Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Fox

“Have you seen your neighbor around lately?” Porter asked.

I leaned against the pillar, fiddling with my phone, waiting for the building inspector to arrive. My employee was supposed to be inside laying tile in the last of the building’s bathrooms. I wasn’t sure what annoyed me more, the fact that he was slacking off at work or that he was sniffing around about Josie.

I didn’t look up from typing into my cell. “I think Mr. Hanson goes up to visit his daughter for a few weeks in the summer.”

“I meant your neighbor on the other side.”

Of course I knew that. And I’d also seen Josie two days ago when she’d spent the afternoon testing my self-control—down on all fours in those cut-off denim shorts helping me plant. Yet I shrugged. “Not her keeper.”

Porter lifted his baseball cap and spun it around backward. “I called her and asked if she wanted to have dinner this Friday night. She said she’d get back to me. Texted yesterday to check in but didn’t get a response.”

“Maybe you should take a hint.”

Porter’s forehead wrinkled. “You think she’s not interested?”

The kid got rejected so infrequently that he wasn’t even sure what it looked like. “You called her. She blew you off. You texted because you didn’t take the hint the first time, and yet again she gave you the silent treatment. What part of that seems like she’s interested?”

“I figured she was just busy or something.”

“If a woman is interested, she’s never too busy to respond.”

“Ouch.”

I went back to my phone. “It is what it is.”

“Maybe I should send flowers.”

I shook my head. “Damn, he still doesn’t get it.”

“I thought I felt something between us when we talked,” Porter mused. “You know, like a spark.”

This conversation was grating on my nerves. I lifted my chin toward the entrance to the building. “Don’t you have tiling to do?”

“I finished everything I can. They shorted me on the border pieces, so I’m going to have to go over to Ludsville to pick some up.”

“Ludsville? Didn’t we get all the tile from Abbotts in town?”

“Yeah, but I called and Abbotts doesn’t have the border tiles in stock. They’d have to order, and it would take a week to ten days. Tile Emporium has ’em now. It’ll take me about an hour to get there and back, but I’ll still be able to finish the bathroom today.”

I scratched my chin. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll take the ride to Ludsville after Ernie from the building department comes and does his inspection. Why don’t you get started installing the baseboard heating covers? They were delivered this morning.”

Porter shrugged. “Sure. Whatever you want, boss.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a tile. “This is the border, so you can make sure it matches up.”

“Thanks.”

Ninety minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of Tile Emporium. The store was dark. The sign on the front said they opened at ten, so I checked my phone. Nine forty-five. My cell also had a notification from my alarm company. Ninety percent of the time, it was a package being delivered or some random animal that set it off, but I had time to kill so I swiped to open and signed in to watch the video replay.

This time was no different than the usual, except the random animal the motion sensor picked up had a playmate today—and that playmate looked like a damn Playmate of the Month. Josie wore a white bikini, and she was running around my yard chasing a limping duck. I lifted the phone to my nose for a better look. What the hell was on the duck’s head? I pinched the screen to zoom in. The video blurred as it got closer, but it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t make out a blue-and-white polka-dot bow clipped to the feathers on the top of the duck’s head.

I shook my head. They’d let that woman out of her vacation too soon. Josie chased the bird around my yard for a solid minute, running onto my deck, across the lawn, and eventually splashing into the lake before diving in head first. Sadly, that was the end of the bikini-show video. Though…my security system did have a live feature. And I had the ability to control the camera remotely. When I clicked the LIVE button, my yard was still empty, so I panned the camera to the right.

Every time I thought this woman couldn’t do anything more ridiculous, she surprised me. She’d set up a blue plastic baby pool in the middle of her yard, and a duck with a ribbon on its head was swimming around as Josie did the backstroke in the lake behind it. After a few minutes, she waded out of the water and parked her ass in the baby pool across from the duck, smiling. She splashed the duck. It stood upright, fluttered its wings, and splashed back. Josie’s head bent back in laughter.

