His Curvy Surprise E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Derek
My new neighbor was going to be the death of me. Late night parties, early morning noise, and her uncontrollable dog digging up my yard. The peace and quiet I’d had for years was gone with one SOLD sign and a moving truck. 
But that wasn’t even the worst of it. Oh, no. The biggest problem I had with my new neighbor was those tiny shorts that hugged her curves and made my mouth water. Those shorts were the reason I kept my distance. 
I was either going to strangle her or claim her. Which one was a toss-up. 

Chelsea
I should have asked around before I bought my new house. I would have found out I was moving in next to the most uptight man in my small town. A man who thought it should be lights out at eight, and silence for a full twelve hours. 
Not all of us had that schedule, buddy. 
After yet another note on my door threatening to call the cops on me and my new puppy, I decided to pay my new neighbor a visit. I didn’t expect to find his son sitting on the porch. Alone. Locked out and scared. 
Or for my heart to squeeze so painfully when he accepted my offer of a cookie and a warm place to wait until his dad to got home. 
Maybe I was too quick to judge. Because a kid so sweet couldn’t possibly come from a man who was so rude. Or maybe there was more to the single dad next door. 

Leseprobe

HIS CURVY SURPRISE

A SMALL TOWN CURVY GIRL ROMANCE

BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED

BOOK 16

MARY E THOMPSON

His Curvy Surprise

Book Boyfriends Wanted, book 16

Copyright © 2024 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2023 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © kmlPhoto

Cover background from depositphotos, Copyright © tomert (lights) and Milanares (blue)

Cover watercolor stripe from depositphotos, Copyright © ronedale

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-953879-65-3

Print ISBN: 978-1-953879-66-0

Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-953879-67-7

Created with Vellum

BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED

It’s a beautiful day… maybe not. A storm is brewing in the neighborhood, and Chelsea and Derek are right at the center of it. All they want is to find a place where they belong, but it’s not so easy when her existence makes him crazy. In more ways than one! Get to know all the characters in MacKellar Cove and fall in love with your favorite new book boyfriend. This small town is a truly special place to be.

Never miss a thing when you sign up for Mary’s newsletter. Romancing the Curves comes with subscriber exclusive freebies, sneak peeks, and a first look at everything Mary has to offer. Be the first to know about new releases and sales and all the curves ahead!

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT MARYETHOMPSON.COM

Happy reading!

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

About the Author

To the best surprises in life… that we never stop celebrating them

1

CHELSEA

I mixed a drink and carried it out to the back patio. Summer was coming to an end, and I was going to get as much out of my backyard as possible. School started the day before for the local kids, and that always told me fall was coming. But not just yet.

“Thank you,” Sofia said, accepting the drink I made for her. She took a sip and groaned. “So good.”

“This was a great idea,” Haley said.

Haley and Sofia were my two closest friends and the first two I thought of when I decided to throw open the back door and have fun. My yard was perfect for it. I considered inviting more people, but after a long day at work, Haley and Sofia were enough for me.

And surprisingly, they were both available and not with their boyfriends for the evening. Definitely a miracle.

“I’m glad you guys could come. Ever since I moved in, I’ve been wanting to do something out here again,” I told them.

“That was a good party,” Haley said.

I nodded with her. The party was fun. Haley, Sofia, and my cousin, Elise, invited all their friends to help me move in. It seemed like half the town ended up in my little house, bringing food and drinks and moving all my furniture and belongings inside. Some of them even brought new and new-to-me gifts to help me get settled in.

After the move, we turned up the music and enjoyed my backyard. It was a great time. Until the next morning when I found a note on my door from my neighbor telling me I needed to keep it down in the future.

It was a Saturday night. And there were police officers at the party. We didn’t violate any rules. They made sure of it.

But my neighbor didn’t care. Obviously.

“Have you met your neighbor yet?” Haley asked, as if reading my mind.

I shook my head and sipped my drink. Water after the last two heavy pours I’d treated myself to. “I don’t know if I want to.”

“Have you gotten more notes?” Sofia asked.

