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In the aftermath of another orgasm that’d nearly made me wake the neighborhood, he pulled the blankets over me without saying a word, then gathered me in his arms and promptly fell asleep, holding me like he’d never let go.

While I knew that didn’t necessarily mean it was true, I let the exhaustion of the day drag me under, my heart feeling so ridiculously full that I knew without a doubt that I was in trouble. But I didn’t care. Because I suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that my dear husband might just be right there with me.

CHAPTER 35

HOLDEN

Apparently, I’d made an impression on our neighbor across the street. That was what Alicia thought, anyway. I preferred to believe I’d simply intimidated old Rex Henderson into wanting to play nice with me.

Maybe he’d seen all those boxes on our porch and wanted me to take it easy on him at Halloween. That wasn’t going to happen, but I couldn’t deny I was quite enjoying this unexpected, early morning coffee with him and another neighbor he’d dragged over to our porch.

Tony was an old man who lived down the street, wore a permanent scowl, and looked like the kind of person who peered through his window at all hours of the day, just waiting for someone to do something he disapproved of. When I’d first stepped out onto the porch, he’d looked me up and down like he’d been trying to decide whether to call the police on me, but then I’d offered them coffee from the fancy machine, and suddenly, we’d bonded.

Rex and Tony sat on either side of me at the rickety little table on our porch. If this was going to become a regular thing, I’d have to buy new outdoor furniture, but it’d probably be worth it if I kept getting the neighborhood gossip like this.

“Are those kids really out here every morning?” I asked, squinting at a group of boys doing all sorts of hops on their bicycles at the corner.

“Every morning.” Rex nodded, his mouth set into a grim line. “From six thirty. Sharp.”

As I watched, one of the boys tried to do some kind of twist-hop thing over the curb, and unsurprisingly, he wiped out, smacking into the cement with a thud I could hear from all the way over here. I winced, already bracing to go help, but his friends howled with laughter, and the next thing I knew, the kid was back on his feet.

“They’re reckless,” Tony grumbled, his head shaking as he turned away from them. “I keep waiting for ambulance sirens, but so far, they’ve gotten lucky.”

“It won’t last forever,” Rex muttered before lifting his mug to his lips and taking another sip of his coffee. “Stupid always catches up to people. Always.”

“Agreed.” I sighed, as tight-lipped and disapproving as the other two grumpy old men. “Where are their parents?”

Tony shrugged. “All I know is they’re not here.”

“Work, probably,” Rex suggested, then lifted the mug in my direction. “This is good. You really made it right here at home?”

I nodded. “The wife and I bought a fancy espresso machine as a wedding gift to ourselves.”

Rex gave me an approving look, confirming that this was how one made friends as a married man living on a new block. Hobbies and shared interests didn’t play a role. It was all about good coffee and complaints about teenagers.

I fucking love it.

I was even beginning to suspect I’d found my people. Although I hadn’t been happy about being pulled away from my naked wife at some absurd hour, I felt right at home with these guys. Deep down, I supposed I already was a grumpy old man.

At that moment, another group of boys came tearing around the corner on their bicycles. Rex tensed when one of them drew ahead of the others. “He’s going too fast. Where the hell are his brakes?”

“He’s always going too fast.” Tony leaned forward, eyes widening as he glanced at the intersection. “There’s a car coming!”

I leaped to my feet. “Watch out!”

The boys swerved around a parked SUV, another jumping the curb to avoid colliding with the mercifully slow-moving car pulling away. I pressed a hand to my chest and shook my head. “Idiot.”

Rex cupped a hand around his mouth and lifted his ass halfway out of the chair. “Slow down!”

For half a heartbeat, I thought they might actually do it now that they knew they had an audience, but nope. They ignored him completely, simply racing past at breakneck speeds toward the group of boys still waiting at the other corner.

“Get off the sidewalk!” I shouted at one trailing a bit behind the others. He looked younger, his gaze actually flicking toward us as he passed. “You’re going to hit the mailbox!”

The boy glanced ahead and he must’ve realized I was right because he suddenly banked hard, his tires sliding back onto the street, allowing him to narrowly avoid the neighbor’s mailbox. I didn’t even get a thank you for the warning.

The little asshole just faced stubbornly ahead, speeding to catch up to his friends, brothers, or maybe just all-round bad influences. I shook my head and glared after him. “Someone should talk to that one’s parents. He’s still young enough to stand a chance.”

Rex opened his mouth to answer, but a black SUV pulling up at the curb drew his attention. “Who’s that? It’s a darn nice car.”