by Lea Hart
“At least they’ll be easy to spot,” Grady responded.
“Come over and get your wine,” Gladys called out.
When everyone had a glass, Agnes offered a toast. “Here’s to Grady’s sex life.”
Sara snorted and tried to stifle a laugh but couldn’t. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
Tipping his glass against Sara’s, he winked. “To having understanding neighbors.” A faint smile flitted across her face as she took a sip of wine. Watching her smile made something in his chest feel tight, and he realized that he didn’t mind the feeling. Not at all.
“I’m ready to watch the show,” Gladys announced. “Grady, are you joining us?”
Sara took her glass and studied him. “I don’t think Grady’s into reality TV, despite what we’ve seen happening on his front porch.” Sara patted his arm and winked. “This is your chance of escaping. Run while you can.”
He wasn’t going to run anywhere. He was going to plant himself next to Sara on the couch and get to know her. “I’m staying.” His eyes roamed over Sara and he grinned. “You don’t know anything about me. Maybe I like watching TV with my neighbors.”
Snorting, she stared at him. “I’ve lived here for almost a year and I can hear just about everything that happens in your house. There’s some kind of weird echo thing that allows me to hear your life in high-def. Trust me, I know more about you than I ever cared to.”
“Everything?”
Her eyes traveled from his shoes to the top of his head, and she grinned. “Yeah. The whole Angelina thing wasn’t a big shock. In fact, I’m surprised the implosion took as long as it did. I had money on it happening three months ago. Unfortunately, Mr. Konwicki won that pool. I redeemed myself. I totally called the fire. I knew she was going to try to burn something down.”
Sara strolled over and plopped down on the couch. “I didn’t see the ax, though. Completely missed that one.”
“That didn’t surprise me,” Gladys commented. “Not one bit.”
Grady followed Sara and lowered himself next to her. “So, how many people were involved in this betting pool?”
“Not that many. Maybe a dozen,” Agnes replied. “Now, everybody be quiet. Let’s watch the show. I have a feeling our bachelorette is going to kiss every single one of the eligible men tonight. I know I would if I were in her shoes.”
Grady leaned over and spoke quietly to Sara. “Really…you can hear everything?”
“Yep. I completely understand why Angelina didn’t want to let you go. Her voice really carried, and I heard…a lot. You may want to close your windows the next time you bring someone home.”
“Why didn’t you say something? You could’ve given me a heads-up,” he replied.
“I’ve spoken less than a dozen words to you over the last year. I wasn’t about to come over and have that be our first conversation. I figured you knew and didn’t care.”
Agnes shushed them from the other side of the couch. “You two be quiet. I can’t hear anything.”
“Turn up your hearing aid,” Sara called out.
Grady sat back and wondered when his life had started to go down the toilet. Being notorious was never something he thought would happen. And, yet, here it was. The show finally caught his attention when all three ladies sighed and clapped their hands. “What just happened?”
“The one she’s interested in confessed he’s falling for her. They just kissed for the first time,” Sara responded.
“Don’t get too excited,” Gladys said. “She doesn’t end up with him. I checked out the website with all the spoilers, and she doesn’t choose him.”
“Don’t tell us any more. I want to be surprised,” Sara responded.
“You know this is a scripted show. None of this is real,” Grady whispered.
“That kiss he just gave her was about as real as things get. Trust me…I know.”
That was a fairly cryptic comment. He studied her for a moment and remembered what Dane had said about her having a lot on her plate. It was time to get to know his neighbor and see what she was all about. It seemed fair, since she’d been in the front row of the freak show that had been his life for the last several months. Plus, she smelled good. Grinning, he settled back and watched the show. If he’d been a betting man, he would have placed money on Sara not having an ounce of drama in her life. He moved his arm along the back of the couch and looked forward to spending time with the girl next door.
CHAPTER TWO
Tuesday
Sara sat at her table and worked on the latest drawing for her graphic novel. The heroine, Clara, was just about to foil the villain with a laser gun, and Sara was trying to get the facial expression correct. Glancing over at her initial drawings, she tried to determine where she had gone wrong. Clara appeared to be constipated, not confident.
The doorbell echoed through the house, and she wondered if she could ignore it. A series of knocks followed, and she knew whoever it was wasn’t going to give up. Standing, she took one last glance at her drawing and shrugged. What am I missing?
A deep voice called her name, and a familiar flash of panic ran through her system. Grabbing her phone, she checked the cameras. Everything was okay. It was only Grady. “Coming.” Breathe in, breathe out. Nothing has happened. Pressing her hand to her heart, she felt it beating wildly against her ribcage. “It’s all fine,” she muttered to herself.
She disengaged the alarm system, pasted a smile on her face, and opened the door. “What brings you to my doorstep this morning?”
“Donuts.” He held up a big pink box and smiled. “I figured if I started to grovel now, I might actually get somewhere by Christmas.”
“I’ll take the donuts, but there’s no need to grovel. Why would you think that?”
“Because my life has spilled onto your doorstep and your backyard for the last several months. I’m the very definition of a bad neighbor.”
