The Fix (The Carolina Connections, #1)(13)

On the front porch was a tow-headed boy who looked to be around Rocco’s age, standing next to a smiling woman with auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail. The woman was tall, probably three inches taller than my 5’5”, and she was dressed in black yoga pants and a dry-fit workout shirt in a bright fuchsia. The boy was holding a toy gun in one hand and a—hmm, was that a machete?—in the other. He smiled up at me with a gummy grin, his two front teeth missing.

“Hi there!” the woman greeted with a very thick Southern accent—not North Carolina thick, Texas thick. “I’m Charlotte Baker, your neighbor from just down the street.” She pointed to her left. “This is my son, Aiden. We just wanted to introduce ourselves and welcome y’all to the neighborhood!”

“Do you like guns?” Aiden asked me.

“Hush,” Charlotte said. “Sorry, his grandpa collects antique guns.”

Understanding the world of young boys, I glossed right over it and put out my hand. “Hey, I’m Laney Monroe. It’s nice to meet you. I have a five-year-old son so I’m familiar.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Charlotte shook my hand—no limp fish evident. “Did you hear that, Aiden?” Then back to me, “I’ll bet they’d get along real well then. Aiden’s six.”

Ding ding ding! Was that the sound of a playdate calling?

“I’m sure they would,” I returned, before briefly considering calling Rocco out for an introduction. The likelihood that he’d emerge from the hall naked stopped me, though, as it would prove a tad more awkward than NRA talk. “We’ll have to arrange something.” I made sure to keep my smile just this side of crazy. Sorry, lady, you’re not getting off my porch without a commitment.

“Did you know that a samurai sword can cut a man’s hand off in one swing?” asked Aiden.

Charlotte’s plummeting comfort level was palpable. “What has your daddy been lettin’ you watch on YouTube?”

Eyes on the prize, I let it slide like water off a duck’s back. “Whatever it is, I’m sure my brother has let Rocco watch worse. Boys will be boys and all that.” Good grief I was laying it on thick.

“Oh, don’t they just beat all?” she drawled. “I think I like you.” She beamed at me, and God almighty did I beam right back. I think I liked her too.

We chatted a bit longer until she brought up the second reason for her visit.

“I wanted to ask if you’ve heard anything about this buildin’ that’s supposed to be goin’ up by the entrance to the street.” She pointed again in the direction of her house.

“Um, I think I may have heard something about that,” I hedged, praying that Gavin was safely ensconced in the bathroom with Rocco and would not overhear.

“Some of the other parents and I have been lookin’ into it a little and we’re a bit concerned. Who knows what kinds of businesses are buildin’ there. We don’t want some bar openin’ up so close to us, or anything really that’ll mean a bunch of strangers hangin’ around or loud noise at night. Not to mention the extra traffic on the street while our kids are out playin’.”

I had to admit, some of the same thoughts had occurred to me since Gavin first brought it up last week. I’d just bought this house, and although I got a good deal because of the work it needed, I didn’t want to watch its value go down. And of course I wanted to live in a safe neighborhood, especially with Rocco to consider.

“It’s been difficult to get much information over the phone, so those of us who can make it were plannin’ on goin’ over there early Thursday mornin’ to try and get some answers. That’s when they’re gonna start tearin’ down the houses.”

“Mmhm,” I made a noncommittal noise.

“Anyway,” She put her hand briefly on my arm. “It would be great if you could make it. I’m plannin’ on headin’ over around seven to try and catch them early, and I know a couple other people who are comin’.” Her face brightened again. “Oh, hey, and we’re also gonna have a little get-together this Saturday at our house with some of the other neighbors and their kids. You should come along and bring Rocco! The kids will probably just play on the X-box or run around the yard while we talk about some of the neighborhood stuff but it should be fun!”

Victory! My weekend playdate!

“That sounds great!” We exchanged phone numbers before she and Aiden went off with a wave.

“Soooo,” I said, entering the bathroom where a very naked Rocco was splashing in the tub. “Guess who just scored you a playdate with some cool neighborhood kids and an X-box?” I crowed. “Me! That’s who.” I may have tried out a couple of my cool dance moves too. Why hadn’t I ever taken a hip-hop class?

“Just, no,” Gavin said from his perch on the closed toilet seat.

I loved most everything about my little house, but I had to admit the hall bathroom was a bit small. It had a tub/shower combo, a toilet, and a tiny pedestal sink. Unfortunately, both the toilet and the sink were pink. I’m a girl and even I was slightly offended.

“What’s an X-box?” Rocco’s dark head tilted back and his face got scrunchy.

“Trust me, kid. You want to play X-box,” said Gavin. “It’s an electronic game you can play with other kids. It’s awesome—and you can usually kill stuff.” Hopefully they wouldn’t be playing those games—although since it was Aiden’s game … yeah.