I shook my head again. “I’ve been afraid to invite people over. This is the first time I’ve done anything since then.”

“We should crank up the music and be really obnoxious,” Haley said, a mischievous grin on her face.

“Please don’t,” I said.

Sofia was with me, pushing Haley back into her chair. “We don’t want Chelsea to have trouble with her neighbors.”

Haley scowled. “You guys are no fun.”

“Getting arrested wouldn’t be fun either,” I said.

Haley waved her hand. “You wouldn’t get arrested. A noise complaint would be a pain, but I don’t think they can actually do anything to you for it.”

“In MacKellar Cove? I’d be willing to bet something would happen. My neighbors would hate me, if nothing else.” I looked at my house and dreaded the idea of having to leave. I’d worked a long time to get to where I could buy my own place. Apartment living was not something I was willing to go back to. Not after my last apartment ended up being more like a smoker’s paradise instead of my personal retreat.

“Have you met any of your neighbors?” Sofia asked, changing the subject to take Haley away from the violence she was no doubt planning.

“There’s a lady across the street who’s really nice. Mrs. Walsh. She adores Dozer.”

My dopey dog lifted his head at his name. He smiled at me, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

“You can go back to sleep,” I told him.

Of course, addressing him directly meant he had to get involved in the conversation. He got to his feet and bounced over to me, dropping his head onto my lap.

“I said you can go back to sleep.”

Dozer barked a happy, loud sound, no doubt alerting half the neighborhood to his presence.

“Maybe Mrs. Walsh will be on your side and you won’t have to worry about the one who left you the note,” Sofia said.

I rubbed Dozer’s head and shrugged. “I hope so.”

“Let’s talk about happy things. What about the guy you’ve been talking to on Book Boyfriends Wanted?” Sofia asked. “Have you asked him to meet yet?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m not ready for that.”

“Why not? It’s just a date,” Haley said.

“Dating is painful. Either he’s not who he says he is and is boring or weird or creepy, or he takes one look at me and decides he’s not interested.” I sighed heavily and sipped my water. “This guy is sweet and funny, and I’m not ready to ruin that yet.”

“I think you should, because you need someone good in your life. Instead of your obnoxious neighbor,” Haley said. “He’s making you miserable for no good reason. This guy makes you happy.”

I shrugged. “For now. Eventually I’ll meet him. Probably.”

“Has he asked?” Sofia asked.

I shook my head. “No. When we started talking, he was friendly and talkative. It’s gotten deeper and more personal. It’s like we know each other, even though we don’t.”

“I wonder if you do. Knox and I met the night before our first date. You never know if this guy is someone you know,” Haley said.

Sofia groaned. “We all know about your one-night stand with Knox.”

“I wasn’t saying anything about that!” Haley argued, her laughter betraying her words.

“Sure,” Sofia and I said together.

Haley stood and shook her head. “I was just thinking you need some joy in your life. And a few orgasms never hurt.” Haley winked and went inside.

“Should I be worried about her?” I asked Sofia.

“About?”

“Causing trouble for me with my neighbor?”

Sofia chuckled and shook her head. “Haley’s a little crazy, but she won’t do anything to risk your comfort or safety. She knows what it’s like to share walls with people, and this is not much different. If you’re not respectful of your neighbors, they won’t be respectful of you.”

“I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful,” I said, feeling like I did something wrong.

Sofia smiled. “I never said you did. I know you, Chelsea. I know you’re not going to intend harm. Melody knows your neighbor, right? Did you ask her about him? You’re sure it’s that one?” Sofia pointed to the house next door.

It was a cute house with dark blue siding and a porch on the front. I couldn’t see the backyard because of the fence between our homes, but the house was two stories and well-maintained. The single dad who lived there with his son took care of his place.

I nodded in answer to Sofia’s question about the man who left the note coming from that house. “My doorbell camera caught him leaving. It didn’t pick up where he came from, but it saw him going back that way. It could have been someone farther down, but I doubt they would cut across the driveway.”

“Doubtful. What did Melody say?”

I wrinkled my nose. “I haven’t asked her. I don’t want to put her in the middle and make her feel like she has to choose sides between us.”