As idiotic as this was, I couldn’t stop staring at my phone. Ten minutes went by as I sat in the parking lot of Tile Emporium. This damn woman had taken over my entire morning. Hell, it wasn’t just today either. She’d starred in my dream last night, too. Eventually, a call coming in on my cell interrupted my spying. It was a client, so I reluctantly closed the security app and went back to business—though not before snapping a quick picture.

After I finished the call, I had the strongest urge to open the security app again, or at least pull up the photo I’d saved, but I had shit to do. So I leaned over to the passenger seat, opened the glove box, and tossed my cell inside. Out of sight. Out of mind.

Yeah, right.

Though I did manage to keep busy enough to only check the security camera twice more for the rest of the day. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately for my productivity—the yard was empty, hers and mine. Josie was probably inside watching a YouTube video on mastering duck calls or some shit.

On my way home, I stopped off at Laurel Lake Inn for my usual Tuesday-night bacon-wrapped pesto pork tenderloin, and by the time I pulled into my driveway, the sun was already starting to set.

It was a nice night, so after I dumped my laptop in the house and got changed, I went out to eat my dinner on the back deck. The plastic kiddy pool was no longer in the neighbor’s yard, which was disappointing but definitely better for me in the long run. I opened the box with my meal and had just started to cut into the meat when I heard screaming from next door.

“No, no, no! Damn it!”Josie yelled.

A rickety metal door squeaked open and slammed shut, and the duck limped out to where Josie’s rotted back deck used to be. She followed thirty seconds later.

“I can’t believe you did that.” She wagged her finger. “That was like…your cousin.”

The duck quacked and nuzzled against her leg. If I didn’t know better, I might’ve thought the thing was apologizing.

Josie bent and scratched its head. “Awww, It’s okay. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

I shook my head and went back to cutting my meat, but before I could get the first bite into my mouth, the duck came running toward my deck.

Josie chased after it, stopping short when she saw me sitting there. She scooped the duck into her arms.

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t see you.”

I gestured a circle with my fork. “Didn’t want to interrupt your conversation with your friend.”

She frowned. “Daisy stole my dinner off the table.” Her nose scrunched up. “It was chicken.”

I chuckled. “Maybe he’s upset that you eat birds.”

She pushed up on her toes to peer into my takeout tray. “Is that the roast pork from Laurel Lake Inn?”

“It is.”

Josie ran her tongue across her bottom lip. “I tried it last week. It’s delicious.”

I’d skipped lunch today and probably could’ve eaten two servings of this meal, yet I wouldn’t mind the company. “Would you like some?”

She waved me off. “No, that’s your dinner. You enjoy it.”

“There’s enough here for two.”

She gnawed that plump bottom lip of hers. “Are you sure?”

I stood. “I’ll go get a plate.”

“Actually…” She thumbed over her shoulder. “The stove is still on, and I already have a second glass of wine poured. Would you want to eat next door? I’ll put Daisy to bed in the garage so she can’t strike a second time.”

I shrugged. “Whatever.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t sound so excited about it.”

I lifted my food and shook my head. “Let’s go—before I change my mind and the only thing you have to eat for dinner is that duck.”

The inside of Josie’s house looked a lot better than the last time I’d been here. The kitchen cabinets were all stripped of their hideous green paint, and the doors had been rehung straight. She’d installed new hardware, and the stainless-steel appliances that had been delivered last week gave the room a spruced-up feel. But it was the other side of the kitchen that caught my attention. Rows and rows of Christmas cards hung from strings on the wall.

Josie came in from putting Daisy to bed and noticed me staring. “They make me feel good.”

“Wasn’t judging. Just looking around. The place is really coming along.”

She walked to the stove and turned the knob. “You weren’t judging? Who are you kidding, Fox Cassidy? You think I’m weird. I see it in your face.”

“Why would I think you’re weird? Because you hang Christmas cards in the house in July and swim in a kiddie pool with a male duck you named Daisy?”

