Starting Over (Paradise Place Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  “Livi!”

  Blair turned to see a tall man standing on the back deck, his eyes searching the yard for his daughter, the panic visible as his head swiveled around.

  “Here, Daddy,” Livi said, waving her arms around wildly.

  The little girl’s father started to march forward, a frown on his face, but the relief clear in his eyes, even if his shoulders were still tense. “Livi, I told you to stay on the swing set where I could see you, not go all the way to the end of the property and talk to strangers.”

  “It’s not a stranger, Daddy. This is Blair. She’s our neighbor. She doesn’t have any kids for me to play with either.”

  “You shouldn’t be bothering the neighbors. Especially on our first day here.”

  Blair felt a smile tugging at her lips. She reached her hand out over the fence and held it. “I’m Blair McKay and you’re my new neighbor. Please, Livi is fine. I’m just tending to my garden and she popped her head over the fence to say hi. I’m surprised she even saw me here.”

  “Livi likes to wander, but I’m sure your hat was a big indicator someone was here.”

  Blair reached up and touched the bright pink straw hat she put on her head when she gardened.

  “Point taken.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m Philip Aire.”

  He placed his hand over the fence for hers and she took it, then held on longer than she should when she felt how warm it was. How it made her feel. The instant spark upon touch was enough to make her want to hold on all night long.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Philip, and you, Livi.”

  “My name is actually Olivia, but I like Livi better,” she said, then reached her hand down to pick at her knee.

  “I think Livi is a very sweet name. What happened, honey, did you hurt yourself?” She was craning her neck to see a Band-Aid starting to come off of Livi’s knee. A big one. And there was a matching one on the other knee.

  “Livi is going to be the death of me. She is always running and chasing after things, then tripping and falling.”

  The little girl looked up at her. “I fell chasing a butterfly yesterday when Daddy was helping the movers load the boxes and I skinned my knees.”

  “We’ve got stock in Disney Band-Aids,” Philip said, grinning.

  Wow, he was handsome when he smiled. Dark hair and dark eyes that lit right up, a huge amount of love right now as he gazed at his daughter too.

  “I bet it hurt, didn’t it?”

  “Just a little,” Livi said. “I didn’t cry much at all. But it did bleed. Daddy said I’m a tough girl.”

  Livi was in jean shorts and sneakers, a yellow T-shirt with a kitten on the front, and her hair was starting to fall out of her pigtails now that Blair looked closer. She was guessing Livi could be quite the handful.

  Philip turned his head to see the movers putting furniture on the deck. “I’m sorry to bother you,” he said again. “Livi, why don’t we leave Blair alone and go in and help the movers. I asked them to put the boxes in your room first. You can go in and start putting toys away. How does that sound?”

  “Okay,” Livi said. “Nice to meet you, Blair.” Then she turned and took off lightning fast.

  “Watch your step,” Philip said when she tripped and caught herself. “It was nice to meet you, but I should get back.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll see you around.”

  Blair watched him walk away. What a tall drink of water he was on a hot summer day. She was guessing Livi got her coloring from her mother. The blonde hair and hazel eyes the little angel sported didn’t scream Philip by any means.

  But Livi did have her father’s smile and the shape of his face. Even the build of his body, she could see.

  Hmm, her new neighbors might just spice up her life. She did live in Paradise after all and maybe for once she could experience that here…mixed in with the herbs she knew so much about.

  She shook her head for those silly thoughts. But that was what she’d always been told… that she was silly. Not as a compliment either.

  2

  Neighborly Gesture

  The next day Philip heard the doorbell ring as he was reaching into the oven to pull out dinner. “Don’t even think—” he started to say to Livi, but she was already running toward the front of the house. He shut the oven and took off after her in time to see her opening the door. “Livi, how many times have I told you to not open the door to strangers?”

  “It’s not a stranger, Daddy. It’s Blair.”

  Blair stood there in the doorway grinning at him. Her blonde hair long and loose, flowing around her shoulders. No bold straw hat on her head this time. She had on shorts that hit her mid-thigh and did nothing to cover up her thin legs. Long sleek legs.

  His eyes wandered down further and he noticed flip-flops on her feet and a pretty light blue nail polish. He’d always been a sucker for painted toes.

  “Livi looked through the window first and I waved at her before she opened the door.”

  “That’s something at least,” he said.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but I thought I’d drop off a little housewarming gift. It’s an aloe plant. It will help with all those cuts and scratches Livi seems to get.”

  He grinned. “That was very sweet of you. I hope I don’t kill it though.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t let that happen,” she said, smirking back like there was some secret behind her eyes. That look was sending heat to his body he hadn’t felt in years and it was making him wonder what the heck was going on and why it was happening with a stranger. Maybe it had something to do with the spark he’d felt when they shook hands yesterday.

  “Come on in,” he said. “Excuse the mess. We are slowly unpacking. Thankfully I don’t start work for a few more months and have time to get everything squared away.”

  “Daddy’s a science professor.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Where do you teach?”

