“No.” The word was out before her mother had finished speaking, and probably with a tad too much aggression, but no way was she sitting through another meal with Stinky Tony, trying not to gag while being bored to death with his insurance talk.
“No?” her mother asked, for some reason sounding shocked.
“I’m not interested in him.”
“Oh, Skylar, why not? He’s lovely.”
Lovely? Every time he spoke, she wanted to take her fork and drive it into her skull. He’d gone on and on about insurance policies and how his company could get her the deal of her life. “You only think he’s lovely because his family used to be members of your church.”
Her parents were big churchgoers, and her father in particular liked to harp on about how she needed to marry someone from the church with good values and ethics…blah, blah, blah. Like he thought anyone who didn’t attend the church couldn’t have good values. Which would include her, then.
“That’s not true,” her mother argued. “I like him because he has a good head on his shoulders, he has a successful insurance business, and he’s funny.”
“Name one funny thing he’s said.”
“Well…I can’t off the top of my head.”
She moved to the window, watching the clouds race over the gray sky. “He’s been living with you for a week, Mom. If he’s funny, something should spring to mind.”
“Really, Skylar, I don’t know why you’re being like this. When I was your age—”
“You were married to Dad and already had me. I know. You’ve told me.” About fiftygazilliontimes.
“Well, it’s true. And your father and I just want you to have a man who can…”
Sky’s back straightened and she didn’t hear whatever her mother said next, because her entire focus turned to her neighbor, who was walking across his lawn. Her very annoying, obnoxious and rude neighbor. In fact, she was pretty sure he stayed up at night plotting new ways to torture her. A month ago, it was blocking her fence from going up because of a city ordinance technicality. And before that, it was installing external cameras that filmed her front yard, as well as his own.
And right now, he was holding a chainsaw and wearing earmuffs.
No…he couldn’t be walking toward the tree.Hertree, which he’d already cut without her permission earlier that year.
“Mom, I’ve got to go.”
“But—”
“I’ll call you later.” She hung up and ran toward the front door. She wasn’t wearing shoes or a sweater, but there was no time. Her psychotic neighbor could probably have her entire tree down before she could blink.
She sprinted across her front lawn, the cool chill of the morning slapping her in the face. She reached the tree seconds before he did and planted herself in front of it. “Don’t even think about it.”
The words didn’t have quite the impact she’d intended, mostly because she was winded. Man, she really needed to start working out.
A corner of his full lips lifted and he pulled off the earmuffs. “Hey, Peaches. You look angry. Did you ever take up that meditation I suggested? It could do you wonders.”
“For the fiftieth damn time, my name isSky. And I don’t need meditation. I need you to move away. Far, far away. And not just from my tree.”
The other side of his mouth lifted now, like he enjoyed her anger. “Ah, but then we’d lose sweet moments like this.”
“Sweet?”
“Wrong word? What about fun? Joyful. No, I know—exciting.”
“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be delusional.”
He chuckled and lowered the chainsaw, the muscles in his bronzed arms flexing.
Do not look, Sky. The man might be pretty on the outside, but he’s the devil incarnate on the inside.
“Your tree’s blocking my street view. It’s a safety thing.”
