The Neighbors

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Krista had waved to the old man as he shut the door. Should he and his wife be living alone? He’d said his wife felt sick when she got home from the store and that was why she forgot about the groceries. Krista hoped he could take care of her. She’d given him her phone number in case they needed a meal. Hopefully, they would call and not be as independent as her grandparents had been. They were married fifty-two years before Grandpa died two years ago. They should have been in assisted living yet refused to go. Grandma had finally made that move a year ago. She had made new friends and she spoke with Mom every day to reminisce.

Krista blinked back tears. There was a history of long marriages in her family. Mom and Dad celebrated twenty-five years recently. Six months ago, Krista thought she’d found the right someone and that she would have a long and happy marriage. She’d been wrong She shook the thought away as she continued home.

Dusk fell early this time of year, especially on a cloudy evening. A few flakes of snow fell on the way to her house. When she got inside the one-story bungalow, she brewed a cup of hot tea and thought back over her day. Surgical assistance had taken up most of her time. Then, she’d filled out paperwork until time to go home. Now she had an evening to fill.

She decided to get out the Christmas decorations. Though she didn’t have many, she cherished the few she’d kept from childhood. The foot-high ceramic tree would light her coffee table and the stuffed puppy with a Santa hat would play Jingle Bells. She would place the wreath with a red velvet bow and tiny presents wrapped in shiny foil on the outside of the front door. Most precious of all was the glass snow globe that dropped snow on the little house with a tinseled Christmas tree in the front yard. The base of the globe showed the inside of the house with children sleeping in the bedrooms and Santa coming down the living room chimney.

Krista loved Christmas with all her heart. She hoped one day she would have children to share the faith and traditions she cherished. Whether this would happen seemed uncertain and this year she would spend Christmas with her parents and her grandmother.

Her cell buzzed. It was Becky from work. She sounded breathless.” Have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Some nut shot the security guard at the information desk today. Fortunately, it was a shoulder wound and not fatal.”

Krista nearly dropped the phone. “Why in the world…?”

“I heard the husband was mad that his wife’s ex made it into her hospital room after he left. Did you happen to see the husband after his wife’s surgery today?”

Krista thought over her day. “No, I don’t think I did.”

“With violence like that, I don’t feel safe anymore.”

“People can be kinda crazy when they get mad,” Krista said.

“I guess they have to have someone to blame,” Becky said.

“At least we didn’t have to deal with him. I’m glad of that.”

When they hung up, Krista sat on the sofa. She’d planned on having dinner and then putting out the decorations. Now, a portion of her Christmas cheer evaporated as she wondered if any job was safe anymore. She stroked the stuffed puppy with the Santa hat and longed for the innocence of childhood when she’d felt safe and protected and didn’t know about evil or danger.

After a while, she got off the sofa. She was drawn to the aroma coming from the kitchen. Since Krista rarely used the stove or oven, the green, paisley, crock-pot was her best friend. Tonight, it held ribs she’d smothered with barbecue sauce in the morning. Salad and French bread would complete the meal.

She lifted the lid and inspected the dark meat swimming in a red, spicy, sauce. She sliced the bread and pulled leaves off lettuce before adding chopped carrots and celery.

With her plate fully loaded, she settled on the sofa and flipped through channels looking for a Christmas movie. She smiled when she stumbled upon Miracle on 34th Street. The faith of the little girl always inspired her. Perhaps a miracle romance would be possible for Krista.

The movie was still playing when she finished eating. She put her dishes in the sink and began to decorate while listening to the background sound of the movie. She plugged in the ceramic tree and placed it and the snow globe on the coffee table. The stuffed Santa puppy grinned from his seat atop the end table beside the couch. All that was left was placing the wreath outside the door.

Krista grimaced at the icy wind that rushed in when she hung the wreath on the hook that had waited an entire year for the return of the ornament. Though the decorating of this house was complete, Krista was not finished with her holiday bedecking. Tomorrow evening, she would help her mom and dad pick a tree that would drip with colored balls, homemade ornaments, and tinsel. The finished product would not look like the carefully crafted trees in movies or in magazines. Yet, Krista cherished the evidence of their history as a family. Each of Krista’s elementary school ornaments, as well as the many others her mother had received from students, held precious memories. Was it possible these memories might displace the ache in her heart? Time would tell. Yet time seemed to have crawled to a halt.

The next morning Krista raised the kitchen blinds and saw a dusting of snow covering the backyard. Sunlight gave it the sparkle of thousands of diamonds. Though she’d never liked to drive on it, she admired the pristine beauty of a fresh downfall.

She carried her cup of coffee to the bedroom to sip while she dressed in slacks and a crisp white blouse. Calf-length leather boots would keep her feet dry on the trek from the parking lot into the hospital.

Her thoughts flashed to the conversation with Becky last night. The assault on the security guard seemed incongruous with the Christmas season. At this time of peace and good cheer, it was a reminder that the world was not always a safe or kind place. As she locked the front door, a shiver from inner disquiet rather than frigid air shook her.

