The Neighbor

Abandoning my lap top, I grabbed the broom, stepped outside and swept off the back deck. As I re-filled the bird feeder and put fresh water in the bird bath, I thought it was getting warm enough to put out my lounge chair.

After dragging it up from the basement, I set it out in the sun. Finally, I took a break, and looked up at the clouds. As I often did, I thought of my father. Like me, he always looked for the good in people. I whispered as I gazed up at the fluffy white clouds rolling by, "Dad, I really wish you were still here, so we could talk. I have a feeling you're looking down on me, though. And I know you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."

Turning my head, I thought I heard voices coming from next door. I recognized Berto's deep voice, and realized he had to be talking to my new neighbor Al.

Getting to my feet and quietly walking to the edge of the deck, I took a peek over the fence and saw that they were looking out at the big open backyard.

Berto was telling Al, "I can turn half of this into a garden if you want, no problem. But are you sure you want to give up this nice lawn just to grow vegetables?"

"It's the only reason I wanted to get out of my apartment and get into a house. When I was younger my father and I worked the land, and we grew whatever we needed to eat. Now that I'm retired, I'd love to get out and get some fresh air and start working the soil again, like I used to when I was a boy."

Sounded like Berto was a jack of all trades, if he did gardening too.

Afraid of getting caught, I went back inside and looked for anything else that needed my attention.

But I'd been so thorough, there wasn't anything left to do.

Like I always did when I was anxious, I turned on the oven and started baking.

Soon, I had a batch of peanut butter cookies in the oven, And I decided I'd make a cinnamon coffee cake, to welcome Al to the neighborhood.

Once it was cool enough to wrap, I stepped out the front door, cake in hand, ready to go next door and present it to Al.

Then I noticed Berto in my driveway, patching up a pothole in the asphalt, that was a reminder of the brutal winter we'd had.

I strode up to him. "Berto, you don't have to do that."

He looked at me and nodded across to the other driveway. "I had some filler and sealant left, so I thought I'd fix yours while I was at it, so you won't wreck your tires."

I stared at him while he worked, wondering why he'd even bother, when I looked up and noticed Al walking out of his house.

"Oh, I see you've met my nephew," he said, smiling at Berto, tamping down the filler.

"Berto's your nephew?" I could hardly believe my ears.

Al smiled, looking back at his house. "Yeah, he uh... actually bought this for me, so I'd have a place of my own."

As he turned to look at me, Berto lifted an eyebrow, and I wished I could disappear, I felt so bad after accusing him of tricking me and lying.

I reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Berto. I didn't know you were here to work on your uncle's place."

He shook his head, chuckling at his uncle. "My uncle told me that to save his pride, he didn't want anyone to know that I was the one who bought the house for him. Which is I why I didn't tell you. But I guess the secret's out now."

Feeling a little awkward, after what the way I'd acted, I held up the cake. "I made a cake and some cookies, if you two want to come in for coffee."

Al smiled back and forth between us, probably sensing a little tension, and said, "That sounds good, but why don't I make the coffee."

Walking into Al's place, I thought the house looked really nice. Berto had done a great job. I'd been in a few times when Mrs. Patton lived here, and I thought he'd done an amazing job of exorcising all the trappings of an elderly lady's home. No more doilies, or paintings of doe eyed toddlers and cats. And no more multi-colored crocheted afghan throw blanket on the couch or cutsie tea cozy shaped like a baby doll on the kitchen counter.

Now, luckily for Al, it looked like a home that a man would enjoy, all done in stylish neutral tones. I was happy for Al, that he'd have a place to call his own, thanks to his nephew.

Al, in the kitchen, showed me a bag of coffee. "This is the good stuff, from back home. Best in the world."

Berto just smiled as his uncle went about making his prized coffee.

When we sat down at the table, his uncle put a bag of dark roast in front of me. "That's for you to take home, Cassie."

"Al, I can't take this from you. You must have had it imported."

Berto chuckled. "Cassie, there's no point in arguing, just take it and say thanks."

I gave Al a little grin and said, "Thank you?"

Al laughed. "I just hope you enjoy it. People are always bringing back coffee from home, so don't worry, I've got lots more."

While Al was saying how much he liked the cake, I could feel Berto eyes on me. I lifted my gaze, and whispered, "I'm sorry. I should have let you explain. And I should have followed my gut and trusted you."

Berto reached over and squeezed my hand, and Al, I guess noticing that something was going on between us, got up and mumbled something about putting on some more coffee.

I leaned in and kissed Berto on the cheek, and was so happy to see his face light up with a smile.

I offered to have them both over for dinner, but Al said, "Thanks for the invite, Cassie, but I go to my club most nights. We have dinner, play some music, have some fun." He wiggled his eyebrows. "And I get to enjoy a little dancing with some of the pretty widows that are always looking for a dance partner."

Smiling at his uncle, Berto quietly told me, "I'm just glad he's getting out and enjoying himself. After my aunt died, I coaxed him into reconnecting with some of his old friends, and I think he's glad he did."

Realizing what a nice guy he really was, I was glad Berto and I managed to clear up the confusion.

"But how about we get what we need to make some chicken and rice? You and I can have dinner, and maybe put on some music, and have our own fun dancing."

Sounded like a great idea to me.

Turns out he really knew his way around a kitchen. We laughed a lot as we got everything ready. I really liked that he had a good sense of humor, since I never took anything too seriously.

I watched carefully as he explained what he was doing as he made us up a big pan of rice with chicken, and veggies.

Once I had a taste, I rolled my eyes, convinced it was even better than what he'd brought from the restaurant. "Wow, is this ever good, Berto."

He smiled looking pleased as he topped up my wine. "Glad you're enjoying it."

After we'd cleaned up, he put on some catchy salsa music, took me by the hands, and we started dancing.

