Page 2 of Born to Make You Smile

I clenched my fists. “Those monsters!”

Gavin’s garden spanned the entire right side of his backyard. His fruit, herb, and vegetable plants were precious to me. I saved so much money using his produce on a daily basis, even freezing what I could in the winter.

“That’s it,” I said. “This means war.”

He chuckled. “They are rather cute, though. Reminds me of one of those Beanie Babies you used to have as a child.”

I still have every single one of them.

“By the way,” he said. “Any particular reason your knife is named Jean?”

“After Jean Gray.X-Men.”

I was a bit of a comic-book buff with a collection on my desk shelf. When I was younger, my mother would take me to Silver Snail and let me pick up a comic to read while I waited for her at the hairdresser. She’d always come out of the salon looking like a bombshell with her creamy blond bob styled to perfection. She was absolutely beautiful.

He nodded. “Ahh. Yes. Do you name all your knives?”

“Only the larger chef ones. I name them after my favorite comic-book heroes. I also have a Wanda, an Ororo, a Natasha, and a Harley.”

“Fascinating,” he said with a hum.

I went to close the lid of my garbage bin when another raccoon jumped out before me.

“Oh God!” I shrieked as the pudgy critter scurried away.

My body trembled, and I fell into Gavin. He wrapped his arms around my body, cradling me.

“Nothing to fear. Just another raccoon,” he whispered.

My heart pattered hard against him.

“It’s okay, love,” he murmured into my ear. “I’ve got you.”

Huddled up to his warm, sturdy chest, I inhaled the fresh laundry scent of his shirt mixed with the novel aroma of his skin. I’d never been this close to him before. Being in his arms made me feel so protected and safe.

He gripped me tighter, and I froze as his fingers grazed the exposed skin of my lower back.

Blood rushed to my face as I processed the awkwardness of the moment.

“So sorry.” I abruptly wriggled out of his embrace.

After I stepped back, the chill of the night ran through my body, and my braless nipples hardened. I noticed Gavin glance down at my sizable breasts before his eyes shot up. I immediately crossed my arms to cover my chest.

He tilted his head from side to side. “I wasn’t…um…your pajamas are very cute.Peachy Dreams.”

I shifted on my feet with a nod. “I should get back inside and get some sleep. Work tomorrow. Bright and early.”

“Yes,” he agreed, dragging a hand through his mass of hair. “Good night. See you tomorrow. Don’t, um, forget your little superhero there.”

With a grin, I retrieved Jean.

As I watched him walk to his house, I couldn’t help but feel the bizarre urge to follow him. To spend the night with someone and not be alone for once.

TWO

The stale oatmeal Ihad for breakfast roiled in my stomach as I focused on the letter in my hands.

The three dreaded words.

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