Page 5 of Guarding My Love

Mid-April was beautiful.

There was no congestion of people, cars, noises or dickhead ex-boyfriends.

Nothing could be better in her mind.

“Let’s go, little guy. You’ll feel better with an empty belly and bladder, then we can fill it back up.”

The thought of that made her giggle.

When was the last time she felt like she could giggle?

Maybe never.

The past eight months were tough but the best of her life.

She wouldn’t change it for anything.

She walked around the tiny little yard that was now hers to let her puppy do his business.

There was a quaint fence marking off her property from the one in the back, but it didn’t extend the whole property and she could probably jump it if she wanted to. Pretty but not functional.

She couldn’t see the house all that land belonged to, but the driveway went right down to the water.

Not that she had any water view. There were too many trees blocking the view further away. Even if she had a second story to her house, she still didn’t think she’d see it.

Maybe in the winter when the trees were bare, she’d get a glimpse.

The brief glance she got of her new neighbor last night didn’t tell her much other than it was a man in a suit driving an SUV.

Not that it mattered to her.

She was over men.

Just her and Marco now.

“Are you all done doing your business?” she asked as her pup was tugging her to go back in the house, picking his paws up as if there was goo on the bottom of them.

She squatted down to check. The last thing she needed was a stinky mess on her new hardwood floors.

Nope, just dampness from the dew.

She picked Marco up and he bathed her face with kisses.

Oh, to be appreciated. This was what life was all about.

Marco and she had their breakfast. She rolled a ball around the floors, but her ten-week-old puppy wasn’t quite sure what to do with it so she ended up playing fetch by herself.

Two hours later, her phone was ringing, so she put down the color swatches that she was trying to decide on for her office.

She grabbed her phone off the counter and saw her sister, Amanda, calling.

“Hi,” she said. “Please don’t tell me you’re in labor.”

“No,” Amanda said. “Another month, but everything is good. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. Just wanted to fill you in.”

“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to meet baby Harper. Is Liam getting excited?”

“He’s not quite sure how to react just yet,” Amanda said.

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