Chapter 9

Kenna

The plants seemed to reach for my ankles as I walked through the living room, so I closed one eye. I stubbed my toe on the coffee table, but at least the plants stayed in their pots this way. My phone dinged and I spun in a circle looking for it. Then I remembered it was in my purse, which was strapped across my chest. Fishing out the phone—and keeping that one eye shut—I saw a new email from Justin's attorney. Dread swirled with the alcohol in my gut.

Emboldened by Dec's opinion on my ex and his fragile manhood, I clicked on the email and read it. I had to squint with the one eye to read it, but basically it was rescinding all the previous communication about our accounts being frozen.

"What in the world?" I kept scanning the email—which did not apologize for the egregious error of freezing the accounts in the first place—until I got to the part that mentioned a Mr. Mel Cheatum. I gasped and clicked the button on the side of the phone to make the phone go dark.

Why was Mr. Cheatum communicating with Justin's lawyers? I was discombobulated that first day in his office, but I was pretty sure I hadn't mentioned anything about my divorce. Then it hit me. Dec had been in my house and he must have seen the divorce papers on my dining room table. I clearly remembered whining to Dec about the frozen accounts and why that meant I'd be stuck with neon yellow hair forever. I hadn't exactly done a bang-up job keeping my private life private where Dec was concerned. Circumstances lately had landed me squarely in the "hot mess" category. Verbal diarrhea was par for the course.

I wasn't sure if I was mad about the invasion of privacy or appreciative of the help. I glanced over at the urn and shrugged my shoulders. "Guess I'll go next door and find out what happened. Might slap him. Might kiss him."

Aunt Maeve didn't answer. Unless you counted the lusty wink, which seemed to urge me into the latter option.

It was late, but I figured I was owed some answers. I marched myself down the steps of the porch and across the row of shrubs to Dec's house. His porch was devoid of potted plants and rocking chairs and basic personality. I let out a giggle when the thought of sneaking a plant over to liven things up hit my brain. Aunt Maeve's house wouldn't even notice a single plant missing. I raised my fist and rapped on the door.

I waited awhile, so long that I almost turned around and headed back to Aunt Maeve's. The door opened with a whoosh—no sticky doorframes here—leaving me with an up-close view of Dec Boggs with a towel around his waist and not a damn thing else except a woven black leather cord around his neck.

The sight was so spectacular I risked opening my other eye. A single eye couldn't possibly take in the spectacle of a half-naked Dec. His shoulders were broad and muscled, the tan skin tapering to a perfectly symmetrical chest and abs. He must wrestle a lot of fish on that boat of his based on the size of his muscles. But it was the tattoo on one arm that did me in. I'd been a good girl in college, dating the fraternity president and both dressing and behaving like the perfect wife even before that title was officially mine. I'd never told Justin, but tattoos were my kryptonite. Dec's was elaborate and colorful and started midway up his forearm before climbing onto his shoulder. I didn't want to stare, but I could trace that design of a jumping fish strumming a guitar with my tongue all day if he'd let me.

My gaze dropped to the top of the towel around his waist before I realized my mouth was hanging open. I blinked so hard I rocked back on my heels. "Hey, uh, I just wanted to…yeah."

Dec kept one hand on the knot of the towel, but the other arm came up to rest on the doorframe. I looked behind me real quick, thinking perhaps I'd stumbled onto a male model photoshoot somehow and I was now blocking the photographer.

"Are you okay, sunshine?" Dec asked, leaning forward to assess my mental health.

I nodded excessively and tried a smile on for size. I didn't want anyone assessing my mental stability at the moment. I was technically a married woman still, and even though my husband hadn't had high standards as far as marital vows went, I did. I shouldn't be standing here gawking at my barely clad next-door neighbor.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just wondering if you talked to Mel about my divorce?" I wiggled my phone in the air like that explained everything. "My accounts aren't frozen any longer."

Dec pushed off the doorframe and I appreciated the way his muscles bunched and flexed. "Give me a second."

The door swung shut and I was alone on his porch, staring at a door knocker that looked like a whale tail. My one eye must have missed it when I first arrived. I looked left and right, just now realizing there were no other neighbors in sight on our street. Not until you took the slight bend and Aunt Maeve's property line ended.

The door swung open again and Dec reappeared in gray sweatpants, bare feet, and in the middle of pulling a T-shirt over his head. His hair was longer on top, short on the sides, and currently a bit of a wet mess. Unlike me though, he looked hot with wet hair. I wasn't sure if this outfit was any better than the last.

"Come on in." He backed up and I followed him inside the house. He led the way straight to a set of sliding glass doors at the back of his house. My head was on a swivel, taking in Dec's place. Unlike Maeve's, his house was simple. Stark, even.

Dec gestured to a patio chair on the back deck that overlooked the water. "I was just about to crack open a bottle of wine. Let me grab two glasses."

He was back in the house before I could beg off. Two alcoholic beverages in one night were more than plenty for me. Who knew what would come out of my mouth if I started in on the wine?

