The engine caught.
Relief cut through her. He gave her a thumbs-up and walked back to the window. "Keep it running a bit before you start to drive. Where are you headed?"
"Home."
Again, that grin appeared. Her heart did a slow flip-flop at the flash of strong, white teeth. Why did he have to be so damn attractive? So...viral? "I know. How long is the drive?"
"About half an hour."
"I'll follow you."
She shook her head. "That's unnecessary. I'll be fine. Thanks so much for your help."
"I'm following you," he said. "If you want to call your husband or boyfriend and let him know, that's cool. I'm not a killer or anything."
A garbled laugh escaped her lips. "I'm not worried about that. I've already felt helpless enough watching you start my car in the rain. I can get home by myself."
"It's still raining and you're keeping me here arguing. What if the battery dies again? I'll worry until I know you're safe at home. Wait for me."
His command struck her mute. She wasn't used to men wanting to do stuff for her. She'd been on her own long enough to make her own rules and was never questioned. Instead of feeling lonely and bitching about it, Ella had embraced the independence and began to like running her life. This was the first time she'd been overruled.
He was worried about her. It was kind of nice in an old-fashioned type of way.
Connor unhooked the cables and got back into his car. She hit her lights, cranked the heat to maximum, and slowly pulled out of the lot.
The commute home was slow. Cautious drivers took their time and traffic built up, but the headlights behind her stayed steady, giving her a strange type of comfort. She called Luke on her Bluetooth and told him about the delay, and he agreed to start on his homework. Finally, she pulled onto her block by her building and cut the engine. Her escort parked right behind her. Grabbing her purse, she darted out of the car to quickly thank him, but he was already climbing out. The rain had finally slowed to a lazy drizzle.
"Thanks again for the help. I'm really sorry I took you so far from home."
He stared at her building and shook his head. "You didn't. In fact, I'm already here."
"Huh?"
His gaze narrowed and those stinging blue eyes caught and held hers. The scent of rain and the subtle spice of his cologne rose to her nostrils. His next words seemed to be a premonition of everything in the future that was about to change.
"I'm your neighbor."
"Wh-what? I haven't seen you around here. I don't even recognize your truck."
"My apartment comes with a driveway so I park over there." He jerked his head toward the back of the lot. "I think I saw your son. About nine years old? Glasses?"
Shock delayed her response. Out of all the people in the world, Connor Dunkle was her neighbor. The air shimmered around her, and the rain turned to a misty, glowing aura. She smothered the emotions running through her, screaming out she never believed in coincidence and there was a bigger reason for such a discovery. "Yes, Luke. He's ten. I-I had no idea. He didn't mention running in to anyone."
"I interrupted an encounter with some boys. He got pissed at me. Do you want me to introduce myself to your husband? I don't want him thinking I'm some stalker."
"No need. I'm divorced. What boys?"
"A group from the neighborhood. I'll keep an eye out. They get in to some trouble, but Luke seems to be able to handle himself."
She needed to talk to her son. Tell him to keep his distance from troublemakers. God, this is when she missed having his father around. "I better go. Thanks again."
"Ella?"
She stilled. It was the first time he used her first name, and it sounded oddly intimate spilling from his lips. "Yes?"
"If you need anything, just let me know."
She muttered another thank you and hurried away. She didn't want to think of Connor in any other way than a pain-in-the-butt student. Having him right next door and conversing with her son shifted the balance. She really knew nothing about him on a personal basis. Until she did, Ella better warn her son to keep his distance.
Damp, tired, and cranky, she pushed her way inside.
Ella Blake was his neighbor.
Connor chewed over this fact for a while before deciding it could be a good thing. Hell, if he helped her out a bit, maybe she'd soften and give him a better grade. Being a single mother was tough. After his mother took off and his father checked out, taking care of Nate sapped all his effort and energy. It made more sense why she didn't take more care with her appearance. Men were probably the last thing on her mind. Still, if she ever wanted to find another relationship, she'd need some extra help.
He let himself into his apartment and wondered what it would be like to be with someone more than a few nights. Nate seemed happy, but then again, he'd always seemed to want a woman on a permanent basis. Connor was content experiencing the whole buffet, and not once had he wanted more. Was there something lacking in him? And if so, maybe it was for the best. If he was built like his mother, he may end up running out on responsibilities, and he'd rather die than hurt someone like that.
