As I wiped the flour from my hands, the warm scent of freshly baked blueberry muffins enveloped me, stirring memories of my mother. In the living room, Lynn's cheerful chatter mingled with Linda's soft voice.
"Deserts!" I announced, entering the living room with a tray of muffins.
"Yay!" Lynn exclaimed, reaching for a muffin before diving back into her toys.
"Easy there, you don't want to choke," I cautioned, settling beside Linda and offering her a muffin.
"You're the best."
"I had an idea," Linda said between bites.
"What is it?" I asked.
"An Outdoor Thanksgiving Festival," she replied. "Instead of the usual indoor celebration, let's take it outside and invite everyone in Deercreek. We could have entertainment, refreshments, and you can bake and sell your goodies. It could be a great fundraiser for the bakery and for Lynn."
"I'm not sure how that would work with Thanksgiving just a week away."
"Never doubt, Mia, never!" Linda insisted with a smile.
"Someone moved in next door," Linda mentioned.
"Really? Do you know who it is?" I inquired, savoring the taste of the muffin.
"I didn't catch a glimpse of the new owner, just the moving crew setting up the house."
"More neighbors means more opportunities to share my muffins," I remarked with a grin.
"Yeah, I hope the new owner is a man."
"What do you mean by that?" I questioned, though I already knew the answer.
"It's been two years, Mia, Ethan won't be happy to see you like this."
I swallowed hard, the mere mention of Ethan's name sending a pang of longing through my chest. I wasn't ready to move on.
"I'm not ready," I admitted softly, the words catching in my throat as tears threatened to spill over. How could I even consider the idea of marriage again when Ethan still occupied every corner of my heart?
"Okay, think about Lynn."
I nodded.
"Should I put Lynn to sleep or would you do it?" Linda asked.
"I'll take care of it. You should get some rest," I replied with a smile as Linda left the room.
"That's enough for tonight," I scooped Lynn up into my arms and carried her to her room. I tucked her in snugly before sitting beside her on the bed.
"Lynn, did that man do anything to you?"
"I'm sorry for disappearing. I followed him and asked him a few questions because he had Mr. Bobby sticker on his arm," Mr. Bobby was the first teddy Ethan had ever bought for her.
"What questions did you ask him?" I probed gently, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
"We talked about Mr. Bobby. He's the first person to like Mr. Bobby the way I do, and he's funny," Lynn replied with a small smile, her innocent eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I like Mr. Bobby too, sweetheart," I reassured her, patting her hair affectionately. "But why did you want me to marry him? Was it because of Mr. Bobby?"
Lynn's expression suddenly turned serious, and she turned away from me. "No, I won't tell you why," she replied stubbornly, burying her face in her pillow.
"Okay, but promise me you won't follow strangers again, especially ones with a lot of stickers on their arms. They can be very dangerous. Now, it's time for you to go to sleep," I said gently, planting a kiss on her forehead before tucking her in once more.
THE NEXT DAY.
It had been a long day, filled with discussions about the Outdoor Thanksgiving Festival, invitations, entertainment. After Linda and Lynn had gone home, I stayed back at the bakery to finish working on a new recipe that had been on my mind.
As I finally left the bakery and began walking home, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following me. Each turn I made, the presence persisted, matching my steps. Panic began to rise within me, and I reached for my pepper spray, clutching it tightly in my trembling hand.
Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and turned to confront the person. The figure, cloaked in a black hoodie, loomed in the darkness, their features obscured. My heart raced as I demanded answers, my voice quivering with fear.
"Why are you following me?" I managed to choke out, my grip on the pepper spray tightened. The figure moved closer, sending shivers down my spine as I stood my ground, ready to defend myself.
"Who are you?!" I exclaimed, my voice laced with desperation and fear. But before I could react, the person swiftly grabbed the pepper spray from my hand, leaving me defenseless.
"I'm not following you," came a deep voice from the shadowy figure. Slowly, he lifted his head, revealing his face to be the same man that was with Lynn, the other day.
"You?! You were definitely following me."
"I was not."
"Why did you go the same direction as me if you weren't following me?" I pressed.
"You talk a lot," he said and walked away.
I trailed behind him, watching as he entered the house next to mine. He was my new neighbor? A flush of embarrassment washed over me. I talk too much? He was being creepy!
I entered the house to find Linda all dressed up.
"What's the occasion?" I asked, eyeing her up and down with a playful smirk.
"I have a date," she said with a wide grin.
"Really? Who's the lucky guy?" I stepped closer to adjust her blonde hair with a teasing smile.
"We met through James. He's sweet and also a gentleman..." Her voice trailed off dreamily.
"Is he from Deercreek?"
"No, Vancouver. But we're having a movie date here."
"Okay, you're coming back home tonight, right?" I asked, folding my arms playfully.
"Of course not," she replied with a playful scoff. "Just use protection," I teased her.
"What? No! I can't have sex on our first date. That would make me look easy, and you know I'm not."
"Whatever you say."
Linda grabbed her bag.
"I already put Lynn to bed. I printed and gave our neighbors the Thanksgiving card, but I've been waiting for our new neighbor. Oh, the lights are on," she said, peering out the window.
"That is the card, please give it to the person," she said, pointing to the table.
"No, I can't," I objected, not after our last encounter.
"I'm late."
"You can give it to him tomorrow," I suggested, sinking on the couch.
"Him? You guys have met? Perfect, you should also give him some of your delicious muffins. When I'm back, you'd tell me how you guys met," she said with a playful wink before air-kissing me and disappearing out the door.
I stared at the Thanksgiving card on the table, pondering what to say. After a few moments of deliberation, I mustered up the courage to deliver it. I grabbed the card and headed out the door.
I rang the doorbell several times, but there was no response. Just as I was about to give up, the door creaked open, revealing a sight that made my heart skip a beat. He stood before me, clad in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, The tattoos on his right arm flexed as he pushed his hair back. I found myself falling into a trance as my eyes traced every line, every curve, of his ink.
My eyes trailed over his muscular frame, unable to tear away from the mesmerizing sight.
"Can I help you?" his voice, deep jolted me back to reality. I quickly closed my eyes and hastily held out the invitation card, keeping my eyes squeezed shut. "We're having an Outdoor Thanksgiving Festival. Your presence would be appreciated."
"Not interested," he growled, slamming the door shut.
I nearly stumbled backwards in shock. "Well, I tried, Linda," I muttered to myself. Our new neighbor is an asshole.
I let the card fall down to the ground in front of his door and left.