Love Unpacked Room by Room

By L. W. Lawrence

Casey finally found her dream home and it was all hers. It included a cottage behind her house that was perfect for her accounting business. As she worked long hours to remodel and decorate her new home and office, she noticed the home next door was in disrepair. The better she made her house look, the worse her neighbor’s looked in comparison. As she continued to work long hours establishing her new residence, her curiosity about the person next door began to grow. With the exception of the cute little chihuahua that barked at her big goldendoodle through the fence, she had no clues about the person inside the home. She occasionally heard him call for Chex, so she started calling the cute little dog by his name which led to immediate bonding with her dog and cat. Chex was extremely social so she knew the man inside the house had to be good natured. She heard from neighbors that he was an attractive man in his forties. She promised herself that when she found time, she would cook a nice dinner and take it over to officially introduce herself to the mystery man.

Chandler was a quiet man who had endured two divorces, property settlements, and the eventual issues that accompany heartache. He had worked hard his whole life to accomplish the American dream. Unfortunately, his dreams were shattered and scattered all over his home. He didn’t care anymore about unpacking, decorating, cleaning, or living for that matter. The only thing keeping him alive was his little companion Chex who forced him out of bed every morning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. W. Lawrence
• Release date: Jun 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215736937

Book preview

Casey had finally found her dream home and it was all hers. It included a cottage behind her house that was perfect for her accounting business. It needed a lot of work to convert it to an office, but it would be rewarding knowing that it belonged to her. It’s all mine, she reminded herself every time she wrote a check to pay for improvements.

As she worked long hours to remodel and decorate her new home and office, she noticed the home next door was in disrepair. The better she made her house look, the worse her neighbor’s looked in comparison. As she continued to work long hours establishing her new residence, her curiosity about the person next door began to grow. She had no idea about the man who lived there.

With the exception of the cute little chihuahua that barked at her big goldendoodle through the fence, she had no clues about the person inside the home. She occasionally heard him call for Chex, so she started calling the cute little dog by his name which led to immediate bonding with her dog and cat. Chex was extremely social so she knew the man inside the house had to be good natured. She heard from other neighbors that he was an attractive man in his forties. She promised herself that when she found time, she would cook a nice dinner and take it over to officially introduce herself to the mystery man.

Chandler was a quiet man who had endured two divorces, property settlements, and the eventual issues that accompany heartache. He had worked hard his whole life to accomplish the American dream. Unfortunately, his dreams were shattered and scattered all over his home. He didn’t care anymore about unpacking, decorating, cleaning, or living for that matter. The only thing keeping him alive was his little companion Chex who forced him out of bed every morning.

Chex often escaped to socialize with neighbors and their pets. He was a friendly little dog who never met a stranger. Chandler was thankful that Chex couldn’t talk because what a sad picture he would paint of his owner. He had heard his new neighbor talking to Chex through their fence. She sounded like a really nice person with a sweet southern drawl that made him imagine what she must be like. He had seen her a few times going to her mailbox, but he couldn’t get a clear view for the overgrown shrubs and dead limbs dangling from his trees. He wished he had the nerve to go over and introduce himself. Every time he thought he was close to doing so, a deep inner voice would remind him that his body, mind, and spirit could not endure another traumatic relationship. Keeping his distance and his privacy was what he did best.

Chapter One

Chex Casey called the little chihuahua’s name again. He had scratched on her door earlier and when she opened it, he ran inside and straight to Daisy who jumped off the couch and ran to meet her new neighbor. After sniffing each other thoroughly, they ran in circles and then landed back on her couch content to rest until breakfast.

Casey raised her arms in defeat. No need to clean that old thing. At least it came with the house.

Her cat Lucy appeared around the corner from the bedroom. After surveying the dog party, she leaned down for a long body stretch, turned, and retreated to the bedroom. It was much too early for such activities, and she was tired from a long night of critter watching from the den window. The life of a cat was hard.

