Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
JAKE
Letting the front door slam behind me, I jogged to my truck.
Making my way back toward the driver’s door, I took my sunglasses from the collar of my tee and put them on.
I was about to open the door when a little voice said, “Good morning, Mister.”
I nearly jumped a mile high when I saw a little girl standing beside me. “Jesus. Where did you come from?”
“My name’s not Jesus,” she corrected me. “I’m Grace Rose Leone, and I live next door to you.” She pointed toward Katie’s house. “Do you wanna play?” Grace asked. “I can go get my dollies and sit in my front garden. I have Barbies and American Girl.” She raised her hand and tapped her lip with her index finger. “Maybe we should have a tea party.”
I scraped a hand down my face.
Fuck.
Choice one: say no and probably make the kid cry. At worst, she’d hate me, which meant I wouldn’t stand a chance in hell of getting to know her mom.
Choice two: say yes and play for a while. That would set tongues wagging. The neighbors would think I was some weird kid whisperer. And let’s face it, a grown man who plays tea parties with little girls to who he wasn’t related would be considered a pervert.
I didn’t like my odds either way.
“Graaace,” a voice called from next door.
I sent up a prayer thanking the Lord for small mercies. “Think someone’s calling you.” I nodded toward Katie’s house, and the smile on my face was no doubt one of relief.
“That’s my gramma. You should come to meet her.” With that, she slipped her tiny, soft hand in mine and began to drag me toward her house.
“Umm—Maybe err.” My brain seized up. Suddenly, the words wouldn’t come. What if the kid’s Gran thought I’d lured her next door to my lair? My gut took a nosedive. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Gramma,” the kid shrieked. “Meet my new friend from next door. He’s gonna play dollies with me.”
A woman stood on Katie’s porch. I would have put her in her early fifties. Immediately, I could tell that it must have been Katie’s mom instead of her husband’s because her hair was black and her eyes jade green.
She looked confused for a minute, then she brought her hand up to her mouth, no doubt trying to hide her amusement.
“Fu—I mean fudge.” My gut sank as I tried to resign myself to the fact that I was about to look like a fucking pervert.
“You must be Katie’s new neighbor,” the woman called over.
Nodding, I walked toward her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Grace loves making new friends. She probably heard her mom tell me about you moving in and decided to lie in wait for you.”
Grace nodded her head. “I did. Gonna go get Barbie now.” She stuck her thumb out in my direction. “He wants to play.” She turned and ran inside the house.
My eyes bugged out because I didn’t wanna play with Barbie. In fact, if someone gave me a choice in whether to play Barbie or drink my own piss, I’d be fetching a glass.
“Is she forcing you to play Barbies?” the woman asked.
I nodded. “It’s not that I don’t wanna. It’s just that I’m on my way to meet Tommy Marino in town.”
“It’s okay,” she said knowingly. “She does the same thing to her grandpa, but he gives in. I’ll save you this time. How about I tell Grace you had something planned, and I’ll play Barbies with her instead?”
My shoulders slumped. “Thank you.” I almost groaned my relief.
She held her hand out to me. “I’m Heather Clarke. I own the dance studio in town.”
I took her hand and shook it. “Much obliged, ma’am. I’m Jake Lawson.”
“My daughter’s in here making you a peach cobbler and a casserole to welcome you to the neighborhood,” she informed me.
My heart began to race. “She is?”
Heather nodded. “Why don’t you come for dinner?”
Something swirled inside my gut. “Really?”
“Of course,” she said breezily. “About six? Grace will be here, but I’ll make sure she’s all Barbie’d out by then.”
A loud clatter came from inside the house. “I’ve got to go.” She glanced furtively over her shoulder. “Remember. Six o’clock. Don’t be late.” After stepping inside the house, she quietly shut the door.
I stood for a few seconds, looking at the house.
Why did it feel like Katie’s mom had enrolled me in some secret mission?