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Tearsstreamdownmyface as I slam my laptop closed.
I was just fired. On a Saturday. Over a video call. Is this seriously real life? Fuck Derek and his little croonies. I should have quit this job before the move. Derek’s reach is ridiculous, but this is what I get for working for his aunt.
I wipe a tear as I hear the door slam, and Tobias calls for me.
“Mommy! Mommy, come see what I brought inside!”
Heading into the bathroom, I splash water on my face, hoping to turn my bright red cheeks back to their pale, freckled selves. But my bad luck streak continues as they, along with my eyes, blare red.
“Whatever.”
I head down the stairs to find Tobias standing in the middle of my kitchen with the biggest damn dog I’ve ever seen.
“Who’s dog is that?! Oh my god, you can’t just bring stray animals in, Tobias. Where did you find him?”
The neighborhood grump steps out from behind the corner, his large arms crossed across his chest. “It’s my dog, and he found him in my yard. Which your child was in… unattended.”
And that damn accent… even the slight annoyance sounds so sexy.Why did I have to move in next door to this very sexy, yet so incredibly grumpy man?
Tobias looks up at me. “Why are your eyes all red, mommy?”
I shake my head and smile. “Why don’t you run upstairs, baby? Wash your hands and change those muddy clothes.”
He nods and runs up the stairs as I turn to Cody. “Why are you in my house?”
“Returning your kid. He was in my garage where he could have easily gotten hurt. You can’t just let him run wild.”
I turn to him with a glare. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah. I know this town looks safe and all, but he can’t just be runnin’ around like a feral child. You don’t even know me.”
“Is there something I should know about you, mister Cody, from next door?”
He runs his fingers through his long hair. “Nope. But you can’t have your kid in my shit, lady.”
“Do you have kids?”
“Uh… no.”
I nod as I reach up into my cabinet to look for a glass. “Then you have no idea how sneaky kids can be. I was on my call for less than ten minutes.”
Not finding a glass, I sigh and grab the wine bottle, popping it open to take a sip. Cody smirks from beside me.
“Don’t even say a word.”
He throws his hands up in the air. “Wasn’t gonna. I know better than to get between an angry woman and her wine.”
Slumping against the counter, I take another sip. “That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard you say since you stormed into my yard.”
Cody chuckles, that slight accent sending shivers down my spine. “You’re a spitfire, June. You know that?”
I look over to see him smiling at me, making my dusty lady bits tingle. That smile with that accent? Lord help me, because I want to jump his bones right now.
No! Bad, Juniper. This is not and will not happen. Ever. Never ever. We swore off men, remember?
“You good? You left us there for a minute.”
I nod. “Yeah, sorry. Long day. Look, I’m really sorry that Tobias is bothering you. I’ll try to keep a better eye on him. It’s just… never mind. He’s a very curious little boy.”
