by J. P. Comeau
We’re Just Neighbors
A Single Dad Next Door Neighbor Romance
J. P. Comeau
We’re Just Neighbors
Copyright © 2020 by J.P. Comeau
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
We’re Just Neighbors is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and occurrences are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to a person, living or deceased, events, or locations is purely coincidental.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
1
Annie
After adjusting the vertical blinds a bit, I greeted several of my clients as they entered my yoga studio this morning. The classroom had floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the east, which was perfect for my morning classes. In the evening, I used another space at the opposite end of my suite. That one faced the west. It allowed my clients the chance to reconnect with nature while watching the sunset. The studio’s views and earthy decor, along with supportive instruction, were the reason my business was always busy even in my small home town of River Valley.
It wasn’t long before I found myself speaking words of encouragement and calmly adjusting their poses. My best friend, Crystal, had just started working with me a few weeks ago, and we were co-instructors for each class. Her job was to stand behind everyone while they watched me and support them as needed. If I saw more than one student struggling with a pose, I’d lend her a hand.
I was so proud of Crystal for finishing her Holistic Health Doctorate, and I knew that she’d be a fantastic yoga instructor when her hands-on training here with me was finished. Crystal and I shared the same passion for overall mental and physical wellbeing, and I was thrilled to have her help in my studio. Once she got the hang of it, she’d be on her way to teaching classes of her own.
And it was also pretty awesome to have my best friend back home with me.
“Very good,” I calmly said to my class. “You may release.”
I sat facing them with my back toward the window. As the sunlight began radiating across all the faces in the space, I finalized our session with a full minute of slow, steady breathing, and then dismissed the class.
Crystal walked over to me once everyone left. “How am I doing?”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and hugged her.
“You’re doing great,” I said. “You’re gonna make one hell of a yoga instructor.” She chuckled as we made our way back to my office. The whole place was exactly as it should be. Calm, peaceful, and serene.
We sat down at our desks, directly across from each other, and took turns making some herbal tea in the K-Cup machine. She and I were alike on so many levels. Crystal wasn’t some fake yoga instructor who partied and did drugs on the weekend. I knew for a fact that she practiced the lifestyle I encouraged at my yoga studio, which was why I was so eager to have her join me.
“What can I improve on?” Crystal asked, adding raw, organic honey to her tea.
I pulled a protein bar from my desk drawer, thinking about her performance over the last week. “I really can’t think of anything.”
It was the truth, too. Crystal was doing an outstanding job, and I was just about ready to assign her a class of her own. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Thank you so much for letting me work here with you,” she said. “This is, like my dream job… to be able to teach yoga for a living and use my holistic training. I am so stoked to be able to start helping people.”
“Don’t forget everything you learned in school,” I reminded her while sipping my tea. “I’m sure you have all types of tips and tricks to help our clients out.”
She nodded while sipping hers, too. “It amazes me how people just want to take a pill for everything. On the one hand, Western medicine does an awful lot that natural medicine can’t do. But that doesn’t mean that people should eat junk food and avoid exercise.”
I couldn’t agree with her more. It was one of the many reasons that I opened up my yoga studio, and why I wanted to have a line of holistic healthcare products eventually. Taking care of myself made me feel good, and I wanted to encourage people to treat their bodies the same way.
“I’m right there with you,” I said. “Although I could go for some fried chicken right now.”
“You’re so bad,” Crystal said between giggles.
I shrugged my shoulders and took a bite out of my protein bar, silently wishing that it tasted like chicken.
“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“Let’s see,” I said while glancing at my planner.
“Well, I have to leave in a few minutes to meet Julianna. Today’s her final wedding gown fitting.”
It seemed like only yesterday that she had gotten engaged, and here she was trying on wedding gowns.
“Oh, that’s right,” Crystal said. “Time flies by so fast. I bet it’s gorgeous!”
I told Crystal all about the gown, and how my sister had a knack for making just about anything look beautiful on her. “Well, I’m going to head on out and meet her for the fitting. And who knows? Maybe pick up some fried chicken on the way.” I lifted my eyebrows a few times at Crystal, and she laughed while shaking her head.
“I won’t tell any of the customers,” Crystal said. “And have some for me!”
As I left my studio, a few regulars walked in with their yoga mats and waved at me. Many students chose to pay a flat fee to practice on their own. Thankfully, there was a window that looked out onto the room from the office, so Crystal could give them help if needed.
