I was so happy I chose my house. I knew it was meant to be when I first saw it, but after the notes, I doubted my instinct. Now, I knew my instinct was right and my jerk of a neighbor wasn’t like the rest of them.
My other neighbors were amazing. Welcoming and friendly and kind. Mrs. Walsh introduced me to everyone who came to the party, and they were all so excited to be there.
Many of them were familiar. Between walking Dozer through the neighborhood and growing up and living almost all of my life in MacKellar Cove, I knew most of the people who showed up. Friends of my parents arrived with a housewarming gift and an invitation to dinner. A lot came to say hi and introduce themselves. Other neighbors were just excited to get out of the house and meet each other. As friendly and welcoming as everyone was, I got the feeling they didn’t do much together.
And thanks to Mrs. Walsh, I was helping to change that. It was a good feeling.
As things were winding down, I saw my next-door neighbor pull in. It was late. The sun was low on the horizon, setting soon. The lights I strung around the fence made the backyard glow. I watched as my neighbor looked over at my yard and shook his head.
My chest tightened. I’d hoped he would walk over. Say hello. Be nice and neighborly and maybe not hate me.
But he went inside instead of joining us. He shuffled his son into the house and never came back out.
Dammit.
“I’m going to head out, Ms. Chelsea,” Mrs. Walsh said, coming up from behind me and startling me from my disappointment.
I turned to her and hugged the older woman. “Thank you for suggesting this. It’s been so great to meet so many people.”
“I feel bad leaving you to deal with the rest of this event.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I had a great time, and I appreciate you introducing me to everyone who showed up.”
She pursed her lips at the house next door. “I’m sorry he didn’t come over. I spoke to him the other day and mentioned it. He said he was working, but I suggested he come after. Derek is a nice man, but he’s busy.”
“I understand,” I said, even though I didn’t. I didn’t know anyone who wasn’t busy. Every single person who showed up was busy. But they were all willing to be considerate and friendly.
Mrs. Walsh grinned. “I know you don’t, but that’s okay.”
I laughed, not arguing with her.
“I think most of these people are going to head out soon. If they don’t, come get me and I’ll shoo them all away.”
I smiled, knowing she would do exactly that. “Thank you. I think things are winding down. I’ll start cleaning up. That usually gets people moving.”
Mrs. Walsh chuckled. “Very true. Thank you again for hosting, Ms. Chelsea. It was good for me to get out of the house and enjoy an evening with others. I look forward to doing it again. A few people said they want this to be a regular thing and are looking to host in the future.”
“That would be a lot of fun.”
She patted my hand, then turned and walked down the driveway. I watched her walk away, my heart full of joy. Even though the man I’d hoped to meet didn’t show up, others did. And it was a good night. A very good night.
Within an hour, everyone had left. I let Dozer run around in the backyard while I collected the trash and carried things inside. The food was all gone, and the yard was a bit trashed, but it was worth it.
I collapsed onto my couch with a smile and turned on the TV, letting the movie lull me to sleep.
A week after the party, Dozer and I were up early Saturday morning before I had to go to work. It was the last official day of summer, and I was trying to enjoy it. I drank my coffee while Dozer sniffed every inch of the yard. He barked at a bird that swooped low and settled on top of the fence.
“Dozer!” I shouted when he jumped up, front paws on the fence as close as he could get to the bird. The fence leaned, bending over much farther than I thought was safe.
The bird flew off, and Dozer raced across the yard after it, stopping at the other side and barking like crazy before I shouted at him again.
“Dozer, get over here. Now!”
Dozer dropped his head, looking up at me like he was sorry.
A door slammed behind me at the house next door. I ignored the house, and whoever slammed the door, and stayed focused on my obnoxious dog.
I kept my face stern until he trudged into the house and hunched next to the sink, where his treats were stored.
“Good boys get treats. Were you a good boy?” I demanded.
He barked softly, adding a howl like he was begging.
“Really?”
He did it again.
I groaned. There was no way I could say anything against him. I grabbed a treat and tossed it to him.
He caught it mid-air, chomping down on it and swallowing the whole thing in less than two seconds. He looked up at me like he should get a second one.
“Not a chance, buddy,” I said, crossing my arms.
He huffed at me, then pranced to his bed in the living room. He curled up on it and was snoring within seconds.
I shook my head and went to get ready for work.
Two hours later, I was waving goodbye to my first client of the day and took a breath. I was already worn out.
