Neanderthal Next Door: Enemies to Lovers, Mountain Man Next-Door, Halloween Romance

by K. C. Crowne

  “Shoot,” I said. “There must be something wrong with the solar panels.” Really, I was just guessing based on what Adam had said when he’d come by.

  “Does that mean the power’s off forever?”

  I didn’t get a chance to respond before a knock sounded at the door. “Who is it?”

  “Imo’s Pizza!”

  Parker’s curiosity about the power vanished, replaced with excitement about the pizza. “What?” he asked. “Did you really order some?”

  “Nope,” I said, going to the door. I opened it, and a skinny, teenaged delivery driver was on the other side.

  “Alright,” he said, opening the Velcro-sealed pizza bag. “I got one extra-cheese-extra-meat, another just extra-cheese. That’s forty-two-fifty, plus the extra twenty you offered for driving all the way up here. And you insisted on cash.”

  “Ok, sorry,” I said. “I didn’t order any pizza.”

  He was confused. “Are you Mrs. Anderson?”

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Parker’s face light up at the mention of Hunter.

  “Oh,” I said, getting it. “You have the wrong address.”

  Over his shoulder a huge figure appeared in the distance, reminding me for a moment of that blurry footage of a Bigfoot sighting.

  “Hey,” Hunter said, his deep voice carrying through the woods. “Saw you drive to my house and keep going, thought I’d follow you.”

  “So this is you?” the deliveryman asked.

  “It’s me.” He slipped his wallet out of his back pocket and took out a crisp hundred.

  The delivery man's eyes widened at the sight of the bill before he quickly calmed himself back down. “Uh, we don’t carry change for bills that size,” he said. “Sorry – company policy.”

  “Didn’t ask for change,” Hunter grumbled. “Just get my address right next time.”

  Still seeming to think it was some kind of trick, the driver regarded the bill hesitantly before taking it. “Uh, thanks!” he said, quickly shoving the bill into his pocket before hurrying back to his car as if Hunter might change his mind at any moment.

  He pulled off and was gone, leaving Hunter and me alone on the porch, the smell of pizza in the air.

  “Sorry about that,” he said in his usual low, gruff voice.

  “Easy to get lost up here, I suppose.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, tension thick in the air.

  Parker appeared at my side. “Is that pizza? From Imo’s?”

  “Sure is, big man,” Hunter answered.

  “Can we have some?” he asked. “Mom was making dinner and all the lights went off…”

  “Parker!” I said, my voice sharp. “You can’t just ask people for their food.”

  “But he has two pizzas,” he said, pointing up at the boxes. “How come we can’t have one of them?”

  My face went hot with embarrassment as I looked at Hunter. “Kid logic,” I said, as if that explained it all.

  But Hunter didn’t seem to notice my words. Instead, he stepped back from the house and looked around. “Your power went out?” he asked, his eyes narrowed in searching.

  “It’s no big deal,” I said, waving a dismissive hand. “We’ll call someone tomorrow.”

  “It’s these solar panels,” he said, going on as if I hadn’t spoken. “Haven’t been looked at in God knows how long.” He glanced back down at Parker. “You hungry, champ?”

  “Yeah!” The response was instant.

  Hunter stuck out the pizza boxes toward me as he stepped closer to the house. Surprised, I took them.

  “You got any tools?”

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he had in mind.

  “N-no,” I stammered. “You don’t need to—”

  But when he turned those steely eyes on me, eyes that made it clear there was going to be no talking him out of it, I relented.

  “Sure,” I said. “Somewhere around here.”

  He nodded, wordlessly urging me to get them. I went into the house, setting the pizzas on the counter. Parker was close behind.

  “I’m so hungry,” he moaned dramatically.

  “Park, set the table for three while I get the tools for Mr. Anderson, okay?”

  “Is he eating dinner with us?” He couldn’t have been more thrilled.

  “We’ll see. But set a place for him just in case.”

