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  “You do that. I’m curious myself, now, so let me know what you find out.” He turned to head back to his office.

  “Don’t forget you have that conference call in ten minutes,” she called out.

  “On it. Thanks.”

  As Rich retreated to his office, Carrie tried to think if she’d ever read anything by an author named Richards, but couldn’t think of one. A search on Amazon for a book called Grand Compulsion yielded nothing. Of course, Rich could’ve been wrong about the title. She didn’t see any books by a Shawn Richards either. The closest she could come to Shawn Richards was her favorite author, S.K. Richardson. Oh well, maybe later she’d find her on another website or under some obscure literary publisher. Who knows, she might even write textbooks or the like.

  Carrie was sure she needed to find out more about this Shawn person, and those blue eyes had to have something to do with it. Okay, living down the street from a real, honest-to-God author had something else to do with it. But those eyes…She sighed and leaned back in her chair for a moment. Those blue eyes were stunning. She knew she could drown in their depths. That could be dangerous.

  ***

  Shawn stepped out of the Gladstone office, slipped on her aviator sunglasses, slapped on an Atlanta Braves baseball cap, and slid into her Jeep. She sat there for a few seconds, smiled, and shook her head. Yep, that Carrie was cute for sure; however, it’s not a good idea to flirt with a neighbor. In fact, it’s usually a very bad idea, but she sure is cute, a little voice in her head said. She chuckled to herself, and started the Jeep to head home.

  Just before suppertime, Shawn sauntered down her driveway and started her run by walking down the street before starting to jog. She had just started to speed up to a run when she saw Carrie at the end of her driveway.

  “Oh, hi,” she called out, and then smiled. “It’s you again.” She stopped at Carrie’s driveway.

  “Hi yourself,” Carrie called back, buckling her bike helmet. She pushed her bike onto the street. “Looks like we’re neighbors.”

  “Just over there, second house down on the left.” Shawn pointed down the street.

  “I didn’t know anyone lived there.” Carrie pulled on some riding gloves. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone around there since I moved in here two years ago.”

  “I just got back. I’ve been living in California for a while.”

  “Really…well, welcome back then. Are you on vacation or do you live here now?” Carrie asked, and apparently thought better of it. “You know what, that’s really none of my business…”

  “Oh, that’s okay. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I’m back to stay. I grew up around here. Anyway, nice to see you again. Sorry if I delayed your ride. Catch you later.” Shawn resumed her run, waving again without looking to see if Carrie was watching. A couple of minutes later, she looked back just as Carrie and her bike turned off on a side road.

  An hour later, Shawn stopped running at the end of her driveway and paused before glancing back up the street toward Carrie’s house. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but all she saw was a neighbor’s Sheltie trotting down the road, stopping here and there to sniff something among the queen palms lining the street. She shrugged, turned and headed to the house. Back to work. AJ was going to shoot her if this book wasn’t finished soon—friend or no friend.

  Chapter Six

  AROUND ELEVEN FRIDAY MORNING Shawn sat hunched over her laptop, iced tea glass in one hand, when the phone rang. Without looking, she reached for it and hit the answer button.

  “Shawn,” she answered, checking the Caller ID at the same time. It was Gladstone Construction.

  “Hi, Shawn. Carrie from Gladstone. I hope I’m not interrupting your work.”

  “No problem at all. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m confirming your appointment with Rich. Is two this afternoon still good?”

  Shawn glanced down at her watch. “Yeah, sure. I’ll want a break by then anyway. Two it still is. Are you coming with him?”

  “Uh, no…I don’t usually do that. He makes his own notes. Why’d you ask?”

  “I don’t know. I just wondered, that’s all.” Shawn stalled. “I haven’t seen you for a few days and thought maybe I’d see you today.”

  Carrie laughed. Shawn immediately decided she liked the sound of that. “Aww…you missed me. No one else to bother down the street?”

  “No, actually there hasn’t been, as a matter of fact. So my runs have been rather boring.”

