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“Do we unpack now, or should we call Bristol, Leia, and Selina for some help unpacking and then get some pizza?” I ask Love, closing the door behind the last mover as they leave.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?” Love places a hand against my forehead, pretending to check my temperature.
“Haha. Laugh it up, smartass.”
“How about we unpack the kitchen and see how we feel? I don’t want to deal with you again in the morning without your coffee.” We both laugh as we head into the kitchen.
There are boxes on every flat surface, making it almost impossible for you to see how amazing this kitchen is. When Bristol sent me the listing for this rental after I decided to move to Tyson’s Creek, this is the room I fell in love with. A large double fridge is tucked into the wall to the right, with a small buffet table right next to it. White shaker cabinets wrap around the wall, separated by a decent-sized window with the sink underneath it. Not the largest kitchen, but one of the nicest I have ever had.
“Let’s get to it. Then we can call in reinforcements and order some pizza.” Love gives me a smile before cracking open one box.
As we unpack, my mind drifts back to my conversation with Selina about Connor. Selina’s right. There’s nothing wrong with the two of us becoming friends, but I have to make sure it doesn’t go beyond that. No matter what Selina said, he was just being nice to the new face he saw in town. Nothing more, nothing less. And that’s a good thing because I could easily find myself falling back on old habits if he asked me out on a date. After everything that happened with Ian, I need to focus on Love. No more running around in search of someone to love me.
Love and I spend a few hours unpacking before I text the girls and ask for some help and food. Unpacking on an empty stomach is the worst. After Bristol texts me back with a thumbs-up, I get back to unloading as many boxes as I can before the doorbell rings.
“That must be Bristol with our pizza and reinforcements.” I smile as I turn on my heels and head for the door.
“Oh, no, you don’t. You keep working. We both know that the moment you sit down, it’s all over.” Love grabs my shoulder, turning me back toward the open box in front of me. “You keep unpacking, and I’ll get the door.”
“Fine, but don’t eat and walk. I don’t want pizza sauce on the carpet.”
“I make no promises.” She snorts as the sound of the doorbell filters downthe hall.
I get back to unpacking before hearing Love gasp loudly in surprise. “Jade! What are you doing here?”
Jade?I cock my head to the side, listening intently for any other hint of what’s happening, but when I don’t hear anything, I head toward the front door. Connor’s daughter, Jade, is standing in the doorway holding a large plate of cookies. Her chocolate-brown hair is braided over her shoulder, and a welcoming smile crosses her face.
“We’re neighbors.” She turns and motions over her shoulder as I notice Connor standing at the end of the driveway, holding a couple of boxes of pizza.
I wave over her head. “You don’t need to stand at the end of the driveway. We were going to order pizza anyway.” I give him a shy smile as he comes up the walkway to the front door. An earthly smell envelops my senses as he steps closer. My head tilts back as I look up at him towering over me, flashing him a soft smile before ducking my head. He must be over a foot taller than me.
“Sorry to impose, but Bristol said you were moving into my neighborhood. I figured some pizza and help unpacking would be nice.”
“Auntie Bristol phoned a friend instead of coming to help us unpack,” Love says to Jade, bumping her shoulder against Jade’s as they both laugh loudly.
Connor smiles softly at me before shifting the pizzas to one hand. “Or I could just hand you these pizzas and the plate of chocolate chip cookies Jade spent most of the day making and head home.”
I release a shaky breath and take the plate of cookiesfrom Jade. This is a bad idea. This morning, I promised myself that I’d limit as much time as I could with Connor, but here he is, standing on my front porch with pizza and a plate of amazing cookies. Thanking him for the food and sending him on his way is always an option.
“Don’t do it,” Love whispers softly in my ear, having already figured out what I’d planned on doing. “It’s just dinner and dessert. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Don’t make a big deal out of it? Easier said than done, but she’s right. This doesn’t have to be anything more than my incredibly gorgeous neighbor coming over to welcome me to the neighborhood.
“My mom would have my head if I did anything like that.” I flash him a shy smile before stepping out of the doorway. “Besides, this is more than enough pizza for all four of us.”
Jade and Love fly past me into the kitchen, talking a mile a minute about everything and nothing at the same time. Neither of them bothers to help us bring the food in, as they’re off in their own world.
“Those two are going to be trouble,” I mutter to myself as I place the plate of cookies on the breakfast buffet and rummage around in the boxes beside me for some paper plates.
“They are, but I’m glad Jade finally found someone she could relate to.” Connor’s deep baritone echoes through the compact kitchen. I catch a hint of sadness in his voice. “She’s lived here all her life, but few people look at her with anything but sadness in their eyes.”
“She’s a beautiful girl. You and your late wife must be proud of her.”
“Ah, you’ve talked to the girls about us.”
“Guilty as charged, but it’s not my fault. Once Love told Selina about our encounter in the café, I had no choice. When she smells blood in the water, it’s all over.” I giggle, hoping to lighten the mood. “I hope I didn’t overstep, but I noticed your ring when we met, and…”
“You thought I was a creeper who was hitting on the first beautiful woman he saw, although he had a wife waiting for him at home.”
