Chapter 19
ZONA HADN’T SEEN MUCH OF brEE since her last visit.
She’d texted when they’d found Darling but had omitted what Darling had brought home.
Bree didn’t need to hear about her grandmother’s encounter with the neighbor or the fact that Zona had baked him cookies, even if the cookie baking had been nothing more than a gesture to smooth over troubled waters.
Bree had texted back and added a smiley emoticon, which Zona took as a good sign. By the end of summer, Zona would have a nice-sized check to give her daughter, which would allow her to start school in the new year and, hopefully, that would produce real smiles.
She clung to the hope that someday, they’d all find their way to a happier place, with their current challenges far behind them.
Meanwhile she had enough to do working her day job, selling secondhand treasures online, and cooking for her mother and herself, and making sure there were always treats on hand for when visitors stopped by.
“It’s too bad she broke up with that nice boy,” Louise said after Bree’s latest visit with her. “I think she regrets it but doesn’t want to admit it.”
“She wants love to come with a guarantee,” said Zona. Good luck with that.
“We both know nothing in life comes with a guarantee,” pointed out Louise.
“I know. But sometimes it’s better not to take a risk.”
“You sound like your daughter,” Louise accused.
“Well, it’s past time I got in touch with my inner Bree,” said Zona.
She made the mistake of saying as much when Louise’s friends came over to play Mahjong.
“You shouldn’t give up,” said Susan, who was breaking in her third man. “You never know when the perfect man might come into your life.”
“There is no such thing,” Zona said.
“True, but there can be someone perfect for you,” Susan said.
Zona pushed the words out of her mind when she returned from walking Darling that same evening and found Alec James pulling his truck into his driveway.
“Ready for some dog training?” he called as he got out.
“No time,” she called back. Meanwhile, Darling was straining at the leash, anxious to say hi to his neighbor.
“You can always make time for what you really want to do,” Alec James argued.
He leaned against the truck, one ankle casually crossed over the other, arms folded across his chest, which made his biceps look massive. It was a great hot-guy calendar pose. The only thing missing was a tool belt.
“You afraid something might happen to you?” he taunted.
Not in the way he was insinuating. Between the sudden neighborly gestures and that smile he was showing off, Alec James was an emotional threat.
She reminded herself that they were going to have nothing more to do with him.
She also reminded herself that her daughter would have a panic attack if she did.
“What is that, a double-dog dare?” she shot back, ignoring the reminder.
“Good pun.”
Darling did need to learn manners and with Louise busy with her friends there was nothing waiting for Zona but Know Yourself, Know Your Money, the latest book by finance guru Angel Ram.
Well, and The Psychology of Dangerous People.
She made a snap decision to forget about dangerous people and get to know herself later, and let Darling pull her over to where Alec James stood.
Darling immediately wanted to jump on him and he stopped it by walking forward, forcing Darling down and back.
“What’s that called, the bulldozer move?” Zona said. It smacked of bullying to her. Alec James displaying his true colors.
He had an equally smart-mouth answer. “It’s called the keep your dirty paws off me move.”
“Seems kind of mean to me,” she said.
“Does he look upset?” Alec James countered, pointing to Darling’s wagging tail.
Before she could answer, he continued. “It’s no meaner than putting up a knee to keep distance.
” He bent to give Darling an ear rub, which got Darling’s tail wagging like a furry metronome.
“People often either stay put or back up, and both moves invite the dog to jump. This teaches the dog who’s in charge.
” He cocked an eyebrow at Zona. “That doesn’t count as mansplaining, does it? ”
He obviously didn’t expect an answer, as he turned his attention back to Darling. He pushed on the dog’s rump, forcing it down, and said, “Sit.” Then gave him another rub. “Good boy.” To Zona he said, “You have to reinforce the good behavior with lots of praise, just like with kids.”
It was hard to picture Alec James with kids. Unless they were running away from him.
He stood back up and Darling, delighted with all the attention, got excited and tried again to jump on him.
He repeated the move and once more Darling backed down.
“Do this enough and he’ll get the idea.” He once again made Darling sit and gave him more praise, and Darling showed his gratitude by trying to lick his hand.
“Yeah, you’re gonna learn to be a good dog,” he said to Darling, all the gruffness gone from his voice.
This was a different Alec James than the angry neighbor who had showed up on Zona’s doorstep with Darling in tow. Or the man the woman next door had called a monster. Once again, Zona found herself struggling to reconcile the two versions of Alec James.
“So, you’re a dog whisperer,” she said. It came out half tease, half taunt.
“I told you. I’ve had dogs.”
“Why don’t you have one now?”
“Not ready. My dog died a couple years ago. It felt like losing family. In fact, he was better family than most of my family.”
There was a telling statement. She wanted to ask more, but he didn’t give her time. He was back working with Darling.
Half an hour later, after bringing Zona into the process and seeing some success, he said, “That’s probably enough for one session.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Now, if we can just keep him from jumping the gate, maybe I can let him out in the backyard.”
