expression. “That’s a lot!”
His cheeks warmed like pancakes off a griddle. “I threw in some towels and sheets too. Do you mind?”
“No, of course not. I’ll have them ready tonight.”
“Thanks.” He started to leave. At the door, he paused. “One more thing. After you and the kids went inside the other day, I spotted a boat drifting from the bank. I couldn’t see who was in it. He sped off before I could get a good look at him. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was just someone fishing. Then later I remembered the man talking to Ally at the mailbox.”
“You think it could be the same man?”
“I’m not sure. He was wearing a hat. It might’ve been old man Peel.” He explained how Mr. Peel had tried to run him off the road his first week home. “After the problems you’ve had, I don’t think you can be too careful.”
She paled for a moment. “Could just be someone fishing?”
“Could be. I thought it might be worth mentioning. It doesn’t hurt to stay visual.”
“I will.” Concern overshadowed Julie’s face. “You should go to the police about Mr. Peel.”
“Like they’d care.”
“You can't sit back and let him kill you.”
Caleb didn’t have an answer. He shrugged and decided to change the subject. “I feel like a heel letting you do my laundry. I shouldn't have brought so much over.”
“If you feel that badly about it, mow my yard again.”
“Sure. You don’t have any idea how much I appreciate this. And thanks for the coffee and cookies.”
♦♦♦
That evening, Ally answered the door when he knocked. “Mommy, it’s Caleb.”
Julie appeared through the bedroom door carrying a laundry basket and set it down beside two other filled baskets of folded clothes and towels. “All done. I used dryer sheets. It made them smell sweet. Hope that’s all right.”
“Nothing wrong with smelling sweet.” He grinned, then reached in his back pocket for his wallet. “Let me pay you for the detergent.”
“I wouldn't think of taking your money. Besides you used your gas to mow my lawn.” She turned to Scott. “Help Caleb carry his laundry home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Scott eagerly lifted a basket.
“Oh, I almost forgot your shirts.” She disappeared to the bedroom and soon returned with six pressed shirts on hangers and handed them to Caleb. “I used a little starch.”
“Ah. . .Julie, you didn’t have to do so much.”
“What are neighbors for?”
Caleb wanted to be more than neighbors. A deep lustful yearning spiraled through him as he thought about taking Julie to his bed and kissing every inch of her body. Torture. Pure torture. He ground his teeth as he buried the thought.
“Thanks. I’ll return the baskets.”
“No rush.” She held the door open for them. “Come right back, Scott.”
Caleb slid everything just inside his backdoor and hung the shirts on the doorknob before relieving Scott of his load. “Be sure your mom lets me know when she wants the yard mowed.”
“That won’t be a problem. She hates doing it.”
Caleb grinned as the boy scurried through the yard to his own. He waited until Scott disappeared inside to turn off the porch light. Then he carried the laundry to his bedroom. While putting his clothes, sheets, and towels away, he thought about how much he enjoyed being with the family next door.
A deep pain filled his chest as he yearned for everything missing in his life. A family. He couldn’t stop thinking about Julie, Scott, and Ally, wishing they were his to love. But he was a man with a criminal record, with no future and with an unforgivable past.
Basically, I’m a loser.
♦♦♦
Julie had promised her kids they could do a star gaze.
Friday night, she turned to Scott. “Get the quilt and spread it out in the yard.” She handed Ally a bowl of popcorn. “Can you carry it without spilling it?”
“I’m not a baby.” Ally cradled the bowl in her arms and headed
His cheeks warmed like pancakes off a griddle. “I threw in some towels and sheets too. Do you mind?”
“No, of course not. I’ll have them ready tonight.”
“Thanks.” He started to leave. At the door, he paused. “One more thing. After you and the kids went inside the other day, I spotted a boat drifting from the bank. I couldn’t see who was in it. He sped off before I could get a good look at him. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was just someone fishing. Then later I remembered the man talking to Ally at the mailbox.”
“You think it could be the same man?”
“I’m not sure. He was wearing a hat. It might’ve been old man Peel.” He explained how Mr. Peel had tried to run him off the road his first week home. “After the problems you’ve had, I don’t think you can be too careful.”
She paled for a moment. “Could just be someone fishing?”
“Could be. I thought it might be worth mentioning. It doesn’t hurt to stay visual.”
“I will.” Concern overshadowed Julie’s face. “You should go to the police about Mr. Peel.”
“Like they’d care.”
“You can't sit back and let him kill you.”
Caleb didn’t have an answer. He shrugged and decided to change the subject. “I feel like a heel letting you do my laundry. I shouldn't have brought so much over.”
“If you feel that badly about it, mow my yard again.”
“Sure. You don’t have any idea how much I appreciate this. And thanks for the coffee and cookies.”
♦♦♦
That evening, Ally answered the door when he knocked. “Mommy, it’s Caleb.”
Julie appeared through the bedroom door carrying a laundry basket and set it down beside two other filled baskets of folded clothes and towels. “All done. I used dryer sheets. It made them smell sweet. Hope that’s all right.”
“Nothing wrong with smelling sweet.” He grinned, then reached in his back pocket for his wallet. “Let me pay you for the detergent.”
“I wouldn't think of taking your money. Besides you used your gas to mow my lawn.” She turned to Scott. “Help Caleb carry his laundry home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Scott eagerly lifted a basket.
“Oh, I almost forgot your shirts.” She disappeared to the bedroom and soon returned with six pressed shirts on hangers and handed them to Caleb. “I used a little starch.”
“Ah. . .Julie, you didn’t have to do so much.”
“What are neighbors for?”
Caleb wanted to be more than neighbors. A deep lustful yearning spiraled through him as he thought about taking Julie to his bed and kissing every inch of her body. Torture. Pure torture. He ground his teeth as he buried the thought.
“Thanks. I’ll return the baskets.”
“No rush.” She held the door open for them. “Come right back, Scott.”
Caleb slid everything just inside his backdoor and hung the shirts on the doorknob before relieving Scott of his load. “Be sure your mom lets me know when she wants the yard mowed.”
“That won’t be a problem. She hates doing it.”
Caleb grinned as the boy scurried through the yard to his own. He waited until Scott disappeared inside to turn off the porch light. Then he carried the laundry to his bedroom. While putting his clothes, sheets, and towels away, he thought about how much he enjoyed being with the family next door.
A deep pain filled his chest as he yearned for everything missing in his life. A family. He couldn’t stop thinking about Julie, Scott, and Ally, wishing they were his to love. But he was a man with a criminal record, with no future and with an unforgivable past.
Basically, I’m a loser.
♦♦♦
Julie had promised her kids they could do a star gaze.
Friday night, she turned to Scott. “Get the quilt and spread it out in the yard.” She handed Ally a bowl of popcorn. “Can you carry it without spilling it?”
“I’m not a baby.” Ally cradled the bowl in her arms and headed
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