The Good Guy on my Porch (Catalpa Creek #3)

by Katharine Sadler

  “There’s nothing wrong with marshmallows.”

  “I do love him.”

  “Should I expect him to show up and beat down my door?”

  She sighed. “I didn’t tell him where I was going. I just told him I needed time.”

  “That’s only going to hold him off for so long. Daniel might be a marshmallow, but patience isn’t one of his finer qualities.”

  “I know. I just…I just need a few more days, Oscar. I need to be sure I’m making the right decision.”

  “I’m not sure this is one of those things you can ever truly be sure of.”

  She nodded and looked down at her hands. When she lifted her head, she was looking more like the Molly I’d always known. “What’s the story with you and the lady next door? You two seem to be spending a lot of time together.”

  “She’s got a boyfriend. And she friend-zoned me early on. Didn’t even get my name right, though we’d met more than once before.”

  She shook her head, her expression going from sad to angry. “She’s an idiot if she can’t see what an amazing guy you are, Oscar. Don’t waste any more time on her.”

  “I’ve got another date with Lara on Friday. I’m moving on.”

  “Good.” She hugged me, and I gave her the remote. I headed up to my room and tried to read, but I couldn’t get Dilly’s sad expression out of my mind. I’d thought it wasn’t my place to push or ask questions, but what if I was wrong? What if, like Molly, she just needed someone to talk to?

  I closed my book. Obsessing over Dilly’s expressions and thinking about her soft lips was not going to help me accept that our relationship was only platonic. I tried to think of Lara, of her long legs and her gorgeous eyes, but I fell asleep picturing Dilly’s face, remembering the feel of her soft lips under my finger.

  I dreamed of those lips on other parts of my body, doing wild, dirty things to me and I woke feeling guilty and incredibly turned on.

  ***

  Dilly was on the porch with Buddy, a book in her hand, when I got home from a late afternoon class.

  She didn’t notice me until I dropped my bag on the stairs and sat next to her.

  “How was work?” she asked.

  “It was good. Tuesdays I do a meditation class and we had a full room today.”

  “Really? If it’s anything like that silent meal last night, maybe I’ll have to check it out.”

  “Have you been by the spa?”

  “Nah,” she said. “Not really my thing.”

  I looked at her, eyebrows high. “Relaxation and sinus-clearing isn’t your thing?”

  She lifted the book in her hands. “This is my spa.”

  She looked so much happier than yesterday, I was in no mood to argue with her. “Fair enough. But if you ever change your mind, you should come by. I’ll give you the friends and family discount.”

  “I already owe you for helping out with Buddy.”

  I rubbed Buddy’s head between his ears and he looked up at me, tongue hanging out, eyes merry. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  She closed her book and put it on the porch behind her. “How was the rest of your day? What do you do at a salt spa, anyway?”

  “I lead the meditation class and work the front desk or hide in my office with paperwork.”

  “So, people just come in and sit among the salt crystals? You don’t sing to them or anything?”

  I laughed. “I’d be out of business if I tried that. The idea is that they’re there to relax. We offer massage and yoga, but I’m not qualified to do those myself, yet.”

  “How’s school going?”

  “Pretty good. I need some guinea pigs for my massage techniques, though. Oddly, my friends aren’t lining up to let me try out my skills.”

  “Why not?” She stretched, arms overhead, letting her eyes drift closed and making a sound that sent all my blood flowing south. “There’s nothing better than a good massage.”

  She dropped her arms and opened her eyes. I schooled my expression and shifted on the porch, trying to keep all the sexy, naked thoughts I’d just had invisible to her gaze. “Good is the operative word,” I said. “I think they’re afraid.”

  “Even Molly?” she asked, an odd look on her face.

  I smiled. “She hates massages.”

  Her eyebrows popped high. “No one hates massages.”

  “When they’re as ticklish as she is, they do. I can just wiggle my fingers and she doubles over.” I shook my head. “I’ve never met anyone as ticklish as she is.”