“You’re not the one doing it. The single dad with a notepad is the one causing problems,” Sofia said.

I wasn’t sure I completely agreed. We were loud that first night, but I really thought there would be more flexibility on my first day. Especially since it was a weekend. I wasn’t up late or making noise on a weeknight.

“Yes, he is,” Haley said loudly, joining us again with a bottle of water in her hand. “And we’re not gonna take it!”

“Haley!” Sofia hissed.

“It’s crap,” Haley said, again, not lowering her voice. “He has no right to tell Chelsea she can’t enjoy a night in her own backyard well before any noise ordinances begin. What the hell?”

“If you don’t sit down, we’re leaving,” Sofia threatened.

Haley gasped. “What? Why?”

“Because Chelsea wants to live here. She wants to get along with her neighbors. Just because the guy next door knows Melody and has a son doesn’t mean things won’t escalate.”

Haley dropped onto a chair. “You think he’d be dangerous?”

Sofia shook her head. “I hope not, but I don’t know him. You can’t assume anything.”

“Shit.” Haley swung her gaze to me. “I’m sorry, Chelsea. I never thought…”

“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I don’t think he’s dangerous, but I don’t want to piss him off either. Or anyone else on my street.”

“Maybe we should go,” Haley said, her cheeks red and her eyes regretful.

Sofia downed the last of her drink and stood. “Probably a good idea.”

They helped me clean up and bring everything inside. I assured them leaving the dishes would be fine and said goodbye as they headed out the front door.

Thankfully, they were quiet getting into Haley’s car. I waited until her headlights turned to face the road before going to the backyard and double checking we’d gotten everything, then locking up my house for the night.

“Just you and me, Dozer,” I told my dog.

He barked, then scratched at the back door.

“Really? We were just outside for hours, and now you have to pee.”

He barked again. The little shit.

I sighed and opened the back door. He took off, disappearing into the darkness in seconds. I searched the yard, trying to spot him and make sure he didn’t destroy anything else back there. He wasn’t the best trained dog around. Or even a little trained.

“Dozer!” I called, wondering why he wasn’t back. He rarely took long when it was dark outside.

I waited, listening for the jangle of his collar, but heard nothing.

I took a few steps into the yard and called him again.

Still nothing.

“Where the hell are you? Dozer!” I shouted, knowing it was going to piss off my neighbor, but he would have to get over it.

Finally, the jangle of his collar met my ears. He was near the fence to the neighbor’s house.

“What are you doing?” I snapped at my dog when he finally came into view.

His head was covered in dirt. One ear was flopped over on top of his head. His collar was closer to his jaw than his neck.

“You need to leave that fence alone or we’re going to be in even more trouble,” I scolded Dozer.

Not that he understood me, but it made me feel better.

We went inside, and then he shook the dirt from his face and body, sending it flying all over my house.

“Dozer!” I shouted.

It didn’t stop the chaos. Or the madness.

He looked up at me, a sweet smile on his face.

“You need a bath. Then I need to clean this place.”

So much for sleep.

* * *

I stretched as I woke, stopping when I felt a lump next to me. I lifted my head and laughed.

“Dozer, what are you doing in my bed?” I asked him. My dog was less of a morning person than I was. Person? Dog? Could a dog be a morning person? Morning animal?

Whatever it was, he was not it. He wanted to sleep in until noon and nothing was going to get him up. Even getting a lecture for sleeping in my bed, when he had a perfectly good doggy bed five feet away.

“Dozer,” I groaned, swinging my legs from my bed and walking to his bed. I leaned down, my gaze locked on my stubborn dog, and patted the bed.

“What the…” My gaze went right back to the doggy bed. The wet doggy bed. The wet doggy bed I just put my hand in. “Oh, gross! Dozer!”

He gave me those eyes that said he was sorry and wouldn’t do it again.

Liar.

I held my hand up like the offending thing it was and hurried to the bathroom. I scrubbed my skin, twice, then dragged my lazy-ass dog off my bed before he decided mine was good enough for a bathroom, too.

