Page 24 of Embers of Torment

Reaching Ree's house, I parked behind her SUV and eyed the adjacent property. A roll-off dumpster took up a portion of the long driveway, and a dark-haired gentleman near my age was hauling a beat-up couch through the side gate. I shut offthe engine and stepped from my car, hearing the man grunt and groan as he struggled to drag the heavy-looking piece of furniture toward the five-foot-tall industrial bin.

I waved at the man to get his attention. "Do you need some help?"

"Sure, if you don't mind." A look of relief crossed the man's face.

I set the take-out bag on the hood of my Acura and hurried across the strip of grass separating the two driveways. Jockeying to the far end of the couch, I slipped my hands underneath its bottom edge and picked it up. With our combined effort, we hauled it into the swing-door dumpster. I wiped my palms on my jeans as the man nudged the unwieldy furniture into the corner.

"Are you moving in or out?" I asked when the man turned around.

"Neither. I'm Heath Bennet, by the way."

"Jace Welch." I shook Heath's outstretched hand. "There was a rental truck here last Sunday. Since you're not the one moving, you must be fixing the place up or something."

"I am. My dad owned the property and had it as a rental for the past three years. He was living with my sister and passed away a few months ago. His tenants moved out since the lease was up, and my sister and I decided to sell. Now I need to make multiple repairs and clean up the property. An old shed, a lot of junk, and some furniture were left behind, and the people living here didn't take care of the house like we'd thought."

"Wow, man, I'm sorry about your dad. It stinks his renters left the property in such poor shape."

"Thanks, that's how I felt. It wouldn't have been as bad if my dad's real estate manager had done a more diligent job. But it's fixable." Heath gave me a curious look, his eyebrow arched. "I used to come here fairly often to visit my folks, and I think I remember you. You're a doctor, right?"

"Oh, no. That wasn't me. You must be referring to my cousin's ex-husband. He moved out about a year ago. I'm just visiting."

"Sorry about the mistake." Heath looked a bit embarrassed.

I held my hand up and chuckled. "No problem. At least my cousin's ex was a decent guy. Since I'm here, do you need help moving anything else?" I figured offering was the neighborly thing to do. Plus, it was crappy what his dad's tenants did, and I sure as heck would be grateful for the assistance if I were in his shoes.

"I appreciate the offer, but I have to head out. I've done as much as I can for the day."

"Cool. I'll probably see you around here again."

"I'm sure you will. I anticipate being here for a while."

Heath walked toward his side gate while I retrieved my lunch from the hood of my sedan and headed up the walkway to Ree's porch. Knocking, I held the bag in the air when Ree opened the door.

"You did bring food. Sweet! I'm starving." Ree stepped back to let me inside and then stopped, her eyes on the Barbie doll and pink plastic car lying on the front lawn. "Hang on a second. Lily left her stuff out again." Ree brushed past me and went to the grass. She picked up the toys and froze.

Following her gaze, I saw Heath in his driveway, the two of them locked in a stare-off. Heath frowned and broke the connection. Ree muttered something to herself and rejoined me on the porch.

"Hey, what was that about?" I asked, stuck by Ree's unusual behavior.

"Nothing." Ree waved her hand as if brushing the scenario off. "I saw my neighbor earlier and thought he'd left for the day. It surprised me to see him still there."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not. Well, I'm hungry, so let's go inside."

I followed Ree into the house and closed the front door, sure there was something she wasn't telling me. Ree led me across the white oak flooring to the casual dining area at the back of the house, between the kitchen and family room. I placed the bag on the table and pulled out a chair as I scanned the rooms. Ree had decorated them in a combination of Cape Cod and nautical themes, with white cabinetry, slate blue walls, and furnishings in blue, yellow, and red color schemes. The ambiance was comfortable and refreshing, and I had to admit. I wouldn't mind having my own house one of these days—when I was ready to settle down and start a family.

"Do you want a beer?" Ree went to the refrigerator and opened the door. "I have a Blue Moon Belgian White or a Samuel Adams Summer Ale."

"I'll take the Sam Adams." I studied Ree while she took two beers from the top shelf and opened them. It was funny how much we looked alike, with most people mistaking us for siblings rather than cousins. We were both tall and ginger-haired, with a light spattering of freckles. The difference was our eye color. Mine were green, while hers were hazel. Removing the sandwiches from the bag, I slid Ree's to the seat across from me. "I got you the herbed chicken salad with raisins, cucumbers, and alfalfa sprouts."

"Yum. That sounds delicious." Ree placed our beers on the table and sat in her chair. She took a swig of her Blue Moon and wiped her lip. "So what did you get?"

"I got the turkey, bacon, avocado, and lettuce with sriracha aioli and tomato-onion relish."

"Good thing you're not on a date with that onion relish," she teased. "Speaking of dates, have you met anyone that piques your interest yet?"

"I have. Her name is Della. She's a close friend of Adam's. I've had the chance to hang out with her a few times, and I like her."

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