  “Yes!” Parker went to work without another word. I grabbed the red toolkit from the closet and went back out to Hunter. He was still looking around, trying to find a place to start.

  “Here,” I said. “Not sure if it’ll be—”

  “It’s fine,” he said, cutting me off. “I’ve got an idea what it is – shouldn’t take too long. Go ahead and eat.”

  He didn’t wait for a response before taking the kit and heading around the house. Not sure what else to do, I went back inside and joined Parker. He opened the box for one of the pizzas, steam rising from the food.

  “When’s Mr. Hunter coming?”

  “Mr. Anderson, and I’m not sure. Whenever he’s done, I guess.”

  We started eating, Parker going on and on about Hunter, how cool he was and all that. And it wasn’t halfway into the first slice before the power clicked back on, the house flooding with electricity.

  “Cool!” Parker exclaimed. I knew he could fix it!”

  Hunter appeared at the door a few moments later. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his toned forearms. His hands were covered in grease and dirt. It struck me as silly, but I couldn’t help but notice in that moment how much he looked like a man. A man that very much reminded me that I was a lonely woman.

  “You fixed it!” Parker exclaimed.

  “Sure did, bud.” He glanced at me as he headed to the sink to wash up.

  “What was wrong?” I asked.

  “Corrosion in the panels, a few microcracks. What cut off the power was the wiring giving out. I managed to snip out the bad parts and reconnect, but you’re going to be dealing with more and more outages until the deeper issues have been sorted out.”

  He walked to the table, dropped into one of the seats, and grabbed a slice of the meat covered pizza. Hunter took a big bite, most of the slice vanishing.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I murmured.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  I got the sense he wasn’t in the mood for fawning thank-yous.

  “How did you fix it?” Parker asked with eager eyes. “Can you show me?”

  “He’s already done enough,” I told Parker. “You don’t have to pester him with questions.”

  “If your mama gets some new panels, I’ll install them,” Hunter told Parker. “And you can watch me. How’s that sound?”

  “That sounds cool,” Parker said happily.

  I opened my mouth to offer another you don’t need to do that, but he cut me off again. “I know a guy in Seattle,” he said. “Panels aren’t cheap, but I can get you a deal. I’ll give you the number.”

  “O…Okay,” I said.

  He nodded, taking another bite of his pizza. Within a couple of minutes, he’d put away almost the entire piece. I wasn’t sure if he was hungry or if he just wanted to get out. But when he was done, he stood up and wiped off his hands.

  “You can have the rest. I’ll be in touch about the panels.” Hunter turned and left without saying another word.

  “Hey!” I said, getting up and following him.

  He stopped once he was outside, turning around. The look on his face was hard, inpatient even.

  “Thanks,” I said. “You don’t have to do all of this.”

  “It’s fine. Just try to stay on top of this stuff or it’ll end up costing you way more in the long run.” He glanced at Parker when he walked out and stood next to me. “See ya ‘round, bud.”

  “Bye, Mr. Anderson.”

  Parker and I watched Hunter walk off the property and vanish around the corner. We both wondered just who this man was, and how our lives were going to c
hange forever with him around.

  Hunter

  I was picking at my lunch of a tuna sandwich, part of me wishing I’d kept a little pizza for myself, when my phone rang.

  “What’s up Hugh?” I asked, putting the phone on speaker as I got up, pulling open one of the window curtains and letting in some light. It was a little less dreary out than it had been, but there were enough grey clouds floating in the sky, temporarily blotting out the sun, for it to feel like rain might start up again at any moment.

  “Not much – just checking in, seeing how you’re acclimating.”

  “You going to mommy me like this every day?” I asked.

  “Don’t be a shithead, Hunt. You’re up in the middle of the woods without a friendly face for miles. Let your friend check in on you.”

  As much as I wanted to be left alone, part of me did appreciate Hugh calling. “I know, I know. I’m fine. Just trying to plan my day.”

  “Let me guess – some staring out of the window, then some push-ups, then dinner alone, all followed by a couple of beers then bed.”

