Thirteen

THIRTEEN

Brock

"I wanted to see how the rest of your weekend panned out."

For as long as I could remember, I'd always been a handy guy. I enjoyed building things, fixing stuff, and working with my hands.

My job and my side gig had always brought me a level of satisfaction, because it was impossible not to feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I was working. But in all the years that I'd been working, I couldn't recall a time when it felt like it did today.

I enjoyed my job more than normal, and it had nothing to do with the actual work I was doing.

It was Mia.

As the hours ticked by and I moved from one machine to the next, I found my mind frequently drifting to the weekend I'd had. Sure, there'd been a passing thought about my mom's birthday dinner, but most of my thoughts were centered around the encounters I'd had with Mia—the eggs, the cookies, seeing her standing in her doorway wearing that nightie twice, having dinner together, the conversation, walking her home, hugging her, and the overwhelming desire I had to kiss her.

Thinking about her, about the time I'd already spent with her and when I'd be able to do it again, my day seemed to pass in a flash.

And now that I'd just left work and hopped into my truck, only to get a phone call from my brother, it seemed I wasn't the only one who spent time today thinking about my weekend.

"It was good," I said, fully aware he was not going to just let it go that easily.

"Good? What does that mean? Did you talk to Mia?" he questioned me.

Laughter spilled out of me as I pulled away from my parking spot and toward the exit of the lot to make my way home. "I did. I spoke with her on Sunday night."

Following a beat of silence, Chris pressed, "And?"

"And we had a great time," I confessed. "She loved the tacos I made, we had some great conversation, and if I'm honest, I can't stop thinking about her."

"That's awesome, Brock. I'm glad for you."

Smiling, well aware that was the reaction I'd get from him, I replied, "Yeah, thanks. She's incredible, Chris. I know it's only been a couple of months since I met her, and even less time that I've had long, meaningful conversations with her, but I've never felt this way about another woman. There's just something about her that's different for me."

"Maybe she's the one," he suggested.

Before he said it, I hadn't allowed my mind to wander that far in that direction. But now that the thought was in my head, I had no choice but to consider it. If all that I'd gotten from Mia in the interactions we'd had so far was what I could expect from her moving forward, I didn't think it'd be possible to ever feel upset around her. I certainly didn't believe things would ever get boring—we seemed to have no problem finding something to talk about whenever we were together. And from where I was standing, there wasn't anything I didn't like about the way she looked.

Despite that, I said, "I think you're getting ahead of yourself. We've only had dinner together one time."

"Maybe, but you did also have peanut butter sandwiches with her before, too," Chris teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. That was all your daughter's doing, not mine."

Chris laughed. "My daughter is a smart cookie. But I think it's a shame you needed your niece to break the ice for you. What about her?"

"Izzy?"

"No. Mia."

"What about her?"

He hesitated briefly before he clarified, "Well, I'm just wondering where she stands. I mean, I've had several instances of seeing you react to any discussion about her, and now I have your admission that you can't stop thinking about her. Do you have any idea where her thoughts are when it comes to you?"

That was the million-dollar question.

It would have been nice to be able to confidently declare the feelings were reciprocated, but I'd have been lying. The truth was, I didn't exactly know if she had any feelings toward me that went beyond being neighborly. She was friendly and fun and didn't back away whenever I offered a simple touch or even that hug, but she hadn't done anything that outright proved she had that same desire to touch me.

"I think most of her thoughts right now are on her pregnancy and the baby," I said.

Chris didn't hesitate to share his concerns. "That doesn't sound good. At least, not for you, anyway. I get that her focus is going to be on the baby. It absolutely should be. But you don't sound confident about how you might fit into her life. Do you think you might be setting yourself up for heartbreak, given where her life is right now?"

It was entirely possible that was the case.

Having watched my brother go through it when Izzy was first born, I realized just how much work Mia had in store for her once the baby arrived. The chances were high that I could spend the spring and most of the summer growing attached to this woman, and as soon as the baby was here, Mia was going to be occupied.

Would I be willing to help her out if she needed it? Of course.

Did I think I'd never see her again? Obviously not.

But her priorities would shift—as they should—and it was likely I'd be on the side wishing for more with her.

I certainly couldn't predict the future or where things would go, but I had to prepare myself for the possibility of this not going where I wanted it to go.

"I don't know where I'll end up in this, Chris," I admitted as I made the final approach toward my street. "But I like her too much not to put in some effort."