“Most of it has been entertaining. Except toward the end of your relationship. Hearing you and your girlfriend fight just made me sad.” She watched him rub his hand over his face, and her stomach did a slow flip-flop. She stared into a pair of ocean-blue eyes that made her think of lazy afternoons at the beach. Clearing her throat, she tried to come up with something snappy. “Well, thanks for the donuts.” Definitely not snappy. She was about to step back and close the door when he put his hand up and stopped her.
“I thought we could share the donuts. There’s a dozen in there.”
“Oh…all right.” She clutched the box and wondered what he wanted. “I suppose you’d like a cup of coffee to go with them?” She watched his head tip back. Laughter rumbled out of his enormous chest. It was a surprise to see a man who appeared to eat nails for lunch laugh so loud. He was well over six feet tall and enormously built. His chest and arms stretched the shirt he was wearing, and his hands looked like they could crush a man’s skull. Nothing about him suggested he had a sense of humor. Hmm…maybe he was full of surprises. “Come in and I’ll make a fresh pot.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
She strolled into the kitchen and slid the box of donuts onto the counter. “Have a seat. It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”
As she got the coffee ready, she sensed his eyes hot on her back and the weight of his stare. It was like being under a microscope. He’d never made the effort to get to know her, and she wondered why he was suddenly interested in hanging out. Maybe he was trying to figure out how much she’d heard over the last several months. Unfortunately, she’d heard plenty because his girlfriend was a loud woman. She expressed her happiness, anger, and sadness all at the same volume. Deafening!
When she turned around and leaned against the counter, she waited for him to say something. He was definitely here for a reason, and it would be interesting to find out what is was.
He leaned on his elbows and smiled. “Where are you from? I know you’re southern, but I can’t place your accent.”
“I’m from Georgia.
I grew up in a small town called St. Marys. It’s not far from Jacksonville, Florida. My dad was in the Navy and was stationed at Kings Bay Submarine Base.” She pulled out two cups and set them down. “Are you from Tennessee?”
“You have a great ear. My parents live in Chattanooga.”
“Your accent isn’t that strong. You must’ve lived away from home for a long time.”
“I left Tennessee when I was nineteen and joined the Navy. I’ve only made it back home for short visits. The years away have lessened my twang.”
The coffeepot beeped, and Sara poured them each a cup. “Do you take anything in your coffee?”
“Just sugar…if you have it.”
She handed him his cup, and their hands lightly touched. Not only did her stomach flip-flop again, but also her fingers felt like she’d touched a live wire. Smiling faintly, she pushed the sugar bowl in his direction. She checked her watch and grimaced. “I can only have one donut, and then I have to head out. I have an appointment and I can’t be late. If I am, then I’m forced to do an additional twenty minutes on the bags.”
“Are you taking a kickboxing class?”
“No, I work out over at Combative Alliance. Richard is trying to make me a badass. It’s slow going, but I’m not giving up hope.”
“The man who owns that is from the Teams. Nick is a great guy and sometimes works with us over at SAI.”
“I love Nick. He’s been my guardian angel and saving grace.”
“What do you…” Before he could complete the question, the doorbell chimed and she moved away.
“It’s a regular party here this morning.” She unbolted the locks and opened it. “Hi, Gladys. What brings you over?”
“I saw Grady walk over with a pink box, so I figured I’d better come over and save you from yourself. You have to be at CA in a bit, and we don’t want Richard giving you a hard time. Well…we do, but he doesn’t seem interested in the hard time we’re thinking of.”
Sara heard Grady choke and try and clear his throat. “Grady doesn’t need to hear about any of that.”
“Oh, I definitely need to hear about it,” Grady said. “It seems only fair since you’ve heard every intimate detail of my life over the last several months.”
Sara checked her watch and decided it was time to escape. “I’m going to head out. You all enjoy the donuts. Gladys, can you lock up when you leave?”
“Sure, honey.” Turning to Grady, she smiled confidently. “Let’s enjoy those donuts. I’m dying to hear how you got involved with Angelina. I’m betting it’s a great story.”
Now that he was in Gladys’s clutches, Sara could make a clean get-away. The interrogation that he was about to receive might rival some of the most difficult questioning he’d ever experienced.
Striding back to her room, she let out a breath of relief. Grady was asking too many questions and showing an interest that neither of them could do anything about. At least, she thought it was interest. Maybe he was just nosy or wanted to even the playing field since she knew so much about him. Either way, it wouldn’t work out. The less people that knew about her—the better. She grabbed her purse and bag, then searched for her ever-disappearing shoes. Maybe they were by the back door. As she walked out of her room, she heard Gladys questioning Grady and wondered how he was holding up.
The look on Grady’s face was comical. His brows were scrunched together, his arms were folded and he was leaning back. Should she save him?
Nah…he was a big, bad spec ops guy. He could handle himself. Spying her shoes by the back door, she let out a sigh of relief. She grabbed them and stuffed them into her bag. “I’m heading out.”
Grady popped off his stool and moved around Gladys. “I’ll go with you. I need to catch up with Nick.”
She stared up at the mountain of a man standing before her and realized that he was pleading with his eyes for an escape. “All right.”