  “You know me so well,” I said. “You got a better idea?”

  “Well, I’m glad you managed to get that job at the shop. How’s that working out for you, anyway?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Just fine?” he asked.

  I tore off a piece of bread from my sandwich and popped it into my mouth, not answering.

  “Come on. I know your big plan was to move out there and rot in the woods like a tree trunk that got split by lightning, but you can’t tell me it doesn’t feel good to be useful, doing something with your hands.”

  As he spoke, it wasn’t the auto shop that came to mind, but my evening over at Mandy’s. Being able to take care of her solar panel problem – if only temporarily – had felt pretty damn nice.

  “Alright, maybe a little.”

  “There you go.” His voice was eager, as if I’d said exactly the words he’d wanted to hear. “I knew it’d be good for you. Maybe a little more time and you’ll rethink this whole ‘hermit Mountain Man’ thing.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that.”

  I took another bite, and as I chewed, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye through the window I’d just opened. It was a graceful figure, moving slowly and delicately. For a moment, before I laid eyes on it, I thought it might be a deer.

  But it was no deer – it was Mandy.

  “Fucking hell,” I said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “One of my neighbors thinking me not telling her to fuck off means we’re buddy-buddy.”

  “Now, that’s some good news.”

  “The hell it is. I’m not a fan of unexpected drop-ins.”

  “Don’t be a prick – some people just want to be friendly, believe it or not. Anyway, I’m coming into town again before too long.”

  “You’re coming in again? What the hell for?”

  “Try not to sound so excited. But, uh, I’ve got some business to take care of. We’ll grab lunch. That work?”

  I was curious as hell, trying to imagine what kind of business Hugh could have in town. If it were about checking up on me, he would’ve just said it. Something else was going on. But a knock at my front door derailed my train of thought.

  “Yeah, that’s fine. Just let me know first.”

  “Sure, sure. Talk to you soon, bud.”

  I hit the end button on my phone, trying to get myself in the right frame of mind for Mandy’s visit. When I was ready, I stepped over to the door and opened it.

  Maybe it was because it’d been a long time since I’d been with a woman, but the sight of her standing there nearly made me hard on the spot. She was dressed in her usual tight, form-fitting jeans, the flannel shirt she had on straining over her full tits. But I could tell she wasn’t dressed to attract – a woman as fucking hot as her couldn’t help it.

  “Hey!” she said, a friendly smile on her lips as she spoke. “How are you?” I glanced over her shoulder. Confused, she did the same, turning her head. “You expecting someone else?”

  “Force of habit,” I said. “Especially when someone stops by uninvited.”

  Her smile fell – she was clearly a little hurt by my words. I tried to remember what Hugh said about not being a prick.

  “Just having some lunch. What’s the occasion?” It almost physically hurt to be friendly.

  Mandy glanced over my shoulder, getting a glimpse of the interior of the cabin. It was dark and dingy, and I still hadn’t bothered to unpack what few things I owned. I could only guess what she thought when she peeked inside.

  “I was thinking about what you did for Parker and me last night.”

  “The pizza? It’s fine.”

  “The pizza and the whole fixing-my-electricity situation. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Well, it’s done. And I’ll check into the cost of the supplies. Anything else?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t come over here to bother you about that. When the power went out last night, I’d been in the middle of making dinner. I figured I’d give the recipe another shot tonight, and it occurred to me that you might be in the mood for a home cooked meal.”

  She glanced again over my shoulder, and I looked back too. The contents of the trash – tuna cans, beer bottles, and beef jerky wrappers – likely gave her a good idea of how long it’d been since I’d had anything like a home cooked meal.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I can take care of dinner on my own.”

  “I’m sure you can – no doubt a guy like you is more than capable of opening his Slim Jims all by himself.” She smirked, and while my face remained stony, I had to admit deep down that her joke was a little funny. “But seriously, it’s not like we’re having a dinner party or something. Just me and you and Parker and some chicken and rice. Maybe a little ice cream after, if you’re good.” Mandy winked.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the door frame. She gazed up at me with expectant eyes, and I had a feeling she wasn’t about to take no for an answer.