  “I’m going to be teaching at RPI.” It was easy to say RPI now since everyone here probably knew what he meant but when he was moving he kept having to expand and say Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which was a mouthful.

  “It’s a great school.”

  “It is. I thought it was time for a change,” he said, wondering why he was explaining that to her. He’d never been one to overexplain anything about his personal life but found himself doing that yesterday too.

  “I’ll get out of your way, but first I’ll let you know how to care for your plant. It’s a succulent, so you let the soil get bone dry, then you drench it good and wait until it’s bone dry again.”

  “Thank God,” he said, laughing. “I think I can manage that just fine.”

  “When you want the gel from the plant, just pull one of these stems off, or cut it off. Wash it good, then peel the skin away and you’ll get the gel inside. You can store it in a container.” She handed him the plant and then pulled a small container out of her pocket. “I already filled a container of gel for you from one of my plants and this should last for a bit.”

  “I just rub it on the wound?”

  “Exactly. Come here, Livi. Can I see your scratches from the other day?”

  “Sure,” Livi said, sounding excited. Before Philip could stop her, she ripped the Band-Aids off of both knees at once and yelped.

  He shook his head. “She never does anything slow.”

  “Well, there is an old saying about ripping off a Band-Aid fast,” Blair said, laughing.

  Blair put some gel on her fingertip. Long and lean fingers bare of any polish, though she had several rings on her fingers. All big bold stones. He didn’t remember seeing them yesterday, nor would he have missed them.

  At a closer look, he realized she had stones at her ears and even a long necklace with a large purple arrow-shaped stone hanging between her breasts. He really shouldn’t be looking at her breasts, but he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away either.

  “Oh, it feels cold,” Livi said, giggling.<
br />
  “That means it’s working,” Blair said. “I bet you there will be nothing but a pink mark on each leg in a few days.”

  “What do you say, Livi?” he asked his daughter. He doubted she’d be healed that fast, but if Livi was, he’d buy a ton of these plants.

  “Thank you.” Livi turned to her father. “Can Blair stay for dinner?”

  “No, I couldn’t impose,” Blair said fast.

  “Really. I insist,” he heard himself say. Who the heck was he right now stepping out of his comfort zone? “It’s the least I can do for the gift you brought. I’ll warn you though, it’s nothing major. Just one of those one-dish meals. I tend to make easy things.”

  “One-dish meal?” she asked.

  “Everything on one pan,” Livi said. “Chicken and potatoes and carrots today.”

  “I’ve had them a time or two myself. If it’s not an imposition, then I’d love to stay for dinner.”

  “We’d love to have you,” he said. What the hell did he just get himself into?

  Blair followed Philip to the back of the house where she smelled the dinner that was cooking. Livi was already racing ahead and she could hear noises of the little girl getting into something.

  “I’ve got it, Livi,” Philip said when she noticed that Livi was pulling a chair over to a cabinet full of dishes.

  “Have a seat,” he said. “Can I get you something to drink? We’ve got water and tea. Unless you want apple juice.”

  “Water is good,” she said. “And here, I’ll set the table if you want to finish getting dinner ready.”

  “Thank you,” he said, dipping his head. She had a feeling he was wishing that he didn’t invite her in for dinner, but since he did, she decided to join them. She hadn’t had dinner with a man in a long time.

  She’d even gone to bed last night hoping she’d have some dream about her sexy new neighbor, but nothing. It’s not like she could control what her subconscious did even if she wanted to half the time.

  It’d always been a mystery to her that she could go weeks, even months, and not have a meaningful dream and then suddenly one would happen and darn it all if parts of it didn’t come true.

  She’d done enough research on this over the years and found nothing concrete other than she wasn’t alone. Many people had dreams that came true.

  When she’d read that, she thought it was safe to tell others about it but then learned they looked at her like she was some nutcase.

  She didn’t want Philip to think that of her so she was going to try to keep anything she dreamed to herself for the foreseeable future.

  Not that she was thinking of this as dinner with a man in terms of a date, but rather a neighborly gesture. Besides, she enjoyed being around Livi. The little girl was so full of life.

  Once the three of them were sitting down, Philip asked her, “So do you work locally?”

  “I do. I own a shop on Central Avenue. The Healing Touch.”

  “What do you sell?” Livi asked. “Do you have toys?”

  Livi was diving into her meal like an active child that needed replenishment to drive her father insane later tonight. She just found the two of them adorable.

  “We do have a few toys in there. It’s a gift shop of sorts. I sell a lot of healing and alternative medicines.”

  “Aloe plants?” he asked, grinning, a little sparkle in his eye.

  “One of many. There are candles and lotions. I use all natural ingredients from my gardens and such. Aside from my shop, which is my brick and mortar, I do a ridiculous amount of online business, so you will see FedEx at my house daily. Please don’t get alarmed.”

  She was a businesswoman first and foremost and Ecommerce was the way to go. It’d taken a lot of convincing for her grandmother to allow her to expand the business in those early years. Even though the shop was solely in Blair’s hands now and had been for the past five years, she was hesitant to make any changes without her grandmother’s consent.

