“What do I have to do to make you stop apologizing all the time?” His voice sounded playful.
“I don’t know.” She grabbed her things and stared at the Toblerone. She’d leave that. “I’ll let you get back to work.” Her body couldn’t quite move fast enough as she scurried toward the front door.
His hand clasped her wrist. “Wait a minute. I think we should talk.”
She stared at the wooden floor, shaking her head. “No need. I’m an idiot. Nothing to talk about.”
Still holding her wrist, he placed the index finger of his other hand under her chin, gently forcing her head upward. “That was kind of nice.” He leaned down and planted a proper kiss on her.
Her coat and purse fell to the floor. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to melt into his arms. He liked her, too! He must, right? First he asked her to dance and now their lips were touching!
The kiss lasted through a million heartbeats. Time distorted, becoming both faster and slower than she expected. Please don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.
His hands moved from the outside of her sweater to the inside, their warmth along her spine triggering goose bumps. She wanted to touch his bare skin, too. She untucked his soft flannel shirt and caressed his muscular back.
The truth was she wanted to unbutton his shirt and ravage his body. She knew how great it would feel to have him make love to her. She hadn’t felt this excited about a man in a long time.
Suddenly, his hands froze. He broke off their kiss and studied her. “Beth, this is a mistake.” He turned away, leaned his forearm against the fireplace mantel and hung his head. “I’m going to die.”
“I know that. But not for what—ten, maybe fifteen years?”
A shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Still. It wouldn’t be fair to you to get involved. It’s all downhill from here for me. You should go out and find a man who can take care of you. Give you whatever you want. Marriage, kids. It’s not too late for you.”
She came up behind him and scratched his back through his flannel shirt. “Let me decide what I want.”
He continued staring into the fire. “I’m the father of your child. We’ll always have that connection. But in all seriousness, you could do a lot better than me.”
“I could do a lot worse, too. Parker, I’ve spent way too many years working hard, hoping somehow the universe would reward me. Now I realize that if I want something, I need to speak up for myself. And you are what I want.”
He shook his head. “You’ll end up my nursemaid. I can’t do that to you.”
“How do you know I don’t just want a one-night stand?” She smirked as he turned to face her. “Seriously. You might wake up tomorrow morning with a little note on your pillow giving you the brush off.” She couldn’t help but chuckle while Christina Aguilera’s “What a Girl Wants” played in the background.
“Well, as long as you promise not to overstay your welcome.” He smiled. “I guess I could let you have your way with me.”
Never in her life had she been the first to kiss a guy. She’d always waited. If he were interested, he would make a move. But it was quite a rush to take what her heart wanted. Kiss and not know if she’d be kissed back. What a thrill. Like jumping out of an airplane.
Again, she rose on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. Her hands pressed against his prickly cheeks. Adrenaline whooshed through her veins. Endorphins popped. Her toes curled.
She hated to admit it, but she loved him. She knew better than to say it, though.
As they embraced in his disheveled living room, listening to the music from her younger years, she realized she wouldn’t go back. She liked who she’d become.
Plus she knew that this would be the weekend that changed everything. . . .
EPILOGUE
Hannah’s Blog:
Went to the doctor again today. Just Mom and me this time. She held my hand like she did when I was a little girl crossing the street. For her sake as much as mine, I hoped the results were good.
Thanks to everyone who has followed me on this journey through finding my birth parents to genetic testing. I appreciate your prayers and support. I am pleased to report that I DO NOT HAVE THE HUNTINGTON’S GENE! To celebrate, Mom and I have decided to backpack across Europe together this summer.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I especially appreciate the advice of my first readers, Judy Post, Jennifer Newton, Paula Adams, Kelley VanBuskirk and everyone at Scribes. My agent, Amanda Luedeke, also offered great insight into making this a stronger story. Thanks to Ann Wintrode for her editing skills and Michelle Fry and Tara Storey for helping with my research. Most of all, thanks to my husband, Mark, for his support along the way and to my daughter, Amanda, who inspires me.
Now Available on Amazon:
NEXT DOOR SECRETS
By Karen Lenfestey
When Bethany meets her precocious 8-year-old neighbor, Kaylee, it stirs up a longing she’s been trying to quell. At 35, she has a job she enjoys and a sweet boyfriend who cannot promise her tomorrow. She tells herself no one gets to “have it all,” but little Kaylee seems to need Beth just as much as Beth needs her.
Beth’s boyfriend, Parker, loves her so much he’s decided to leave her. Bit by bit, he pulls back, figuring it’s better to break her heart now rather than later. If he were gone, he’s sure Beth would see that the family next door has room for one more.
