Shooting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Suspenseful Bad Boy Neighbor Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #2)

by Naomi Niles

  It didn’t help that my mind kept veering constantly between determination and doubt. In my mind, my plan was a goodwill gesture of peace. I thought it would be the perfect way to say I was sorry and make amends.

  The problem was I wasn’t entirely sure that Madison would agree. What if she thought I was imposing on her privacy? What if she thought I had crossed a line? What if she thought I was stalking her?

  In the end, I shook my head free of the doubts and decided to go ahead despite them. I obviously took so long with my decision that one of the employees came over to ask me if I needed any help.

  “Anything in particular you’re looking for?” a young boy with a nametag that read “Alfie” asked me.

  “Actually, yes,” I nodded, grateful for the help. “I’m looking for a door.”

  “Front door?”

  “Exactly,” I nodded. “And it needs to be…special.”

  “Special?” Alfie repeated. “Hmm, we have one here that’s nice. It’s darker wood and it actually comes with a door knocker.”

  “Umm…seems a little bit…old fashioned,” I said, casting a critical eye over the frame. “I want something retro, but modern.”

  Alfie took me down a separate aisle and then he came to a stop in front of another door. “What about this option?”

  The door he was pointing at was made of a lighter, grainer wood. It had carved accents around the frame and a youthful, welcoming feel about it. The moment I saw it, I knew it was the perfect door for Madison’s entrance.

  “I’ll take it,” I said immediately.

  Half an hour later, all my supplies were loaded up into the trunk of my car and the door was strapped firmly to my roof. I drove slowly and managed to get home for lunch. I parked the car in front of Madison’s house and unloaded slowly, making sure not to drop anything. Then I started to remove her front door from its hinges.

  Ten minutes later, I was looking into her living room, if you could even call it a living room. It was still completely empty, and I was suddenly gripped with the fear that perhaps she had already left.

  I walked inside and took a look around, but there were still signs of Madison all over the place. She had a few personal items in the bathroom, a sleeping bag in one room, and a couple of Polo’s little toys strewn about. The fridge had a few bottles of soda and beer.

  As I looked around, it was clear that she was coming back at some point. It was also clear that she had no furniture and either had no intention of getting any, or she simply could not afford to furnish her new home as of yet. Pity wrenched at my conscience and I knew I had to do something about that. A pretty front door was all good and well, but it wouldn’t compare to a nice, warm bed or a place to sit down after a hard day’s work.

  The house had a musky smell about it from being closed up for so long. I decided to clean out the insides first, before I moved anything in. It was easy enough to do, considering there was nothing in the house to work around. After that was done, I went back to my place and looked around at my own furniture, thinking about what we needed and what John and I never used.

  There was a table by the window that was mostly for show. I grabbed that along with a few rugs that we could spare and took them over to Madison’s place. I set the table in the kitchen and I rolled up the rugs and left them by the front door.

  I was pulling the door up to the house when Sam’s car pulled up with John in the passenger seat. The two of them walked over with puzzled expressions on their faces.

  “You’re working on the wrong house, dumbass,” Sam said.

  “Thanks for the heads up, you dope,” I retorted. “But I’m already aware.”

  “Is this your way of making amends for the fight you had with Madison?” John asked.

  Sam looked at me with a start. “You had a fight with Madison?”

  “Let’s work and talk, shall we?” I suggested.

  Sam and John walked over and helped me fit the door in together as I explained to them what had happened between Madison and me.

  “Whoa,” Sam said. “You really pulled a gun on her brother?”

  “In my defense, I didn’t know it was her brother,” I said. “I thought it was her psycho ex.”

  “It might as well have been by the sound of it,” John said. “It’s not like her brother wasn’t acting on his orders.”

  “I know,” I nodded. “But all the same, Alan pointed out to me that I probably would have reacted the same way if someone had pulled a gun out on any one of you guys, whether or not you deserved it.”

  “Fair point,” John nodded.

  “She hasn’t been back in days,” I said. “But I’m certain she will be at some point, and I want her to feel as though this house is her home.”

  “That’ll be hard to do without any furniture,” Sam said, popping his head into the house.

  “I was hoping you guys would be able to help me out with that,” I said. “Is there any way we could get our hands on some cheap, but usable furniture? I want to buy a few pieces myself, but I don’t think I can swing the lot.”

  “You’re going to buy new furniture for Madison?” John asked incredulously.

  “Well, yeah,” I nodded. “Not everything, just a few pieces.”

  “Wow, you really have it bad for this girl,” he whistled.

  “She’s had a hard life,” I said. “And, she’s trying desperately to save herself from a past that’s threatening to bury her. There’s no harm in…giving her a little hope, a little encouragement, is there?”

  “Not at all,” John said as Sam patted me hard on the back.

  “I think this is all very romantic of you,” Sam said, with a wide smile. “I’m very impressed, actually. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  “Funny,” I said. “Neither did I.”

  “I guess you needed to find the right girl,” John said.

  “We don’t know if she’s the right girl,” I said quickly. “For me, at least.”

  “You wouldn’t be doing all this for the wrong girl,” Sam pointed out.

