The Other Guy: A Textdoor Neighbor Romance

by Van Wyk, Jennifer

  “Let’s do lunch first. I can tell you’re going to go crazy if I make you wait.”

  I look at him and start to peek in the folder but he closes it. “Not until we sit down.”

  “You’re kind of scaring me.”

  “Nothing to be scared about.”

  He shuts off the pickup. “Balance is just around the corner. Might as well walk.”

  “Oh! Okay. Sounds good.”

  For some reason Balance sounds really familiar and I wonder if I’ve seen an advertisement for it. That must be it because I know I’ve never been there.

  Liberty, Michigan, is a beautiful small town. There’s pots of greenery and lights next to black metal benches on the sidewalks. Every store front has beautiful displays and it’s obvious the town takes pride in itself. It’s clean and well kept.

  We round the corner and a delicious smell wafts in the air. I take a deep breath and moan. “Holy crap, I think I just drooled.”

  Kyle chuckles. “I know. Between the cinnamon rolls and coffee at Dreamin’ Beans and the food at Balance, it’s mouthwatering, right?”

  “It is.”

  We walk into Balance, the atmosphere warm and inviting and if I thought it smelled good down the street, the scent inside makes my stomach grumble.

  “Welcome to Balance. How many in your party?”

  “Just the two of us,” I tell the hostess.

  “Follow me,” she says, grabbing two menus. “Booth or table?”

  “Booth, please,” Kyle says after looking at me to confirm I’m okay with his choice.

  “It’s not very busy,” I comment, hoping it doesn’t come out as rude.

  “It’s only eleven. Our lunch rush usually picks up around eleven-thirty so you got here at a good time.”

  “Ahh. Makes sense. It smells way too good in here for it not to be popular.”

  She sits us down at a booth and lets us know that our waitress will be right over.

  The lunch menu is extensive but not overwhelming but I haven’t even come close to making a decision when our waitress joins us.

  “Hi, I’m Harper. What sounds good to drink today?”

  “Iced tea, please.”

  “Coke,” Kyle requests.

  “You got it. Our lunch special today is chicken pot pie which is served with hot apples and the Reuben sandwich. The Reuben is served with your choice of seasoned fries or potato salad.”

  Both of us slam our menus closed, excited for the special options. Kyle asks for the pot pie, as I knew he would, and me the Reuben with potato salad.

  “Great choices. And the chef wanted me to let you know that he’s comping the meal today.”

  “Uh, why?”

  I look to Kyle but he doesn’t seem shocked at all. “I didn’t ask,” she says, shrugging. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

  “Thanks,” I ask, looking around. “What do you think that’s about?”

  “Let’s just enjoy our good fortune, shall we?”

  Harper returns with our drinks and I take a long sip of my tea. “Okay, the folder?”

  “Right.” He places it in front of me and taps it twice. “Have an open mind, okay?”

  “Okay…”

  “You’re my girl, you know that, right?”

  I feel my gaze soften when I nod. “I do.”

  “Good. Good. Well, I’m getting a bit older and wanted to make sure I had everything settled up. Didn’t want to do it earlier because… well, I had my reasons. Now, though, it’s time.”

  “Time for what?”

  “Open it.”

  I look at him as I open the folder and gasp. “Uncle Kyle. What is this?”

  “It’s yours. As soon as you sign in front of a notary, I think. I don’t know for sure. I was too excited to really listen to what the banker was telling me,” he admits with a bright smile.

  I’m shaking my head and pushing the folder away. “No. I can’t accept this.”

  “You can and you will. Who else am I gonna give this to?”

  “Uh, yourself? Kyle, I can’t accept this gift. It’s too much.”

  He takes the folder and puts it aside. “It isn’t. The day you were born, I started putting money away for you. Whenever I’d have a little extra or for your birthday and Christmas.”

  “You always gave me gifts.”

  “This was on top of that.”

