened around her coarse fur. Did she wake Caleb, or did she let him sleep? If she woke him, would he hurt her? She’d read about that happening to some people. Instinctively she knew he’d feel terrible if he did something to her or Willow.

  A low moan sounded from him, and he released his hold on Willow and grabbed at his leg. It was the leg he favored when he walked. Willow joined Kerry and hopped on her hind legs, her sign that she wanted to be picked up.

  Kerry did and Willow snuggled against her shoulder for a second before pulling away, straining toward the couch.

  “No, baby, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she murmured. Every day, her dog amazed her with her ability to sense another person’s sorrow. On this occasion, proceeding with caution was her best option. However, Willow had other ideas and pulled away from her arms so far Kerry almost dropped her. She gave in; hopefully, she wouldn’t regret what she was about to do.

  She carefully placed Willow in the small gap behind Caleb’s curved legs. What Willow would do next was anyone’s guess. In all their therapy training and situations, they’d never run through a scenario of someone having a nightmare.

  Her dog carefully moved herself into a position where she didn’t jostle the sleeping giant and then rested her snout on Caleb’s leg while nudging him at the same time. She repeated the action until Caleb jolted awake.

  “What?” He sat up, winced, and scrubbed a hand down his face. His gaze locked on hers. “How long have you been there?”

  Oh boy, he wasn’t happy about finding her standing over him. He had to recall he’d been having a nightmare.

  She couldn’t say she’d just walked in. Caleb would be well aware that Willow being on the couch next to him was because of her.

  “Um, not long. Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” The word fired out of him and he swung his legs to the ground. Willow took quick advantage of the added space and sidled up until she could snuggle into his side. Sure, he’d push the dog away. He’d done it so many times in her presence.

  When his hand reached out and curved around Willow’s head, she relaxed her muscles. “Can I get you some water or something?”

  “Yeah, water will be great, thanks.”

  Kerry rushed out to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle out of the fridge. Her offer was automatic and she’d been surprised he accepted it. On her way back to the living room, she poked her head in her dad’s room. He was still snoring away; no doubt the painkillers he still took in the evenings were helping. If all went well at his appointment at the end of the week, Caleb’s services would no longer be required.

  A stab of disappointment pierced her gut. She pushed the thought aside. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t see him again. He was her neighbor.

  Her lips tingled in remembrance of their kiss. She wouldn’t mind experiencing another one.

  Geez, she needed to put the halt to these thoughts. She was getting her life on her own track, no one else’s. Getting involved with Caleb was the worst thing she could do.

  Willow’s barking set Kerry’s feet in motion and she rushed back into the living room. When she got there, Caleb’s face was contorted in pain and his fingers were digging into his thigh, Willow on her stomach, looking intently at her friend.

  “Are you okay?” she asked as she reached his side and held out the bottle. “Do you need painkillers? I can get you some.”

  “No, I’m fine,” he said, his jaw clenched as he grabbed the water from her.

  Of course, he would say that. Most guys did. They never wanted to accept that they were in pain. Didn’t want to seem to be unmanly.

  “Great, so you can make your own way home then?” Whoa, way to be a bitch, but she was pretty sick and tired of macho men.

  Willow sat up abruptly and cocked her head. If her dog could talk, Kerry imagined her pet would be telling her, her comments were unwarranted.

  Caleb held up his hand in surrender. “Sorry, I’m just…”

  “Yeah, I know,” she responded quietly. And she did. This guy was a military guy. From what Eric and her father had said, he was going through a major change. What that change was, she had no idea. But clearly he was like some of the people at the veterans’ center, suffering from a form of PTSD. Heck Willow was always picking up on his distress.

  He took a few slugs of water from the bottle and silence stretched between them. Willow maintained her position by his side. After a few more minutes, he stood, and she watched him for any signs of distress or pain from his leg. Apart from a slight wince he appeared to be fine.

  “I’m sorry for falling asleep on your couch.”

  She waved away his apology. “It’s not a problem. Dad’s appointment is at the end of the week so in a few days you’ll be able to go back to your normal schedule before we disrupted it.”

  Caleb looked around the room, at Willow, and then finally rested his gaze on her. “It hasn’t been an issue. In fact, I think helping Ron was exactly what I needed in my life. But I will be glad to go back to doing my own thing.”

  Now that was the last thing she expected to hear from him, admitting that being around Dad was what he wanted. “Well, that’s good. I’m sure, if you still feel like you want to, Dad wouldn’t mind you visiting him. Even if the doctor clears him to be more mobile, he’s not in a position to go back to living by himself.”