  Dilly cleared her throat, her expression tight. “Well, you can practice on me anytime. I adore a massage, even an average one.”

  I froze as images of Dilly’s bare skin and my hands on her fired through my brain. If she made sounds like she did when she stretched…No. Just no. There was no way I wouldn’t make a complete idiot of myself and give away my attraction to her. I couldn’t possibly…

  “I mean, if you’re looking for a massage guinea pig…” She said, looking unsure. “Molly might not like—”

  “It would be great,” I said, because refusing would be weirder. “Thank you. We’re learning some new techniques now, so maybe…Next week, sometime?”

  Her face lit up and I knew I’d made the right choice. It would likely kill me, but I refused to be someone in her life who did anything but make her smile. “That would be great.” She stared out at the mountains for a long moment, just breathing. I watched the side of her face, not realizing I was staring until she turned to look at me with a hesitant smile. “Do you still want to see that play on Sunday? I understand if Molly might have a problem with it, so please don’t feel bad if you want to cancel.”

  Honestly, I’d forgotten all about the play, but it was kind of her to be worried about Molly. Since our talk, Molly had seemed more like herself, but I was still concerned about the dark circles under her eyes and her frown whenever I wasn’t looking. “Molly’s fine staying here. She doesn’t really want to go anywhere right now. Are you sure your boyfriend will be okay with it?”

  She jerked her gaze from mine and looked back at the mountains. I had the worst feeling about that guy, and I was almost certain it was more than abject jealousy that caused the feeling.

  “He’s working on Sunday,” she said. “He’s totally fine with it.”

  “Working on a Sunday? What’s he do?”

  She scrunched her nose, still staring at the mountains. “Church,” she said, the word bursting from her. Her eyes widened, and she frowned. “He’s a minister, pastor…” She waved her hand. “Whatever you call it.”

  I just stared, beyond shocked. I had imagined this guy as some sort of raging, jealous, paranoid meat head. Not to say that everyone who worked in a church was good people, but it certainly changed what I’d imagined about the guy. “Wow,” I said. “That’s great.”

  She turned to me, looking a bit panicked. “It really is. He’s a very giving, kind person, of course.” She giggled. “Part of the job.”

  “Right.” I was finding it a touch more difficult to hate the guy. I still hated him, just infinitesimally less than a few moments before. “Does he work at a church in town?”

  She stretched and yawned. “I think I’ll just take Buddy for a quick walk before it starts to get dark. Want to come with?”

  She leapt to her feet and started down the walk before I could answer. I followed her, because what else was I going to do? Sit and watch her walk away from me? She waved to neighbors out on porches as she walked, all smiles. I’d met several of our neighbors since I’d moved in and they all seemed friendly enough. It never felt lonely on our street, that was for sure. Someone was always out, always watching. Like now, as heads turned as I hurried after Dilly. There were no secrets in a small town.

  I caught up to Dilly easily, since Buddy didn’t move fast. “What was it like?” she asked. “Living in the city?”

  “Crowded. Lots of cement and metal and cars.”

  She laughed. “There must
have been good things, too. Theater? Great restaurants? A huge dating pool?”

  A huge dating pool and I’d never met anyone I liked as much as Dilly. “You know I don’t enjoy theater. And I think the food in Catalpa Creek is as good as anything in the city.”

  “So, I’m not missing anything?”

  “I didn’t say that. You’d probably love going to see the shows and exploring the museums. Are you thinking about making a trip?”

  “Maybe.” There was a wistful tone to the word, like she doubted she would go. “My aunt is in Italy right now. She says the pasta there is out of this world. And the art…” She sighed. “Have you ever been to Italy?”

  “I haven’t done much world traveling. Never really had the time or the inclination.” But I had an image of Dilly in Italy, sitting across the table from me with a big bowl of pasta, a smile on her lips and no sadness in her eyes.