  My eyes meet his and I lean forward on the table, speaking softly. “Kyle, there’s way more here than you putting in a ‘little extra’. This is over two hundred thousand dollars.”

  Kyle nods. “It’s not all from me. When your grandpa and grandma died, your dad and I each received an inheritance. I used what I needed to pay off my house and the building the bar’s in. Put the rest of it in this account.”

  With shaky hands, I lift my straw to my lips and take a long fortifying drink of tea, looking at the papers in front of me like they’re going to jump out and bite me. My brain is having a really hard time comprehending. “I don’t understand.”

  Kyle smiles at that. “The fact that you don’t is exactly why I wanted to do this for you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have never once asked for anything. Even when you bought your first car, you didn’t have your parents help pay for it. Not even the insurance or the gas. Your parents could afford it, and you know that, but you’ve never acted entitled to anything you didn’t earn yourself.”

  This is true. When I lived with Jeff, I refused his offer of me not paying rent or utilities. I paid my way through community college and took all my classes at night so I could work during the day. I’d planned to go on to get my Bachelor’s degree but I could never decide what I wanted to study and didn’t want to pay for it if I wasn’t sure.

  Then I started working and still didn’t know. I’ve waited tables, was a receptionist at a dentist office, worked in retail, volunteered at the animal shelter and at one of the grade schools during lunch recess. My interests have always been so wild and scattered that even though my parents offered to pay my way through college, I never wanted to take them up on the offer. It would have been a waste of their money.

  “But… Kyle, this is… I have no words.”

  “Holy crap, I rendered you speechless.”

  “You did. I am seriously in awe right now.”

  He leans back, happy with his news. Honestly, I can’t decide if I’m happy, though. This amount of money means a lot of responsibility.

  “Listen. The money is in this account for you when you need it. It’s yours. I would love to see you open a little store, maybe buy a place, go on a vacation if that’s what you want. The point is, this money was never mine to begin with. It’s always been yours. See? The savings account has always been in your name with me as the secondary. I just had to remove my name. I’m pretty sure you need to go back in to sign some stuff.” He laughs and messes up his hair. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy and carefree before.

  “This is wow, Uncle Kyle. Seriously a big wow.”

  “Here you go. Chicken pot pie and Reuben. Can I get you anything else?” Harper places our plates in front of us.

  “I think we’re good,” Kyle answers for me since I’m still struck silent.

  “More tea and Coke?”

  “That’d be great. Thanks.”

  As soon as Harper leaves, Kyle dives into his pot pie. I pick up one half of my sandwich and take a bite. It’s beyond delicious, probably the best Reuben I’ve ever had. It tastes like homemade corned beef and sour kraut. Neither of us talk for a few minutes as we devour our meals. Aside from the murmurs of how amazing everything tastes, neither of us talk. I take a bite of his and he does the same with mine.

  Halfway through my meal, I look up when I see someone approach then startle when I see Jack’s dad, James. With a mouthful of food, I cover my mouth with my hand and try not to choke on the giant bite of meat and bread I just shoved in my mouth.

  “James! What are you doin
g here?”

  He looks at me then splays his hands out wide. “The chef wanted to make sure your lunch was to your liking.”

  “Oh my gosh, it’s delicious. Do you work here?”

  Kyle snorts and I look at him. “Get there a little quicker, sweetheart.”

  “Huh?”

  “Didn’t you have lunch with James just last week?”

  “Yeah? Oh! Oh, duh! This is your restaurant, isn’t it? That’s why it sounded familiar. Gah, I feel like an idiot. Kyle! Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Figured it would be a helluva lot more fun this way,” he says with a wink and takes another bite.

  “You’re a turd.”

  “That I am. Where do you think you learned it from?”

  I roll my eyes then scoot over a little bit so James can join us. “So you’re the chef who comped our meals,” I say, finally cluing in.

  “Guilty. I can’t let Jack’s friend pay in my restaurant.”

