Third: Chapter 3
Story Summary
Written: February - May 2011
Status: Finished
Starring: Zac
Number of Chapters: 10 + Prologue and Epilogue
For: The Spark Inside: Spring 2011
Following his wife's shocking death and the exposure of her dirty little secrets, Zac leaves Tulsa and heads to the Oregon coast for a few weeks to escape his overbearing family. His goal is to be alone, with only the company of his bull dogs Butch and Cassidy, but then he meets Harlow Lowry, a woman who is unlike anyone he has ever met. Will the walls that Zac has built around his heart stay strong or will Harlow find her way in?
Masterpost
Chapter 3
His first morning in Neskowin started before dawn, with his dogs announcing their need to go outside. He woke up enough to follow them to the front door and let them out, before stumbling back to bed. It was in this half-awake half-asleep state that he began to dream.
He was behind the wheel of his car, driving over 100 miles per hour. His eyes zeroed in on a car that looked just like his late wife’s. As he neared the car, he saw her in the driver’s seat with her lover in the seat next to her. He pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal and moved into their lane at the last minute. The bastard was going to die this time. Before the cars smashed together, Zac ejected himself from the car and watched from several feet away as the impact sent both cars off the edge of a cliff.
As he walked away, he could hear his wife yelling for help. As he got farther and farther away, her cries got louder. He shook his head, trying to get it to go away. Then he started to run.
He woke up as he tumbled out of bed. He sat there for what seemed like several minutes, trying to shake off the dream. “What a fucked up dream,” he muttered.
Then he heard it.
“Go away! Shoo! Hello? Help!”
Confused, he pulled himself up and grabbed his jeans. He shoved his legs in and was zipping them up when he heard the voice again, but this time it was followed by two barks that he recognized.
“What the-” he skipped putting on shoes and hurried out of the house. He came to a screeching halt at the top step of the porch and blinked a couple of times before a chuckle escape his lips at what he saw. Butch and Cassidy were barking at the foot of a tree stump and on the stump was a young, blonde, probably a few years younger than him, with legs up to her neck, holding a paper bag.
“I’m glad you find this amusing, but can you please get your dogs to go away,” she called over to him.
“Butch, Cassidy, come here,” he ordered. The dogs looked at him then back at the woman. “Come here.” The dogs obeyed this time, but kept glancing back at the stranger as they made their way over. “Sit. Stay.”
“Can’t you take them inside or something?” She asked, fear present in her voice.
“They’re harmless,” he assured her. “The only reason they started barking was because you entered their yard.” He frowned. “Why did you come into my yard?”
“I saw you arrive yesterday,” she told him, still standing on the stump. “And this morning, I went to make eggs and realized I didn’t have any. So, I cooked some extra bacon in hopes that I could trade you some bacon for eggs.” She lifted the bag she was holding. “I just didn’t realize you had dogs.”
“I do and they love bacon,” he stated. Wanting to get her out of his hair, he turned and headed to the door. “I’ll be back. Butch, Cassidy, come.”
The dogs scampered after him and into the house. He poured food into their bowls then got five eggs from the carton in the fridge and put them in a zip lock bag. With the dogs scarfing down their kibbles, he left the house and found the leggy blonde standing on the porch.
“Here you go,” he said, holding out the bag of eggs.
“Thank you and here is your bacon,” she smiled. “I’m Harlow Lowry, but the way. I live in the cabin next door.”
“I’m Zac Hanson,” he replied after accepting the bacon.
“Well, Zac Hanson, thanks for rescuing me,” she said before climbing down the steps.
His eyes found themselves trained on the sway of her hips as she walked towards the gate. She paused on the other side and offered him a slight wave before heading home.
Shaking his head, Zac turned and went into his house. He leaned against the door and groaned. This was the last thing he needed; a friendly, female neighbor, who, even worse, was young and pretty.
Written: February - May 2011
Status: Finished
Starring: Zac
Number of Chapters: 10 + Prologue and Epilogue
For: The Spark Inside: Spring 2011
Following his wife's shocking death and the exposure of her dirty little secrets, Zac leaves Tulsa and heads to the Oregon coast for a few weeks to escape his overbearing family. His goal is to be alone, with only the company of his bull dogs Butch and Cassidy, but then he meets Harlow Lowry, a woman who is unlike anyone he has ever met. Will the walls that Zac has built around his heart stay strong or will Harlow find her way in?
Masterpost
Chapter 3
His first morning in Neskowin started before dawn, with his dogs announcing their need to go outside. He woke up enough to follow them to the front door and let them out, before stumbling back to bed. It was in this half-awake half-asleep state that he began to dream.
He was behind the wheel of his car, driving over 100 miles per hour. His eyes zeroed in on a car that looked just like his late wife’s. As he neared the car, he saw her in the driver’s seat with her lover in the seat next to her. He pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal and moved into their lane at the last minute. The bastard was going to die this time. Before the cars smashed together, Zac ejected himself from the car and watched from several feet away as the impact sent both cars off the edge of a cliff.
As he walked away, he could hear his wife yelling for help. As he got farther and farther away, her cries got louder. He shook his head, trying to get it to go away. Then he started to run.
He woke up as he tumbled out of bed. He sat there for what seemed like several minutes, trying to shake off the dream. “What a fucked up dream,” he muttered.
Then he heard it.
“Go away! Shoo! Hello? Help!”
Confused, he pulled himself up and grabbed his jeans. He shoved his legs in and was zipping them up when he heard the voice again, but this time it was followed by two barks that he recognized.
“What the-” he skipped putting on shoes and hurried out of the house. He came to a screeching halt at the top step of the porch and blinked a couple of times before a chuckle escape his lips at what he saw. Butch and Cassidy were barking at the foot of a tree stump and on the stump was a young, blonde, probably a few years younger than him, with legs up to her neck, holding a paper bag.
“I’m glad you find this amusing, but can you please get your dogs to go away,” she called over to him.
“Butch, Cassidy, come here,” he ordered. The dogs looked at him then back at the woman. “Come here.” The dogs obeyed this time, but kept glancing back at the stranger as they made their way over. “Sit. Stay.”
“Can’t you take them inside or something?” She asked, fear present in her voice.
“They’re harmless,” he assured her. “The only reason they started barking was because you entered their yard.” He frowned. “Why did you come into my yard?”
“I saw you arrive yesterday,” she told him, still standing on the stump. “And this morning, I went to make eggs and realized I didn’t have any. So, I cooked some extra bacon in hopes that I could trade you some bacon for eggs.” She lifted the bag she was holding. “I just didn’t realize you had dogs.”
“I do and they love bacon,” he stated. Wanting to get her out of his hair, he turned and headed to the door. “I’ll be back. Butch, Cassidy, come.”
The dogs scampered after him and into the house. He poured food into their bowls then got five eggs from the carton in the fridge and put them in a zip lock bag. With the dogs scarfing down their kibbles, he left the house and found the leggy blonde standing on the porch.
“Here you go,” he said, holding out the bag of eggs.
“Thank you and here is your bacon,” she smiled. “I’m Harlow Lowry, but the way. I live in the cabin next door.”
“I’m Zac Hanson,” he replied after accepting the bacon.
“Well, Zac Hanson, thanks for rescuing me,” she said before climbing down the steps.
His eyes found themselves trained on the sway of her hips as she walked towards the gate. She paused on the other side and offered him a slight wave before heading home.
Shaking his head, Zac turned and went into his house. He leaned against the door and groaned. This was the last thing he needed; a friendly, female neighbor, who, even worse, was young and pretty.