  “I’ve never really felt like I was missing out on anything.” She shook her head. “I always thought books were enough, you know. I didn’t need to see Italy, I could read Eat, Pray, Love or A Room with a View and that would be enough, but lately…”

  “You should do it,” I said. “Take a trip, see the world.”

  She glanced over at me and her lips curled up in a small smile. “Sure. The problem would be choosing where to go, there’s so many amazing places to see. Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?”

  “Glacier National Park,” I said, without needing to think about it. “It’s next on my list of places to visit. I want to see all the parks in the country before I’m forty.”

  She laughed. “You have the whole world to choose from and you choose parks? What about the Eiffel tower or the great wall of china?”

  I shrugged, though I knew if she asked I’d give up all my plans and go where ever she wanted. “I’d rather see trees and mountains and glaciers. We need to see the glaciers before they melt.”

  “We?” she said, eyebrows high. “Are you conspiring to drag me on another hike?”

  She was teasing, but my heart sank, because the ‘we’ had popped out with no forethought, giving me away to myself, if not to her. I was getting in too deep, and I needed to pull back before I made things unbearably awkward between us. “We should turn around,” I said. “Buddy’s limp seems bad today.”

  She frowned. “I know. The vet says there’s nothing we can do for him, except making sure he gets gentle exercise and giving him the pain medication, but I hate seeing him hurting.” She and Buddy turned, and I followed them.

  “I would go on another hike with you,” she said. “I’m not going across the country or anything, but I think you might have a point about me missing out on the beauty of Catalpa Creek.”

  My heart flipped at the thought of taking her on another hike, but I needed distance. “I’m planning some pretty rigorous hikes the next couple weekends. Not anything you’d be interested in. Maybe we can go again at the end of the month if you’re free.”

  “Sure. Sounds great.” But she said it in that way people do when they’re just being polite and know something is never going to happen. I wanted to take back my words, to agree to hike with her whenever she wanted, but I couldn’t keep doing this to myself. I needed to remember she wasn’t mine, would never be mine.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Dilly

  It was official, I was losing my mind. I walked the three blocks to the local park, feeling groggy and tired and unable to shake the dreams I’d had the night before. Dreams of Oscar’s hands on my bare skin, his deep voice resonating through me as he massaged my skin, the heat that rushed over me as his hands moved lower and he touched me in ways that made me want.

  It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just dreams, but every time he walked toward our house my heart skittered. He petted Buddy and I imagined his strong hands on me. He smiled, and I imagined his lips on me. I wanted him, more than I’d wanted anyone in a very, very long time, just when he’d made it clear he wanted space or…Okay, I didn’t know exactly what his message was, but I got the general idea. He wanted to spend less time together, not more.

  “Dilly!” Mary shrieked, racing over to me, her feet bare, her elderly form fit and looking great in slim-fitting sweatpants and a t-shirt. “You finally made it.”

  I was surprised to see that I wasn’t the youngest of the group spread out on the lawn. There were several other people my age and a range of ages stretching from younger than me to Mary’s generation. “I’m here, but I’m barely conscious.”

  “You look flushed, dear. How are things with that new neighbor of yours? Oscar?”

  His name on her lips made me start. Why did she bring him up in the same sentence as her mention of me being flushed? Did she know how I felt? I shook it off. Of course, she didn’t. “He’s great. I’ve adopted a dog and Oscar’s helping me out with him.”

  She smiled. “He really is the sweetest, isn’t he? He’d make someone a fine husband.”

  “I don’t think he’s looking to settle down any time soon.” But I couldn’t deny he had a live-in girlfriend, which would hint at him absolutely being ready to settle down. And that pinch in my chest was from the too-early exertion of my walk.

  She tapped my nose. “Never underestimate the power of love, my dear.”

  Either it was way too early, or Mary was making no sense. “Should we join the group? It looks like they’re about ready to start.”

  “They won’t start without me. I’m the teacher.”

  I stopped and looked at her. “Really? You never told me.”

