Page 49 of Here You Are

“I’ll wash. You dry and put away, since I don’t know where anything goes.”

He grinned at me. “Deal.”

We mostly worked in silence, cleaning up the remnants of the meal for the neighborhood party. I found myself sneaking glances at him as he worked his way around the kitchen. It felt like an awfully domestic situation to be in with this neighbor I barely knew.

“I meant what I said when I asked you to come over. I could use some adult companionship, and the girls seem to have really taken to you. It gets lonely at night after they go to bed. Don’t get me wrong, I crave the quiet after the chaos of a summer day with them, but it would be nice to have someone to be quiet with.”

“I kind of brushed off your invitation the other night. I’m a homebody, and every time I come outside, Widow Jenkins snatches me up for one of her side quests. Though I think I would like that, too.”

The statement that just came out of my mouth shocks the hell out of me. The dishes are done, so I turn around and lean against the kitchen counter. “Just let me know when. Other than an occasional visit from my sister and avoiding the neighbors, I’m usually pretty open.”

I pause to take a deep breath for courage and then continue, “I had fun with you tonight. You aren’t exactly what I was expecting.”

“What were you expecting?”

“Hmmm, how do I say this without being offensive? I was expecting you to be an old, boring dad. Too harsh?”

“I mean, I am an old, boring dad. This is what being forty-four with three kids will get you,” he says as he does a twirl.

This has me giggling quietly, so I don’t disrupt anyone’s sleep. “Well, you aren’t boring, and although you are older than me, not by much. You just seem more…mature since you're in a different stage of life than I am.”

“Old, boring, mature, dad. I'm a hot commodity. Hope the news doesn’t get out, or women will be pushing each other over to get in line.”

I reach out to punch him in the shoulder and clarify that I didn’t mean it like that. When I touch his shoulder, he grabs my hand and pulls it to the center of his chest. He’s looking at me with a half-grin and a twinkle in his eye. My heart is racing from nerves and something else I can’t pinpoint. Is it an attraction? It couldn’t be feelings of…lust?

He drapes my hand around his neck and pulls me in for a hug. I can feel his breath as he whispers in my ear, “I had fun with you, too. And if I can be honest, I couldn’t keep my eyes off your legs in that sexy little dress you're wearing.”

I pull back to laugh and ensure he is joking. When I look up into his eyes, I don’t see any laughter in them. His hands slide up my sides and land with one on the side of my face and one on the opposite side of my neck.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper.

I don’t even know if I want to kiss him, if I am even attracted to him. Still, I dip my chin in a slight nod. He leans in and lightly touches his lips to mine. The kiss lasts only a second or two, and he pulls away. His hands slide down my arms and land back on the sides of my hips. I feel myself wishing the kiss lasted longer, which has me confused as hell.

He drops his hands off my body and takes another step back. “I could really see myself getting carried away with you, so, I’d better call it a night. Can I walk you to the door?”

He seems bashful and nervous, which is a side I have never seen of him. It was a bold move. I can’t believe he just kissed me. I stay standing there, still trying to recover.

Finally, I put on my big girl pants and asked him, “Are you okay?”

He nods and replies as we are walking toward the front door. “Yes, I’m good. I haven’t had a first kiss for a very long time, so I got a little in my head. But, if it’s not too much to tell you, I hope it’s not our last.”

I shake my head at him and walk out the front door. I can’t believe that happened. Grass Daddy and me, sitting in a tree. What would Widow Jenkins say? She can never know.

Chapter 21

July 5, 2021

The next morning, I received a text message from an unknown number. That in itself doesn’t alarm me, but the contents of the message are concerning.

Unknown Number: What are you wearing?

Me: Uh. Who is this?

Unknown Number: Ben. I got your number from Emilia. Just wondering if you woke up and put your Fourth of July outfit back on. Then my imagination got away from me.

Me: That broad has no consideration for my safety, giving my number out all willy-nilly to men I barely know. And no, I'll never put that back on my body ever again. Consider it kindling for the fireplace.

Grass Daddy: Hmmm, too bad. Do you want to come over tonight after I get the kids to bed? Can we do what the kids are calling “Netflix and Chill”?