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God, Shayna felt so much better being around the friendly man. No longer lost or alone. Which she knew was an exaggeration of the situation. But clearly she felt that way on some psychic level, too.
Which was why she was here. In D.C. After messing up so badly, she desperately wanted a shot at a fresh start. She really hoped such a thing was possible. And that she deserved it.
“You new around here then, Shayna?”
She nodded. “Just moved in with a friend on Farragut Place.”
“No kidding? We’re on Farragut, too. A new friend and a new neighbor, then. What do you think of that, Ziggy?”
The dog pushed his head into her hand, making her chuckle again.
“He’s a very good judge of character,” Reuben said. “I’d say he likes you.”
“Well, the feeling’s mutual,” she said, scratching his ear.
Reuben looked out over the cemetery, where the shadows were beginning to stretch out across the grass. “I suppose we best be getting back. Would you like to walk along with us?”
“I’d like that,” Shayna said, being sure to match her stride and pace to Reuben’s. He walked sure, but slow, and with a slight limp on the side where he used his cane. Off leash, Ziggy trotted right between them, never leaving his owner’s side.
On the way back to their street, she told him about her new job, and he told her about his daughter and grandkids who lived outside the city in Maryland. His wife had passed away five years before, so it was just him and his dog in the row house where they’d raised their family.
“Well, this is me and Zig,” he said, pointing to a row house with an old lawn chair on the front porch.
Shayna nodded and pointed down the block. “We’re the fourth one from the end.”
“Good to know. If you need anything, just come on down and knock.”
“I will,” she said, bending down to pet a wagging Ziggy. “I hope you’ll do the same.” She rose and felt so grateful to the man for being there for her, whether he realized she’d needed that or not. “Maybe you can come over for dinner some time, Reuben.”
“I know I can’t refuse an invitation to dinner. You just tell me the time and date,” he said with a wave. “And have a good night, now.”
“You, too,” she said, continuing down the sidewalk. At home, she opened the door—and nearly walked directly into Billy. “Whoa, sorry.” She braced her hands on his chest in surprise.
He grasped her by the biceps to steady her. “Hey, there you are.”
She blinked up into dark eyes unsettled with worry. “I’m sorry. Did you need me?”
Billy peered down at her for a long moment. “Uh, no. I mean, I guess I was just curious where you’d gone because your car was here but you weren’t.”
“I was learning my way around,” she said, aware that he was still touching her. She wasn’t complaining. Up close, Billy Parrish smelled like soap and man and sin and she was in no rush to give it up. “And I made a new friend.”
He arched a brow. “Did you now?”
“Reuben? Do you know him?”
Expression suddenly guarded, he shook his head.
“Old man, walks with a cane. Has a brown and white dog named Ziggy. His house is in the middle of the block.”
His expression softened, which was when the question occurred to her—was he jealous that she might’ve met someone? No. Couldn’t be. Probably just protective. That made way more sense.
He gave her arms a light squeeze and stepped back. “If you met one of our neighbors, then you officially know one more than me.”
He said our. It was a little thing that probably meant nothing, but she still found it sweet. Not that she was going to mention it. “Really? But you’ve lived here a while.”
“I know the immediate neighbors enough to recognize them and to give them a wave if we happen to be outside at the same time, but otherwise I’m usually either working, sleeping, or at the gym.” He shrugged as he went in the direction of the kitchen.
Shayna shut the door and followed. “Well, I’ll have to introduce you to Reuben because he’s very sweet and he helped me today.” The words were out of her mouth before she’d even thought about what she was saying—or admitting.
