Next Door Neighbors (8 page)

              As Jill talked about him, he was flattered. He never would have guessed that she would have said all the wonderful things that she did. His smile grew bigger and bigger, and for a moment he felt there was hope for him to be able to be with her.

              But as quickly as hope came, it left. Now he didn’t know what to think.

              Brian put some cash down on the bar and headed out of the café. Getting into his car, he reran Jill’s words through his head.

              What does she mean it wouldn’t work out? And who in the world is this Mark guy?

              Determined to find answers, he quickly headed home. If anyone knew, it would be his mom.

             
Maybe she’ll give me the back story
, he silently hoped.

              Driving past some of the nearby stores, Brian noticed Jill and her mom coming out from what looked like a Christmas shop. He particularly liked the way that Jill held the door for her mom and gracefully let her lead the way. A kind and caring person was what he wanted, and although he had seen this side of Jill many times before, he never grew tired of witnessing it.

              Brian was excited to be back to help his mom. He had missed her these last few days, and thought that getting back a little early would be a great surprise for her. He imagined the smile his mom would have on her face once she saw him, and immediately he felt happier.

              He drove the car up the driveway and turned off the ignition. Having grabbed some luggage, he made his way indoors. “Mom, I’m home!” he shouted so that Elena could hear. Then leaving his suitcases behind, Brian went looking for his mom.

              “Brian?” Elena’s voice indicated she was in the living room.

              When he entered it, there she was sitting in a rocking chair, a book by her side. She donned the biggest smile that Brian had seen in a long time, and he quickly rushed to her side to give her a big bear hug.

              “I’m so glad you made it back, dear.”

              “I’m glad to be back. Did everything go okay?”

              “Yes, yes, yes. Jill took such good care of me. That sweet girl stopped in a couple times each day and kept asking me if there was more she could do. I didn’t need all the attention she gave, but we had some good times.”

              “I’m glad,” Brian smiled.

              “So how was your trip?” Elena questioned.

              “Nothing to brag about,” Brian said as he took a seat on the couch closest to his mom. “I would have been back sooner but a drink sounded nice so I quick stopped at a little café in town.”

              “The Coffee Cove?”

              “Yep. Let me tell you, their cappuccino is good.”

              “I’ll never understand why you like all of those coffee drinks,” Elena stated.

              Brian chuckled.

              After a brief moment of silence, he added, “You’ll never guess who I saw there.”

              “Who?”

              “Jill!”
              “So that’s where she went. She told me, but I forgot. She was with her mom I think.”

              “She was.”

              Brian tried to figure out how to best proceed. He didn’t know if he should just jump into asking about what he overheard or if he should beat around the bush a little.

              “Is something wrong?” Elena asked. “You look deep in thought.”

              “Oh, I’m just trying to figure out something that I overheard. Maybe you can help me.”

              “Well, I don’t know about that, but I’d be glad to listen.”

              Brian sighed. “I overheard Jill talking to her mom about me a little,” he began.

              “All good things I’m sure,” his mom interrupted.

              “Yeah, mostly.”

              Elena raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and leaned in closer to Brian’s direction so she could listen more carefully.

              Brian continued, “She mentioned somebody named Mark and then how she could never end up with me.”

              “Ah, I see,” Elena exhaled.

              “Now I’m not saying I want to be with her,” Brian clarified, “But she seems so anti-relationships. Who’s this Mark guy, and what did he do to her?”

              Elena’s face went blank. It was obvious she was deep in thought, but after she remained silent for a great length of time, Brian became concerned.

              “Mom?” he asked again.

              “Sorry. I’m not sure what to say, sweetie.”

              “Well, who is this guy?”

              “Mark was her husband,” she revealed.

              “Husband?”

              The way Jill spoke and acted, he found it hard to believe that some man got that close to her. Clearly there was a story here; Jill probably wasn’t always the way she was now.

              “Yep. They were married just over two years, most of which was before I even knew her.”

              “So what happened?”

              “It’s not really my place to share with you. I wish I could, but I think she should be the one to tell you. Not me.”

