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Me:It’s delicious. Thank you.
Mason:No problem. I knew today was your first day.
Me:I’m going to have to reciprocate for all these meals.
Mason:I heard from an excellent source that you have a good recipe for fried chicken.
Sammy tells everyone my fried chicken is the best. The truth is, it’s decent, but it’s the best I can make. Let me rephrase that. It’s the only good thing I can make.
Avery:Hey, what is going on?
Me:I’m at work.
Avery:No. Apparently, there is a mention of Mason being smitten.
The first thing I feel is jealousy.
Avery:He sent food out to some woman, according to the Juniper Springs Express. Do we need to string him up?
I roll my eyes.
“What?”
“Avery. Apparently, there are rumors about Mason sending food to some woman on the JSE. She offered to maim him.”
“I do love your sister,” she says with a laugh.
And I could worry about it, but since no one is posting my name, I’m in the clear.
My phone buzzes with another text.
Mason:I’m usually free on Wednesday nights.
I smile.
Me:I’ll take that under advisement.
With that, I put my phone down and tackle the rest of my lunch.
ChapterFifteen
MASON
Liv has been living next door to me for less than a week, but there is already a routine to my day. I don’t get to have breakfast with the family like I did that first morning, but I’ve spent a lot of time with Houdini and Sammy.
It’s Wednesday, and I’m off early today, so I should be hanging out in my house watching crap TV. Instead, I’m out in my garden. Last week was hot as hades, even for South Texas in the middle of summer. So, I’ve decided to weed and pick a few tomatoes I have that are ready for harvest.
I’m in my backyard less than ten minutes before I hear a whine on the other side of the chain-link fence.
I glance over and my sometimes roomie is sitting there watching me. I don’t think I’ve ever met a dog quite like him. He’s a typical golden retriever, but the mohawk…that’s different. I thought it was a grooming appointment gone wrong, but Sammy told me Houdini’s hair is always like that.
Worried he’ll jump over the shared fence and get hurt, I walk over through my gate, then open Liv’s. Houdini trots out like he’s royalty and follows me into my yard.
“You know, one of these days, she’ll stop letting you come over to see me, right?”
Houdini huffs at me and settles down in the shade of my live oak tree to watch me sweat it out. I shake my head and get back to work on the garden. I don’t really know what to do about my need for Liv. I’ve always been one of those guys who could stay friends with almost every one of my lovers. At least, those here in Juniper. I haven’t had any real girlfriend since my high school days.
Still, there’s something that pulls at me when I think about Liv. And I think about her a lot. I burned my hand during the lunch rush today when I started daydreaming about making Liv laugh.