“You need to figure out this bathroom thing or one of us isn’t going to survive,” I said with a scowl.

Dozer pranced ahead of me, going straight to the door and waiting for me to open it for him. He refused to use the doggy door. He tried it the first day we moved in, and he got stuck. Almost ripped the entire door off the hinges. One day I’d have a bigger one installed, but that was a future problem when money was less tight.

Nope, I was just going to waste money on new doggy beds when he used them as his toilet.

After Dozer and I both did our business, mine inside, thank you very much, I tossed his bed into the wash and started on breakfast. I turned on the TV for noise while I made eggs and sausage. Dozer sat quietly, patiently waiting for his treat, happily chomping down the sausage after catching it midair.

With breakfast done and the kitchen cleaned up from last night’s impromptu party, I changed into a pair of shorts and threw on a sweatshirt. The local veterinarian, Dr. Harris, told me Dozer needed to be walked daily, sometimes twice a day. He warned me a forty-to-fifty pound dog like Dozer would have a lot of energy.

“Who’s a good boy?” I cooed at my sweet dog. He wasn’t perfect, but neither was I, and I damn sure wasn’t about to send him back just because of a few adjustments.

I clipped on Dozer’s leash as he jumped around, excited to go for a walk. We stepped out onto the porch, and as I turned to lock the door, I saw a note taped to the window next to my door.

“What the…?” I grabbed it, struggling to keep Dozer from taking off down the steps for our walk. “Sit, Dozer,” I snapped.

He listened. For long enough that I could open the note.

Dear Neighbor,

I’d hoped you would have realized by now that this is a family neighborhood. All night parties are not the way to make friends. Neither is letting your dog damage the fence between our yards. I’d appreciate it if you would be more respectful of the rest of us sharing this area for our home in the future.

Thank you.

What. The. Fuck?

All night parties? The dog destroying the fence? It was half destroyed when I moved in. What the hell was he talking about?

Knowing I couldn’t do anything about it at the moment, I pocketed the note and scowled at my neighbor’s house. He wasn’t home, but it didn’t matter. Dozer needed a walk, and I liked the exercise it gave me to walk him around the block.

We walked down the driveway and turned toward the neighbor from hell’s house. I tried to peer down his driveway to where he said the fence was destroyed, but it looked fine to me. What a liar!

“Good morning,” a voice said from across the street.

I looked over and saw Mrs. Walsh getting her mail.

“Good morning, Mrs. Walsh. How are you today?”

“Oh, I’m good. How are you, Ms. Chelsea? And Dozer?”

Dozer barked and pulled at the leash, desperate to get to his new friend. Mrs. Walsh liked to give Dozer full-body rubdowns, and he was happy to accept the treatment.

“Dozer!” I snapped, trying to keep a hold of his leash before he ran across the street and tackled the woman.

He jumped and pranced around me, realizing I was going to let him see his favorite person. I looked both ways down our quiet street, then hurried across so he didn’t rip my arm from the socket. He wasn’t even that big of a dog, but he was strong. Especially when he saw Mrs. Walsh.

“Who’s a good boy?” Mrs. Walsh cooed at my dog. She crouched next to him, laughing when Dozer flopped on the ground and rolled over onto her feet.

“I am so sorry,” I told her.

Mrs. Walsh shook her head. “Nothing to be sorry for. We used to foster dogs, so I’ve had dozens in and out of my home over the years. He’s a good one. Sweetest thing ever.”

“He doesn’t know he’s a dog,” I told her.

“They usually don’t.” Mrs. Walsh rubbed Dozer’s belly, smiling like it made her entire day to do it.

She was the first, and only, of my neighbors to welcome me to the street. She showed up the first week I moved in with a chocolate cream pie and her phone number, asking me to call her if I ever needed anything. The older woman confessed her life was too quiet for her since she lost her husband two years earlier and her kids had their own lives. We talked for hours, the time passing like it was nothing.

She realized she knew my parents and my aunt and uncle, not a surprise since MacKellar Cove was fairly small. Her kids were all older than me, so I didn’t know them, but she declared we were family, anyway.