              Brian was disappointed, although he admired his mom for her integrity.

              Seeing he didn’t get the answer he wanted, Elena said, “I’m sorry.” She then reached out a hand to pat her son’s.

              “It’s okay, mom.”

              Remembering he had to finish unloading his car, he told his mom he would be right back. The whole time to himself, he thought about a way to get Jill to share her story. He wanted to know what that good-for-nothing Mark did to her.

             
Whatever I have to do, I’ll find out. She needs to know that not all men are the same, and that she deserves to be happy…with me.

---------------

              A few hours later, Jill stopped by the house. She almost walked right in, as she was custom to doing while Brian was away. However, in the nick of time, she remembered that Brian was indeed back home. Therefore, she stopped herself, ringing the doorbell instead.

              As her mind wandered, Brian answered. He looked tired; distraught. But he still smiled for Jill in a way that played with her heart strings. Welcoming her in, the two headed over to where Elena was still sitting.

              “Hi, Elena!” Jill waved.

              “Oh, hi, dear! What brings you by?”

              “Nothing really. Just wanted to quick check in on you one last time. Now that Brian’s back, I probably won’t need to as much.”

              “That’s nice of you. Don’t be a stranger though, you hear?” Elena demanded.

              Jill giggled, “I won’t. I promise.”

              She turned to Brian and said, “Can I talk to you a minute?”
             
What could she possibly have to say to me?
              “Um, sure. Is everything okay?”             

              “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

              The two of them stepped into the kitchen. Elena watched them go and smiled. Deep down she knew that the two of them would be great for one another, but it was something they would have to figure out for themselves.

              Brian went first. “So what’s up?”

              “I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to be in such a hurry. I hope you don’t think I was trying to brush you off or anything.”

              “No, I didn’t feel that way at all.”

              “Oh, good.”

              Brian could see that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but he didn’t know why something so trivial would be so bothersome.

             
Maybe it’s just because she really cares.

              Jill smiled up at Brian and said, “Well, I’m glad you’re back. I’m sure your mom was quite surprised.”

              “She was,” Brian grinned in return.

              As Jill indicated that she was about to leave, Brian asked, “So how was she?”

              “Good! Nothing out of the ordinary anyway.”

              “That’s good to hear. I can’t thank you enough for being there for her.”

              “You don’t have to. It was my pleasure. The two of us had a really good time.”

              Jill nudged Brian playfully and added, “She even told me some more stories.”

              Brian’s face turned severe. “Seriously? Nothing too embarrassing I hope.”

              “Oh, come on. It’s all good stuff. Most of it I already knew, but I have to admit there were a few things I learned.”

              Lightening up, he decided to take a stab at flirting with her. With a smirk on his face, he asked, “Did you like what you learned?”

              “Maybe,” she playfully responded.

              Maybe? That’s all she’ll give me is maybe?

              Jill went on, “Anyway, I’ll see you around.”

             
And the moment’s over.

              As Jill went on her way, Brian called out, “Like my mom said, don’t be a stranger!”

              Jill slightly turned back and said, “I won’t.”

              Brian closed the door. No matter how short lived, he concluded that the few seconds of playful banter they had was a good start to winning her over.

              Jill, on the other hand, kicked herself for being a little too flirtatious.

              I’ve got to be careful! I don’t want to lead him on.

7

             
The next day, Jill decided to do some yard work. It was rare that she had a day off in the middle of the week so she was going to spend her time wisely. Thankful that the weather had cooperated, she put on some shabby clothing and tossed her hair into a ponytail. Knowing it would get hot, she grabbed a bottle and filled it with ice and water. She decided that the first thing she would tackle would be the grass. Having worked so many hours the past week and popping over next door often on top of it, the grass had definitely been neglected and it was time for a makeover.

              Jill loved her lawnmower. It was from a garage sale she visited when she first moved into town next to Elena. She felt she got a good deal on it, and it rarely gave her any trouble. She especially loved how it was easy to use, and that it definitely got the job done fast and right. The only thing not so good about it was that it was on the older side. However, with proper care, she was told by many people that it would still last a long time.