  She willed herself not to squirm beneath his scrutiny. “You like having him here, don’t you?”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, it’s been good having him around. Even though it wasn’t expected. I’ve missed spending time with him.”

  She hadn’t spent as much time with Mom and Dad after she met Winthorn. Like everything, over time he’d whittled into those visits until they’d been scarce. Of course, moving her to Dallas made it easy for him.

 
God, how had she been so blind? And why was he here in San Antonio? Sure, he said he was here for work, but he was vice president of his father’s firm, He never ventured far from his cushy corner office. Winthorn never acted without a plan, and she would love to know what the plan was and how he thought she fitted into it.

  “Is everything okay?” Caleb asked.

  Startled, she looked up to find he’d moved to stand beside her. How had she not picked up on that?

  Tiredness.

  Who was she trying to kid? She’d been sucked into the hole of her past again. That hole was one she didn’t plan on falling into again. Regardless of his threats, he wasn’t going to bully her anymore.

  “I’m just tired,” she said. Lame excuse and all, it was one that worked for the moment. “It’s been a long night.”

  Caleb leaned closer, hooking a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “I should let you go.”

  “Yeah.” But she made no move to distance herself from him.

  His fingers lingered at the back of her head and a sigh rippled through her at the connection. Without conscious thought, her eyelids drifted shut and she swayed toward him. When his arms closed around her, a sense of peace flowed through her.

  Inhaling, she caught the faint whiff of his citrusy scent, and her arms banded around his waist.

  God, she’d forgotten how wonderful it was to be held. What would it be like to come home after a long night at the restaurant and be welcomed with a hug like this?

  Bliss, that was what it would be. Only bliss wasn’t going to be found with Caleb. Underneath all his hurt, he was a man with a strong personality. She’d been overtaken by one strong man before. She couldn’t let it happen to her again. No matter how much she might think she wanted it with him.

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning, Caleb stared out the kitchen window at his back yard, cleaning his coffeepot.

  Falling asleep on Kerry’s couch hadn’t been his plan at all. He’d intended to go home after Ron went to bed. Except that plan had gone awry and he’d ended up having a nightmare and Kerry witnessed it all. Not that she let on that she’d seen him in the throes of him reliving the worst day of his life, but he’d seen the sympathy and pity in her eyes.

  Thank goodness he could now go back to his normal routine soon. Only the thought of staying home alone didn’t appeal anymore. For the first time in a long time, he’d begun to think of what he could do with his future. He could be medically discharged with his benefits. Or he could see what other options were available to him after the medical board made its final ruling. It was time he headed to the base and spoke to his superior officer.

  What he was going to do after he made his final decision, he had no idea, but maybe talking to Lieutenant Colonel Blue would give him some clarity. Or he could talk to people at the veterans’ center.

  He couldn’t deny he’d had a good time there. It hadn’t hurt as much as he thought it would to be around ex-military personnel. The guys he’d talked to were open with their pain and how they’d adjusted to life after a career in the armed forces.

  He made to shift away from the window when he noticed movement in the far back corner of his yard. He leaned forward in an attempt to get a closer look, which was stupid, as the distance hadn’t reduced between his location and the object.

  As he watched, a little face appeared, followed by a short, squat body.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” He chuckled when Willow waddled her way across his yard. Now that he knew where she was getting in, he’d be able to fix it so she couldn’t escape into his yard.

  No sooner had he finished the thought than he banished it. Over the past few weeks, the little dog had grown on him.

  Keeping his distance from dogs would be impossible if he stayed in the military thanks to his years of association and years of service in the K-9 unit. He would’ve still been around them on base. A transfer to another base was possible but, despite the heat, humidity, and lack of real seasons, he liked living in San Antonio. It was a vibrant city and he couldn’t deny the Tex-Mex was pretty awesome. If the ruling meant he had to leave the air force, he’d have to find something to do.

  Never in his life had he rested on his laurels and he wasn’t planning to start now, even if he’d spent the almost twelve months merely existing instead of living.

  Pushing away from the kitchen counter, he made his way to his back door, opening it to find Willow sitting by the door, her little face smiling up at him.

  “What are you doing here, young lady?” Her tail wagged in response. Chuckling, he bent down and picked her up. Her warm body snuggled into his chest. He breathed deeply and scrunched up his nose. “Geez, dog, you need a bath.”

