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Fear clouds my thought process. The idea that he could get hurt…it would just kill the kids. And me, it would kill me too. He’s an annoying dog, but I have grown fond of the bugger.
“I’m going to go hit up a few neighbors.”
Great way to meet them. I have met most of them, except the person next door. So, I check with the Applebaums first. The cute little retired couple offers to help me look for him, but I tell them I’ve got it. Because that’s what I do. I make my way down one side of the street, then back up. The only house I haven’t hit is the next-door neighbor that I heard was a single man.
The truck is in the driveway, telling me whoever lives here is home. I knock on the front door, hoping they aren’t asleep. Barking sounds, and I know that my damned dog is in this person’s house. The door opens, and I lose the breath in my lungs. I blink.
Mason is standing there, a confused look on his face. He even looks pretty when his brows are furrowed, and he’s frowning at me. The moment our gazes connect, his mouth curves.
“Hey, Liv.” His voice dips over my name, and, dammit, I can’t fight my reaction. I try, but I fail, but at least I don’t blush. Okay, I do blush, but it’s dark out, so there’s a good chance he can’t see it.
Before I can ask him anything, he yelps as Houdini shoves his head through his legs.
“You are in trouble, mister.”
“I am?”
I look up at him. “No. I mean, Houdini is.”
“Oh, he’s yours? He just showed up in my backyard and scratched on the back door.”
For his part, Houdini wiggles through Mason’s legs, almost making him fall. I grab hold of Mason, and just like that night forty-three days ago—not that I’m counting—my entire body zings with happiness.
“Houdini,” Avery says rather loudly. I look over and see that my dog has already abandoned me. Traitor.
Houdini runs off, trotting toward Avery. I know from where she is standing, she can’t see Mason.
“Can you take him in?” I call out to Avery who nods and takes the traitor back into the house.
I turn toward Mason and realize I still have my hands wrapped around Mason’s biceps. My brain goes into gaga mode whenever I see him. It’s hard to look at such beauty and think simultaneously.
I release him, but it doesn’t stop the way my heart is galloping.
“So, you live next door?” He settles against his doorjamb and crosses his arms.
“Yeah.” Then it hits me. “Good God.”
“Mason.”
“What?”
“My name’s Mason.”
“I…” I gulp. “I promise I’m not stalking you.”
He gives me a grin then. “I know that. It’s just…odd. Right?”
I nod, my brain still feeling fuzzy. All I can think about is the way he groaned my name.
“Uh, yeah.” Then it does hit me. “We’re going to be seeing each other every day.”
He nods.
“I…” I scrub a hand over my face. “This is just like me. I break out once as a single mother, and I do the guy I live next to. I can’t do anything right.”
“What?”
Jeez, I said that out loud. What the ever-loving hell? I’m tired but I think this has more to do with the six-feet-plus of man meat standing in front of me.
