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“Because I’m with you?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “You’ll get a lot of questions too.”
“I figured some of my neighbors will come talk. I’ve waved to them but haven’t spoken to anyone. I’m only around on the weekends and outside mowing the lawn or something if they are.”
He pulled on her ponytail playfully. “I remember you used to be so much more outgoing.”
“Not really,” she said. “I think I forced it more than anything else. In school it's just so hard to get along with people.”
“But you did,” he said.
“By chance,” she said. “Playing sports helped, but you know as well as I do that girls are harsh and things were said. I wasn’t always good enough for some groups.”
She didn’t dress like they did. Her family didn’t have the money.
When some started to say she was trying to move up by dating Christian, it was just too much attention on her and she’d had enough.
Over the years she might have regretted breaking up with Christian, but he never fought to get her back either. In her eyes it hadn’t meant much to him. Nothing more than a first love or sexual experience.
She didn’t let it bother hertoomuch and just moved on with her life.
Funny how here she was though.
“You’re good enough for me,” he said, kissing her on the lips. “You ready to go meet your neighbors?”
She sighed. “Yes. There is alcohol there, right?”
He laughed at her. “You don’t drink much, but there is beer. I’m sure Shannon or Zoe has wine. Some bring it. I’ll stick with beer. Many bring their own drinks, but there will be a lot of water and juice boxes that the family supplies too.”
Which was just another great thing about Christian’s family.
“Don’t want anyone to get heat stroke,” she said. “I don’t want to be put to work.”
“Do you know how many doctors, police, firemen, nurses and EMTs live in Paradise Place?”
“No,” she said. “Do you?”
“No,” he said, grinning. “But I can give you the list of those I know personally. I bet it’s close to twenty.”
“No,” she said.
“Now you’re going to force me to do it. You—”
“I’m not family,” she argued.
He closed one eye at her. “You are to me.”
She smiled and this warm heat filled her belly fast. “The same,” she said.
“Let’s start with law enforcement. The chief of police of Colonie lives here. I don’t know him as well as my parents do. But Ruby Turner, who sold you this house, her husband, Josh, Josh’s best friend, Nathan, and Nathan’s brother, Dylan—who is married to Zoe that is Ryan’s sister-in-law—are all employed by the State Police. Trey is a fireman. You’re a nurse. Harris’s sister, Sarah, is a nurse; Kaelyn is a physical therapist, so still medical. Then Evan’s brothers-in-law are both doctors. Addison a pharmacist. And Sarah’s sister-in-law and her fiancé are both vets. That counts, right?”
“Wow,” Liz said. “So that is family or sort of connected to your family.” She started to recap it on her hand. “That’s twelve.”
“Those are the ones I know closely. Do you want me to list all the other ones I know and have talked to?”
She smirked at him. “No,” she said. “I’ll take your word for it. If someone goes down with heat stroke, I can sit back and continue to drink.”
“That a girl,” he said. “Just relax today.”