She squinted at me. “How did you know I bought Daisy a swimming pool?”

Uh-oh. I had no choice but to come clean. “I get notifications from my security system on my phone. You ran into my yard earlier today, and it sent me an alert.”

She tilted her head. “And it shows you my entire yard too?”

At least come partially clean…“Most of it. Yep.” Needing a change of subject, I pointed to a cabinet. “Those have plates in them? Food’s getting cold.”

She might’ve suspected I was full of shit, but at least she let it go. Josie took out a plate and utensils, then lifted a bottle of wine from the counter. “Do you like pinot noir?”

“I’ll just have a little.”

I split the takeout onto two plates, and Josie and I sat across from each other. “If you’re ready to paint the living room”—I pointed in that direction—“I can throw a second coat of spackle on and sand.”

“Thank you. But you’ve done enough. I’ll find someone to do it. I was going to attempt it myself, but even YouTube said it wasn’t an easy job.”

“It is once you’ve done it a few times. Second coat is easier than the first. Won’t take me long.”

“Still.” She shook her head. “It’s okay. Plus, Porter offered to do it, so if I can’t find someone, I can always call him.”

I lowered my fork. “Porter wants in your pants.”

Her nose wrinkled. “He did ask me out to dinner.”

“Trust me. He’s like a stray. You let him hang around once and he keeps coming back.”

It didn’t escape me that here I was again, too. Different day. Different scenario. But… My situation wasn’t the same. I lived right next door. I wasn’t trying to get into her pants. I was just being neighborly. Right? The photo on my damn phone might say differently.

“I ran into someone you know today.” Josie forked a bit of her dinner.

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific. It’s a small town. I know a lot of people.”

“Her name is Quinn. She owns the toy store in town. It’s where I got the kiddie pool.”

Shit. A lifetime ago, I’d made it a rule to not get involved with women who lived in Laurel Lake. Unfortunately, I made that rule after spending time with Quinn.

“Oh yeah?”

The twinkle in Josie’s eye told me Quinn had shared more than advice on which toys ducks liked best. “She said you two were a couple in high school.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say that.”

“No? What would you say?”

“We went out a few times.”

“How come you broke up?”

I shrugged. “Just did.”

Her smile looked like a cat that ate a canary. I put down my fork. “What did she tell you?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re a shit liar, Josie.”

She laughed. “Okay, okay. She said you guys split up because you couldn’t look her mom in the face anymore.”

I closed my eyes. Why the hell did I still live in this town? That shit happened sixteen years ago. We were kids in high school, for Christ’s sake. Guess Quinn ran out of locals to tell the stupid story to, so she had to start telling visitors.

“Did you really wave to her mom in the middle of oral sex?”

“I was seventeen. Her mom came home early from work. I was sitting on the bed, and Quinn was down on her knees. Her mother walked into the bedroom without any warning. I guess she didn’t notice what was going on at first because she smiled and waved at me. Quinn still had no clue, so she kept going. I panicked and didn’t know what to do, so I waved back.” I shook my head. “The look on her mother’s face when she realized what was going on a second later... She was horrified. I couldn’t look at her ever again.”

Josie laughed so hard, she held on to her stomach.

“Alright, alright,” I said. “It’s not that funny. And now you owe me an embarrassing high school sex story. Let’s hear it.”

“I can’t. I didn’t have sex in high school.”

“You’re shitting me?”

“Nope. I was a senior in college the first time.”

“How come?”

“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t meet the right person until then.”

“When did you start going out with the douchebag?”

“Noah?”

I nodded.

Josie bit her bottom lip, suddenly shy. “My senior year in college. But Noah wasn’t my first. Though he was my second.”

Damn. I had no idea how we’d gone from a duck ate my dinner to talking about blow jobs and Josie’s lack of sexual partners. But this was definitely more interesting.

“So only two men…ever?”

She chugged the rest of her wine and stood. “I think I need more alcohol for this conversation. Do you want another glass?”