As Casey watched her pets, she read their body language. Daisy loved her new neighbor, but Chex was a bit too much for Lucy. As Casey headed to the kitchen for her first cup of coffee, she laughed to herself about the simple life of pets. No human drama, personality conflicts, or mind games dictated how they felt about others.

As she stood at the kitchen sink looking out her window, she saw her new neighbor in his backyard. He had on a t-shirt and loose pajama pants. His hair was dark with streaks of gray that stood out as he ran his fingers through it trying to comb it back. He looked distraught, and Casey realized that he was looking for Chex. She faintly heard his voice calling for Chex to come home.

At least he’s concerned about him. Casey thought to herself as she continued to discreetly study the mystery man next door while slowly sipping her coffee.

He was as attractive as Mrs. Templeton described. She said he became a very successful real estate broker after moving to Boston at an early age to attend university where he met and married an heir to a real estate fortune. He worked so hard managing her real estate interests that his debutante wife decided she needed additional men in her life to keep her happy. He married the second time for revenge. That marriage didn’t end well either. Shortly after that, his father passed away and left his mother alone and battling cancer.

Chandler returned to his small southern home to care for his mother, help manage her finances, and process his life events. The only thing he had left from his failed marriages was Chex, who his mother adored. Chex woke Chandler the morning his mother passed away. When he entered her room, Chex was next to her on the bed with his head on her shoulder. Chandler wished Chex could talk and let him know about his mother’s final moments and words if she uttered any. Chandler was thankful that she didn’t die alone.

As Chandler looked for Chex and called his name, he felt eyes watching him. Chandler looked over the fence and saw his new neighbor staring at him from her kitchen window. She quickly took a sip of coffee to cover her embarrassment. He smiled and waved at her. She motioned for him to come over and noticed him looking down at his pajama pants. She made her way to her back porch and showed him that she too was in her pajamas.

Come on over. I don’t mind pajamas if you don’t. I have a fresh pot of coffee and what you’re looking for on my couch.

Casey cringed as she heard her own words and quickly turned to hide her embarrassment again. She heard Chandler laugh out loud followed with I’ll be right over.

Talk about a Freudian slip. Casey quickly checked her appearance in the mirror and was thankful she had combed her hair earlier.

A knock on the carport door came quicker than Casey expected. She made her way to the door and was surprised that Chandler stood there exactly as he appeared in his backyard, pajama pants, wild hair, and a morning shadow on his face.

Chandler noticed her surprised reaction. Well, I couldn’t pass up such an invitation.

Casey blushed again at her earlier choice of words. She opened the door wider and motioned her new neighbor to come in.

I’m Casey Andrews. Casey offered her hand to shake.

Chandler took her hand in his and introduced himself. And I’m Chandler Hamilton.

Chandler continued holding her hand as he looked around her new home. He was astonished. Looks like you’ve been living here for years. I still haven’t unboxed anything.

He quickly let go of her hand as he let his last words end without explanation. He should be ashamed that he had been living in the house next door for over a year and hadn’t unpacked anything. However, it wasn’t the time or place to explain his lack of lust for living.

Casey motioned for him to follow her into the den. Daisy and Chex were cuddled on the couch asleep.

I can’t believe they didn’t bark when I knocked on the door. Chandler stood there observing his little friend Chex cuddled up to his new friend Daisy. He thought about how uncomplicated a dog’s life truly is. Standing next to him was a gorgeous woman who’d been living next to him for weeks and this was his first time to officially meet her. At least they were in their pajamas which was somewhat comforting to his ego.

So, this is where you’ve been running off to? Chandler walked across the room and patted his little buddy on the head. Daisy raised her head to check out the new man. She jumped off the couch and promptly started sniffing the stranger in her home. She wagged her tail with approval as Casey threw her hand over her eyes and wondered what Chandler must be thinking.