  “I’ve been busy myself the last few days and haven’t had time for a ride. I have to admit I’ve missed it.”

  “Not me, though? I’m crushed.” Shawn chuckled. “Maybe I’ll see you later on.”

  “Um…anyway…Rich will be there at two then. Bye.” And Carrie was gone.

  Shawn stared at the phone for a few seconds after Carrie hung up. She ran her fingers through her hair. Stop flirting with her. Get back to work.

  ***

  Shawn next looked up when she heard the sound of a pickup turning into her driveway. Was it already two o’clock? She got to the door just in time to see the Gladstone logo on the side and greet Rich as he got out of his truck.

  “Hey, come on in,” she called to him and waved. “I’ve got some iced tea for after the grand tour. How does that sound?”

  Rich reached out to shake her hand. “Hi. That would be great. Thanks. So, where were you thinking about putting your office?”

  For the next few minutes, she gave him the tour, which didn’t take very long. The front door opened into an open hallway that ran from the front door to the back. Off to the right was the small living room with the brick fireplace, and behind that the kitchen and dining nook. The one and only bedroom was off the left of the hall directly across from the living room, with the bathroom and utility room located off the kitchen in the back of the house. The back door opened onto a small porch just big enough for a couple of chairs and a little table. The entire house was decorated in beach style, with white wicker furniture and light colors. The exception was the living room sofa, which was a rich marine blue with white throw pillows.

  After they reviewed what she wanted in her office, and where she would like to have it, they walked around the outside of the house deciding where the new office should be. As it turned out, the best spot for the new office was going to be where her bedroom currently was. Rich suggested the addition of a new master bedroom and bath on the other side of the house. He also gave her a few ideas about other things that could be upgraded without breaking the budget, while still keeping the feel of the older home. That decided, he promised to get back to her with some drawings and prices.

  Rich backed out of the driveway as Shawn felt a big smile form on her face, thinking about really living in her old home. She could see why Greg thought so highly of Rich Gladstone, he obviously cared about his work. She knew it was time to make this house a real home, not just a landing pad before she took off again on another adventure somewhere. Home. What a pleasant thought. Plus, she might see more of Carrie if she came to Rich’s office again, even if she didn’t see her much on the street. She found herself looking forward to seeing Carrie this afternoon at the end of her driveway.

  Hold it, she argued with herself. This is already getting out of hand here. She’s the woman down the street—just a nice neighbor. She probably has a boyfriend or girlfriend who could beat the crap out of me anyway. Good grief. I really, really, do not need to chase another woman right now, no matter how cute she is. A friend, I could use, though, and it’s always a good idea to be neighborly.

  Chapter Seven

  BEFORE CARRIE PULLED INTO her own driveway, she watched as she passed the house she was sure was Shawn’s. The brick red Jeep in the driveway probably meant Shawn was home. She smiled when she thought about possibly finding her at the end of the driveway again this afternoon.

  She piddled around in the house for a bit after changing her riding shorts three tim
es to find a pair that she thought looked the best on her, the royal blue ones with a grey stripe down the outside of each leg. After turning around several times in front of the mirror to be sure this was the outfit she wanted, she put her house key in her wrist pocket and headed for her bike. Sure enough, just as she got to the end of her driveway, there was Shawn.

  “I was just wondering if you’d you like to drop by after your ride for something cold to drink,” Shawn said. “Iced tea, or maybe a margarita? I make great margaritas and my iced tea isn’t bad, either. We can sit on the porch. Neighborly like, you know?” Shawn added that last part in her best southern drawl.

  “Well, that would be very neighborly. And I do like margaritas…How about after my ride I come home and take a quick shower first. I can stop by on my way back to give you a heads up, then you can give me a few minutes to get cleaned up. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds good to me. See you in a bit.” Shawn whistled as she began jogging, and then broke into a run with a grin on her face. A few minutes later, she decided to cut her run short so she could get back and clean up before Carrie returned.