  Stumped, I turned back to the door and made sure it was firmly on its hinges. Then I stepped back and cast a critical eye over it. “How does it look?”

  “Pretty great, actually,” John nodded approvingly.

  “Awesome,” Sam smiled. “Much better than that piece of shit that used to stand there.”

  “Excellent,” I said. “Now we just need to find some viable pieces of furniture.”

  “Actually, I might be able to help you out there,” Sam said.

  “Really?” I asked hopefully. “How?”

  “The station is always filled with these old pieces of furniture that people never use. Some of them are slightly damaged, but most of them are entirely usable. We might need to cut and polish them a little, but a little grunt work and they’ll be good as new.”

  “Sam,” I said, grabbing him and placing both my hands on his shoulders. “You are a life saver.” Then I kissed him hard on both cheeks.

  “Urgh,” he yelled, as he pushed me away. “Gross.”

  I laughed and John joined in as Sam wiped his cheeks like he used to when he was a little boy. We drove over to the station in our separate vehicles and picked out a few pieces of furniture. I was most excited about a single bed with chunky legs. It was old and dusty, but it was in perfect condition. I had no doubt that after the cut and polish, it would look fantastic.

  In the end, we managed to scrape together the bed, two deck chairs that could pass as indoor chairs, a table, and a two-seater sofa without the cushions. I stopped by a few stores on my way back and bought a big comfy armchair, sofa cushions, floor mats for the bathroom, and bed linens.

  By the end of the night, the house was finished and Sam, John, and I looked around in satisfaction. “Wow,” Sam said. “We did good.”

  “Thank you,” I said to both of them. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” John said, patting me on the back. “Wh
at are brothers for?”

  We walked back to our house, and I made a special meal for them. We gorged ourselves on good food and sat around talking all night until we were too sleepy for conversation. Right before I retired for the night, I glanced out the window at Madison’s house, feeling a sense of satisfaction settle over me.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Madison

  Marcy looked at herself nervously in the mirror. She was biting her lip, and I could see her pulling at her fingernails.

  “Marcy,” I said, in a bracing voice. “You need to calm down and relax. When I’m done with you, you’re going to be the most stunning girl at this wedding.”

  Marcy sighed deeply. “You should see Ellen,” she said. “She’s beautiful. I mean, I’m talking model-like beauty. She’s practically six feet tall, skinny as hell, gorgeous blue eyes, and blonde hair that practically reaches her butt. There’s no way I can compete with that. I should just…not go.”

  I exchanged a glance with Whitney. “You have to go,” I insisted. “You know that and I know that. You just need the confidence.”

  “Sadly, that’s the one thing I’m lacking,” Marcy sighed.

  Marcy was a cute girl with the kind of personality everyone warmed to instantly. She was petite, with willowy brown hair and dark eyes. But she tended to downplay her natural beauty by dressing as though she were trying to hide the fact that she was a woman.

  “First of all, you are beautiful,” I told her. “Okay, maybe you’re not six feet tall, maybe you don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. But you have gorgeous brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. Some might even describe them as sultry.”

  “Sultry?” she repeated in shock.

  “Whitney?” I asked, turning for for her opinion.

  Whitney looked directly into Marcy’s eyes, gave her a second of deliberation and then nodded confidently. “Definitely sultry,” she agreed, before turning back to her own client.

  “See?” I said, turning back to Marcy.

  “You should see her.”

  “I don’t need to,” I insisted. “She has nothing on you.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “Because you are a sweet, lovely, honest person,” I said. “And, she’s the no good, back-stabbing, lying hypocrite of a friend who listened to your deepest, darkest secrets and then stole your boyfriend. You have character, Marcy. All she has is a cheater for a boyfriend who will probably leave her in a couple of years once he realizes how dull she really is underneath all that pretty.”

  Marcy sighed. “Okay, I’ll go.”

  “Atta girl!” I nodded. “Trust me, he’s going to eat his heart out when he sees you.”

  An hour later, I swirled Marcy around in her chair once I had finished doing her makeup. She stared at her reflection with wide eyes and smiled. “Wow, I look good.”

  “Of course you do,” I nodded.

  I had wound her hair into a pattern of intricate braids that draped over her head and ended in a delicate yet messy bun at the nape of her neck. I had played up the rich, earthiness of her eyes by going for a dark, smoky eye that was both classy and sexy. I had kept the rest of her makeup simple, opting for skin-toned rouge and a nude lip.

  “Now add a pretty dress and high heels and you’ll be the belle of the ball,” I said, with a wink.

  “Thanks, Madison!” Marcy said with delight. “I actually do feel confident now.”

  “You should,” I said. “You have a lot to be confident about. Word of advice?”

  “Yes, please?”

  “When you see Ellen and Coulter, be aloof, but not hostile. Be indifferent, but not angry. Talk, laugh, and have fun. Dance with a bunch of different guys and show them that you’ve moved on. Show them that you’re better off without them…because you are.”

  She nodded firmly. “I will,” she said. “Thanks, Madison.”

  She gave me a hug before she left and the moment she walked out the door, Whitney turned to me approvingly. “That was very well done, Madison,” she said.

  I tipped my imaginary cap to her. “A good day’s work, I’d say.”

