“It’s a lot different from college, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah. I don’t even think they teach you in college how to deal with douchebags.” She shrugged. “I guess I will have to learn as I go.”
“Most college boys are. Just treat them like that and it’ll all be good. Most men are.”
She chuckled. “This is really good food. I had no idea you can cook.”
“Katie hasn’t been bragging about my skills. How do you think I feed her?”
“I don’t know, takeout?”
He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t do takeout. Hate the stuff.”
“Stir-fry is takeout food.”
“No, it’s home cooking, what I love.”
This was the first real conversation they’d had. Staring into his brown eyes, she nibbled on her lip, wondering if he would ever look at her the way she caught him doing in her door’s reflection a few weeks ago. She really needed to stop thinking about that. It wasn’t healthy. This guy was her neighbor and there was no way she would give in to the rumors she’d heard floating around. No one had come out and said it but after a little research, she had come to see their two houses were … cursed?
No, she didn’t think they were cursed. So the people who had each lived in this house and his had in some miraculous way found each other and were now totally in love. Sure, she believed that.
The houses didn’t control what a person felt or who they felt it for. There was just no way it could happen.
She finished her food and licked her lips, sated, full, and happy. Resting her hands on her stomach, she glanced at Eli to find him watching her. She smiled. “What’s up?”
“I was just wondering…”
“What?”
“What made you decide to come live here? This town. I know my reasons for it, what are yours?”
“Have you seen this neighborhood and this house?” she asked. “There’s no way I would have ever been able to get a mortgage and I do make okay money as a legal assistant.” It was one of the reasons she’d moved to the town. She’d applied for her current position. Sure, she didn’t have a lot of money for anything else but she put all of her money into paying for this place every single month. “Believe me, starving aside, I’m doing okay. Also, this isn’t a bad neighborhood.”
“You’ve got that right. It is a pretty decent one, isn’t it? It’s why I moved here with Katie,” he said.
She giggled. “It sure is. I don’t know. The house isn’t haunted, and it’s structurally sound.”
“You have heard of the rumor though, right?” Eli asked.
As she turned her gaze back to his, her heart raced. “I’ve heard about it, if we’ve heard the same thing?” she asked.
“The woman that lived in my house before. I’m useless with names, I can’t remember, but she told me the woman of my dreams may be living right next door.”
“The love rumor, that’s the one I was talking about. Yep, totally, love.” She rested her head on her hand, watching him. “What do you think of it?”
“I don’t know what to think of it. I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t believe in fairy tales.” He rubbed his eyes. “I better go. I’ve got a lot of work to do this weekend.”
****
Eli kept glancing over at the door as his mom came out, carrying all the food she’d been making for the day. He’d decided to open his house up to the street. To invite some of Katie’s friends over along with a few parents. The couple of times he’d been around to Ann’s place, she hadn’t been there. He’d shoved a card into her mailbox inviting her to his party.
He had the grill fired up. Burgers and sausages were already sizzling away. His mom took care of all the extra salads and trimmings. He grabbed dessert from the bakery in town.
A couple of the single moms were already circling him like hungry vultures.
“What makes you keep looking at the door, son?” his mom asked.
“It’s nothing.”
“Is this the neighbor Katie keeps talking about?”
“I see Katie can’t seem to keep her thoughts to herself,” he said, glancing over at his daughter who was dancing like a crazy person.
“I don’t know, I’m interested to know what this woman with the pool is like. If she can wow a child, she’s a good woman, Eli. You should know that.”
He didn’t know the first thing about women and kids. Sure, his own mother had been amazing, so had his dad. They were both supportive and when he told them he wouldn’t be marrying the mother of his child, they didn’t push.
Eli had never been the kind of guy to do things he didn’t want to do. He also rarely did anything stupid. Of course, his track record hadn’t been great when it came to Katie’s conception.
“Ann!” Katie squealed excitedly and ran across the garden.
He turned to see Ann standing there, her red hair down in ringlets, wearing a plain white sundress. She’d pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and she nearly fell as Katie barreled into her.
“I missed you too, pumpkin.” Ann laughed.
Damn it, she was beautiful.
“So I see there is more to this neighbor than I originally thought,” his mother said.
“Mom, don’t.”
“You’ve got drool. You forget who your father is. Believe me, I know when a man is … interested in a woman.”
“Mom, please, not now.”
His mother chuckled and he handed her the tongs to keep turning the food on the grill as he walked up to Ann, who was still hugging his daughter. “You made it.”
“Yeah, your note got stuck under the mat. I was about to go out when I saw it this morning.”
“We’re not keeping you from anything important, are we?” he asked.
“No, no, nothing at all.” She waved her hand in front of her. “Nothing I can’t deal with next week.”
“Come on, Ann, let’s dance.”
Just like that, Katie dragged Ann into the circle of kids. He quickly noticed some of the moms giving her the stink eye, clearly assessing her and finding her wanting.
“So that’s Ann,” his mother said.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting. She’s young.”
“Don’t.”
“And I don’t even think she’s your type. The red hair and she looks like she is more down to earth.”
“Mom, seriously, stop it. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, so just drop it.”
“Consider it dropped. Although…”
He turned to look at his mother, not in the least bit interested in what she had to say.
She held her hands up. “Fine, fine, I’ll go and be nice.”
His mother was already heading in Ann’s direction before he could stop her. Katie made the introductions, and he watched as Ann smiled, shook her hand. They were talking. He didn’t know if this was a good thing or not. Talking equaled bad, didn’t it?
As he returned to the grill, one of the moms came up to talk to him.
“Hi, I’m Jade, Louisa’s mom.” She held out her hand. Deep-brown hair, no wedding ring, and a smile with a promise on her lips.