“Have you met anymore of the neighbors?” she asked when Dozer fell asleep, snoring loudly on the sidewalk with himself exposed, not a care in the world.

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t.” A part of me wanted to tell her about my rude next-door neighbor who left notes for me, but I didn’t feel right badmouthing a man I’d never met.

“You have the perfect yard for a gathering. Maybe you should have everyone over while the weather is holding out. I’d be happy to help you take care of things.”

“That’s a great idea, Mrs. Walsh.”

She beamed under my praise. “You don’t have to, of course. We can also plan a street party, where everyone participates and we block off the street. My Walter always told me my ideas were too big for most people to handle.”

“Not for me,” I told her. “I like parties and getting together with others. And I’d love to know my neighbors.”

“Then it’s settled. Let me know what I can do, and when you want to do it. Nothing fancy, just casual so people can meet, I would guess.”

I nodded. “Sounds perfect.”

And then I could meet my new neighbor. And find out why he was so rude.

2

DEREK

I signed my name and handed over my license to the woman who ran the afterschool program at MacKellar Cove Community Center. Would she ask for my license every day for the full school year, or was it just because we were only a week in and everyone was new?

“How was today?” I asked her.

“Good,” she said with forced cheer. “Everyone had a great day!”

I tried to figure out if it was the blanket lie she told all parents or if there was a problem specifically with my kid.

As soon as I saw Jude, I knew the answer.

He dragged his feet toward me, staring at the ground and sulking the entire way.

Shit.

“Hey, bud. You ready to go home?” I asked my eleven-year-old.

He shrugged, the preteen years already showing up.

“Well, it’s time to go, so no choice. Let’s get something to eat. What are you in the mood for tonight?”

Another shrug told me it was going to be a rough night. Was he tired? I clenched my jaw at the thought. My new neighbor was not respectful at all of the fact that not everyone had the freedom in their schedules to be up all night long. Her parties were keeping both Jude and me up past our bedtimes and now, they were affecting his school.

I stayed silent until we made it to my truck. If he wouldn’t talk to me with others around, there was no reason to push for it. He climbed up in the backseat and buckled his seatbelt, then crossed his arms and scowled at me.

“What’s going on? Why are you grumpy? Are you tired?”

“No. I just hate going there.”

“Where? To school?”

“No! To that afterschool thing. Why can’t I just go home?”

“You’re too young, Jude. We had this conversation.”

“None of my friends go there. They go home after school.”

“Alone? Or do they have a parent waiting for them?”

Jude’s silence answered the question for me.

I warred with myself. Sixth grade was middle school, and the district allowed the kids to get off the bus alone. To go home without an adult present. But I wasn’t comfortable with it. Not when Jude would be home alone for three or four hours every afternoon. I’d barely started leaving him home for an hour, and three or four was way beyond me.

We drove home without another word. Being a single parent came with countless questions about what I was doing, and if my choices were the right ones. The way Jude dragged his backpack inside told me this decision was not one he agreed with. At all.

I let Jude go inside, then turned back to the street to get the mail. It was nice out, Upstate New York still holding on to the last warm days of summer before fall officially took over.

“Good evening, Derek,” Mrs. Walsh said, calling from across the street. “How’s the school year starting so far?”

I bypassed my mailbox and checked both ways before crossing the dead quiet street. When Sasha and I bought the house, the neighborhood feel and quiet street were the biggest selling points. They still were, as long as my new neighbor wasn’t having a party and her dog wasn’t trying to knock down the fence that separated our yards.

“Hi, Mrs. Walsh. How are you?”

“I’m doing real well, Derek. And you know I told you to call me Faith.”

“I’ll try, but you know it’s not in me to do that.”

Mrs. Walsh laughed, the sound a balm on my battered soul. She was a bright spot in my day. Between work and home, I didn’t have a lot of things that made me smile.

“What has Jude so unhappy today?” Mrs. Walsh asked, her keen eye not missing the attitude my son dragged into the house with his backpack.

I glanced back to make sure Jude wasn’t outside, then shook my head. “He doesn’t want to go to the afterschool care program. He said none of his friends are there.”