  “Alright, fine. What time?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Be there at six.”

  “Do I have to, uh, bring anything?”

  She shook her head. “Only yourself. See you then.”

  She flashed me another smile before turning and taking off. My eyes stayed glued to her full, round ass while she left, and I let out a sigh when she was gone. Now Hunter, what the hell have you gotten yourself into? I shut the door and shook my head, grabbing the curtain and yanking it shut in frustration, as if it were the cause of the situation I was in.

  So much for a life of solitude.

  I checked my watch, seeing that I had around five hours before it was time to head over for dinner.

  Mandy being there and getting a good look at the interior of my home made me more aware of the mess in the kitchen, so I set to cleaning, putting all the trash into a few black bags and tossing them into the back of my truck.

  Living out in the sticks the way I did meant I wasn’t on any garbage route, so I decided to drive into town to drop my trash off at the dump. Once that was done, I swung by the liquor store in town. Mandy had said not to bring anything, but I knew enough about social graces from my time being married to know that you didn’t show up to dinner empty handed.

  I grabbed a six-pack of cheap beer – my drink of choice aside from bourbon and headed out. The sky was beginning to darken as I climbed back into my truck, and I killed the rest of the afternoon by stopping by Sam’s to use his wi-fi to look at solar panel parts.

  And as much as I didn’t want to admit it, tension was building in my gut at the idea of dinner. I wasn’t scared, but I wanted to be damn certain I didn’t let myself get close to Mandy or her kid.

  No connections. That was the rule.

  When it was time, I went home, showered, then threw on a fresh flannel and jeans. Six-pack in hand, I considered how it was the closest thing I�
�d had to any social outing since my life turned to shit. Aside from lunches with Hugh.

  Along with the six-pack, I grabbed a small cord of wood I’d set aside. I stepped out of my cabin and headed to Mandy’s. Rain began as I walked, sparse, cool drops falling on my face and actually feeling pretty damn nice.

  Parker was out front playing with what looked to be some action figures. His eyes locked on mine, his expression bright and eager as he ran over. Something about the kid thawed my icy demeanor, much as I tried not to let him.

  “Mr. Anderson!” he cried, running over, a green action figure in his hand. He threw his arms around my legs, barely able to wrap them around.

  “Uh, hey kid.” Not knowing what else to do, I patted him awkwardly on the upper back.

  “That pizza was so good. I wanted to have it for breakfast, but Mom wouldn’t let me.”

  “That’s probably a good call.”

  “Evening.” I glanced up to see Mandy at the entrance. “He’s been really looking forward to tonight, in case you can’t tell.”

  “I can tell,” I said.

  Parker let go of me and took my hand, using all his strength to pull me toward the house. I kept the wood cord under my arm, the six-pack dangling by my fingers. I decided to play along.

  “Whoa!” I said, stumbling, pretending that he was strong enough to move all two-hundred-and-forty pounds of me. “Easy, big man!”

  Parker laughed, loving it. And the warm expression on Mandy’s face made it clear she felt the same way.

  “Check this out!” he said, holding up his toy and showing it to me. “Do you know the Incredible Hulk?”

  “Of course I do, big guy. He was around when I was your age.”

  Parker gave me a curious look, as if he couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea that I was once the same age as him.

  “Well, he’s really big,” he said, continuing as if I’d asked him to explain. “But not all the time. When he’s calm he’s just a regular guy. But when he gets angry or someone is mean to his friends, he gets so mad and changes into this.”

  “That’s something else,” I said, pretending this was new information.

  “I’m glad you came,” Mandy said. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Mhmm,” I replied as I let Parker drag me over the threshold. The scent of chicken was thick in the air as I stepped into the cabin, some familiar music playing on speakers. “Smells good.”