by Lacey Wolfe
“Thanks for that.”
He nodded and cleared his throat. “I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did the other night. My ex-wife was a big spender. Left me high and dry. So when I see people just spending money, I automatically assume they’re like her. But I don’t know your situation, so it was wrong of me to judge you.”
Wow. He’d just apologized and opened up. He’d mentioned an ex only a time or two in the few years they’d been neighbors. In fact, in the last few weeks, they’d talked more than they ever had.
“I’m sorry. I assure you, I can afford the car.”
He ran a hand through his dark hair and gazed at her with his crystal blue eyes, sending a shiver through her. “It’s just weird to me. I live paycheck to paycheck. If I lost my job, I’d be on the streets in no time.”
She hated to hear that, but she could relate. Her past job had paid well and she’d had a decent amount of money in her savings account. But if it weren’t for winning the lottery, being fired would have left her in a much worse situation. She needed to stop and think about the way things looked to others, especially if she didn’t want to draw attention to herself.
“Anyway,” he stared into her eyes, making her feel like all he saw was her, “I kept up my deal of the bargain for the tree. Do you need help with any yard work?”
“I can do it.” Though he’d be much sexier at it than her. She could just see him pushing a mower with no shirt on, a white towel draped over his tanned shoulders, and his jeans low on his hips.
“All right. Well, I’m gonna finish up. Bo’s at the vet, so I gotta go pick him up.”
Hopefully the dog wasn’t ill. “Is he okay?”
“Yup. Just a routine teeth cleaning.”
Oh the irony. The man made sure his dog’s teeth were clean, yet let him roam around, eating garbage. “See ya around.”
Brad grinned, his white teeth peeking through his lips just a little, then headed back toward his house.
They were on good terms for now, but she never could tell how long that would last when it came to him.
***
Brad grabbed his keys and was stuffing his wallet into his back jean pocket when the sound of his home phone blared through the room. No one ever called that number except bill collectors.
He checked the caller ID. Custom Fencing. That was strange. “Hello.”
“Is this Brad Turner?” a female asked.
“Yeah, who is this?”
“I’m Nancy from Custom Fencing. Your neighbor, Evelyn Parker, gave us your number about having a fence installed.”
“Excuse me?” Evelyn had done what? Anger boiled through him as he clenched his fists. “I don’t need a fence.”
“I’m sorry, sir. She said she was paying for it and we just needed to arrange a time to come over and measure your lawn.” Nancy sounded confused. “Would you like to set up an appointment?”
“Buy me a fence?” What the hell had gotten into his neighbor? He’d thought she’d been joking, but she was serious? “No, she’s fallen off her rocker. I don’t need a fence.”
“Okay. We’re sorry to have bothered you.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he disconnected the call and tossed the cordless phone roughly onto the couch. Evelyn was insane. Absolutely belonged in a loony house. Maybe losing her job had affected her mentally, because this just didn’t make any sense whatsoever.
He needed to go pick Bo up, but first, he needed to pay Evelyn another visit.
After roughly pulling the door shut, he tested the knob to double check it was locked. With heavy feet, he marched toward Evelyn’s. As he climbed the stairs, he made sure his steps thudded loudly. With his fists tight, he banged on the front door. She answered a moment later.
“Brad, hi.” She appeared to be sleepy-eyed, as though he’d woken her.
Normally he’d feel bad about that, but at the moment, he was too pissed to care. “Why did you have someone call me about a fence?”
“Because you need one.”
Not from her wallet he didn’t. “I don’t need one.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.” Why was she arguing with him?
“Yes, you do.”
He groaned and rubbed his temple. “Evelyn, whether or not I need a fence, it’s not your place to buy me one. Got it?”
She leaned her head against the doorway with a defeated expression. “I just wanted to be nice.”
“Nice? Nice is sending someone a card. Or bringing them soup when they’re sick. Not buying them a damn fence!” His blood practically boiled in his veins.
Her pretty mouth dropped open. “You can’t just—”
He kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her body against his the way he’d been wanting to for so long. Her lips parted as she gasped slightly. Brad slipped his tongue in, the sweet taste of strawberries meeting his taste buds.
He couldn’t believe she wasn’t pushing him away. Instead, she moaned softly as he tilted her head up to deepen the kiss. His heartbeat thumped so loudly he could hear it in his ears, and his nerves were on fire as she gripped his shoulders, smooshing her boobs against his chest. He could do this for hours.
Damn it, they weren’t supposed to be kissing. He pushed himself away from her, stumbling backward.
“What was that for?” she asked, her lips swollen from the kiss.
“I needed to get you to be quiet.” That was the best he could come up with, and perhaps he’d believe it as well. The way she stood there, flustered, made him want to grab hold of her again, only this time he’d find her bed.
“Do you always kiss girls to stop them from talking?”
No. That was a first for him in his forty years. He still couldn’t believe he’d done it.
She pulled her hair to the side and over her shoulder, then stepped back and waved her hand. “Go pick your dog up. I’m going back to bed.”
He nodded, because at the moment, his mind was clouded with the thought of following her inside, removing the tank top and yoga pants she wore, and exploring her body. Screw the dog. Bo would forgive him.
