AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Elizabeth nodded, remembering Jody had shared that information when she showed her the home. “Do they play outside often?” she asked, intentionally keeping her voice cool.
“Yes. They’re kids. That’s what kids do.”
“Are they always that loud?”
His smile faded. “No actually, sometimes they’re even louder. Well, again, welcome to the neighborhood,” he said as he turned and walked away, evidently taking the hint.
It didn’t take much more time at all for the movers to finish unloading the truck and leave Elizabeth to the solitude she so desired. She feverishly scrambled about the house until every last item found its new home. It was nearly 4:00 a.m. when she crawled into bed.
She felt like she’d just dozed off when there came some pesky racket from outside. Lifting her head from her 1500 count, Egyptian cotton-covered pillow, she glanced at the clock. It was almost 7:00 a.m. She rolled out of bed, walked over to the sliding glass doors that stood between the bedroom and backyard deck, and slid the curtain aside so she could see who was responsible for all the yelling.
Max and Molly and two other little boys ran around in the Antonetti backyard. A humongous yellow lab barked and howled as it chased the children.
She looked toward the garage and saw Joe sitting on a patio chair talking with a man that looked like him, only a few years younger. They sipped from coffee mugs and ate doughnuts.
Fury shot through her veins. She was exhausted and wanted more sleep. Though she was normally an early riser, three hours simply didn’t cut it for her, and she couldn’t believe her neighbors’ rudeness—making so much noise so early in the morning. She wasn’t going to stand for it.
She unlatched the lock on the sliding door, slid the door open, and stepped out onto the deck. “Hey, do you have any idea what time it is?”
Joe looked down at his watch and then back toward her and smiled. “Yes, it’s 7:00 a.m.”
“I know it’s 7:00 a.m.,” she snapped back.
“Well, then what did you ask for?” The teasing grin on his face only irked her further, and she let out a growl, turned on her heel, and stormed back into her house where she flopped back onto her bed and covered her head with her pillow.
A couple hours later, she awoke to laughter. Again, she rolled out of bed and strolled over to the window to see what was going on outside. She shook her head at the sight of two adult men wrestling around on the ground with a mob of children. Seriously, don’t they know how foolish they look playing around like that?
After slipping into her exercise clothes, Elizabeth headed for her treadmill. Upon completion of three easy miles, she was ready for some coffee and the morning paper, but had neither in her house. Still dressed in her ratty workout clothes, she jumped into her Lexus SUV and headed out to find the nearest coffee shop, returning home fifteen minutes later with coffee and paper in hand.
As she slid out of her vehicle and shut the door, she heard Joe yell for her.
Ugh, why didn’t I park in the garage, rather than the driveway?
Reluctantly, she turned her head in his direction to see him and his near-twin approaching. She couldn’t help but wonder why he was smiling, and what he could possibly want.
“Elizabeth, this is my brother Nick. Nick, this is my new neighbor, Elizabeth.” Joe nodded at her.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry we woke you this morning,” Nick said as he offered a reluctant half-smile.
Was he really sorry? She doubted it. “Morning. Nice to meet you, too,” Elizabeth robotically replied with a wave of her hand before she simply turned and headed toward the front door of her house.
She cringed at her mushrooming guilt associated with her rudeness to the men a moment ago, and it actually crossed her mind to apologize for her impoliteness, but then she remembered his smugness from earlier in the morning when they were yelling back and forth to one another, from his yard to her deck. She didn’t like being teased.
Don’t worry about it, he’s just a jerk anyhow.
