She walked through the grass, along the fence line. By the time she’d reached the front, she heard the gate opening next door. She went around the fence that separated the two properties and out onto the road. The gate wasn’t in the center of Cassidy’s property but much closer to the side by their house. Laura found her waiting under the oak tree, casually leaning against it. A T-shirt covered what appeared to be a one-piece swimsuit and, like her, Cassidy was wearing flip-flops. Her hair was damp from the pool, her skin tan. Laura had to admit—tall, dark, and handsome—she was even more attractive up close and personal.

“Ah, you like beer,” Cassidy said with a smile. “Come on in. I was about to get one.”

It was only then that Laura realized she was still holding the beer bottle. Geez, she’s going to think you’re a lush. She shrugged. Did she care what Cassidy Anderson thought?

As they walked up the driveway, Cassidy motioned to the yard. “See? Not a whole lot to mow. There’s even less in the back.”

Because of the woods, the yard was actually much smaller than their own. And of course, she knew what the backyard looked like. She had a perfect view of it from her writing room.

“I’m glad you left the woods.” At Cassidy’s raised eyebrows, she explained, “I used to play in them when I was a kid.”

“Oh. So you grew up here.”

“I was three when we moved here.”

“I never had the opportunity to come out here. I wish I had.”

Laura followed her around the house and to the back. “What do you mean?”

“The property here. My father bought it about thirty-five years ago. Thought when he retired that they would build out here.” Cassidy smiled, showing off perfect white teeth. “My mother had a different idea, though.”

“So you got it?”

“My brother had no interest in it. He’s a city boy.” She walked over to the outdoor kitchen area and opened up a full-sized, stainless steel fridge. “Another beer?”

“Sure. Thanks.” She went to the sink and poured out what was left in her bottle and handed the empty to Cassidy. “This is pretty awesome,” she said, pointing at the outdoor kitchen.

“Yeah…I haven’t gotten to use it as much as I’d like to. I’ve got some friends coming later today, so I’m going to try my hand at some teriyaki beef kabobs.”

Laura nodded, thinking that sounded good. Instead of commenting, she glanced out to the yard. “So…your yard guys left you, huh?”