Page 28 of Come A Little Closer

“Twenty-two would’ve been a good age to get married?”

“Seven years ago at least,” she amended without skipping a beat. Peering up at me, she frowned, honest worry in her eyes as they held mine. “It’s not normal to go through life alone, child. Humans are social beings. We need good company and great sex to keep us young and healthy.”

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, but I laughed. Comments like that from her would never stop surprising me, but she was known for saying exactly what was on her mind. “Thanks, Miss Jenny. You’re not telling me anything I don’t get from my mother on a regular basis, so I’ll tell you what I keep telling her. I’m fine with things exactly as they are.”

My mother had never brought up the sex thing, though. I also wasn’t about to tell Miss Jenny that I didn’t need someone to love me to have great sex. I had that regularly enough, although lately it had been getting a bit stale.

“Well, of course, you think you’re fine with the way things are. You don’t know any better yet.” She shook her head. “I’ll get off your back about it. You don’t need me rattling on if you’re already hearing it from your mother. How is she? I haven’t seen her around for years.”

“She’s good,” I said, but I didn’t have the greatest relationship with the woman. We didn’t speak often. The last time I’d heard from her though, she’d been fine. “Still living in upstate New York and not a fan of leaving it, which is why you haven’t seen her around for a while.”

Miss Jenny chortled. “If you ask me, that mother of yours needs to let her hair down just as much as you do. She’s way too uptight.”

“Some people simply call it being a snob, but thanks. I’ll let her know you said so. Speaking of which, Jake says hi.”

She winked at me. “He always does.”

I heard my oven timer beeping from inside and gave her a nod. “I need to get back inside before I burn the house down, but it was good to see you. As always.”

“You too, honey,” she drawled, but then she paused before walking away. “The women in the neighborhood are going to set you up with someone during the block party this weekend. Be prepared for love, child. We’re good matchmakers.”

I groaned. “What happened to getting off my back about it?”

“I meant I would stop lecturing you about things you already know. Heavens, I’m not giving up on helping you find love, Mr. Morrison. What on earth do you take me for? A heathen?”

Gathering Noodles’ leash, she shook her head at me and walked away before I could protest about their supposed help. One thing about living in a neighborhood where everyone had known each other forever and where they nosed into new people’s lives as soon as you moved in was that everyone knew your business.

Try as you might—and I had tried—there was no getting away from the universal truth that nosy neighbors knew all. I’d learned to accept that, but I really wasn’t looking forward to them applying their matchmaking to me. I supposed I was lucky they hadn’t seriously tried it before, though.

Apparently, I’d gotten away with being single in my thirties for as long as any of them could take. Sighing as I walked back inside, I got my food out of the oven and ate alone. Then I went to bed, still thinking about Tallulah and that spark that had died in her eyes.

At my office the next day, Jake popped in, smiling as he shot me a thumbs-up. “I just dropped Tallulah off at your place. She’s already got vendors coming by to start dropping off supplies and she promised she’d be done decorating the first floor by tonight. Told you she could do it.”

Good, I thought as I nodded at him. I wanted her to get this out of the way so we could keep putting our main focus on the Hallow’s Eve Festival. For the rest of the day, I was satisfied that this wouldn’t take up too much of her time while she had more important things to work on, but when I got home that evening, I walked into my house to find it untouched.

I frowned. “Tallulah?”

When she didn’t respond, I moved further into the house, looking around and wondering why nothing had been done. “Tallulah!”

Still no answer.

Dread started churning in my stomach. Is she actually qualified for any of this?

I walked upstairs, thinking about what Jake had said earlier. Apparently, she’d promised the first floor would be done and he’d definitely told me vendors were already coming today. It’d sounded good.

Just like her planning for the festival so far.

Promises and planning were one thing, but ultimately, it all came down to delivery, and from what I could see right now, she hadn’t delivered anything at all. As I walked up the stairs, I called out to her again. When there was still no answer, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, navigated to her number, hit the dial button, and pressed the device to my ear.

“Hi, Niall,” she said when she picked up.

“Where are you?” I asked without any further ado. “I thought you were at my house?”

“No, I’ll be there soon. I have a surprise for you.”

I sighed, about to get gruff with her when a door slammed shut nearby. I jumped, so startled that I dropped my phone. As I fumbled for it, another door creaked open further away and my heart started racing.

What the fuck is going on here?