BooksBarbecue
Back The Neighbor
Chapters (56)
  1. Synopsis
  2. Other Bella Books by Gerri Hill
  3. About the Author
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. Chapter Forty-Two
  46. Chapter Forty-Three
  47. Chapter Forty-Four
  48. Chapter Forty-Five
  49. Chapter Forty-Six
  50. Chapter Forty-Seven
  51. Chapter Forty-Eight
  52. Chapter Forty-Nine
  53. Chapter Fifty
  54. Chapter Fifty-One
  55. Chapter Fifty-Two
  56. Chapter Fifty-Three

“Great. I’ll supply the beer.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Cassidy hadn’t planned on interrupting Laura’s day. In fact, she was sincere when she said she was looking forward to helping with the flowers. But Laura looked hot and tired. She had dirt stains on her knees and elbows, a streak of mud on her cheek again—which Cassidy barely resisted cleaning off—and her tank top was soaked in sweat. Laura accepting as readily as she did confirmed Cassidy’s assumption that she was indeed hot and tired.

And they could take their time with the flowerbed. They’d have all day. For once, Cassidy hadn’t invited anyone over early. The pool party started at noon on Saturday with fajitas ready by six. She did extend an overnight invitation to a few friends, though. Erica and Amber were staying, this time without their friend Kathryn. And Macie and Karon, even though they’d stayed last weekend, had opted for another weekend in the country…without Ashly.

It occurred to her then that she didn’t actually have a date for the weekend—a first. There was always Claudia, who she’d run into at lunch one day. She had blurted out about the party without thinking and Claudia had accepted with a wink and a light touch on her arm. Yes, Claudia would be willing. But Cassidy shook her head. Claudia might be willing, but she was not. She smiled, remembering Laura’s name for Claudia—the anorexic blonde. And Ashly—the model. Didn’t she refer to Larson with some name too?

“No laughing at my farmer’s tan,” Laura warned as she walked around the pool.

There was no farmer’s tan to see as Laura had on shorts and a T-shirt. She raised her eyebrows. “If that’s what you swim in, no wonder you have a farmer’s tan.”

Laura held a foot up and wiggled the flip-flop. Her feet were definitely whiter than her legs and there was a sock line at her ankles. Then Laura pulled her T-shirt off, revealing a rather conservative Speedo, the color pattern a splatter of multiple shades of purple mixed with black and white. She appeared to have tan lines from both a T-shirt and a tank top, as well as the straps of the suit. Cassidy wasn’t shy as she watched Laura remove her shorts. And yes, there was a tan line from the cutoff jeans that she normally wore.

She was smiling as she met Laura’s eyes. “Nice variation of tan lines.”

“Thank you. I do work outside for a living,” she said with a grin. “And this is why I won’t come to your party. I’ll be the only one with tan lines.”