Dirty Neighbor (The Dirty Suburbs)

by Miller,Cassie-Ann L.

  I stare at him, puzzled. “He needs a swa-what?”

  “He needs to be swaddled,” Keeland repeats as he moves into the kitchen. “For small babies like this, swaddling reminds them of being in their mother’s womb. Just bring his diaper bag in here.” The baby’s cries have already subsided from loud, pleading wails to a soft, tearless whimper.

  I do as I’m told, swiping the pale blue diaper bag from the foot of the couch. I set it down on the kitchen table and open it wide. Keeland snuggles Sebastian with one arm and uses the other to reach in and grab a small mat, diapers and wipes.

  I stand off to the side and watch as he sets Sebastian down on the mat to change his diaper. “Wow — I don’t call you Mr. Pooh for nothing,” I say peering over Keeland’s shoulder at the turmoil in the baby’s soiled diaper.

  Then, Keeland takes a thin, cotton blanket, folds it into a triangle and sets the baby down in the middle. He wraps Sebastian up tight like a little burrito.

  “What are you doing?” I panic. “You’re going to suffocate him!”

  Keeland gives me a scolding stare. “Shh…” he says in a whisper. “You’ll get him all anxious again.”

  I watch as Keeland holds Sebastian close and rocks him, shushing quietly into his ear. Within minutes, Mr. Pooh’s eyes flutter shut and his breathing evens out.

  “He’s sleeping?” I whisper, grinning at Keeland in awe.

  He grins back with a nod, mouthing the word ‘yes’. Then, he looks away from me and stares down into Sebastian’s face. His eyes are full of tenderness and affection, a stark contrast to his rough, rugged bad boy exterior.

  You hear that crack-pop-boom?

  That's the sound of my ovaries exploding because seeing Keeland Masters with a baby wrapped up in his strong, tatted arms is beyond sexy. I've never seriously entertained the thought of procreating. The idea of popping a tiny human being out of my body has never appealed to me but the visual in front of me has me second-guessing my position…Seriously hot.

  Snap out of it, Samantha! I remind myself that this man does not deserve my…swoony-ness. He’s a jerk. And I hate him.

  He walks into the living room and sets the baby down in the Moses basket on the carpet. He sits on floor and continues to stroke Sebastian’s chest.

  “That was amazing,” I say in a hushed voice, sinking down onto the carpet next to him.

  He shrugs and gives me a smug wink. “What can I say? I’ve got the magic touch…You should give it a shot some time.”

  Shaking my head, I ignore his suggestive remark and veer the conversation elsewhere. “Where did you learn that?”

  I can see the trepidation on his face even in the low-lit living room, but then, he says, “I dated a girl who had a baby.”

  My eyebrows jump in surprise. “A baby? A newborn baby?”

  He gives me an impish, one-sided grin. “Yup.”

  “Was it your baby?”

  He shakes his head. “Nope. She was pregnant when we met.”

  I think my jaw just hit the carpet. “You picked up a pregnant girl?”

  Keeland is quiet for a while, seemingly caught in his own thoughts. “I loved that kid like he was my own.”

  “You must have really loved his mom, too. Taking on a baby is a big responsibility.”

  When he speaks again, I’m not sure if he’s really talking to me or if he’s just vocalizing his internal dialogue. “I thought I loved her. I proposed to her…We planned a wedding…I look back now and I realize that I probably just needed a family, some stability. I moved around my whole life. Maybe I just wanted roots. Maybe that’s why I got involved with Rhys.”

  Rhys. That’s the name of the girl from his Facebook page. The tattooed blonde with a pierced tongue and a bad attitude.

  “Stability?” I say. “I never pegged you as the type of guy who’d want to settle down. Especially in your 20s.”

  He looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. “Why? Because of my stunning good looks and bad boy charm?” he asks facetiously.

  I ignore his comment, fighting a smile away from my lips. Instead, I ask, "How did you meet her? Rhys?”

  He gives me his best shame-face. I’ve got to admit — it’s a really handsome shame-face.

  “Do you really want to know?" he asks.

  I laugh. “After seeing the facial expression you just made, now I really want to know."

  He exhales roughly. "She came to my tattoo shop for a nipple piercing."

  I collapse against the side of the couch, howling with laughter.

  The baby startles. “Shhh,” Keeland scolds, nudging me in the shoulder.

  “Oh my god,” I whisper, struggling to breathe as I clasp my hand over my mouth. “She came to you for a nipple piercing? I can just imagine you telling your future kids that story. 'Daddy, how did you meet Mommy?', 'Well son, Mommy came to me — while she was pregnant — to get her nipples pierced and I just knew she was the one."

  He starts laughing too, absorbing the utter ridiculousness of the situation. "Actually it was more like, 'Son, once I saw your mother’s perky tits, I knew I had to come all over them.'"

  "Eww. Gross." And the harder I laugh, the harder he laughs. And then, tears are streaking down my face.

