“Hey. It’s just me. I’m sorry.” He gave me a warm smile.
“You okay, lady?” Vince asked, reaching up and slipping his hand into mine. “You look upset.”
I smiled down at him. “I just got home from shopping all day. Well, working and shopping.” I glanced over to Hunter, not quite sure why I felt the need to tell him that I was working. I was such an idiot sometimes. “The house was open. Like the front door was wide open.” I let out a soft sigh. “I saw someone driving around the other day, and it seemed suspicious. I don’t know. I just called the cops.”
“Good. You should have.” Hunter released me as his eyes moved across my face. “Come on. Everything’s going to be okay. Come with me and Vincent and let the cops do their job.” He extended his hand toward me, and I took it without question.
“Come join our movie night!” Vince yelled with excitement. We were just making popcorn.
“No, buddy. She’s gotta lot going on. Let’s just help her through this, and if she wants to come over after the cops leave, she can.” He gave me an apologetic look, stealing my heart for the millionth time. I’d never been in his house, but I loved the idea of going over there now. I was freaked the fuck out.
“Are you the owner of the house?” A cop walked toward us.
I pulled my hands away from the guys and walked toward him. “Yes. I’m Kylie Tomms. This is my house.”
Hunter moved up beside me, standing close as if he were rea
dy to protect me from any and everything. He had no idea how much it meant to me.
“Detective Jones. We found nothing lost, Ms. Tomms. Although one of your windows was smashed, we can’t find any trace of the object used. Still, we will investigate the evidence left behind.”
Although nothing was taken, I still felt unsafe going back in there.
“Thanks, Officer,” I replied as I watched the other officer head back toward the house. Hunter was still by my side, listening the entire time.
“Well, damn. First the hogs and now this.” He gave me an apologetic look. “Come over to my place for the night. I know we barely know each other, but we’ve been neighbors for six years. It’s the least I can do.”
“No. I’ll just go stay with my mom. I don’t want to be a burden, and honestly, I don’t feel safe staying here anymore.”
“You’re not a burden, and you need to stay here. That’s the best thing to do during this situation. That way if they come back, we’ll both be watching for them.” He looked concerned.
Come back? I swallowed hard.
“Hunter, is your gun shop open tomorrow? Can I come by?” I managed to work up the courage to speak to him, far surpassing my two-word record before that night. It was irrelevant at this point, my head still thinking about the threat to my life and property.
“Yeah, sure thing. I’ll be there all day,” he replied, looking at his son who was holding his hand tightly. He was watching the cops moving around my house, checking all the details they could use to trace the culprit who broke my window.
“Great. I’ll come and buy a gun. I always thought our neighborhood was safe. Maybe things have changed.”
I thought of the town we lived in. We knew almost everyone around, and I could not say anything bad about the people who lived in Mesquite. Perhaps outsiders had planned on robbing our houses and getting away without getting caught.
“You sure about going to your mom’s?” There was a neediness in his voice that surprised me. Maybe I was making it up. Did he want me to spend the night? Sure felt like it.
“Yeah. I need to see her. She’ll be pissed if I tell her about it tomorrow and she knows I didn’t come over there.” I offered him a kind smile. “Can you keep an eye on the place? Please?”
“Yeah, of course. Come by tomorrow and I’ll get you set up with a gun and teach you to use it.” He licked the side of his mouth and studied me. “And I’ll be right here next door all the time, anytime, if you need me.”
“Me too!” Vince chimed in. “And I’m tough like my daddy!”
I felt my cheeks burn, grateful for his kind offer. After smiling down at Vince and agreeing, I waved goodbye, got in the car, and left. The police officers would take things from there. I needed to tell my mother anyway. She should be told what happened. She might even scold me for not telling her as soon as I could.
My mind raced with the possibility of what could have been if I slept over at Hunter’s. Would he have given me the bed? The couch? Access to his body… Fuck me, I wanted to lie down next to a brave, strong guy like him and let my worries go.
On the way to my mother’s house, my head began to drift away to deep thoughts once again. My chest still beat fast, unable to process the things that happened today. Never did I think that things like this would happen.
It was my first time talking to him really, and though it had been centered on the robbery, it was still a conversation. I had to think through what we might have in common, which didn’t seem like much. Maybe I would focus more on him, give him a chance to talk about what he loved? I didn’t give two shits about what we were talking about, just that we were in fact talking.
I was in love with my neighbor, and if I was being honest with myself…I had been for a long, long time.