The boy next door was out, scooping up handfuls of snow and throwing it into the air. Bald patches of withered grass now disrupted the beauty of the scene. She wasn’t surprised by his spoiling of the beauty. Now that he was off for Christmas break, she dreaded the extra noise and commotion. Last year, he broke two of her windows. She didn’t want to imagine what mischief he would get into now that he was a year older.

She drove slowly down the frosty street until she reached the hospital. She parked in a reserved spot and slid from the car while pulling her coat more tightly around her as she scurried to the entrance. The two women who worked the information desk greeted her as usual. The hallway looked as peaceful as it did every morning. She could hardly believe the drama that had occurred the previous evening. She would never feel completely safe inside the hospital again.

After an uneventful day of work, when Krista arrived home, a little dog ran across the street and followed her up to her house. She looked down at the dog. “You can’t come in with me.”

The creature looked at her with soft brown eyes. Its silky ears were soft, velvet, ovals that lay along its golden wavy fur. Though Krista had not been raised with dogs, this one’s endearing expression might have convinced her to pet it if she’d been sure it wouldn’t bite.

“You need to go home.”

The dog ignored her firm tone and continued to stare up at her as though waiting for her to open the door for them.

“You can’t come in,” Krista repeated.

The dog hopped up the step and whined.

Krista sighed. The man who owned this dog lived in the gray brick house. He wasn’t at the front door and the garage remained closed. Krista shivered in the cold as she stared at the house in hopes the man might and come out to seek his pet.

Five minutes later, the frigid air had seeped into her bones and she longed to go into her warm house. “We have to do something,” she muttered. “We can’t stand here all night. Let’s see if you’ll follow me across the street.”

Krista walked backwards toward the street. “Come on. This way”

The dog followed her. Its bobbed tail wagged back and forth as it headed home.

What am I going got do if he’s not here? Krista wondered. She couldn’t leave the creature out in the cold to wander and get lost. Oh please, be home.

She rang the bell and waited. When the porch light flicked on and bathed them in its glow, she breathed a sigh of relief. The man opened the door and his curious expression changed to surprise. He stared at his dog. “Angel, what are you doing out here, girl?”

“She followed me to my front door,” Krista said.

He stood aside and Krista caught a whiff of a meaty Mexican supper.”

The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Trent. Thanks for bringing her home. Would you like to come in and warm up? I’ve got supper on the stove. You’re welcome to stay.”

Krista panicked This was more interaction than she’d planned. “I can’t tonight but thanks for asking. I’m glad you were home. I wasn’t sure what to do with Angel.”

He grinned at her and a dimple appeared. His dark eyes lit with amusement. “It appears she would have come into your house, plopped down, and waited for her supper.”

“I don’t have any dog food.”

He chuckled. “Whatever you were eating would have been fine with her. She’s a beggar.”

“I’m glad I could bring her home, but I better go,” she said.

His charm unsettled her. She hadn’t expected to have this dark-haired, attractive man open the door. She’d only seen him from a distance. Up close, he was muscular and handsome.

“I’ll try to keep her home,” he said.

“No problem.”

She turned and chugged through the frosty night toward home. The twinkling of a thousand stars beamed down at her in amusement at her emotions. She would rather have been cloaked in darkness. No matter, she could not hide from the emotions churning inside her. His lanky ease when he’d spoken and the light in his eyes stuck in her memory.

Forget it. He doesn’t even know my name. I won’t see him for months. Then, it will only be when he comes out to mow his grass. Was she disappointed? No. It was ridiculous.

She barely tasted the soup she heated. However, by the time she turned on the Christmas music and settled with her novel, she’d almost forgotten Trent.

Saturday morning was so chilly Krista was in no hurry to get out of bed. She finally wrapped herself in her fuzzy chenille bathrobe and headed to the kitchen for a mug of hot coffee. As she sat at her tiny table, she pondered her day. Maybe she should check on the elderly couple down the block. Maybe they needed something from the store. Krista planned to make a trip, anyway.

She took another hour to dress in jeans and a warm green sweatshirt adorned with silver jingle bells and to make two scrambled eggs. She ate them while she sat at the table and penned a grocery list.

The doorbell rang. She hopped up wondering who could be at her door at eleven o’clock on a Saturday morning. She looked out the peep hole to see Trent and her heart froze. She hadn’t brushed her hair yet or put on any make-up.

He rang again. She moved away from the peep hole though he couldn’t possibly see her. Her heat raced while she stood frozen to the floor. There was no way was she answering the door when she looked such a frump.

A few moments later, she peered out to see that he had gone away. A wave of disappointment broke her anxiety. He’d been charming last night. He had a friendly easiness that she admired. Still, she had not been ready for him this morning. Maybe, she’d have a chance to wave at him if they were out at the same time.