It was another beautiful day in River Valley, and I drove to the bridal shop with all of the windows down. California could get quite hot, but as long as it wasn’t too humid, then I preferred breathing in the fresh air over air conditioning.
My stomach growled as I drove by a Kentucky Fried Chicken. Still, I reminded myself that junk food was for special occasions only.
As I pulled into the bridal shop parking lot, I started getting excited about seeing my niece, Caley, and seven-month-old nephew, Jude. Caley and I had always been so close. It was me who’d been able to cheer her up whenever Julianna and Jake were spending alone time together. Her baby brother had my heart now, too.
Sure enough, as soon as I walked through the door, Caley came running over to me. I couldn’t believe how much she had grown. It seemed like only yesterday she was struggling to form full sentences, but at almost ten-years-old, she was starting to blossom into a beautiful pre-teen.
&
nbsp; “Aunt Annie!”
Caley’s sweet, tender voice always pulled at my heartstrings.
I folded her into a hug, happy to have her back in my arms. Then, I walked over to baby Jude. And I picked him up and held him close to my chest, enjoying the fresh smell of baby lotion as I planted a few kisses on top of his hairless head.
Just then, Julianna came out in her wedding gown, and my mouth fell wide open. She looked stunning. Even the saleswomen had to take a moment to collect themselves, admiring the way her long, white satin gown curved in at the waist and then billowed out at the bottom. It allowed a little bit of cleavage, but nothing that would offend the more conservative guests at her wedding.
“Mommy, I love my dress,” Caley yelled, running over to Julianna.
Caley’s violet dress was a beautiful contrast against the white fabric of the wedding gown. As a saleswoman walked over and smoothed out the back of the gown, Julianna placed her hand on her stomach, looked into the mirror from over her shoulder, and smiled.
“Jake is going to cry,” I said, wiping tears away from my eyes. “If I didn’t know you, I’d mistake you for a model right about now!”
“I’m so happy that I’ve gotten rid of all of that baby weight.”
“Yeah, your hard work has really paid off,” I remarked, nodding.
In addition to changing up her diet, Julianna had committed to a strict exercise routine with only one rest day. She had often incorporated Caley into the workouts, too, giving her daughter the health nut bug early. Caley had told me on the second day that one day she would become an “exercise boss” just like me. Even though I knew she was a bit too young to commit to a career choice, hearing the words still brought a smile to my face. I’d even promised to hire my niece at my yoga studio if she did.
I looked over at Jude, who was too young to understand what was going on, but still seemed amazed at how his mother looked in her wedding gown.
“The baby weight and then some,” I said as the saleswomen came over to check all of the measurements.
“The ab workouts are the worst, but it’s worth it to be able to pull off this dress.” Julianna put her hands on her hips, and it was easy to see what she meant.
It was the perfect dress for a curvy woman like her.
“Turn around, Mommy!” Caley started to jump up and down, all the while clapping her hands.
At her daughter’s request, she smiled and turned around so we could see the backside. The train looked to be about nine feet long.
“Simply stunning,” I sighed, admiring the delicate lace stitched along the hem of the train. Caley got a little too close to the dress, so I put my hand up. “You don’t want Mommy’s dress to have footprints on it, do you, sweetie?”
Caley put her hands to her mouth. “Oh no, Aunt Annie! No way, because she needs to be beautiful for Jakey!”
The way she threw her hands in the air gave Julianna and I a big laugh.
“Why don’t you try walking in it, dear?” Julianna nodded to the saleswoman and stepped down from the pedestal. “It’ll be much harder in high heels.”
I looked around for her bag. “Do you have them with you now?”
Julianna shook her head.
“No,” she said with a sigh. “They’ll be arriving sometime this week, though. I’m nervous about walking in them down the aisle. You know me, Annie. I don’t do well in heels.”
Even when we were in high school, Julianna stuck with flat shoes. She had never been able to walk confidently in anything else.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” I said. “Plus, you’ll have Daddy to hold onto as you’re walking.”
“What about when I get up there, though? I can’t exactly lean on Jake while we’re saying our vows.”
I tapped my fingers on my lips, wondering how she could better stabilize herself during the ceremony. “There are a few yoga poses I could teach you that’ll help with balance.”
“Thank you, Annie! I need all of the help I can get” She stumbled forward and gave me a look. “See? Not even wearing them yet. But enough about me, let’s talk about you.”
I sat down in a chair right next to Jude, then hoisted Caley onto my lap.
“What about me?”