  She smiled. “I have all kinds of secrets. Keeps me young.”

  I followed her to the group, but she stopped at the back and faced me. “Stay after for a few moments if you can, dear. I want to speak to you about something.”

  “Of course.” My heart sank. Ever since Carrie had mentioned my mother, I’d had a bad feeling that it was going to get harder to keep our secret. My mother had been a respected member of our community once, with lots of friends, but she’d started to pull away after my father died. By the time she’d secluded herself completely, not too many people asked questions. She’d begged me not to tell anyone the truth, and I’d started my career as a liar, coming up with a wide range of reasonable excuses for why my mother wasn’t around. After a while, people had stopped asking, but that didn’t mean they’d forgotten and, if they got a whiff of something going on, which they apparently had, they wouldn’t let it go so easily.

  Mary moved to the front of the group and led the class in a series of movements that looked much easier than they actually were. They weren’t impossible, but the workout wasn’t the simple one I’d expected. I found myself enjoying the challenge, as well as Mary’s constant commentary and joking. Sometimes it was hard to hold a position because I was trying so hard not to laugh.

  The sun moved higher over us, and the day warmed, bringing with it the scent of flowers and buzz of bees. When the class ended and the rest of the group moved on, I walked over to Mary, my heart pounding with fear. Would this be the day my secret was exposed? Would this be the day the town judged me and my mother for the choices we’d made? “What did you think?” Mary said cheerfully.

  “It was a lot of fun. You’re a great teacher.”

  Her grin was huge. “You really think so?”

  “I do. Really. Just don’t take it personally if I don’t come back. This is way too early in the morning for me.”

  “You must be exhausted taking care of your mother.”

  My heart sank, and my blood went cold. “My mother?”

  She nodded. “Melly told me she’s ill, that you’ve been over there all the time taking care of her. Since Melly is overseas, she asked me and Norma Jane and the others to look out for you, make sure you aren’t killing yourself taking care of her.”

  I forced a smile onto my face. What the hell was Melly up to? “Mom just has a bad cold. It’s nothing serious. I’ve hardly been over there at all.”

&n
bsp; Concern creased her face. “You have bags under your eyes, Daffodil Thompkins.”

  “I’m not a morning person. You know that.”

  She shook her head. “It’s more than that, child. Why won’t you ever let anyone help you? Why do you insist on shutting yourself off from the world?”

  That touched on a sensitive point. I didn’t shut myself away, that’s what my mother did. I pushed myself to make sure I never backed down from anything that scared me, from any experience that might make my life fuller. I went out of my way to socialize and be a part of the world. “I don’t ask for help, Mary, because I don’t need it. My life is just about perfect.”

  She nodded, a smile touching the corners of her mouth. “I heard about your churchy boyfriend. Is he the one making your life perfect?”

  “How do you know…” I shook it off. Trying to figure out how the grape vine for gossip worked in this town would take a dozen social scientists and a hundred or so wire taps. “Never mind. Yes, my churchy boyfriend is amazing, my mother is almost completely healed from her cold, and I have my dream job. My life is perfect and there’s no need for anyone to worry about me.”

  She pinched her lips together. “You sure that’s how you want to play this?”

  Maybe I’d been wrong about Mary, maybe she wasn’t the sweet, rational, down-to-earth woman I’d always believed her to be. “I’m not playing anything.”

  She sighed. “I made my world-famous chili for your mother, the spice will knock the congestion right out of her chest. I tried to take it by her place, but she didn’t answer the door. I was about to call you or the police, but she shouted that she wasn’t fit for company, so I left.” She paused and looked at me expectantly, like I was going to tell her why my mother would refuse to open the door when Mary’s world-famous chili was on the other side, but I couldn’t speak. My carefully constructed tower of lies was starting to crumble around me and I knew the fall-out would be catastrophic. Mary sighed again, heavier this time. “If I bring it by your place tonight, can you make sure she gets it?”