Chapter14
Get Off My (Her) Lawn
TED
"So it’s serious,” are the first words out of my mouth when my brother picks up the phone.
“Is what serious?” JJ asks, his tone conveying his usual jovial, relaxed demeanor. As if he doesn’t have a care in the world. The only reason he doesn’t is because of me. I should have been harder on him. But I did the best I could after our parents passed.
“With my neighbor. You’ve had her over twice now.” My teeth ground against each other.
Running into her this morning had been less than pleasant. I’d been coming back from my morning walk when I found her sneaking out of my house, again. Again, I couldn’t account for the way my heart sunk in my stomach. Naturally, she’d been terrified of me, and it occurred to me that I should have been walking around in my bear form the moment she moved in. It might have scared her off from my place and my dumbass brother.
But now that it was serious, I couldn’t do that. I loosened my jaw with a loud pop.
“I don’t know what you're talking about, but is she hot?” JJ laughs lightly.
I grip the wrench in my hand so hard my knuckles turn white. After I returned to my human form, showered and dressed, I retreated to my garage with my small army of broken appliances and projects.
JJ usually isn’t one to deflect, but maybe he realizes he’s crossed a line this time and is covering up.
“Two nights ago. You crashed at my house, and a woman came out of your room. The blonde cream puff. She’s my neighbor. She snuck out again this morning.”
“Are you okay, big bro?” he asks, his voice taunting. “Has the isolation pushed you to create delusions about beautiful women breaking into your house?”
Anger rips through me hot and fierce. If he doesn’t even have the decency to confess that he’s been getting intimate with the most irritating girl I’ve ever met, I might have to murder him. Does she think he’s in love with her too, and he’s just using her because she is close by?
Two rock hands squeeze around my heart as I think the two of them might be so serious he can’t admit it yet. She deserves better than this runaround bullshit. She shouldn’t be hidden. JJ needs to nut up and own that he is sleeping with my beautiful, overly-friendly neighbor who makes every nerve ending tingle when I see her.
“Stop being an asshat,” I growl into the phone. “If you are messing around with my neighbor, tell me.”
“I’d love to tell you that. But two nights ago, I sadly taxied back to your place alone. When I got up, not even you were in the house. And then last night, I had to stay here and work late. Massive software update to work on. No time for fun shenanigans, but you bet your big fuzzy ass I’m going to celebrate my face off once we get this update launched.”
JJ works at a tech firm, one of the rare achievements in his life I can nod at with some semblance of pride. And while I usually want to pop his head off the rest of the time, right now I’m left in confusion. This lie is too specific and simple. Not to mention, he usually doesn’t bother lying at all. He’s an ask for forgiveness after the fact kind of guy.
“But when the time to party comes,” he goes on, “Why don’t you invite this blonde cream puff you speak of, over. I’d love to meet her.”
I hang up. I’m getting nowhere with my brother. Per usual.
It’s time I get my big snout out of his damn business and focus on my own. Which means turning to the place where I always find my grounding. Good, honest, work.
* * *
A lotof days I end up working from home, doing paperwork and coordinating jobs for my employees. But after talking to my dumbass brother, I decide to head out to the construction sites to check in on my guys’ progress. I built my contracting business from the ground up, determined to get in and transform wood, metal, and more to make houses into homes for people. A quick bounce from there got me into the restaurant industry. I got my own business license and started hiring guys I got friendly with at the hardware store.
Right now, we are tasked with gutting three houses for renovations, and building out a new industrial, health-conscious coffee shop. I was more than willing to roll up my sleeves, grab a chisel, and start removing the old tile with one of my guys, working side by side in peace for several hours. Losing myself in the work, my mind calms. I’m no longer plagued by visions of the blonde goddess next door rolling in the sack with my brother.
It’s past six when I turn off to the long, winding street to my place. My AC valiantly fights off the blazing summer sun cooking my car. Thinking of the steak I’m going to grill after I take a shower, I find my attention on the car behind me.
It’s unusual for any car to be on this road, as it is a bit of a hidden turn off and not many people live here. The driver is doing his best impression of an enema. He’s so close in his silver Audi, that I can determine his eye color is green. An uneasy feeling twists in my gut the closer to the cul-de-sac with my and Astrid’s… or Goldie’s house.
I deliberately slow down a little more, and chuckle when his hands wave wildly in frustration as if to ask what that fuck I think I’m doing.
Suck it buddy, this is a residential area.
When I turn to the right to pull into my driveway and he takes a left toward Astrid’s—or Goldie’s—house, the uneasiness balloons into a sour unsettledness. I don’t like this. I can’t explain why, but I don’t.
My garage is full of all the projects I’m currently tinkering with, so I park off to the side of my house. As I step out of my truck, I have a perfect view of Goldie on her porch. A pink kerchief is tied around her hair as she stands on a ladder, cleaning the front windows.
