“Oh no, dear. Sorry. I’m in the middle of watching a documentary on television and I don’t want to miss it. Egypt you know. Fascinating. I’m heading there this summer with a friend. Cairo, the great pyramids, the temple of the bulls. I’m sure Ford will help you out. You two have a lot to discuss.”
Easy as that, she found herself walking toward home, Ford at her side. “I’m sure this is out of your way,” she said.
“I told Grammie L. that I’d walk you home and discuss the meeting. I won’t go back on my word. Besides, Cherry Lake is a small town. Like you, I walk most places.”
She sighed. “Okay.” How did he know she preferred walking over driving short distances? “This way,” she pointed down the street.
Their steps tapped loudly on the frozen concrete and echoed into the silent starlit night. They ambled down Main Street, past The Coffee Loft, past the fire hall, and the hardware store. The night was too peaceful and beautiful to rush home. Sounds of sweet harmony came from the Catholic church. She paused for a moment to enjoy the melody.
“They sound amazing,” she said as they strolled into the residential area. “They wowed me at the Christmas service last year when I was visiting.”
“It’s getting colder,” she stuffed her hands deeper into her pockets. “I wish there was more cloud cover to trap the heat.”
“Clouds mean snow. Last year, Old Man Sedgewick’s roof collapsed under the snow load. It was a darn good thing he was at the pub when it happened.”
“That’s terrible. I mean I’m glad he was okay, but to lose your house ….”
“Everyone pitched in and rebuilt it. Insurance covered the materials. Still, excessive snowcauses trouble.”
“Are you always like that?” she asked. “Do you always see the worst? Like my not even close to expired fire extinguishers?” She wasn’t an unbeatable optimist, but neither was she a pessimist.
“I just believe in safety.” He bit the words out. His tone reminded her of a snapping dog.
“I suppose that makes sense, being a fire fighter and all.” Two blocks of uncomfortable silence later she said, “Well, this is me.” She waved toward a gray and white, two-story duplex.
“No kidding?” He laughed. “This is me too. We’re neighbors.” His tone implied that he knew they lived side by side.
Though she was rarely home, she had thought it odd that she’d never met her neighbor. “I’ve never seen you around. You rent here too?” She tried not to sound accusatory, but it felt weird knowing the man who held the future of her business in his hands lived next door.
“Sure. Go with that.” He shrugged as they walked up the central sideway to the point where it branched toward the separate front doors.
“What does that mean?” She puzzled over his words. “Youownthis building? Tell me you only ownone side.” She didn’t want to add landlord to the ways he was buried in her life.
He smirked. “I own this entire building, and that one, and that one.” He pointed to two adjacent buildings. “Ten rental units in all. I have a rental company and my staff takes care of the details. Plus, a small strip mall out by the highway.”
Just her luck! Things just got better and better. It was bad enough that she couldn’t afford to buy a home, the franchise, and the church, but to have the man who held her business in his hand also in charge of her home was beyond all thinking.He practically controlled her entire life!
“A fire fighter, an inspector, and a slum lord?” she quipped. Hopefully, he’d know the last bit was a joke.
“Not a slum lord, a property owner. Yes, I’m all those things, and I also teach self-defense.” His shrug was eloquent and self-deprecating. “Can I make you a cup of tea?”
She reared back at the surprise offer.
“I know it’s nearly eight-thirty and you get up early. But I need to unwind. I feellike I was sucker punched at the meeting, and I’m still cold from lying on the ground. I thought maybe tea would be nice. Or a cup of decaf. Though I doubt I have your coffee skills.”
She considered the offer and took it as the olive branch it appeared to be. “I could drink a decaf. Do you have cream?”
“I have milk?” He made the reply a question.
“Let me grab cream and I’ll pop over.”After she had a moment to steady her nerves. Ford stirred up something inside her she didn’t want to acknowledge. Something that wasn’t just anger or frustration. Something warm and welcoming. Occasionally, he seemed like a nice guy. She needed time to deal with the turmoil before seeing him again.
“I’ll put a pot on. Let yourself in when you get back.” In unison, they turned toward their own adjacent doors, unlocked, and went inside.
She eased the door shut and leaned back against it. Her breath whooshed out in a huff. She started giggling. Her life was completely and totally out of control. Moving to Cherry Lake had stirred things up. She came home to be close to her grandmother who lived in a senior’s condo. They’d only managed onevisit before her grandmother, friend, and confidant went on a whirlwind trip. She had nobody to vent to and her nemesis was a very attractive man who lived next door. Absurd!
Opening a new business was time-consuming and Drinda was almost run off her feet at work. While that was a blessing, it was exhausting. She needed more staff but didn’t want to jump the gun. Especially not with her unpassed fire inspectionhanging over her head. She still wasn’t certain the bad mark wasn’t due to Ford being annoyed at her.
And she’d gone and knocked him down tonight. And argued about dessert. What next? All that just made his offer of a nightcap … unnerving. And confusing.