“Oh, and just because I like having the last word,” she said, staring at him from the doorway. “You do need a fence.” Then she slammed the door.
He laughed. What else could he do? That woman was a spitfire. She got under his skin and on his nerves, and yet aroused him to the point he couldn’t think straight. He should call a realtor and move away, as far away as possible. However, that wasn’t going to happen. Now that he’d had a taste of Evelyn, he wanted more.
Chapter Five
Eve propped her chin on her knuckle and stared across the booth at her grandmother. For the first time in years, she could see how much Grams had aged. She looked frailer, her hair thinning. “I wish I didn’t have to take you back to the nursing home. Come stay with me.”
Grams set her coffee cup down with a loud sigh. “We’ve been over this. I like it there. It’s not a nursing home. It’s a senior living community. I can still use the restroom on my own.”
She laughed. Her grandmother had certainly not lost her spunk. “But still, I’d love to have you around all the time.”
“I know. However, you have a life of your own. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Who else did she have to worry about? Grams was all the family Eve had. Just the thought of losing her… Well, Eve couldn’t even let her thoughts go there because it meant she’d be all alone. A person wasn’t supposed to lose everyone they loved so early in life.
“So tell me. What have you been buying?” Grams cupped the small, white coffee cup between her wrinkled hands.
“I bought a car, as you know. Just a few little things here or there. I’m thinking of having my backyard done. I’ve always wanted a nice fire pit and tons of beautiful flowers. Oh, and I want to get my neighbor a fence for his dog, but he won’t let me.”
Her grandmother raised an eyebrow. “That cute boy?”
“Did you expect him to just let you buy him something so expensive?”
Not really sure what she’d expected him to do, she shrugged. “Yeah, kinda.”
Grams shook her head with a smirk. “How would you feel if someone wanted to spend a few grand on you?”
Eve would put up a fight and feel insulted someone thought she couldn’t do it on her own. “Guess I wouldn’t like it.”
“Cut him some slack.”
She wanted to do a lot more than cut him some slack. After that kiss…well, she couldn’t think straight. It had been incredibly hot and lit some fire in her she didn’t know she had. She should’ve pushed him away, but when his lips met hers, the world had melted away. It was like time had stopped. She’d never experienced anything like that from a simple kiss. A shiver went down her spine. She didn’t want to know what that meant, either.
Pulling the napkin from her lap, Eve said, “I’ll try. If he could just get a handle on that dog, I’d never have to socialize with him.” Though, she’d been seeing him without Bo a lot lately.
“Socializing is a good thing. You should stop sitting around alone all the time and get out. Might do you some good.”
Oh, great. Was her grandmother going to lecture her again about getting out and being around people? “I do go out with my friends.”
Grams raised an eyebrow. “You’ve lived next to that neighbor of yours a few years, and aside from complaining to him, you know nothing about him. It would do you some good to get to know him. You never know when you might need his help.”
Eve nodded. She wasn’t about to argue with her grandmother. She’d learned long ago that she’d never win. As much as she hated to admit it, Grams was right. There was nothing wrong with being friendly to Brad. Just no more kissing.
Her grandmother yawned. “That coffee isn’t waking me up today. Will you take me home? I’d like to watch my shows and nap.”
“Of course.” Eve looked at the bill the waitress had set on the table a while ago. Then she pulled money from her purse and left it with the check.
Outside, the cool air held an extra chill to it. The weather man had called for rain. From the looks of the sky, that would be happening soon. Maybe she’d clean the garage today so she could park her new car in there.
The nursing home wasn’t far from the restaurant. Eve pulled under the covered drop off and quickly got out of the car before running around to open the door for her grandmother.
“Thank you, dear,” Grams said as she took Eve’s hand and got out of the vehicle.
“I love you.” Eve hugged her grandmother tight. She always hated saying goodbye. With Grams in her eighties, she never knew when she’d say it for the last time.
“Love you, too.”
They held each other a moment longer, then her grandmother patted Eve’s back and went toward the glass entrance. Evelyn stood a moment to watch and make sure Grams got in okay, then climbed back into her car and headed home.
By the time she arrived at her house, the rain pelted against the windshield, making it hard to see. As she pulled into her driveway, however, her vision cleared. All she saw was red.
“I’m going to kill them both,” she muttered as she stared at the tipped over garbage can. With the rain, it was a nasty mess.
She was done. Sick and tired of it. If Brad couldn’t control that dog, then he needed to find Bo a home where someone could, since a fence was out of the equation. It wasn’t fair to his neighbors.
She debated marching over, but his truck wasn’t there. He must be at work, which pissed her off even more. He knew what his dog had done and he’d just left.
When he got home, he was going to get an earful.
***
That evening after work, Brad parked his truck in his driveway. He stole a glance toward Evelyn’s place. Dim lights shone from her windows. Ever since he’d kissed her, he’d been dying to do it again. It was all he could think about. He wasn’t sure if it was her, or if it was because it had been quite a while since he’d been with a woman.