Parker isn’t the only one acting strange these days. Beth starts to suspect that the reason Kaylee’s father keeps pushing her away is because he’s hiding something. A secret big enough to destroy a family.
NEXT DOOR SECRETS
By Karen Lenfestey
CHAPTER ONE
Lightening flashed across the evening sky, illuminating a little girl sobbing on Bethany’s stoop. The child’s head rested on her pulled up knees and her dark hair hid her face, but there was no mistaking that despair rocked her small frame.
Beth parked her car in the lot and stepped into the bitter wind. A big storm was about to let loose. As she turned up the collar of her trench coat, she rushed toward the girl, trying to remember her name. She’d seen her around the neighborhood, but only from a distance. “Kaylee?”
The tiny head shot up and the eyes gazing back at Beth were so blue, the breath caught in her throat. Tears shone on the girl’s chubby cheeks as her lips parted, but she didn’t speak.
Beth figured the girl was about seven or eight. Too young to be sitting out here alone. “What’s wrong?”
The girl used her turquoise mitten with a hole in the thumb to wipe her nose. “My dad said not to talk to strangers.”
Beth nodded. “That’s good advice. I’m your neighbor.” She pointed to her door on the right. “Your dad helped me figure out the trick to opening the mailboxes.”
“You have to jiggle the key.” She straightened up as if the conversation had distracted her from her woes.
The man hadn’t bothered to introduce himself, but she’d noticed the name Jim Stein on the mailbox. “Anyway, I heard him call you Kaylee once, but I guess we’ve never formally met.” She could barely resist the urge to sit down and wrap an arm around the girl, but she didn’t want to spook her. With a smile, she waved. “I’m Bethany, but my friends call me Beth.”
Kaylee blinked at her with dark eyelashes stuck together by tears.
The wind blew a strand of Beth’s dishwater blonde hair into her face. “It’s going to start pouring any minute. Why don’t you go inside?”
“I can’t. My dad gave me a key, but I lost it.”
“Maybe we could call your dad.”
The girl shook her head. “He’ll be mad.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand. He wouldn’t want you to sit outside in this weather. When’s he coming back?”
She shrugged.
“So no one else is home?” Beth knocked on the door just to make sure. No answer. “What about your mom? Where’s she?”
Her lower lip jutted out and she lo
oked as if she might start to cry again. “She died.”
Sympathy jabbed Beth’s heart. No little girl should have to grow up without a mother. “Sorry.” She wasn’t sure what to say. “Tell me your dad’s phone number and I’ll call him.”
“555-1246.”
Beth pulled out her cell phone and dialed. “I’m looking for Jim Stein.”
An elderly man answered. “Wrong number.” Click.
Lightening flashed again, resembling the jagged branch of a tree. Beth returned her attention to Kaylee. “Are you sure that’s the right number?”
The little girl twisted her mouth to the side. “I think so.” A crack of thunder made her tremble.
Beth certainly didn’t want to negate the child’s instincts not to trust strangers, but she couldn’t let her freeze out here either. Her gaze landed on the numbers mounted on the door behind Kaylee. 1246. That was her address, not her phone number. “We could put a note on the door telling your dad that you’re with me. At least that way you can stay warm until he gets home.”
“I don’t know.” She twisted a lock of hair near her ear and Beth noticed the lobe burned pink.
“How long have you been out here?”
“Since the school bus dropped me off.”
A check of Beth’s watch revealed that it was five thirty. Kaylee had probably been outside for at least two hours. “Don’t you have a hat?”
“I lost it.”
Kids. They were so busy noticing butterflies and dandelions that the little details like keeping track of a hat or a key slipped their minds. Beth couldn’t help but smile. “You know what would be perfect? We could make hot chocolate while we wait for your dad.”
“Do you have Swiss Miss?”
“I don’t think so. But I have real cocoa. We could make it the old-fashioned way.”
“Will it have marshmallows?”
Suddenly Beth hated how she had to keep treats out of her pantry for fear of putting the weight back on. If she’d known she was going to have company, she would’ve gladly stocked up, but a trip to the store was out of the question now. She needed to get Kaylee inside. “We’ll have to check. I’ll be right back.” She dashed inside her apartment, found a piece of paper and wrote a note to Kaylee’s father. Once outside again, she taped it to her neighbor’s door. “See? He’ll know you’re with me.”
Just then the heavens unleashed the downpour they had promised. On instinct, Beth reached her hand out, but Kaylee didn’t take it. She did stand, however, and follow Beth inside.
The air warmed Beth’s cheeks as soon as she opened the door to her apartment. She hung their coats on pegs before they walked through the living room into the small kitchen. The window above the sink blurred with violent raindrops.