“Where are they?”

“Home. Sixth graders are allowed to get off the bus without an adult.”

Mrs. Walsh sighed, shaking her head. “I know the strings need to be cut eventually, but it seems like we’re trying to cut them younger and younger. When my kids were young, I’m sure it was the same, but I was home. Everyone I knew was the same. Families don’t operate the same way now.”

“No, they don’t,” I agreed, thinking of the easy way my ex walked away, without a second thought about her son and what it would do to him to know his mother didn’t want him enough to stay in the area where she could be in his life at all.

“In my day, we also watched out for each other. Why don’t you let Jude come to my house?”

“I couldn’t,” I said before she could even finish her question.

“You could. Or I could come to your house so he’s at home and comfortable.”

“It’s too much to ask.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m offering,” Mrs. Walsh said. “Middle school is hard enough on a kid. What do you say we give it a try? See how the first few weeks go and evaluate from there?”

“I don’t know, Mrs. Walsh.” I was not going to agree. I couldn’t. Jude was my responsibility. Making sure he was safe was up to me. I couldn’t leave him in the care of someone who wasn’t family, even if Mrs. Walsh felt like it at times.

“I know you don’t do well asking for help, Derek. You don’t like to count on others⁠—”

“It’s not⁠—”

“It is. And I understand that. I didn’t let anyone else take care of my kids when they were little. But I’m home, Derek. I’m just a lonely old woman who’s trying to make sure this neighborhood is what it was when my kids were the young ones. Safe and friendly.”

She was good. Damn good. Because the more she talked, the more I wanted to agree with her.

“Start with a week, Derek. Go from there. I bet others would help if you asked, too.” Mrs. Walsh’s nod toward my next-door neighbor didn’t go unnoticed.

I snorted. “Not everyone who lives in this neighborhood is going to be reliable and helpful.”

“She’s having a party this weekend,” Mrs. Walsh said.

“That’s not a surprise.”

“A neighborhood party. She wants to get to know everyone. I think it’s a great idea. Too many people have moved onto the street and never gotten to know each other. Hopefully you and Jude can come.”

I shook my head. “I’m working all weekend. The shop is open Saturday and Sunday.”

“You need some time off, Derek. If you work every day, you’re going to drive yourself mad.”

I nodded. She was right, but it was the only option. I couldn’t leave the shop in the hands of the guys. They were capable, but something always came up. Something I needed to handle. Something they didn’t have time to handle if they were going to do the jobs assigned to them. “I’m okay.”

Mrs. Walsh’s look was pointed. She knew I was lying, but she didn’t call me on it. “How about I take Jude to the party? It’s on Saturday afternoon. Starts at two and runs through dinner. Probably over around seven.”

I shook my head the whole time she spoke. “Jude comes to the shop with me on Saturdays.”

Mrs. Walsh didn’t push, but the desire to do so was in her eyes. “If you change your mind…”

“Thanks, Mrs. Walsh. Enjoy your evening.”

“You, too, Derek. Think about my offer.”

I waved to her and jogged back across the street. I grabbed my mail, peeling the folded piece of neon orange paper from under the flag on the side of the box. I opened the orange paper as I walked up the driveway, rolling my eyes when I saw the invitation from my next-door neighbor to get to know each other at her block party Saturday afternoon.

“Not happening,” I muttered under my breath.

I walked into my house, cringing when I heard the TV blaring from the living room.

“Can you turn that down?” I called to Jude.

The indecipherable grumble was the only answer I got before the volume dropped.

“Thank you!”

More grumbling.

Yay.

I climbed the stairs to my room, grabbing clean clothes before I went to the bathroom for a shower. I didn’t like cooking dinner when I was covered in grease and smelled like an engine.

I rushed through my shower, not liking to leave Jude alone after leaving him in afterschool care. When I opened the bathroom door, the TV was once more cranked to full volume.

I sighed. It was the one and only thing he could control. I didn’t like it, but I understood it. Sort of.

I stomped down the stairs, making sure he knew I was coming. The volume quickly dropped to a normal volume before I returned to the living room.