After getting out of his truck, he noticed trash all over her driveway. Bo hadn’t done it, which meant he didn’t have to clean it up. Thank God! He’d left early this morning for a training session, and Bo had been locked in the house all day.
When he entered the house, Bo greeted him, tail wagging. “Hey, boy. Need to go out?” He grabbed the leash and clicked it on the dog’s collar. Then he led him through the house and out the back door. This was the safest way to go to avoid Evelyn, who was most definitely going to blame him for that mess.
The sun peeked through the clouds as it went down for the night. Hopefully tomorrow would warm up enough to dry the grass so he could cut it.
As he walked around the backyard waiting for Bo to quit sniffing and finally get down to business, he wondered what Evelyn was doing. Surely she was beginning to get bored without a job. She couldn’t possibly like being in that house day in and day out, could she? What did she wear all day? Maybe she walked around in tight, black yoga pants and a sports bra. He’d have to drop by unexpectedly just to find out.
“Come on, Bo. Go pee.” Brad jerked the leash slightly to get the dog to stop all the sniffing.
“Brad!” He turned toward Evelyn’s house, but before he could speak, she marched his way with fire in her step. “You’re a jerk! You know that?”
What had he done now? Oh right, she thought his dog had been in her trash. Boy, he couldn’t wait to piss that pretty face off even more. “What exactly did I do now?”
“You let your dog get into my trash, and you left it to get rained on. I’m gonna call animal control. You don’t deserve that dog.”
“Whoa, slow down.” He held his free hand up. “My dog wasn’t responsible for that today.”
She crossed her arms, pushing up her full breasts. “Your dog is the only one who does that.”
“Apparently not. I left at six a.m. this morning for work. He’s been in the house all this time.”
She glared at him, toes tapping in the mushy grass. “He must’ve gotten out somehow.”
This arguing was getting on his last nerve. He raked his hands through his hair. How much more could he take? Did she think she was always right? “I seriously doubt Bo let himself out, then locked himself back in the house. Dogs and cats get in people’s trash. Bo isn’t the only dog who could’ve done it. It could’ve been Mr. Collin’s dog or Betty’s cat.”
As her arms fell to her side, she still looked uncertain. “You’re sure it wasn’t Bo?”
“Yup.” Unless his dog was a magician.
She let out a long breath. Maybe she’d admit defeat, go home, clean up her trash, and leave him alone. As much as it shouldn’t, seeing her all riled up turned him on. He bet make-up sex with her would rock. He’d fight with her just for the sex.
“I think I might need to install some cameras, and each time a dog comes and gets in my trash, I’m sending the video to animal control.” She glanced at his dog. “Got it, Bo?”
The Lab’s ears perked up when she said his name and his tail started to wag. Before Brad could yank on the leash, the dog leapt up to place his muddy paws on Evelyn’s white shirt.
Stumbling, she stepped back and almost fell over. “Why did you let your dog do that?”
Brad laughed. “You don’t know much about animals, do you?”
“I’ve never had one, no. My dad was and grandmother is severely allergic.”
Wow, he’d always had a dog, and his mom liked cats, though he had no idea why. “You really missed out.”
“Anyway—” He could tell by the way her arms were now wrapped around her midsection that she didn’t want to talk about it. “—I guess I need to go clean up that nasty mess in my driveway before the Homeowners’ Association knocks on my door.”
Bo tugged on the leash. “All right. See ya.”
She walked away and Brad headed toward his back door, but his gaze followed her. He shouldn’t care that she had to clean up after someone’s dog. He really, really shouldn’t. But damn it, something tugged at his heart strings. He opened the back door and let Bo inside.
***
Eve grabbed a rake and shovel from the garage. She then propped the garbage can back up and left the lid off. Groaning, she raked the stinky, mushy trash into a pile, one that would hopefully be easy to shovel into the garbage can.
Stupid dog. Whichever dog it was. She was so sick of this. It wasn’t like she didn’t like dogs. She couldn’t understand why the four-legged creatures were so attracted to her garbage can. She didn’t see other people’s knocked over. Just hers.
“Need help?” Brad asked from behind her.
She screamed and placed her free hand over her chest. “You scared me.”
“Sorry about that.” He’d changed from his gym clothes into a pair of jeans and loose, gray T-shirt that was tight across his muscular chest.
What was he doing here? Hadn’t he and his dog done enough? Hell, her shirt was ruined now. The exact shirt Carrie had bought Eve for her birthday. Damn dog. “Can I help you?”
“Nope. I came to help you.” He picked up the shovel from beside the garbage can.
“Why?”
He scooped up some trash and dumped it in the can. “Just being a good neighbor.”
She wasn’t going to question it, so she kept raking the pile while he scooped. A few minutes later, the mess was cleaned up and she felt the need for a long, hot shower with some of the strongest smelling body wash she had to cover the odor lingering in her nostrils.
Brad held the shovel in his hands and leaned his body slightly against it. Even though they both stunk of trash, he was sexy. She couldn’t help but stare at his bulging biceps. Were they hard and firm? He shook his head, tossing the wet hair from his eyes.
“Let’s put the ill-feelings behind us.” He stared at her again in a way that made her feel like all he could see was her.