Rather than argue, I let him pour me a glass of red wine when he came back, curling it into my chest after he handed it to me. He sat in the other chair on the balcony, just a scant foot away from mine, placing the bottle on the wood floor with a clunk. Both of us looked out at the water, the lapping of the negligible waves against the sand almost mesmerizing. The moon shined down like a beacon on the water. An occasional splash came from somewhere in the dark. I chose to believe it was a fish or dolphin, not a shark.

"This is nice," I whispered, wondering when the last time was that I'd just sat out in nature and relaxed. There wasn't a whole lot of nature in San Francisco unless you sought it out, and even then, the drive through traffic to get there probably wasn't worth it.

"You have the same view, sunshine."

I tilted my head. "Haven't made it out to the deck yet."

"I called Mel. I apologize for not telling you, but in the shape you were in, I figured you could use the help."

I winced, thinking about both shrieking at Dec and breaking down into tears. "I have had better days," I finally admitted. "And though I prefer to have a say in my own personal matters, thank you for doing that."

Dec nodded, putting his feet up on the deck railing. "What are you going to do with your newly released cash?"

I laughed, careful not to spill my wine. "I've been thinking about that actually. First order of business is paying you back for the hair. Next would be home remodeling. And finally, a car. I can't keep riding that bike."

It was Dec's turn to laugh. "That rusted-out contraption Maeve kept on the side of the house because she was going to turn it into some sort of decorative plant holder?"

"Well, that makes a lot of sense. That thing rode like a bucket of screws over gravel. Did a number on my pants too."

Dec took a sip of wine and studied me. I found I liked it when he did that. It wasn't a sleazy once-over like I'd given him and it wasn't like he found me odd. It felt more like he liked looking at me.

"A Ferrari?"

I sputtered, waving my glass of wine in the air. "No! But not a G-wagon either. Maybe a?—"

Something large and feathery hit my hand, sending my wine swinging. I yelped in surprise, barely managing to keep ahold of the glass. A healthy splash of wine was now seeping through the front of my T-shirt. I shook my fist at the seagull serenely gliding over the water in retreat like it hadn't just dive-bombed me.

Dec jumped to his feet and took the glass from my hands. "Damn. Those birds get more vicious every year." He pointed at the situation happening with my shirt. "You got some…"

I pulled the material away from my chest. "Damn! My new shirt!" This was a new record for me. Ruining a pair of pants and two shirts in a matter of three days.

"Thank fuck. That shirt was hideous."

I glared at Dec. "Listen, I know the shirt was pretty terrible, but it was better than the stack of blouses I brought."

"Just take it off," Dec said casually, putting my glass down on the floor next to the bottle.

"What?" I snapped.

Dec straightened. "What's wrong with a bra? It's just like wearing a swimsuit, right?"

I shook my head, more than a little disturbed to find I was tempted. Mightily. It was time to leave before I did something stupid like throw myself at my hot business partner and have to deal with the almost sure rejection. "I'll see you at the boat club tomorrow."

"You gonna bicycle there?"

I grimaced at the idea.

Dec sighed and I wasn't sure if it was because he was tired of driving me or because he didn't want me to leave. Probably the first. "I'll drive you."

I walked back to my place, feeling more steady on my feet. It had been a good call not to drink any of the wine. Wait until I texted Liz that my hot new neighbor wore gray sweatpants. She'd be on the first flight out to Florida.

Back at home, I changed into pajamas. I almost turned off the bedside light when an idea hit me. I probably did need to do a bit more exploring. If I was stuck here for a year, there was every reason in the world for me to start enjoying my stay. Pushing back the covers, I climbed back out of bed and headed downstairs. I tapped the fireplace mantel like I was saying hello to Aunt Maeve. Then I pushed the paisley curtains out of the way, unlocked the sliding glass door, and poked my head out onto the deck overlooking the water. Plants covered almost every surface here too.

If I cranked my neck to its maximum bend, I could just make out the shape of Dec outside on his property where I'd left him. I stayed there in the dark, creeping on him until he went inside. I pulled my head back inside and had to stretch out the cramp.

"Don't even start with me, Aunt Maeve. I'm just looking. There's no harm in looking."

The lusty wink told me she knew I wanted to do more than look. I grinned back at the mermaid urn, a bubble of defiance taking hold where common sense should have told me to go to bed. "It's just a bra, right?"

I stripped my pajama shirt over my head, leaving me in a cami and sleep shorts. "Let's see if the water's as hot as my neighbor."

With a giggle I hadn't heard from my mouth since my college days, I ran outside, climbed over the deck railing, and sprinted toward the water. The first splash of drops against my shins made that bubble of defiance turn into a wave of glee. I high-stepped far enough out to dive under the water. When I surfaced, I lay on my back and floated, staring up at the night sky and wondering how I'd gotten here. Maybe, just maybe, this trip out here to Florida was just what I needed to turn my life around.

When my fingertips felt like prunes and my brain started searching around for facts about shark attacks in the Keys, I went back inside to take a shower, blow-dry my hair, and head to bed.

Dec: Heads up. I saw something out in the water tonight. Might have been a shark.

Dec: Or did you finally realize you own waterfront property and decided to make good use of it?

Guess I wasn't the only one spying out there tonight.