“What do you want for dinner?” I asked him.

He shrugged, not offering any ideas.

“How about burgers?” I asked, knowing it was his favorite food and something he’d likely be happy about.

“Sure,” he said, showing zero enthusiasm.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. We would not survive the entire school year if he was so unhappy. I hated it. And maybe I was being too overprotective.

“Mrs. Walsh was outside. She said you could go to her house instead of the community center after school.”

“Really?” He turned to look at me, his brown eyes skeptical but curious.

“Yeah. Or she said she could come here so you’re comfortable.”

“I could come home?” It was the most excited he’d been since I picked him up.

“Maybe. We have to talk about it.”

“I’ll do anything. I’ll clean my room and pack my lunch and… and… and anything else.”

“Help me with dinner?” I asked.

Jude jumped up and hurried to the kitchen.

I smiled and followed him, running my hand over his short hair. My heart squeezed. I’d do anything for my son. Anything to make him happy. Just one offer had him excited. How could I say no?

* * *

Saturday morning, Jude dragged himself downstairs for breakfast. He rested his head on his hand and ate his cereal while I drank a very large cup of coffee.

The neighbor had people over again the night before, and we were dragging.

Barking outside drew my attention to the window. Her dog was running around the backyard, barking like it was chasing something. Not that anything was there. The dog was a wild menace.

“Damn dog,” I muttered.

Then she walked outside. My new neighbor wore a tiny light blue tank top that barely contained her full breasts. No bra, clearly. Her nipples pressed against the tight fabric. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her hands down her arms.

I looked down at her shorts. How they qualified as shorts, I didn’t know. I’d seen panties that covered more skin than those shorts. Thick, lush thighs and endless creamy skin. My dick thickened at the thought of wrapping those thighs around my shoulders and diving into the treasure between.

“Dad?” Jude asked, bumping into me. “What’s going on?”

I swallowed my groan. “Nothing.” I cleared my throat. “Nothing. Just watching that pain in the patootie dog next door run around like a crazy animal.”

“I think he looks funny. He’s always smiling.”

“When did you see the dog?”

“I was outside once when he jumped up on the fence. He stopped when he saw me, like he was surprised I was there. I think he was scared, but I held out my hand and he licked it. Then he smiled and barked and went back to running around his yard.”

“When was this? I didn’t know. That dog could be dangerous.”

Jude rolled his eyes and dumped the milk from his bowl into the sink. “He’s funny, Dad. He’s not dangerous.” Jude put his bowl and spoon in the sink, then spotted the stack of mail with the flyer I never tossed on top. “What’s this?”

I reached to grab it from him. “Nothing.”

“It says it’s a party,” Jude said, spinning out of my reach. “Can we go?”

“No.”

“Why? It’s next door. And it’s today!”

“And I have to work.”

“You always have to work,” Jude grumbled. His shoulders slumped, the gray tee he wore outlining the childhood shape of his body. He looked younger when he pouted, a leftover note from a less than ideal upbringing.

God, I did my fucking best. But it was never going to be good enough. Not when he didn’t have the childhood his friends had.

“I agreed to start letting you come home after school next week. I’m not going to ask Mrs. Walsh to take you to a party at a stranger’s house.”

“We could meet her. Talk to her. Then she wouldn’t be a stranger.”

“No,” I said immediately. “She’s always having parties, and that dog is going to knock down that fence and get someone hurt. She’s not someone we need to know.”

“You always say we should get to know our neighbors. That we live here so we have friends and people we can count on.”

“Not people like her,” I said, my tone offering no room for argument.

Jude glared at me for a long moment, but he finally sighed and let it go.

He was silent on the drive to my shop. Stone Auto Repair was a dream come true for me. When Mr. Stone retired and offered the business for sale to his employees, I jumped at the chance. I was the only one who wanted to buy it, and it became mine.

Not that it was easy to be the boss. Going from coworker to boss was a bigger hurdle than I expected. I itched to get my hands dirty most days and spent more hours on paperwork and the phone than I ever wanted, but I was proud of the shop and the guys who worked for me.

