The Perfect Neighbor Read Online Free PDF Page A

sorry,” she began, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. “Really. It’s completely my fault.”
    “Who said it wasn’t?”
    “I shouldn’t have followed you. It was impulse. I have such a problem resisting impulse—always have—and I was irritated because of that idiot Frank and … well, that doesn’t matter. I only wanted to—could you slow down a little?”
    “No.”
    Cybil rolled her eyes. “All right, all right, you wish I’d get run over by a truck, but there’s no need to be upset with Delta. We just started talking and we found out that her mother used to work for my grandmother, and she—Delta, I mean—knows my parents and some of my Grandeau cousins, so we hit it off.”
    He did stop now, to simply stare at her. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world,” he muttered, and made her laugh.
    “I had to follow you into that one and make pals with your girlfriend. Sorry.”
    “My girlfriend? Delta?”
    And to Cybil’s amazement, the man could laugh. Really laugh, with a wonderful baritone rumble that melted all the ice and made her sigh in delight.
    “Does Delta look like anyone’s
girl
friend? Man, you are from Mars.”
    “It’s just an expression. I didn’t want to be presumptive and call her your lover.”
    His eyes were still warm with amusement as he stared down at her. “That’s a happy thought, kid, but the guy I was just jamming with happens to be her husband, and a friend of mine.”
    “The skinny man at the piano? Really?” Pursing her lips, Cybil thought about it, found it charming and romantic. “Isn’t that lovely?”
    Preston only shook his head and started walking again.
    “What I meant was,” Cybil continued—he’d just known she couldn’t possibly be finished—as she hurried along beside him, “I’m sure she came back to check me out, you know? To make sure I wasn’t going to hassle you, and then, well, one thing led to another. I don’t want you to be annoyed with her.”
    “I’m not annoyed with her. You, on the other hand, have gone so far beyond being an annoyance I can’t find the word.”
    Her mouth fell into a pout. “Well, I’m sorry, and I’ll certainly make it a point to leave you alone, since that’s apparently what you like best.”
    Her perky nose went up in the air, and she sailed across the street in the opposite direction from their building.
    Preston stood there a moment, watching her scissor those very pretty legs down the opposite sidewalk. Then, with a shrug, he turned the corner, telling himself he was glad to be rid of her. It wasn’t his concern if she wandered around alone at night. She wouldn’t have been out walking around on those silly, skinny heels if she hadn’t followed him in the first place.
    He wasn’t going to worry about it.
    And, swearing, he turned around, headed back. He was going to make sure she got home, that was all. Back inside, where he could wash any responsibility for her welfare off his hands and forget her.
    He was still the best part of a crosstown block away when he saw it happen. The man slid out of the shadows, made his grab and had Cybil letting out an ear-piercing scream as she struggled. Preston dumped his case, sprinted forward with his fists already clenched.
    Then skidded to an amazed halt as Cybil not only broke free but doubled her attacker over with a hard knee to the groin, knocked him flat with a perfect uppercut.
    “I only had ten lousy dollars in here. Ten lousy dollars, you jerk!” She was shouting by the time Preston gathered his wits and rushed up beside her. “If you’d needed money, why didn’t you just ask!”
    “You hurt?”
    “Yes, damn it. And it’s your fault. I wouldn’t have hit him so hard if I hadn’t been mad at you.”
    Noting that she was nursing the knuckles on her right hand, Preston grabbed it by the wrist. “Let’s see. Wiggle your fingers.”
    “Go away.”
    “Come on, wiggle.”
    “Hey!” The shout came from a woman hanging out an