The Way My Heart Beats

Chapter 11

Grant

Damn her. Why does she get under my skin like this? I should be mad at her. I am mad at her, or at least I want to be. She makes it so damn hard to stay that way. Amelia had texted me early this morning letting me know she'd come and picked Clara up. The space might be good. Waking up from a coma two days ago and everything that she told me yesterday had to be overwhelming. Maybe I pushed too hard too fast. I didn't give her time to move on from the emotion that came from her injury.

I slip out of my warm bed. The cool windy weather had seeped through the windows creating a chill in the house. It being Saturday I didn't have anywhere to be. I would give Clara her space, and let her come around in her own time.

I brew some coffee and flip the morning news on. I step out onto the porch to the grab the Saturday paper thinking I probably should've put a shirt on. I look over and see my neighbor sitting in the chair on his porch already reading the paper. "Morning, Jim," I say with a wave.

"Heya, Grant! How's it going?" He turns his paper down looking at me over his glasses that sit at the tip of his nose.

"Not too bad. Yourself?" I return his question.

"Oh, doing well." He pauses folding his paper up before standing. "You see we got a new neighbor across the street?"

"Well, I hadn't paid much attention, but I did notice a truck parked over there at odd hours." I cross my arms and furrow my brows in interest.

"Hmm. It is odd, isn't it?" We both look at the house across the street when a silence falls between us. "Welp, Grant, guess we will just have to keep an eye out. You have a good day, now." He says before he salutes at me and walks into his house.

Curiosity takes over, and my mind reels in interest about the new neighbor. I'd never seen anyone. The only thing that shows someone has moved in is an old, red truck that sits out front by the curb. I never see it pull up, and I never see it leave. Sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not.

A sharp breeze pushes past me jarring me from my thoughts. I shake off the cold when I step into my contrastingly warm house. The aroma of coffee fills my senses and the sound of the news anchor fills my ears. Another homicide in the city should shake me up, but sadly it's all too common around here.

I've been away from the house more than I've been home in the past month, so I think I'll finally finish fencing the backyard today. I don't have any supplies, so that means a quick trip into town.

I grab breakfast at a small diner outside the city before making the trip to the lumber yard. I take my time hoping it will warm up a bit before I take up residence in my backyard for the remainder of my day. It's closer to noon by the time I make it to pick up the lumber.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?" The obligatory greeting from the sales associate.

"Just getting some lumber. Thanks!" I nod and keep walking, but the young girl follows bouncing along side me. "I can help you with that." She grins a grin too big for her small face. Seriously. I think she might pull a muscle.

"Uh. Okay?" I give her a glance mentally rolling my eyes at this chick.

"So. What are you building?" She asks in a perky tone. Sticking my hands in my pocket I simply say, "a fence."

"Oh wow. That's impressive." I swear she is skipping.

I shrug back at her. "I guess."

"I bet your wife likes having a man who can build things," she says in a rather innocent voice that I'm assuming she meant to sound sexy.