An hour later, we had enough supplies to fill up my entire truck bed.
Catching Liv’s stunned face as Noah and I began hauling bag after bag of bright red mulch out of the truck onto the grass of the backyard was worth every goddamn penny.
“What the hell is this?” she asked as she stepped off her patio and began walking toward the edge of the fence.
I thought seeing her in that flimsy robe had been a treat. Watching her walk up to me in a bikini had me nearly swallowing my tongue.
But this woman was the enemy now, and I had to keep my wits about me.
That meant keeping my thoughts to myself and my dick in my pants.
But damn, she was swinging her hips with her sun-kissed tan breasts peeking out of her bright orange top. Then, there was the belly-button ring, glinting and winking at me with each sway of her hips.
Focus. Must focus.
I shook my head and stared straight ahead, making sure my eyes wouldn’t waver again.
“We’re gardening,” I answered sweetly.
“Again?”
“Yes. Your love for gardening really brought out a side of me that I didn’t know existed. So, I decided to just go for it, you know?” I motioned toward the stacks of mulch and rows of various flowers that Noah and I had picked out. Nothing matched—seriously, nothing. There was no rhyme or reason to the plants we’d selected. I was betting half of them would die in a matter of weeks.
I was actually hoping for it. It would make the victory of this day so much sweeter.
“Is that what I think it is?” She pointed to my crowning achievement of the day as it was peeking out of a plastic bag.
“Oh, yes,” I answered, grinning. I bent down, pulled my new friend out, and firmly planted him into the lawn.
“Oh my God, that’s hideous. You’re not actually going to put that in your yard?”
I looked down at the bright pink plastic flamingo. “Oh, yes, I am. And he has an entire family in the truck. We couldn’t separate him from his mama.” I grinned.
“You’re insane!” she screamed.
“Right back at you, babe.”
With that, she turned around and stormed off, and I enjoyed the view of her ass and hips swaying all the way back to her house. The slamming of her door and the high-pitched scream were priceless.
Game, set, match.
~Liv~
Good friends were always there to listen and lend a helping hand.
Great friends did all of the above but also showed up at your doorstep bearing wine and food.
I had great friends.
I pulled my front door open and found my three best friends standing there with beaming smiles on their faces. “I am so glad all of you managed to find babysitters tonight!” I exclaimed with excitement.
“Babysitters?” Leah replied. “Who needs babysitters when we have husbands?”
“And grandmothers!” Clare chimed in, raising a bottle of merlot in enthusiasm.
“Well, let’s get this party started!” I said, ushering them in.
Mia followed the others inside and gave a wink as I helped her with her load of food and beverages.
They gathered around the kitchen island, and they all sat down on the comfy barstools I’d picked out from an eclectic boutique down the street as I began popping corks and setting out trays of food.
“So, we’re all mad at you, Liv,” Leah said, her fingers grabbing a handful of chips.
“Yeah, totally mad,” Clare agreed, pulling handfuls of cheese off the tray.
“Why? What the hell did I do this time?”
Being the only childless, single one, it could be anything really. Shaving my legs two days in a row could elicit a riot among them.
“Your hot new neighbor?” Clare said, raising an eyebrow. “We saw a glimpse of him as we were walking up. He was shirtless while working up a sweat. Don’t tell me you haven’t peeked outside your window.”
I sensed my change in color because I could already feel the heat of anger radiating through my pores.
“That neighbor,” I stated, “is a jackass.”
“Did you see that back, Liv?” Leah asked. “I think I need to go to the window to refresh my memory again!” She hopped off her chair and took off running.
“Don’t you dare, Leah James! I’ll tell your husband you were checking out other guys!” I screamed, threatening her.
“Ha!” she shouted. “Declan is too cocky to care. He knows he’s better-looking than any other man out there.”
“He’s not wrong,” I muttered.
Leah’s husband was a god among men. A former movie star turned director, he had once held the hearts and panties of nearly every woman in America. He had been the quintessential untamable man until he’d met Leah. Now, he only had eyes for her. Their love was like a fairy tale—well, the R-rated, super-sexy kind. But still, it was a fairy tale of sorts.
“I mean, seriously, Liv. Look at that eye-candy you literally have right out your window. Why aren’t you glued to this plate of glass, eating popcorn and posting Instagram photos?”
The others joined us at the window, and they’d even brought the snacks and wine. Apparently, my sweaty, half-naked neighbor had been chosen as our form of entertainment tonight.
“Because he’s a jerk.”
“So? Does staring require talking to him?” Leah asked.
“No.”
“Then, it doesn’t really matter.”
“I still hate him.”
“Didn’t this guy move in, like, a few days ago?” Clare sipped from her glass of water.
“Wait a hot second,” Mia said, her eyes narrowing, as she took a step closer toward the window. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed, causing me to nearly spit out my wine from the rare use of profanity vacating her lips. “Is that the hot dad from your—” She stopped, turning to me, unsure if it was okay to finish.
I nodded. “Yes.”
Clare and Leah turned toward the two of us in obvious confusion.
“A little update would be appreciated,” Clare said sweetly.
“I met Jackson, my neighbor, and his son, Noah, at my office yesterday—before I knew they were my neighbors.” My face went blank as I waited for the two of them to piece everything together.
Their eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and I watched Clare’s gaze cast downward until her eyes suddenly shot upward.
“Oh my God! The son was a patient of yours?”
“Bingo!” I said.
“Well, that’s slightly awkward, but it doesn’t explain why you feel such an immense hostility toward the father,” Leah commented.