Kaylee climbed up on one of the island’s barstools and swung her legs back and forth. “Your place looks just like ours!”
Nodding, Beth pulled out the Hershey’s cocoa and scanned the back for a recipe. “I used to love making hot cocoa with my dad when I was your age. We’d drink it in the basement and watch Star Trek.”
“What’s Star Trek?”
Beth’s jaw dropped open in mock surprise. “What’s Star Trek? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The girl shrugged. Once the milk was warmed in the microwave, Beth stirred in the cocoa and sugar and placed it in front of Kaylee. “Be careful you don’t burn yourself.” She watched as Kaylee took a sip. “Do you like it?”
“Not as good as Swiss Miss, but it’s OK.”
Beth chuckled and headed for the living room where she kept her DVD’s on a bookshelf. Star Trek, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise—they were all here. The original series’ special effects would probably make Kaylee laugh. But Voyager’s Captain Janeway, the first female captain, would be a good role model for a little girl. Beth pulled out the pilot episode and turned toward the kitchen. “Bring your cocoa in here and we’ll watch a little Star Trek while we wait for your dad.”
“I’m not allowed to drink in the living room. Dad says I might spill.”
Again Beth smirked. “That’s okay. Those are your dad’s rules, but in my apartment, it’s fine to drink in the living room.” She’d cleaned up many spills while helping raise her ex-boyfriend’s niece and she still had the bottle of stain remover in the closet.
Kaylee climbed off her stool and carried her mug slowly across the carpet. She gingerly placed it on a coaster before sitting cross-legged on the couch. A grin radiated from her face.
Beth allowed her gaze to linger on Kaylee’s features a little longer. This was such an unexpected treat—having a child sitting in her living room. A second later something intangible squeezed Beth’s chest. She’d walked away from her chance for hugs and hot cocoa and all the good stuff kids could bring. What if she’d missed her only chance? A sigh escaped her lips.
“What’s wrong?” Kaylee asked.
“Nothing.”
“You look sad.”
“Nope.” Time for a distraction. Beth grabbed the remote and hit “play.” “This takes place in the future in outer space.” When the horns started playing the familiar theme song, her spirits lifted a little. The melody always made her feel as if she should stand up and salute.
They watched as the ship encountered a displacement wave and killed some of the crew. Beth scanned Kaylee’s face to see if it was too much. A frown pulled at the girl’s lips.
Shaking her head, Beth realized she hadn’t ever watched this episode through the eyes of a child. “Just remember this is pretend.” She hoped that would help ease her distress. Kaylee gripped her mug and continued to fixate on the screen.
Rain continued to pelt the windows, but it became like white noise that they soon forgot. Throughout the show, Beth kept sneaking glances at the child, thinking, This is what it would be like to be a mom.
Toward the end of the episode, the phone rang. Beth jumped up, hoping it was Kaylee’s father, but then realized if he saw the note, he’d just walk over. “Hello?”
“It’s me.”
Recognizing her boyfriend’s friendly voice, she carried the receiver into the kitchen so she wouldn’t disturb Kaylee. “Hi, Parker.”
“I’m afraid I need to cancel our plans tonight.”
She glanced at her watch and saw that it was nearly seven. “That’s OK. I’m babysitting the neighbor girl and I have no idea when her dad will get home.” Peering into the living room, she saw that Kaylee’s attention was still glued to the sci-fi show. Beth lowered her voice. “I hope he wasn’t in an accident or something.”
“He’s probably just stuck at work.” It sounded as if Parker were calling from his cell while traffic whirred in the background. “Since when do you babysit?”
“Starting today.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea considering. . . .” He probably worried that she’d get too attached, just as she had with her ex-boyfriend’s niece. She still kept Emma’s picture tucked away in her desk drawer because it hurt too much to look at her.
“To be honest, I don’t know. What’s keeping you busy tonight?”
“Ivy called.”
Beth groaned before he could finish.
“I have to go. She’s desperate and she needs my help.”
Beth tapped her forehead against the wall. Ivy had been stealing Parker away from her for sixteen years.
To find out what happens next,
Buy NEXT DOOR SECRETS by Karen Lenfestey at Amazon today!
Other Books by Karen Lenfestey:
A SISTER’S PROMISE
WHAT HAPPINESS LOOKS LIKE
ON THE VERGE
MADE FOR TWO: A Romance Novella
A MOM’S LIFE: WARM FUZZIES, FOOD & FUN
FRIDAY A LA MODE: A Prequel to A Weekend Getaway
NEXT DOOR SECRETS
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Table of Contents
Copyright
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Now Available on Amazon:
Other Books by Karen Lenfestey:
A Weekend Getaway Page 27