Page 3 of Falling for the Enemy

A drawl was coming to the voice on the other side of the phone that definitely sounded familiar, but it was still quite tired and I couldn’t place it. I hoped that it was just a weird feeling that had me skittish.

“What do you need done?” A no-nonsense question shot back.

“Well, this rude neighbor of mine cut a bunch of bushes and just left the trimmings in the yard. The grass also needs a cut. What would you charge for that?”

“Where are you located?”

I gave him the address and I thought I heard a chuckle, but the voice was just as steady as before. He thought about it for a moment, gave me a price that seemed not too bad, and I asked him when he could come over. He said he would come over in a little while after he’d gotten some sleep. I wanted to ask him why in the world he was sleeping in the middle of the day, but it was none of my business. It didn't really matter either. What mattered was I got somebody to pick up the mess and haul it away. I didn't even know where I was supposed to take it. Could I just burn it? I really didn't know anything about taking care of a house or a yard. I'd always lived in an apartment, and this was all new to me. It was good to be on my own somewhere new, but it felt like there was quite a learning curve.

I agreed to a time and got off the phone. It felt like I was doing what was needed, even if it was getting somebody else to do the work. I looked out the window at the neighbor’s house, thought about the man with the bare chest and hard muscles. It was a shame he was so pretty, with an attitude like that. It felt like such a waste.

4

Frank

Iknew at once who it was as soon as I heard her voice. Amber had a certain sound that wasn't local. It sounded exotic to me, and I couldn't have played it out any better. What was even sweeter to add to the mix was the whole conversation. She didn't even know who she was talking to. She didn't realize that I was the neighbor, and I could only imagine the shock when I went over there in a couple of hours, and she realized who I was. She had been so sweet on the phone, giggled a couple of times, and made me think that we had gotten off on the wrong foot. I wasn't trying to get involved with anyone, especially not someone as uptight and willful as she was, but damn if she didn't make a man wonder.

Lying back down, I pretty much knew I wasn't going to get anymore sleep because my mind was full of the redhead next door. I had really liked her grandmother. We’d gotten along quite well and I’d spent more than my fair share of evenings over there. Shirley was a great listener and it made me think that some of that had to have rubbed off on Amber. Maybe she missed her as much as I did, and the sourness was because of her grief. Or maybe, I was trying to give her a second chance because the petite redhead had caught my attention.

She hadn’t seemed phased by my charm, which was saying something, because there weren’t too many women who could turn me away so easily. She didn’t want to have anything to do with me, but now she was going to have to. Amber could find someone else to do her yard, but she wouldn't. I could sense a stubbornness in her and that would make it impossible to run away from. As much as I told myself that I shouldn’t be concerning myself at all with Amber, I couldn't help but wonder what it was going to amount to.

Shirley had pulled out my spiritual side with many deep talks about life. She was spiritual in a way that was less assuming, and I never felt judgment because of my own beliefs. She firmly believed that everything happened for a reason, even if she wasn't quite sure who guided it.

So, it made me wonder, what was the reason for Amber? Why had she given her house to that particular granddaughter when I knew she had many? I wanted to find out what was so special about Amber and while I could tell myself all I wanted about why I cared, I knew the answer deep down, even if I wasn’t ready to say it out loud just yet.

I watched the clock for the next couple of hours, until the time that I had promised Amber I would come over and help her clean up her yard and grass. It was about time. Her grass was just starting to get a little taller and I had just planned when I was going to do it anyway. Shirley hadn't been back for a month, and I just realized that she was gone, but I’d kept up with her yard because she loved it so much, and I now knew that she would be frowning down on me from heaven, and I hated the idea.

I had just made it to the front porch when the door opened with a jerk and Amber was standing there. “You have got to be kidding me. I knew that the voice sounded familiar on the phone. I didn't realize it was you.”

She bit out the words and her green eyes flashed as she spoke. It was the first time I got a really good look at her, or at least a look at her when she wasn't yelling at me. She had delicate features, and I could see some of her grandmother in her. I didn't know why, but it made me smile and confused her, which was just as well. She didn’t seem to understand why I would be there at all.

“What do you want?”

“You called me, remember?” Frank answered with a grin.

“That was before I knew who you were.” Amber huffed with indignation.

I told her that I had been doing Shirley’s yard for many years and it didn’t feel right to leave it in disarray. “Your grandmother wouldn't have wanted that.”

She gave me a dirty look. “Don’t tell me what my grandmother would or wouldn't want.”

“I've lived here for almost a decade, and I don't remember you. You must not have visited that often,” I pointed out.

She sputtered for a moment and then gave me excuses as to why she hadn't been around as much. I kind of felt bad, because I probably brought up feelings of guilt that she had been feeling since her grandmother passed. I didn't want to make her feel bad. Obviously, Shirley thought something of her or she wouldn’t have given her a house. I wished I could take back the last part, because it made it a million times worse.

“Right, well, my grandmother's not here anymore, so you don't have to worry about it. I'll find somebody else to take care of it,” Amber said, voice low and unpassionate.

She was about to slam the door in my face, and I stopped her with my foot in the frame. “You don’t have to. I want to do the yard. I'm sorry I said that. It was in bad form for me too. I don’t know why, but you seem to rile me up.”

Amber told me that it was no big deal, but it was. I had hurt her feelings and even as I said a reminder to myself repeatedly that I wasn’t going to get involved, I wanted to. I had rules, but the hell with the rules.

I had rules that I stuck to and most of them revolved around women. Since the only woman I loved completely screwed me, I wasn’t willing or ready to go back down that road. I was even going to charge her just to make it clear what was going on. This was a business arrangement, nothing more.

“I'm just going to do the work and then I'll be out of your hair. Your grandmother meant a lot to many people in this town and she will be missed. I will at least keep her yard the way she liked it. I want to do it. Besides, I need the money.”

The last part wasn't quite true, but I saw Amber soften up a little bit. She still wasn't the woman I talked to on the phone, which seemed so different from the one standing in front of me. I wondered what it would be like to be in her favor in that way. I wished in that instance that we had never met and could just rewind and start over. I had handled things pretty poorly, but in time maybe she would see that I was not such a jerk.

I got to work, avoiding any more talk with Amber. By the time I was about done, she brought out an envelope with the agreed upon amount and thanked me. The feeling I had did not fill me with that much pride. She barely looked at me and I had to wonder again if I completely messed things up with her. I at least wanted to be friends, but it seemed like even that would be a stretch at the moment.

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