  “Jack’s friend’s uncle appreciates it, too. Great meal, man. You have a crazy amount of talent, you know?”

  “Thanks. Appreciate hearing that. Always. How are you, Kyle? Been a long time.”

  “It has. I’m great. Probably the best day of my life, today, I mean. So far, anyway. Especially right now,” Kyle says with a wink.

  Sitting next to James, I try very hard not to stare at him but damn, he is so good looking it’s ridiculous. If he wasn’t such a nice guy, I think I’d almost feel a little uncomfortable around him. But then again, that’s how I initially felt around Jack, too. Something about both of them, though, puts me at ease.

  “Good to hear. I need to get back into the kitchen before the rush begins but I wanted to come out and say hi. Don’t be a stranger. Stop in any time. Maybe bring my boy with you,” he says with a grin and then squeezes my hand once before sliding out of the booth and walking away.

  Phew. Is it hot in here? My armpits are sweaty and my mouth has gone dry. I take a long drink of my tea and chance a look up at Kyle.

  “You like him.”

  “James? No!”

  “Not James. Jack. You like him and having his dad around made you feel all out of sorts.”

  I choose to finish my sandwich rather than answer.

  “Uh huh. Avoid it all you want but I see it. And approve, in case you were wondering. So will your parents. And if James coming over to say hello is any indication, he does as well. And if he does, no doubt will his wife and Jack’s sister.”

  “Wow, that’s a lot of approval for something that isn’t even a thing. Can we go back to talking about the large sum of money you just handed over?”

  “That’s more comfortable?”

  I swallow hard and lean back, groaning at my too-full stomach. “Yes.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I’d like to donate some. Can’t decide where yet. Maybe some to a women’s shelter and some to an animal shelter.”

  He nods his approval. “Figured you’d do that. Glad to hear it, too.”

  “Maybe it would be better if I left it in the bank for a little bit. You know I’m not the most decisive person in the world so I’d rather wait until I know for sure.”

  “Figured you do that as well. Not glad to hear that, though. You know what you want, you’re just afraid of making the wrong decision.”

  Harper returns with a slice of warm chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream and removes our empty plates.

  “I’m way too full to eat this, too,” I say while picking up the fork and diving in. You’d think that having a stomach bug kick my ass just a few days ago I’d be a little more careful with overeating but nope, I don’t learn.

  “Right?” Kyle agrees, doing the same.

  We dive in, fighting over the extra fudge sauce and demolish the decadent dessert.

  “I am going to have to run five miles to work this off,” I say.

  “You don’t run.”

  “I could start.”

  Kyle laughs loudly.

  “Let’s stop in at the bank before we go to Walmart for Toby’s things. We’ll make sure that you’re settled up there.”

  “I still feel weird accepting it.”

  “I know you do. But indulge an old guy, will ya? I’ve been waiting your entire life for this moment.”

  I think while we put our coats on and walk back out into the frigid winter air. “I’ll only accept it if you promise me one thing.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

  “That you’ll be honest with me if you ever need it back.”

  He looks at me and I slip my arm through his as we walk toward the bank. “Why would I need it back?”

  “What if something happens?”

  “I have insurance for anything I’d need. For any sort of emergency that would arise, I’m covered. And plenty of money in my own savings, too. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not exactly a spender. I’ve ran a successful business for over two decades and before that I had a job that paid me exceptionally well. I have no one to spend my money on aside from you, so why wouldn’t I do this?”

  “I’ll only ask one more time and then I’m done. You’re sure, right? Like sure, sure?”

  “Completely positive.”

  I stop in the middle of the sidewalk and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he murmurs.

  “Why now? You mentioned that you’ve had this for a while?”

  “Let’s just say that I wanted to make sure you were settled first.”

  “What’s that mean?” I ask as he opens the door to the bank.