              With the garage door open and lawnmower pushed out, she tried starting it. The lawnmower sounded like it was about to run, but then quit. Not thinking twice, Jill just tried again. Again, it about took off, but then died.

             
Hmm. Maybe it needs more gas.

              She opened the fuel cap to check inside. It did appear a little low so she added some more.

              Let’s try this again.

              Jill pushed the choke button down three times and then gave a yank on the cord. At first Jill thought she had it.

              But she didn’t.

              The lawnmower sat there in front of her, completely dead.

              Why won’t you start?
              She stood up, looking down at the contraption, trying to think of what else she could try. It was times like this when she did miss having a man around because she certainly wasn’t capable of fixing machines like this.

              Just then she heard a noise coming from next door. When she glanced up, she saw Brian making his way over to her.

              “Is something wrong?” he asked.

              “Maybe. I was going to try to get the grass cut today, but this here lawnmower won’t start.”

              Looking down at the lawnmower that Jill pointed to, he could tell that it had seen better days. “Do you mind if I look at it?”

              “No. Go right ahead.”

              Jill stepped back so Brian could have all the space he needed. She ended up leaning on her car, arms crossed. Where she stood allowed her to meticulously watch Brian as he squatted and began tinkering with various things on the lawnmower. From what she gathered, he knew exactly what he was doing.

              “Aha,” Brian concluded.

              Jill came closer to him and asked, “So what’s wrong?”

              “It needs a new spark plug.”

              “That’s it?”

              “Yep. As soon as you get a new one in there, it’ll be as good as before.”

              “What kind of spark plug does it need?” she asked, completely clueless as to what that even was.

              “You know what? Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it for you.”
              Jill shook her head, and stated, “I can’t let you do that. Just tell me what I need and I’ll get it myself.”

              Brian gave her a serious look. “Jill?”

              When she looked into his eyes as he looked at her, she almost had to turn away. It was as if his gaze burned right down to her core. Barely able to answer back, she asked, “What?”

              Keeping his eyes on her, tone remaining serious, he said, “I was just getting ready to go to the store anyway. Let me do it for you.”

              With a sigh, Jill conceded.

              Brian figured out what spark plug he would need and then told Jill he would be back shortly.

             
Well, what should I do now?
Jill thought.

              She went over her mental list of things she wanted to get accomplished today and decided she would get some weeding done while she waited.

              On her hands and knees, plucking out the harmful plants, Jill lost herself in the mesmerizing look Brian gave her just moments before. What bothered her most was that she feared she was beginning to feel something towards him.

             
But how do I stop?

---------------

              Brian made the quick trip to downtown Ashwin where he was fortunate to find a parking space right in front of the hardware store. Before exiting the vehicle, he took a quick moment to reflect on how much this place had changed. The building before him looked run down and dirty. Looking through the giant window he could tell the inside wasn’t much better. On the door itself he noticed a ‘For Sale’ sign.

             
Doesn’t look like business is going that well,
he thought sadly.

              When he entered the store, the same old familiar doorbell chimed to signal his presence. Looking above at the signs to figure out where he needed to go, he quickly moved forward to get his shopping done. The store wasn’t stocked well, but thankfully it still had all he needed.

              The last item was the spark plug for Jill’s lawnmower. He ambled toward the right area when out of nowhere the storeowner finally greeted him.

              “Brian? Is that you? Welcome back, buddy!”

              “Hey, Johnny. How are you?”

              The older man standing before him sighed heavily. “Well, okay. Things could be better though, as you can see.”

              “Yeah, it’s definitely not what I remember.”

              Johnny chuckled. “I remember you coming in here all the time with your dad. You were quite the helper!”

              Brian smiled.

              “Anyway, is there anything I can help you find?”

              Shaking his head, Brian said, “No. I think I can figure it out.”

              “Okay. If you need me, just yell.” Johnny slowly walked off, his age definitely showing.