“Are you okay?” Haley asked. As my friend and business partner, she was more aware of my moods than anyone else ever had been.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I just feel off.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
I shrugged as the door dinged with the arrival of our next clients. The next two hours passed quickly, the town drama and chatter of clients keeping me focused on the day instead of worrying about anything else.
When Haley said goodbye to her last client before lunch, she locked the front door and met me in the back. We both packed a lunch that day, and I was already warming mine up when she joined me. The ladies who worked part-time went to lunch most weekends and were all gone, leaving Haley and me alone.
I sat at the table and tried to think through my anxiety, searching for the cause of it.
“Okay, spill. What is going on? You seem really off today. What was the note today?” Haley sat down next to me.
“No note today. Yesterday I had one, but I know Dozer woke him up this morning. A door slammed when I was outside.” My chest squeezed at the memory.
“Maybe because you left early. He didn’t have time to put one on your door?”
I shrugged. “Possible. Something to look forward to when I get home.”
“Why does he get to you so badly?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I really wanted to get along with my neighbors, but he’s just not willing to get to know me.”
“I still can’t believe he left a note after you had a party for the entire neighborhood.”
“I can’t believe he’s leaving notes at all. I mean, who does that? I’d go ring the doorbell and ask my neighbor to be quieter.”
“Would you? I wouldn’t.”
“Really?”
Haley nodded and took a bite of her sandwich. “Absolutely. The world is a little crazy. You never know what is going on with people. Someone could just as easily smile and say sure as they could shoot you dead on their front step.”
I shivered at the thought. “I can’t see him doing that.”
Haley shrugged. “I can’t either. Not with the way Melody and Knox talk about him. Both of them are big fans of his. Always going on and on about how nice Derek is.”
“Lucky me, I’m the only one in town he hates.”
Haley laughed softly. “I’m sure that’s not true, but I wish there was an explanation for why he seems to have it out for you.”
I shook my head. “It’s obvious it’s the noise, but I’m not violating any ordinances. He has no grounds.”
“It’ll be better through the winter. You won’t be outside as much.”
“I’ll still have to let Dozer out.”
“How could anyone not love that adorable oaf?”
I snorted a laugh. Haley was right. My dog was a menace, but I adored him and couldn’t imagine anyone not feeling the same. “I just have to figure out what he likes. Something that will make him like me.”
“If he’s a good father, he likes his kid. It sounds like he is. Maybe something with the kid.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Kids love you.”
“Sure, but it will not go over well if I draw the kid closer with candy and my dog. People get arrested for things like that.”
Haley cackled. “I didn’t mean something like that. That would definitely be bad. I meant something like… Hell, I don’t know. What do kids like?”
I chuckled. “Again, not a path we should be going down. I think I need to do something different than trying to manipulate a child.”
“When you put it like that…”
Haley and I laughed and shook our heads, but I felt a little better about my situation knowing she was trying to help. Maybe one day I’d figure out how to get my neighbor to like me.
I was off Tuesday and had big plans for the day. I was going to sleep in and catch up on shows I’d missed and be lazy. It was going to be glorious.
Except for Bulldozer. My dog was up at the crack of damn dawn to go outside. It was better than peeing in his bed, or mine, but I was not thrilled. I trudged to the back door, where the doggy door was still too small, and let him out. He took off like a shot, racing around before he found the perfect spot to do his business.
It was freezing outside, and I didn’t grab a jacket. I bounced on my toes and shivered, hoping Dozer would hurry. My breasts bounced under my tiny tank, which was fine for sleeping but not so great for late September in Upstate New York.
Dozer wandered around the yard and took his time sniffing every blade of grass before he wandered back my way. I turned to let us inside and swore I saw my neighbor at his window.
I looked back, but no one was there. I was losing my mind.
Dozer waited at the sink for his treats, and since he didn’t bark and wake up everyone else in the neighborhood, I gave him two.
Then I went back to bed.
A few hours later, Bulldozer did what he did best and dragged me out of bed. He laid down next to me and worked his way closer and closer and closer until I nearly fell off the other side.
“What the hell?” I asked him.
He stood on the mattress and barked happily, like he thought the whole thing was a game. Then he turned in circles and pawed at the comforter.
“Nope. Nope.” I stood and grabbed his collar. “You are not using my bed as a bathroom. Come on. If you can hold it, I’ll get changed and we can go for a walk.”