“Did you put up the fence barrier?”
That he’d offered to help with. The good side of Alec James.
“I did, but like I said, he jumped over the gate. That’s how he got out on the Fourth.”
“You may have to put up a double gate. I’d offer to help, but I don’t think you’d take me up on it.”
He was being so nice, so . . . normal. She could not figure this man out.
“Martin will do it. He likes to help Mom,” she said.
“He seems like an okay guy,” Alec James observed.
“He is.”
“Most men are, when given a chance.”
That was subtle. Against her better judgment, she found herself saying, “How about something to drink?”
She thought he’d turn her down. Half wished he would because she was already regretting her offer. What was she thinking?
“What have you got?” he asked.
“No beer.”
The lack of beer didn’t appear to discourage him. He cocked an eyebrow, gave her a half smile. Even a half smile on this man had a lot of wattage, and it turned on the jitters in her.
“You think I’m a beer drinker?”
“You look like you could be.”
“What makes you think that, the truck?”
“The T-shirt,” she said, pointing to his black shirt that claimed he drank beer, fixed stuff, and knew things.
He nodded, still giving her that half smile. “I like a beer once in a while, but I’m good with anything.”
“Lemonade?”
“Hard?”
“I can make it that way.”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Meet me on my porch?” she suggested. No way was she inviting him in the house for her mother’s friends to speculate over. She shouldn’t even be inviting him on the porch for herself to speculate over. What a stupid idea this had been.
“Keeping me away from your mom, huh?” he said.
She couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not, but she decided to act as if he was. “Just trying to protect you. Plus it’s better to keep you outside where all the neighbors can make sure you’re behaving,” she added, throwing his earlier taunt back at him.
“Oh, yeah, that. Okay, ditch the dog and I’ll be over in a few.”
By the time she’d mixed vodka and lemonade in two tall glasses, assured her mother she was simply thanking their neighbor for the free dog training lesson, and stepped back outside, he was sprawled on the cement porch of their rambler, his legs stretched out over the two steps leading to it, and he had a large bag of corn chips open next to him.
She sat down opposite him and handed over his glass. The jitters were really going at it and she wished she’d paid for the free dog training session with only a thank-you. The last thing she needed was to sit on her front steps with this man.
He took a drink and nodded approvingly. “Good stuff.” Then he tipped the bag toward her.
It was such a . . . friendly gesture. So innocuous. So not like the fierce stranger on the other side of the fence. So . . . misleading? What was she doing sitting there with this man? It was weird and she shouldn’t have been. Maybe she had self-destructive tendencies.
She shook her head. “No, thanks. So, what’s with the shirt? Do you really know stuff?”
“Gag gift from my crew for my birthday,” he said and popped a chip in his mouth. He washed it down with another drink of her lemonade, then said, “So, how long has your mom lived here?”
“Years. I grew up here. I spent a lot of time at your house when I was a kid. My best friend lived there.”
“The perfect childhood, huh? Lucky you.” He took another chip out of the bag and popped it in his mouth.
“What about you?” she asked. Had his childhood been less than idyllic? If so, it would explain the anger issues.
He shrugged. “Long story.”
Okay. So much for sharing.
She wasn’t sure what to say next, so she settled for “Thanks for your help with Darling.”
“Work with him and he’ll turn into a good dog.” He cocked his head and shared half a smile. “See? I can be nice. When I’m not hiding bloody bones in my yard.”
Her face caught fire and she frowned. “Are you ever going to get over that?”
“Maybe someday. When it stops making you blush,” he added, his voice teasing. “You look cute when you blush.”
The fire burned brighter before a chill came over her. Maybe he’d get over her mom’s goof, but she doubted she’d forget all the screaming and yelling she’d heard coming from his place.
“So, I guess your houseguest is gone for good,” she said.
His expression soured. “Gone but not forgotten.”
“People say that at funerals.” Crap! Where had that come from?
Wherever it had come from, he didn’t like it. “Not you, too.”
“That was just a . . .” What was it?
“Freudian slip?” He frowned and set down his glass. “Like mother like daughter, I guess. Thanks for the drink.” He stood up in one fluid movement and then was off walking across her lawn toward his house.
“You forgot your chips,” she called after him, a great substitute for “I’m sorry.” Good grief. She really was almost as good at antagonizing the man as her mother.
“Keep ’em,” he called back, then marched into his house and shut the door behind him.
She gulped down the last of her drink, then picked up the bag of chips and dug one out, chomping viciously down on it. She didn’t have anything to feel bad about. She wasn’t the one scaring the life out of people. And she was glad she’d gotten him off her porch.
Now, if she could find a way to get him out of her mind. But he lingered there, reenacting different encounters, different scenes. The many faces of Alec James. They all made her nervous, and they all fascinated her.
Not good.
Of all the neighborhoods in all the world he had to move in to hers?