Chapter 1
Ayla
Another Friday had arrived, and there were only a few clouds in the sky. On a sweltering July day in Alabama, those clouds were much needed. Even though I loved the sun, I needed a break from the constant heat. Fridays were my only days off work, and in the summer, I looked forward to spending my time reading by the pool.
Sadly, it hadn’t been that enjoyable the past few weeks.
All was quiet for the moment, but with my luck, the second I stepped out onto my back porch, my peaceful oasis would be nonexistent.
I slid my feet into my flip-flops, grabbed my beachy romance and cell phone off the nightstand, and headed outside in my teal bikini. The air wasthick with humidity, and I could already feel the sweat drip down my skin as I made my way to the pool. When I was attending college at UNC-Chapel Hill in North Carolina, I grew to like the cooler temperatures, especially in the winter. But I couldn’t wait to come back home to Alabama after I graduated.
Once at the pool, I kicked off my flip-flops and stepped into the water. Nobody lived to the right of me since my house was built on a small peninsula on the lake, but there was a guy who moved into the house on my left a couple of months ago.
Had I met him yet? Not exactly, but he sure was a pain in my ass.
Standing on my tiptoes, I tried to peer over the fence on the far side of the yard to see if I could see Declan’s garage door. I’d only learned of his name through one of my patients who’d asked if I’d met him yet. Apparently, he was a grumpy recluse who liked to keep to himself. I had no clue how old he was, where he was from, or what his deal was, but being an unfriendly jerk wasn’t the way to make your introduction into a small town like Magnolia Grove.
A relieved sigh escaped my lips when I could see his garage door was down. Hopefully, that meant he wasn’t at home.
I carefully sat down on my in-pool chaise lounge so none of the water would splash up and wet my book or my phone which were on the chair armrest. Once the cold water soothed my heated skin, I opened my novel and smiled. It was going to be a great day.
I couldn’t begin to describe the level of joy that flowed through my body. The sound of the birds chirping and the swooshing of the lake water as it lapped against the shore was music to my ears. It was all so serene and heavenly.
That was until . . .
A noise off to my left made my blood boil.
“Son of a . . .” I grumbled under my breath.
Grabbing my phone, I searched for Kat’s name in my recently called list and pressed it so hard I was surprised my screen didn’t crack. Katherine Graham was my best friend in dental school and was well aware of the issues I’ve had with my neighbor.
“Hey girl,” she answered. “You out enjoying your day off?”
Huffing, I slammed my book shut and walked out of the pool. “I wish.”
Kat laughed. “Are you serious right now? He’s making noise again?”
“Yes,” I growled, forcefully sliding my feet into my flip-flops and storming toward my patio door.
All I could hear was metal clanking against metal, which was so loud that people across town could probably hear it. That was how it had been for the past three Fridays. Declan would be in his garage making all kinds of noise, followed by the loud rumbling of his lawn mower. It wouldn’t be so bad if it only took him a few minutes to cut his grass, but the process always lasted hours. I haven’t been able to relax by my pool in weeks.
Once inside, I tossed my book onto the kitchen table. “This is getting ridiculous. My idiot neighbor makes so much damn noise I can’t even think straight. I’m surprised no one else has complained.”
“Why don’t you go over there and talk to him?” Kat countered. “He might not know he’s causing problems.”
I walked over to the window and scoffed. All I could see over the fence was Declan’s head, covered by a baseball cap as he mowed the lawn.
“How can he not know he’s loud as shit?” I fired back.
Kat burst out laughing. “He might be wearing earplugs. Who knows? Just go over there and talk to him. He’s new in town. Don’t you small-townwomen bake cakes and muffins for newcomers? Do that and I’m sure he’ll stop, especially when he sees how gorgeous you are. He might even be single.” She said the last part teasingly, but there was no way in hell I would even entertain the thought.
“Please,” I snapped, marching into my bedroom to put on shorts and a tank top over my bathing suit. “I’ve heard he’s not friendly. My guess is that he’s old, hairy, and set in his ways. The chances of him being hot and single are slim to none.”
Most of my neighbors were all retirement age, except for the people I grew up with who decided to stay in Magnolia Grove instead of moving off to the bigger cities. I thought I’d found my match when Andrew moved here to be with me after we finished dental school. Our plan was to take over my father’s practice and settle down. It turned out small-town life wasn’t for him. We called off the wedding and I was back at square one. Five years of my life just down the drain.
“Now you don’t know that,” Kat replied. “I’m sure there are some hot guys who live there.”
“There are,” I agreed, “but unfortunately, most of them are taken. And all the ones who are single are guys I grew up with who I have no interest in dating whatsoever.”