I put my hand over the rim. While she might need some liquid courage, I preferred to be sober for this. I wanted to remember it all. “I’m good.”

Josie filled her glass with a heavy hand and sat back down with a sigh. “Yes, only two men. I wanted my first time to be with a boyfriend, so it would mean something. But after my dad died, I didn’t let anyone get close to me. By the time I was twenty-one and a senior in college, I just wanted to get it over with. So I had sex with a guy I’d gone out with a few times. The funny thing is, I’d been afraid of getting close to someone and losing them, yet I dumped the guy less than a week after we did the deed. I met Noah a few months later, and, well, you know how that ended.” She gulped her wine. “I guess that’s my embarrassing story.”

“Nothing embarrassing about not being promiscuous.”

She shrugged. “I sometimes wonder if I’ve missed out. Then again, I’m a chronic overthinker, so I wonder about a lot of useless things.”

“Didn’t look like you were doing too much thinking while you were sitting in that kiddie pool today.”

“I wasn’t.” She smiled. “It’s easy to relax down here. I feel so different than I do in New York.”

“That city is stuffed with too many damn people. I don’t know how you live like that.”

“It’s funny. There are millions of people crammed into a twenty-two-square-mile strip of land. Yet I was lonely in a crowded room in Manhattan. Down here, I’m not lonely alone.”

“Sounds like Laurel Lake is doing you good.”

“I think so.”

We finished our shared dinner, and Josie polished off another glass of wine. Her cheeks were pink and she giggled more than usual, so I thought she might be tipsy. I cleared the table and rinsed the dishes, and she stood next to me, loading them into the dishwasher. When we were done, she looked over like she wanted to say something.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

“Seems like something’s on your mind…”

She pushed off the counter and came to stand in front of me, toe to toe. “What were you thinking about when you were watching me today?”

“I wasn’t watching you. I told you, I saw you in the yard because of an alarm notification.”

She leaned into me. “Liar.”

The best defense was always a good offense. “I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

“I know you watched me.”

“Maybe you’re a little full of yourself, doc.”

Josie pushed up on her toes and got in my face. I could smell the wine on her breath. Her eyes were bluer this close, and flecks of gold outlined her irises. My gaze stayed fixed until her lips started moving again.

“The camera moved and caught my attention. There was a blue light, Fox.”

“So?”

“My mother has the same security system. When someone activates the live camera, a little blue light turns on at the top.”

Oh fuck. “I hit the button by accident, so I watched for a minute. Figured I’d see what the hell you were doing chasing that duck.”

The gold in her eyes glittered. “The blue light was on for at least ten minutes.”

I stared down my nose at her, debating how to play this. I could deny it, pretend I had no idea what she was talking about, or I could own it—take my lumps and admit I was a dog. My eyes jumped back and forth between hers, and I leaned down as much as she’d stretched up. Our noses were practically touching. “Fine. I watched you.”

“And you watched me do yoga from the window too.”

“You weren’t exactly hiding it.”

Josie reached behind me to the counter and grabbed her wine. Knocking it back over a six-second count, she leaned even closer, and her tits pushed up against my chest.

“What were you doing while you were watching me today?”

My nostrils flared. She wanted me to tell her I was jerking off. And right now, I would have, if it had been true. I would’ve described fisting my cock while staring at her in that little white bikini. But I’d been in my truck, in a busy parking lot on a main road.

I slipped the empty wine glass from her hand and set it down on the counter. “Nothing. Because this is a small town with a big mouth, and I know better than to get caught. Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to though.” I moved my mouth to whisper in her ear. “But I’ll tell you what. I’m going to go home now, because I’m a gentleman and you’ve had a few glasses of wine. And if you still want to know what I was doing while watching you tomorrow, just give me a call. Because you can be damn sure I’ll be watching the replay as soon as I’m alone.”

I stepped back to look at Josie’s face. Her cockiness was gone, and she looked a little shell-shocked. I winked. “Sweet dreams, babe. I know I’ll be having them.”