May I get you a cup of coffee? Casey walked toward the kitchen as Chandler continued looking around her beautiful home.

Yes, thank you.

Chandler walked into the kitchen. Wow, I love what you’ve done with the place.

Did you see it before? Casey asked.

Yes, once when mom asked me to come over and drop off a dessert she made for Mrs. Crowley. She was a nice old lady who insisted I come in and look at all her children’s photos from over the years. I remember it being dark and cluttered with memorabilia.

Chandler stopped talking when he realized he had just described his mom’s house which unfortunately still looked the same as when he arrived over a year ago.

Well, I like light as you can tell. I have lots of antiques but I’m being careful not to clutter. Mrs. Crowley left a lot of her old stuff but the only thing I kept is the couch. I was planning to get a new one but considering its Daisy’s love nest, maybe not. Casey smiled as he handed Chandler his coffee.

Chandler laughed and took the hot cup of coffee from Casey’s hand. She invited him to sit with her on the back porch as they each called for their canine companions to join them.

What are you going to do with the little cottage? Looks like you’ve already painted it.

Yes, that’s my office. I’m an accountant and keep books for several businesses and individuals in town. They occasionally come by to review reports and discuss tax strategies, so I wanted an office to keep my business world separate from my personal life.

You must have an amazing personal life.

Casey was too embarrassed to admit that she hadn’t been on a date in over a year. She did have plans to beef up her social life as soon as she was settled. She let his comment go without affirmation.

They continued sipping coffee in silence, each in their own thoughts of loneliness. Neither one liked it, but it wasn’t the time or place to get personal.

Chandler stood and handed Casey his empty cup. Nice to meet you Casey. Love your beautiful home and now I know where to find Chex. Please don’t hesitate to send him home if he becomes too much. He loves to socialize and misses…

Chandler abruptly stopped talking as Casey realized that he was referring to his mother. He didn’t continue so Casey assumed that it was still difficult for him to talk about his mother. She rescued him by standing and calling for Daisy to come in. Chandler called for Chex and headed home.

After he left, Casey sat back down and thought about what Mrs. Templeton told her about Chandler. He was as attractive and polite as she described. She also knew from what Mrs. Templeton told her that he had become a hermit since returning home and was nothing like the outgoing, smart, all-star athlete that he was when he graduated high school and left for university years earlier. She knew that he had been through two rough divorces and had returned home to be with his mother and to reflect on his life. From the few minutes she spent with him, she knew the young Chandler was still inside him and that he needed someone to reignite his passion for life. Casey loved a challenge and he appeared to be her next adventure.

Chapter Two

Casey had a wonderful day of working and decorating. She started the day meeting two new clients who were impressed with her office. Both promised to send new business her way. The little village on the lake was growing into a retirement community with many new residents and businesses.

Casey considered leaving and starting over somewhere else after her divorce but found that her community was behind her and supported her like family. This was her hometown, and she was thankful that her ex chose to return to his own hometown and start over. They had no children so going their separate ways had been a clean division of assets. Although she knew the grapevine was juicy with details of her failed marriage, no one asked or implied they knew. They appreciated her personal privacy as she respected their financial privacy. She had loved and lost and that was all they needed to know. She was thankful to be in a familiar place with people she had known most of her life. Small towns were family and family took care of each other.

Casey wondered about Chandler and his connection to their town. He was older and had left right after graduation to go to a university in the north. She knew he had been married twice and that his mother and father left him the house next door. She learned from Mrs. Templeton that he has a sister who visited her parents occasionally. Casey wondered how she figured into Chandler’s inheritance and if that had something to do with him not maintaining his property. So many questions she thought. She would have to invite him to dinner to find out more.

Even though she wanted to know more about his parents, deep down inside she wanted to know more about the man. He was charming, educated, and innately sophisticated, not to mention attractive. She could easily be smitten so she reminded herself how it felt to be broken hearted. She hated to pour water on her own fire,