"I love this music," I said, as he spun me around the floor.

"It's the Gypsy Kings, Bamboleo. It's one of their biggest hits."

I couldn't help but start moving to this music. My hips seemed to shake on their own as Berto danced me around my living room, both of us laughing the whole time. Seeing the excitement flashing in his eyes, knowing they were mirroring mine; I don't think I'd ever had as much fun.

"Wow, Cassie, you've really got some moves," he said, chuckling, as the song ended.

"What do the words mean?"

Stroking a hand across my cheek, he said, "It's actually a pretty romantic. He's singing, 'You are my life, the fortune of destiny.' And says that he's always thinking of her.

After that hung in the air between us, staring into my eyes, he pulled me into his arms, and kissed me till I thought I would melt.

Gazing up into his big, golden-brown eyes I felt a little flutter, and knew that this was love. And that I loved him.

We had an amazing night together in bed, probably because we'd almost lost each other, we made love like there was tomorrow.

He was hugging me close as we both came down from the high of an amazing double orgasm. Stroking his hand up and down along my arm, gazing around at my room, he asked, "How attached are you to this house?"

Not too sure where he was going with this, I said, "I do like it. But I bought it, hoping it would be a starter home. And that one day I'd be able to buy something a little newer that wouldn't need as much work."

He reached for his phone. "You mean like this?"

My jaw dropped when I saw the house. I absolutely loved the look of the classic stone and wooden timber frame. Even though it was only an artist's rendering, I could picture it on a big wooded lot, with a fire burning in the big stone fireplace. "That's absolutely gorgeous, Berto."

"I'm building it just behind here, on a two-acre lot."

"That house would fit perfectly on a big lot like that."

He smirked. "And I think we'd both enjoy living there."

I blinked and turned to look at him, not sure if I'd heard him right. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Well, not for a few more months. So, you've got plenty of time to think about it. But yeah, I think we're really good together."

Gazing across the room, I nodded, already pretty sure that I wanted this with him.

He took hold of me by the chin. "I think we'd better discuss one thing first, though. If this is going to work between us, there'll be no more laughing at my junk."

Of course, I almost broke into a laughing fit when he surprised me with that. I pretended to think on it for a minute, then I turned and looked at him. "So, not even the occasional little snicker?"

I could tell from the way his lips were twitching, and the spark of amusement in his eyes, that he was trying really hard not to laugh. "Okay, maybe a little snicker, but that's it. Otherwise, I'm going to start feeling self-conscience if every time I get naked with you, you take one look at my dick and start laughing."

I lifted the sheet, and looked down at his semi, and smiled. "Actually, I love your uh... equipment, but it is pretty big. It's kind of like clown shoes. Everyone thinks they're funny, just because they're so big."

Playfully growling, Berto grabbed me around the waist and set me on top of him. "Well, I guess the only thing to do is, make sure you never have to look at it again, if I've got it buried inside you."

I smirked, as I sank myself down on him. "You see, I knew we could work this out."

A few weeks later, Berto was busy on his laptop at the kitchen table, working from home as he often did. Feeling anxious as I approached him, I just hoped he wouldn't be upset.

He looked up, pulled me into his lap, brushed a kiss to my cheek and asked, "What's wrong?"

We were so in sync; he could read me like a book.

"I uh, I was thinking today that I never asked, but I wondered how you felt about having children."

He when quiet for a moment, and finally, he said, "I was married once about twenty years ago. And that was one of the reasons we broke up."

"Because you didn't want any children?"

"No. She never mentioned it before we got married, but she never planned to have any, and never thought to tell me. When I discovered that she'd also been fooling around, we decided to part ways." He studied me a moment. "Why, are you thinking I'm a little old to start a family with?"

I smiled and shook my head, sliding my hands into his hair. "No. I don't think you're too old. And I think you'd make a terrific father."

Berto narrowed his eyes, looked down at my belly, then back up at me. "Wait a minute, are you trying to tell me something?"

I nodded. "We're going to have a baby."

"Are you kidding me?" Before I could even answer, he hugged me so tight, I started laughing. Then he lifted my top and kissed my belly. "I can hardly believe this," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I checked with the doctor, just to be sure. I'm not very far along, but he said that I'm definitely pregnant."

"Then I think we'd better get you a ring, and set a date."

I was hoping he'd be happy, because I was over the moon, so thrilled that we were having a baby.

He'd been teaching me Spanish, and when he whispered against my lips, "Te amo."

I started to tear up and said, "I love you, too."

When she heard the news, my sister decided to have the whole family at her place for dinner to celebrate.

Berto's uncle Al, who I discovered he was named for, since they were both actually named Alberto, joined us, too. As soon as he found out about the baby, he made a point of telling us that Alberto was a nice name for a boy, or even Alberta for a girl.

Trying to be diplomatic, and keep the peace, I told him we'd think about it.

When we were having coffee and dessert, I nodded at my mom and Al, sitting close together on the couch, smiling into each other's eyes, looking pretty cozy.

Berto and I started smiling, wondering if something was happening there, too.

Then something struck me, and I leaned in and whispered to Berto. "You wouldn't happen to know if your uncle is uh..."

"If my uncle's what?" he asked, waiting for me finish.

Noticing my little niece was within earshot, I said, "Uh, you know the thing about the clown shoes?"

Berto threw back his head and laughed, till he finally regained his composure and said, "Actually, I think it runs in the family."

"Then, I wonder if I should warn her."

"Nah, let her be surprised."

Grinning, I touched my lips to his and said, "Yeah, maybe you're right. Because you sure surprised the heck out of me."

"But in a good way, right?"

Letting out a happy little sigh, I nodded my head, as I stroked my belly. "Definitely the best surprise ever."