  Half an hour later, Shawn was headed to the kitchen humming to herself as she dragged out the blender and the margarita ingredients. Ten minutes after that, she had everything ready, including some lime slices for the glasses.

  She grinned to herself, picturing Carrie sitting on her porch with a margarita in her hand. She decided to wait outside. No, that would look a bit too eager. She decided to wait in the house. No, I wouldn’t see Carrie coming up the drive. I’ll wait on the porch after all, acting like I just got out there. Silly. Sit on the porch with my Kindle, reading. Yes, that would strike the right pose. Put my feet up on the porch rail. Yeah, that looks nonchalant enough. In no time, she was so engrossed in the latest book from her favorite author that she didn’t see someone coming up the drive on her bike.

  “Hey Shawn!” Carrie called out from the driveway. Shawn startled and nearly fell over backward in her chair. That set Carrie laughing so hard, she nearly had to sit down herself.

  “Wow that must be a great book!” Carrie wiped her eyes on her shirt. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes, is that okay? And I’m definitely looking forward to one of those famous margaritas of yours.” She turned her bike around and headed back down the driveway, still laughing.

  Mortified, Shawn recovered her Kindle from the floor and mentally picked herself up as well. She’ll be back in just a few minutes, she reminded herself. A short time later, Shawn heard Carrie’s sandals crunching on the driveway.

  “You didn’t have to bring anything,” Shawn said, eyeing the bag in Carrie’s hand.

  “No, I didn’t, however I thought we could use something to eat since it’s almost dinner time. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.” Carrie held up the bag. “It’s nothing special, just some French bread, salami, some grapes, and cheese. I already cut them up, so we just have to put them on something. Any plate will do. We can eat these and sip on your margaritas.”

  “A woman after my own heart, for sure. I’m always hungry,” Shawn reached for the bag and headed for the kitchen. “Have a seat and I’ll be right back.”

  A few minutes later, margarita in one hand, and some bread, salami, and cheese in the other, Shawn propped her bare feet back up on the porch rail and sighed happily. “Now this is a nice evening. You know, I could do this often.”

  Carrie sighed as well and leaned back in her chair. “Yes, this is very pleasant.” She popped a grape into her mouth.

  “Seriously, it’s great to have someone to sit here with. Thanks for bringing over this excellent fare.” Shawn reached for another bite-sized piece of French bread and a piece of cheese.

  “Excellent margaritas, too.” Carrie held her glass up in a salute then took another sip. “If you don’t mind my asking, what were you doing in California? Rich told me you’re an author, but I assume you can write anywhere.” She plopped one bare foot then another on the porch rail next to Shawn’s.

  Shawn looked away from Carrie’s pale pink polished toes, which were only inches from her own and considered the paint on the porch ceiling. Didn’t help. Carrie’s toes were too interesting. She looked back, meanwhile pretending she was looking out into the yard. “Well, that’s true to a point. I was writing a series of books all set in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it helped to be there. Then after a while there was another reason.”

  “Ah, from the sound of it, I’ll bet it was a ‘somebody’ reason.”

  “Right you are,” Shawn took another sip of her drink. She glanced over at Carrie to see her reaction. “A woman.” No reaction. “Anyway, it was time to come home.”

  “Home…meaning here?”

  “I’m a Floridian born and bred, so yes, this is home. It was fun for a while in California, but that’s over. I had to come back here to, and please forgive the expression, ‘find’ myself.” She held her fingers in the air like little quotation marks. “What about you? What brings you to living here? Did you grow up here?”

  Carrie took a sip of her margarita and gazed into her glass. “Pretty much. Well, I wasn’t doing anything romantic like writing. I’ve lived in this area for most of my life, and my grandmother lived in the house I live in now.”

  As Carrie paused, Shawn noticed a little faraway smile on Carrie’s face and assumed she was remembering her grandmother.

  “So do you like working for a construction company?”

  “I love what I do. I love the people I work with and I make enough to be happy. So here I am. I have some friends in the area but I mostly spend my time at work or riding my bike. I read a lot, too.”

