Page 6 of Neighbor DADDY

She's dressed in a tiny pair of jean shorts and a tank top, and her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. She looks amazing, and she's smiling at me. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No worries," I say. "How's your day going?"

"It's been okay, but I wanted to ask, did you mow my lawn?"

"Yeah, thought it would be a nice welcome gift," I admit. "Plus, it's the neighborly thing to do."

"That's so kind," she says, and her blue eyes shine. "Thank you. You didn't have to."

"It's nothing," I say. "I cut my own, so it's not a big deal."

"Well, thank you," she says. "Can I buy you dinner or something? It's the least I can do."

I'd love nothing more than a night alone with her, but repayment for the lawn has nothing to do with it. "Sounds like a fair trade. When?"

Kelly chews on her bottom lip, thinking, one hand planted on her curvy hip. "Tomorrow night? I've still got a lot of unpacking to do, and I promised myself I'd get at least my clothes done today."

"Sure," I say. "Tomorrow night sounds great. Just text me when you're ready and we'll figure it out."

We exchange numbers, and just like that, she’s available to me anytime, anywhere. She looks pleased, and the smile she gives me makes my chest ache. "See you later, Cam," she says, heading back into her house.

I finish up with the weed eater, and it's dark by the time I head inside. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, I take it out onto the front porch and watch the stars come out. Nothing about my day has been too odd or out of place, but I'm being pulled in two different directions anyway.

First, my attraction and near obsession with Kelly is growing every time I see her, and second, I can't shake the feeling of wrongness I had about that Frank guy at the hardware store. Covington is a small town, but not tiny, so it's more than likely the friend he was talking about wasn't my Kelly, but I can't seem to make myself believe that.

Before I climb into bed, I send her a quick text.

Me: Remember, if something is bothering you, I'm right next door. Never hesitate to call.

It's around3 AM when my phone goes off, and at first I think I'm dreaming.

Groaning, I roll over and grab the device, and my heart jumps into my throat when I see Kelly's name on the screen.

I hit the green button. "Hey, everything okay?"

"Cam," her voice is shaky. "I-I'm sorry, I know we only met yesterday, but you said to call if something was ever wrong, and … and...."

I'm already on my feet, pulling my jeans on with the phone braced between my shoulder and ear. "What's wrong?"

"It could be nothing, the house settling or something, but I swore I heard someone messing with the doorknob downstairs."

I swallow hard. "Are the doors locked?"

"Yeah."

"And the windows?"

"I think so."

"Stay on the phone with me, Kelly. I'm coming over."

"Okay."

My blood roars in my ears, and the moment I've got the front door open, I sprint toward her house.

"You're outside?" she asks, her voice shaking.

"Just crossed into your yard," I confirm. "I'm not going to hang up until I'm at your door, all right?"

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