Love Next Door (Lakeside #1) by Helena Hunting

Dillion chuckles and drops her arms. “No, he didn’t try anything, and I don’t honestly think it would be a fair fight, since he’s still half-hammered.”

“He smelled like whiskey.”

“That’s because he polished off a flask on his way over.” Dillion exhales loudly and rubs the space between her eyes.

“You want to talk about it? He seemed like he was pretty beat down.”

“Basically his life is a mess. His girlfriend and I used to be friends in high school.” She makes a face. “Not really friends. More like frenemies. Anyway, she had a thing for him back then, and I guess she never stopped having a thing for him. They got together at a party a couple years ago, and now they have a baby. I don’t know all the details, but from what he said, she’s been cheating on him for a while and the baby isn’t even his, so it’s kind of a cluster and he’s right in the middle of it.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. Small-town drama is real.” She twists one of her curls around her finger. “Anyway, I’m running behind because I was dealing with his meltdown. I need to grab a shower before dinner, if you’re still up for it.”

“Absolutely.” I take another step forward, and she takes one back.

“I don’t smell all that fresh.”

“I don’t mind if you don’t.” I link my pinkie with hers and step up so I’m in her personal space. And that’s when I get a full view of the inside of the trailer. “Holy shit, Dillion, it looks like it rained inside here last night.”

“I left the windows open, and there are a few leaks. It could be worse, though.”

“Not by much.” The mattress isn’t even on the bed, and there’s a huge watermark on the wooden platform. It also smells dank, like old wet stuff. “You can’t stay here.”

She waves her hand around in the air, like it’s not a big deal. “I’ll sleep in my brother’s old room until it dries out.”

I point to my chest. “I happen to have a great bed that I’d be willing to share.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Absolutely. It even comes with orgasms. And postorgasm spooning.” I waggle my eyebrows, hoping it will make her laugh.

She chuckles. “Orgasms and spooning? What more could a girl ask for?”




An hour later Dillion has moved her toiletries and a few outfits over to my place, citing that as soon as the trailer is dried out and she’s patched all the holes, she’s moving back to her place. I leave her to shower on her own, aware that she’ll be sleeping beside me tonight, and I’ve already promised orgasms and spooning, so there’s no need to rush things.

She pulls on a pair of jeans and a loose tank, and we climb into Grammy Bee’s old truck.

It takes a few tries to get the engine to turn over. “Any suggestions as to where we should eat?”

It’s not as though we have a huge array of choices. She taps her lip, thinking for a moment. “How about Casual Affair? It’s a couple of steps up from the diner and has better food than the bar. Everything is homemade, so the options are limited, but if you’re into home cooking, it’s honestly the best place in town.”

“I’m game.”

I’m more than happy to try something new. I don’t have a ton of memories of my mom, but she used to make me breakfast every morning and always made fun dinners, like homemade mini pizzas, since my dad often worked long hours. After she passed, our nanny took over making meals for us. She made sandwiches on some ridiculously healthy whole grain seed bread that was gluten- and basically taste-free. I’m hoping this will be different. And better tasting.

When we arrive at the restaurant, we opt for a table on the outdoor patio. It’s a seat-yourself establishment, so we head for the side with the water view. The breeze coming off the lake cuts the heat, and the backdrop of thick green forest is gorgeous.

Dillion stops to say hello to nearly everyone in the place and introduces me as her friend and Bee’s grandson. Each time, I hear a story about my grandmother and how much everyone loved her and misses her. And although the circumstances for my being here aren’t ideal, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

We finally spot a two top near the back of the patio. I move my chair so I’m sitting kitty-corner to Dillion, and our knees bump under the table.

“I thought this was supposed to be a no-contact dinner.”

“Since when?” I stretch one leg out under both of hers.

“Since this morning, when we discussed the whole PDA limitations of this date.”

I scoff and scoot my chair even closer. “I wasn’t even fully awake and was probably talking out of my ass. Nothing I said this morning counts.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “You’re really looking to get into the small-town gossip circuit, huh?”

“News headlines seem like something to aim for.” I lean in and nuzzle her neck, nipping at her skin.

She lets out a small very non-Dillion shriek and covers my entire face with her hand, pushing me away, her eyes darting around the restaurant while her face turns scarlet. “Seriously, Van! You just love being an instigator, don’t you?”

I lean back in my chair, grinning. “Only with you, since you’re so easy to rile up.”