Of course, lately he'd give a monk competition. It had been so long since he'd had sex, his condoms probably had cobwebs on them.
Shaking his head at his own personal humor, he reheated some leftover pizza, opened up his laptop, and concentrated on work. He'd only been at it about an hour when his phone rang. He glanced at the ID and hesitated. Then picked it up.
"Hey, Jerry. What's up?"
The slight slur of words told him his best friend was on his way to feeling really good. "Connor, my man! Where the hell you been? Fancy college boy now and can't come out and have a few beers?"
A flare of guilt hit. When was the last time he'd seen him? Weeks. They'd been really tight working construction for a number of years and had each other's backs. Until Connor had begun wanting more. More than getting drunk every weekend. More than seducing some new woman into bed. More than blaming management for all their trouble on sites and pretending they were better than anyone else because they got their hands dirty.
The fun had begun to turn bitter. Especially when he'd made the decision to get his degree and apply for a management position.
Connor forced a laugh. "I've missed you, dude. Been dying to get out and share a pint, but I'm slammed with schoolwork."
"Didn't think you'd try and become one of them. What happened to you, man? Those books get to your brain and make you think you're something you're not?"
The words cut deep, but he kept his tone easy. "Nah, I just got a few more months and this will all be behind me. Keep my chair warm, okay?"
"Fuck the classes, man. Come and have a drink with me. There's a pretty young blonde serving me that's dying to meet you."
Half of him wanted to go. It would be so easy because it was the routine he'd followed for the majority of his life. He'd get a good buzz, bed the blonde, and be happy for a few hours.
The problem was the next morning when reality hit. When the blonde left and he had a sick stomach, lighter pockets, and the faint tang of failure in his gut. Not this time. Not anymore.
"I'll catch you next time, dude."
Jerry cursed. Then hung up.
Connor clicked off and rubbed his forehead. He felt like a traitor. Jerry and him went way back, and his friend was old school. He believed in working hard on the site and partying harder when he was done. Unfortunately, times were changing and management wanted more from their crew as things became more technological and architecturally modern. They wanted team members to grow with them, not just show up to put in time.
Connor wanted one thing: secure the lead foreman job for Bilkins Construction. He'd been lucky enough to be included on the subcontractor team for the huge project with Tappan Zee Construction, which was building the new bridge over the Hudson River, but he needed more. It was the only reason he'd spent the last two years breaking his ass to stuff four years of sch
ool into two and still make an impression at the firm. Bilkins only hired college graduates for upper management. Connor was determined to transform himself into a businessman who could straddle both worlds--the one on a working site and the one behind a fancy desk.
Finally, his efforts were working. The higher-ups noticed him and respected his work ethic and his leadership role with the crew. He'd changed his life radically to become the man he'd always wanted to be but never thought he'd deserve.
Was he betraying his friend by wanting more out of his life? An emptiness clawed up from deep within him he'd never experienced before. He wasn't sure how to feed it, so he concentrated on the only thing he could control right now.
Graduate. Get a promotion. Make more of a difference. Then maybe, the hunger would go away.
He sat at his desk for a while, then got back to work.
Chapter Six
"I don't know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting."--Edith Wharton
"Mom? I'm bored."
Ella slipped off her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was already past five p.m., and darkness had slipped over to blanket her most precious Saturday. Not that she'd done anything great. Food shopping, cleaning, a few rounds of the Wii with her son, and then grading papers.
Now, Luke stood in front of her desk with puppy dog eyes and a young boy's leashed excess energy. Winter sucked. Sports were nonexistent, the holidays were over, and he was already bored with his new video games and stuff from Christmas. She kept waiting for him to invite some friends over, but he hadn't seemed to make any connections yet. A few times, she spotted a small bunch of boys out front talking to Luke while he waited for the bus. She didn't want to ruin anything by being his pushy, overbearing mother, so Ella kept quiet and hoped he'd make his own way.
She gave him a smile and ticked down the list of available items to entertain a ten-year-old. "Wanna see what's playing at the movies?"
"Nah. They just have lame stuff for kids."
"You are a kid," she teased. Her fingers itched to ruffle his cowlick but he was becoming a bit more standoffish with her treating him like a baby. "You too old now for Disney?"