Page 10 of The Hero Next Door

Brian didn’t know if he could trust what he said. Knowing Adam, the kid could probably reel off a dozen details about each one. “And how did you pick this particular housing development?”

Adam shifted on his chair, avoiding his eyes. “It was very highly rated. New construction. And it allowed pets. We had to have a place for Diamond.”

The dog perked her ears up at the mention of her name but didn’t shift from the floor.

“Ohio also has one of the best library systems in the country, with the highest statewide usage per capita. There’s a branch a couple of blocks away.”

Brian continued to look at the kid. Eventually he would tell him.

Adam grimaced, looking down at his hands in his lap. “Well, after I found out where you were going, I might have used some voice tech to contact Lost and Found, acting like I was your old landlord, and that we needed your new address to ship some stuff to you that had been left in the apartment.”

Brian scowled, leaning in. “Shannon would never have given out my address.”

“It wasn’t a woman,” Adam said, his eyes flicking up, then away. “It was a guy, and he sounded mad. Like he had other things to do.”

Someone must have been filling in for Shannon. “When was this?”

He shrugged his narrow shoulders. “Couple months ago.”

So, directly after they’d met at the Henry Bright wedding. Brian supposed he could admire the kid’s gumption. “Okay, Adam. Here’s the big question. Why?”

If possible, the kid shrank down in the chair even more.

Brian leaned in even closer. “Adam?”

“Because you made my mom smile,” he admitted softly. “More than I’ve seen her smile in a long time.”

Brian sat back in the chair, a little shook at the direction the conversation had taken. He thought Adam was going to say he liked talking to him, or something more centered around himself. Instead, he’d done what he’d done for altruistic reasons, which was commendable.

Hell.

6

At just after eleven, Sage knocked on the door that looked remarkably like her own. Each of the apartment buildings had a different generic theme, but they were all a cohesive palate. Brian’s building was a pale blue, while hers was a pale grayish color, with black accents. It was a trendy little place, and when Adam had mentioned to her that he really liked the look of it, and it was within their budget, she’d taken his words to heart.

The little shit.

Was she too lenient on him? She didn’t like feeling like she was being played by her ten-year old.

Brian answered the door almost immediately and Sage lost her breath. Fuck… In spite of the November chill, he wore a skin-tight t-shirt which lovingly hugged every swell and bulge of his chest and abs. It was soft gray and well-worn, with some kind of faded red logo on the chest. The short sleeves strained around his biceps, and the edge of a dark tattoo peeked from beneath his right one. His veined, muscled hands were planted on his hips. He also wore dark-gray joggers, low-slung around his hips. Adam had said he was a double amputee, but she couldn’t see anything to indicate that.

She looked up at his face and realized he was checking her out, as well. Thoughts of his lips on hers rushed through her mind, and she forced herself to look away, out toward the parking lot, so she could catch her breath and control her face. Then, taking a calming breath, she turned back to him. “I just want you to know, this isn’t some fatal attraction shit. I had no idea you lived here. I mean, I knew you lived in Ohio, but I had no idea he was going to park us right next to you. Literally. I don’t even know how he did it.”

Brian’s dark blond brows furrowed over his skeptical brown eyes, but she thought there was some humor dancing there.

“I swear,” she said firmly. “I learned a long time ago that Adam loves research. I told him to find us a place he could get to school easily. That bus stop,” she turned and pointed at the far corner, “is exactly three-quarters of a mile from the school. He could walk there if he needed to.”

Brian still didn’t say anything, and his face was implacable. Self-righteous anger began to build in her gut. Why was she explaining herself to this man?

That was when he grinned at her and reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but give you a raft of shit. If I didn’t know Adam, I would totally be getting serial killer vibes. You’re definitely the type.”

Sage huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “That kid is going to be the death of me.”

“Come on in,” Brian said, easing back from the door.

The floor plan was almost exactly reverse of theirs, which was a little strange. Brian had a big, comfy couch and a recliner sitting across from a huge TV mounted on the wall. He didn’t have a lot of decor, though. Or anything really personal. “Haven’t you been here for a while?”

He followed her look and shrugged. “Several months. I don’t decorate much, and the stuff I do have is in storage. I guess I was kind of waiting to see how I settled in. My previous job was in Vail, so it’s been a big change coming out here.”

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