"What if the ex comes back into the picture? Do you think she'd take him back?"

Thinking about that didn't leave me with any good feelings. It had been a few months since he'd left her, and he hadn't come back yet. But as it got closer and closer to her due date, it was possible he'd change his mind about everything. I didn't know him well enough to know what he would do. Sadly, the same could be said about how well I knew Mia.

"I'm not sure. I hope not. But he is the father of her baby, so I think I'd be foolish if I ruled that out as a very real possibility."

As I turned onto my street, Chris sighed. "You've got to be careful, Brock. I get that you like her, and I truly hope it goes the way you want. But be cautious, because it's risky. I don't want to see you get yourself caught up in something that's going to leave you a mess."

My brother's words hit me square in the chest as I drove down the street toward my house and my eyes landed on Mia, who was reaching into her mailbox for her mail. When I was only two houses away from mine, she glanced up, saw me, and smiled brightly as she waved.

A new feeling hit me in the center of my chest. It was warm, and I felt like I was tingling all over.

My brother was right.

Continuing to pursue Mia was a gamble, but if I got her in the end, if I got this woman smiling brightly at me as I drove home from work as the reward, I thought she was worth the risk.

"Brock?"

Chris's voice echoed in my head. "Yeah?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just… I just got home, so I need to get going," I answered. "But I promise I'll keep what you said in the back of my mind."

I could hear the amusement in his tone when he said, "She's there, isn't she?"

There was no use in lying. "Yep."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Give Izzy a kiss and a hug from me."

"Will do. Later."

I said goodbye as I pulled into my driveway and disconnected the call. After bringing my truck to a stop, I got out and saw Mia had made her way toward my mailbox. "Hi, Brock."

"Hey, Mia. How was your day?"

"Good. Great, actually. Two of my kids at work had breakthroughs today, so I'm feeling extremely happy about that," she said.

"That's awesome. Congratulations."

Her grin grew. "Thank you. How about you? Did you have a good day at work?"

I'd had one of the best days I'd ever had at work. But I couldn't admit that, because she'd surely ask what made it so wonderful, and I didn't think I could admit the truth—that I'd thought about her nearly all day—nor could I lie to her.

So, I let out a laugh and shrugged. "It was certainly a productive day. I got everything done that I needed to get done, so I can't complain."

"That's great. And what's even better right now is that we're both home, and there's still daylight," she bubbled. "I'm totally taking advantage of the weather and going for a walk."

My brows shot up in surprise. "Now?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm going to run inside and grab a snack to hold me over until I come back and make myself dinner, but I'm going to go now."

Before I had the chance to think about how to respond, the words spilled out of me. "Would you like some company?"

If it was possible, Mia perked up even more. "I'd love some company. Do you want to join me?"

There were at least half a dozen things I wanted to do with her, but I'd happily settle for joining her on a walk around the neighborhood. "I'd be happy to come along."

"Great. I'm just going to run inside, change my clothes, and grab something to eat, so I don't start to feel sick, and I'll be right back out," she said.

"I'll meet you out here."

With a bright smile and a quick nod, Mia turned and moved back to her car. I watched her go, and once she pulled her car forward, I made my way back to my truck and did the same.

Five minutes later, Mia was walking toward me with a baggie in her hand and the smile still on her face. She'd changed out of her work clothes, exchanging them for a pair of leggings and a hoodie.

"All set?" I asked when she came to a stop in front of me.

"Yep. Would you like some?" she asked, holding up the sandwich bag filled with apple slices and some cubes of cheese.

As much as I loved the idea of sharing food with Mia, this wasn't an occasion I would seek to do it. Shaking my head, I said, "No, thanks. That's for you and the baby."

"We don't mind sharing."

I laughed. "I know. I appreciate it. But I'm good."

"Okay. So, which way do you want to go?"

"It doesn't matter to me. Do you have a preference?"

She looked up and down the street until she decided. "Can we go this way?" Mia was indicating the way that would take us in the opposite direction of my house and past Russ and Janel's place instead.

"That works for me."

We fell into step beside one another, and as always seemed to be the case, Mia was not at a loss for words or conversation. "I can't tell you how happy I am that it's been so much warmer lately. Maybe I'll be able to do this after work every day now."

"If you do, I'm happy to walk with you," I said. "But I have to admit, I'm surprised."

"What surprises you?"

Just as I was about to answer her, I stopped and held myself back to consider my response. I realized what I was going to say, and it was possible I might offend her. With that in mind, I said, "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I guess I'm surprised you have the energy to walk after a long day at work."