Settling his hand on her lower back, he led her toward the garage. “See you, Gladys.”
“Okay, I’ll see you kids later. I look forward to resuming our conversation. Have a good workout.”
As they stood by the back door, he asked, “Why do I feel like she just made that sound dirty?”
“Maybe you have a filthy mind. I didn’t hear any innuendos.”
“It’s possible that you’re immune and it rolls right off you.” He lifted her bag off her shoulder and placed it in the back seat. “Smart move, backing into your garage. Not many people do that.”
“You never know when you’re going to have to leave quickly.” Opening her door, she climbed in. “Ready?”
“I’m going to run over and grab my bag out of the truck.”
“All right.” She watched him jog over to his truck and whistled to herself. The man had an amazing ass. Full, defined, and filling out his shorts perfectly. Resting her head against the steering wheel, she reminded herself that she couldn’t do anything about the kernel of attraction that was starting to form. Best to ignore it and hope it went away.
Pulling out of the driveway, she studied her house and silently thanked her grandmother for leaving it to her. Had it not been for her, she would still be traveling the country. The possibility of someone tracing her to this small Miami suburb was small, but she never completely ruled it out.
Before she could fall too far into uneasiness, Grady swung the door open and climbed in. “You’ve escaped Gladys the Gestapo. You don’t have to go with me. If you want to run back into your house, I promise not to tattle.”
Pushing his bag into the back seat, he chuckled. “I want to go with you. This works out great.”
She pushed her sunglasses down and drove up the street. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“I’m not desperate. I’m hanging out with a neighbor and sharing a ride.”
Flipping her blinker on, she waited at the intersection. “Okay. We’ll go with that story.”
“What’s your story? What do you do for work?” Grady asked.
“I’m an artist. I used to illustrate children’s books, but I’ve recently gotten into graphic novels. I’ve just started a series, and it seems to be taking off.”
“That’s cool. I don’t have a creative bone in my body. I admire those who do.”
Turning, she checked the oncoming traffic. “Everyone has creativity. It’s just expressed in different ways.”
“I may be the exception to the rule.”
“There is some part of your life in which you express nonlinear thinking.”
“I doubt it.”
“I heard you and your girlfriend in the backyard one night while I was floating in my pool. The sounds you two made were creative. Maybe that’s where you display the most imagination.”
His head swiveled around and he grimaced. “I don’t know what to say.”
“There isn’t much to say.” Driving down the main street, she started humming to herself. Glancing over, she noticed he appeared uncomfortable. She pulled into the back parking lot of CA and found a spot. “I wasn’t trying to listen. I was in my donut float, and I paddled to the side as silently as I could. I was afraid if you heard me, then it would be awkward.” Climbing out of the car, she grabbed her bag. “That seems kind of ridiculous, now that I think about it. You all were loud and, I’m sure, fully involved. I could’ve made all the noise I wanted and it wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“Jeez, Sara. It just keeps getting worse. I’m not a shy man, but knowing my neighbor heard me getting it on with a girl is embarrassing.”
When he came around to her side of the car, she patted his arm. “If the whole warrior thing ever dries up, just know you have a future in erotic films.”
He stared down at the top of her head and let out a groan. “Yeah, there’s that to look forward to. Would you believe me if I told you that my relationship with Ang was the exception to the rule?”
Sara put her hands up as she walked toward the entrance. “Not my pig. Not my farm. No
t my business. I’m not judging you, Grady. I mean…God bless—you found someone to have wild monkey sex with. When is that ever bad news?”
Richard greeted them at the door and grinned. “Who found someone to have wild monkey sex with?”
Sara pointed to Grady. “My neighbor. I was just telling him that he should be grateful for having had the opportunity.” They stood together and said nothing. It hadn’t been her intention to discuss his sex life, but it had happened nonetheless.
“I’m going to find Nick,” Grady remarked. “I’ll come find you in a while.”
He strode down the hall, and Sara called after his retreating figure, “Party pooper.” She turned to see Richard studying her. “Anything you want to ask me?”
His enormous hand rested on her shoulder, and he gave her a sympathetic look. “Are you going to do anything about the little crush you have on G?”
Sputtering, she moved away. “I couldn’t be less interested in him if I took a pill to achieve it.”
Replying in a singsong voice, Richard chanted, “Liar, liar.”
“Whatever.” She turned toward the gym and then stopped. “You saw us interact for less than a minute. What makes you think that I have a crush?”
“The way you looked at him. I’ve only seen you look at pie like that, so I figure you must be interested. Also, your eyes never left his face. Don’t worry—he was doing the same thing.”
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Twirling around, she announced, “I’m going to run for thirty minutes, and then I’ll do twenty minutes on the bag.”
“I’ll come find you in a bit and wrap your hands.” Laughing to himself, he walked toward the offices.
Dom approached and shook his head. “Sara has a little extra sass and sway today. What’s gotten into her?”
“Grady.” Watching his buddy’s expression, he grinned. “That came out wrong. It seems Sara is developing a little crush on G. She’s in heavy denial, so it should be pretty entertaining to see what happens.”
