across her vision. He stood upright and moved around to the other side of the post, putting his back to the street. The post looked to be bolted into the ground again, but it was still bent out of shape.
His mailbox would’ve looked like it was tilting its head in disbelief if he put it on like that.
Placing one hand on the post below the bend and the other above it on the opposite side, Logan braced his feet around the base of the post. He raised his head and scanned his surroundings as though searching for onlookers.
Tabitha’s heart leapt into her throat, and her cheeks blazed as she shied back from the window—but she kept him in sight.
Logan looked down again. Tabitha heard a faint groan of metal as he bent the post back into shape. He paused once, readjusting the position of his hands, before completing his work. As far as she could tell in the dark, the post was straight now.
Leaning forward, he snatched the mailbox off the ground. His hands and arms moved, and the mailbox seemed to change shape as they did. An image flashed through Tabitha’s mind—Superman, with muscles bulging, bending a steel beam. After a few moments, Logan picked up the drill, set the mailbox atop the post, and apparently reattached it with a few more bright sparks.
Though it was impossible to tell from her viewing angle, especially in such poor lighting, his mailbox looked decidedly less battered than it had before. In fact, the whole thing looked as straight as it must’ve been before its run-in with the moving truck.
That…that was impossible. Wasn’t it? Tabitha could’ve sworn both the mailbox and its post were made of metal. Logan looked strong, but it had to take an awful lot of strength to bend steel…
The sort of strength usually boasted by alien superheroes, right? Are you kidding, Tabby?
He stood up and stepped back, tilting his head as though surveying his work. A moment later, he was walking to his front door in those long, smooth strides. He slowed to a stop as he neared his truck. Logan’s head turned to the side—not just toward Tabitha’s house, but directly to the very window through which she was watching him.
Her eyes widened, and with a gasp, she ducked behind the counter, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Nope. No way had that happened. A person couldn’t just bend metal like it was made of clay. It was late, it was dark outside, and Tabitha was tired. Her mind was simply playing tricks on her. She looked at Dexter, who stared at her with his head cocked, likely wondering what she was doing on the floor.
Blowing the loose strands of hair from her face, she grasped the edge of the counter and slowly pulled herself up, peeking cautiously out the window again.
Logan was gone.
What was she doing? She was spying on the hot guy next door like she was some nosey busybody. What if he had seen her? Shame filled her.
Great. Now she was one of those neighbors.
Tomorrow, she would make it right.
Four
Tabitha chugged the rest of her morning coffee—if she could even rightly call this diabetic’s-worst-nightmare concoction of sugar and cream coffee—and set her mug on the counter. There was so much to do today, and she was already running behind after having slept later than she’d intended. But first…
“Come on, Dex!” she called. “Walk time.”
Dexter raced over to her from the living room, his paws pounding the floor, tongue hanging out, and tail wagging in excitement. He circled her impatiently as she tried to grasp his collar and connect the leash.
“Calm down,” she laughed. “You ready?”
Dexter barked. He ran to the front door, tugging her along, looking at it and back to her again and again as though to say, hurry up already.
She snatched her keys, the envelope beneath them, and a doggy poop bag off the stand beside the door, stuffed them all into her hoodie pocket, and opened the door. Dexter practically dragged her outside, forcing her to plant her feet firmly and brace her legs so she could stop long enough to lock the door. Once it was secure, she allowed the dog to lead her down the driveway and toward the sidewalk.
It was a crisp morning, and the cool, damp air teased her face and bit just a touch through her leggings and hoody. Tabitha took in a deep, appreciative breath.
The sky was gray and overcast, with only a hint of sunlight