She smiled as our cars were hauled away, convinced she had won some neighborhood battle. But by the next morning, she was standing on her porch in shock, facing a $25,000 mistake she’d never forget. Jack and I had only spent one night in the house.
It was a small, single-story rental tucked into a quiet suburb—tan bricks, green shutters, and a patchy lawn that looked like it hadn’t been watered since spring. We were only here for a temporary work assignment. Nothing long-term.
Nothing exciting. We had barely finished unpacking the coffee maker when the doorbell rang. Jack groaned.
“We don’t even have curtains up yet.”
I checked the peephole. “Well, looks like the Welcome Committee’s here.”
He peeked. “Yikes.
She’s holding cookies.”
I opened the door. There stood a woman in a pastel pink cardigan, matching headband, and white capri pants. Her smile was bright, but her eyes?
Far too busy for someone bringing baked goods. “Hi there!” she said, voice high and chirpy. “I’m Lindsey.
I live right across the street. Just wanted to stop by and say hello!”
She held out a tray of perfectly aligned chocolate-chip cookies—not a crumb out of place. “Well, thank you,” I said, taking the tray.
“That’s very kind.”
Jack gave her a lazy wave. “Appreciate it.”
Her smile stayed fixed, but her eyes kept flicking behind us—over my shoulder, then Jack’s. She leaned a little, trying to peek inside.
I shifted aside, and her gaze traveled down the hallway before returning to the living room. “You folks settling in okay?” she asked, blinking rapidly. “Yeah,” I said slowly.
“Just moved in yesterday.”
“Such a lovely area,” she said, her eyes darting to the doorframe. “Quiet. Clean.
Very… orderly.”
Jack crossed his arms. “We’re just here for work. Shouldn’t be any trouble.”
“Oh, I’m sure!” she said, a little too brightly.
“Just wanted to say welcome. And one quick thing…”
I felt the shift coming—the moment when cookies turned into complaints. “Our HOA—very friendly, but firm—has a rule about cars,” she said.
“Only one per household in the driveway.”
I blinked. “One car?”
“Yes,” she said, her tone tightening. “No exceptions.
Keeps the neighborhood looking nice and tidy.”
Jack raised his eyebrows. “But we’re not parking on the street. Both cars fit on the driveway just fine.”
“I know,” she said with a small head tilt.
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