Trick or Truce

When my candy bowl gets stolen by a mischievous teenager on Halloween, I march across the street to confront the girl's father. Since the bowl is a memento from my family, I expect him to apologize and make his daughter give it back. No harm, no foul.

Not only does the gorgeous single dad-who I've enjoyed watching mow his lawn without a shirt more times than I'd like to admit-deny the whole thing and take his daughter's side, but he is extremely rude to me.

I should let it go and cut my losses. But something about his self-righteous attitude strikes a nerve. So, I steal something from him to get even.

And end up starting a war.

Grant

I'm too old to be pulling pranks on my neighbor. But when I see the smile it brings to my daughter's face, I'll do anything to keep her from reverting back to slamming her bedroom door and yelling that I don't understand her.

Being a single parent is hard, and being a father to a hormonal teenage girl is something else entirely. It has always been just the two of us, but I'm starting to realize that I might not be enough to help her as she turns into a young woman.

Which is why I call a truce with the beautiful blonde across the street and allow her to tutor my daughter instead. I'm not prepared for the bond they create, and I'm definitely not prepared for the way my body reacts whenever she's around.

Somehow, my enemy just turned into so much more.