Sin City Baby

“We all have our strengths and weaknesses,” he said with a soft chuckle.

“Thanks for stopping by, Paul. I really appreciate it, but I need to get Lily inside and fix her some lunch.”

“That’s fine,” he said. “Just wanted to come by and see how you were doing.”

“I appreciate it. Really. And stop by anytime. Lily loves seeing you.”

“I’m gonna go give her one last hug, and I’ll be out of your way.”

I watched him pick Lily up in his arms and throw her into the air. She giggled, gave him a great big hug, and then hopped back onto her bike as she left. I watched Paul’s car ride down the road as my neighbor’s door opened again, and the sound caught Lily’s attention, distracting her enough that she went crashing into the curb and tumbled onto the pavement.

“Lily!”

I made a mad dash from the porch and tore across the grass. She was crying and sniffling and holding her knee. I scooped her up into my arms as something warm dropped next to me, and I looked over and found my neighbor reaching out for my daughter.

“I have medical training. May I see it, sweet girl?”

The

way he cooed at my daughter caught my attention. Tears were leaking from Lily’s eyes as his calloused hands picked up her leg. I held her hand as my eyes danced around her scraped and bloodied knee. He knocked some of the dirt and rocks off her scraped-up skin, his movements intentional and filled with purpose.

“Let me see if you can move it, okay?” he asked.

He slowly moved Lily’s leg, and she whimpered. She was gripping tightly onto my shirt as she sniffled hard. His hand was moving around her kneecap, trying to feel for something as blood continued to rise to the surface.

“It doesn’t seem dislocated or anything, but you need to get it cleaned up before it gets infected.”

His voice was deep. Full. He seemed like the kind of man who could whisper, and a room full of people could still hear him. He looked into my eyes before he slowly placed Lily’s leg back to the ground. Then, he got up and walked back to his house.

“Thank you,” I said.

He stopped and turned his head, and I watched as he nodded slightly.

I knew my gut about him had been right. I knew he wasn’t a cold-hearted man. I scooped Lily up in my arms and carried her back into the house, figuring a bath was probably the best course of action to get her cleaned up.

But I had a hard time looking away from my neighbor as he made his way back to his house.

If he wasn’t so distant, I’d consider him attractive.

CHAPTER 6

GRAHAM

I felt bewitched.

Was there such a thing?

Every time I looked out my fucking window and saw her house, she popped into my mind. Her emerald eyes and her distinct little smile. That woman was a looker, but she was also curious.

It was unsettling, finding another woman attractive. In all the cities I’d bounced around to and all the women who had tried to talk me up, none of them had ever been my type. Their eyes either reminded me of my wife’s or were nothing like my wife’s. Their bodies were either enticing like my wife’s or the exact opposite of my wife’s. Either way, my dear late wife was always on my mind. Her warmth and her laughter. Her inviting curves and her generosity.

Then, I’d see her body as I’d last seen it, and I would be pulled back into that pain.

But there was none of that looking at my neighbor, no comparison to Cary and no reminiscence of that time in my life. It was odd, experiencing that without my memories impeding on the moment.

I couldn’t let it sway me, though. I couldn’t let her get under my skin.

No one could get close.