              Brian continued his journey to the spark plug area, hoping what he needed could be found. All the missing parts and supplies were depressing. It made him grateful for what he had back home.

              Scanning the spark plugs, he found the one he needed. It was the last one, but there nonetheless. He took his items up to the counter where Johnny was sitting down.

              “Did you find everything?”
              “I sure did. Thank you.”

              The owner slowly rang up each item, finally giving the total to Brian.

              When the complete transaction was squared away, Brian asked, “So you’re selling?”

              “Yep! Know anybody who may be interested?”

              Brian shook his head. “I don’t even live around here anymore.”

              “Oh, I know. I’m just eager to get rid of the place.”

              “Why?”

              “It’s just too much for me nowadays. Plus, ever since they built the chain big box store fifteen minutes from here, no one hardly stops by. That’s why I don’t keep too many things stocked.”

              “I see. Well, good luck.”

              “Thank you, Brian. You have a good day now, you hear?”

              Brian waved and told him the same.

              Driving back to his mom’s home, he couldn’t help but think of all the potential that was there for that hardware store.

             
Hopefully it’ll get into the right hands and they’ll bring it back to life like it used to be.

---------------

              Jill heard Brian’s car engine coming up the driveway, signaling his return. She glanced up from the work she was doing to confirm it was true. Standing up and brushing off all the mess she made, she began walking back towards her lawnmower where Brian was already working on the fix. “Did you find what you needed?” Jill questioned.

              “Sure did.”

              Fixated on the job at hand, Brian offered up no other words and not even a look. He instead stayed busy doing what he needed to do to solve the problem.

              Jill tried watching so that if this should happen again she could handle fixing it herself. However, her eyes and mind strayed more on Brian than on what he was doing. She had to admit that he was of more interest to her than fixing a lawnmower anyway.

              Not long after, Brian had everything put back together. He got up and said, “That should do it.” He pressed the choke button and pulled the cord. The lawnmower began purring on the first try. More importantly, it stayed running.

              Relieved, Jill thanked him.

              “No problem,” he smiled.

              She turned the mower back off so that if anything else was said between the two of them, they could hear one another.

              “Better be careful. It may not turn back on now,” Brian teased.

              Jill didn’t catch his playful tone. Instead her eyes bulged out of her head. “Seriously?”
              Brian laughed. “No, I’m kidding. You should be good for a while now as long as nothing else quits on you.”

              Jill smacked him on the arm as she said, “Don’t do that!”

              “Ow,” Brian winced.

              Again, Jill looked alarmed and Brian laughed all the harder.

              “That didn’t hurt, did it?” Jill asked plainly.

              “Nah, I was just playing.”

              Both of them calmed down, and Brian remembered he had some other things he needed to get done. “Well, I should probably get going.”

              “Thank you again for fixing this for me. You’re my hero for today,” Jill declared with a smile.

              “Anytime, Jill.”

              Brian moved closer to Jill and she could feel her heartbeat start to race, not knowing what to anticipate.

              He gently took her hand in his and with sincerity he said, “With as much as you’ve done for my mom, this was nothing. I owe you so much more than this. So when I say anytime, I mean anytime. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.”

              Jill cleared her throat for a quick second because of the heat his touch induced in her. “Okay,” she finally breathed out with a nod.

              Brian let go of Jill’s hand, conscious of wanting to be careful with her; to take things really slow. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off or do something that would make her want to avoid him. He was thankful for everything that did happen, and counted it as a win for now.

              But Jill didn’t want him to let go.

              At his release she yearned for his hand to return. There was something in the way he touched her, looked into her, that was different than she had ever experienced before.

              Breaking her thoughts, Brian again mentioned he should go. And with a wave and good bye, off he went.

              Jill didn’t start up the lawnmower again until he was back inside his mom’s house. Just like before, it took only one try to get it going.

              The whole time Jill mowed her grass she thought about how nice it was for Brian to have helped her. He definitely didn’t have to, and she would have understood completely if he hadn’t. But he didn’t even hesitate to do so; in fact, almost demanded to help.

              Each step Jill took with a smile all because of Brian.