  “Indeed,” Whitney nodded dramatically. “We’re changing lives, you and I.”

  “And, what am I?” Lola demanded. “Chopped liver?”

  “You’re the sidekick,” Whitney replied teasingly, earning a dark look from Lola.

  I laughed. “I hate to break up the bickering, but Whitney, I need to talk to you.”

  “Sounds ominous.”

  “It’s not,” I smiled. “I wanted to thank you for letting me crash at your place. You can’t know how much I appreciate it. But now… I think it’s time for me to go home.”

  “Really?” she said. “Are you sure?”

  “I haven’t heard from Kameron or my brother,” I said. “I’m not naïve enough to believe they’ve forgotten about me, but I can’t let them keep me from my own house, either. I have to go back.”

  Whitney looked skeptical. “You know you can always come back, right?”

  “You are amazing,” I said. “You know that?”

  She batted her eyes at me. “That has been the general consensus, yes,” she nodded.

  I laughed and leaned in to give her a hug. “I’m going to grab my stuff tonight and get out of your hair. It’s about time you had your apartment back, and I think a couple of your neighbors have caught on to the fact that you have a dog bunking with you.”

  “Nosey fuckers,” Whitney said, rolling her eyes. “I can take them on.”

  “Well, now you don’t have to,” I said, giving her a wink.

  That night, I packed up, said my final goodbyes to Whitney, and headed for the SUV with Polo in tow. I was actually feeling pretty good. It felt nice not to have to rely on anyone, even if they were more than willing to help, like Whitney was. It was nice to know that I was going back to my own space. There was a comfort there that couldn’t be replicated anywhere else.

  The moment I pulled up in front of the house, I noticed something was different. I parked and gazed out the window. A second later, it hit me: the front door was different. The ratty, old wood had been replaced with a lighter, more modern front that actually looked quite beautiful.

  I turned to Polo in shock. “What do you think, Polo?” I asked. “Should I be happy, nervous, or scared?”

  Polo cocked his head to one side as though he were not sure how to answer me. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s get inside first.”

  I grabbed my duffel bag and headed towards my new front door. “It was probably the landlord,” I decided, thinking aloud. “Who else would do something like this?”

  I unlocked the door and pushed it open. The moment I turned on the light, I froze in place and stared around at the transformed space.

  “Oh my God,” I breathed, as I took it all in.

  The tiny living space that had once stood empty had been converted completely. Now there was a sofa in the middle of the room, next to which sat a massive, cushioned armchair. A small, low table sat in front of the sofa. There was a welcome rug at the front door and a larger rug upon which the living room coffee table was placed.

  I looked down at Polo, who was looking back at me as though he was equally as shocked. “I think we’re in the wrong house, Polo,” I breathed, taking a tentative step into my home.

  I closed the door shut slowly and continued into the room where my sleeping bag should have been. It was no longer there. Instead, there was a single bed facing the window. The bed had been made with light blue sheets and a large pillow at its head.

  A small chest of drawers stood at the other end of the room, presumably to hold my clothes. My sleeping bag had been rolled up and was laid next to it along with my suitcase with the only other remaining clothes I possessed. There was a new bathmat in the bathroom and when I walked into the kitchen, there was a table sitting there, flanked by two chairs. There was a note on the table and I reached for it instantly.

  I know I probably should have asked your
permission first, but I wanted it to be a surprise. It just didn’t seem right that you had no furniture and no place to sleep at night. If you don’t want it, you can keep everything by the curb and I’ll pick it up and take it all back…after giving you a ticket for littering first (just kidding). But I really hope you keep everything. And I really hope I didn’t overstep, especially considering this would technically be categorized under “breaking and entering.” Also, there’s some lasagna in the freezer…just in case. Peter.

  “Peter,” I breathed aloud. “Peter.” I looked down at Polo and shook my head at him. “Peter did all this.”

  I circled on the spot, taking a look at all the changes he had made and all the money he would have spent to transform the barren space into a livable one. He had done it all for me. No one I had ever encountered in my entire life had done anything like this before. It was so unbelievably nice that I felt tears prick at my eyes.

  My head was spinning so I decided to take a shower and keep the lasagna out to defrost. Even in its frozen state, it looked delicious. I stepped into the shower and allowed the hot water to sear off the wear and tear of the day. After ten minutes, my head was feeling a little lighter. I stepped out of the shower, wiped myself dry, and slipped on sweats and a checkered shirt. I went into the kitchen and put Polo’s food out.

  While he was eating, I heated up the lasagna and then set it down on my new kitchen table. I ate straight from the dish, savoring the delicious flavor of the thin sheets of pasta against the richness of the meat. Once Polo and I had finished eating, I moved to the living room where I collapsed onto the couch. Polo snuggled up against me and butted his head against my hand.

  “I know,” I breathed. “It’s so comfortable.”

  He was staring straight up at me and I leant my forehead against his. “This is nice, isn’t it, boy?” I asked. “It’s nice to have a home and a sofa and a bed…and a kitchen table. You don’t realize how important they are until you’ve lived without them. Still, I’m going to have to return all this. It’s not right that I should keep everything.”