"Oh, well, there was definitely a time when I could barely keep my eyes open, but I think I'm well past that now," she explained. "In a few months, I'll probably be right back in that position, but for now, I feel pretty good. Plus, I'm not standing on my feet all day at work, which I think helps a bit. This is nice, though. In fact, it feels good to be able to move a bit."

Apparently, I had been worried for no reason. I should have expected nothing less. The more I spent time with Mia, the more I was realizing my initial assessment of her months ago had been accurate. She was such a happy-go-lucky kind of woman, who was almost always in such a good mood. I was captivated by that, by her ability to still be this upbeat despite what she'd been through and what she was facing.

Of course, I didn't think it would be better for her to be upset about becoming a mother—I was glad she wasn't wallowing in hurt and disappointment—but seeing that tenacity to do what was best for her and her child was appealing. I thought it said a lot about her.

"I think you should enjoy it while you can, then. And like I said, I'm happy to join you whenever you decide to go."

"Thanks, Brock. I appreciate that." We strolled along for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, and that's when Mia shared, "I love this neighborhood."

"What?"

I glanced down and saw her looking up at me, still smiling. "This neighborhood is wonderful. I attempted to do my due diligence before I bought my house, but you still never know what you're going to get. Since I've been here, I haven't had one instance where I truly regretted buying my home. And now that the weather is getting nice, I'm excited to spend more time outdoors."

"You'll especially love it in the middle of the summer when we have the neighborhood block party," I told her.

"Block party?"

The curiosity in her tone was adorable. Clearly, nobody else in the neighborhood had mentioned it to her, and I knew she'd at least had a handful of conversations with Janel throughout the winter, particularly when most everyone in the neighborhood was outside shoveling.

"Yes, I'm surprised you haven't heard about it yet. On the 4th of July every year, we do a block party. If I recall correctly, they start sending out the details and sign-up sheets at the beginning of May. You'll have the opportunity to select what you'd like to contribute—if anything—and everyone just has a great time."

Mia stopped moving, forcing me to come to a stop. When I shot her a curious look, she asked, "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"That sounds like so much fun. I can't wait," she bubbled. "Who's in charge of organizing everything?"

"It changes every year, so it's never the same person handling all of it. Three people, or couples, from different homes are signed up each year to manage it for the following year."

"Wow. I love this place even more now."

I smiled at her, recalling how she'd shared last night how much she enjoyed parties and making new friends. This was going to be the perfect opportunity for her to do more of that. "Charter Oak is a great town, and this neighborhood has got to be the best in it."

"I agree." Mia turned to start our walk again, but she hadn't taken more than two steps when she stopped, bent over slightly, and placed her hand on her stomach. "Oh my God."

Instantly, I was concerned. "Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby?"

Mia remained in that position a moment longer before she righted herself and lifted her gaze to mine. She held my stare for just a second or two before her eyes widened in shock. The next thing I knew, tears had filled her eyes.

"Mia, what's wrong?"

Her bottom lip quivered, and the sight of it made my gut twist painfully. I was about to lift her into my arms to carry her home when she rasped, "I think I just felt the baby move."

"What?"

She nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. "It felt… it felt like a tiny flutter. I felt it twice. Oh my God."

The tension eased out of my shoulders, and I released the breath I'd been holding. "I thought something was wrong."

Mia swiped at her cheeks and lamented, "I'm sorry. I've never felt that before, and it caught me off guard. Oh, wow, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced."

I wanted nothing more than to wrap this woman in my arms, kiss her dizzy, and celebrate this moment with her the way I thought she deserved. But I couldn't. So, I did the only thing I thought I could do and placed a hand on her shoulder. After giving her a squeeze, I smiled and said, "I'm honored I could be here to watch you experience that."

She bit her lip, more tears welling in her eyes, and replied, "I'm glad I wasn't alone. Thank you for being willing to join me on this walk."

"Anytime."

Mia took a moment to collect herself, swiping at her cheeks several more times. "Are you okay to keep walking?"

"I am if you are."

She nodded. "Just a few more minutes before we turn around. I want to hear all about what I can expect at this block party."

So, that's exactly what we did.

Mia and I continued our walk for a few more minutes before we turned around to head back to our homes. As we did, I told her about last year's block party. And in the back of my mind, I was secretly hoping that by the time this year's party rolled around, Mia and I might be able to attend it together as more than just friends.