  Sebastian stirs and Keeland strokes his tummy, helping him to settle again. “But in all seriousness,” he whispers. “She wasn’t showing yet when we met. And by the time she told me that she was pregnant and I realized that those gorgeous tits were the result of the crazy pregnancy hormones flooding her body, I kind of just wanted to be there for her, for them.”

  I stare at him, softening just a bit. “Wow. That’s really honorable,” I murmur. I’m truly impressed that Keeland stepped up to the plate to take care of a responsibility that he could have easily walked away from. Now, I’m having second thoughts about all the judgments I’ve made against him. Maybe if I look beyond my rage for a fraction of a second, I might discover that Keeland Masters is somebody I could actually like.

  Then, he turns the tables on me. “So, when was the last time you had a boyfriend?”

  I sigh ruefully. “I guess that would be Lenny. Almost two years ago.”

  “Lenny? Seriously?” he asks, incredulous.

  It’s my turn to nudge him in the shoulder. “Met him at the library when I was living in Chicago. He helped me study for my CPA exam. Against my better judgment, I let him move in with me after my roommate abandoned me in the middle of the lease. Big mistake. He had the personality of a potted plant and he would constantly leave his wet bath towel on my leather sectional, so it really wasn't hard to let him go when I found out he was cheating on me.”

  “A guy named Lenny cheated on you?" Keeland asks with furrowed brows.

  I release a thick breath. I’m silent for a moment as I stew in my shame. Then, I chuckle. "And Daniel came all the way down to the city to kick his ass. The moving truck was just peeling away from the curb in front of my building when my brother pulled up in his full-size Mercedes with his cap on backwards and his baseball bat.”

  Keeland laughs, too. “Lenny…” He shakes his head sympathetically. “There’s no way some guy named Lenny is good in bed.”

  I lean back against the side of the couch. "Sex is overrated."

  “Psh. Whaaattt?” He looks at me like I just sprouted a second head.

  I shrug. “I’ve faked my fair share of orgasms. Sometimes you just need to get it over with. Because it’s 9:45 on a Tuesday night and you have a big presentation at the staff meeting the next day or it’s the middle of a Saturday afternoon and that mountain of laundry on the bedroom floor won’t do itself even though you’re kind of excited to try out that new sex trick you read about in Cosmo.”

  He scoffs at me. “Spoken truly as the ex-girlfriend of some chump named Lenny.” His pale blue irises twinkle as he looks me deep in my eyes and says, “But when we have sex, I assure you that you won’t be thinking about the laundry.”

  A flood of awareness rushes into the space between
my thighs and I feel heat run up my neck. “When?” Suddenly, I’m very conscious of how close we’re sitting and how masculine he smells.

  He’s still holding my gaze, a confident glint in his eye. “When…”

  Now, I’m blushing profusely. And it’s hot in here. Really hot. Fire crawls across my skin and my heart beats faster than ever. “How did we end up talking about this anyway?”

  Just then, Sebastian stirs again. Keeland presses his index to his lips. “Shhh.” He turns his attention back to the Moses basket but he’s still wearing that smug twist on his lips.

  Chapter 19

  Sammie is asleep now, snoring lightly, her head leaning against my shoulder. The sweet scent of her curls around me like a blanket, making me feel warm inside and out. Sebastian is still snoozing, too, in his little Moses basket.

  And me, I’m sitting here in the quiet living room, grinning from ear-to-ear like an idiot.

  She smiled at me. For the first time in eight years. And I felt my heart do a little, geeky Carlton dance.

  The sound of her laughter still fills my mind. She’s pretty when she laughs. I’ve wanted to see her do that since I showed up in Reyfield.

  And tonight, it happened.

  I glance from the woman sleeping at my left to the baby sleeping at my right. This is what I used to dream about – a family. It’s what I wanted with Rhys.

  But she turned out to be a deceitful, treacherous bitch.

  So, fuck that.

  Now, I realize that I don’t need a commitment. All I want to do is fuck. To be more precise, all I want to do is fuck Sammie Trotten, the most off-limits girl around.

  Daniel would slice off my balls and shove them down my throat if he knew the thoughts I’ve been having about his sister. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine she’d grow up to be so insanely hot.

  And as I’m defiling her in my mind, I hear keys jingling in the lock. Before I have the chance to nudge Sammie off of my shoulder, the front door swings open. Grace is frowning as she steps over the threshold and Daniel follows behind her, looking completely exasperated.

  Pure shock covers both of their faces when they peer into the living room and find me sitting between Sebastian and Sammie.

  I give them an awkward greeting as I gently shake Sammie awake. Her eyes slowly blink open and she recoils, pinning me with a strange look. It takes her a moment to fully register where she is and what’s going on.

  “Hey…” Grace says softly as she tiptoes into the living room. She heads straight for her sleeping baby. “Was he good?” she asks as she eases him into her arms.

  Sammie stands up, nervously straightening her hair and her clothes. “Yeah. Yeah. He cried a bit. And Keeland came over to help. He really saved my butt.” She offers her sister-in-law a guilty smile.

  Grace’s suspicious little eyes bounce between Sammie and me. Then, she wordlessly spins on her heels and walks over to where the baby’s car seat is sitting next to the fireplace.