  Kyle blows out a breath and turns to face me, speaking quietly. “I didn’t trust Jeff. This money is yours, no one else’s to decide what to do with it. Jeff would have tried to dictate where you spent it.”

  He’s right, though I wouldn’t have let him. But it would have caused problems between us for that very reason. I may have been compliant on things that I didn’t care about, like the way the house was decorated and what we had for dinner, but not on the important things. He wasn’t controlling, though when it came to money he always thought he knew more than me.

  “Wow. I wish you’d have told me.”

  “Wasn’t my place to interfere. If things progressed, I would have stepped in.”

  “You’re really the best uncle a girl could ask for. I love you, Kyle.”

  “I love you, too.” He claps his hands together and rubs them against each other. He looks so excited, it makes me excited, too. “Now, let’s go see what the bank needs since I was too scatter brained earlier to pay attention.”

  I giggle and we march into the bank side-by-side.

  And later that night, I realize that Kyle knows me better than I know myself. Rebecca and Mallory are absolutely lovely. Rebecca must have been incredibly young when she had Mallory’s mom because they look like they could be mother/daughter. Mallory and I get along great right from the start. She’s hilarious and like Kyle said, sarcastic, and fun to be around. We have a lot in common, too. While my online store sells pet clothes, hers sells baby and toddler clothes that she makes by hand. Before we leave the bar, we exchange numbers and make a plan to get together Saturday morning for brunch.

  Brunch with a new friend. Something I haven’t done in ages.

  A date with Jack (who accepted my friend request and — oh. my. gosh. — hearted my relationship status making me feel like a teenager again. yayyy! (the part about him liking my status, not feeling like a teen again.))

  A store that wants to sell my clothes for pets. It’s always been a dream of mine that I never had the courage to speak out loud.

  Life is definitely looking up.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  JACK

  Me: How was your day?

  Sierra: I ran errands with Uncle Kyle.

  Me: So to anyone else they’d say they had a sucky day but that’s basically your perfect day.

  Si
erra: You know me well.

  Me: I’m a quick learner.

  Sierra: That you are. How was your day?

  Me: Good. Went to work for a while. Made myself some fettuccine Alfredo.

  Sierra: Gasp! You made pasta and a heavy cream sauce?

  Me: Ha ha. Ha. Very funny.

  Sierra: ***flips hair*** I thought so. For real, though, I’m proud of you. Stepping outside the box on your meals and everything.

  Me: Yeah well, I’ve had some little brat around me causing all sorts of bad influences.

  Sierra: Sounds like an awesome person. You should keep him or her around.

  Me: I agree.

  Sierra: Saturday?

  Me: Saturday.

  I try to think of the last date I’ve been on and can’t remember. That’s a little sad to admit even if it’s just to myself. It’s not that I’ve been actively avoiding dating, but I’m not a one and done kind of guy and I haven’t met any women that interested me enough to pursue.

  Of course, that all changed the minute I met Sierra.

  I know she’s scared and I understand why. I also know we have a long road ahead of us but something tells me it’ll be worth it. She’ll be worth it.

  The wait.

  The patience.

  The end result.

  I look at my dad and see how willing he was to wait until my mom was ready for them to become more than friends and see how much better their relationship is because of his patience.

  Jeff must be a complete moron if he let Sierra go. How could he not see what a catch she is? Or maybe she wasn’t her true self with him.

  I call my cousin Grady, hoping that maybe he can meet up for supper. It’s Friday night and I haven’t seen him in a while. His wife Bri is pregnant with their third baby, though, so it’s likely he’ll want to stay home with her and the other kids.

  He answers on the third ring. “Jack. What’s up, man?”

  “Not much. How’s it going over there?”

  I press my phone between my cheek and shoulder as I throw the clothes into the dryer from the washer.

  “Good. Good. Bri’s feeling better now that we’re in the second trimester.”

  “And how are the boys? Handling mama being pregnant okay?”

  “Yeah, they’re doing good. Hoping for another brother, of course.”