Page 14 of Lovewell Lane

I wished I could have had a family like that growing up. Or now. To live in a world where my favorite people know all the parts of me, embarrassing or not, and still love me. To feel comfortable enough to share those embarrassingly sweet moments would be a dream.

Derek interrupted my thoughts by grumbling something about ‘getting back’. His accent made it nearly impossible to understand his muttering, so I was mostly guessing.

Tessa placed her hand in his and cheerily skipped her way out of the kitchen while Derek walked slower than usual to accommodate for her much shorter legs. I smiled at the two of them as they made their way to the front door. When I thought our interaction was over, Derek surprised me by turning around.

“Thanks for the bread and cookies,” he said.

My eyes widened. Did I imagine that? Derek Weston going out of his way to say extra words and thank someone? I had only known him for a day, and I already knew that was out of character.

He watched my reaction and his eyes turned suspicious. “Don’t look so surprised,” he chided.

“If you keep talking like that, I just might think you’re starting to like me, Weston.”

He cracked a half smile before turning his back to me. It was wonderful. A deep satisfaction filled my chest at the sight. Nothing was better than getting even a fraction of a smile out of a giant grump that looked like he was born with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I vowed to myself that I’d get a real one out of him eventually while I watched the two walk across the street hand in hand.

6

Derek

“Give Cheddar Jack one last hug goodnight,” I said. Pushing the curtains of my daughter’s bedroom window shut, I turned to find a hamper full of dirty clothes that I was supposed to wash earlier in the day.

“Can’t he stay in here with me?” my daughter whined. Through the faint glow of her nightlight, I saw her sleepily rub her eyes. Our far-too-old cat sat in her lap begrudgingly. He was a grumpy old man, though he’d been that way since he was a kitten. Cheddar Jack was rightfully named after my youngest brother because of their uncanny resemblance both physically and in their personalities.

I picked up the basket of clothes and grabbed a stray jacket off the floor to add to the pile. “He’s just going to wake you up. You know he doesn’t like to be in closed spaces.”

“He looks really happy here,” Tessa said. Her arm wrapped around his head in a near choke hold. His face told me he was only accepting this treatment because it was Tessa, and he had a soft spot for her.

“We’ll try it. But if he starts hollering, I’m going to let him out. Okay?”

My daughter smiled and nodded happily, every blink of her eyes lasted longer than the one before it. I leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I love you. Sweet dreams, alright?”

“Sweet dreams,” she mimicked. I tiptoed to the door, hoping for a quick bedtime tonight, so I could get some much-needed chores done. “Daddy?”

One foot out the door, with one still in, I stopped. “Yes, Tess.”

“Can we go to the aquarium?”

“The aquarium,” I repeated. “Where did you hear about that?” Hell, I had never even been to one.

“Sienna told me about it. She said they have fish bigger than me in there,” my daughter’s sleepy voice raised in pitch at her excitement. “Like in Pinocchio when the dad gets eaten by a giant whale. They have one of those there.”

“They do? Maybe we can go sometime this fall. The aquarium is pretty far from here,” I said. Tessa smiled happily and nuzzled into Cheddar Jack. “Good night, honey.”

I slipped out the door as her breathing evened out.

Downstairs, I went through the quiet house with precision. Laundry in the washer. Take the clean clothes out of the dryer. Put them on the coffee table to fold. Ah, shit. I forgot the dishes. I stood to go take care of that first when I found an empty sink. One of my hard-headed siblings must have done it despite me telling them not to.

They’d gone to the bar tonight to catch up with their hometown friends before Jack and Calli headed back to Atlanta in the morning. Slick offered to watch Tessa, so I could join them, but I hated giving up bedtime with her more than anything. And apart from my siblings, there was nothing in a bar that I’d be interested in wasting time on.

Pouring myself a glass of whiskey, I walked over to the wide windows that peered out into my backyard. I couldn’t help but glance toward the guest house, and a harmless glance turnedinto staring when I discovered my new pretty neighbor was dancing around in there.

She looked straight out of a movie, jumping around in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her confidence made the dance moves that would look dorky on anyone else undeniably sexy. This wasn’t a show for anyone. She was just dancing for herself, and her laugh when she caught sight of herself in the mirror showed she was having the time of her life.

When I noticed her headphones, I couldn’t help but feel my lips tip up at the corners. She listened to my request to keep it quiet.

I stood there a few beats longer until she unexpectedly turned in some ballerina-like spin move. We made eye contact, and I froze. Great, now she would think I was a total pervert.

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