He took off to the front door, barking the whole time as he raced down the stairs. His nails tapped on the hardwood floors, his excitement evident in the way he paced, barking at the stairs before going back to the door.
I dressed quickly, throwing on a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants over the clothes I slept in. I tied my hair up and grabbed a pair of socks, hopping on one foot to put them on, stopping when I got to the top of the stairs.
Dozer saw me at the top of the stairs and let out another excited bark.
“I’m coming,” I told him. I pulled my sock on, then went down the stairs to take him out.
“Sit,” I said, smiling when he actually listened so I could attach the leash to his collar.
We walked outside, and I let Dozer’s leash extend while I locked the front door. I was surprised when I saw a note taped to my window.
My mouth opened and closed, searching for words and an explanation. He was threatening me? Calling the police?
What the hell?
I was done. I was done ignoring him and his notes. I was done sitting back and letting him make me feel bad for existing. I was fucking done.
“Come on, Dozer,” I snarled, pulling my dog away from my flowerbed and toward my neighbor’s house.
I let my temper guide me up his front walk to the porch hidden behind tall hedges. Dozer barked as we drew closer to the house, and a sound had me pulling him back before we reached the house.
“Hello?” I called.
“Hello?” a voice answered. Small, scared, and not adult.
Dozer’s tail dropped. He pressed himself to my side. We walked together toward the porch and came face-to-face with the kid who lived in the house.
His eyes went wide when he saw me, but they lit up when he saw Dozer.
“Hi. I’m Chelsea, and this is Bulldozer.”
The boy looked up at me, then back to Dozer. A red backpack sat on the ground next to him. “Can I pet him?”
I nodded and released the tension on Dozer’s leash just enough to let him know he could approach. My sweet dog ducked his head and approached the kid like he understood how scared the child was.
He laughed when Dozer got close enough. Dozer flopped down next to the boy and rolled over.
“What’s your name?” I asked him.
“Jude,” he told Dozer more than me.
“Jude. It’s nice to meet you. Why are you outside?”
“No one’s here. Mrs. Walsh is supposed to meet my bus, but she’s not here. We had a half day. My dad works late. I don’t have a key. I’m locked out.”
I drew a breath and nodded. Fall brought much cooler temperatures, and it was chilly. Sitting outside all day was not good for anyone. “I live right next door. Do you want to come to my house and we can make some phone calls? Get you out of the cold?”
Jude nodded, staring at Dozer the entire time. He threw his backpack over his shoulder and kept one hand on the dog while we cut across the yards. I unlocked my front door and let us in, kicking off my shoes and unhooking Dozer’s leash.
Dozer didn’t move from Jude’s side. He stayed right with the kid, guiding him into the kitchen and sitting next to him when Jude sat at the table.
My first call was to Mrs. Walsh. She answered on the first ring, then told me she had no idea it was a half day and was two hours away on her way to a doctor’s appointment. She told me Derek, Jude’s dad, owned Stone Auto Repair and to call there to see if Derek could leave work early.
The man who answered the phone at Stone Auto Repair said Derek wasn’t available, but he’d leave Derek a message to call me. I made sure he had my name and phone number, but I was on my own with a kid.
“So, Jude. Mrs. Walsh isn’t home, and your dad isn’t available, but someone’s going to get a message to him. Until then, it seems you’re stuck with us.”
Jude shrugged. “That’s okay. I always wanted a dog. My dad said no. Is it okay if I play with him?”
I nodded. “Of course. Do you guys want to go in the backyard? I was going to take Dozer for a walk when we saw you. He needs the exercise if you want to run around with him a little.”
Jude jumped up, nodding happily.
I opened the back door for the two of them to go outside. I stuck my phone in my pocket and followed them out the door. I sat down to watch them run around, smiling at the easy friendship they developed.
We went back inside when Dozer and Jude came back to the patio, both puffing exhausted breaths.
“How about some water and maybe something to eat? Did you have lunch yet, Jude?”
He shook his head. “Do you have macaroni and cheese?”
I smiled. A kid after my own heart. “I sure do. Want me to make some for us?”
He nodded.
We went inside, and I showed Jude where the treats were for Dozer. Jude laughed when Dozer caught the first one out of mid-air.
I’d always wanted kids. I’d forced the thought away for so many years that the overwhelming desire for a kid slammed harder into my chest than I expected and brought tears to my eyes.
Jude wasn’t mine. He never would be mine. But dammit, I still wanted kids. One day.