Ricky, one of the older guys in the shop, walked out when he saw me pull up. He headed to Jude’s door and high-fived him when he jumped out of the truck. Ricky raised his brows at me, silently asking if everything was good.

I rolled my eyes, letting him know things were not great, and he took over, distracting Jude and letting me off the hook.

Like I said, the guys were the best.

A dozen hours later, Jude was less miserable and actually smiling when he got back in the truck to go home. He talked about the vehicles Ricky worked on and what Ricky let Jude help with. He was excited and happy and pleasant.

Until we turned into the driveway and saw the party was still going on next door. The party that was supposed to have been over an hour ago.

“People are still there. Can we go, Dad?” Jude asked, his excited face pressed against the window.

“I’m tired. It’s been a long day. And the party is supposed to be over. People will be going home soon.”

“But Dad…”

“No, Jude.” His face fell, and I added, “Maybe next time.”

He opened his door with a grumble, his words lost in the noise outside as soon as the door was open.

I didn’t move for a minute. Every day, since my new neighbor moved in, just when I thought I was having a good day, something would happen that would change that. The dog would push the fence over just a little more, threatening a collapse. He would bark and interrupt the quiet neighborhood. Jude would get mad about something. Always.

Things were different since she arrived. The couple who lived there before were quiet. They were respectful. They didn’t keep us up. But she was loud all night, and now all day. She made it impossible to sleep. Her dog was a pain, and she was a temptation I did not need in my life.

Or want. I’d been through losing one mother to my son. I wasn’t looking to lose another one. Ever. Which meant staying single was my best and only option.

That app I downloaded? That was to take the edge off once in a while. Not love. Not romance. Not permanent.

Which was why the one woman I was talking to was going to stay on the app. I wanted to meet her, but she was someone I enjoyed talking to. I couldn’t risk meeting her and losing that connection. There was no chance it would be more than what it was.

I had one love in my life. And he was glaring at me from the front porch. He was all that mattered. He was all I cared about. And giving him a life that was good was all I wanted.

Even if it was a little lonely for me. I didn’t matter as much as Jude did.

3

CHELSEA

I was so happy I chose my house. I knew it was meant to be when I first saw it, but after the notes, I doubted my instinct. Now, I knew my instinct was right and my jerk of a neighbor wasn’t like the rest of them.

My other neighbors were amazing. Welcoming and friendly and kind. Mrs. Walsh introduced me to everyone who came to the party, and they were all so excited to be there.

Many of them were familiar. Between walking Dozer through the neighborhood and growing up and living almost all of my life in MacKellar Cove, I knew most of the people who showed up. Friends of my parents arrived with a house-warming gift and an invitation to dinner. A lot came to say hi and introduce themselves. Other neighbors were just excited to get out of the house and meet each other. As friendly and welcoming as everyone was, I got the feeling they didn’t do much together.

And thanks to Mrs. Walsh, I was helping to change that. It was a good feeling.

As things were winding down, I saw my next-door neighbor pull in. It was late. The sun was low on the horizon, setting soon. The lights I strung around the fence made the backyard glow. I watched as my neighbor looked over at my yard and shook his head.

My chest tightened. I’d hoped he would walk over. Say hello. Be nice and neighborly and maybe not hate me.

But he went inside instead of joining us. He shuffled his son into the house and never came back out.

Dammit.

“I’m going to head out, Ms. Chelsea,” Mrs. Walsh said, coming up from behind me and startling me from my disappointment.

I turned to her and hugged the older woman. “Thank you for suggesting this. It’s been so great to meet so many people.”

“I feel bad leaving you to deal with the rest of this event.”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I had a great time, and I appreciate you introducing me to everyone who showed up.”

She pursed her lips at the house next door. “I’m sorry he didn’t come over. I spoke to him the other day and mentioned it. He said he was working, but I suggested he come after. Derek is a nice man, but he’s busy.”

“I understand,” I said, even though I didn’t. I didn’t know anyone who wasn’t busy. Every single person who showed up was busy. But they were all willing to be considerate and friendly.

Mrs. Walsh grinned. “I know you don’t, but that’s okay.”