Page 17 of Fumbled Beginning

Maverick paused the TV and came over to say goodbye. “Thanks for taking care of Zander tonight.”

“Of course.” I gave him a hug and walked toward the door.

I gave JP an awkward wave and shot Kinley a look.

She reached for my elbow as I was walking through the door. “I’m sorry,” she said into my ear.

“I’m going to get you back for this,” I whispered low enough to where only she could hear me.

She winced. “Just trying to give you a little nudge.” She looked over her shoulder at where JP had joined my brother on the couch. “For what it’s worth, he was not into Taylor at all and she tried.”

“What if he was interested in Taylor?” I asked.

“Then I guess I would have been wrong about how he feels about you.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said, taking one last look over her shoulder. I expected JP to be facing the TV. Instead, his eyes were on mine. Like a chickenshit, I hurried out the door.

* * *

I had my key in the lock and was ready to push my front door in when I heard, “Whatcha doin’ home early on a Friday night?”

“Jesus, Tilly.” My hand flew to my heart. “You scared the crap out of me.”

I pushed the door forward, and my neighbor followed me inside.

“I need to let Oakley out,” I said, reaching for his leash.

“Already did,” she said, sliding into the recliner and kicking the footrest out to get comfortable.

I paused and turned around. “When?” I asked, eyeing her suspiciously. Oakley was at her feet, waiting for one of the treats she carried in her pocket.

“While you were out.” She tipped her glass toward me.

I tilted my head to the side and contemplated how to handle this. Tilly was an older woman who needed to learn some things about boundaries. She was Oakley’s dog sitter occasionally and had a key to my condo. However, she had a habit of using that key anytime she felt like it. I couldn’t even begin to count how many times she would walk right in without knocking; sometimes, she was bringing me leftovers, so I didn’t complain, but there were other times I’d come home after work and find her napping on my couch.

“Tilly.” I placed a hand on my hip. “You need to stop letting yourself in without my permission. What if I have a man over?”

“Ha, real funny.”

Now I was getting annoyed, and after the night I had, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her. “It’s a possibility.”

“You haven’t had a man over since you broke up with that jerk who liked to hit the sauce a little too hard.” She stretched out and kicked her shoes off.

“I’ve gone on dates.” Tilly wasn’t a fan of my ex, Dom. Now that I thought about it, no one was.

“Doesn’t matter; you’re not getting any action. I probably get laid more than you.”

I rolled my eyes and plopped down on the couch. “Thanks for the reminder.”

Now I knew why her bar went out of business, and it had nothing to do with her selling so she could retire and move closer to her kids. The woman had no filter. People went to a bar to relax and unwind, not to be insulted by the meddling older woman serving them drinks.

She raised her eyebrow. “What’s got you so flustered tonight? Is it sexual frustration?”

More like sexual tension with a particular wide receiver who I couldn’t figure out. “Whatever I tell you stays between us,” I warned.

“Your secret is safe with me,” she said, taking a sip of her wine. It was filled to the rim and close to spilling on my floor.

“You spill it, you clean it.” I pointed to the glass.

---