  “So the deliveries aren’t because you’re a shopaholic?”

  “Oh, I am that. But most times I’m getting supplies or shipping out orders.”

  “Do you do all the work yourself?” he asked.

  She liked how they were talking about her business. Not many people wanted to. “I’ve got a few full-time staff. Some in the store, some come here and help me prep at home, but I prefer to do most of the work myself here.”

  “So I shouldn’t worry if there are cars coming and going? Livi,” he said, turning his head, “stay out of Blair’s way if you see her. She’s working and can’t entertain you.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Blair said. “I could use the distraction at times, I’m sure. Isn’t that what neighbors are for? A distraction?”

  He started to cough on his chicken. She wondered if he got the double meaning and was guessing he did. It’s not like she’d be looking for anything more than temporary fun anyway.

  At least she’d learned from the past that was all anyone wanted from her.

  3

  Soft and Sweet

  The next morning Philip looked up The Healing Touch online while he was relaxing with a cup of coffee. He tried not to laugh at what he saw. He knew science, not lotions and potions for healing. Not mumbo jumbo. Medical professionals take care of ailments, not what Blair sold.

  Though he had to admit Livi’s cuts were clearing up much faster like Blair had said they’d do. Maybe he’d buy a few more aloe plants.

  And to give Blair credit, she wasn’t selling mumbo jumbo. Those were his words. He knew there was a place in society for things like essential oils and stones. That place being people believing in fluff over medical journals. Over proven scientific facts. As a scientist, that’s what his world was about. Facts and research. History and proven data.

  But Blair was nice and sweet and he’d enjoyed spending the time talking with another adult—a woman—that wasn’t a colleague. He hadn’t talked to another woman like that since Mandy died. He hadn’t wanted to even try.

  Not that he was trying last night for anything other than being neighborly.

  If he found out she was single and his heart skipped a beat over that statement, he wasn’t going to admit it to anyone just yet. Nor the surges of pleasure at her innocent touches or smile.

  He had too much to deal with in his life.

  He had a daughter to raise on his own.

  He had a new job he had to set up for.

  He’d had a relationship before and wasn’t sure he wanted it again. Wasn’t sure he could deal with the hurt or the heartache. The pressure or the stress.

  Livi had to come first now.

  She was his life. His world. End of story.

  But he had seen that the shop looked joyful inside. Fun even. Maybe he could use some fun in his life.

  There were tons of reviews on Yelp and he realized it’d been around for decades. Longer than Blair would have been alive, so it was probably a family business.

  He hadn’t wanted to dig too deeply. That’d be prying for someone who’d just convinced himself he wasn’t interested in anything other than being neighborly.

  Right now, he was enjoying his coffee on the deck while Livi was sleeping in bed. She played hard and then she slept hard. Thank God for small favors.

  He looked up when he heard some voices, then clicked the page away like a guilty kid trying to sneak in the house after being out partying when they were told to study.

  Of course it was Blair’s voice he heard. Soft and sweet, sending a silly grin to his face.

  A laugh followed, then a car door shut and another. She wasn’t being loud and he wasn’t being nosy. At least he didn’t think so, but he did turn his head and look in the direction of the noise.

  She had a lot more property than he did. He was assuming she had a double lot and most of it was taken up with gardens that he could see.

  It wasn’t just herbs and flowers that he was standing next to yesterday, but he remembered driving by and seeing
what might be a large vegetable garden fenced in in the back. It looked like a lot for one person, but who was he to judge?

  Behind her house she had a massive garage, and by the looks of her site, that had to be where she stored or made a lot of her lotions, soaps, and candles. That seemed to be what she sold online.

  That and potions. He laughed over that one, but he supposed there was a niche for everything.

  Love potions, hate potions, money potions. They looked like tiny jars of colored water on a keychain or a leather necklace with dried flowers or herbs inside. Maybe in a bigger jar someone could put on their desk or counter.

  Who was he to judge how she made her money? It wasn’t as if he believed in any of it, but he’d give her credit for marketing.

  “Daddy.”

  He turned and jumped. Normally Livi made more noise when she entered the room, but he was too busy peering into his neighbor’s yard to see what might be going on. What he saw was the FedEx truck like she’d said, picking up packages, then another car in front of it. Probably an employee.

  “What, sweetie? Did the noise wake you?”

  “What noise?” Livi asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “Nothing,” he said. “Are you hungry? Do you want some breakfast?”

  “Can I have pancakes?”

  “Sure,” he said, standing up and closing his tablet down. He needed the distraction anyway. He couldn’t remember the last time he paid attention to someone else’s business and he wasn’t about to start now.

  “I’ll be back this afternoon if you’ve got any more orders. I’m pretty sure you’ve got some deliveries,” Greg, her FedEx driver said.

  “I think I do have a few things due in today. Thanks for stopping to get these this morning first thing,” she said.

  She always had a little something for him and learned that he’d go out of his way to either make sure her packages were out of sight if she wasn’t home for the deliveries or come early before she went to the shop to pick up shipments.