A few saleswomen continued to make slight alterations on her gown as we spoke.
“It’s not too late to bring a date,” Julianna said, her voice sounding a bit too much like our mother’s.
I held up my hand, but she waved it away, continuing before I could tell her no. “I can easily have another chair added, and lord knows we’ll have plenty of food. Which I’ll be shoving into my face, of course.”
Her stomach growled, causing everyone in the fitting room to burst out laughing.
“Who would I even bring, Julianna? I can’t think of a single guy that I’d want to even have coffee with right now, let alone invite to your wedding. I’m perfectly fine going by myself.”
Caley leaned back against my chest, and I kissed her forehead. She looked up at me and giggled.
“I know a man who happens to be coming without a date,” Julianna said, eyeing me mischievously. I knew his name before she even said it. “Richard Truman.”
Richard was Jake’s brother and not the kind of guy I was used to dating.
“You need to stop trying to set us up,” I said, helping Caley carefully out of her dress. “He’s not someone I would ever date. Besides, he’s so much older.”
Julianna glanced up at me. “But you guys talk a lot, don’t you?”
I shrugged. Ever since Julianna and Jake started dating, Richard and I had formed a friendship of sorts.
“We’re friendly if that’s what you mean. And why wouldn’t we be? His brother is marrying my sister.”
“Didn’t he ask you out once?”
I nodded at Julianna. “And remember, I turned him down… for a reason. Guys like him don’t date, Julianna. They fool around, and I’m not looking to be a notch on some guy’s headboard.”
She let out a big sigh. “Jake used to be one of those guys and look at us now, Annie. Some men can change. You should at least consider asking him to be your date, even if you guys don’t take it any further. Don’t you want someone to enjoy the wedding with? I mean, I know you don’t have to have someone… but it would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
I thought about what Julianna was saying. Being single had never bothered me. Actually, I quite enjoyed it. Men had proven to me that it was nearly impossible to find one who would commit to a relationship, and I’d rather enjoy my time than waste it.
“What you have with Jake,” I said, “is very rare, Julianna. And I don’t mean that to be condescending toward Richard. You know how much I love both of you, but you know Richard’s type. It’d take one hell of a woman to get that man to change.”
“Why couldn’t you be that woman?” She stood still as the lady pinned and poked at her dress. “Plus, the guy is stacked. If I weren’t with Jake, you bet I’d be flirting with Richard. His sophisticated grey hair screams sugar daddy, but not in a creepy way.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that even possible?”
“Mommy,” Caley interrupted, “what’s a sugar daddy?”
Julianna and I stared at each other, our eyes bugged out. We both suddenly remembered that Caley was in the room, and definitely liked to feel included in the conversation.
“That’s an adult word, sweetie. But would you like to play a game on my phone while you wait for us?” Julianna was starting to freak out, hoping that Caley wouldn’t repeat that phrase to either Jake or Richard.
Even though Caley had heard it, Julianna and I both suspected that she’d keep it quiet. She had an incredibly strong intuition.
“Yay, let me play Candy Crush!”
“Can you hand me my purse, please?” Julianna asked me.
She pulled her phone from her purse, as Caley looked on excitedly.
Finally, Julianna breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her daughter sink to the floor with
phone in hand, thankful her daughter hadn’t pressed about the meaning of ‘sugar daddy’.
“Can you watch the kids as I get out of this thing? It’s beautiful, but I’m starting to get a little too hot.”
“Of course!”
Julianna made her way back into the dressing room. And I picked up Jude, cradling him in my arms. I was amused at Caley as she swayed this way and that staring at the screen, trying to beat the game.
If I was going to be honest with myself, then I had to admit that I was at least somewhat attracted to Richard. Julianna was right. He had everything that a woman like me would want in a man, and not just because he had money. There was something about the way he carried himself that always caught my attention.
I knew better, though.
He lived alone in a mansion big enough for a family of eight or more. I’d seen him with his arm around the occasional woman, who almost always had fake breasts and an I.Q. in the double digits. Yet whenever the two of us spoke, there was an obvious connection.
I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality. I was a strong, independent woman who knew better than to mess around with men like Richard Truman.
Even if he was hot as hell.
2
Richard
I pulled my 1969 Aston Martin up to the tuxedo rental studio and parked. I was having a hard time believing that two days from now, my baby brother would be getting married. I could remember when Jake and Julianna first started dating. He kept brushing it off as just a fling, but my intuition had kicked in early.