My Off-Limits Protector Next Door: Friends to Lovers Sweet Romance Short Story Collection by Eva Stone

Author:Eva Stone [Stone, Eva]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Harmonies and Heartbeats

I’m engrossed in practicing my singing, hitting some challenging high notes, when I suddenly hear an off pitch wailing outside. It sounds like… is that a dog trying to mimic my singing?

Annoyed, I stomp to the window, preparing to give the owner a piece of my mind. But as I pull it open, the sight before me causes my annoyance to give way to giggles. My new neighbor, a handsome guy, is lounging on his patio swing chair, and next to him is a massive dog, head thrown back, belting out his version of my song.

“Um, excuse me?” I call out, trying to stifle my laughter. “Your dog seems to think he’s the next big thing in opera?”

The neighbor looks up, startled, and then breaks into a sheepish grin. “Oh! I’m so sorry. That’s Thunder. He gets a little carried away when he hears music. Thinks he’s a canine Pavarotti or something.”

“I can see that,” I reply with a smirk. “I mean, I’ve had fans before, but this is a first.”

He chuckles, “Well, it looks like you’ve got yourself a new duet partner. By the way, I’m Rober. The charming new addition to this community.”

Laughing, I reply, “Lana. The already charming resident. Welcome to the madhouse!”

“Pleasure to meet you, Lana. And apologies again for Thunder’s… um… performance.”

“Tell Thunder he might need a few more lessons before his big debut,” I tease.

Rober chuckles, patting Thunder’s head. “Hear that, buddy? You’ve got work to do.”

We share a friendly wave, and I return to practice, silently hoping for more interruptions from my amusing new neighbors.

Before I close my window, Whiskers, my Russian Blue cat, jumps to the windowsill and touches me with his head. His green eyes tell me it’s time for him to play outside.

Sunlight filters through the curtains as I start my vocal warm-ups. The notes flow smoothly, and the rhythm is right on point. My primary performance is just around the corner, and every practice counts. As I hit a high note, I’m rudely interrupted by a series of deep, booming barks.

Not again.

Thunder. That big, adorable, incredibly noisy furball. Why did he pick my singing time to showcase his vocal range? I try to continue, hoping he’ll stop, but the barks grow louder and more insistent, matching my pitch and rhythm.

Enough is enough. Marching to the window, I fling it open, ready to confront the canine opera singer. But instead, I lock eyes with Rober, lounging on his patio swing chair, seemingly enjoying the ruckus.

“Really?” I start, my tone sharp, trying to hide my obvious annoyance. “Is this a daily duet now?”

Rober smirks, looking unfazed. “Ah, Lana! Thunder here seems to think you guys could form the next hit duo. You know, bring a bit of canine charm to the music world.”

“This is hardly the time for jokes, Rober,” I retort, hands on my hips. “I have an important performance in a few days. I can’t afford these… disruptions.”

He raises an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. “Ah, c’mon, it’s just a bit of fun.

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