  She made a snuffling sound as if she agreed. “Don’t look at me, girlie, I’m not your owner. And speaking of your owner, I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

  Slipping into his slides, he juggled the dog and grabbed his keys off the hook. Locking up his house, he strode down his front path, heading for Kerry’s house.

  He raised his fist to knock when the door opened abruptly. “Oh God, Caleb, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how she got out again. I was outside with her, but I turned my back to straighten some potted plants and then when I looked back, she’d disappeared again.”

  “It’s fine. I was up, so she didn’t bother me. I found out where she came through too.”

  “You did? Where? I looked everywhere and couldn’t find anything.”

  “I know; I did too. She gets through right in the far corner of the yard where the side fence meets the back fence. I’ll fix it up.”

  Kerry shook her head, exasperation written on her face. “I looked there and couldn’t see anything. She’s a damn Houdini, that’s what she is.”

  He hoisted Willow a little higher in his arms. “She’s wily and determined, that’s for sure. Must take after her owner.”

  A pink hue swept up Kerry’s face. “Thank you. Let me take her from you.” She held out her arms, and he took in the spaghetti strap pink tank and matching sleep shorts she was wearing. The fabric clung to her breasts, her nipples protruding through the thin material. He could picture his hands cupping her pert breasts while her legs wrapped around him as he drove into her.

  His cock immediately hardened against his sweatpants.

  Fuck, it had been a long time since he’d had this type of visceral response to a woman. A woman he’d only kissed once.

  Caleb tightened his hold on Willow. He willed his body to settle the hell down as well. If he handed Willow over, there was no way he could hide his body’s reaction.

  “I can bring her inside if you’d like.” Her eyebrow quirked at his comment. “Or I can put her down or give her to you. Whatever,” he tacked on quickly.

  Man, what the hell was wrong with him? She probably thought he’d lost his mind. And perhaps he had.

  “Umm. Yeah, if you want.”

  Now she sounded confused. He shifted his gaze from the paint chipping on the doorframe to the left of her shoulder to study her a little more. The faint pink hue had blossomed into a darker tone on her cheeks and her fingers were gripping the door so the whites of her knuckles showed. Her breathing hitched up a couple of notches and her eyes kept straying to his chest.

  His cock twitched again, getting the message quicker than his brain.

  Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and he groaned inwardly. She was going to kill him without even using a weapon.

  For years, he’d been an action man, had to be with his job. Now he was going to throw caution to the wind and take what he wanted, and what he wanted was to kiss Kerry.

  Willow wiggled in his arms, and he automatically squatted to put her on the ground. In a flash he was up and he closed the distance between him and Kerry. He didn’t care if she could feel how turned-on he was.

  “Good morning, Kerry,” he murmured before lowering his head and brushing his lips against hers.

  “Morning, Caleb,” she respon
ded and thrust her fingers into his hair, tugging his head toward hers.

  Okay, then, she was on board with an early morning kiss.

  He tightened his hold around her waist so their bodies were aligned. His hard dick squashed against her belly was a sensation he enjoyed. The low moan in the back of her throat spurred him to deepen the kiss. Her mouth opened beneath his, and their tongues met in a slow dance.

  He traced his fingers down her spine until he found the hem of her short top. Sliding them beneath the cotton, he caressed her back.

  The need to sweep her up in his arms and march to her bedroom where he could feast on her delectable breasts and explore the sweetness between her legs threatened to drown him. But part of his brain was aware of their location, and he reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers.

  Their breathing sounded harsh against his ears.

  “Wow, that was quite the good morning,” she said, her lips brushing his ear, and he couldn’t stop his full body shudder if he tried.

  “Yes, it was.” He took a step back but didn’t release her completely. He wasn’t ready to break their connection.

  Willow barked; over Kerry’s shoulder he could see her sitting on her haunches, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. He couldn’t deny she was a cute little thing, and part of the coldness that had engulfed him the second he’d woken up in a hospital to find out that Trigger was gone dissipated a little.

  “What are you doing today?” he asked her, hoping that she didn’t have to go to the restaurant until later and she wasn’t needed at the veterans’ center. Today he wanted her to be near. A feeling he didn’t understand.

  “I have to be at the restaurant at nine. This week I’m on during lunch. I should be home around three or four.”

  “Do you want to go out for dinner?” The invitation burst out of him before he’d really thought things through.

  A slow smile broke out over the plump lips he’d just devoured, tempting him to take them again.

  “I’d like that,” she said, her voice a husky whisper. “I’ll have to work something out for Dad, but yes. Yes, I would like to have dinner with you, Caleb.”