  “I had some old tricks in my bag. Worked like magic,” I say teasingly, hoping to ease the tension in the room but when I glance over at Daniel, he’s shooting daggers my way. I quickly turn away from him. “Here, let me help you out,” I say to Grace as I scoop up the Moses basket before going into the kitchen and gathering up the diaper bag.

  An uncomfortable silence falls over the room as Grace slips a hat over Sebastian’s head before sheathing him with a warm quilt. I pad over to Daniel, handing him his kid’s stuff. “Hey buddy,” I say with fake exuberance.

  He leers at me. “We’ll talk tomorrow,” he says as he yanks the things from my hands and stomps out the door.

  Grace picks up the car seat and follows slowly behind her husband. Just before she steps onto the porch, she turns back to us and shakes her head. “He’s not gonna be happy about this…”

  I see Sammie pull in a steely breath as she closes the door. She knows what I know.

  Hurricane Daniel is starting to pick up speed and it might get ugly.

  Chapter 20

  I’m leaning against the kitchen sink, nibbling on the edge of a bagel when Daniel’s car pulls into the driveway.

  Shit!

  After what he walked in on last night, I can’t say that I’m surprised to see him but I expected that I’d at least be able to get my coffee in before having to deal with him today. I grab my mug and take a long swallow of my café au lait as he walks up the back steps wearing a wool coat over his dark gray pinstriped suit. He taps on the window.

  I give him a small wave before padding over to the door and pulling it open. “Hey!” My voice comes out all high-pitched and chirpy.

  “Hey kiddo.” He ruffles my hair before he kicks off his shoes and strolls into the house. He heads straight for the kitchen cabinet and grabs a coffee mug.

  “What are you doing over here so early?” I say as I reclaim my spot on the edge of the sink. “I heard that Gracie’s withholding sex. Is she withholding coffee now, too?” I joke in a snarky tone. It’s probably not funny to poke at my brother’s marital woes but I can’t help it. I’m desperate to lighten the mood in here.

  “Ha!” he says mirthlessly before he reaches into the drawer and grabs a spoon. “Just came over to say thanks for watching Sebastian last night.”

  Yeah, right.

  “It’s nothing. I’d watch Mr. Pooh any time. You know that.” I shrug and take a small sip of coffee as my brother opens the fridge and grabs the milk. “You really didn’t have to drive all the way over here just to say ‘thanks’.”

  “So…Keeland dropped by to help?” He says it so nonchalantly that I almost mistake it for an innocent question. Almost.

  I lift my shoulder again. “He heard Sebastian crying and he came over. Said his ex-girlfriend had a baby.”

  My brother is silent as he stirs the milk into his coffee and returns the near-empty carton to the fridge. He looks over at the piles of Master Ink paperwork sitting on the kitchen table. “And you’re helping him with his accounting?”

  I nod. “Keeland needs a bookkeeper and I need money…”

  He leans against the cold, stainless-steel refrigerator and stares at me. “Look, Sam — I love Keeland like a brother. Even after all these years, he's still my closest friend. But I don't want you to get tangled up with him. You hear me? A lot has happened to him over the years. He's not the same guy we went to high school with.”

  I roll my eyes. Daniel takes his role as big brother way too seriously. I’m not a child anymore and I don’t need him to pry, especially since there’s nothing to pry into. “I’m not getting ‘tangled up’ with Keeland,” I say defensively as I draw air-quotes around the words. “We aren’t even friends. He just came over to help with your son. You should be thanking him.”

  I spent last night awake, thinking about Keeland and the way he looked as he rocked Sebastian to sleep, the way he gazed at me as we talked about our past relationships, the lust that tickled my core when he implied that he was going to fuck me. I get a little flushed as it all replays in my head.

  “Sam, I’m serious,” Daniel watches me sternly. “Girls like you don’t belong with guys like Keeland.”

  What the hell is that supposed to mean? ‘Girls like me’?

  What? Am I not pretty enough? Or thin enough? Or…I don’t know. Well, thanks a bunch, big brother!

  “Don't you have a will to go draft or an estate to go inventory or whatever other soul-sucking shit probate lawyers do?” I ask sarcastically as I move towards the door.

  Thankfully, he follows me. "At least I have a job…A real job,” he scoffs at me.

  I lean in and straighten his crooked necktie. “Congratulations to you,” I say holding the door open. “Now, go do it.”

  He grunts and leans in to kiss my forehead just before he slides into his shoes. “Be good, okay, Sam?” He gives me earnest eyes. Eyes that say ‘I’m only doing this for your own good’. I know he’s meddling but he’s my big brother and if he’s warning me about his best fr
iend, maybe I should trust that he knows what he’s talking about.

  “I’m always good,” I say quietly as he treks down the stairs and jumps into this Mercedes.

  Chapter 21

  The weather in Reyfield is schizophrenic.

  One day, it’s sunny and warm and half the soccer moms on Thornbush Lane are running their errands in short-shorts. Next day, snow is falling like manna from the sky. Tonight, it’s raining. Hard.

  I lie awake in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. And I’m thinking about Sammie.