  “Just never know where you’ll end up, do you.” Shawn noted that Carrie hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend or girlfriend. Interesting. “What do you like to read?”

  “Oh, all kinds of stuff, whatever jumps off the shelf and begs me to read it. Everything from mysteries to biographies. I’ll admit to a weakness for romances, though. If you’re ever looking for something to read, I’ve probably got something you’d like.”

  “Sounds like you’re quite the book lover. I might take you up on that, since I love to read, too. Well, I’m happy to have you for a neighbor.” Shawn held her glass up for a toast. “Here’s to good neighbors!”

  Carrie clinked her glass with Shawn’s. “Most definitely. Good neighbors,” she said. Their eyes lingered on each other for just a few seconds longer than necessary as they laughed.

  Chapter Eight

  SHAWN ENDED UP MOVING her bed to the living room while her bedroom was being remodeled into an office, and her new bedroom and bath additions were under construction. She had to put most of her living room items in storage for the duration. While it was fun seeing her new office take shape, it was not fun sleeping in the living room until she realized she could lie in bed and watch television, which eased the pain.

  The second day of construction, Carrie stopped by on her way home to see what was taking shape, finding Shawn on the front porch. “It looks pretty hard to live in, but I bet it’s exciting to watch the construction, isn’t it?”

  “Most of the time. Right this minute, though, I think I could use an easy path from the front of the house to the kitchen and bathroom. Rich said it won’t be much longer until I have that back. Right now, though, it’s still sort of difficult. I just have to zigzag my way through stuff. The construction crew is mostly going in and out of the back door while they remodel my old bedroom into the new office because it’s easier. Oh well, at least I can still sit on the front porch.”

  “Aww, poor baby. How about we take your mind off all this and you can join me for supper down at the Smokin’ Pit? I assume you like barbeque, right?”

  “Are you kidding? Of course I like barbeque. I used to love that place. I don’t know why, but for some reason haven’t been there since I got back. They probably still have the best pulled pork in town, huh? Not to mention their baked beans.”

  “Y
ep, they still do. Give me about fifteen minutes, if that’s enough for you. I just need to run home and take care of a couple of things.”

  “No problem. How about I pick you up?”

  “Works for me, but remember this is my treat.”

  Shawn watched as Carrie pulled out of her driveway. Grinning, she fist-pumped a “yes!” and headed to her makeshift closet for a change of clothes. Fifteen minutes later dressed in a pair of navy cargo shorts and a pale blue polo shirt, she stuffed her wallet into her pocket, grabbed the keys and was out the door.

  Carrie was waiting for her in front of her house. As she got into the Jeep, Shawn noticed a slight hint of cleavage at the top of Carrie’s blouse. That was just enough to make one wonder what the rest looked like and could be a definite distraction this evening. Shawn mentally shook herself and decided she’d better keep her eyes on the road.

  The Smokin’ Pit was always busy, even on a weeknight, and this was no exception. Within a block of the place, the luscious smells of barbecued pork and beef as well as baked beans wafted out and grabbed passersby. Inside the rustic, timber-sided restaurant, the wooden tables had various pieces of local memorabilia embedded into the thick layers of acrylic covering the tops. Bouncy country music was just loud enough to enjoy without drowning out conversations. Shawn and Carrie didn’t have to wait very long for a booth for two.

  Carrie and Shawn were barely seated when a woman slid into the booth next to Carrie and put her arm around her for a hug. “Hey, gorgeous! What’ve you been up to? I haven’t seen you for a while,” she said. “And I see you brought a friend. How ‘bout you introduce us?”

  Carrie hugged the woman back. “Shawn, this is my friend Jess. We’ve known each other since grade school and she works here. Jess, this is my neighbor, Shawn. Gladstone is doing some work on her house.”

  Shawn felt herself being scrutinized intently as she stuck her hand out and Jess grasped it firmly. “Nice to meet you,” they said at the same time.