5-minute romance

After her divorce, Jennifer Campbell moved to a new town looking for a fresh start. And when she came across hunky neighborhood repairman Justin Roe, all it took was a broken furnace to ignite new hope in her heart

“See what I mean?” Jennifer Campbell sighed, pointing the furnace repairman toward the upstairs thermostat. “It’s set to 75 degrees, but the furnace hasn’t kicked on in hours.”

“Hmm, that’s strange,” he mused, his brow furrowed in concentration. The patch on his shirt front read “Justin,” and Jennifer tried not to stare at the solid, broad chest hidden just behind it. “Where’s your breaker box?” “I’ll show you,” she answered, swallowing hard as she led him back downstairs and into the basement.

Justin located the breaker labeled “furnace” and flipped it off and back on. Nothing. The old furnace behind the basement stairs remained still and quiet. “Let me take a look,” he said, and producing a flashlight asked, “Would you mind holding this for me? It’s a bit dark over there.”

Jennifer nodded, shining the light as Justin removed the access panel. “I’m your neighbor, actually,” he said, fetching a wrench from his toolbox. “I live on Jasmine Drive. I’ve seen you riding your bike.”

Jennifer’s heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked: He had noticed her too.

“Oh really?” she croaked, clearing her throat. “Biking is the best way to explore a new neighborhood. I just moved here a month ago. When the realtor showed me this place, I instantly fell in love with it.”

Justin nodded. “After Mrs. Stevens moved out to live with her son, they wanted to sell it pretty quickly,” he explained.

“I didn’t know that,” Jennifer said, her face flushing as Justin smiled up at her. “I know all the local history—i grew up on Jasmine. Ask me anything you’d like!” Jennifer was glad she was in the flashlight’s shadow, otherwise it would have been obvious just how much she was enjoying this exchange…and how intently she was watching Justin’s muscles ripple as he wrenched bolts and turned valves on the old furnace. And that curly jet-black hair and aqua green eyes… He’s even more handsome than I thought, Jennifer shivered, biting her lip as she considered him up close. Until now, she’d only seen him from a distance, working in his yard to put down new mulch and ready his flower beds for spring.

“Jennifer’s heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked: He’d noticed her too”

She’d spent many hours exploring her new town, and oddly enough, every journey seemed to take her down Jasmine Drive at least twice, sometimes even three times. And it always seemed she pedaled just a little bit harder down that street—how else could she explain her quickening heartbeat whenever she spotted the handsome repairman. She’d also already known his name was Justin…it said so on his panel truck: “Justin Roe’s Heating and Cooling Repair.”

His house was small and Jennifer had yet to see a wife or kids materialize from it. Maybe he was divorced, she thought as she wheeled by each day. That was okay, of course—so was she. That’s why she’d left Springfield and taken a job here in the town of Hunter: to get a fresh start.

Happily, Justin’s truck also displayed a phone number, and this morning she’d called to arrange a service visit. “I can be there in an hour,” he’d promised as Jennifer hung up, her heart as giddy as a schoolgirl’s. While she waited, she had even applied lipstick and just a touch of blush.

Still illuminated by the flashlight, Justin stood and scratched his head. “There’s nothing obvious wrong with it. I mean, I could keep taking things apart, if you’d like…” He flashed her a bashful smile as their eyes met. “But I’m sure a pretty lady like yourself has plans for the day. I’ll tell you what: I have Mrs. Stevens’ old service records. How about I check them tonight and come back tomorrow morning?”

“But tomorrow’s Saturday,” Jennifer said. “You don’t work on—” she cut herself short because how could she know that?

“It’s no problem,” he countered, catching her eye again. “I’m a neighborly guy.” He paused as he gathered his tools, clearing his throat. “I also happen to love bike riding. Maybe I could pedal over tomorrow, and afterward we could take a ride together?”

“I’d like that,” Jennifer smiled as Justin hefted his toolbox to leave.

Heading toward his truck minutes later, Justin grinned and chuckled to himself, wondering where he could buy a used bicycle by tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, back inside, Jennifer hurried upstairs. “Brrr,” she shivered. Though spring was on the horizon, it was still chilly in the house. Luckily, the forecast for tomorrow was warmer. She sighed happily as she popped the front panel off the thermostat and reconnected the red wire that she’d disconnected that morning before calling Justin. Neighborly, indeed, she thought with a smile. —Heather Black