In Search of Grace (6 page)

             
Meeting a hot neighbor was certainly not
on
his mind w
hen he had received the call from the head of the State Police asking for his help on a case
.  In fact,
he had hesitated
on taking the job
.  Then
, he
not only
agree
d
to work undercover but also
decid
ed
to buy
a house
.  H
e questioned his sanity, as did all of his close friends.  The house was
a huge
step for him
as it was a sign of
something permanent.  He never did permanent.
Believing always, that everything happens for a reason, Seth was beginning to wonder if Alex was the reason.
  He
sure
hoped she
was
.

             
C
ompletely engrossed
in
his thoughts
while
k
neeling down to pick up the last of the cans, he
looked up
and
caught her staring
down
at him
.
 
Their eyes held
,
and n
ot wanting to break the
only
contact
he
had with her at that moment, he
did not
move. 
Seth
felt like he was near a wild rabbit that just wanted to run in the other direction.

             
“Thank you Seth
.
”  He liked hearing his name on her lips.  He stood taking a step towards her, but stopped when she stepped back.  Cocking his head to one
side,
he waited for her to finish.

             
“Thank you for yesterday.  I
did not
ge
t the chance to tell you that.
”
  Alex ran her hand nervously through her hair.

             
“
You’re
welcome
,
Alex.”
  Damn, she was so freaking cute.

             
She could feel her face burning as she remembered being completely in his arms
while he attempted to comfort her
.

             
She looked around
the store
not liking the
awkward
silence that was hovering between them
,
yet not knowing what to say next.

             
Leaning closer to
her,
he lowered his voice. “Would you have dinner with me tonight
,
Alex?”

             
Startled
by the question
Alex
responded more curtly than she had intended. 
“I can’t, I am having a guest tonight
.
”

             
She felt
the
distance
between them
immediately.  

             
“I won’t keep you then.  Have a great day
.
”
Seth
turned,
hesitated
,
and then
quickly
retraced his steps.

             
“Do you have a cell phone?”
Without waiting for a reply and seeing the one
resting in the shopping cart
,
Seth r
each
ed
out
and removed it
.
   She watched in
disbelief
as he entered some
information,
before handing
the phone to her
.

             
“Call me when you need me
,
Alex
.   I do not care what time
,
d
ay or night
.” 
He moved a step closer, this time she
did not
move
away
as he l
ean
ed
in
, his lips to her ear, his breath soft and gentle on her skin.  “
You can trust me
.
” 

             
Quickly looking away, she felt the tears pricking the back of her eyes
. N
ot
trusting
her voice, she nodded her head.
  When she
finally composed herself enough to
look up
, Seth
was gone.

             
Taking a deep
breath,
she shook her head
while m
entally
chastising herself
.
What
was
wrong with
her?
  She was a strong, independent woman
, h
ad worked hard for the independence she had achieved
,
and paid many prices for it.  Yet when it came to a man she had know
n
less than twen
ty
-
four hours, she was a wet mop.  Staring down at his name in her blackberry and the two telephone numbers he had placed there, she was strongly tempted to delete the contact, but instead
, quietly
slipped the phone into her purse
.

             
Almost
angrily
, she finished her shopping
and errands then
headed home. 
Unpacking her groceries
,
Alex f
ocus
ed
on having a good time with Charles
.  W
ith the radio playing, Alex was engrossed in cooking when she heard the doorbell ring.  A smile came instantly to her face
hearing
Charles booming voice.

             
“Ding Dong,
y
our two favorite people are here
!
”   Alex grin
ned
from ear to ear.

             
“Charles, I am in the kitchen
.”

             
Within
moments,
he entered and his
presence
completely
took over the room
.
Charles practically ran over to Alex
,
and she grunted as he sw
e
p
t
her up
twirl
ing her around
while hugging her.
He was an extremely large man in every way.  From his booming voice, shockingly
platinum
blonde hair, to his 265 lb frame
,
Charles Gordon was her very best
friend, as best friends went.
They had met years ago, even be
fore she had met her husband.
Through thick and
thin,
they had stuck together.
Charles had always said that his special gift was shopping
,
and whenever anything bad happened in her life or his, she knew a shopping trip
would be
scheduled
and money spent.   Charles was the friend that told her not to marry
Jeremy
and the
friend
that helped pick up the pieces during
and after
the divorce. His colorful,
flamboyant personality was
fun to
have
around and peals of laughter would flow from her whenever he was
near
.
  Yet
,
he also had an edge to him
that on
ly a few,
fortunately
,
witnessed.
Alex
had seen the carnage he left behind when someone
would not hee
d the many warning signs and
crossed
the line
.  

             
Charles
slowed his spinning
, frowning
as he
watched the emotions
flash
across her face
.
 
She looked tired to him. 
“G
irlllll, what the heck are you thinking about
?
 
T
his dark
cloud
just skimmed over your face
and it is
not
attractive
.”

             
Alex shook herself out of her
reverie
smiling
at
Charles.
”I was wondering where Hamlet
is?”
Just a
s she
spoke the name, into the kitchen walked Hamlet.  His tiny frame seemed depressed, tail and ears drooping. The little
Chihuahua
did not seem overjoyed to be there
.
  Charles saw through her lie
and
quick
subject change
but did not push.

             
“Come here you little sc
k
oooch
.
”
Hamlet c
ompliantly walked over
, t
olerated her petting, then immediately turned and ran to Charles tail wagging.

             
“I think that he no longer wants to live he
re
,
Charles.”  Alex said a bit sadly
.

             
Charles walked over to Alex wrapp
ing
his big arms around her
again, crushing her to him in another
hug
.
“Oh, sweetie, don’t you worry abo
ut him. He will come around
,
and if he doesn’t
,
I will take him home with me
. How was your trip?  Tell me all about it.
”
 

             
Her
spirits
lifted
with the embrace
and in seeing her friend. F
or the next several
hours,
Alex and Charles lingered
outside on the
stone
patio
in her backyard
, eating
,
drinking and catching up
on their
time apart. 
Alex spoke of her
book signing
and the many new people she had met.
Through the
course of the
evening,
she would hear hammering and noises from behind the gate, but each time Seth came into her mind she would brush him aside. 

             
During dessert, the hammering got louder and Charles finally had enough
, dropping his fork on the plate
.  “All right my diva, you have been holding out on me.  What are you
NOT
telling me about next
door?
”

             
Alex smiled at his dramatics.  

             
“Someone purchased Betsy and Hank
’
s place
I guess
.  I met him yesterday.”

             
“
HIM?
  Is he married?
Is he cute
? Is he Gay?
Tell
me all about
him
.
Here w
e have been gabbing all evening on boring stuff
,
a
nd you didn’t even mention this?
”
  Charles feigned hurt
.

             
Alex laughed
.
  “
Oh
, I
definitely
don’t think he is gay, and I guess he is
a little
cute.”

             
Charles
gave her a piercing stare
for a
long
moment, then
to Alex’s horror
,
watched as
he
snorted
,
pushing
his big body up
out of his chair
before
proceed
ing
to walk
straight to the gate.
A
fter knocking
,
and without waiting for an answer
,
lifted the latch. Standing in the
opening,
Charles called out
waving his hands in the air
.
“Y
ouuuuu hooooo
over there
.
”