I hear the passenger-side door open and look over Breck’s shoulder to see Talia standing there. Her olive skin tone and dark hair pair perfectly with her rich hazel eyes. She’s sporting a small smile, amused by our bromance unfolding in front of her. I know her too, but not well. She was around a bit in college, but being two years our junior, we didn’t overlap much. And it wasn’t until a few years after graduation that she and Breck got together.
“It’s good to see you, Talia. Thank you for the pizza and beer yesterday, you’re a lifesaver.” She walks over and I give her a side-hug then drop my arms. I’m not as comfortable with physical touch as Breck is, especially when it comes to his girl. I sneak a glance at Breck and find his eyes have turned mushy—he’s a goner for her.
“I’m so glad you found it. I knew you’d be wrecked after that flight.” A gust of wind tunnels between us then, and she motions toward the truck. “Lunch, yeah?”
“Oh yeah, I’m starving.”
I can feel Breck watching me as we head for the truck, like he’s running a mental diagnostic on how I’m really doing. How I’mcoping. I put a little more effort into the smile I flash him, but I think he sees right through it.
“Willow has school, huh? Her favorite uncle moving to town didn’t warrant a skip day?” I open the front passenger door for Talia but she hops in the back, motioning for me to take it.
Breck’s smile goes wide as he climbs in. If he’s a goner for his girlfriend, he’s even more so for their daughter. “I thought about it, but she already missed a few days last week with a cold. I’m supposed to give you a hug from her.”
Willow was a surprise that neither Breck nor Talia was prepared for. They’d only been dating a few months when they found out Talia was pregnant. As soon as Breck told me he was going to be a dad, I deemed myself Uncle Wes—even if I’d hardly get to see the kid because of the distance.
“Yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes. “Look at you being the responsible parent,” I say, but we both know he’s so much more than that—he’s an amazing dad.
“We’ll have you over this weekend and you can see her. I doubt she’ll let you out of her sight the whole time,” Talia chimes in from the back seat as we pull away from the curb.
Riding shotgun next to Breck, we shoot the shit about work and life. Driving down familiar roads feels like a dream after all this time. He slides into a parking spot with ease like he isn’t commandeering a beast—the man has always loved his toys, and it’s nice to see that hasn’t changed.
The café we’ve pulled up to is quaint, with little tables out front and a sandwich board propped on the sidewalk. I laugh at the words written on it. On one side, it says, “A meal without wine iscalled breakfast,” and on the other it says, “But a breakfast without champagne is not a breakfast.” The café is warm and inviting, and my stomach grumbles loudly at the smell of fresh bread. I planned on getting something to eat this morning but was promptly distracted by a beautiful brunette.
The fresh coffee aroma washes over me and I realize that I forgot to buy some at the store. I’ll have to make a stop later; otherwise, I’ll be pounding on Joss’s door in the morning.
“Tell me about this new neighbor.” Breck says, fishing for information after my text about her being prettier than him. He’s practically salivating at the prospect of a woman in my life.Not happening, bro.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s not going to be anything happening there,” I reply, the words sending an unwelcome pang through my chest.
I can see the disappointment as his face falls, but he recovers and smiles again. “Why’s that? She got a boyfriend or something?”
I think back to our conversation. I never actually asked, but I doubt she would have had me in her house and spoken of her attraction to me if she did. No, I think I can confidently say she isn’t in a relationship.
“No. She’s just not interested in anything casual, and I’m not interested in anything serious. You know I’m not one for messy and complicated, which is exactly what it’d end up being.”
“Wait.” His head rears back in surprise. “You’ve actually discussed this with her? Didn’t you just meet?”
How can I explain this without sounding nuts… I guess it would seem odd to most people, but I loved that we were able to be up front about it. No mixed signals or wrong ideas here.
“Sort of…” I run a hand through my hair as I trail off, trying to think of how to start.
“What do you meansort of? You’ve been here less than twenty-four hours… Is she from school?” Talia asks with way too much interest.
“No, not from school. She was a flight attendant on my flight in. We ran into each other again this morning at the coffee shop just down from my building and, turns out, we’re neighbors.”
“What are the chances?” Breck lets out a low whistle.
“Right?”
“I mean, come on, Wes. This is like the plot to every romance novel—you have to pursue her. It’s fate!” Talia is not letting this go. I scrub a hand across my stubbled face trying to think of a way to diffuse this situation before she gets carried away planning my wedding.
“Talia…” Breck chastises her, but he does it with that megawatt smile of his, dimples on full display, so she doesn’t seem to mind.
“What? I’m just saying.” She shrugs her shoulders like this should be a foregone conclusion.
“Look, I get it,” I say. “But we’reneighbors,Talia. It would be a shit show if things went south. Anyway, we like each other, and it feels easy being around her. As friends.” I let out a chuckle at her crestfallen face before directing my next words to Breck. “She cracked aSilence of the Lambsjoke. An honest-to-god serial killer joke. I almost died.”
Breck laughs. I know he’s going to like her.
